Cruise Day #34 - Waitangi (Bay of Islands), New Zealand

We had a real blast last night in the Observation Bar! We haven’t laughed that much in a very long time. Charlie had many of us singing along with him—so much fun and such great energy all around.

Earlier in the day, we decided to try the Chef’s Market Dinner in the Colonnade. During lunch, we spotted the bulletin board listing the evening’s offerings—lots of fresh seafood—and we were instantly sold! We invited Mr. C to join us and sat out on the outside terrace.

What a perfect setting. The food was absolutely delicious, and we more than did our share of crab legs, mussels, and huge shrimp.

We finished dinner with the Croquembouche (small, cream-filled profiteroles stacked into a cone-shaped tower and held together with threads of caramelized sugar). Wow—what a finish! 

The conversation was intriguing, the laughs kept coming, and we were the last ones to leave.

We later returned to the Observation Bar and found it fairly crowded with many of our new friends. It turned into a roaring good time! We ended up staying until almost midnight—a definite record for us. 😄

This morning we arrived at our first New Zealand port, the Bay of Islands.

We’ve been here twice over the past several years and have already explored everything the port has to offer, so we decided to stay onboard. We enjoyed breakfast in the Colonnade with Mrs. B from Belgium while tackling two loads of laundry (living the glamorous cruise life!). Mrs. B is disembarking tomorrow in Auckland, and we exchanged contact information—she’s invited us to visit her in Belgium for a tour of her homeland. How amazing is that?

The Carnival Splendor is anchored nearby. 

The Observation Bar, usually very quiet during the day. 

We attended Ross’ noon Super Bowl party in the Grand Salon, and what an entrance it was! 

The place was decked out with decorations, and Ross was right there at the door in full football attire—too funny!!!

There was no shortage of food: sliders, hot dogs, wings, spring rolls, nachos, and popcorn.

They also had a full beverage table (always appreciated) and a delicious raspberry-filled cake to top it all off.

As you walked in, guests were invited to pick one football pool square per person, with gifts awarded after every quarter. 

The only thing missing? The Super Bowl commercials. We were stuck with ESPN ads—and honestly, the commercials are half the reason we usually watch the game. Bummer. And don’t even get me started on the halftime show. Spanish is my native language, and I maybe understood about 20% of what was said! 🤷‍♂️

Tomorrow is turnaround day in Auckland. 🚢

Cruise Day #33 - Sea Day 3 of 3

Last night was a repeat of our usual (and favorite) pattern—starting out in the Observation Bar. Once again, it was hopping, and Charlie had the whole place singing along with him. Always a good time! 🎶

We stayed until it was time for our 7:30 reservation at Solis, where dinner was another big success. We shared the table with two lovely solo ladies we’ve come to know over the course of the voyage. They are incredibly interesting and extremely well-traveled, especially with Seabourn. We’ve learned a great deal about the line through them—always fun swapping stories with seasoned cruisers.

Now, on to the food… Debbie and I both started with the grilled gamba (a huge shrimp—more like a langostino) as our appetizer. Wow, was it good! 

Next, I had the table-side prepared Panzanella salad… another wow! 

For our main course, we each ordered the (also huge) grilled swordfish and shared a Zeffirino Trofie with pesto.

So. Good. 😋 We were one of the last tables to leave—10:00 pm! We couldn’t believe we’d been there that long, but that’s always a sign you’re having a great time.

After dinner, we headed back to our stateroom to continue streaming a really good Netflix series, The Beast in Me. Before calling it a night, we turned our clocks forward another hour.

The seas were calmer overnight and are even better this morning. Today’s high is expected to be around 78°F with slightly overcast skies. Our plan? A relaxing day by the pool—which is exactly where we are right now, stretched out on our loungers. 🏖️

Tomorrow—Monday for us—we arrive at our first New Zealand port, the Bay of Islands. They’re hosting a Super Bowl party in the Grand Salon starting at 12:30 pm. Since we’ve been to the Bay of Islands a couple of years ago and didn’t find it especially memorable, we’ll be staying onboard and joining the “Super Bowl Monday” festivities instead. Sounds like a perfect plan to us! 🏈

Cruise Day #32 - Sea Day 2 of 3

We kicked off our evening last night with our friends—and Charlie—in the Observation Bar. Engen, the Head Bartender, is fantastic; he has our drinks ready before we even sit down! 🍸 The place was hopping, with several late arrivals unable to find seats.

Our friends S & W from Sarasota, Florida, invited us—and Mrs. B from Brussels—to join them for dinner in The Restaurant. Dinner was really good, and the table conversation was just as good.

Afterward, no one at the table was interested in the violinists’ show, so we all headed back to the Observation Bar for Charlie’s 9:30 set. There’s now a regular crowd that gathers there, always in their usual seats. It really has a “Cheers” bar vibe—all we need is for Norm to walk in! 😂

After Charlie’s set, we were the first to head “home.” Apparently, some of the regulars stay well past midnight… way too late for these old-timers!

Since leaving New Caledonia, the seas have been rocking a bit, along with overcast skies. Today is no exception, and the winds have picked up—definitely not prime pool weather. We also moved the clocks forward an hour, just to keep things interesting. 😴⏰

We ended up observing Trivia again today, but the questions were much harder this time.

Afterwards, we made our way to The Restaurant for the Galley Market. Wow—what a spread! Just about everything you could possibly think of was available, and honestly, the photos don’t do it justice.

We tried to show a little restraint since we’re having dinner at Solis tonight… but let’s just say plenty of lobster, crab legs, stone crabs, and green-lipped mussels were consumed. 🦞🦀