Friday, February 13, 2026

Cruise Day #39 - Nelson, New Zealand

This morning we docked in Nelson, at the top of the South Island. The forecast called for a high of 70° with a 50% chance of showers — not terrible, not perfect, but good enough for exploring.

After cappuccinos and toast in the Colonnade, we grabbed the free shuttle for the short 10-minute ride into town. The ship was docked in a large cargo area, mostly filled with massive piles of trees waiting their turn at the lumber mill — not exactly scenic, but interesting in its own way.



Nelson itself is very quaint, with plenty of boutique shops, small restaurants, and local stores.







Being Saturday and Valentine’s Day, the town was buzzing with locals. There was also a good-sized Farmers/Artisan Market right in the center, which added to the festive feel.


Debbie did some light shopping while we wandered, ultimately clocking 3.8 miles of walking — not bad before lunch!

We returned to the ship by noon, where Debbie immediately launched into two loads of laundry. Both laundry rooms were open, but apparently she wasn’t the only one with that brilliant idea — three other passengers arrived right after Debbie filled the two washing machines. Let’s just say it turned into a very busy afternoon in the laundry room!

Once everything was washed and safely spinning in the dryers, we headed up to the Patio for lunch.

Tonight is Formal Night along with the Signature Dinner in The Restaurant. They’re even clearing space for dancing to the resident band — this should be interesting!

And later this evening, the Seabourn Singers and Dancers will be performing “Amour” in the Grand Salon.

More details in tomorrow’s blog… 💃🕺

I almost forgot to mention — our weather for the next couple of days is going to be interesting! There’s a typhoon developing just to our north/northeast, which is the reason for the two port cancellations.

Looks like the ship may start a little rockin’ and rollin’ once we leave tonight!







Cruise Day #43 - Oban, Stewart Island, New Zealand

As anticipated, the seas were rough again as soon as we left Port Chalmers yesterday afternoon 🌊 The rocking and rolling continued overnigh...