Review
This was to be my trip of a lifetime, cruising around New Zealand. We upgraded our flights and flew British Airways Heathrow to Sydney with a refuelling stop in Singapore. Perhaps we should have taken notice of the number of people wearing face masks in Changi Airport Singapore. On arrival in Sydney we missed our connecting flight to Brisbane with Quantas but took the next available flight. We had a comfortable hotel in Brisbane and enjoyed three days there. It's an amazing city.
We received text messages that our cruise ship would depart half a day later than scheduled and there followed the worst embarkation we have ever experienced in sweltering heat. It was chaotic. Sea Princess turned out to be a floating hotel for Aussies intent on eating and drinking the ship dry. It was a noisy, friendly and chaotic journey into the choppy, stormy waters of the Tasman Sea. The weather was too bad for us to cruise the South Island fjordlands and we headed straight for Port Chalmers. Our cruise passed in a haze of NZ cities. I loved them all and would return in a heartbeat The Captain curtailed our stay in . Auckland as bad weather was predicted and this was the biggest disappointment of the holiday. Disembarking at Brisbane in yet more sweltering heat was even more chaotic and disorganised. Who would have thought that possible?
On our return to the UK Covid was rearing its ugly head and I had one of the first tests at our local hospital . It's difficult to say who was more nervous, me or the doctor administering it. Thankfully it was negative. Since that time much has happened. Sea Princess has been sold. New Zealand and Australia have closed their borders to tourists. My cruising world has shrunk. It wasn't the most luxurious cruise I have taken but I will remember the people and places from the other side of the world forever. The scenery was breathtaking and were I to have my life again then emigration to New Zealand would be at the top of my list of things to do.