Sunday, February 13, 2014
Highlights From Yesterday and Today
Auckland, New Zealand
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We really enjoyed our two days in Auckland. This is a very beautiful, very clean, people and tourist friendly, and well-organized city that is just fun to walk around. While we have enjoyed visits to many of the islands since this voyage began, it was fun to be back to a city such as Auckland that offers a wide range of daytime and evening activities.
Staying overnight is also quite nice as there is no rush to get back to the ship and you can easily go back and forth between the ship and the city. On top of this it’s nice to be docked in a nice downtown area where one is already docked in a nice part of town and where a shuttle between the ship and the downtown area is unnecessary.
In many cities around the world the area right near the cruise ship is not very pleasant but that is not the case with this city. On the two evenings that we were docked in Auckland, we walked around after dinner and it was lots of fun just to walk around the immediate area with all of the cafes, restaurants, and stores and of course the beautiful ships at the Wharf.
We were also fortunate to have nice weather, which allowed us to see a good deal by foot.
We know that both the passengers and the crew greatly appreciated all of the venues that were located nearby the ship including Pubs, Cafes and Restaurants. After taking a long walk with our friends it was fun to stop off for a nice beverage in the early afternoon as we did yesterday and enjoy a nice conversation with the scenic view of sailboats, tall ships and other vessels that were docked at the wharf.
We also wanted to note that unlike many cities around the world how polite the drivers are. They stop for pedestrians and the do not honk their horns, which really cuts down on the noise, level.
The Familiarity Of Crew and Fellow Guests
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Often our fellow guests and we mention that one of the nice aspects of a Crystal Cruise is that family feeling that permeates on the ship. We realize this each and every day but we are reminded of this on not only the day we embark the ship but on days when we are still on the ship while others are boarding the ship.
Yesterday, we were reminded of all of this.
Several members of the crew joined the ship yesterday in Auckland many of whom we ran into during the course of the day. As you greet them there is that warm and friendly feeling as they are part of your extended Crystal family. Each time you sail with them you experience many memories from those voyages and you also learn more about them including about their families and life at home. It is a part of the experience that for us makes cruising with Crystal Cruises very unique.
Likewise, we saw several passengers who we know from our previous sailings. Some come back year after year to take one or more legs of the World Cruise who we know from prior World Cruise sailings. At the same time, others take one or more cruises other times of the year and we know them from being on a cruise with them another time of the year. Again, it’s always so nice to see them.
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Before we dined last evening we sat at the Crystal Cove and had a glass of water as we listened to pianist John Mentis play the piano. We sat at a small table that is right behind his piano bench so we could not only hear him perform but we could also watch him play the piano while talking with him at the same time. John is a magnificent pianist who we have had the pleasure of seeing perform for several years.
Last evening we enjoyed another nice dinner in the Main Dining Room.
The theme for the Dinner was Bon Voyage Dinner.
Appetizers included Sautéed Sea Scallops on Parsnip Puree, Thinly Sliced Prosciutto, and a Roast Eggplant Tartar.
Soups included Crab and Cheddar Soup and a Chicken Consommé.
Salads included a Spinach Salad and a Heart of Butter Lettuce salad.
The Pasta Special for the evening was Garganelle Pasta alla Prima
vera that came accompanied with Mushrooms, Cream Sauce and Italian Parsley.The Salad Entrée was Grilled Salmon and Vegetable Salad on Mixed Greens.
Maine Fares included Broiled Fillet of Fresh Local Warehou accompanied with Pink Mustard Beurre Blanc, Sauteed Baby Leaf Spinach and Roasted New Potatoes, Roasted Rack of Veal, Coriander Seed Crusted Pink Roasted Duck Breast and Grilled Black Angus Sirloin Steak.
Two Traditional Main Fares were available which were Broiled Salmon Fillet and Grilled Steak Filet.
The Vegetarian Selections included for an entrée the Vegetable Crepes, which are Whole Wheat Crepes Stuffed with a Roasted Vegetable Ragout and Mushrooms, Served with a Fine Herb Sauce. Lighter Side items were also available.
There were lots of Classic Deserts to choose from and the Sweet Finale included “Mohr im Hemd” which is Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding, Soft Whipped Cream, Fudge Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream and “Cheesecake Fantasy” which is Vanilla Cheesecake, Lilikoi Cheesecake Trifle and Rocky Road Ice Cream.
We each had a nice salad with Keith having his standing order salad and Anne Marie having one of the salads that was on the menu.
After consultation with the Senior Waiter and the Head Waiter (well not a major consultation but a brief conversation) we selected the Broiled Fillet of Fresh, Local Warehou. It was a good decision and while we were not familiar with this fish we very much enjoyed it. It is similar to a Grouper. It is more on the plainer side. We also had a nice side order of vegetables and we each enjoyed fruit for our dessert. The fruit that has been brought on board in Auckland is quite good.
We now have a new headwaiter, Giuseppe, who we have had on several voyages over the years. He is a wonderful headwaiter. We also have a new sommelier, Pierre from Cape Town, South Africa. While he has never been our sommelier we know him from previous cruises. Our previous headwaiter and sommelier have rotated to another area of the Main Dining Room. Whereas on last years World Cruise the sommeliers did not rotate and the only change was if a sommelier was going on holiday, this time around they are rotating each voyage. A couple of years ago the rotation was every couple of voyages. We are fine with either approach as we do learn a good deal from many of the sommeliers. We also ran into one of the sommeliers Raphael (sp) who came by to say hello to us. Last year he was in Prego and this year it looks like he is now in the Main Dining Room. The headwaiters do rotate from time to time during the World Cruise depending on factors such as the vacation schedule.
After dinner we took a stroll of the ship and walked around the Wharf area for about an hour. We ran into several passengers and crewmembers.
Back on the ship we ran into several other crewmembers who had just rejoined the ship. Some we had just seen on the January 4 cruise while others we have not seen since last year.
We slept very well last evening as we sailed to our next port of call in Tauranga, New Zealand. We never heard the ship leave at Midnight.
Once again, Keith was up very early for his early morning workout at the Fitness Center. He worked out for ninety minutes on the Elliptical Machine. There were more passengers in the center than normal which was likely attributable to some being jetlagged, others not having exercised during their pre-cruise stay in Auckland and others having tours today.
After the workout, it was off to the Lido Café to bring back some coffee to the room. There is a new Lido Deck Steward team working in the Lido Café as they rotate every couple of voyages. Keith spoke with Lido Deck Stewards Ross and Ray.
Anne Marie took a one-hour walk on the Promenade Deck. Just a few minutes after getting back to the room there was a knock on the door and you guessed it, Alexander arrived to set up our breakfast. We enjoyed our regular breakfast of Oat Meal and fruit and some coffee.
Today’s Port Of Call was Tauranga, New Zealand.
Tauranga was first settled by the Europeans n the early 1800’s and officially became a city in 1953. The city is situated in the north-western corner of the Bay of Plenty. The city covers 65 square miles. Tauranga is one of New Zealand’s main centers for business, international trade, culture, fashion, horticultural science, education and entertainment. The city has a population of close to 125,000 inhabitants.
Tauranga is a popular summer resort destination and is also a major exporter of kiwi fruit, timber and dairy products.
We took the Panaramic Tauranga Tour. This was about a two-hour tour that provided us with a very nice overview of this fast growing city. We first drove alongside the magnificent Ocean Beach where we also had a nice view of some of New Zealand's most exclusive real estate and views of this stunning beach.
After crossing the Maungatapu Peninsula, we arrived in the suburb of Greerton where we saw the site of the last major battle between the British and the Maori people. Afterwards, we drove to the downtown area of Tauranga.
The bus driver for our tour was both the driver and the tour guide. He provided us with a wealth of information about both Tauranga and New Zealand as well as some of the neighboring cities and towns and a lot of good information about the local economy, including tourism. Whereas it was not so long ago that only a few cruise ships would visit this town, now over eight cruise ships come here annually.
Right before our tour we spoke with John Stoll, Vice President of Crystal Cruises, whose responsibilities include all of the shore excursions and all of the land related programs for Crystal Cruises. He is in town for this evenings World Cruise Shore Side event which he in instrumental in planning and coordinating. It was wonderful to chat with John.
Once back on the ship, we had lunch in the Lido Café where we each made a very nice salad entrée.
After lunch we walked off the ship and over to an area called Mount Maunganui. This area includes some very beautiful beaches, and some beautiful reserves including Mauao Historic Reserve and Mount Drury Reserve, along with a nice park named Coronation Park and there was another area nearby with various stores and cafes.
We returned back to the ship for about fifteen minutes and then we went back out for another couple of hours.
This evening we are dining with Bob and Glo at Tastes. There is open seating in the Main Dining Room. Tastes is a dinner venue that on most evenings other than mainly formal nights and the day of embarkation and the evening before disembarkation when it is closed that offers casual dining around the indoor pool. This will mark our first time dining there in the evening since 2007. We’ll post about the experience.
TODAY’S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY……….
“Word’s may show a man’s wit but action his meaning.” - Benjamin Franklin
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