DAY 63 DAY 51 SERENITY

SCENIC CRUISING - DUSKY, DOUBTFUL AND MILFORD SOUND

Captain Birger spoke to everyone from the Bridge at 5:00 PM late evening.   The Captain explained that due to the storm we would not be going to Hobart and will  cross over to Australia further north.  We will arrive to Sydney one day earlier on March 2nd and will be anchored.  Tender service will be available to take everyone over to Sydney.  Late evening we will dock.

So the good news is we will have an extra day in Sydney and most importantly we will avoid what would have been very choppy seas should the course not have been arrive.  Safety first.  Thank you Captain Birger.

The captain noted we will have five hours of rough seas early in the morning and the Captain let us know we should secure items in our room such as bottles.

From the Captain's Letter:

We hope you are enjoying your time onboard Crystal Serenity.

In my job as Master, my highest priority is always the safety of our vessel and those on board.  As part of that, I am always looking ahed to spot any potential challenges our way.

Over the last week or so, we have painstakingly been following the weather forecast for the Tasman Sea.   This is an area which is always a concern to any mariner as weather can be notoriously bad.  Unfortunately, over the last few days the forecast has gone from bad to worse.  Four major storm are lining up one after the other and starting tonight they are supposed to start hitting the Tasman Sea.

For the two day passage from Milford Sound to Hobart, the forecast is strong winds and heavy seas from a East South West direction.  Significant wave height varies from 5 - 6 six meters to as much as 8 - 9 meters (15 - 18 feet to 25 - 30 feet) given a choice no responsible mariner would knowingly head into such weather.  Hence, we have made the decision to cancer our call to Hobart.

Upon departure from Dunedin tonight we will proceed for cruising the New Zealand Fjorlands National Park on a somewhat amended and delayed schedule culminating with departing Milford Sound tomorrow night no later than 7:00 pm bound for Sydney NSW.

We will move our arrival to Sydney one day and are planning to arrive at anchor in Sydney on the morning of March 2nd.  We will remain at anchor for most of the day and will shift to our assigned Bert at Sydney Cove in thee evening when the Overseas Passenger Terminal is vacated by another ship.  We will then remain docked there until our scheduled departure on March 4th.

Sincerely,

Captain Birger J. Vorland, 
Ship's Master


Last evening we attended the Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle Party.  We had a small turnout with only three guests there including Anne Marie and myself.   Some might have gotten back late from the tours and they had Ash Wednesday Masses.   There were four officers in attendance.  

​From there we went to dinner at Umi Uma

These are the Waterside Dinner menus.

We enjoyed dinner  at Umi Uma.

This was our first dinner at Umi Uma on this segment of the World Cruise.  As much as we love the cuisine created by Chef Nobu and made on the ship by the talents Umi Uma culinary chefs with the outstanding service of the waitstaff we limit our visits to one or possibly twice per segment.  We do this because we consider the food very special and if we visit too often then for us it is no longer special.  

The evening entertainment included Musical Humorist Bayne Bacon with two shows and two performances by Curtis and Beverly called Crystal Dance Stars.

We slept very well.  The seas were pretty calm with just some movement.  Keith got up earlier than normal to get a workout in since the seas were calm and was able to get the workout done followed by doing laundry when everything was calm.  By around 7:00 AM the winds picked up quite a bit and the seas became very choppy.  Shortly before 7:30 AM Captain Birger spoke from the bridge and the announcement could be heard from passenger decks and other areas but not in the staterooms to not disturb guests.  He advised guests to use caution as they walked around the ship and not to go outdoors including on their balconies.

Last evening,  we had prepared our room for the potential of rough seas during the sleeping hours, by putting items on the shelves on the couch and other items on the floor.

A short video showing the views from our Verandah at 7:30 AM

The Captain made additional announcements at 8:30 and 9:00 AM.  The 9:00 AM announcement was broadcast throughout the ship.  At 8:30 AM, the Captain noted the winds were higher than the forecast.   They had been at 80 knots on average although they got as high at 100 knots.  At the time of his announcement they were at 50 knots.  He also noted we would not get into all three sounds and would likely  get into one later in thee day.  He said the winds would calm down.

The original plan was to sail the three special sounds Dusky, Doubtful  and Milford Sounds.  

Keith was getting his haircut and he encouraged the hair stylist to take her time which is what she did.

We are experienced cruisers and did well.

Shortly after the 9:00 AM talk Cruise Director Rick spoke ship wide reminding everyone about the two morning lectures and also noting in the afternoon the Part Ranger would give a talk at 1:30 PM about the three sounds.

The morning and afternoon had many activities and enrichment.  Two lectures were given in the morning.

Captain Richard Hayman spoke about the Asian Seas and Straits including historic and contemporary conflicts between Asian nations including Australian waters.   Dr Robert Freedman spoke about Sino-American Relations and the Role of Australia and New Zealand.  

We enjoyed lunch at Marketplace.   It was on the quieter side likely due to the weather.  While not as bumpy as being all the way forward since it is located in the back of the ship you will feel motion much more than on a lower deck and being mid-ship.

During Captain Birger's talk from the bridge he noted that winds got as high as around 110 miles per hour.  He said he there was high probability we would get into Milford Sound at about 4:00 PM.

We are going ahead and posting earlier than usual today since we might lose the internet while in Milford Sound

Following is the daily Reflections Program.

Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith