AUCKLAND
The travel part really starts here! Just waffle up to now to test that the blog works and time for a few people to hook in. That is not to say that there won’t be a lot more waffle of course.
With the 3 cases packed, the two full sized ones were secured with bright orange lockable straps, with TSA approved combination locks. (That just means that if travelling to the USA and they wants to get into the cases to search them – which they often do - they can do so without cutting off padlocks.) The third case was also secured with a bright orange strap, but having had one come off in the past, I effected a simple , modification, to make it more secure. I just drilled a couple of holes through the catch and threaded the ubiquitous cable ties through. (See the pic.) From past experience, snipping cable ties is easy enough, but some airport security staff still confiscate even the tiniest of Swiss army knives, so just one pocket of our luggage has an unsecured zip, and that pocket only contains a pen-knife. All others are secured with spare ties inside when flying out of the USA, but ties of a different colour.
Before we retired for the (short) night’s sleep, Paula wandered out on to the deck to check that the rear gate was fastened – and slipped over, grazing her arm very badly. So at 11pm, instead of relaxing, she was running her arm under the cold water tap… Shades of 2011, when she fell over and banged her head in Singapore, the day before we cruised out.
Eventually to bed and some sleep, to be woken by the alarm at 2:45am NZ time, and by 3:05am, we were ready to go. (We all know people who would need to be up at least 90 minutes early - and even then, they’d be fluffing around at 3:30am, when the shuttle was due…) Water turned off at the mains, electricity all turned off and the shuttle was spot on time, with two or three pick-ups on the way to the airport. Modern day check in - certainly with Air NZ at Auckland is an absolute breeze. We put one passports into the kiosk machine and printed out our luggage tags. (I’d printed out our boarding passes at home.) Tags attached, cases onto the conveyor – heaviest first (Paula’s..) 21.5kg, then 18.5 and 15.5 kg, so overall, well under the 3 x 23kg limit.
Straight through immigration with a minimum of delay, using the smart gate, hand luggage scan and to the Air NZ lounge, which has recently been expanded and updated, where we were one of the first in.
Apart from a lukewarm coffee on the aircraft which was undrinkable, (Paula’s tea was also lukewarm) a good flight, on time and within 15 minutes of landing in Sydney, we were out the door and in a taxi. The weather was exactly same as in Auckland. Sunny and 17 degrees. (Pre Smart gate kiosks tip: use the first machines you come across = no delay. They print out a ticket and you use that at the gate and also show it on exit when handing over your declaration firm.) No sniffer dog or X-ray.
As we’d landed at 8:30am, we were straight into the Sydney rush hour traffic, which meant a slowish ride to our Ibis, Darling Harbour Hotel ($60). Once two couples checking out had been despatched, our check in was fast and friendly and so straight to our room, for a shower. (We’d paid extra for an early check in and for a Darling Harbour/Cockle Bay view.) Sadly, the spectacular Sydney light show – Vivid – finished Saturday.
An early lunch was preceded by a run on the race car simulator, where this time I opted for a TVR Tuscan around Hampton Downs - and as last year with an E type Jaguar, 5 seconds slower than in the Marcos!
Lunch as usual, was a slice of pizza and some Greek yoghurt. Three 20 something ladies busy taking selfies, just left their leftovers on the outside counter top and within seconds, there were 50 seagulls fighting over them, forcing other diners inside and leaving their own avian left overs on the counter top. Yeuk. What is so difficult about putting the wrappers and left overs in a bin?
Back for a nana nap and on to the pre-cruise catch up at the Pyrmont Hotel, also as usual. We started this in 2011 and have done it for each Sydney departure since.
PATHETIC PYRMONT MANAGEMENT
With 45 people heading here, Jo had let them know in advance and we were allocated three or four large tables on the second floor. The first signs that all was not going to the usual plan was when I found out that the $5 ‘Happy Hour’ drink didn’t extend to the draught cider. It did last year. It wasn’t available at the top floor bar either, so I went down the first floor bar. At a steep $9 for a pint I opted for what they’d call a schooner at $7 – still a rip off. Not a very Happy Hour as far as I was concerned.
The good move was that the building was now smoke free, as in the past, the upper terrace bar was noisy and smoky. However, when we opted to eat, the queue was about 20 people. A mix of drinkers and diners and just one person behind the counter. There were then grumbles that the ‘2 for 1’ meal deal as advertised throughout the hotel, including on their TV screen, wasn’t being honoured. By then, I’d worked out that the first floor bar might be quieter and the queue shorter, so I went downstairs to order. Not only was there virtually no queue, but the 2 for 1 deal WAS being honoured.
The Thai chicken curry was excellent and Paula’s chicken schnitzel and chips, plus salad, was also pretty good.
We had been joined by Col and Jude, from our 2011 and 2013 cruises, so it was a great catch up, though their meals were late and their garlic bread was badly burned, so it was sent back. They weren’t too pleased.
Jo went to do battle with management about the 2 for 1 deal and was fobbed of by a totally disinterested duty manager, who tried to claim that as it was a private function (it wasn’t as the bar and dining area was effectively open to anyone) and therefore the discount didn’t apply. So, having warned them that there would be 46 people coming in on what would otherwise be a quiet Monday night, it was used against us…
Once Jo had finished with him, Jude also had a go!
Net result? Having supported them for years and telling all and sundry that it was a great place for a pre-cruise catch up, we won’t be back. Watch out for a negative Trip Advisor review or two coming shortly… I hope they remember the old adage that satisfied customers tell 5 people, dissatisfied people tell 33.
Afterwards, several of us went into Harbourside and the Turkish restaurant there, were quite happy to just serve us coffee.
And so to bed, feeling surprisingly good, given the lack of sleep.
Tomorrow, we cruise! Yeeha…
No comments:
Post a Comment