Pushka
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Well, I've been inspired by the recent Trip Reports and figured I should organise my own. I can't guarantee it will be real time like Erk's and Jessica_Tam but will try.
So, where am I going? Well, there is two of us AFF'rs going, and yes, we are both Old Dames. Travelling on our own - sans Husbands.
We are venturing on a cruise on the Queen Mary 2, up the Eastern Coast of Australia, up to Malaysia, Shanghai, and then Hong Kong.
The planning:
Started 2 years ago with a 4 night taster on a World Cruise Australian sector. Just enough to make me sure I needed to experience a proper voyage on the QM2. When the World Cruises are released, at a later time they release the sectors. An original Adelaide-Hong Kong booking was made but soon cancelled and rebooked when Cunard had a ridiculous sale in June last year, and even though I lost the deposit I still saved a lot of money.
I'm travelling solo - Mr P enjoys Med Cruises, where his idea is that a ship is merely a portal to get from one place to the next. This cruise has multiple sea days in a row, and I know from a previous Pacific Cruise that this would not be a good idea for everyone's mental health. he was going to meet me at the end in Hong Kong but that seems to have slipped through. I think he's looking forward to unfettered work opportunities (we have our own business so he's the boss)
I am travelling with another AFF'er, I'll see if I can flush her out. :shock:
The itinerary is excellent as follows:
Monday 10th March Adelaide - embarkation
Wednesday 12th March Melbourne - no specific plans, been to Melbourne heaps.
Friday 14th March Sydney - meeting up with a random person on facebook as she is desperate for a Cunard Bear and I've agreed to buy one for her and give it to her in Sydney; a Bridge Climb at lunchtime; meeting No 1 son who lives in Sydney for after work drinks
Sunday 16th March Brisbane - docks at a Container wharf so probably just a shuttle into the city and look around.
Wednesday 19th March Cairns - doing a ship excusrion of a snorkelling trip on the reef. I LOVE snorkelling and have snorkelled throughout the Pacific, Hawaii, and Maldives. Thinking of maybe doing a Scuba trip?
Tuesday 25th March Kota Kinabalu - Malaysia - I've spent a couple of weeks in Kota Kinabalu so will just get off the ship after so many sea days and touch base with land again
Saturday 29th March - Shanghai. Maglev experience in the morning, organised Shopping tour in the afternoon, and then dinner. (Think - cashmere, silks, leather)
Tuesday 1st April - 2 April - overnight in Hong Kong then disembark.
Then 3 nights at my Favourite Hotel in Hong Kong - The Langham Place in Mongkok. Club room.
Direct flight CX Classic J Award to Adelaide on 5th (after CX cancelled my original flight on 4th). Thanks to Cove and the credit card ATO thread, and the Woolies EDR thread I quickly accumulated points to pay for this so this was just a $130 fare for a lovely J flight on CX to end the dream trip.
The QM2 is very formal at night times and have strict dress codes after 6pm. My luggage - I am taking so much, that Mr P will have a conniption when he sees it. But I dont handle it from the departure wharf in Adelaide until I disembark in Hong Kong by which time I will be floating with nary a concern in the world.
The last time I ventured onboard, the QM2 passed the Endeavour which was also doing a Circumnavigation of Australia. QM2 passed the Endeavour near Portland Victoria. It was a well planned event with QM2 hiring a helicopter to take photos and videos.
This is a video of it I posted ages ago on youtube. At 36 seconds in, The Endeavour fired a cannon blast at us - we had no idea that was about to happen and you can tell that with what happens to the filming:
[video=youtube;9BYG10_EtkM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BYG10_EtkM[/video]
(That wasn't me you can hear btw)
OK, that's enough report for someone who hasn't even left yet. I hope to post throughout Australia, and then a break with all the sea days but we'll see how the internet budget stretches. I will need to take the laptop for work so its only fair, isn't it, that work will pay for the Internet at sea?
So, where am I going? Well, there is two of us AFF'rs going, and yes, we are both Old Dames. Travelling on our own - sans Husbands.
We are venturing on a cruise on the Queen Mary 2, up the Eastern Coast of Australia, up to Malaysia, Shanghai, and then Hong Kong.
The planning:
Started 2 years ago with a 4 night taster on a World Cruise Australian sector. Just enough to make me sure I needed to experience a proper voyage on the QM2. When the World Cruises are released, at a later time they release the sectors. An original Adelaide-Hong Kong booking was made but soon cancelled and rebooked when Cunard had a ridiculous sale in June last year, and even though I lost the deposit I still saved a lot of money.
I'm travelling solo - Mr P enjoys Med Cruises, where his idea is that a ship is merely a portal to get from one place to the next. This cruise has multiple sea days in a row, and I know from a previous Pacific Cruise that this would not be a good idea for everyone's mental health. he was going to meet me at the end in Hong Kong but that seems to have slipped through. I think he's looking forward to unfettered work opportunities (we have our own business so he's the boss)
I am travelling with another AFF'er, I'll see if I can flush her out. :shock:
The itinerary is excellent as follows:
Monday 10th March Adelaide - embarkation
Wednesday 12th March Melbourne - no specific plans, been to Melbourne heaps.
Friday 14th March Sydney - meeting up with a random person on facebook as she is desperate for a Cunard Bear and I've agreed to buy one for her and give it to her in Sydney; a Bridge Climb at lunchtime; meeting No 1 son who lives in Sydney for after work drinks
Sunday 16th March Brisbane - docks at a Container wharf so probably just a shuttle into the city and look around.
Wednesday 19th March Cairns - doing a ship excusrion of a snorkelling trip on the reef. I LOVE snorkelling and have snorkelled throughout the Pacific, Hawaii, and Maldives. Thinking of maybe doing a Scuba trip?
Tuesday 25th March Kota Kinabalu - Malaysia - I've spent a couple of weeks in Kota Kinabalu so will just get off the ship after so many sea days and touch base with land again
Saturday 29th March - Shanghai. Maglev experience in the morning, organised Shopping tour in the afternoon, and then dinner. (Think - cashmere, silks, leather)
Tuesday 1st April - 2 April - overnight in Hong Kong then disembark.
Then 3 nights at my Favourite Hotel in Hong Kong - The Langham Place in Mongkok. Club room.
Direct flight CX Classic J Award to Adelaide on 5th (after CX cancelled my original flight on 4th). Thanks to Cove and the credit card ATO thread, and the Woolies EDR thread I quickly accumulated points to pay for this so this was just a $130 fare for a lovely J flight on CX to end the dream trip.
The QM2 is very formal at night times and have strict dress codes after 6pm. My luggage - I am taking so much, that Mr P will have a conniption when he sees it. But I dont handle it from the departure wharf in Adelaide until I disembark in Hong Kong by which time I will be floating with nary a concern in the world.
The last time I ventured onboard, the QM2 passed the Endeavour which was also doing a Circumnavigation of Australia. QM2 passed the Endeavour near Portland Victoria. It was a well planned event with QM2 hiring a helicopter to take photos and videos.
This is a video of it I posted ages ago on youtube. At 36 seconds in, The Endeavour fired a cannon blast at us - we had no idea that was about to happen and you can tell that with what happens to the filming:
[video=youtube;9BYG10_EtkM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BYG10_EtkM[/video]
(That wasn't me you can hear btw)
OK, that's enough report for someone who hasn't even left yet. I hope to post throughout Australia, and then a break with all the sea days but we'll see how the internet budget stretches. I will need to take the laptop for work so its only fair, isn't it, that work will pay for the Internet at sea?
) and am standing 4 people to her left, filming.
