Another holiday comes to an end

We spent a few more days at sea going across the great Australian bight all the way to Perth and we had very good seas.
Arrival in Perth was smooth and disembarkation was efficient also.
We then spent the day in Perth at the zoo which we really liked and had dinner that night at Soprano's. Yesterday we flew back to Adelaide and are now home.
It was a good holiday overall and we are already thinking of our next one.
We made good friends on board which we will be keeping in touch with also.
28 nights on a cruise is a long time but I liked it. It gave me the chance to truly wind down from work and got into a shipboard routine. A few too many sea days for my liking as I get a little bored in those days after being on the ship for so long and I prefer more port days but it was a good trip.
We are still undecided as to whether bigger is better when it comes to ships. We liked Voyager and thought the royal promenade concept at sea is amazing but found that Radiance of the Seas was a bit better organised. It really does come down to the people running things doesn't it? We could go on Radiance now and find it disorganised as staff and crew on ships change.
Our dining room service was awesome as usual. Our waiter Halil, from Turkey, was fantastic. He looked after us for 28 nights and personalised the service. He took great care of Michael's needs too and we were very appreciative.
Now that I sit here reflecting on our trip, I am glad to be home and am already thinking about all the work waiting for me at my office but for one more day I will try to chill out......next trip....maybe Alaska

Dreamworks Family Breakfast

Today we went to a Dreamworks Family Breakfast.
You have to book for these so be sure to book through Room Service or Guest Relations when you board as these book up fast.
We were lucky because on this cruise there are hardly any children so we got booked for the first one and with a few more to go on this cruise we may even get to go again. Each one on the cruise has different characters.
The way it works is that the breakfast is hosted in the main dining room and in a special section.
When you arrive and are seated you get your own special menu (see photo below).
You order your breakfast and then the Dreamworks characters come out and do a little dance before offering a photo opportunity with kids and adults too.
At our breakfast today we had characters from Madagascar....Alex the lion, Gloria the hippo and King Julien.
We attended with another family who we have met on thus cruise and all had a good time.
The experience is free so it's worth it if you have kids.

Check out the photos below. Some include our new friends Aiden and Kaitlin.

Dreamworks experience on board Royal Caribbean ships!

Royal Caribbean International has a Dreamworks experience on some of their ships including Voyager of the Seas.
The kids love to see their favourite Dreamworks characters around this ship from Madagascar, Shrek and Puss in Boots.
Some of the events include :
- Dreamworks Parade
- Dreamworks Family Breakfast

The characters also visit the kids club and come to movie screenings for photo opportunities.
We went to the parade yesterday and got to see them all dancing away. Will post some photos once we have got a few together.

Voyager of the seas in detail....

We have been on the ship for eight days now. In the beginning it was hard to get around and find things given that the ship is so big. By day 5 we were still discovering places that we had not seen yet.
We are now able to find places without getting lost.

Cabins
The cabins are nice whether you have an inside stateroom or a suite, they are clean and well looked after.
Cabin selection is a personal thing based on budget and lifestyle. If you spend most of your time on the deck or doing activities and only want a place to sleep and shower, an inside or outside cabin would be fine. Whereas if you want your own balcony then a balcony stateroom or suite is the way to go. For us, we tend to spend some time in the cabin so we prefer a suite to have a little extra room.
Out of interest when comparing our grand suite with ones we have had on Radiance, this one is a little smaller but still very comfortable for us.

Dining
Similar to other RCI ships, there are a few dining options.
The Windjammer is the buffet where you can have casual meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We don't enjoy eating in buffets, the crowds, pushing, shoving and the like make the experience less than relaxing. The food in the buffet has been OK. We have always found something nice to have.

In addition to this, there is the main dining room where you have a la carte service for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We have generally only eaten there for dinner, The food has been really good. The waiters are excellent and do a great job looking after you. We have not had a bad meal r a cold meal there so for those of you who have read reviews that talked about cold awful food, be assured that you will always have a wonderful meal in the dining room.

Voyager has two specialty dining venues, Portofino (an italian restaurant) and Johnny Rockets (a 50s style diner that serves burgers and the like). Each has a cover charge payable. They are worth a try.

The Royal Promenade
Voyager was the first ship to have the promenade shopping mall concept in it. The promenade is a mall that extends through the centre of of the ship.
They have parades and shopping and some pubs and cafes. This concept went on to be bigger and better in subsequent ship designs.
Check out the photos

Next post, more about the ship and onboard activities....

Days at sea exploring the ship

We have been at sea for the last few days.
Voyager is big and in the first instance we found it hard to navigate.

Calm seas have graced us so far, we have been lucky.

Lots of walking around to find things.....we took some photos of the Royal Promenade, the ship's mall complex. see what you think.
Some shots of the pool deck are also included.
Tomorrow Noumea and we are going on an excursion......

Grand Suite 1564

Here is our home away from home for the next 28 nights.
A little smaller than the ones on the Radiance but nice enough and enough space for the three of us. We don't want to be tripping over each other.

We are on board Voyager of the Seas! Fiji and New Zealand cruise 28 nights

We have made it through the dreaded check in. Wasn't too bad....anyway we are on the ship now. Here is a pic of the view from the deck of the ship...

Cruise day is here!! Yippee

The day we have waited for all year has arrived.
Today we board Voyager of the Seas.
Showers are predicted later today for Sydney which is a pity but we'll make the most of it.
Voyager has been in port since yesterday, not sure why.
Last night we had dinner at Giovanni's restaurant, Michael had the biggest meal I have seen him eat in ages.
Better go now as we are about to head off to the port, lets hope boarding is smooth and quick!!

Voyager of the Seas 28 night cruise to South Pacific, Fiji and New Zealand here we come!

Trevor, Michael and I are ready to set sail on the longest cruise we have done yet. This cruise will involve back to back cruises on Voyager of the Seas for 28 nights.

We board on the 10th of February in Sydney and disembark on the 10th of March in Perth.

This cruise will be a trial for us to see if we can hack it on a ship for 28 nights!

We are so excited to go to the south pacific again, New Zealand and to some Australian ports also.

I hope to do some reviews of the ship and the locations we visit so please log on or even subscribe to the blog to keep up with things.

We are again very fortunate to have the ability to travel and take our child around the world and are thankful every day of the opportunities we have in our lives.

May the seas be kind to us and have safe passages!

Alessandra Daley