Early morning as Silver Shadow approaches Auckland, New Zealand.
At the conclusion of a 15-night voyage from Sydney, Australia, I disembarked Silver Shadow today in Auckland, New Zealand — for about four hours. Then I went back on board. I am doing one of my favorite cruise activities — cruising back-to-back.
The great thing about doing a back-to-back cruise is that when everyone else is checking out, you can sleep in, relax, stroll about the ship, like you own it.
That’s what one woman said to me at about 11 a.m. when all passengers had disembarked Silver Shadow. “It’s like having our own private yacht,” she said, as she and her husband enjoyed the view of the Auckland skyline from the aft outdoor seating area just outside the Panorama Lounge. Services went largely uninterrupted, and for the dozen or so of us doing two voyages in succession, the transition from one cruise to the next could not have been easier.
Prime parking place: Silver Shadow docked in Auckland, New Zealand.
The next journey promises to be an especially enriching one, as we’ll be joined by some exceptional people who have come aboard as part of the Silver Perspectives program. Joining us (and presenting) on the 19-night journey from Auckland to Freemantle (Perth), Australia:
- Maggie Beer: On Australia’s ABC television network, this self-taught cook and champion of traditional cooking methods co-hosted the popular cooking program The Cook and the Chef with Simon Bryant, head chef for the Hilton Hotel in Adelaide. She has written several books about food and in 2001 was awarded the Centenary Medal for service to Australian society through cooking and writing.
- Terry Waite: As envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Terry Waite successfully negotiated the release of hostages in Iran and Libya during the 1980s. In 1987, negotiating the release of hostages in Beirut, Waite was himself taken hostage and held in captivity for 1,763 days. Waite will also be on the February 23 voyage from Freemantle to Singapore.
We will be repeating a few destinations, which is fine with me, because there were other shore excursions I wanted to do. With several days at sea interspersed between, here’s our itinerary between now and disembarkation on February 23, when unfortunately, I must finally leave Silver Shadow. But that’s nearly three weeks down the road. For now, it’s time to prepare for the sail-away. All aboard tonight, at 10:30 p.m.
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Napier, New Zealand
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Picton, New Zealand
- Sydney, Australia
- Melbourne, Australia (overnight)
- Adelaide, Australia
- Port Lincoln, Australia
- Albany, Australia
- Fremantle (Perth), Australia
The friendliest bartender at sea? Carlito welcomes us back aboard with a cocktail.
- Silver Shadow Cruises Australia & New Zealand, Part Two: The Turnaround Party Tonight
- Silver Shadow Shore Excursion In New Zealand: Mission Estate Winery Tour, Tasting & Lunch
- Video: Silver Shadow Shore Excursion From Dunedin, New Zealand, The Taieri Train Gorge Railway
- Silver Shadow Cruises New Zealand’s Milford Sound
- Feature Video: Kissing Tasmanian Devils, Hand-Feeding Koalas & Kangaroos, On A Silversea Shore Excursion
- Tasmania, Take Two: Our Silversea Cruises Shorex Shows Us The Port Arthur Historic Site
- Hand-Feeding Koalas & Kangaroos On A Silversea Shore Excursion At Tasmania’s Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
- Feature Video: Cuddly Koalas, Kangaroos & A Steam Engine Ride On A Silversea Shore Excursion
- Silver Shadow Docks Down Under: Steam Engines, Kangaroos & Koala Bears
- Cute, Cuddly, Koala
- Avid Cruiser Feature Video: Silversea’s Saturday Sail Away From Sydney
- Bargain-Priced Business Class Air Upgrades
- Down Under At Your Doorstep: On The Rocks, Where You Want To Be In Sydney
- Seeking Summer: 20 Hours ‘Up In The Air’ To Cruise On Silver Shadow
