Skigoofy

I wanted to catch up on some sleep so I could venture out tonight to take some night pictures.  After a few hours of sleep my stomach woke me up asking to be fed.

The area right behind my hotel had some street vendors set up.

This BBQ was appealing.



Emu on the left and Kangaroo on the right.  Very good.


The pizza vendor had some nice options so I opted for a Supreme pizza to take back to my room.  

Grabbing a Victoria Bitter beer at the hotel lobby bar made for a complete dinner experience.

Up early and now facing the heat of the day it was time to head back to my hotel and seek the comfort of air conditioning (and take a nap).

The Year of the Rat.



Something or two to help me sleep.

Over on this side of Circular Quay I was able to see the bridge from another angle.

I saw some little ants climbing the bridge.

By this time it's close to noon and getting hotter.  Amazing views from up there and a glorious day to take it all in but it's gotta be hot, hot, hot in those jumpsuits.

The tour lasted one hour then we were free to explore the open public areas on our own. 
 
 
 
 


This smaller venue is a restaurant.

The outside of the buildings are purposely not white but a creme color to minimize reflection and glare.




It was interesting being able to get up close and touch it.

Our next stop was the main opera theater.  On our way we were able to see the inside of the iconic shapes we have all seen on the outside.
Our first glimpse up the stairs.

Originally called simply the Opera Theater in 2012 it was renamed after a famous Australian opera singer and is now called the Joan Sutherland Theatre.

Looking up...







The stage was being prepared for an event so no photography of the stage area.

After stopping at my hotel to retrieve my good camera from the safe I walked over to the Sydney Opera House for my 10am tour.

With such an iconic landmark within walking distance I had to check it out even though I am not an opera person.  
I booked the tour on their website and chose an earlier time thinking it might not be as hot at 10am.   It was pretty hot at 10am.
Next to the water and down one level are some bars and restaurants available to the public.

After picking up my ticket at the welcome center we met our guide who gave out wireless headphones so we could listen to his commentary.  

Everything about the Opera House is striking in its form.  These long concrete beams are massive and supported internally by a cable system that wraps around underground and back up to form a loop.  The use of lighting creates an artistic effect that is more than just concrete holding stuff up.

The Opera House contains a number of venues that can be utilized depending on the nature of the performance and size of the audience.  We were led into one of the theaters where photography is not permitted so no pictures.  There a video was played that explained the history and construction of Opera House.  Our guide answered some questions and we moved on.
There is a story involving the architect Jørn Utzon from Denmark.  That's best explored on your own but they had a room dedicated to his memory.  

Despite the hard concrete surfaces this room is acoustically tuned to minimize reverb and is ideal for small live performances where sound quality is important.

The views aren't bad either.


While this looks like a painting it is a woolen wall hanging that is very heavy and one of the primary features that deadens the reverb so it's highly functional as well as decorative.  

Day -1
Early start but with my body split between time zones it wasn't a problem.  This morning would be the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb.  
I chose a 4:35am reservation in hopes of clear weather and a nice sunrise.  I also wanted to avoid the heat of the day so getting this done early checked that box as well.
It takes about an hour to go through orientation, suiting up and a test climb on a small rig within the event facility.  They supply everything and everything gets clipped onto the jump suit they supply so nothing can fall off and land on the cars driving below. 
No cameras allowed.  No anything allowed really.  Just eyewear if you need them including sunglasses and they use special straps to secure them in place.
Emerging onto the bridge lower structure around 5:15am I could see a faint hint of building red sky.  By the time we reached the upper arch of the bridge to begin the climb up the steepest part the sunrise was in full effect. 
In this picture you can see a ship coming around a point in the distance.  Based on the folks across the aisle from me on the plane I guessed that was the HAL ship they were embarking today.

We climbed and stopped for individual pictures that I'm not including here.  With each passing moment the sunrise was getting better and better.


By the time we reached the summit and did another round of photos including a group photo the Noordam was getting ready to dock.  At this point we were right under the flags at the top of the bridge.

It was a pretty incredible experience and the perfect weather day.  The sunrise was pretty spectacular and we took a lot of breaks to take it all in.  
We crossed over to the west side of the bridge at the summit and began our descent, down more ladders and across the lower span back to our starting point.  
We were provided headsets and our guide would occasionally provide commentary about the area and the bridge itself.
We were also given tickets for the Pylon climb that we could later or on another day by ourselves.  It's a little pricey but I am very glad I did it and will forever remember seeing the bridge up close everytime I see Sydney NYE fireworks year after year.

Friendly reminder, please don't quote photos and repeat them.  Thank you!
With just my camera around my neck it felt great walking around.  With a fresh batch of sunscreen on I wandered back down to the cruise terminal to see how it was going.
2:18pm:

A few guests still arriving but it appears the majority are already on board.



Photographers note - the sun has come around from this morning.  Earlier the sun was on the Opera House side of Circular Quay but in the afternoon it is on the bridge side of the Quay.

I had visions of watching Voyager sail away from the bridge but I could feel the time zones starting to weigh on me so I decided this park would suffice.

I spotted some bridge climbers beginning their ascent.  Good lord people, could you pick a hotter time of the day to climb the bridge?

My stomach knew what time it was so I went back to James Squires right beside the ship.

Fish and Chips:

From my air conditioned and beer laden bar seat I noted the group had made it to the summit. 

Voyager was supposed to sail at 4:30pm so I went back to the park near the base of the bridge and waited.  And waited.  Maybe if I just rest my eyes for a minute.  Maybe falling asleep in a public park with my camera wasn't a great idea.  Half hour overdue I gave up and wandered back to my hotel.  
The Rocks area was decorated for the Lunar Festival.

Street vendors along the back side of my hotel.




From my hotel Campbells Cove is just down that road to the right about 100m.

The hotel has a rooftop pool so I thought I'd check it out while I was sticky and hot from walking around.


With that a long cold shower was in order and time for a nap.  I later learned that Voyager didn't leave until after 7pm.  She's on a cruise to nowhere I think.  Absent of the PVSA they can do those cruises down under.  I suspect that's why she took her time departing.   I'm glad I didn't hang around the park for her departure.

Just as I was coming off the bridge the hotel called to let me know my room was ready.  The Rydges is an older hotel but that's understandable being that I am in Old Sydney.   The hotel has worked out fine and it has blessed air conditioning.   It's been well used on these 1,000° days with 10,000% humidity.  And to think I thought Cuba in July was hot.  
King deluxe room:







What a relief getting my albatross (camera equipment and backpack ) off my neck.  

Some more pictures as I walked around with my backpack loaded with camera stuff and my valuables while I waited for my hotel room to be ready.
Did I mention it's hot here and with the sun rising higher in the sky it was getting hotter before noon when many of these pictures were taken.

I had a 4:35am bridge climb booked so I wanted to find the meeting place in the daylight today.

I had also learned you can walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge so I then set off to find that path.




Looking back and down to the Campbells Cove area I walked around before.



Great views of the Sydney Opera House from here.


If you look through the mesh of the fence you will some bridge climbers getting ready for their ascent.   I'm not sure I'd want to do the bridge climb in the heat of the day so make sure you plan your booking times carefully if you are thinking about doing this in the summer.





Constant ferry traffic into and out of Circular Quay.

Campbells Cove and the Circular Quay area has some historical interest.

This is where the first colonist arrived in Australia. The area has recently been transformed and is very pleasant to walk around.


The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a dominant landmark in the area.  I'll be climbing it in the morning.

Day -2 continued...
My hotel for this stay in the Holiday Inn.

At least I booked the Holiday Inn.  My confirmation email says the Holiday Inn.  However at 55 George Street one will find the Rydges hotel.  Fortunately they had a reservation for me.  My room wasn't ready at 9am which I already knew it most likely would not be but they offered to store my luggage.  
The Rydges is very convenient to the Overseas Passenger Terminal and the entire Circular Quay area.  Located in "The Rocks" area it's very convenient to a lot.
With a cruise ship in port I took the opportunity to look around so I could plan my luggage drop off and arrival for my cruise. Around 9am there were debarking guests still coming out of the terminal.


The Overseas Passenger Terminal entrance.



The other end of the terminal has a restaurant/bar.

Did the comedy show last night with Taylor and Kaitlyn. As usual Allan had our seats ready and our drinks on the table.  The two comedians, I don’t remember either of their names?, were ok. Not great but funny. But the best thing was the lady who sat to my right.  Silver hair, impeccably dressed and radiated beauty.  She is older than me.  And that’s saying something because I’m like Georgie Burns kind of old.  And he’s dead I think.  She was maybe 80.  And she laughed with tears in her eyes the entire time. It was such a joy for me to watch her enjoy the evening.  I watched her more than the show.
Breakfast this morning was in the Solarium Bistro.  It was good.  Crowded and it’s the same food as the Windjammer but presented differently. Taylor, Katie and Shari did the laser tag.  Stacy and I went to the Promenade and picked up a shirt for me and one for the great guy back home that is taking care of our home and pets.  (I pay him too..I’m not that cheap). We all joined up again on the boardwalk to see Djuro and watch the LAST DAY fun!  Lunch at Portside. Take your appetite when you go there. After all of that I went off solo to do the bridge tour.  I’m going to go out on a limb here, but I think it’s very similar to the Harmony and the Allure?

Day 7.  I might have to ask @Matt to change the title of this posting to
”I think I’ll Slip On Down To The O-Asis and.....

4 days until we leave for Miami and 5 until we board the ship!!!  Can't wait!!!
 
We both have 3 days left of work so almost done with the grind.  I (Matt) will have worked 9 days in a row before we go with a couple 12-13 hour days.  Watching the Super Bowl stuff on TV and seeing all the sun makes us want to get down there even more!!!
 
We FINALLY booked our last excursion..

We booked this because we have had good experience with cave related excursions in the past and thought hanging out on the beach would be nice and relaxing.  Who can't use relaxing in the sun....right?!?!?!
 
Just got this email from Royal Caribbean about the coronavirus so this will be a bit different experience...
  ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS    
 
 
Dear Guest,
We’re looking forward to welcoming you aboard! Before you embark on our adventure, we have some important information to share with you.
After consultation with medical experts and public health authorities, we’ve decided that regardless of nationality, any guest or crewmember traveling from, to, or through mainland China or Hong Kong less than 15 days prior to their sailing will be unable to board any of our ships. We regret to have to do this, but due to the recent increase of coronavirus cases around the world, this precaution will help avoid the spread of this virus. We take this very seriously and have a responsibility to maintain a safe and healthy environment onboard our ships, as well as in the ports we visit.
Additionally, we’ve tightened our secondary health screening requirements and the following guests will need to undergo extra screenings to ensure safety at the cruise terminal:
Guests or crewmembers that have been in contact with individuals that have traveled from, to, or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the last 15 days. Anyone that holds a Chinese or Hong Kong passport - regardless of when they were there last. Anyone that feels unwell or demonstrates flu-like symptoms. While these measures are conservative, our responsibility is to reduce the spread of coronavirus, in an effort to keep our ships safe and to ensure you are able to enjoy your time with us.
If you or someone in your stateroom has traveled from, to, or through mainland China or Hong Kong, please contact your Travel Advisor immediately, or contact us at 1-800-256-6649 or visit www.RoyalCaribbean.com/contactus for your local Royal Caribbean International office phone number. 
Your vacation and your health are very important to us, so in an abundance of caution, we’ve taken numerous proactive steps to maintain high health standards onboard our ships. This includes:
Thoroughly sanitizing the cruise ship terminal before and after every sailing, Special sanitizing of high traffic areas onboard multiple times a day, Adding extra medical staff on each sailing,  Providing complimentary consultations with medical experts for all guests & crew,  Plus, the Captain will make two daily announcements during your cruise reminding everyone of how to stay healthy onboard. And, you can do your part too! To ensure we all have an enjoyable cruise, here are some important tips to help keep you healthy and prevent colds, flus, and stomach viruses – both onboard and on land. 
After using the bathroom and before any meal or snack (it’s a cruise; we know there’s lots of that), make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If you happen to sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue (or with your upper sleeve). Avoid sneezing or coughing into your hands or without covering your nose and mouth. Use hand sanitizer as often as possible. Rub the gel thoroughly, and in-between your fingers, until your hands are dry. And remember, if you don’t feel well while you’re onboard, it’s imperative that you immediately visit our medical facility on Deck 2 for a complimentary checkup. Our onboard doctors and nurses are always ready to assist. Your safety and wellbeing are always our top priorities, but we also want you to have an amazing time. Stay clean, stay healthy, stay happy!
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,

   
Packing will be starting soon so stay tuned.........!!! ? 

To understand fully just how excited we are about our upcoming cruise, one of the biggest reasons besides not having to work is the fact we live in a place where We suffer through copious amounts of snow and stuff like this grows:

Day -4 (or is it -2?)
I booked my flights on Delta using Skymiles.  Then as we got closer and with the thought of 14 hours in one airplane seat on my mind I upgraded to Premium Select.  This gets you more legroom, more space between seats, a larger TV and an upgraded meal service.

The menu:



Somewhere around the equator the pilot couldn't line up with the equatorial gate so we had to run along near the equator until he found it.

We crossed a few time zones along the way.

With 90 minutes left it was time for our breakfast so last map photo, I promise.
While boarding I spotted some Royal luggage tags on some carry on bags.  The couple across the isle where boarding HAL on Saturday and the lady next to me was taking a sampler cruise on Voyager next. 
Coming off the plane... smack.  There's that summer heat and humidity that Australia if famous for. 
Walking through the duty shops towards immigration I spotted a passport kiosk just after the shops on the right that was empty so I did the passport scan thing and got my ticket.  That got me through to luggage where 10 minutes later our luggage started flowing.  
I queued up to leave and handed my ticket and passenger record I filled out in flight and that was it.  My passport already had the eTA so it was all very easy.  
This morning I would take the train to downtown.  The train was packed with morning commuters but I managed with my suitcase and backpack.  No opportunity to take pictures when you are a sardine in a sardine can.
Coming off the train at the Circular Quay station and low and behold... Voyager of the Seas!

I walked towards my hotel in the direction of the ship spotting a very good doggie.

Let's play a game.  What did I say to my wife to get her to make this face... lol
 
Hint the actual answer shouldnt actually be posted here. ??

Current status: wishing i had another week.
 

 
 

Here's the "I'm so done with school" face...and the "I'm almost on vacation face". Before the kids' dentist appointments this afternoon I still have to bake some samples for 3 consultations tommorow, so I've got the "hurry up let's get finished" face on. 

Day 4 - Dinner at Izumi
We totally overdid it. I keep thinking of that South Park episode when Cartman sings, “I’m a little piggie, here’s my snout. Oink, oink, oink. Oink, oink, oink.” I AM that little piggie. ?
So, of course the meal starts with edamame. Then we had pork gyoza dumplings. I also started with the first of 3 “She’s A Geisha” cocktails. 



We ordered several rolls: champagne lobster in yuzu wrap, spicy crispy shrimp, spider roll, truffle creamy lobster tempura, and baked snow crab & salmon dynamite. My husband also asked for “something with octopus.” I had some trouble with the photos since the lighting in the esplanade kept casting a blue hue over everything. 






 
We ordered Tonkotsu Ramen with just noodles and broth for our son. We thought it tasted pretty good, but he did not. He was not a great fan of Izumi overall, so we ended up getting him Johnny Rockets after our meal. But now I’m off on a tangent. Redirecting... 
So, after feeling quite accomplished that we finished all of the above, here comes Julius with an extra “surprise” roll. Futomaki. Why????? ? How can we possibly eat more?? Oh, but we did. 

 
We had 2 little mochi ice cream balls each for dessert , then waddled over to Johnny Rockets for our son’s second bacon cheeseburger, fries, and shake of the day. 

Today is day 5. Yen has arranged room service breakfast from CK. We are doing a beach excursion on St. Maarten. This involves a bathing suit. It won’t be pretty. The SC food coma is real. Beware! ?
Dinner will be Jamie’s tonight. Followed by a ventriloquist show. 

Day 4 - Puerto Rico
Breakfast at CK was excellent as usual. I tried the Mediterranean plate today:


 
Next was bumper cars in the Seaplex. All three genies were present with their respective SC families. This apparently created a stir amongst the folks waiting in line, which my husband noticed - but wasn’t able to hear exactly what was being said. A few of the folks waiting in line successfully cut in during SC guest “boarding”, causing not all genie guests to ride bumper cars with family. I was blissfully unaware of this until later.  


While waiting for trapeze class to start, there was a little father and son gaming in the X Box area:

Ultimately, our son chickened out when it came time to climb the ladder for the trapeze. I get it. Really. I wouldn’t do it either! The Flowrider, on the other hand, was quite a hit.


Anthem was docked right next to Harmony  in Puerto Rico. We walked around a bit, then back to the ship. Now getting ready for dinner at Izumi. 

Coco Cay tomorrow! I'll probably do a full detailed Beach Club and Overwater Cabana write up some time after the cruise. I'll still post pics and a little something here.
 
In the meantime  ive got some time to myself again, so I have claimed a suite deck cabana  to relax in. Here are the most recent maps of Coco Cay I have.
 

 
 

Another great day. Well almost..  We went walking around San Juan, I forgot to take my morning meds so I had to reboard the ship and told my group I'd meet back up with them. On my way back right at the spot I was supposed to meet with them I saw someone get punched in the face and mugged. It pretty much ruined the port and I didnt feel comfortable having my wife and kid out there. So I had us leave early. Mother in law and sister in law stayed, dont think they were happy about me taking them back to the ship. Too bad.

We did get an invite to the helipad sail away for suite guests with the ship officers and they let me bring my whole party. So everyone had a great treat. I thought it was amazing, Mohamed saw me taking a picture of the bridge and told me to come see him later. I also saw one of the fine line performers out there. I didnt want to impede in his time but I did tell him I recognized him and told him he was great. He seemed surprised I recognized him, but he was actually memorable. 



 
Started to rain so we had to leave otherwise I would stayed for the sunset. Headed back to the suite and waited for the sunset from our balcony.  
 
We agreed that we needed a coastal kitchen night. I really wish we had gone earlier in the cruise. My wife got the mushroom consomme and short ribs, I got french onion soup and the shortribs. Daughter got steak again (steak every single dinner service... that's my girl!). The food was amazing. @Lovetocruise2002  I am #teamCK now. (Not sure I'm tagging people right) Too bad we will still need to have group meals otherwise I wouldnt go anywhere else. Dessert we had ricotta cheesecake, coconut custard and the chocolate cake. Very happy the lounge bar had port wine, because I forgot to being on a bottle. I researched didnt looke like the venue's had any. Got that that car CK has some, I'll try a few other bars tomorrow. It really tied in the desserts for me. Delicious!



 
Went to Mohamed to see what he wanted to see me for. He noticed me taking pics of the bridge and worked together a tour for me, my wife and daughter. This is something I really wanted to do. Both of concierge have been amazing. Such a great treat for tomorrow!
 
We went to see Columbus the Musical. I really wasnt sure about this when I read about it, but it was great. Every show has been amazing.

Not able to convince family to watch the kid for another night, guess my initial post about having plenty of childcare was wrong. Just means more time with my 2 favorite people though ( as long as I actually get them both during the day) But since they had to go in early for bed and I have insomnia, I met up with a buddy that is with us and we hit a couple bars, saw the 90s party and went to love and marriage. Really wish my wife could have been there, we would have been picked for sure. Still it was really funny.
 
Tomorrow last sea day. Then coco cay overwater cabanas on saturday!!! Where the hell did this week go. Wish it wasnt ending so soon!