On Tuesday Mar 6 The ship sailed out of Port Arthur at about 6 PM into smooth seas, north, along the east coast of Tasmania. The trip across the Bass Straight was very smooth and we arrived in Melbourne early Thursday morning. Shortly after 7 AM we were joined in port by the Radiance of the Sea, a Royal Caribbean ship of similar size to ours.
After breakfast we went ashore and walked east from Port Melbourne to Port Philip and eastward toward St. Kilda. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day to walk along the beach. We stopped to chat several times, once with a couple from Calgary, passengers from the Radiance. It was interesting to watch workers grooming the beach. There was one machine hockey fans might describe as a Zamboni for sand. It scooped up the surface sand, filtered out anything not sand sized then smoothed it out for another day of use.
There were lots of cars, walkers, joggers and cyclists. Noteworthy is the fact that cycling paths, walking paths and roadways were separate. A fascinating concept more cities could learn about and adopt.
There were a few sun bathers, and swimmers or perhaps waders, and three guys doing training drills on the beach volley ball courts. After about an hour of wandering we stopped for a coffee, reversed our direction and returned to the ship.
After lunch and some time in the hot tub where we are sitting on our balcony in the warm shade. The ship is positioned so that the sun is more or less overhead such that both side are in shade and not in the 30°C sun. As we walked along the pier this morning there were literally hundreds of pallets of supplies waiting to be loaded onto one or the other of the ships in port. From our balcony we can watch the loading process on the Radiance of the Seas. Although we cannot see it from our balcony, the same thing is happening to the Diamond Princess. I managed to get a few seconds of time-lapse video of the ballet. Certain lift trucks move pallets from their delivery point to the side of the ship. Another selects a pallet and places it in front of the loading hatch. Another, with a longer reach, transfers it from the dock into the ship and backs away. Immediately, another machine moves the pallet from the entry point to elsewhere in the ship where it is stored for use on the next cruise segment. It is just like a form of ballet. I hope this time-lapse video gives you an idea. (if it works)
I am always impressed by the precise movements of these large ships. I watched the Radiance of the Seas dock. She approached the berth backward gradually closing the gap between the ship and the dock. When the ship came to a stop with the shore gangway about 5 metres from desired location on the ship’s rail. The ship began to move again stopping exactly at the correct place. That’s control.
Weather-wise, this is one of the warmest days since leaving Sydney. The temperatures in Tasmania were cooler but we can’t complain. We have so rarely encountered bad weather on our journeys we feel charmed. (Immediately touching wood for continued luck.)
Friday, March 9 was our final day at sea and cruising for this trip. As we sailed along the coast we had an unexpected sighting of another cruise ship, the Golden Princess.
When we disembark Saturday morning we will remain on land with occasional airborne bits until we arrive home. Once on land with reliable, inexpensive internet access I will get some of the photos on line with at least a little organization. By the way, I hope you are clicking on the emails sent to you so you can view the photos posted. There are usually photos in the message that are not automatically downloaded with the text.
Saturday, March 10, we arrived in Sydney again. Disembarkation was quick and painless, no immigration or other border security screening. Luggage picked up and taxi delivered us to our hotel where, once again, a room was ready for early check-in.
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On the other side, the view was of the roof of the terminal rather than the upper floor windows of the building.
As the Diamond set sail she had a huge impact on the ferry boats and pleasure craft. The Diamond’s turning circle requires most of the approach to Circular Quay docks. The eleven mile trip to the ocean offers some great views of Sydney. Once clear of the harbour she turned southward, steering a course paralleling Australia’s east coast. Our first contact with Tasmania should occur after about 40 hours and some 600 nautical miles after departing Sydney. As a result, we are traveling at a leisurely 12 knots.
