Day One - Sydney Pacific Pearl 6 July 2015

Today we step out into the unknown. 

We need to be at Circular Quay to board our cruise ship, the Pacific Pearl, and have a check-in time of 12.30pm, we finish packing about 10.30am, after breakfasting at the Park Royal Hotel.  With a couple of hours to spare we decide to go for a walk and crossed over the bridge to Darling Harbour, the weather was awesome, blue skies forever and a chilly light breeze.  

Plenty of people strolling around to give it a bit of a holiday feeling, it was school holidays so the 'pop up' ice rinks were busy.  We had a cup of coffee and watched the world go by until it was time to get back to the hotel and pick up our luggage for the next stage of our journey.

In the taxi on the way to Circular Quay I had no idea what to expect, but I needn't have worried, it was all like clockwork.  Drop our bags off to the guy with the trolley, queue up at the booking gate, fill in a couple of forms, go through the usual security - bags through the x-Ray etc, throw our bottles of water away (yes just like taking an overseas flight).  Queue up to check-in at one of the 14 stations, show passport, fill in more forms, give your credit card in and receive an on board pass to use instead, which links up to your card. We are ushered to the other side to sit and wait to be called to go through customs, and then "Hooray" we are being welcomed on board and shown to our room.

 

Our bags are waiting for us along with 'Christopher' our steward. He explains the routine and gives us the daily newsletter and information about what to do and where.  The Plantation Restaurant was open for lunch, so we decided to nip up to deck 12 and have a bite to eat before unpacking.  The check-in times were staggered so we thought we would be one of the first to arrive - WRONG - there was a huge queue, I guess everyone thought the same.  There was an incredible choice of food and we were all served quickly.  We found a nice table outside with only a young couple sitting at it and joined them sitting in the sunshine.  There seem to be waiters at your elbow before you can turn around, but quite timely of course, and we ordered our drinks.  It was all very exciting and well organised. 

Time to unpack and then at 3.30 it was time for our life saving drill.  The captain came over the intercom to inform us about the ships alarm and we all had to grab our life jackets and walk quickly to our muster stations. Our muster station is the Marquee Theatre and there were over 700 of us and crew.  It was all very practiced and efficient, the instructions went on over the intercom for about 15 mins (where was Peter Jackson when you needed him?) and then we put on our life jackets.  We returned to our cabins and by this time the ship was ready to cast off.  We went up to deck 14 to watch as the ship slowly left the quay and made its way out of the harbour.  

It was so exciting, such a new adventure and yes, there were the waiters ready to take our orders for champagne!  Some short time later David received a text from Lu and Tom saying  "Bon voyage Pacific Pearl, God Bless her and all who sail in her!  We are the official farewell party 'South Australian Branch' at Darling Point on your starboard side, just past the naval base".  They watched the boat go past and waved goodbye. 

So now I am writing this in our cabin having had dinner in the Waterfront Restaurant, an a la carte menu, great service and food was again good, David had cream of cauliflower soup followed by grilled bluenose cod on couscous and I had baby prawn cocktail followed be slow cooked pork on Irish colcannon. After our meal we went to check out what was happening on deck 7 - the entertainment deck- and stayed in the Marquee Theatre to watch the 'Welcome Aboard ' show, giving us a taste of what is to come over the next 10 days. I must say that the acts were not at all bad, but as you can imagine, some audience participation!  So we will be spending a few nights there I am sure.

Im off to bed now and will be rocked to sleep by the gentle swell of the ship and the distant thud, thud of the engine.