LAST Friday Voyager of the Seas burst onto
the Sydney cruise scene with her first
overnight cruise to nowhere.
One of the most anticipated events in the
2012 cruise calendar Voyager’s first departure
drew over three thousand paying customers.
In fact so heightened was the anticipation for
Voyager, that when CW arrived, the queue to
board snaked away from the ship and around
circular quay, as passengers eager to discover
Voyager and make the most of their one night
adventure arrived earlier than their scheduled
boarding time.
Unfortunately progress was also slowed by a
norovirus scare from her previous cruise,
which, in the interest of keeping her newest
passengers healthy, led to extra cleaning of the
ship and a stretching of staff, and meant that
whilst guests could board and explore, they
were unable to enter their cabins until 4pm.
Service in the dining areas was also slowed
by the outbreak, with guests unable to serve
themselves in the buffet, and longer than
usual waits in-between courses in the main
dining room.
Despite this set-back, the cruise was soon in
full swing, with guests diving head-long into
the plethora of entertainment options and
eating experiences on offer, some choosing to
kick-back in the spa or poolside with a cocktail,
whilst most youngsters made a bee-line for
the top deck sports centre which features a
basketball court, inline skating course, minigolf
and rock climbing wall.
Guests also flocked in droves to the fourstorey
Promenade, where shops sported rows
of elegant perfumes, and the old style English
Pig and Whistle pub drew punters with the
promise of a pint, whilst Ben & Jerry’s
dispensed ice-cream to those in need of a
sugar hit.
And that sugar-spike was much needed for
CW, as it seemed impossible to experience
everything the ship had to offer in one
evening, even though the entertainment kept
going until 4am!
A magic show in La Scala Theatre; lounge, bar and club bands; cocktail parties; discos; a
DreamWorks character parade in the Royal
Promenade; ice-skating spectaculars and deck
parties were just some of the experiences laid
on for guests.
And for those who like to eat, well they could
have very well kept on munching away from
the time they boarded until the wee hours of
the morning, followed by a short break, then
breakfast.
Following her
arrival Voyager is
now here for five
months which
will see her sail
itineraries taking
in Australia, NZ,
and the South
Pacific.
To see more
pics go to
facebook.com/
cruiseweekly.
