Regal Princess (2002)

In January 2002 I joined Regal Princess (now Pacific Dawn) in Melbourne for a cruise to Auckland, where I then joined QE2 for the trip back home. The Regal Princess cruise began in Syney on 24th. January and the itinerary was:

Jan 26 Melbourne, 28 Hobart, 31 Milford Sound, Feb 1 Port Chalmers, 2 Lyttelton, 3 Wellington,   5  Tauranga, 6 Bay of Islands, 7 Auckland, New Zealand.

Thi was my first cruise aboard a Princess ship, and while I found the ship to be a bit crowded and the atmosphere rather bland compared to QE2, the food and service were very good.

Prior to embarkation at Outer West Station Pier, Melbourne.

The pool deck by day and by night.

The bridge front.

The promenade deck by day and by night.

At Hobart.

Orient Lines' Crown Odyssey, also in Hobart that day.

The observation bar at the top of the ship was somewhat spoiled by an endless cacophany from the casino in the centre of the room.

Two of the lounges.

Milford Sound with Pacific Sky (ex Sky Princess) in the distance.

Crown Odyssey, also in the sounds that day.

Pacific Sky was in Port Chalmers, Lyttelton and Wellington on the same days as us.

On the wharf at Port Chalmers.

At Lyttelton.

At Wellington.

One of my old company's (Blue Star Line) ships at anchor in Wellington harbour. She was originally an ACT ship, a containership consortium that included Blue Star Line.

Sunset at sea off Wellington.

In Tauranga, also with Legend of the Seas.

At anchor in the Bay of Islands.

The ship's tender platform.