Living Nerdy in Sydney

The Voyager of the Seas first maiden journey was in 1999. The ship then underwent extensive refurbishment in 2014. We had the pleasure of sailing on her during her 2015 Christmas cruise - 18 - 29 December 2015. My husband and I have been to Chops Grille on other Royal Caribbean vessels and have been very impressed by their food and service. It has been more than 2 years since our last cruise and we were craving for Chops Grille's Fillet Mignon. This craving has definitely been heightened by all the very positive comments about Chops Grille on various Royal Caribbean's Facebook groups. To maximise the "book ahead and get a % back" offer, we made 3 bookings to visit Chops Grille. (Do note that this offer has been replaced by the current offer.) Embarkation day - for dad's big birthday celebration, Christmas eve - just to celebrate and on the final day - for my birthday.  The great thing about going back 3 times with a party of 6, was that we got to try most of t...

The Australian cruise industry is fast expanding with over 1 million passengers a year boarding a cruise ship. Major players include P&O, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Sydney is home to most of the Australian based fleet. Pacific Pearl docked at Ocean Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay Sydney has 2 cruise terminals. There is the Ocean Passenger Terminal located in Circular Quay, and there is the White Bay Cruise Terminal in Rozelle. You should check with your cruise company where port you will be embarking on, as the two terminals are not close to each other. I've has many people ask about how to get to both terminals numerous times on Cruise Critic and on Facebook. Here's how to get there. No Long-Term Parking There is no long-term parking at either terminals, so driving and leaving your car there is NOT and option. Uber Uber does not pick up from airports in Sydney. It's illegal to. Ocean Passenger Terminal The Ocean Passenger Terminal is l...

The Australian cruise industry is fast expanding with various cruise lines sending more and bigger vessels to the seas down under. Sydney is by far the busiest home port for most of these vessels. Circular Quay is home to the Ocean Passenger Terminal and has breathtaking views of not only the world famous Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House but also beautiful natural features. Pacific Pearl docked at Sydney Ocean Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay Here are the top choices picked your local Sydneysider to visit in Sydney within 10 km (6.2 mil) from Sydney Harbour. This is not in any particular order. 1) Powerhouse Museum Powerhouse Museum is the museum of applied arts and science. This isn't the traditional museum where you go in to see ancient relics. Rather, its collection spans history, science, technology, design, industry, decorative arts, music, transport and space exploration. There's something interesting in there for almost everyone. There is also free Wi...

The upper middle class population in China is fast growing. This means that more and more Chinese have access to holidays, and this includes cruising. Cruise liners such as Royal Caribbean International have started bringing their newest vessels such as the Quantum of the Seas to China. I've seen numerous complaints, predominantly from cruisers from the western world, on Cruise Critic about the behaviors of Chinese tourist on board their cruises. Some of these comments describe how these behaviors have spoilt the entire cruising experience. Here's some tips for surviving a cruise from Hong Kong or China. 1. Understanding the Behaviours Chinese from China have grown up in an environment of crowds. And when I mean crowded, I'm not talking about a full train or restaurant. But filled to no standing space and a mighty long queue behind. Chinese officials are one the best in the world at crowd controlling to preventing a stampede considering the massive crowd size. Push...

Packing for a cruise isn't just like packing for any other holiday. Sometimes, this may involve packing for a plane trip before and after a cruise. Here is a comprehensive checklist of what to pack for your cruise holiday.You can also download a PDF printable version here. Sports wear is a huge must if you don't plan to put on weight. And a minimum of 2 sets of swim wear too, unless you don't mind putting on wet swimmers again. Click to enlarge Do be aware that there are variations to baggage allowance and what you can bring or can't. If you have a connecting flight, the flight baggage allowance is normally less than what the cruise itself would allow. There are some things which you really should not bring on board. This varies from cruise to cruise. The list below are an example of somethings which are not allowed. Certain cruises would prohibit additional items such as electrical extension boards, music instruments, hair curlers and alcohol. Be careful...

Most of us from South East Asia would have never experienced winter in our home countries. Watching snowflakes drift down slowly from the sky is a often a dream for most of us. With travel becoming more and more accessible to the middle class, snow now is just one flight away to a temperate country. What most of us don't really know is how to dress up to keep warm in winter. It really isn't just about donning on a thick coat. Here are some very helpful tips on keeping warm when you travel. 1. Understand your Jackets Thickness alone of a jacket doesn't make a jacket warmer. How a jacket is made and the types of materials use is just as important. A warmer jacket is made of materials which trap heat better. For example, a down jacket traps more heat than a polyester filled jacket of the same thickness. For knitted wear, wool is a much better insulator than polyester. Also, the more the jacket covers up, the warmer it is. For example, a long coat is warmer than a vest of ...

Oasis of the Seas Cruising in Asia Pacific and want to avoid the crowds, and avoid holiday pricing? Here's a helpful list of local public holidays and school holidays. Note that Hong Kong and China doesn't have a fixed school holiday schedule, but the approximation is when most school let their kids off. Hope this helps! Sydney, Australia Singapore Hong Kong China 4-Jan School Holidays Late Dec- 27 Jan 11-Jan 18-Jan 25-Jan School Holidays 1-Feb 8-Feb Chinese New Year 8 Feb - 9 Feb Chinese New Year  8 Feb - 10 Feb Chinese New Year 8 Feb - 13 Feb 15-Feb School Holidays 22-Feb 29-Feb 7-Mar School Holidays 12 Mar - 20 Mar 14-Mar 21-Mar Easter 25 Mar - 28 Mar Gd Friday 25 Mar School Holidays 28-Mar 4-Apr School Holidays 9 Apr - 25 Apr Ch...