Scotland Ireland Birthday Cruise Ms Prinsendam July 2015

2015 Prinsendam Scotland Ireland Cruise

Mon 13 July 2015

My good friend Steve drove me to the Airport for my Qantas flight to Brisbane. It was beaut to catch my breath and relax with a G&T in the Qantas Club before the flight. It was a good flight and the surprise was being served a hot dinner in a cardboard box. What next Mr Qantas.

It was a very quick and rushed transfer from the Brisbane Domestic terminal to the International Terminal. The Immigration and Customs process went very smoothly and Emirates gave me priority boarding.  

I settled in for the 15 hour flight to Dubai. I managed to get in a total of about 4 hours sleep. I was seated in the front compartment of the A380 and the service was excellent. (No cardboard boxes for the meals on this great airline.)

Tuesday 14 July 2015

On arrival at Dubai Airport I made my way up to the Emirates Business lounge to relax, use the internet and freshen up between flights. OMG this lounge would have to be the best airline lounge I have ever been to. It was so large and spacious providing total luxury. 

The lounge had its own departure gate to go on board the aircraft which provided priority boarding.

The 6 hour flight went very well and I was seated with a young Aussie couple from Sydney who provide good company and conversation.

On arrival at Amsterdam the transfer to the hotel went very efficiently and a lady from Melbourne and I were chauffeur driven in a limo to the hotel.

After a well deserved shower I got ready to catch up with Edwin who came into the city to have dinner with me at the hotel. It was good to see him again and we had a most enjoyable meal.

On this cruise I have bought PB (Papaku Bear) along and he will feature in some of my photos not only to entertain me but the kids that follow my blogs. I do get more strange looks than usual when I get him out for a photograph.

I decided to have an early night and went to bed just after 10.30 pm which was strange as it was still daylight to just after 10 pm.

 

Wednesday 15 July

I had a good night’s sleep and awoke feeling refreshed. After a shower I went down to have a beaut hot Brekkie in the Hotel dining room.

At 10pm we were taken by coach to the ship, the bus was full and Mary Rose a very nice lady sat with me and we chatted and exchanged stories for the 45 minute ride. 

On arrival at the terminal she was impressed as I took her with me through the 5 Star priority check-in process.

The fun begun as I boarded the ship by being greeted by crew I had met on previous cruises on other ships.

I invited Mary Rose to join me at the Mariner’s lunch which was heaps of fun.  I got the unpacking out of the way before going to the Ocean Bar to catch up with my Barman friend Jose, who I knew from the Veendam.

The national breakdown of the 774 guests  for this cruise is:-

Yanks                  482

Dutch                  122

Canada               62

Aussies               33

German              18

Brits                     13

The remainder of the 23 nationalities on board are represented by small numbers less than 5

There are 46 Five star, 131 four star, 228 three star and the remainder 2 star.

Dinner I had in the Lido as I wanted to have an early night and was in bed by 9.30 pm.                     

Thursday 16 July 2015

I woke to a very calm but cold morning on the North Sea as we cruised from Amsterdam towards Scotland.

I went up to the Lido to have a Green tea before brekkie about 6.30 am. As today was a sea day many had slept in so it was very quiet and peaceful.

After the cuppa I went down to my cabin to get ready for the day and starting with brekkie in the dining room.

Mary Rose joined me for brekkie and I introduced her to Vegemite. I don’t think she was that impressed with the taste of this Aussie icon spread.

The talks on the up coming ports and their attractions were very informative and interesting. Before lunch I called in at the Lido Bar to have a Bloody Mary. 

Oliver is the barman and a friend of mine from previous cruises on the Volendam. Boy oh boy it was so cold up there and unlike other HAL ships the roof is open and can not be closed. 

The boys got me a towel to wrap around myself to keep warm.

I had a nice cuppa of green tea with lunch in the Lido to warm up. I was invited to a wine tasting at 2pm so I decided to go down to the cabin to have a short nanna nap before the tasting. Well I fell asleep and woke up 3 hours later. I think it was a case of delayed jet lag.

I went up to the Ocean bar (OB) for happy hour to catch up with Jose. It was a very quiet happy hour so the staff entertained me.

After getting ready dinner I went back to the Ocean Bar  for a pre dinner drink and I noticed everyone was in formal gear, so on rechecking with the days programme I found out the dress code was ‘Gala attire’. Well I didn’t know that meant formal so I had to go down to the cabin for a quick wardrobe change.

I arranged to get my own Papaku table for the 8 pm sitting for the rest of the cruise. The rack of lamb was excellent and the service was first class.

I finished the night with a night cap up at the Crows Nest with the piano player's sing a long .

About 11 pm I call it a night and went to bed.

Friday 17  July 2015  

Not a very nice day to be arriving at Rosyth as we sailed up the River Forth because of the cold rain and cloudy morning.

After brekkie I went ashore and we were processed by the UK authorities on the gangway with typical British efficiency. 

A shuttle bus took us from the ship to the terminal building where while waiting for the next courtesy bus I availed myself of the free wifi and caught up with all the news and emails.

I then visited the historic town of Dunfermline and the local volunteer guide gave an excellent commentary on the way and on the town. Unlike the others on the bus I stayed on instead of getting off as it was now raining. 

Well what a bonus I received as the bus driver had to fill in time before the next schedule pick up from the Port so they took me on my own private tour of the town and the river. I got great views of the iconic bridges and the Firth of Forth.

After returning to the terminal I tried the wifi again but as by now the secret was out and many guests and the crew was using it so it was very slow.  I met up with Mary Rose in the terminal and that resulted in heaps of laughs. I gave up on the internet and went back on-board for a Bloody Mary and a chicken burger as a late lunch.

A 2 hour nanna nap filled in the afternoon and I was late for Happy Hour in the Ocean bar. I took advantage of the on-board booking service of future cruises and confirmed my cabin on the Konginsdam’s Christening cruise for May next year.

I finally met the new Beverage Manager Calin and he is a friendly young man and we plan to have dinner tomorrow night.

Dinner was excellent and I enjoyed the crumbed fish. After dinner I went up to the Crows Nest and got the final songs of Karaoke. OMG thank God I wasn't there for the whole hour. I called it a night after a few night caps at the happy hour price.

 Saturday 18 July 2015

What a wet, cold and windy morning it turned out to be as the ship approached the little port town of Ivergordon.  

There were about 20 ‘off duty’ oil rigs anchored along the way  however the views of the shoreline with the walled green farms and the white washed farm houses  were great to see.

A piper was on the dock to greet our arrival and pipe the guests ashore. I didn’t go ashore until after lunch because, wait for it, I went to a cooking class. Yes me! What a fun time we had.

The menu was called a Taste of Britain and we learnt how to cook Cornish Pasties, Beer battered fish and chips and a Queen of puddings.

After the class we were taken to the Pinnacle Grill where we ate that same menu.

 I enjoyed this experience so much I have enrolled for another two classes during the cruise which will be themed a Taste of Scotland  and the last one a taste of Ireland.

After lunch I got all rugged up to brace the freezing strong wind and walked into the little town. It was a typical old town that I don’t think much had changed for over a hundred years .

I went into a quaint little coffee shop called the Purple Turtle had a great cup of coffee and availed myself of the free and very fast wifi.

I made it back to the ship just in time for Happy Hour in the Ocean Bar and then went to a special local concert of Scottish music and dance. A piper played a medley of old favourites and everyone joined in the singing. This excellent local group were given a standing ovation before they left the ship.

I had a sailaway drink with Mary Rose in the lounge we chatted and enjoyed the views as we sailed back out to sea.

Tonight Calin the Bar Manager joined me for dinner and we had heaps of laughs comparing notes and stories of various cruises. After dinner he invited me back to the Ocean Bar for an excellent Port.

I called it a night about 11.30 pm and as I hadn’t had my nanna nap I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Sunday 19 July 2015.

Another cold wet misty day greeted us on our arrival at Kirkwall the main town of the Orkney Islands. The town dates back to 1046, today has a population of 8500 and its narrow main street is the home to a great selection of shops, cafes, restaurants,  hotels and bars.  Being a Sunday not all places were open.

There was another large MSC ship in port so the little town was crowded and it seemed most of these European passengers smoked and didn’t care where they smoked. Walking down the streets the heavy smell of stale smoke permeated every thing.

There was a free shuttle bus provided and after a few hours in the town I returned to the ship for a Bloody Mary and a hot dog for lunch. We had a nice surprise to find that from the ship we were able to get free wifi from the ferry terminal on the dock.

I had a late nanna nap before happy hour . 

OMG trivia was on in the OB during happy hour and as usual the trivia crowd take it very seriously.

I haven’t commented yet on the general crowd on board, well I’m pleased there doesn’t seem to be any of the Ice water brigade on this cruise or have I experienced any grumpy old farts.

I had a lot of fun at dinner chatting with the Canadian couple at the table beside mine. 

I only had 2 night caps in the Crows Nest before having a rather early night about 10.30 pm.

Monday 20 July 2015

I awoke to see the rugged mountains and green coastline of the Isle of Skye as we approached the port town of Portree. After brekkie I decided to go ashore and explore. The tender ticket process ran very smoothly and without any wait I was on my way.

On the tender I was talking to Jeff and Joy and they invited me to join them by getting a local bus and travelling over to the other side of the island to visit the Dunvegan Castle and gardens.

The 45 minute bus ride was a beaut way of seeing the countryside. The weather was kinder today and although overcast we did not have any rain. The temp was a little warmer with the Max of 15C and no wind.

On arrival at this historic castle which has been the oldest continually inhabited Castle in Scotland and the ancestral home of the Chiefs of Clan MacLeod for 800 years. We were very lucky to arrive as a guided tour was beginning so we learnt all the history and folk stories of this great building.

After the tour we spent some time exploring the fantastic gardens before going back to the entrance to catch the bus back to Portree.

I spent an hour having a look around the small town and using the free wifi at the Tourist information centre before getting the tender back to the ship. The timing was perfect as the rain started just after I stepped back on the ship.

I had a late lunch about 3 pm and enjoyed a Bloody Mary with a chicken burger at the Lido bar.

With no time for a nanna nap I then got ready for Happy Hour in the OB and the usual serious trivia crowd were there for the first half hour

Tonight was formal and I had to go to a VIP party to meet the Captain and the officers. Boy oh boy Capt. Jeroen Schuchmann is a very tall man and I estimate he would be 6ft 7inches tall. It must have looked funny with shorty me only coming up to his naval. He is a nice man. Calin organised a G&T for me  before I sat down.

It was a good party and I joined the Canadians who sit beside me in the dining room. I also sat at their table for dinner.

They asked where PB was and I told them he was minding the cabin. They arranged for the Supervisor to go down and get him to join us at the table. Well you should have seen some of the looks we got. The ships photographer even wanted to take PB’s photo.

A large table of Dutch folk were well entertained and enjoyed PB’s visit to the Dining room. Well it was all fun and don’t forget on a cruise its all Lar Lar land.

I had one night cap in the OB before calling it an early night.

Tuesday 21 July 2015

The rugged landscape of the Islands of Mull, Lismore and Kerrera sheltered the bay and town of Oban as we entered the Firth of Lorne. The spectacular views were great as I was having my brekkie.

After brekkie I got ready for the Irish cooking lesson. Today we were making Dublin Bay Shrimp Cocktail, Irish Stew and Strawberry- Rhubarb Irish Crumble with Irish Whiskey Cream. 

This was a fun class and then we went up to the Pinnacle grill to have the same menu for lunch.

In the afternoon I took the tender over to the town of Oban to have a look around. This historic town has been used for the backdrop for many films. Oban is an important ferry port, acting as the hub for ferries to the many Hebridean Islands.

I visited the local museum mainly featuring the role Oban played in the 2^nd World War. I caught up with the emails with the free wifi in the main street. I found the locals very friendly and helpful.

I made it back to the ship on the tender just in time to have Happy Hour. I sat with the Canadians again for a fun filled dinner. As I did not have my nanna nap I only had one night cap and was in bed before 10 pm.  

The seas were very calm as we crossed the Irish Sea as we headed towards Derry Northern Ireland.

Wednesday 22 July 2015

The weather had slightly improved for our arrival and I had to put on sun glasses whilst I was having brekkie. I made my way down to get the tender into the little town of Greencastle Co Donegal from where a shuttle bus took us on the 30 minute drive to Derry.

What a surprise there was no border check point now to go through from the Republic to the North like there was 7 years ago when I visited Northern Ireland. Anyway the views of the million shades of green and then the grey when the rain showers came were fantastic.

I had never been to Derry before and was surprised to find a clean tidy and historic city with the trappings of modern buildings. I went on the Hop on Hop off bus for a 90 minute tour of the city.

Derry stretches across the 2 sides of the River Foyle, the fastest flowing river in Europe. Derry has been the longest inhabited settlement in Ireland dating back to the sixth century. The tour was great and was so informative with overloading the brain with trivia.

After the tour I had a short walk around and because the rain had commenced I decided to return to Greencastle on the shuttle bus.

 I found a beaut little Bar and seafood restaurant just over the road from the tender wharf.

What a cosy little pub with free wifi so I had my first Guinness in Ireland on this trip. The internet was so fast I caught up with all my FB and emails, so I had another pint. The Landlady  was very friendly and answered all my dumb tourist questions.

I got back to the ship just after 3.30pm so went up to the Lido bar for a Bloody Mary and to have what the boys now know as and call the Papaku Chicken Burger.

No nanna nay again today, so I had a nice hot shower to warm up before making the 2^nd half of Happy hour. There was an Irish special dinner in the Lido tonight so I went up there and joined 2 Aussie ladies for Guinness Pie and other Irish food.  Tonight is the Filipino Crew show at 10.30 pm and as you know from past cruises Papaku must go well is expected to go and sit in the front seat.

To achieve this I went down to bed just before 8pm and I arranged for Jose the senior barman from the OB to give me a wake up call just after 10pm.

As usual it was a great show and full of national pride as the crew preformed the dances and songs of the Philippines.

I had one night cap after the show and the crew presented me with an autographed program from the show.

It was 12.30am by the time I got down to bed and the ship was cruising towards Belfast our next port.

Thursday 23 July 2015

I was up for an early brekkie and took advantage of the views as we approached the Belfast Dock on this mainly sunny day.

I just missed out on getting tickets to the Giants Causeway from the ship so I went into Belfast just after 9am to see if the Tourist Info Centre could provide a tour for me. The only one they had left at 10 am but did not return in time for me to board the ship before sailing. 



Oh well an excuse for another visit some time in the future.

I had a look around the city and got the shuttle back to the ship in time for lunch. 

I had some fun with a couple of Police Officers and got a few photos with them as if they were arresting me just before getting back on the ship. 

This really got the tongues waging and the disapproving looks by some serious minded members of the ‘Ice water brigade’ who were going to catch the shuttle into the city.

I went up to the lido for lunch and then enjoyed my first nanna nap in four days.

The rest of the day consisted of the usual activities of Happy Hour, Dinner and a few drinkies before bed about 11.30 pm.

Friday 24 July 2015

Our arrival in Dublin was marked with a sunny day and much warmer than it has been over the last week.

After breakfast I got ready for my  friends Joe and Kay who had travelled over from Co Kerry to visit me on the ship. Joe had not been on a ship since he immigrated to Australia back in the 1960’s and the first time Kay had been on a cruise ship.

 I greeted them on the gangway and proceeded to take them on the  Papaku tour of the ship after we went to the Lido for refreshments.

I had never actually met this great couple before although we had known each other over the past five years through the Irish Country Music Radio (Internet station). Joe presents a very enjoyable 3 hour program twice a week, which I tune into at 5am Australian time on Sunday and Wednesday mornings.

We chatted as if we had always known each other and the four hours they spent on the ship disappeared very quickly. I took them to the Pinnacle Grill for lunch and had the excellent service this restaurant is renowned for. It was a beaut meal and we had the bonus of being the only guests for lunch so our laughter did not disturb anyone else

Just after 2 pm it was time they left the ship for the 4 hour drive back to their home in Kerry.

I took the shuttle into the city for a look around and was amazed by to improvements to the city and the amount of new Infrastructure being constructed since my last visit about 7 years ago. The traffic congestion has not seemed too improved. With saying all that Dublin is a great and magical city full of unique character.

When I got back to the ship I skipped Happy Hour for a nanna nap to get ready for tonight as I have to be up for the Indonesian crew show at 11 pm.

After dinner I went to a show to enjoy an extremely talented group of Irish musicians and dancers preform. It was great toe tapping and singalong music and they played to a full house.

I stayed up for the Indonesian Crew show which was a fantastic show of national pride. It was good to see a good crowd stay up to show their appreciation to the Indonesian staff.

It was just after 12.30am when I got down to bed.

Saturday 25 July 2015    My Birthday

I had brekkie as we were approaching the port  of Holyhead, when the Captain came on the PA system to announce as the strong wind was gusting at a speed too strong for the ship to enter the port without Tug assistance. 

 This meant our arrival would be delayed by an hour but the departure would be also an hour later so most of the old folks seemed happy with that. This delay was good for me as I was able to get organised.

When I got down to the cabin I was surprised to find a sigh on the door and about 8 happy birthday balloons blocking my entrance.  This pleasant surprise was arranged by the girls in the front office. As I left the ship even the Security staff were wishing Papaku Happy birthday.

I took the shuttle bus into this historic town. Holyhead developed around the site of a 4^th century naval fort, used by the Romans as a base for their patrols of the Irish Sea.

The Welsh name for Holyhead, Caergybi – meaning ‘Cybi’s fort’ – refers to a 6^th century AD saint, who established a church and small settlement within the walls of the abandoned  Roman fort.

It was an experience to walk around the winding narrow streets of the town. 

There was a summer fair being held and we had a bonus of seeing the parade of floats, Bands and marching girls.

The downside was I couldn’t find a wifi café that didn’t charge expensive  prices to use the internet so after a few hours I took the shuttle back to the port where I was able to catch up with Facebook and emails on free Wifi.

The great thing about today was the gods had the sun shining for my birthday. This is the first day on the cruise where we saw the sun without rain.

It was about 2.30 pm when I returned to the ship so I went up to the Lido Bar and had a Guinness with my Papaku Chicken Burger. It was beaut to sit in the sunshine and take off the jacket.

After a nana nap I made it up to the end of the Happy Hour in the OB. The bar staff surprised with a big bunch of happy birthday balloons and sang happy birthday to me.

I got dressed up for dinner in the Pinnacle Grill for the special Le Cirque dinner and I went with Calin the beverage manager. We had a great meal and interesting conversation so it was the perfect way to finish off a beaut day.

We adjourned to the OB for an after dinner drink and as I walked in the band started singing happy birthday. I only had the one drink as I think I was ‘Birthdayed Out’ by now .

I returned to my cabin to find PB sitting on a mountain of balloons on my bed. This is the first time I have ever spent my birthday on a ship and what a great day it was.

Sunday 26 July 2015

What a surprise after yesterday’s great sunny weather to wake to  a very cold windy and rainy morning as we approached the town of Ilfracombe England.

I more or less I made up my mind to stay on board and not go  on the tender to the port.

Just after 10 am there was a break in the weather  so I decided I would go ashore as from the ship the town looked very interesting.

The tender ride was very bumpy and then we had to land on a lower level of a wharf and then climb up slippery old steps to the road level where we were welcomed by the Mayor and the Town Crier.

I went on a town tour on a little tractor train which was a lot of fun and a great way of seeing the sights of the town and the surrounds.  It is a holiday town for the Brits and even though the weather was terrible the Poms were all rugged up and seemed to be enjoying themselves by the seaside.

After the tour the rain came in so I took shelter in a pub with an old bloke doing a very bad rendition of Sweet Caroline. So to save my ear eardrums I left and into the cold rain and made my way back to the tender wharf. OMG the rain was horizontal  like it was being fired out of a water cannon.

As this port has a large range in the rise and fall we had to board the tender on the lower level of the wharf which was great  as we were out of the rain and wind. I had a hot chocolate drink to warm up.

Over all I was pleased I went ashore to see this town , which on a sunny day would have heaps to offer.

The tender  ride was an experience back to the ship as the seas had got a lot wilder while I was ashore.

I had lunch and then down to the cabin for a hot shower to warm up and a long nanna nap. I was late for happy hour again so I only had a couple of drinks.

 Mary Rose came along and joined me for a red wine which was full of laughs as she is not a bar type of lady. Then had to go and get ready  for the formal night for dinner.

Dinner was with my Canadian friends and we had a great time and after dinner I held court in the OB and Calin joined me for a drink. The bar staff were busy in battering down the hatches to secure the shelves with the bottles on, as there was heaps of motion in the ocean.

I called it a night just after 11pm.

Monday 27 July 2015

Had a relaxing brekkie then got the laundry and dry cleaning organised before getting the tender over to St Paul's Port Guernsey at about 11 am.

The weather was bad for our arrival but soon cleared up and the sun popped out a few times. For one pound sterling I caught a local bus for the 90 minute trip around the Island. Historic old ruins, buildings and narrow cobbles roads add to the charm of this picturesque island.

I didn’t realise the Island was so large and the variety of scenery was fantastic, rocky beaches, cliffs, green farming land to quaint old villages added to the charm of this popular holiday destination for the Brits and the French.   

After my tour I went to the historic Albion Hotel for a Guinness and to use the internet. Well miss Barmaid from Hell was in the middle of a conversation about her sex life with another girl so I stood for about 3 minutes and then she said in a very threatening voice, ‘Wat der ya want’?  I got the a growl as she didn’t like pulling Guinness. When I asked her for the password for the wifi she told me it wasn’t working and if it was she didn’t know the password.  

Actually it was so funny like a bad British comedy or one of those hidden camera shows. I paid the 2 pound for the drink, drank it and got out of there while other folk that had come in, were waiting at the bar to be served because she and her friend had gone outside for a fag.

I came back to the ship for a papaku burger and a Guinness about 3.30pm at the Lido. Oliver and his staff presented me with a motor bike made out of champagne corks and tops in a handmade gift box.

Because of the lack of internet today I had to purchase  another package in order to check airline bookings, emails and banking.

I was surprised and humbled by the large amount of birthday greetings I had received when I had logged on. My sincere thanks to all of you for the kind wishes and remarks sent to me.

I skipped Happy Hour and just called into the bar on the way to dinner for a red wine. Dinner was a heap of fun  and we were the last table to leave the dining room.

I went to bed  at about 11 pm and as we had to put the time forward by an hour as we going to European time so actually it was 12 midnight when I went to bed.

Tuesday 28 July 2015

OMG this is the last day of the cruise as tomorrow I arrive in Amsterdam and will start heading home.

So today being a sea day, the big job will be to do the packing. I have had the laundry folded the last few times so that will make it easier to pack.

As you know from past cruises I hate packing and saying goodbyes to my Anak ko and the new found friends.

Lunch time was the mariner’s brunch and recognition cocktails. I sat with Mary Rose and my Canadian dinner friends for lunch and we had a great time and heaps of laughs.

That horrible of job of packing went off very well as I had the laundry fold my clothes, so it was easy to just put them into the port (Case).

I did the Happy Hour in the OB and it is always horrible on last days with all the goodbyes to be said.

Getting ready for dinner I nicked the bottom of my ear while shaving. OMG I never thought it was ever going to stop bleeding. The blood thinners I have taken over the past few days to get ready for the long flights home did not help. Maybe 45 minutes later it finally stopped.

I had my final dinner with my Canadian friends and adjourned to the OB to have a hot toddy before bed. Calin the Beverage Manager had a goodbye drink with me and then I was down to bed just before 11.15 pm.

Wed 29 July 2015

The last Brekkie was a sad occasion saying good bye to the dining room staff but a funny thing happened when the loudish American lady at the next table called out "Excuse Mr Ku, what is your first name?"

I was a bit surprised and answered it was Papa. She told her hubbie, "See I told you he is Mr Papa Ku"

I guess you just had to be there but I was thinking is she for real?

I left the ship and went through the very efficient customs and immigration procedures and was waiting for Edwin to collect me from outside the terminal by 9.15am.

My Canadian dinner friends said goodbye 

Boy oh boy the wind outside the terminal was cold and strong even though the sun was trying to break through the clouds.

Edwin took me for a drive around the suburbs as we headed to his unit. We had a coffee and a beaut catch up and he introduced me to Yummy Dutch bickies.

We went over to a large shopping centre and then to a nearby favourite restaurant of his for lunch. After a very relaxing meal he took me to meet his mother at her house. I enjoyed this visit even though my Dutch is non existent and her English was very basic so Edwin was out interpreter. It was a pleasure and honour to meet this lovely lady.

After a quick freshen up back at  Edwin’s place it was time to go out to the Airport to check-in for the flight.

The Amsterdam International Terminal is one of the most confusing terminals I have ever been in. Nothing seemed to be simple and then to find out Emirates did not have a lounge in this terminal I had to wait out in the public area for the gate to open.

Thur 30 July 2015

I tried to get a little sleep on the 6 hour flight before we landed 90 minutes late into Dubai. So it was a mad rush to change terminals to get my connecting Qantas flight to Sydney. 

There was no time to use the lounge to have a shower and freshen up. I had a great seat by the window in the front exit row and a nice couple from Sydney sat beside me.

The fifteen and a half hour flight was uneventful and I got in a few periods of sleep. The service on the Qantas A380 was good and friendly, however compared with the excellent service on the Emirates  A380 Qantas have big room for improvement.

Fri 31 July 2015

The sunrise as we landed in Sydney was brilliant.

The welcome back home greetings of the Immigration and customs officers combined with their excellent efficiency made going through the procedures a pleasure.

I transferred over to the domestic terminal and headed to the Qantas Club to have a shower and shave to freshen up for the last flight to Cairns.

Served myself a light brekkie and used the wifi until it was time to board the flight to Cairns.

During the 3 and a half hour flight to Cairns I was having a problem staying awake so I got out my Tab and played checkers with the bloke beside me to fill in the time.

On arrival in Cairns I was picked up by my mate Steve, who drove me home. Boy oh boy even though it was a winters day in tropical Cairns it was good to warm up and not wear a jacket like I had to each day in the European Summer over the past few weeks.