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Jenny and Stephs 26 cruise
  • Jenny Moon
  • Jenny Moon

Jenny and Stephs 26 cruise

A 20-day adventure by Jenny Read more
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  • Trip start
    December 31, 2025
  • Jenny MoonJenny and Stephs 26 cruiseTraveler

    Thursday 15th Jan Overnight train

    January 15 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Interesting trip out of Southern Cross station, worked a half day, bus down, departure from platform 1 was to have been 19.50pm, but delay getting into Melbourne, as cops had to board the train twice, on way down !!
    Once to take off a bunch of rowdy passengers, then again, to remove a crazy person, on the platform, trying to board without ticket.
    Comfortable 1st class seat (same as plane, but with more leg room !!)
    Meals could be ordered, but due to late departure, I wasnt going to eat Moroccan lamb at 11pm !!.
    Lights turned out just after Seymour.
    Clearly they had over-ordered on pies, as they kept pushing them with every announcement!!.
    As we were getting off at Central Station, Sydney, I heard passengers talking about the cops have to meet the train again, apparently a bunch of women had a punch up. The great unwashed in Economy !!.    Read more

  • Jenny MoonJenny and Stephs 26 cruiseTraveler

    Friday 16th January Sydney

    January 16 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Taxi to Park Regis, $15, including a free lecture from an 80yo bloke, just married for the 3rd time, hed found Jesus years ago, informing me that the Greek and Hebrew numbers/letters, indicated another 'devil' was on the way, as there was a '666' somewhere !!!, I suggested Donald Trump, but apparently not, I tipped him, to celebrate his 3 day old, recent marriage.
    Met the Mine Roaders, checked out our hotel, admired the 'dog bum' statue hanging out of our wall !!, A Subway sanger, then Off to Canberra for them.
    Steph and I had a bit of a relax, then off to Circular Quay, by train, how evolved, you could just swipe any credit card, no useless Monkey Card !!.
    Just got Steph to jump through turnstile with me, probably illegal, but you know what us tourists are like !!.
    Walked round the Rocks, Carnival Splendor parked, where our ship, Anthem will be parked tomorrow.
    Tonight a taxi down to thr rocks again, to experience 'True Crime" walking tour, hope its not the thing of nightmares, but as its school holidays, nearly everything else booked out.
    A taxi down to Dawes point ( under the bridge) driver had no idea, we walked around for miles, nearly given up hope, when "Ryan" tour guide, called, and directed us to meeting point, obviously used to lost people wandering aimlessly.
    A mob of us began, a beautiful balmy evening, fortunately a slight breeze, which would come in handy, drying the sweat as we walked up Observatory/Flagstaff/Hanging Hill, at the end of the tour !!
    Ryan ( or David, if you didnt like the tour !!) was amazing, so knowledgable, giving out facts and figures, with no artifical prompting
    1. Starcrossed lovers (Baker and Knitter) 2. Hanging Mannequin 3. Fake hangman 4. "Filthy Curr" murderer. 5. Tatooed arm in shark 6. Hero of Waterloo, smuggling grog up and kidnapped men down. 7. Brother stabbed with butter knife, after accusing sister of giving him plague. 8. Observatory Hill/Flagstaff/ Hanging Hill - place to take your first date/ family picnic - Ghost train ride at Luna Park - where 7 ppl dies ( ride never reopened. 9. Nurses walk laneway - men lured in and robbed.
    Grand finale - back down at Circular quay- servant killed his master , as he 'didnt respect him" !, body into a box, tried to bribe a coxswain to dump in ocean, cops called, to arrest him after the box, "not quite pork" was leaking the appropriate body fluids. !!
    No happy endings here !!
    While this was happening, there was a noisy birthday party, at the Quay, an RC ship turned up, Very surprised, as it turned out to be an early arrival of our ship, Anthem of the Seas !!!, and then the ambulances arrived, so some unfortunate needed a medivac off the ship, so we were lucky enough to see her sail in, beautiful sight.
    We finished the evening with Royal Copenhagen icecream, convienently located at the entrance to the train station, so we jumped on and went home, past Wynyard, and out at our stop, Town Hall station, a short walk back to our place, around the corner
    Looking forward to boarding tomorrow, hoping they will let us board earlier than our scheduled time of 11.30am    Read more

  • Jenny MoonJenny and Stephs 26 cruiseTraveler

    Saturday 17 January

    January 17 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Into taxi @ 09.30am, hilarious young asian taxi driver, astonished we were only going on a 2 night cruise!.
    Traffic a bit dodgy down to Circular Quay, we nearly wet our pants when he yelled out "Fook", at the top of his voice, when traffic cut him off.
    He got us down there, $30, he said it would have been less but 'bloody traffic' !!, he gave us his card, maybe next time.
    Our boarding time was 11.30am, very quiet at terminal, we skipped the breakfast souvlaki, we went up at 10.45, just got waved on.
    I kept setting off the metal detector, I had taken off my jewellery, watch, i thought I would have to produce an ex-ray of my hip replacement !!. Bugger.
    Onto Anthem, strolled down to Royal Theatre, muster check done, (already did the health check on line, while we were awaiting boarding),up to Two70, great view across the whole back of ship, some snacks, then off to pool deck.
    It was an overcast, rainy day, Steph had thought to pack her bathers into her carry on, so she tried out the spa, but too many kids being annoying. !
    Room ready, so off to 8134, checked everything, unpacked, found steward, to reconfigure beds to twin, got an extra blanket, in case we needed an afternoon siesta.
    Up on deck, to see some of the sail out, again weather not great, didnt even see people on the bridge to wave at.
    Wonderland at 5.30, usual amazing presentation, photos taken, then a stroll through the shops, just a fridge magnet for our door, and a bag charm for Steph ( it had to be replaced 10 minutes after purchase, as it fell apart!)
    Back to the room, will go down at 8.30pm, to watch family karaoke.
    Into Boleros, some good, some not so good, always funny, some drunk guys, one in particular, matching summer pjamas, sing and dancing to 'I touch myself", he and his mates really got into it, few drunk women, quite a few kids singing, home for a good sleep, lots of ship rocking, to help.    Read more

  • Jenny MoonJenny and Stephs 26 cruiseTraveler

    Sunday 18th January 2026

    January 18 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Last day of cruise. Off to the Windjammer for Brekky, the line for an omlette too long, sky and ocean same colour – grey, and very choppy.

    Off for a bit of trivia at the Music Hall, a ‘Visual Disney Trivia”, very poor results, I didn’t know my Disney princesses from a pink elephant!

    Steph for a bit of time in the outside spa, but full of noisy, space occupying kids. Had a look at the Seaplex, and managed to squeeze in a quick hot dog at the Dog House, hardly gourmet, but not bad.

    A bit of a stroll around, then off to the room for a bit of a rest.

    3pm – to the Japanese Restaurant, to practise our Candy Making Sushi skills. Great, and delicious fun, using rice bubble bars as the base, fruit wraps and various bright bits and pieces, we sampled as we worked, and brough the finished product back to the room, great idea, and we had to try quite a bit, to make sure we were happy with the result.

    Bought Donovan a little shark backpack, still pretty rough outside.

    Off to Main Dining room for early meal, burger for Steph, I had missed prawn cocktail day, so a bit of salmon for me, followed by profiteroles, not as good as Di Moons though !

    Walk around Seaplex, book a dodgem car ( first time I had seen them working) $6.00 USD !!! (about 12 AUD for 3 minute ride. Outrageous.

    Down to watch a bit of teen karaoke, very old teens!!.

    Final wander through Royal Esplanade, Steph sampled her first Sorrento’s Pizza, had to have two slices, to be sure, to be sure.

    Back to room, still eating candy sushi, may not sleep well with all that sugar on board.

    Sydney airport still ‘undergoing renovations”, so hopefully its not too shocking tomorrow.

    Early morning disembark, Taxi to the airport, then off to our friends at Jetstar to get us home.    Read more

    Trip end
    January 19, 2026