Hello everyone. It looks like we are all safe and sound in New Zealand. Yesterday everyone was pretty pooped and Ken and I left around 9.30 am to go visit family. We had a lovely afternoon at a restaurant over looking a beach. Great New Zealand food. We did not know that this beach was having a Christmas parade followed by all types of things on the ocean. A simulated helicopter rescue, model airplanes, jet skis, water skiing. We just sat in the restaurant and watched it all. A front row window seat! We were there so long we also had afternoon tea.
A devonshire tea, melt in the mouth scones with rasberry jam and fresh N.Z. cream. YUM YUM. We were there about 5 hours!!!!

When we got back to the hotel Karen told us that they were going to dinner with some others at 6.15 pm. We were SO FULL. However, we decided to join in the fun and went to a tiny Italian restaurant close by. It was fast and easy and I had a great pizza.

Today at 9.00 am they all loaded (or squeezed into) the vans and went off for their day at Sheep World and the winery. It was bright and sunny early but a little overcast skys have crept in. There is supposed to be a big high pressure over the country with very settled weather. Of course this is N.Z. - four seasons in a day sometimes.

Only two couples have lost their bags. One has them now and the other couple are supposed to get them today. I have my fingers crossed.

Tonight we go to Orbit the revolving restaurant on top of the SKY TOWER. Looking forward to that there are 43 of us for dinner.

Tomorrow we board the ship --- yippee!!! Cant wait.

Ngaire, thanks for checking in! Your day sounds great. Enjoy your high-altitude dinner tonight.

Dena

Ngaire...thanks so much for news from NZ - we are all terribly jealous and eager to hear news from all of you. Sounds like it's off to a grand start!

Ngaire, thanks for checking in with us and your great report from NZ! Wishing you all a wonderful dinner tonight and early bon voyage!

Nancy

Ngaire, it sounds great. Csn't wait for the next installment.
Lynn

Glad everyone made it to NZ safe and sound! :)

Ngaire,
Thanks for your post. You know we are eager to hear from our LAMBies.
Please tell me that one of those lost bags is not one that holds my little BFF Karen's shoes!
Seriously, hope all the bags arrive soon and wishing you all a great Bon Voyage tomorrow.

I'm so envious - so near and yet so far. If it hadn't been so difficult to get back from LA at this time of year, I could have been very tempted! Would someone please have a hokey-pokey ice cream for me? Ta. Lee

It's almost time to board the ship. I'm sitting in a coffee shop close to our hotel. Nothing's better than a flat white and free internet!

Just looked up the Pittsburgh score for Karen and Mark but the game hasn't started yet.

We had a fun, rainy time at Sheepworld and Ransom Winery. Dinner last night at Orbitz was delicious and of course the company was great.

I've been ready to board the ship for the last two days. Not long now!

Thanks for checking in Donna! Hope you have a great boarding and clear skies for sailaway!

Donna,

Thank you for checking in with us. Sorry your side trip to sheep and wine was in the rain. Hope it clears for your sailaway!

I know you are all excited. I am excited for you!!

~~~~waving~~~~

LCT'rs, we miss you! We really need seamail, and we have to know if everybody's shoes got there okay!

You all should be on the ship now. We'll be following along, wishing we were with you!

Okay, we are starved for info from this gang. Ngaire has been nice enough to keep us updated, but we need more! C'mon, Karen, Marcie, Joanna and Betty!

Hi guys! Here we are on the ship after a couple of great days in Auckland. Joanna and I are sitting in the new coffee bar on the computer as we sip Irish Coffee. We love this new coffee bar! It is GREAT!!

Our Horizon Suite looks awesome. We ducked in and dropped our carry on off but our luggage hadn't arrived yet....maybe now. Had cheeseburger on pool deck...yum! The more time I'm on a ship, the more time I feel like I was born to cruise!! It feels great to be "back home" with such a wonderful group. It's been so fun meeting lots of new friends (clients of Ngaire that aren't necessarily LCTers) and of course all our "old faithfuls" as well.

Great time yesterday. Lots of laughs and fun at Sheepworld and the Winery. The dinner at Orbitz was great last night. At our table was Karen & Mark, Joanna & Tony, Pat & Ray (RPM) and us. We laughed so hard our sides ached.

More later!!!!

I just posted with Marcie - mine did not go thru - too tired to redo it - having lots of fun - our van was wonderful (we stopped at McDonalds' on return from winery) had Ralph and Carol in van and last night Pat and Ray at dinner table - they are SOOOOO much fun - having Karen and Ngaire on this trip has been special! So mad about losing post :mecry: :mecry: more once I get set up in cabin

We have missed you the past couple of days! Dying to hear about your adventure to SheepWorld, and any other thing you have done! Welcome aboard!

I love the coffee bar on Mariner with the internet.

So great to be on board!! WE've had the best time with everyone! Last night's group dinner was terrific. SheepWorld was a little wet (it rained lightly) but we all had fun, especially with the little lambs! I loved feeding one of them. Tons of laughs all the day. We are lovin' our Horizon Suite! Already experiencing the huge balcony - my favorite new spot! The Mariner feels so good...

Hi everyone,
I am the only person in the computer room and it is very quiet in the coffee bar which makes me think everyone is unpacking. That's what I need to be doing.
Great 4 day pre-cruise. Loved Air New Zealand so much that I will now consider a trip to Australia even if it means flying both ways. I NEVER thought I would say that!!!!!!!!!
This is a fantastic group - so much fun finally meeting some of our regular posters in person.
Have tour in the morning and then 3 sea days so time to write then. More to follow!

Oh Goodie!!! LAMBMail!

I envy you Lambies - Pat & I did the same cruise last year and it was wonderful. If you are just going around on your own in French Polynesia, ask Hal Fraser (Pianist) for suggestions - he spent 7 years there on the PG. If you're renting a car for the day in Moorea, there's a great beach front restaurant around the island from Cook's Bay. In Bora Bora, don't take a taxi to Bloody Mary's before checking because they usually close in December.
Jim

Thanks for all the LAMBMail!!! We've all been waiting to hear from you guys and so glad many have checked in. thanks for the great reports.

Nancy

Keep up the great seamail!

Masaki

Our butler just delivered caviar canapes to go with our champagne. How good is that!!

For Karen and Mark,
The score is PIT 24, CIncy 10 with 6 minutes to go. I am very sad about that.
Lynn

Thanks for posting! Sounds like LAMB is off to a great start (as if that was ever in doubt)!

Here I am!!! It looks like I am the last to post but we have been having so much fun!! Tonight was our first dinner on board and we dined with Tony, Joanna, Marcie, Tom and Betty. Dinner was fantastic and the company was as well. We have already put in a special order for New Zealand scallops for tomorrow night!

New Zealand was just beautiful, our visit to the winery was one of those less than perfect excursions but we laughed till we cried so I can say we had a good time. Sheep world was fun too, we feed the baby sheep except for my baby sheep was a goat and of course I had no clue until someone told me so. So I did have fun at Goat World!

Today was my first trivia game, Marc would of been proud of me. 9 correct answers won and we had 8 answers correct!

Back tracking to our precruise adventures, Marcie and I bungee jumped and Ken is going to try to figure out how to scan the picture so we can post it here!

I suppose I need to go check my email now, it's been 5 days and I can imagine there is tons to sift through!
I promise to post again soon and Betty, your bff Karen has ALL her shoes safely in her closet!

So good to hear from all of you. Now your cruising adventure begins. I really want to see those bungee jumping pix. Sorry to hear that Sheep World was a rainy day, but it sounds like the laughter won out!

More lambmail, please!!!

What a wonderful way to start my day Lamb Sea Mail...thanks for checking in and most of all HAVE A BLAAAAAst! :D

A great group of wondeful people, fabulous ship, awesome itinerary, caviar and champagne.......I can't think of anything better!!! :hello1:

Karen and Marcie bungee jumping!!!! Can't wait for the picts. sounds like everyone is off to a wonderful start.

Nancy

Thanks to all of you for keeping us supplied with sea mail. I'm just starting my day at this late hour because we had a busy weekend here with five performances of our Christmas show at church.

Reading your sea mail is the next best thing to cruising along with you. Best wishes for you all to continue having a wonderful trip.

Hi lambies!!

So good to hear from you and that you are all accounted for!

Can't wait to see those bungee jump pictures. Karen and Marcie, you are fearless!

Hi all,

Its wonderful to start the day with your seamail.....your adventures sound like so much fun and the cruise is just begining. I can't wait for more, and pictures please, thanks

Can't wait to see the bungee-jumping girls!

Marcie and Karen bungee jumping...now I have to see those pics! You girls sure do live dangerously! :eek:

Awesome seamail, lambies! Thanks! Keep 'em coming!!

I'm going to have to start getting up earlier to read all of the seamail - I was almost late this morning - love the news from the Mariner - hope you're all hanging out at the coffee bar sending email!

Yay!!! LAMBmail has officially started. Thanks everyone for updating us on your first day. Have a great cruise - keep it coming!

Great to hear from you LAMBsters - bungee jumping??!! :eek: You go, girls!!!!