sydney day one

February 5, 2026

We began our entry to Sydney Harbour at 6:00 am. As we drew closer to the city, the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge (aka The Coathanger) came into focus. Our course to the cruise ship berth took us under the bridge. Once in our berth, a tanker(?) pulled alongside to refuel the Viking Sky.

Australian border security required all passengers to enter the terminal and present a passport and border control questionnaire. That part wasn’t so bad, but no one was allowed back on the ship until all passengers had completed the process. With almost 900 passengers, it took over an hour to clear everyone.

The main activity for the day was a cruise around Sydney Harbour. Our vessel was the Starship Sydney, a multi-purpose three deck cruiser. We had a cash bar on two decks and plenty of comfortable seating. The sun seekers had the open top deck. The tour lasted about two hours and had a running commentary about the history of Sydney and its harbour.

After the tour, I took the ship provided shuttle to King’s Wharf for a bit of exploring and shopping. The wharf was home to a number of cruisetour boats including the Starship Sydney and quite a few high end restaurants. Further back from the waterfront the layout was pretty confusing so my map screenshots were not much help. Note to Sydney: signage would be a big help.

Next: Day 2, The Blue Mountains