OzKiwiJJ

It's still there, on the first page. The poster joined Cruise Critic in 2017 but has not ever posted anything else. I'm fairly certain we would have heard of any issues like that from our trusty regulars who are currently on Coral. And I would expect someone complaining about that on a forum like this to provide more specific details - deck, location etc. Something smells but it's more of a fishy smell!

Interestingly that person has only made two posts on Cruise Critic - the one you quoted and a reply to someone who commented on that thread.

Where exactly did you see this? Is it from a believable source and a current source ( not something dredged up from long ago). I'm sure those of us here would have heard if there were any current plumbing issues. Sure, Coral is about 20 years old but still in very good condition. We liked her so much we spent 66 nights on her last year and can't wait until next year for the world cruise. In my opinion she is a perfect blend of Grand Class and the older Sun class ships. Not too big, but not too small either so plenty of room for decent sized lounges and bars, and a reasonable sized theatre.

Look up the Australian prices online then add a bit. Not cheap!

I think it's around $10pp per day for a single device. I'm not sure what it is for four devices.

Package or no package there is no way I would eat one of those revolting "special desserts" and I refuse to make a laughing stock of myself at a fitness class!

That would not go down well with a teenager who wants a Build-a-Bear! 🤣

Apparently you can upgrade your fare type on embarkation day, to get the Plus $65pp per day cost for drinks package, internet and all the other crap.

The Australian price is $65 pp per day so that would come to $3380 for the whole cruise. You can upgrade your fare on the first day after embarking.

I agree, it's actually a nice cruise terminal and the sail under the bridge is great but ... It's so isolated from the hub of the city and, as you say, there really isn't any decent public transport. For overnight stops it's missing that easy walk-off to local restaurants, or to easily sightsee on your own. Even road access is messy!

Would the cruise lines run shuttle buses to Sydney and/or have luggage dropoff somewhere in the city? I certainly wouldn't want to have to go all the way to or from Port Kembla to embark or disembark a cruise. I've been spoilt living only 10-15 mins from both Sydney cruise terminals!

Yes, but it is ironic in that one of the key selling points of the luxury lines - the small size of the ships - means they end up at the worst cruise terminal in Sydney.

My thoughts: Melbourne versus Sydney Cruising out of Melbourne on a lovely evening is beautiful, especially going through the heads of Port Phillip Bay. Cruising into Sydney in the early morning is also very beautiful. Where will the ship dock in Sydney? Having an overnight onboard before disembarking won't be as nice if it's at White Bay. Picton versus Wellington. It's lovely cruising in and out of the Marlborough Sounds. Picton is a small town but quite pretty. It would be worth checking what excursions are on offer here. We went wine tasting which was very enjoyable and a pleasant drive to and from the wineries. Or there might be a boat trip that visits some of the larely unspoilt small bays in Queen Charlotte Sound. Wellington is a typical big city on a lovely harbour. The botanical gardens are beautiful but situated on a steep hill - take the cable car up and walk down. Wellington also has Zealandia, a wildlife sanctuary set in a lovely bush-clad valley only minutes from the centre of town. Burnie - if you choose this itinerary and the Cradle Mountain excursion is available do it! It might also depend on what time of year those cruises are. NZ's weather can be a bit variable, especially in November and December. January is school holidays both in NZ and Australia. February and March are best for NZ but if doing land travel it's best to do NZ first at that time of year then cruise to Australia.

True but the drive there and back was very scenic in its own right. The excursion was well worth doing.

We tried Royal Caribbean years ago but I can't recall what the bed was like. At that time Princess beds weren't great either but once they rolled out the new ones, a year or so later, it was a massive improvement.

Almost all the interior space on Dolphin deck isn't public space. We've had various cabins on that deck and have never been disturbed by noise from crew areas. Since the cabin you picked is forward of the forward lift lobby it should be very quiet. I can't help with the wind issue, sorry, we've mostly had cabins midships, mid-aft, or aft.

They must have run out. Coral definitely had Sandemans port last year, possibly in the Good Spirits Bar.

Interesting! I tried it for a cruise we're doing out of Japan late October and it showed me the drinks list but when I tried it for an Australian departure cruise I got the same error. Maybe they aren't offering that service on Australian departure cruises. Very strange.

We did the Queenslander in 2009. The Queenslander carriages - pullman sleepers, lounge/bar and dining - were attached to the Sunlander train. It was as good as the Indian Pacific was when we did that a few years earlier. They don't run the Queenslander anymore. I believe whatever has replaced it has airline-style reclining seats, rather than sleeper compartment carriages, which wouldn't be anywhere near as nice.

A couple of year pre-Covid we were invited to the RANSA New Year's Eve party. $5 entry fee, cheap drinks from the bar, and BYO food. It was great but it cost us a fair bit in taxis.

Close! AU $45pp per day. 😊 They always show the AU price under the Terms and Conditions for each package.

On Princess there is no restriction on the quantity and type (can or bottle) of soft drinks you can bring onboard, and it doesn't have to be loose. Sealed packs can be labelled with a luggage tag and handed in with your baggage to be delivered to your cabin.

Plus most of the bartenders can make non-alcohol versions of some popular cocktails.

Breaded! 😯 Why would they ruin a good piece of salmon by breading it??!! Surely they could find a piece, unbreaded, that they could just sear on the hotplate.

That one of the few things I really liked about HAL - the ability to select a disembarkation time rather than a 30 minute time slot. But these days we leave our cabin, have a leisurely breakfast, and by the time we're ready to go our disembarkation group/time has passed so we can just wander off.