SinbadThePorter

It seems doubtful. For one thing there is nowhere to offload ferry passengers at the cruise terminal. They would need to build a wharf capable of handling the Citycats and safely offloading passengers. Before doing that, they would need to take account of the infrastructure already there. The structures just upstream of the terminal are used for unloading petroleum products to the storage tanks on Bulwer Island. There are obvious safety problems with allowing passenger vessels access to the area. Downstream you are encroaching on the sewage works and its outfall. It's a nice idea but I don't see it happening.

I booked this excursion and then canceled it. It was close enough to $300 from the ship. Since it's $60 when not booked out by a cruise, that amounts to $240 for a return bus trip from Port Chalmers to Dunedin station and back. When I had a think about it, I decided I didn't want to be taken for a ride. 🤨 I'm a tourist, not an ATM for the cruise line (I wish!).

The Casino supermarket has a very impressive wine section. All French as far as I could see.

I hadn't heard that we are building wharves in Warragamba Dam. Or that Flannery is designing them. Sea levels have risen 8 inches since 1880 and the rise is accelerating. I don't see the sea level rise coming to a sudden stop or more intense storms going away, so I hope they keep building climate resilient wharves.

More like 12 inches by 2050 and probably twice that on top by 2100.

I always use the train to go from the airport to Circular Quay. But I always travel (relatively) light.

Quick decisions on impulses every time. 😉

I don't understand how this is a difficult concept. They are wharves built to standards that take account of rising sea levels and greater storm intensities.

Never used them, but their Google reviews are not good.

That's good, as Champagne Bay is a definite step up from Luganville. Although I still can't find anything in the itinerary from Carnival to confirm it. They just call it "Santo, Vanuatu".

Does anyone know where the Luminosa makes her first port of call on this cruise? The itinerary says Santo, but that is an island not a locality. Some cruise agent websites suggest it is Champagne Bay and others suggest Luganville. The Carnival website is no help at all.

There are no hotels close to the new Brisbane cruise terminal. If you are coming in by air, it may be easier to stay in a hotel near the airport and catch a taxi from there to the ship. It's about 10 miles distance. Alternatively, there are a number of motels along Kingsford Smith Drive, the best of which is probably the Kingsford Smith Motel. I have no direct knowledge, but some cruisers have said that they run a shuttle bus out to the cruise terminal from there. It's about 8 miles distance.

Got to agree with this. I really don't see the point of going to sea, if there is no sea to see.

The best would be Antarctica in winter. 🙂 The aurora australis can sometimes be seen as far north as Hobart. In Australia the Cradle Mountain area has dark nights suitable for viewing. Near Dunedin in NZ or the southern tip of South America would be better places for viewing, but it is not a predictable phenomenon.

Australia has a very high covid vaccination rate. Of people aged 16+, 97% have at least 1 dose, 95.9% have at least 2 doses, 72.7% have at least 3 doses, 42.1% have had 4 doses.

Is Majestic unusual in that she had 800 cases of covid, or is she unusual in that she had 800 cases of covid detected? If you don't look, you don't find.

The view is something like this: You would probably be better off making the trip into Circular Quay or the Opera House for a better view.

I think coal is king at Mackay. So it's hard to see how a cruise ship could get a look in when bulk coal vessels are lined up waiting to be loaded. It seems to me that Nhulunbuy might be a better bet, even if it is in the NT. The town is struggling and maybe they could put some pressure on Rio Tinto to allow in some cruise ships.

I just confirmed with Dunedin Railways that the train does indeed depart from Dunedin station, with a shuttle bus to and from the port. That's me gone.

I think I'm disappointed enough to cancel the excursion. 😢

I just booked this train for the Coral cruise next month. I balked at the $300pp vs $60 for non-cruise excursions, but I thought hey it may not be running for much longer but at least it picks you up at the port. 😡 So much for that.

None that will fit into the ship's schedule. I think you're out of luck at Airlie Beach as far as the GBR goes. I assume Coral is then heading to Cairns and Port Douglas. Those are your best bets. Once again ship excursions would be the way to go.

You could avoid the airport train surcharge by taking the GC train to Eagle Junction station and catching a taxi from there. It's about the same distance.

There's also the cost of dredging the turning basin at Portside. Due to the mud and pollution stirred up, dredging is generally seen as not very environmentally friendly these days. So I suppose that's another reason to shut the port down.

I don't know that you have to have a smartphone to sail on Princess. You only need it if you want to run the app. The app has never worked properly for me, so I don't use it on board. The Medallion doesn't really have much to do with smartphones, except maybe for ordering via the app, and there are several alternative methods of ordering.