bigdavefc

Check out https://www.bubblygrape.co.nz/ They are fantastic. Check them out on Trip advisor and you can see the review we posted back in March 2016.

Does Australia use Euros....?

 

Really? REALLY??

��

Yes it is, I looked at the map and its between Germany and Hungary...oh wait...never mind ;p

was on explorer less than 3 weeks ago and can confirm it is NOT available.

 

This town is nice - not developed by any means - but you can easily get to Million Dollar Beach (for snorkeling or scuba diving) or RiRi blue holes from here.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

The town is nice? Did you try the Kava early on that trip...lol.

I can not type on here how I would describe the town but it is far from nice.

We have been there twice and have discovered the 1 rule for Santo is get a driver and get out of the town. The blue hole is great, Lope Lope beach, Million Dollar point, Champagne beach (a bit of a long drive) are all worth a visit.

I have been told 1cover - $250 per port per person up to $750 per person

The pds says the payment for silver is $50 per Port to a max of $500. Gold is double.

 

Be pretty awful trip that missed 10 ports, probably like that Norwegian ship that floated around the place last year.

We are going through this now and they haven't made claiming it easy either. Made the mistake of not reading the PDS thoroughly and thought it was $500 per port so went with them instead of other companies...To cut the story short, we missed 3 ports and people we travelled with get $250 per port ($750), we get $50 per port ($150).

The Moral of the story, read the PDS thoroughly and use a different travel insurance company.

My answer isnt weather related but it is more luggage related....I have always been of the opinion that if you can, Fly there and then sail home. That way there is no luggage limitation on the way back and you dont have to think twice about buying things along the way.

The Marlborough region has some fantastic wines and wineries but they are more famous for whites not reds. If you decide to go down that path, avoid the ships tours...google Bubbly Grape wine tours. We did a tour through them and it was amazing. It was the highlight of our NZ trip and we are not big wine drinkers.

Thanks Dave.

 

I guess the next question is:

How long does the battery last towing us before we have to start towing the SeaDoo?

 

[emoji482] Mick [emoji482]

They say about an hour to an hour and a half. We only used it for about 45mins and never had an issue with the battery but will be giving it a "sea trial" up at Swansea this week... I should have more of an idea then.

I believe its a combination of things...1 reason is they market themselves as a family cruise line and dont want too many "Booze cruisers" on board to take away from that and the second reason is its not profitable to do so.

Excellent, how about the noise levels?

Not too bad... out of the water its no worse than a blender. In the water the majority of the sound is muffled and is a fairly gentle hum, however the hum does travel (you could hear it at the other end of the pool but it wasn't at an annoying level)

Still sounds encouraging. I usually tie my swimmers on with a truckies hitch! [emoji2]

Tried that, the rope burn was so painful :eek:

How manoeuverable is it? Does it slow down quickly? I'm just wondering how practical it would be in crowded snorkelling conditions, like Mare, where there is often a lot of people in the water at one time.

 

Also how does the water flow from it affect visibility? Do you have to shut it off before looking at the coral, or can you see it all clearly while still moving.?

Fairly maneuverable, it has a turning circle of a metre or so. As for controls, you have 2 buttons that need to be held in for it to go, as soon as you release the buttons the prop stops and you come to a stop virtually straight away.

You hold the scooter with your arms out but down slightly. As your head is well above the prop it doesn't affect visibility at all.

There is 1 thing to be careful of, the propeller sends the water down your body, if you are not careful you can lose your pants. It almost happened to me, luckily I was the only one in the pool and didn't traumatize anybody.

But how big, is really BIG.

Lets just say there is big, bigger, Mt Everest and then me ;p

These days I register with both the Japanese and Greenpeace before I go snorkeling so I don't get harpooned or dragged back to sea.

If it moves me it will move a small truck

I took the new toy for a spin last night and am pleased to say it passed the test. I am not a small bloke (Hense the name Bigdave) and was concerned it would not pull me along through the water and it would be just like having a giant egg beater blowing water in my face. However it managed to pull me along quite well. If you are a smaller person and enjoy snorkeling, these things will really get you moving. In short, I am loving my new toy. Can't wait for Mystery Island & Mare.

Next Step: Getting it on the ship.

This may help.

 

Here are the 2018 prices for Royal Caribbean's Voom internet access, if purchased onboard:

• Surf & Stream Voom
  
  • 1 device: $19.99 per day, per device
    
  • 2 devices: $18.99 per day, per device
    
  • 4 devices: $16.99 per day, per device
    
  • Single Day Pass: $29.99 per day, per device
    

  [*]Surf

  • 1 device: $15.99 per day, per device
    
  • 2 devices: $14.99 per day, per device
    
  • 4 devices: $12.99 per day, per device
    
  • Single Day Pass: $22.99 per day, per device
    

I am pretty sure these aren't the prices the OP was looking for. I read it as they want to use computers on board the ship and wanted to know how much it costs.

Just received an email from Royal Caribbean...All systems go!! I am not allowed to use it on-board (so no test runs in the bath tub) but as long as its kept in my cabin it is fine. So off to Costco I go to go buy myself a new toy :)

How noisy is this thing? It's not a V8!

When I had a played with these in Costco they seemed a bit noisy. Hopefully they don't spoil the serenity - although I guess wouldn't be as loud as an outboard.[emoji14]

With it being used under the water, I would hope the noise would not be too bad

Just put a shark fin on the top, people will leave a clear path.

This man is a genius! :cool: I like your thinking.

Have you used one before? I'm curious about how practical they would be in relatively crowded snorkelling situations, which cruise ship port stops tend to be.

Never used one before but will try it out before I go (Will only purchase it if I get the go ahead from RCI). As for use in crowded snorkeling situations, you might be right...I may need to fabricate some kind of spike to place on the end to keep people out of my way ;p

Is this one from Costco?

 

If so I don't see any issues as it is not on the prohibited or restricted items list.

 

Snorkelling gear is specifally allowed and IMO falls into this category.

 

Please come back after your cruise and let us know how you went.

 

Cheers :D

That's the one...It is fairly small and compact and looks like a lot of fun. The price isn't bad either.

The size isnt an issue...it fits in a suitcase and we have a JS with large walk in wardrobe. Its just if its allowed or not. I dont see the point in paying to hire one on an excursion when I can purchase one for under $300 and use it at more than one port and on more than one cruise. I emailed Royal Caribbean on Friday but havent yet had a reply.

We are traveling with Royal Caribbean in Feb and I was wondering if anyone had experience with taking a sea scooter on board for use when snorkelling in the islands? I couldnt find anything saying they were not allowed.

4. Soda package - can you only get refills if you have your souvenir cup? So thinking you would need to go back to your cabin and get the cup before you could get a drink...seems silly to me. Is this correct?

No, you can get a soft drink in an ordinary glass at any bar