Obilix

Because television broadcast rights.

I've just given up Lent ....

Less trouble, in this world, anyway.

Cruise lines can state what they want in their "Terms and Conditions" but they are still subject to Federal fair trading legislation.

If they can't come up substantially with what the Punter paid for, they must give him/her a full refund of the fare paid.

You don't pay for a pineapple to receive a lemon.*

*Obilix and Astirix, Attorneys at Law.

We have the gaul to sue anybody.

In the bad old days at Fremantle prison the convicts were fed crayfish for their protein intake.

It was cheaper than meat.

I don't know if they complained as loudly as modern day cruisers when crayfish is OFF the menu.

The Esplanade hotel, near the fishing boat harbour provides a good meal in good and salubrious environment, albeit on the pricey side.

But honestly , a short stroll along  the South street cappuccino  strip and surrounds will find you any number of interesting and safe hotels and restaurants to suit all styles and budgets, and for Saturday lunch you probably wouldn't need a booking.

Lawn Bowls in Australia is a sport heavily subsidised by the Federal Government, I believe.

Well, some Clubs, in the right areas, anyway.

Here's a tip, for what it's worth. If you have ant infestations and cats to feed, fill a shallow tray with water and place the cat's food bowl in it.

Ants can't swim. 

Sorry, but whatever it is, it's not enough.

You could consider hiring a self storage unit about 1.5metres x1.5 metres or smaller.

In WA you can hire one from as little as $80 AUD a month, with the third month free.

I suggest you google "small storage unit hire Melbourne" and see what you can come up with. 

I've just noticed you will only be in port for half a day. You will have to prioritise then!

There is a free special bus service which will take you around the town, and it is regular but not that frequent. If timing is critical you will need to look up the time table from the internet. It is called the Fremantle Cat Bus.

The Round House is a gaol like structure used at one time to accommodate convicts an conduct executions. It is not a fort, but can be mistaken for a small one. It is worth a visit and will take about 30 -45 minutes of your time. It is about  a 10 minute walk from the Maritime museum where you can spend as much time as your interest in things maritime allows.

The old Fremantle gaol, a Victorian monument to man's inhumanity to man, is also nearby, about a 15 minute walk away from the museum, which walk will take you past the old Fremantle markets, only open Friday and weekends, but interesting and handy for souvenirs, trinkets and food on the go.

I recommend the gaol, and if you are not claustrophobic, a visit to the underground water cisterns and tunnels underneath, which extend for quite a while.

From the gaol, a 10 minute walk will take you to the top of Monument Hill which apart from the obvious, gives you panoramic views of the harbour, the city and the surrounds, up to the Ranges some 30 kilometers to the East. 

The Round House is a 20 minute walk (max) from where the ship will berth, and it is a 20 minute walk from the monument to the ship.

Allow a couple of hours at the Gaol at least, and half an hour at the monument, with perhaps an hour or so at the markets.

THE CBD is 5 minutes walk from the Round House and the Town Hall and the Cappuccino strip are worth a visit without taking you too far out of your way. 

If your interest lies in early to mid Victorian architecture, the west end of Fremantle near the Round house is a must.

If you only have a day in Fremantle, then you won't be able to do Perth as well with sufficient time to do it justice.

The Old Lunatic Asylum, on the way back to the ship from the Monument, and now some sort of cultural centre,  is deserving of a quick look at an appalling chapter of Western Australian history, and a coffee or drink.

  There are pubs and bars all over Fremantle, as well as cafes, restaurants and food halls, as others have, or probably will, mention.

There is a word to describe people who are prepared to pay $7000, or even $1200, for a bottle of plonk, but I can't remember what it is ....

No, that was Fred Astaire ...

Don't believe a word of it.

It's just cover for a dastardly plot by the Democrats to find a remote prison island to exile Trump to where he will never be heard of again.

Well, I can dream ....

Ghan, you're being silly now!

I was on the Solstice once, late in the evening, walking past an empty bar on my way back to my cabin.

I saw a passenger shouting, and in the face of a smaller man, who appeared to be a waiter.

The passenger then grabbed the waiter by the arm,  but at that point realised I was there, and let him go.

He continued shouting incoherently however, so I sat down on a chair near the two of them. I'm not a big man, but was a a front row prop in my younger days and have the build and ugliness to go with it.

The passenger got the message, and moved on.

Just askin', but has there been a thread deleted from the Australian/Kiwi cruiser forum today?

 There was only one post on the thread, with a video attached to it, which was quite funny, when I read it earlier today. Now it seems to have disappeared.

Chiliburn, at least until next weekend, we all have leave to ask any Kiwi how the All Blacks are going in the Rugby.

In fact, if you are an Aussie, it's mandatory.

But we all know climate change is bunkum ....

6 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Normally swim around for a few hours and then head back for a kip and then back for another swim.

And that's before you leave the ship, I guess..

I've got a Timex watch I bought 53 years ago. Mechanical movement (no battery). You shook your hand and it wound itself up.

Hardly ever used it. Bought it to check the time during the WA leaving exams in 1967, and its been sitting in drawers ever since. Last ticked over in December 1967. It was the only one I could afford at the time. Probably still is.

Now, if there was a collectors' market for vintage Timex timepieces .....

Two visits to Noumea, 11 of my group on board  on the last visit this year. All got on and off ship at different times.

No one saw or heard about immigration control, nor was the need for it announced on the ship (admittedly mostly Aussies, Aussie residents, and Pacific Islander passengers).

But yes, check with the cruise line or Embassy/Consulate.

Just make sure you point the business end at all times at the most annoying member of your party!

Of course you are right, Relaxing Robbies, but if you are in a group, especially with kids or the elderly, it would be less frazzling to catch an Uber or a taxi which would take much less time and cost not that much more for the group.

When the Perth - Airport train line is completed in a year or so it will all become so much simpler to travel Airport to Fremantle with only one change of line at Perth Central Station.

Continuing, don't know what went wrong just then!

In any event, we ended up being fed as well.

From Munich we rang our well known Australian travel agent and left a message that we would be missing our land connection in Thailand and told them of our anticipated new arrival time.

When we checked in in Munich the counter clerk observed we had arrived business class, from Rome and booked us in business class for the next leg. Great!

On arrival at Bangkok our transfer vehicle was waiting for us.

Yep, things sometimes work out for the best.