sweetp12

It has been a couple of years since we were last there but from memory I recall the guide saying that all the swim beaches are on the other side than the port.  You may want to consider a resort pass or similar as the transportation is limited so getting to a beach and back may be an issue otherwise. 

We just got off a cruise that was over New Years.  There was a few tuxes but mostly suits however many men were in neither.  However they did enforce the dress code in the MDR so it will depend on how you want to dine.  

So Napier has a couple of really good, non wine options.  It is well known for being an Art Deco town, which was due to an earthquake in the 1920's wiping out most of the buildings.  On cruise ship days the Art Deco trust does their tours from just down from the shuttle drop off https://www.artdeconapier.com/Cruise+Passengers.html 

For a more nature focused experience is to visit Cape Kidnappers - https://www.hawkesbaynz.com/see-and-do/attractions/natural-wonders/cape-kidnappers/ 

I have done this tour (not through the ship - but while i was up there on holiday) http://gannetsafaris.co.nz/cape-kidnappers-gannet-tours/cruise-ship/ and found it really worth enjoyable - you get a different perspective than the beach trip and also a better commentary.  There is also the one that goes along the beach - which is tide dependent. https://www.gannets.com/tour/faq/#cruise-ship

There are some great walks in the Hawkes Bay but you are likely to need to either rent a car or arrange transport to get to them.

Glow worms are a solid choice, just set your expectations as you are likely to spend a lot of time on a bus to have a short time in a cave.  It is really cool though and almost a quintessential kiwi experience 🙂   

Hi Eric

Yes you will be able to do the cable car + the Gardens and Zealandia in one day - take the cable car up to the Gardens and then grab the free shuttle from there to get to Zealandia.  https://dev.visitzealandia.com/shuttle As Wellington is a working port you are shuttled off the port into town.  There are two stops - by Parliament and then further down the CBD.  For the cable car get off at stop one and walk down Lampton Quay to the cable car (an easy 5-7 min walk on flat ground).  

As for Lyttleton - there is very little to do there, it is the port for Christchurch so broaden your search for that.  Singnrn what type of things are you interested in?  Whangarei is the port for the Bay of Islands so lots of things but you are likely to have to broaden your search again.  If you like historical / cultural things Russell and the Treaty of Waitangi grounds could be worth a look.   

Apex is a fine rental car service.  The vehicles are modern and are in good locations around NZ.  Havent rented through them for a while so can't comment on the customer service but when I did use them I was always very happy.

Picton Walks https://marlboroughnz.com/guides/walks/picton-walks 

Picton Mail Boat Tour https://www.beachcombercruises.co.nz/scenic-cruises/mailboat-cruises/Mail-Boat-Cruise/ 

Wellington: 

Zealandia https://www.visitzealandia.com/

Botanical Gardens https://wellington.govt.nz/recreation/enjoy-the-outdoors/gardens but go up via the cable car www.wellingtoncablecar.co.nz  

Some walks from Welly City https://wellington.govt.nz/recreation/enjoy-the-outdoors/walks-and-walkways/across-the-city 

Some of my Wellington must do's 

https://www.wetaworkshop.com/visit-us/the-weta-cave/ (this is not a nature attraction!) 

https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/ 

https://www.parliament.nz/en/visit-and-learn/visit/

Wellington has some really great cultural attractions - Te Papa the national museum, the botanical gardens, zelandia wildlife reserve etc.  It is the second largest city in NZ so you will have to get out of the city to see nature.

Picton is in the Marlborough sounds so very picturesque and has amazing walks and boat trips around some of the loveliest parts on NZ.  The town itself is tiny - basically the stop for the ferry service between the two islands.  

I work in Welly and travel semi frequently to Picton and love them both - but for different reasons.  Depending on what you want to do that day will make a big difference.  If you want to get out into nature Picton wins but if you want to understand what makes NZ special then it is Wellington....

TV news update just said 4 people sent to burns unit, search and rescue is on the island and have downsized those on the island to 50 (did report 100 earlier).  At least 20 people have gone to hospital but they only reported 1 in a serious condition. Those who did the helicopter excursion were fine and have returned to shore via boat but still a number unaccounted for.

The key in our household was being in touch with your body and listening to it.  It is understanding what works for you and what wont - and this will take a bit of trial and error.  The advice about protein and carbs is great but you also need to read up on GI (glycemic index) as this is really what understanding why carbs can send your levels sky high or not.

T2 Diabetes is not about avoiding anything with carbs or sugar but knowing what impact it has on you and making good decisions.  The 10, 10, 5 rule, reading labels and pay attention to things like hot flushes, general wellness etc after you eat will help you navigate the way forward.  Also don't think that artificial sweetener is a cure all - in fact for some diabetics it is worse for them than sugar.  

Keto seems to be the diet de jour at the moment and this fits well for T2's so you won't look out of place.  While you may not be able to eat and drink without any thought, just a little analysis will mean you will have a great trip!    

We don't tender much - but one thing we used was a hand held usb fan.  We used small ones that ran off a battery pack:

Or you could get a handheld misting fan from Kmart for about $5.  These will make a big difference.  

One of the key reasons we stopped going ashore was my husband struggled with the return trip - you would often have to queue for 30-45 min waiting to get back on a tender.  There was often no shade and never anywhere to sit, so you might want to consider just a small time ashore so that you beat the crowds returning.  

Just a tip on the sea sickness medication - take it just before bed time.  Not only will it help her sleep but it will mean that she won't be dozy the next day but still will be effective!  

Thanks for this, I am sure many people will appreciate it. 

Many on our roll call also got upgrade offers that are clearly about maximising the profit.  Our offer (which was a common one) was just over $50pp per day for an upgrade from obstructed view to balcony.  This was actually more than if we had booked a balcony cabin at time of booking so certainly not a bargain.  

The cruise is sold out so they must be trying to get the last penny possible before allocating the guarantee cabins - but no one in the roll call group were going to take them up on it.  One person said they had a $1800pp offer for balcony to mini suite. 

Hubby uses a scooter so it is the elevator for him.  I like to join him but if the lift is crowded then I will take up to 2 flights of stairs.  I agree that not all disabilities are seen - sometimes (on good days) hubby will walk - there is a significant level of "judgement" / treatment from other elevator passengers when he is going unaided to when he has his stick / scooter.  People have made comments about if we are only going one or two floors we should use the stairs.  Others have called us lazy...

For us there is never enough elevators - you always wait for ages so we get that if you can use the stairs this is a courtesy to those who cant...but everyone has equal access to them so we shouldn't judge those who do.   

Hi Brett

They have given you the standard response and it seems like a bit of "luck of the draw" if you can get your cabin back.  Sometimes they just cant - e.g. it has been allocated already or it might be taken out due to repairs / maintenance etc. 

Bottom line is even if you have your profile marked no upgrade they can still move you for operational reasons.  The contract always covers them to do let them have the final say on cabin allocation.  

On the positive side moving down two decks is a positive - the lower the better for sea sickness.  

I do wish you all the best in getting the cabin changed, and if not smooth sailing.  My sea sickness tip is to take sea legs at bed time - you get a great nights sleep and by the time you wake up the drowsiness has passed.  For this to work you might need to start the night before your cruise so that it is in your system for sailaway....

I am going on my first Princess cruise in a few months and learnt that you can use your OBC to prebook your shore excursions.  You book it online and go through all the steps, when it comes to the payment screen it will give you the option to apply OBC to the booking.

It doesn't seem to deduct it off the amount showing in the credit screen so you might need to keep a mental tally of what you have left.  

We have sailed on P&O four times - including the Jewel which is the a sister ship to the dawn.  My husband has mobility issues and the advice you have been given so far is sound.  You should be able to request wheelchair assistance in cruise control (sorry can't check!) if not, call up or just show up and seek the wheelchair assistance area.  This is fantastic, they no longer take you to the cabin but will get you to a public area close by and speed you through the queues.

I have learnt the motion sickness trick - if you take sea legs before bed you not only get a great nights sleep but you "sleep off" the drowsy affects and the next day are fine!  Green apples are the common cure onboard the ship or the acupressure bands.  In general most people are fine - they try to avoid rough waters and put the stabilisers out when they can.  

The lifts do get used a lot so plan your route - depending on where your cabin is located it might be better to walk midships once you are out of the theater to avoid congestion (and same for dinning).  People can be a bit funny about pushing in but are generally respectful if you have a walking stick etc. 

You won't disembark at 6am - it will be somewhere between 7 and 9.30 generally.  You will have to be out of the room by 8 and as said the assistance area is usually at a bar where you can sit and wait.  Be aware that this can take a fair amount of time - last cruise it was over an hour after our "check in time".  We were on a list and they would only take you after your time - so getting there early to queue jump wouldn't work.

We eat at the waterfront - after you get on board you can head down there and book a table for the cruise.  Ask if you can sit close to the entry to minimise walking to your table.  We also like breakfast there - much quieter and lunch on sea days if the limited menu takes your fancy.

In general P&O is a 3 star cruise line, if your expectations are set there you will be fine.  It is those that want a 5 star product for a budget price that write the negative reviews.  Food is always subjective but if you don't like it order something else!  Order more than one, order things you would just like to try!  We are fussy eaters and the wait staff have always been happy to take stuff off or let us mix and match from the menu.  I also ask for the kids menu or will do things like say can I just have some jelly and they will get it for me!  The menu is posted outside the main waterfront doors at breakfast so I take a photo of it and spend the day planning what I will eat.

The breakfast and lunch menus are the same each day but you can order "off menu" - pretty much if they cook it you can get it.  Don't be shy to ask - the juice is in small cups at breakfast so ask for 3!  

I would go to the muster drill earlier than 10 min - the seats do fill up quickly and they are held in main areas so you can people watch the extra time go by.

As for a second cruise - don't judge just by this one.  We don't like short cruises, they have a different feeling than longer ones and you don't really get into the groove before it is over.  I wouldn't think that this will be a "booze cruise" like some of the short ones, leaving mid week is not a weekend party trip.  We don't drink either but have always found plenty to do - or not do as that is the joy of cruising.  

We love the size of the accessible cabins - they have an assistance system (cords / alarms) which occasionally set themselves off.  Just be aware that the bridge / security / house keeper may call you or knock (or enter the cabin if no reply) as they can trigger through the motion of the ship.  This is not a problem and everyone is super gracious.  They know 99.9% of the time it is a false alarm but want to make sure you are ok.  

Just relax and don't over think - cruise one is always a mystery and travelling with mobility issues can be a challenge but P&O try to make this as easy as possible.  We did one cruise where the average age was over 70 - I had lunch with a spry 98 year old and cruising is ideal.  

If you have any specific questions just sing out.  It has been a year since our last P&O cruise but we have really enjoyed them.

I found this site to be really helpful in understanding the Opal cards https://sydneyexpert.com/using-sydney-airport/#Transport_from_Sydney_airport_to_the_city_CBD They have great info on Sydney for travelers as well as the best info on the cards that i have found. 

I can provide info on travelling Air NZ with a mobility scooter.  You will need help at check in if using the self service machine as they will need to waive the extra baggage charge for the scooter.  You will need to take the scooter to the oversized baggage drop off zone.  Don't let them bag the scooter if you can help it - they will return it to you at the gate if they can and if you have it in the generic bag they won't be able to tell your scooter from every other car seat / stroller etc that is in the hold. 

Depending on the plane they will make you or not make you take out the battery - if it is a regional domestic flight that uses a turbo prop then the battery comes with you, if it is a jet then you check the battery in.  Just on that we bought a cheap neoprene double wine bottle holder and use that for carrying the battery in.  They may also want you to cover the connection (plug) - we did this by using a pill bottle and cutting a hole in the cap.  This way you just screw the bottle on and it means that the cap lives on the cord.  It doesn't have to be a snug fit - it is just to prevent it connecting and sparking.

Back to the flight - so yes you will need to check the scooter in at the gate, but they will provide wheelchair assistance for you.  Yay for early boarding!  Air NZ treats people with mobility issues with extra care and attention and have always been super accommodating for us and our travel scoot. 

Hope this helps - happy travels. 

I bought my shares through Stake as well and I was hesitant with the level of detail I could get and if it would meet the requirements.  What I did was use the snip tool to screen print the transaction report that showed the purchase of shares.  This report had the date and time on it.  I then paste it into word and used the add shape to circle the transaction (an extra step just to be helpful).  I also then put a shape over the account number and filled it black.

I then used the snip tool to have my account details and paste that with a filled in block over my account number.  I then created another page which was the cover sheet with my cruise details on it and pdf'ed the doc and used an online fax service to send to Princess.  I sent it Thursday and on Tuesday I got an email with my cruise docs again.  This was the trigger to check my account and see that the shareholder credit was applied. 

I have attached the file so you can see what I sent.  Not sure about Carnival but Princess now will only accept faxes rather than email.  

Hope this helps!

Share Proof.pdf

In Wellington there is a New World supermarket in the train station, not far from where the bus drops you off.  In the CBD the most extensive wine store is most likely the Moore Wilson on the corner of Tory and College St.    

Normally about a $10 taxi ride.  If you can get off at Britomart it is even closer.  Just be aware sky is at top of a hill so heading towards the port is easy, the other way not so much.  

Ok I will admit I let out a little girly scream when I read the first post.  Not only because I love reading your blog (and have been checking every day since you posted a couple of weeks ago) but the real reason for the squeal was because we are doing our first Princess cruise over New Years on the Ruby Princess.  While the itinerary is yet to be posted I was totally fan girling thinking you might be on our cruise.

Don't worry, I am not a crazy stalker - just a normally kiwi girl who has loved your blog for years!  Glad to hear you are on the mend and making your way down under.  Safe travels....

Could people possibly crystal ball gaze at what my cabin class might be for an up coming cruise.  We are doing a 14 night out of Auckland NZ on the Ruby Princess leaving on 30 Dec.  When we booked there was only 4 obstructed oceanview left so we grabbed one.  However due to a small issue with our booking meant that the princess agent had to rebook us and couldn't get us back in the cabin so we are obstructed ocean view guarantee with no assigned cabin left.  

So we are 108 days out and at the moment there is 1 suite, no mini's, no balconies, one ocean view, 3 obstructed views and 17 insides.  While we are comfortable getting the ob view this sailing is going to be sold out by the looks of it.   While I know we will get a cabin what happens with guarantees when it is fully sold out?  Not that I would mind if they gave us the suite.... Apparently we are #1 on the cabin assignment list.  Our planner is still very new and while wonderful has very little knowledge.

Any thoughts / speculations welcome!

We are arriving in Sydney on the 13th of January and are wondering if a 11.50am flight back to NZ will be too tight (due to our domestic flight in NZ if we don't make this flight we have to stay over).

A general review of the boards have suggested that this flight should be ok but my concern is the getting to the airport in time.  Our plan would be to take the train from circular quay - but it could put us on peak hour train service and my husband will be on a mobility scooter and I will need to manage the suitcases.  This wouldn't phase us if the train isn't packed....

In NZ about 50% of people will start back from Christmas holidays on the 13th and traffic / commuters tend to be very reasonable, so wondering if it will be the same in Aussie?  

We are considering using EzAir rather than booking direct because of the tight time frame - would we need to take a Princess transfer?  We have never sailed Princess before so any comments on the price of the transfer etc would be appreciated.  We don't mind paying extra to do the transfer if it makes it less stressful. 

Can't help with the cabin noise as I haven't been on the Dawn but I have on its sister ship the jewel and never had any issues with noise (last cabin was next to the casino). You are more likely to be disturbed by kids running down the hall than ambient noise.

We sail yearly on P&O and like it as it offers a good product for the price.  They key is managing expectations - it is a 3 star line so expect that.  It doesn't have free ice cream or hamburgers but you won't stave with the food offered for free.  The decor is much nicer than Carnival and the entertainment is similar.  

The service is friendly and while the ships are older they are very clean.  We have always had a fantastic time - sometimes we don't like the food (well since the last menu change we haven't been impressed) but we worked out that we could buy the steak each night if we wanted too and still come home with significant change from a princess fare.  

I have never been on a single cruise where drunk bogans have been prevalent- it is just average middle income holiday makers having a good time.  

No particular tips if you are a regular cruiser - P&O is very upfront with all costs - so anything that is extra will be indicated as such. 

If there is anything in particular you want to know just sing out and I will do my best to help.