LittleFish1976

If your first flight is a domestic flight, I believe (and please check this - don't just take my word for it) you would check in the normal domestic flight timing before the flight. @Aus Traveller is, I'm sure, correct that you will transfer from domestic terminal to international in Sydney. You should not have to check in again if you are ticketed from your origin through to Honolulu - on the one ticket. You will be given boarding passes on your first check-in at your origin for your whole trip. As per @Aus Traveller I wouldn't be leaving the airport. If you do the reverse on your return however (Honolulu to Sydney and then domestic flight to another part of Australia) you will need to collect your luggage in Sydney and go on a strange journey through the back of the airport to get to customs and immigration where you will be processed as it's your first entry back into Australia. It's a bit of a right royal pain in my experience (but sometimes there's a good reason why that option has been chosen - I understand having done it myself). Are you thinking of arriving in Hawaii 20 hours before you board your cruise? I'm confused as to when you plan to travel. I think that would be a minimum amount of time I would allow. There must be some budget accomodation options there. I'm afraid I can't help with that though, not having been there for decades.

I think it depends what type of person you are and how much time you're likely to spend in the cabin. I'd assume the upgrade would be substantially larger than the inside or oceanview, and given that's quite a long cruise, I'd opt for a balcony and a bigger cabin. Does the balcony come with other perks? Better food? Free internet? Depending on your itinerary, the balcony might be wonderful to have for viewing the scenery. Certainly nice for a pre-dinner drink (even in Northern Autumn). Also depends how often you cruise - if you're one of the many who take lots of cruises every year then maybe you'd prefer to save the $$ for another cruise. If the extra wouldn't cause you any financial pressure, I'd go for the balcony. Now I'm curious as to where you're thinking of going!

I think the cruise line is really important. It's good to find one that has a good 'fit' with your own tastes and needs. Having said that, it's good to branch out and try something new from time to time. I'm going to try Princess next year for the first time, based largely on what I've read on this board from the very keen Princess travellers but also because they frequently offer an around Australia itinerary which is on my list of things to do. When I'm thinking of trying a new line, I go to the board on CC for that line and check out what people are saying about it - and also how they're saying it! I like to choose a line where the people are friendly! I have a mental list of things I don't want (lots of noisy kids) and also the things I must have (such as good food). Maybe if you make sure your new trial cruise line seems to fit your particular needs, you might be happier with the experiment? What was it you didn't like about the last trial of a new line?

Seems a pretty bold and unwise move to allow staff to remove masks when on duty. It has sounded like they can't afford to be losing any staff to illness - why take the risk? Hopefully they'll be testing all staff at least every second day to compensate for the increased risk of infection.

My experience also, that the appearance in the sky is a grey, swirling mist. Glad to got to have that experience - your photos look wonderful.

Well the OBC was an advantage anyway. Very good way of doing it.

Thanks so much Aus Traveller for clarifying all of that for me! Much appreciated.

And if you book a cruise while you're on board (without using FCD), do they give you the extra OBC and lower deposit?

Do they confer the same benefits as the FCC if you actually book a future cruise while on-board?

Unless it's a play on words; 'Sun'-day?

In the dining room I found it to be very good but that was a short black/espresso (and I'm used to very good coffee). I don't know what the long black known as Americano, for obvious reasons, is like. My last sailing was 2019 on QE so our tastes are perhaps different. The machine in your cabin comes with Illy pods which are drinkable.

Exlondoner has given you the best answer, 'no'. I tried to answer and explain clearly; no, you don't. Once you have bought the package there is no further charge for your $10 hot drink i.e. no added/further gratuity. People seem to forget to add that little advantage in (or allow for it) when working out if the various drinks packages are good value for them personally.

There is no 15% service charge applied to drinks through the package. Once you've paid for the package, that is all you will pay for the drinks you are allowed under it. I can't tell you anything about chai lattes, I'm afraid. Not sure what you mean by the last part of your question so I can't assist there.

Thanks, Aus Traveller. I've used the Carnival group's FCD on another of its lines - very useful. The comments I've read previously regarding lower deposits must have been ocassional special deals available only to previous Princess cruisers rather than an across the board way thing. It certainly seems to be the case that previous cruisers do receive emails with specials available only to them.

I was trying to remember yesterday what we did about excursions on Hurtigruten. We booked on board and I can't remember now why we did that. Of course we had no OBC as I'd booked directly through their Norwegian website rather than through a TA. I'd go to Norway again in a heartbeat.

That's a good hint, thanks for that. From reading this board, it seemed that once you have a few cruises with Princess under your belt you get a preferential rate of deposit anyway. I've been used to paying 10% with the line I would otherwise cruise with.

Very good to hear! I don't need haute cuisine, just some basic edible meals, is fine.

That's good if they let you use your OBC for booking excursions before you sail - some cruise lines won't let you use it for excursion bokings unitl you're on board.

Thanks very much @OzKiwiJJ for that. I did find that website last night but different types of pages - the ones with the deck plans with photos and videos. I'll have another read of the information you've linked to. I did look at that page a few months ago when I was booking but I'll get more out of it now as I have a better idea of how it works. Seems to me that if you wanted to be particular about how big your balcony is and whether it's uncovered or not, you'd have to book as soon as the itineraries are released as it comes down to availability when you book.

There's an awful lot to get your head around though when you try out a new cruise line. For one thing the Princess website and all the different price options. Then looking for availability on a trip you want to do let alone something within your price range. I had never even heard of balconies not being covered - didn't occur to me as an issue and when I did find out about it, looking at all the websites that give a snippet of information about it but really presume that you have some basic working knowledge of Princess cruise ships to start with, so it's very confusing. As a newbie, I find it very confusing that the decks aren't just numbered but have names so that's an added layer of stuff to wade through. Now I find I have uncovered balconies for the two trips I've booked, I'm going to roll with it and see how I like it. If it were high summer I'd be in a bit of strife but at the time of year I'm going it may be absolutely great. Personally, now I've read your posts @aussielozzie18 I'm more worried about the food! That's an issue that I've seen echoed in the videos of some youtube cruisers in the research I've been doing. It's not just standard balconies either that are uncovered, apparently so everyone needs to have their wits about them when booking. BTW when I did end up booking, I first made a booking through the Princess website and used the 3 day period before deposit is due to keep researching. I wasn't keen on the 20% deposit so when the Princess sales person who assigned herself to me rang me and asked if she could help me, I tried to get her to accept a lower deposit. I reckon that 20% deposit, two years out on a 17 day cruise is a lot. She wouldn't play ball so I went to a Big Box internet travel co I've dealt with before and they were having a $25 deposit special so that's what I ended up doing and made two bookings instead of one.

Yes, quite right. You could. So much for that idea. Mind you, all photographs taken with a phone seem to be date and time stamped, these days.

Apologies, I hadn't realised you were thinking of having the RATs in your hand luggage. Yes, Australian authorities are very very fussy about what gets brought in to the country especially food and biological matter. Don't even think of bringing any food with you even off the plane! I think I carried a box of RATs in and out of Australia recently in my hand luggage FWIW - no issue, despite the bag being x-rayed on numerous occassions. Not 100% sure if they were in my carry-on but I don't think anyone would mind if they're in the original packaging etc. It sounds like a big wonderful adventure and I hope your trip is a success.

What do you think of August as a month for doing this? I've booked for 2024 'just' from Sydney to Perth, around the top/anti-clockwise. Couldn't spring for the full circumnav.

That's good to know. I've booked a couple of Princess cruises recently for 2023 and 2024 - trying to work out which balconies are not covered became too confusing. SIze of balcony was something I assumed came with the cabin grade but maybe that's not right? I noticed that there was always availability on Dolphin deck so that's where I booked (the booking system seemed pretty keen for me to be there!). I hope I haven't been sold a pup.

2. As already answered, you most certainly can buy RATs everywhere now at around $8-$10 per test. But why not bring a box with you to save having another thing to think of doing here? I've travelled to NZ a couple of times this year and each time took a good supply of tests so I could test as required or desired. Just a thought.