Bubbeh

While you may have a very valid point, can we try education in the first instance before sending people off to the trenches?

In 2015 Grumpy and I were on the official Gallipoli Cruise (https://gallipolicruise2015.com.au/) which left from Fremantle via Albany and traveled the same route as the diggers ending in Rome some 35 days later. We had the most wonderful of experiences, touring the Peninsular the day prior to Anzac Day and anchoring just 1km off shore for the Dawn Service. I could go on indefinitely about this but, suffice to say this was our most memorable Anzac Day event. We've also had other great Anzac Days, one year we travelled to Melbourne for the Anzac Day Game between Essendon and Collingwood, this also lives in my memory as a wonderful experience. Our tradition though, is always to watch the game together, with wine/beer and snacks in abundance and the only year we failed to this since 1995 was the year we were in Turkey when the feed to the ship was interrupted and there were many very disappointed people wearing their team's guernseys. Just reminiscing here.

I understand that the RSL and the Federal Government had come out earlier in the week and requested that people did not wish each other a 'Happy Anzac Day' as it was a commemoration not a celebration and doing so was inappropriate. I was involved in a discussion about this shortly afterwards and I explained it thus: January 27th is Holocaust Remembrance Day, would you wish a Jewish person a happy Holocaust Day? My point was accepted.

Excellent suggestions.

We did our first (and probably last) P & O cruise - Pacific Adventure, Singapore to Sydney in March. I was very disappointed in many aspects. Food was not up to scratch in either the MDR or food hall thing that has replaced the buffet. I was also not impressed with the level of cleanliness and the lack of somewhere quiet and comfortable to sit and just read was disappointing too. Fortunately, we had a balcony and spent many pleasant hours whiling away the time and reading in peace. The ridiculously low temperatures in some of the venues was awful - we renamed the Adventure Hotel to the Arctic Hotel. On the upside our cabin was wonderful, very spacious and heaps of storage space.

Couldn't agree more.

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

Never heard of Camilla Kaftans before, just Googled them - crikey they're a bit exy! I think I'll stick with paying for my extra luggage.

I just always book an extra suitcase each at a minimum.

Nor should there ever be!

What a lovely thing to say, thank you.

and the nerd in me just died of jealousy.

I was a reluctant P&O cruiser a month ago, probably wouldn't do it again unless it was part of a packaged tour that I wanted to go on. There was a bloke in our group who had the expensive premium drinks package and he was 'enjoying' a bourbon and coke at the 10am trivia session. He'd worked out he needed to have 15 drinks a day to break even and he 4 days from port he was drinking 'for free'. His wife on the other hand on the same package was only having 3-4 glasses of wine a day.

Packing cubes??? Oh, piffle!

"I refuse to join any club that would have me..." - Groucho Marx

Oh, I actually do take one of those, it's a collapsible camping sink.

Oh, very clever. A million years ago when I was making career choices (limited at time by society and my parents to teaching or nursing) I thought I'd like to be a statistician. My Dad said that I could do Law but he also said that smart girls don't get married so it was better not to get ahead of myself????????

That's not portable, but if you know where I can get one please point me in that direction. 😉

I don't bid for an upgrade and I don't want an upgrade. I always choose a balcony cabin, mid ships between two decks of cabins. I would be horrified if I was unwillingly upgraded to a mini-suite, I see these somewhat the same way that I see flying business class. Once you go there how on earth do you go back to what was previously your preference? In 2015 a travel agent convinced me to book BC flights from Heathrow to Perth (via Singapore), never traveled anything other than economy before that but, sadly from that day to this every time I fly cattle class I feel unsatisfied.

Any cruise out of Freo or into is going to be expensive. We're booked on a 10 day Princess Coral Coast Cruise in September which has cost $6900 for a balcony for 2 of us - for those challenged by numbers that $690 a day which divides to $345 each. However, there are no airfares or pre/post cruise accommodation involved. There are very few people in the world who enjoy a whiskey or a wine more than me yet, after doing the sums, we've never bought drinks packages or any of the other packages. I'm perfectly happy with the 'free' coffee and tea, don't do specialty dining or bother with Wi Fi etc. In fact the only thing I'll ever pay for once I'm on board is drinks and the odd ice cream.

OMG! Where did you get my photo? Seriously, anyone who's read my posts over a period of time will probably be aware that I don't even comprehend 'travel light'. A 2 week cruise? Bubbeh: 1 large suitcase, 1 medium suitcase, 1 carry on suitcase, 1 tote bag and 1 shoulder bag; Grumpy: 1 large suitcase, 1 medium suitcase and 1 carry on suitcase. I pack for good weather, I pack for bad weather, I pack for cyclones, I pack for heat waves, I pack water bottles, I pack mugs, I pack dishwashing liquid, tea towels, dish cloths and a dish drainer. Basically, if it lives in my house and is in any way portable, I pack it.

We returned home from Sydney last week and I can attest that there sniffer dogs in use at Perth domestic airport. The dog and its handler go past every bag and person including the bags coming out onto the carousel.

Absolutely they do have a border check at the WA/SA border - presumably also up north WA/NT. Officers will ask you if you're carrying any fruit / veg etc, you must declare and surrender anything (including honey). Caravanners / motor-homers can expect an Officer to enter their vehicle and do a physical check. You simply cannot bring anything which might impact the integrity of our environment into WA.

That works out about $365 per night, a lot less than many hotel rooms and includes all your meals, entertainment etc. I'd be grabbing it with both hands. Compared to a Coral Coast Cruise we're doing in September on Princess, where we're paying around $3200 each for 10 days in an ordinary balcony cabin, I think it's a good deal. Mind you, I don't know your personal circumstances and I acknowledge that. As suggested by others, you can always manipulate the system.

From one organised person to another, we're booked on a Coral Coast Cruise with Princess in September and I'm not even going to try the App. I'm simply gonna rock up at Fremantle with all the documentation and passports in hand and let them sort it out. From what I'm reading and hearing, it seems to me the new boarding protocols are more bother than they're worth. I'm absolutely convinced we won't be denied boarding because we 'refused to play the game'. In addition, if I get any superior than thou attitude from any of the check in staff at the port, I'll play the nice little old lady not good with technology card.