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We've sailed on most Princess ships in many locations throughout the world but after an appalling experience with Michael Boonzaaire as Maitre'd we decided we'd never sail Princess again. We're possibly going to book our first Princess cruise after many years but definitely don't want to be anywhere near this rude man. Does anyone know which ship he is currently on?

No, doubt they'll get anyone to swap a suite for an interior!

16 minutes ago, Womble99 said:

How many emails do you normally get for moveover offers from Princess?

I have received 5 so far throughout the day asking us to downgrade our room on the Golden.

A bit excessive or just normal?

Sounds like Princess have seriously oversold your cruise. When and where?

36 minutes ago, gdlamberth said:

Can one walk or can the local transportation (buses etc.) in these towns get one to most of the local attractions (Cable beach, ANZAC Museum, and such)?

Thanks,

Greg

Broome has a Hop On Hop Off that travels to Cable Beach and Gantheaume Point (dinosaur footprints and one of the best places to see the red sandstone melting into the azure sea) both of which are about a 10 min drive from the town itself - in opposite directions. It doesn't run all year round and there was a rumour it was so popular that the cruise ships now book it exclusively when in port, so you should check dates.

8 minutes ago, 1sttimecruisee said:

Mostly shirts and ties and some suits, along with dresses for the ladies. I saw very few tuxes or ball gowns. 

That would have been us! Tux and evening gown always on Dress Up Night, whatever the cruise line. Sorry we didn't get to meet you Andy but you were always so busy 🥂😎

Congratulations Andy!  🍾🎉. Does this mean it's really happening? 

See you on Millie.

Sue and Bob

I have heard of someone with a similar experience. They saw a physiotherapist who prescribed a range of exercises. They did them religiously every day for a couple of weeks and the world righted itself. And they never had the problem again as far as I know.

Good luck.

3 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

We have usually gone around 10.15 to 10.30. We were rather surprised to find that the embarkation times quoted by P&O were being enforced, so my question is "Will the embarkation times be enforced for boarding a Princess ship, or will we have priority boarding (as Elite) whenever we arrive?" We are planning to arrive around 10.30 as boarding usually starts not long after that.

 

You'll definitely have priority boarding with Princess. Make sure you print your boarding pass in colour and hold it out to the cruise staff so that the Priority bit is clearly shown. They'll wave you through to the correct line and it'll be smooth sailing from then on. 

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

We are having a 'discussion' here on our embarkation time for our next cruise on a Princess ship from Portside. Our last cruise from Portside was on a P&O ship and there, they were enforcing the embarkation times, but P&O don't have loyalty levels with priority embarkation. We have just now received an email reminding us that our embarkation time is 1pm. We have elite status with Princess, so I believe we can check in earlier than the allotted time. What have others found?

 

 

We've found about 11am a good time to arrive.

The locals all accept Australian dollars but not always coins and they'll often give change in the local currency.

It was all Chinese to me 😂

Do you like jazz? Are you staying in the city? If you're interested, The Rocks has a few great Jazz venues with music at lunch and dinner. Casual dining, a glass of wine or a cold beer is a nice way to end a day of sightseeing.

2 hours ago, epixx said:

We arrive and depart Melbourne via air, pre- cruise, not a port stop.  

 

Thank you both for your answers and opinions, which I respect.  As mentioned, we are not keen to spend hours in a vehicle with only a small portion of the time on the land.  Nevertheless, the one day trips seem to get consistently excellent reviews on TripAdvisor, so I am somewhat puzzled.  Do you have any idea why people seem to love these trips if you spend so much time on the bus or van?  Is it really not worth the effort?

That's really subjective  Sometimes we answer from our own experiences over many years as locals who can go back again anytime spending many hours in each location along the route. We forget you don't have the luxury of time but still want to see as much as you can. So, I checked out the Great Ocean Road Tours. There's even a small group one! 

Depending on the tour you choose it's 14hrs plus but along the way you get to visit the beautiful beach at Apollo Bay, the koala refuge......not a zoo, just forest where you can look up into the trees and hopefully spot koalas in their natural habitat ....and Otway NP which I assume means the lighthouse and a enjoy a walk in Loch Ard Gorge. If I was at a cruise port I'd probably do this tour. As I said in my response above, check the description of your particular tour and if it feels right, just do it.  And have an amazing day!

2 hours ago, Globaliser said:

It's an answer to a slightly different question, but personally I don't think that a one-day tour to the Great Ocean Road is worth it. There's a lot of wasted travelling time and not much time to see any stuff along the Great Ocean Road itself.

 

If you have one more day to fill, personally I'd suggest looking at something else.

The reverse tour is possibly not a bad idea depending on the time of year but I agree with Globaliser. One of the beauties of the Great Ocean Road is being able to explore the various coves on foot. You just wouldn't have time to do anything other than photograph what remains of the Twelve Apostles. Check the description of the tour carefully and be sure it's offering what you want.

Are you arriving/departing Melbourne by sea? The port is outside Melbourne, not like Sydney when you dock right in the city. You might find an embark/debark tour allows you to have your full day, plus another half day tour. Visitors always seem to enjoy the Dandenong trip that includes the Puffing Billy, which isn't as childish as it sounds. Also Healesville Sanctuary for the Aussie Wildlife. The Mornington Peninsular is also a very popular day trip.

You want to enjoy your two overnights without wasting too much time (and money) getting your luggage to/from hotels, so I'd suggest somewhere mid city too. Would agree with either Darling Harbour or the Potts Point area. I originally thought Manly but you're really not here long enough either time. It could work though if you travel light and are happy to take your luggage to Manly on the ferry.

13 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

Another cruise? I haven’t done one yet, both my trips to Australia have been land trips. 😀

I was referring to the Tahitian Treasures :-)

Why not start in Perth. Hire a car, van or camper and tour south to Margaret River Vineyards, the southern forests, historic Albany, maybe even as far as the magnificent Esperance coastline before looping back to Perth. Alternately north as far as Exmouth to snorkle World Heritage Ningaloo Reef and swim with the whale sharks? Fly into Broome to enjoy the beach, the Kimberley and maybe the Pilbara as well. You can easily spend a month or more in Western Australia.

Then fly from Perth to Alice Springs. Hire a car, 4WD or camper and spend 7-10 days touring the centre? There's certainly plenty to see between the East and West MacDonell Ranges, Uluru, Kata Juta and Watarrka.

You're only looking for one night's accommodation in Sydney. Have you checked the debark tours on offer? You can see a lot with your luggage under the bus rather than wasting time taking your luggage to a hotel. If you do a debark finishing at the airport you can check into an airport hotel, stay overnight, then catch the train from the airport back to the city the next morning to continue your sightseeing.

I'm thinking you're keen to see as much as possible of the Australia you haven't yet seen. My suggestion is forget doing another cruise. Maybe choose a land tour but pick out the bits of Australia you'd love to experience.  You've been here before and visited our east coast cities and attractions. It's time to visit the interior and the west. You have enough time to plan it well and as cheaply as you can without forfeiting quality. Do you think you'd enjoy hiring a car? Perhaps a camper?

On 10/29/2018 at 7:45 PM, MicCanberra said:

It is great fun to do, we have been having monthly meet ups in Canberra for people who are in the ACT area and the NSW surrounds to come and join. Sometimes the attendance is lower due to cruising commitments but we normally have at least a dozen turn up and often many more.

Do you still have these? Would be fun to meet up with others stranded on land.

22 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Me again, thanks for all the replies folks, checked out all your suggestions on TripAdvisor etc.  Am going with Embassy Suites (Hilton) in Waikiki.  Apartment Hotel with bedroom and living area plus balcony.  breakfast included and happy 2 hours, complimentary drinks and snacks, plus entertainment at night.

 

Thanks again sportsfans.

Interesting choice. The extras provided by Embassy Suites are always wonderful to have but this hotel is a long way out of the action. But hey, at around $500 a night  I reckon you've probably got more money than most of us here 😂 

Oh, would have been lovely, but no puppies for our Sept cruise on Princess last year.

On 10/25/2018 at 12:19 PM, RJ2002 said:

Our upcoming cruise ends in Dubai, where the ship will overnight.   Disembarkation is the following day, at 8am.  We will be disembarking late in the evening on the day we arrive in port.

 

For those familiar with disembarkation in Dubai...  will we need to pass through immigration and customs at the port?   The ship is scheduled to arrive at noon.  We plan to do some touring in Dubai, then return to ship, eat and freshen up, collect our luggage, and then disembark around 8pm.

 

Thanks for any advice.

You've obviously arranged for early disembark? Most cruise lines charge you for this and specify the time of you leave the ship. Usually in the morning. You'll go through immigration when you get off the ship and when you return and when you get off again with your luggage. Assuming the cruise line allows you to do what you've planned.

We've stayed at a few different mid price hotels but keep coming back to the Ohana East. It's a block back from the Waikiki beach front, an easy walk to shops, restaurants, and the trolley to Alla Moana. Rooms are soacious and clean, balconies are small but usable. Nice outlook.

36 minutes ago, MisterBill99 said:

Yes, the Oceanview Bar is completely non-smoking.

 

They also have hard cider on tap on the drink package (Strongbow, I think).

Thank you for your reply.

1 hour ago, MisterBill99 said:

I'm currently on Infinity 

Could you tell me if the rear bar outside the buffet (Deck 10 I think) is a non smoking area? Thank you.