Muffinz

Easy - neat the top of the page on the left click on 'Find Your Roll Call'

search for your ship and date, then make a post in the roll call

My wife and I are going on a diet before our December cruise on Crown Princess..... looking at these premium deserts it is clear that we will probably put on weight on the cruise LOL! 😁

3 minutes ago, PR-Texas said:

We're gonna roll the dice also since the direct flight from SYD to DFW is worth the chance.  Of course it's always possible that Qantas will change the flight again before November.  It will be interesting to see what happens.

if it were me I'd be contacting Qantas and telling them that the flight time doesn't suit and you want to be moved to the next available flight (the next day?)

Or you can asked to be moved to these flights - Sydney to LA, then LA to Dallas at no extra charge

there's probably a 95% chance everything will go ok and you'll make the flight ok.... but I'd have a plan B just in case 

if it were me I'd be changing to a later flight or a flight the next day

our cruise docks in Sydney 26 December and our preferred flight was leaving Sydney at 11:45am, but we decided not to risk it and we've booked a much later flight (5:45pm) the same day.... it means we won't get back to Auckland until 11pm and not get home to bed until after midnight..... but all it takes is for 1 thing to go wrong like late arrival into port or something, and you're effectively stuffed and will miss the flight

This is apparently a true story from 15 odd years ago

A woman working in an office phoned the help desk to report an issue with her computer

Woman               Hello – I was typing a document then the words disappeared

Help Desk          What do you mean disappeared?

Woman               the words disappeared from in front of me

Help Desk          ok can you check that the monitor has a red or green light in the corner?

Woman               what’s a monitor?

Help Desk          it’s the screen in front of you

Woman               oh ok, there’s no light on the monitor anywhere

Help Desk          ok can check the power cord at the back and check it’s all plugged in ok?

Woman               I’ll try, but it’s very difficult to see here because it’s quite dark

Help Desk          Can you turn on a light or something?

Woman               No sorry – we’ve just had a power cut

Help Desk          Ahhhh…. I think I’ve found the issue

Woman               great

Help Desk          do you still have the boxes the computer came in?

Woman               Yes – why?

Help Desk          you need to pack up the computer and take it back to where you bought it from

Woman               oh really… What do I say when I take it back?

Help Desk          Tell them you’re too damn stupid to own a computer!

There is an excursion on our December Cruise on Crown Princess. One of the Excursions in Melbourne (Australia) is "Gladstone mall on your own" where they take you to a mega mall and you have 4-6 hours there on your own

All Princess are doing is providing transport there and back... I'd be bored after an hour in a mega mall like that!

we flew Auckland / Vancouver return last July on Air NZ.... we met some people on the flight back who were flying onto Melbourne from Auckland... the flight from Vancouver arrived in Auckland 5:45am and they were on a 9am? flight from Auckland to Melbourne

As they were flying Air NZ from Vancouver to Auckland and onto Melbourne their luggage was checked all the way to Melbourne, so they didn't need to get their luggage at Auckland and re-check it in to go to Melbourne

also try https://www.worldcare.co.nz/ 

2 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

That's not quite true.

 

If you book an Australia /NZ cruise in Australia or NZ there are no extra gratuities. However if you book from overseas you are charged the daily gratuities. 

thanks - I've just learnt something new!

Having looked at the itineries the HAL cruise does go to more interesting places... but some of those islands may be quite small and and might only be accessable by tender boats?

On 5/26/2024 at 5:47 AM, Minnitub said:

Hi, we are booked for an Australian cruise on April 1, 2025. We are Canadian and do not truly understand if we will be charged gratuities, charged extra for Canadian $ or Australian $.

If this could be explained, we would be grateful 

.Should we get the "Ocean Now" App? Is it worth it? We're not sure if it's necessary, only 1 of us drinks Alcohol.

.Do they not have open bars and waiters to serve us anymore?

.Also, Is there a free coffee/tea venue open in the mornings?

.Do they not offer free continental breakfast deliverd to your staeroom?

Thank you for any answers, we look forward to this trip, as our 1st trip downunder was canceled because of covid.

Minitub(

 

 

if the cruise is in Australia / NZ everything onboard will be in $AUD and there will be no gratuities payable

depends on a number of things like - Which one has the most port stops you are interested in?

and which one offers best value for money?

the Pacific Islands like Fiji, Tonga, Samoa are very hot in the summer months with temps regularly in the 30's (celcius) with high humidity and Jan / Feb can also be their rainy season

We've not cruised with either HAL or Azamara, but friends have cruised with Azamara and said it was amazing

there are no tips payable on Aus / NZ Cruises, so if you ordered a drink for $15 then you would pay $15 only...  someone can correct me if I am wrong, but that's my understanding

there 'should' be enough time if everything goes to plan - e.g. ship docks on time with no issues... but if the ship is late docking into Sydney or something then you may have a problem, so it might pay to have a plan B.

the flight we really wanted to take after our cruise disembarks in Sydney in December is 11:45am, but we decided that was too risky, so opted for a later flight.

if I were you I'd seriously consider staying that night at a hotel near the airport and taking a flight the next day if you can - for piece of mind

We are cruising on Crown Princess in December and I think we've watched every you tube clip on Crown Princess that has been uploaded in 2023 and 2024!

I think I know the layout of the ship inside and out like the back of my hand - and we've not yet stepped on board LOL!

4 hours ago, arxcards said:

The former Rydges (now Sydney Harbour Hotel) is the closest in a direct line, but it is a solid set of stairs in between there and the terminal. It is still closer than the others I mention, even after walking around on the footpath. I had given up on them, but haven't tried with their new management. Their pricing is comparatively cheap at present.

We stayed here a night before our cruise in 2018 - you literally walk across the street and down the ramp / road bit and you're at the terminal

On 5/12/2024 at 4:24 AM, wrongwaywatson said:

Due to work, we are unable to fly in the day before.  We booked out flight through Princess, leaving O'Hare around midnight, nonstop and we arrive in Anchorage at 4:30am.  

if you are unable to fly in the day before then I would seriously consider booking the cruise for another date when you are able to fly in a day or 2 early

as mentioned above any number of things can happen, flight delays due to bad weather, the previous incoming flight delayed....

We had friends doing a cruise around NZ earlier this year and they met some people who flew in from the USA, arriving in Auckland NZ on the morning of the cruise.... but their luggage wasn't on the plane and was still in the USA

On 5/12/2024 at 3:29 PM, icat2000 said:

Thank goodness it doesn't effect my cruise booked out of Sydney on the Crown. 

Same - we're on the Crown Dec 14th from Sydney... have already booked non refundable airfares from Auckland return, so we will be a tad upset if they cancel that cruise

5 minutes ago, EDDY0827 said:

When you pay for your ticket at a kiosk, the screen will ask if you are a senior. If you have problems, there is usually someone to assist; or ask someone buying a ticket for help.

I think they are talking about using their credit card to just tap on and tap off the train... we were in Vancouver for 10 days last July and you don't need to buy an actual ticket from a machine, you can just tap on and tap off with your credit card when you enter the train station and exit the train station

thanks for doing this 'live' report - it was very enjoyable to read!

I believe it is a bus / shuttle that Princess put on and it leaves the pier (Canada place) at a certain time - someone will correct me if I am wrong.

I think part of the issue is - people have paid thousands of $ to do a cruise and paid for airfares / accommodation and the last thing they want to do is spend some / most of the cruise stuck in their stateroom because they are unwell.

Common sense would tell you that if you feel unwell and have covid like symptoms you should test yourself - and if positive you should isolate in your stateroom.

But I fear many would just ignore that and try to carry on as normal, going to the buffet, theatre, bars...etc... all while infecting other passengers with covid.

We cancelled a cruise for February 2023 on Majestic, because it docked in Sydney (just before final payment was due) with over 800 covid cases on board.

However, we're not living our lives around covid and fully intend to take out cruise in December on Crown Princess

On 5/4/2024 at 5:15 PM, LincolnLegend said:

It really sucks to have to add nearly $1,000 to every fare to catch the ship!

Same here - most of the cruises that leave from Auckland go around NZ and back to Sydney, or go to destinations we're not really interested in like mystery island, isle of pines, Noumea.

We've seen 95% of NZ so a cruise around NZ to everywhere we've been to doesn't really interest me

Celebrity are doing a couple of cruises in 2025 / 2026 from Auckland to Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa back to Tauranga / Auckland - but they are very expensive and I think they go in Jan / Feb which is the rainy season in the pacific Islands and the temp can get well over 30 degrees... no thanks.

Would love to go to the islands but when the temp is a bit 'cooler'

We priced the one on Celebrity Edge in 2026 and it was about $12k for a 12 day cruise to the islands

our one in December 2024 on Crown Princess to Sth Australia was less than $7k and even when you add in return airfares and accommodation in Sydney 2 nights pre cruise, it's still way cheaper

this site might help you

https://www.meghanmaloneyphotography.co.nz/post/where-to-find-lupins-new-zealand 

Unfortunately they grow inland in the central south Island and not easily accessible by a cruise port on the coast

"Generally starting mid-to-late November through to early January. The lupins flower first around Tekapo and the Mackenzie Basin and gradually make their way south through the Lindis Pass and as far as Queenstown and Glenorchy"

to see the Lupins in bloom you'd need to go to Queenstown and drive north towards Tekapo, or go to Christchurch and drive inland towards Queenstown. It's a 3 hour drive from Queenstown to Tekapo and the same from Christchurch to Tekapo

We've got nothing booked for winter, but have booked the 12 day Southern Australia Explorer cruise on Crown Princess in December - leaving Sydney 14 December

Neither of us have been to Adeleide, Port Lincoln, Kangaroo Island or Tasmania, so we're really looking forward to it

Managed to get a good deal on Air NZ airfares to Sydney, but are flying back on Qantas.