ShazM

19 hours ago, IrishWhisperer said:

Yes, can’t wait for quantum now! Home tomorrow to pack the things we forgot before heading back to port on Monday !

 

And hopefully Quantum has been all fixed as well. We were on the crossing from Brisbane to Honolulu and we lost one of the engines. Limped our way to Papeete where a new engine pump had been flown in and was ready and waiting and then we went on to Honolulu. You would assume all was fixed as the ship has continued on and will hopefully be good for you all for the rest of the season.

23 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

 Chatting with a friend onboard and she said the next 2 cruises have been cancelled.

I wonder if the transpacific is going to happen then

11 hours ago, juanrod said:

yes that couple is living phase 2 couple but they are a few weeks behind on their blog to where the cruise is at .   Everyone is very brave to go on the bridge.  

The bridge climb is actually very safe, you are harnessed on so you won't be falling anywhere and just have to follow the instructions. You aren't allowed to take cameras or phones up in case they were to fall onto traffic crossing the bridge below. You get a whole different view of the harbour from up there, it's amazing.

North Star won't be operating until the ship goes to dry dock in September or October this year.

3 hours ago, Blue Eyed Belfast Belle said:

For those of you that can see the Australian port bookings is Voyager still showing there in Dec 2025? I am on the current last sailing on Voyager from Ravenna Oct 2025 and if she has to go around Africa she will not make it on time

 

I have a feeling they are going to replace her with either Radiance or Sereande

Yes, 13 December, 2025 and the 2nd cruise is on 16 December.

4 hours ago, Biker19 said:

I assume RCI wouldn't do something as drastic as cancel a whole deployment because they rather not go around the Red Sea issue:

Virgin Voyages Cancels 2024-25 Australia Program - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News

 

Biker, who thinks Virgin used that as an excuse and redeployed because they can make more/easier money in the Carib.

Totally agree, it's just an excuse. Branson wanted more slots in Sydney and couldn't get them because they are booked so far in advance, plus Melbourne also put up port fees. He can't just expect to rock up and demand extra slots in Sydney Harbour which seems to be what has happened.

1 hour ago, skings said:

Thanks ShazM I believe that the person who left the review was on a lower deck and referred to the lifeboats. 

Yes they were on deck 9 but the exact same position. Even on deck 12 when you look towards the back of the ship you can see the lifeboats but the cabin 250  has no obstruction in front of it at all from deck 8 and up.

You will see lifeboats looking down towards the back of the ship but there is absolutely no obstruction. We have stayed in 12250 and it is in a great spot with a balcony that is a bit bigger than the usual balconies. The bed was near the bathroom and we actually preferred that in the end because we had the open space near the balcony door.

3 hours ago, twangster said:

They are sending out notice for OV in the spring of 2025 cancellations to North American guests.

 

OV April 3, 2025, South Pacific

OV April 12, 2025, TP

OV April 29, 2025 Hawaii

 

All cancelled.  Must notify them of intentions by Feb. 20, 2025.

Also people here have been getting this notice as well. It sounds like Quantum will leave Brisbane and instead of heading to Tahiti and Honolulu it will be making a stop in Sydney and will be picking up passengers here and going to Honolulu via NZ and Tahiti, think it is 21 nights from a comment I saw from someone who was on Ovation and has been offered a place on Quantum.

22 hours ago, LindaD22 said:

We are doing a NZ cruise from Sydney next month. I know that tipping is just not part of the culture in either country, but I’m surprised to hear that this extends to the cruise itself. We also prepay gratuities, but will give extra to our cabin steward and wait staff, along with the deserving bartender who gives us excellent service. 
 

But, if I’m understanding you correctly, tipping is not done as well on board? I guess I assumed that since the ship’s staff is international and being compensated in line with other RCI ships outside of Australia (I assume), then it would be the same as if we were on a Caribbean cruise. 

Most of us still tip extra to our room attendant and bar staff/wait staff that look after us but all other gratuities are included in the cost of the cruise and can't be removed unlike in the US.

18 hours ago, little britain said:

It was very interesting listening to about 1000 singing the chorus to Will I Ever See your Face Again 😜!!!!!

I’m word perfect now lol!!

Good to hear you are word perfect. You can't be a part-time Aussie unless you know this song. On our transpacific from Honolulu home to Sydney there was a girl that played in the pub, Anna from Argentina. She actually went away and practiced this song and the Alice song and started playing it in the pub every night, even filmed it to send home to her mother in Argentina. The Americans onboard loved it.

2 hours ago, bretts173 said:

It can happen, happens in other countries than the US

Any cruise we book here in Australia on the AU website has gratuities included in the fare and drink packages also.

14 hours ago, swoopy2110 said:

What if it was a therapy cat 😉

Doesn't matter if it was, the cat did not undergo the appropriate quarantine procedures before the passengers brought it onto the ship. If it was a therapy cat then why would they be sneaking it around, it also doesn't say much for security in Honolulu either.

Just also be aware that North Star won't be in operation. I believe it has a crack in one of the glass panes and didn't operate in the last part of the Alaskan season just gone. The ship is now down here in Australia and everyone has been told it won't be fixed until dry dock in late 2024.

I'm in Australia and got one of these emails on 9 June regarding our transpacific next April. It said the original payment schedule would be honored and no changes would be required. I then looked at my booking on the website and the date had changed from 5 January to 5 December so I called them up and they changed it back to 5 January. I have received this email again today and so far my date for final payment is 5 January but I will keep a close eye on it.

36 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

Do they get gold card priority seating round pool? good seating but no shade.

No, only grand suite and up get that

If you are intending to do this cruise then be aware that the North Star won't be working. It apparently has for a couple of months now had a crack in one of the panes of glass and won't be fixed until dry dock late next year. We are doing the transpacific from Brisbane to Honolulu in April and there are some that are very disappointed. Nothing official from Royal yet but others who are and have been on this Alaska season have all said that is what they have been told by the crew.

No, but Noumea requires everyone to have it. They mostly don't even check but brought this in years ago because that is where people usually get taken if there is a medical emergency in any of the islands. So many weren't paying their bill that they had to bring in an insurance requirement.

We had 12250 on Ovation for the transpacific last year and loved it. As it was just behind the hump the balcony was a bigger than the normal balconies and was on an angle so you could see the whole way down to the back of the ship, just not forward. It was also right near the midship lifts/elevators so a great position.

4 hours ago, TRUEBLUE66 said:

We have a cruise down under in the new year and have been following various threads on this and finally some good news!

 

https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/lifting-of-covid-cruise-ship-protocols

 

I wonder if the bookings will suddenly go up? 

Doubt it, cruises to the islands and NZ last year were pretty full so I don't know why they would go up. To go out of Brisbane cruises get pretty heavily discounted anyway.

13 minutes ago, dannysporea said:

That’s good to know they will do this. So if they won’t say anything, I should be good.

So you obviously can't for Greece as per the above. I don't know about Europe but doing the transpacific last October from Honolulu to Sydney we were told from probably 3 days before we got to New Zealand that no fresh food was allowed to be taken off the ship, no fruit, sandwiches or anything else that wasn't in a sealed packet like a snack bar or chips/crisps or chocolate bar and things like that. We were told numerous times and also told numerous times that there would be sniffer dogs at each NZ port and we were risking a $300 NZD fine. You would not believe the number of idiotic people that thought they could get away with it and were trying to take fruit, sandwiches and cold meats and cheeses off the ship and all were caught by the beagles.

The ship will let you know beforehand if you aren't allowed to take fresh food off. They will make announcements telling you not to do it and will also leave a printout in your cabin about the local biosecurity laws telling you what you can and can't take off the ship. You will just have to wait and see.

23 hours ago, doway said:

also if you buy a spa junior suite you only get access to coastal kitchen for dinner only,the other junior suites don't get access to coastal kitchen at all ok.

 

I know of someone who was in a junior suite on the hump, so a spa junior suite that was originally J4 and got recategorised to J3. They had access to coastal kitchen.

On 6/13/2023 at 11:40 PM, MommaBear55 said:

Do your prices include the 18% gratuity? Our quoted prices then incur an 18% service charge at check out. If your includes it, that a good price. 

Yes, everything we buy here including the cruise itself has gratuities already added into the price

On 6/12/2023 at 12:18 PM, twangster said:

I'm looking forward to my 2024 Spectrum sailing but I booked a suite knowing I'll have access to silver and golden dining privileges.   

 

As the world returns to "normal" post shutdown I am once again booking more cruises farther from home.  Culturally enriching to me is a positive.  

There are plenty of regular cruises from here who fly regularly to Singapore just to go on Spectrum and it is their favourite ship. From what they all say you will enjoy it.