ShazM

3 hours ago, sam49 said:

One thing to bear in mind when you criticise us Brits is that we pay a hell of a lot more for our cruises to start off with and we cannot take advantage of any price drops.

Same here in Australia. Our gratuities are included in the fare as well and can't be taken off anyway. The original poster said when on a cruise, do what cruisers are expected to do. For those of us who are going on our first cruise how are we supposed to know what is "expected" when gratuities are already added in and our fare is way higher than anything US people pay. Tipping is not a way of life in this country and the UK is the same and I kind of resent being called cheap because I don't know.

1 hour ago, bennob66 said:

I read a refurb happened in 2018. True?

 

Ship’s scheduled for 2018 drydock refurbishment resulted in the following deck plan changes:

On Sports Deck 13, the RCI’s signature waterslides “Cyclone” and “Typhoon” were installed (next to the FlowRider simulator).On Spa Deck 12 (aft), the new “Slashaway Bay” kids aqua park was added. This is an interactive water play area with cannons and geysers, replacing the old Outdoor Youth Area (aka “back deck”).The new water park and the duo of waterslides were first introduced on Liberty of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas (Oasis-class).

 

Is this correct?

Don't think this is happening until 2020. 

19 minutes ago, saltydog77 said:

I am booked on ovation of the seas in April picked it for its attraction, you will enjoy, does anybody know if I may use indoor pool as I am only in balcony, heard you can only use if in suite thanks sorry to barge in on your  question been to Alaska four times its breathtakingly enjoy

 

From what I understand the indoor pool was only for suites when Ovation was in Asia and they are a very different cruise. The ship was totally set up for the Chinese market and as it always came down here to Australia after that things were changed back to how they would normally be. Ovation has left the Asian market now and the noodle bar has been changed to a seafood restaurant I think and the indoor pool is back to adult only.

Watching it on the web cam now. 3.30am your time.

On 11/6/2018 at 3:14 PM, whitshel said:

No Radiance back to Hawaii?   Hmmmm....

Radiance is down on the Sydney Ports website as coming back here on 5 October, 2020

uote=reallyitsmema;57210949]It will be interesting to see what Mari posts about the President's cruise. She sails star and sky class but I think she was star on this sailing.

We sailed a C&A cruise many years ago and that is why we knew we wouldn't want to be on the President's cruise. Way too many self important people pushing their way to the front of everything. No way I would want to deal with that on a ship as big as Harmony.[/quote

I saw this also. There is also another lady who I think is D+ and in a GS and she said she was informed by a Pinnacle that suite guests should be behind them with regards to access to the suite lounge. I guess that is why the Celebrity top tier members aren't at all happy that RC are pushing for Pinnacles to have Zenith status. I think I saw the record is 28 as far as the number of Zenith members on the one cruise and they just go about enjoying their time quietly without all the bragging. Can't see it being allowed

Plenty of people going on cruise ships stay at the Holiday Inn Old Sydney as retird says above. Apparently very reasonable prices, though I guess it depends on what "reasonable" means. There are plenty with unreasonable prices for those where money is no object, such as the Park Hyatt which is beautiful but seriously expensive. There are plenty of apartments and hotels at Darling Harbour which is basically behind The Rocks and you can catch a ferry around to there or get a taxi. I think, but am not 100% sure, that there are apartments in the 2nd of the Toaster buildings that can be short term rentals but they would probably be expensive. They are the buildings behind the Opera House that you can see in all the photos and are directly across from the cruise terminal. Just a short trip up Macquarie Street (the road that runs up from the Opera House) is the Intercontinental. The Four Seasons is just up George Street from the cruise terminal.

The Rocks/Circular Quay is a great place to base yourself because everything is there. Buses straight up to the city centre if you can't be bothered walking, trains to wherever you want to go or catch a ferry over to Manly where the zoo is but also a great beach, or out to Watson's Bay Hotel which is also on the harbour front but a great place to spend a weekend afternoon in the sun with great food and entertainment. Plenty of restaurants and pubs and bars at The Rocks and Opera House, even the cruise terminal itself has a couple of restaurants in it and an outdoor bar. Holiday Inn Old Sydney sounds like the place to stay and you can watch the ships come in from the rooftop garden.

A Current Affair is honestly one of the worst "news" reporting shows out there. Wouldn't be surprised if the 1300 people causing the problems was actually something closer to 13. They do love their sensationalism!

 

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No, from the video that was shown it definitely wasn't 13.

No respect or concern for your fellow cruisers. Lack of class.

 

I’d be pretty dang mad too if this was our “dream“ family cruise out of Australia and had no warning.

 

It’s the same reason I check for “lifestyle” cruise dates to avoid them if I can.

 

Dan

It was a 3 or 4 night cruise out of Singapore on 6 September, but the people that got refunded were Aussies. I have also seen comments from another person who had tacked that one on straight after her previous one and she said the same thing but hadn't been in contact with RC as yet. Pretty ordinary trip for them all and I wouldn't want my young daughter being ogled around the pool either, let alone getting in it with a whole bunch of men in their underwear. Gross.

Did you see a Pinnacle throw wine on someone last night before the Michael Bolton concert because the people were in his seats? Wonder if anyone has any pictures of that nightmare. Supposedly it is a couple who was in the Love and Marriage show and cheated the whole time.

Pictures of the guy and his wife are all over facebook and I think on the C & A page as well. An older man with his Pinnacle tag on and shirt undone and a bad hair piece. I think he was them that took the seats and refused to move. According to the guy that put the post on facebook his friend had gone to the bathroom and this couple thought the seats were vacant and refused to move when he came back and for fun decided to throw wine over the friend and the genie.

Has anyone found the word ‘Explorer’ in port Bookings in the Caribbean after May 2020?

Explorer is getting amped in 2020 so maybe after May. Did read elsewhere that she is due to come back to Sydney at the end of October 2020

Are these rooms cheaper than a junior suite? If so then how to they get suite benefits and the junior doesn't.

RCI and X have set placeholders several times in the past, so in theory Explorer could be a placeholder here.

However it would still make sense if she came back to Australia in 2020/21.

After Europe she easily could do a Transsuez cruise via the Arabian World and India/Singapore down to Australia.

That would make sense.

Sydney Ports also has Explorer as coming back in 20/21

Don't forget to register for Crown& Anchor Society.

30 nights in a GS gets you 30x2=60 points and very close to Diamond level 80 points and lots of loyalty perks.

Thank you. For many years I wanted to go on a cruise but always had this thing in the back of my head about being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a whole lot of people and not being able to get off if I didn't like it. Then early this year my mother was invited to go on a cruise around New Zealand and she went, not only taking every sickness lotion and potion she could find and never used, but absolutely loved it. That was enough for me so I booked these two and sounds like we will love it from everything I read. Would love to be able to take time off more than once a year but can't. I'm just worried now that we will love it so much it will be an expensive yearly event:D

Slightly off topic but as a D+, I've spent thousands of dollars and yet the Suite people, who could be first time cruisers, get the prime lounge chairs at the pool deck. Where's the loyalty for that perk? Many days I've seen those chairs go unused and want to jump into one. Just saying....

 

 

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We are doing our first cruise next March and have a transpacific booked for 2020 as well. Both in a grand suite and that will be 30 nights. These "perks" are part of the fare and that is fair enough.