Sailnsurf

Sydney to Brisbane would be anti-clockwise. Anti-clockwise is the common route. I generally only follow HAL but for a time was considering Cunard and cannot re-call ever seeing clock-wise circumnavigation on offer but perhaps I just did not notice.

Thanks for your help evetyone.

Same questions as asked YourWorldWithBill. Thanks for taking the trouble to reply.

Thanks (everone) but were you using the standard or premium packages? Could you make telephone calls and message?

Can anyone tell me whether its possible to make Whatsapp telephone calls on either the standard HIA wifi package or the upgraded Premium package?

Worth knowing. It might get us up to the next level. Does anyone know the actual value currently being placed oneach component of the HIA drinks, crew appreciation,specialty dining,wifi, and crew appreciation? Excursion value and early Mariner booking OBC are obviously clear.

Thanks for your responses which are re-assuring and illustrate how cautious one needs to be about reviews that are overly negative.

About 8 months ago a young English couple uploaded a very good video review on Youtube of their cruise in the Med on board the Oosterdam. However CC reviews of her later sailngs to South America/ Antartica were overwhelmingly poor. Supply lines may have been a big factor in those reviews as well as weather. I would be intetersted to know how she has fared in the Med this season as we board in September for a 24 day cruise. It would be great to hear from CC members who have cruised recently on her. Any port tips also welcome.

I have had both knees replaced - one year apart. Did all the phsio required including water therapy(which was much easier and super beneficial) and I was playing lawnbowls after 6 weeks. Do the hard work and you have a good chance of doing more than you think likely. Even if somewhat limited I reckon it will be worth going for it. Good luck with it all.

Have others had difficulty with this? If so is there some reliable way of using the Istanbul Kart?

Thanks HAL4NOW. I hope others with more recent experience will also respond to give me the confidence I need.I tried to find the previous discussions to which Cruiser Bruce referred without success. But what you have said is very helpful. Australian doctors will only prescribe antivirals if you actually have Covid.

We have an upcoming Med cruise in September on the Oosterdam. Can anyone tell me whether HAL Medical Centres have Covid antivirals available and if so what is involved in obtaining them and at what cost?

Thanks for all replies which as usual on CC have been very helpful and have given me the confidence to pursue this cruise option.

Thanks for all responses. I should explain further. My wife (and I ) love cruising. We have chosen mid-size ships and have been careful with cabin selection, mid-ship mid- level for known heavy swell areas ( Noordkaap Norway - Bering sea Japan Alaska crossing) aft cabin for Mediterranean. It makes a great difference for her. I started looking at a Paul Gargain cruise but read reviews mentioning rocking and rolling in what seemed like ordinary sea conditions. That is what got me looking at a Star Breeze cruise in French Polynesia at a time when kindly wind and sea conditions should be expected. But it would help to get a feel for whether there is any degree of movement in the conditions usually experienced say between May and September. Any further information would be very much appreciated because it sounds as if a cruise with Windstar would be a great experience.

Thanks for your reply Redtravel. I suspected that there would be a potential for noticeably more motion but hoped that the relatively short distances between islands and sea conditions might have meant there was no problem . I would have liked to try a small ship experience but I think it is not to be.

My wife is sensitive to motion. She has managed well on several Holland American cruises and has only had some difficulty in gale strength winds or heavy swells. We are cosidering a Marquesas and a Tahitian islands cruise on the Star Breeze. Can anyone who has sailed on Star Breeze give us some idea of her stabiliy? Does she have stabilsers?

Thanks for this. The line is HAL and I did post on their board where I got what I needed. You are correct that ships anchor off Giardini Naxos and tender in to the pier there.

Thanks again for your info Sharon in AZ

Just Taormina. Tender required.

Thanks all for your responses. Sharon in AZ particular thanks. A picture is worth a thousand words. Your photos suggest you were anchored off Naxos. Our solution looks like that we should get a taxi to the Theatre ( 4 of us) and then walk mainly down-hill to the Town. Then get a taxi back to the Naxos area.

The HAL excursions do not excite us. We have visited Taormina on a previous cruise when we went by by rail (lapping the shore line) from Messina. On this cruise the ship anchors offshore somewhere at or near Taormina. All HAL excursions start in Taormina. We would prefer to plan our own day if we can - hence my enquiries.

Our upcoming Mediterranean cruise includes Taormina in late September. The itinerary shows tenders will be used. In order to plan our day it would be helpful to have information about where tenders are likely to land, how one gets from there to the town itself and how one gets from there to the Greco Roman theatre. Some of our group will have mobility issues so availability of transport options would be useful to know. All tips would be appreciated.

Our upcoming Mediterranean cruise includes Taormina in late September. The itinerary shows tenders will be used. In order to plan our day it would be helpful to have information about where tenders are likely to land, how one gets from there to the town itself and how one gets from there to the Greco Roman theatre. Some of our group will have mobility issues so availability of transport options would be useful to know. All tips would be appreciated.

Our upcoming Mediterranean cruise includes Taormina in late September. The itinerary shows tenders will be used. In order to plan our day it would be helpful to have information about where tenders are likely to land, how one gets from there to the town itself and how one gets from there to the Greco Roman theatre. Some of our group will have mobility issues so availability of trsnsport options would be useful to know. All tips would be appreciated.

Thanks Cruisemom42 and Edinburgher for your suggestions which I will follow up. I might also post on the Holland America sìte as they have been sailing direct to what they call Taormina and use tenders. It is a HAL cruise we are on and that is what the itinerary shows.