NSWP

Hello my friends and a Merry Chrissie and Happy New Year to you all. I have been away for a week, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I was at Riverview (Lane Cove area, Sydney) with my daughter, son and all  the relos, you know in laws and out laws.  Then my daughter and I drove up to Armidale to see the Vet Granddaughter.   Had a great time away. Bit of an effort for me, but went ok. Traffic was not too bad.

So onwards to 2024, have a great NYE everyone, I am just going over the road to a neighbours party, but doubt I will last until midnight, lol.

🍷

On 12/21/2023 at 9:59 AM, Thrak said:

The only Whiskey I've ever received has been Scotch. Usually Dewar's White Label (bleh) but the last time I got Chivas Regal 12 Year Old. Never gotten Jim Beam Bourbon like I see in the picture above. I also see Van Gogh Vodka in that pic. We got that the last time too but have never had it before. I'm not a big fan of Courvoisier Cognac either. My wife doesn't drink Cognac and doesn't like any type of Whiskey (or Whisky either) as she says it's all nasty. One thing you can count on with the mini bar: There will be no top shelf liquor included. 🙄

They used to have the VSOP cognac in the mini bar set up, that was a good sipper. But for a few years now it has been the inferior VS.  OK with dry ginger ale. Cut backs. As for whisky, last year on Coral they put an awful Aussie whisky in, Starwards I think it was. But I forced it down with dry ginger ale for medicinal purposes, lol.

2 minutes ago, arxcards said:

No doubt the taste is there Les, but that looks as stodgy as it gets.

To me looked it resembled a fried, battered mars bar, Geoff, or something more sinister.🤢

On 12/20/2023 at 11:16 PM, arxcards said:

This is where blue medallions will let them off the hook, but I figure the head waiter is having a night off.

Perhaps they usually travel on another cruise line, that does not care what pax wear, young and old.  I won't mention the line I want to survive until Boxing Day, lol.

RE the pub lunch, good choice on menu, however the pic of the hake and chips...bit frugal on the fish portion. The Bangers/Mash and pudding looked tasty.  Thanks again for reports and pics.

On 12/20/2023 at 6:27 PM, Zetta83 said:

Btw, there is no more lobster on second formal. It is replaced with a very dry mashed prawn dumpling.

Cut backs and more cut backs. It will be BYO Lobster soon.

23 hours ago, icat2000 said:

I do not understand why people go ga gaga over Lobster. Very overrated.

Agree I bought a small one from Woollies last week, $24, thawed but had been frozen. God only knows where it originated from.  Anyway  it was super tough.

On 12/21/2023 at 9:07 AM, windsor26 said:

If you have time  write to Princess and advise that on medical advice she no longer drinks alcohol and can she bring the non alco on board   Did this with a  relation who was told to drink a can of Guiness for medical reasons and with the doctors letters (as it was alcohol) they allowed it

But you can buy canned Guinness on board. In UK you can buy non alcohol Guinness, not sure if it is available here yet.

2 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

Not this time, They will only give me 20% credit and I still haven’t got that.

To be honest , I didn’t expect to get anything so I just agreed .

 

Have you given up on the 100% Chill, they promised it to you, ring BIG GAV !!

Bon Voyage, hope you get a cabin on the 6 nighter in between the NZ ones.  Looking forward to your reports and photos.

Magnificent photos, thank you.

3 hours ago, Jean C said:

A nice ending to the mystery - the passengers can now stop looking sideways at each other 😇

Jean, do you believe in fairies, lol.

5 hours ago, resordanis said:

Update on the Billiard Balls. 64 have been found. Apparently a hole in the billard table and the balls were slipping into this hole.So not only were the 22 found but some additional found also. A case of believe it or not🤣 it will be repaired in Sydney.

What a load of BS, the balls have been purloined.

15 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

Oh, someone is having a ball uncle Less .

I reckon the 'Cougars' stole them, Chilli. 

Best looking railway station in the world !!  I enjoyed going through it.

59 minutes ago, getting older slowly said:

Good thought Les, but being after the DeepClean due to Gastro.... the buffet was a no-go area for us.... and have found the buffet / IC idea of a cheese  is not the same as Reserved colloction Dining

 

But .. in a few hours heading on board to the land of   

 THE CHEESE TROLLEY  in the princess grills on cunard

 

finshed packing and driver will be here in under two hours

 

Cheers Don with Tea

Bon Voyage Don, stay well.

Only VS cognac these days, used to be VSOP, cost  cutting.

On 12/15/2023 at 11:16 AM, roscoe39 said:

rudder???? The Queen Victoria doesn't have a rudder!

 

social media....experts......bah!

Indeed, azipods.

11 hours ago, D&N said:

In BC we always shared a portion of toast. We don't buy sliced bread, and nothing that would be classified as refined. It can be handy for cleaning one's plate though if you are not permitted to use more environmentally friendly methods.

We wouldn't really care how thick it was.

Exactly picky if one demands thick toast.

52 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

It was a shame, especially for all the people who have never visited before. We love Dunedin and have been numerous times but missing the port is still a disappointment.

Noordam was a good ship, did Syd to Honolulu on her in 2019. Mic, hope you and Rosie are enjoying HAL.

On 12/15/2023 at 9:25 AM, getting older slowly said:

just a general comment on pricess extra charges, we were talking about how everything has gone up..

 

then to put it in prospective standard fare 7years ago. for a suite (melbourne- NZ return )

 

was around 10k to 11k for 2   and on boards cost about 1.3k

 

last trip a week ago around 8.5k for standard fare and on board costs 1.8k ( we didnt hold back )

 

so the overall cost it now less...    haing said that price for late 2024 (melbourne- NZ return )is 10.1k

 

Re room serve  when in Club Class (reserve collection now ) just ask wait staff for a to go cheese plater and carry it back to cabin  ( no cost and best cheese plater on ship )

 

so price go up, less is included, evyerybody is trying to make a quid

 

Cheers Don  with coffee

 

 

Don make your own cheese platter up from the lunch buffet for pre dinner balcony snacks.  What I did.

12 hours ago, _lefty26_ said:

It appears now that even with the “premium alcohol package”, the price per glass of wine exceeds the $17 limit. Has Celebrity raised prices, but not the allowance per drink??

🍷 over the top wine prices, USD AS WELL. 

6 hours ago, resordanis said:

No more news of the billard balls. They said they had the cameras but they were hoping for an honesty system.

If I was the Senior Security Officer I would ask the Staff Captain for permission to search cabins for the balls. This is a serious matter. Pax are being deprived of an on board actvity.

55 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Corkage is now AUD$30 per bottle 😢 although you can take one each without that charge.

The free one is for in cabin consumption only. But you see pax sneaking along the corridors with their 1 bottle pp cabin wine, heading for the decks, lounges, dining rooms, etc. Thats the way it is, human nature.

2 hours ago, Jean C said:

Hahaha, Still too early for me to think sensibly, my first reaction on seeing "34c" was that the pies were 34 cents - wishful thinking! 🤣😋

$7.50 for a pack of two frozen from Woolworths.