ceeceeDee

On our last cruise we used OBC for specialty dining, barista coffee and a couple of activities and were still running around on the last night trying to find something on which to spend the balance we had left. Did not spend a cent on board and very little on shore, probably a maximum of $120 and that included an excursion.

I too have a money box into which I throw loose coins. I, too, don't use cash all that often so it takes a while to get a decent amount in the money box but every little bit helps. Also if I happen to have a win on lotto (they're always less than $30, usually around $8 so don't get excited!) that cash gets squirreled away as well and everything is put towards our next cruise. Also, on the subject of Aldi.............. at our local one if you tap your debit card there is a surcharge, if you insert it and use a pin there isn't.

There was/is a standing joke in our family. 'You're having a bbq? Do you mind if we bring Ma (MIL)? She keeps the mozzies at bay'. Honestly, mozzies just loved her so the best mozzie free zone was right beside my sweet (in more ways than one apparently) late mother in law.

I'm hearing you, Marion.🙄 Not too much of a problem indoors, house is fully screened but be prepared to repel boarders when you open the ranch slider to access the backyard! Usually a few flies will take advantage to enter the house. Has got to the point where I spray the inside of the screen door before opening it in the hope that the flies will give it a wide berth whilst I exit. If not, it's 'take that young Harry' with the fly spray when I come back inside. Also liberal sprays of bug repellent before taking the dog down the park for a walk. And yes, I remember those flypapers hanging from the ceiling. When I was a kid my friend's mum had one over the dining room table which generally had a heap of flies stuck to it. Put me off eating there.

Everyone is relocating to Queensland!!🤣

Quite dire, actually. Apparently Energex are going to have to replace the entire grid as the damage is too extensive to repair

You might find this informative, John. To be honest, we have better things to do and anyway, the cruise lines won't allow us to bring our Labrador to retrieve our 'catch'🤣 https://cruiseradio.net/everything-you-need-to-know-about-cruise-ducks/

We've never seen one either, Geoff, though we were aware of the practice. Then again, we weren't exactly looking for them.

I, personally, would prefer to stay overnight in Sydney. The cost of a hotel is well worth avoiding stress.

Adele, I'm so sorry this has happened. Hopefully your travel agent will earn their commission and sort something out for you. As I said earlier, they usually have a few strings they can pull providing the cruise is not fully booked in which case you don't have any wiggle room. Also, I'm very likely preaching to the choir, but don't expect a Cunard experience on P&O. Chalk and cheese springs to mind.

I'd probably go with the watermelon and fetta and the sweet and sour prawns. Acceptable, but not something I would salivate over. Some of the offerings earlier in the cruise looked pretty awesome, however.

And also, of course, is the risk, however rare, of the cruise being overbooked and some passengers with guarantee cabins not being able to sail as happened recently with RCL out of Brisbane. Yes, everyone likes to save money and we're no exception, but we do prefer to choose our cabin and factor that into our cruising budget. We tend to book early (up to 18 months ahead) and generally save money that way. Currently we saved in excess of $1,000 on our next cruise by booking early.

Yes, it's a win win. He has a hobby, is out of my hair for extended periods and it saves money (which I put towards our cruises🙂). The only draw back is we no longer have a garage - it's a brew room. I sometimes sneak out there when he is at work and attempt to tidy up, but mostly I just sigh and walk away.😂

Love lamb shanks, but I'd have had a problem with most of the main courses. All of them featured rosemary which certainly doesn't agree with me. Rosemary means 'remembrance' and believe me I can't forget it if I inadvertently eat it.😯

What is even worse is that I was reading this morning where there are unconfirmed reports of looting on Mt Tamborine. Some people are absolute GRUBS!!! And I hope the authorities catch up with them and throw the book at them. Thievery is bad enough, but stealing from people who are already suffering deprivation is the absolute lowest of the low. Bring back the stocks, I'd happily throw rotten eggs at them (and those would probably be in abundance with all the food spoilage).😠

Adele, I would keep harassing your agent. I have a friend who is an ex-travel agent specialising in cruises and I know they have a few strings they can pull if they put their mind to it from what she has told me in the past.

Apparently so, Linda. I'm not a beer drinker.😂 However, his alcoholic ginger beer is not half bad on a hot day. His apple cider and pear cider, not so much, just my opinion others like them. Guess it comes down to personal taste and whilst he's tending his brews he's out of my hair!🤣

Wishing everyone all the very best for 2024. Gold Coast is getting drenched accompanied by a soundtrack of thunder. It's just after 8am and I'm the only one awake. The rest of the household has decided to hibernate.😂 Wherever you happen to be, I hope you enjoy the first day of a brand new year. Cheers CeeCee

All the very best Linda and Mario. The Australia New Zealand board on CC has the friendliest, most genuine people of all! Good to see you posting again, Les. Wishing you well. Peace and happiness everyone. CeeCee (and Darren, though he's busy sorting his home brew at the moment😂)

We're on a South Pacific Christmas cruise 2024. I get what you are saying Mic, regarding spending Christmas with the family. However, we tend to make it a 'moveable feast', in that if family members are away for Christmas Day (happens more often than not), then we have the traditional family Christmas dinner either before the 25th or after depending on the circumstances. Works for us because we all enjoy stretching the Christmas celebrations over a longer period of time.🤗

Everyone is different and I respect that. We love the Byron, great views, not too crowded, comfy seating, et al. We tend to take the stairs a lot, so get plenty of exercise. We also enjoy the Byron 'perks' - breakfast at Angelos, canapes in the cabin most evenings, Nespresso machine in cabin, priority embarkation (and disembarkation), priority tenders. Last cruise we hadn't booked our dining preferences pre cruise and about 5 minutes after boarding and going to our cabin, the maitre 'd was on the cabin phone to discuss our preferences and book us in.

You're welcome. Yep, in our opinion the pluses outweigh the minuses, particularly if you opt for a Byron mini suite.

All balconies on deck 9 are completely open, meaning those on higher decks can look down and see what you are up to.😂 Also means no shelter, but honestly neither scenario has ever bothered us in the least and we use the balcony a lot. Deck 10 are partially covered, so if you want full shelter you should be looking at Deck 11 up.

Just a reminder, if you do pay with a credit card you can probably get free travel insurance from your bank, so that just might go towards making you feel better about paying credit card fees. And FYI, I have both debit and credit cards and manage my finances quite well, thank you.

Poor puppy.🥺 Our girl is a Labrador, a gun dog breed, so loud noises (storms, fireworks, etc) don't faze her at all. We had winds and thunder storms at the B&B and she didn't even lift her head whilst reclining on the couch.🤗