arxcards

Maybe so. I think many are still happy to book the cheapest cabin, even if aware of potential pitfalls, so are happy to book guarantees. Cheaper inflexible guarantee bookings have been a staple of most cruise lines since longer than I can remember, so their recent changes aren't massive in the scheme of things. It is very P&O'ish, so I would presume this is a Carnival Australia approach for local departures vs an all of Princess thing.

It isn't about the T/A. When you book a guarantee, you can't change a cabin that hasn't been assigned. Once assigned, a T/A or PVP has the ability to change the cabin, depending on availability. It isn't special treatment to be using a PVP or T/A. If doing a DIY booking, you still have the ability to find specific cabins that aren't showing online by simply picking up the phone. And whenever the word gets around social media - umm, this is nothing new.

Hi Julie, both old and new. More recently, it was for Majestic last October which was booked in April. When Royal was taken away, our specific cabin became a guarantee on Majestic, the worst possible cabin was allocated, and our T/A was able to just select a different cabin number at the other end of the block. World cruise 2025, especially the sectors, has lots of guarantees in the lower categories, particularly noticed by us in BF & BE categories. This was only in the past couple of weeks, but a different scenario. When looking at availability online for a BE cabin in our preferred location, the block of cabins was guarantee only, yet our T/A had a number of specific cabins he could book for us out of that block - so we chose one of those cabins instead of booking a guarantee.

Yes, is only possible to chase a different cabin number within that CAT once a number has been assigned. Good luck.

Many of the 2025 world cruise cabins were only available as guarantees within that cabin type. So it would seem though - if you want to book online, you get the guarantee option on the cheaper options of each cabin type, yet our T/A could pick our cabin for us. Princess PVP's work like T/As for just Princess, so it is natural to assume they can also choose specific cabins when they only show as guarantees online. Previously when I have booked a guarantee with Princess, sometimes they allocate you a cabin straight away. If I don't like the cabin, I just ask the T/A to swap it to a different cabin within the same category and haven't been knocked back yet.

Yes, for both Sydney's White Bay and Brisbane, they are out of the way until they start bringing passengers to the ship and taxis are already busy on weekday mornings. I also prefer using the ships' bus transfers to the airport when arriving in Brisbane, or to Central station from White Bay.

All depends on who and where you are. For me and many others, White Bay is a taxi from Central, BICT is a taxi from the airport or accommodation in Hamilton, same-o. Getting a taxi to White Bay is dead easy, but luck of the draw getting one out of there - a lot like BICT. There are passengers in Brisbane that walk to the nearest bus stop to travel to Portside for the ferry or Doomben station for the train home. Inconvenient, but cheap and doable. As for a City Cat making it to Pinkenba, there is much better odds of Ferry McFerryface making it to White Bay.

Aukus of the Seas

We can wait for the nuclear option.

Really?

Yes, distance and the lack of a suitable spot to build a ferry wharf. It is a lovely way to get into Brisbane but if they charged $30pp return, would they get enough takers to make it profitable? Whichever way, Brisbane council is not going to subsidise cruise passengers to get into the city, and why would they treat our smaller numbers any differently from the masses that arrive at the airport? As with White Bay in Sydney, that is an interesting comparison. They have a wharf to arrive to and a much shorter distance to ferry, yet it was never popular enough to make any service viable. White Bay celebrates her 10th birthday on Sunday, but BICT has been is use for less than a year. Let me guess what we will still be discussing in 9 years time 😉

We have paid $20pp US and $25pp US for that privilege from FI grain terminal even back more than 10 years ago, yet the discussion is that this now should to be free. Paper maps are becoming redundant. The volunteers were organised via Brisbane Ports and the city council, and I think it was the covid pause that stopped this being viable.

Yes, plus visitor maps and a free shuttle. I makes for a great experience when visiting, but I reckon the wharf markets make more money out of the ships than the shops in town do.

Lots of good PR and goodwill for a city to throw out a welcome mat, visitor maps, a town crier, a pipe band, free shuttles & volunteer guides. A large majority of passengers do not spend money in Aussie ports beyond a decent coffee or a drink, so governments would rather have passengers doing tours (ship or independent) to places that are very good at capturing tourist dollars.

That one dates back to the days when the ships were a tad smaller, and as Julie mentioned, there was a length restriction in the turning basin. Sun/Dawn/Sea Princess were the longest ships that could turn there. Google maps is great for a lot of things, but they don't get rid of old wood, not in Oz at least. Portside cruise terminal has been officially closed for two years, yet it still has a place marker. The same applies for businesses that have closed.

I don't think it works that simply. Places like Burnie & Newcastle put on free shuttles because the wharf is inside a secure zone. I have watched for years while volunteering for the port in Newcastle - half of the passengers don't even get off the bus, and just use it for a free sightseeing lap and get back on the ship. Getting passengers to part with money works most effectively when you can get them to attractions such as Australia Zoo, so they aren't likely to put on free transport in competition to those tourist traps.

Sorry to put a fork in your nightie - that is the now defunct Portside cruise terminal, which is all but dismantled. From that spot, it was even easier to walk a few hundred metres and catch a cat up the river to the city. The new terminal is out in the boondocks, and there is no 20 minute bus interval there

Royal Caribbean has been using Shute Harbour, while the Carnival brands use Port of Airlie. Celebrity being RCI, I reckon they are using Shute Harbour, but wasn't paying attention when they they last called there.

It was a good deal Michael. I know another person aboard who was rather thrilled to get such a nice bit of compo.

At somewhere around 120 to 140 positives, the ship would be at 3% tier 2 and all passengers would get an official letter to their cabin advising of elevated covid aboard. Without that letter, the official number is lower than 140 positives at any given time.

830 - It would also appear they neglected to inform NSW health that they were at tier 3.

Majestic missed Bay of Islands & Tauranga due to weather, but made it into Auckland OK yesterday. Now on her way to warmer climes.

There is more than one that does this, and you just need to book direct with the hotel and confirm your cruise terminal transfer when you book. At last check, late last year, Airolodge was still doing this as well.

That would be the Warialda tree.

I had forgotten that the bikini tree existed until you mentioned it. I believe it is still there, but hasn't been painted for decades.