arxcards

I think Carnival has pretty much gone down the same line as P&O here, but Princess is pretty much as it was. There is one possible blip, and that is in the cruise terminals. If your port of call is handled through a terminal, the private X-ray staff will do the security screening, and may get their ships/policies muddled from time to time. Ship security will put them straight though.

This has evolved on what it used to be. I thought they were overstepping the mark in not returning your adaptor kit to you, as all I have read on the FAQs refers to surge protected boards. I was just sifting through my passage contract for 2 weeks time, for other reasons and found the following, which would suggest they can prohibit anything electrical if they want to on safety grounds. 22. Prohibited items To ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday for all Our guests, items which may pose a risk to the safety of guests and crew are not allowed to be brought onboard Our ships including: Irons, kettles, coffee machines, baby bottle warmers, candles, heating devices, illegal drugs, illicit substances, flammable liquids, weapons (including knives of any kind), hoverboards (Flyboards or similar devices), remote control devices of any kind, such as drones, and power boards with surge protection devices. In addition certain electrical items and personal grooming devices, such as power boards (without surge protection devices), laptops, phone and camera charges, hair dryers and straighteners, curling irons and shavers may be allowed onboard if they are deemed to be in a safe and proper working condition, and used with proper caution. However, if such devices are deemed to pose a hazard, they will be confiscated and available for collection at the end of the cruise.

I think you will be OK, unless the bubbles are funny bubbles. I can't find anything in their passage contract or FAQs that would prohibit it. I was surprised to see that kava was on the prohibited list, so just as well they don't make kava cola in Vanuatu any more.

Just to add, some pensioners (like my mum) would do anything to save $1, and wouldn't dare pay for a full fare. When they initially took the concession single trip tickets out of the machines, she decided to queue for 15 minutes to buy one at the CQ ticket window, where you could get one with the appropriate ID. I insisted on paying for an adult ticket out of the machine, but no, we missed a train instead. As soon as that option was no longer possible, she ordered a concession Opal that she sometimes uses once per year.

I have 3 x MYKI's with a bit of balance left on each. In the end, it is a lot cheaper than getting a tour, but it would be nicer if you could still just pay for individual tickets like the old days.

Yes. You will have one for each in your cabin, and replaced with new ones as you need. As with an earlier post, you will still need one with you to board the ship. These are the apparently inferior surgical mask type, so if you need added protection you might still need to pack your own.

For anyone interstate from NSW, you can also tap-on and off with your contactless credit/debit card. You each need your own card, but it saves all the stuffing around to get Opal for one ir two trips. The exclusion to that is it assumes adult fare, so more expensive to anyone who is travelling on a concession. Do any other states do this?

Yep, all set for Majestic too. Have a short one on Coral first, and looking forward to both. The Majestic one will be a real holiday.

Fiji tomorrow. We might get lucky.

On refection, it is a bit like seeing a couple of Mormons knocking on the gates at a Roman orgy.

Yeah, I guess, and I agree. My key point is get your first decent coffee for days when you buy your MYKI. 😁

If the boarding times are not yet available, it normally still loads and it shows 0 available groups to choose from. The current issue is that the page often stalls when loading, and doesn't make it to the boarding times. I have picked two boarding times over the past 6 weeks - both at 59 days (60 days on US time zone). The 20th November one mentioned above is also at 59 days.

I am a bit disappointed I couldn't line up one of these early cruises, as the deals were fantastic. One reason is that we already have two cruises in October. The 2nd one of these is a QLD coastal on Majestic, which has us in Brisbane on 29th October. When we depart that evening, guess what ship is scheduled to arrive into Brisbane for the first time? Looks like we will score a 1st close-up when we cross paths in Moreton Bay.

The downside is the loneliness, which never quite makes up for the plus of disembarking without a bill. I have done a few solo, but often at the edge of a large group booking. There are times I didn't enjoy that way, even though I still had Barb to go home to. My only plus to solo was that I could cover 3x more ground in port. Glad you otherwise had a pretty good time. Yes, embarkation has got way better.

Also available at the shop adjacent to the tram terminus.

Agreed

I think the Choice review was only targeting regular tomato sauces, as even Beerenberg doesn't market theirs as low salt. Some brands also have a reduced salt version, although that is also relative to their normal product, and not necessarily low salt. Masterfoods reduced salt is 606mg/100ml compared to their regular version which is 828mg/100ml. Their "reduced salt" version is still near double of Beerenberg.

Which ship? P&O won't even let you take a bottle of water aboard, and only sealed cans of anything non-alcoholic. I think most others would allow you a bit of bubble tea in port.

The price of airfares to anywhere has gone through the roof. Domestically for me to fly to Brisbane is nearly triple what it was before lockdown. Hawaiian airlines flights are not up yet for next October, but it appears they have currently dropped their Bris - Honolulu direct flights, instead operating two flights out of Sydney. That would be an added pain, and their prices are up and down from day to day for this October as well.

It is even hard to know which Australian owned companies keep all their money in Australia. Overseas finance of an Aussie owned company still flows money out of the country in the same way overseas ownership does. For pies, Garlo's & Mrs Macs would appear to be 100% Aussie owned. Taken a step further, if your local bakery does a good pie, it is even better to keep your money in your community. Like most though, I am a hypocrite. After I eat my 100% Aussie pie, I sometimes wash it down with Norco Aussie iced coffee, sometimes with multinational Coke. Then drive to work in my Japanese car to help produce Aussie steel products for a foreign owned company, in order to save up for cruises with overseas companies that almost exclusively employ overseas staff. I agree, Four N Twenty matters little in the grand scheme of things. If you like their pies, keep eating them, and support the Aussie people that make them.

Much lament about the loss of PES discounted cocktails, or their happy hour BOGO or BOGO +$1 deals of the past. With so many on drinks packages, I guess it all gets a bit less relevant. Still, for a loyalty perk, a glass or two of free bubbly wouldn't break their budget. We rarely bother, as it will spoil our appetite for our early dinners.

Correct, but you will have masks in your cabin for that and would be advised for each port arrival. Queensland has also dropped their mask requirements for cruise terminals.

Yes, website is out of date. Contact them. They and some of the other Kingsford Smith Dve hotels are still doing a shuttle to the new terminal, limited and by pre-arrangement.

People are catching on now.

For 4 people, that is reasonable value for the whole day of doing your own thing or choosing your own wineries. If you just want to do some tasting and have lunch in the Barossa, the coach tour is "only" $180pp https://www.princess.com/ports-excursions/adelaide-australia-excursions/barossa-valley-and-wine-tasting No doubt, you could also pick up a private operator tour for less.