arxcards

Is there any benefit to ordering lattes on the app, and sitting back and waiting for it to come? I thought I had read a review comment saying that the medallion orders were jumping the queue.

Perhaps you could buy them in the colours to match your loyalty status. If you have a black cup, you just need to wave it in the air and the coffee waiter will come running. 😉

Yes, they do. Just like they bought Princess lanyards for their cards.

No problems for anyone here in Oz - they don't ship medallions here, they are only collected at check-in. Initially I thought it would be nice to take it to the ship, but I figure they cant be lost in the wind when we are all picking ours up at the pier. Is that UPS's problem? Not sure if you have cruised down here, but you would observe a weird phenomenon where a large majority wear their cards hanging from souvenir lanyards that they purchased on the ship. It is such a thing, that the local cruise lines started to pre-punch a hole in the card, and a single hole punch has been on quite a few packing lists here. For me though, the medallion will travel in the same pocket my card used to, even though Princess is providing a free lanyard for it.

BTW, P&O has yet another "Flash Sale"

Portland Bay departed Botany Bay a couple of days ago, and is heading for Gisborne NZ.

And the couple who were separated when she tested positive and was taken to a hospital in Japan, while he had to remain isolated in the cabin. Helplessness. These were mostly accounts from seasoned cruisers, so also had that perspective. The tone of the PA announcements getting more intense each day, and the touch of wit by someone programming Groundhog Day among the cabin movies.

For anyone looking for it, the Diamond Princess doco is called "The Last Cruise"

Now that is a headline!

I have still have this stored on the Foxtel box. It was one of the hardest things I have ever watched. Raw, no hyperbole, and mostly narrated by passenger accounts. We have been on the ship, loved it, and were familiar with all the settings, so it was really tough to watch as it unfolded. When Concordia tipped, we reasoned that we would have enough smarts to respond suitably enough to survive the tragedy. When we watched this doco though, we were confronted as to what we could do if we were in the same boat, so to speak. We still haven't found an answer to that, so I am glad so much has been learned by the industry and health professionals around the world.

This could differ slightly state by state. In your scenario, you would be allowed to drive home directly, although I am not sure of the taxi ride. They should have a way of getting you to your car. PS: That would be if you are feeling well enough to do so.

Carnival has yet to announce their Australian policies, as lots could change between now and when they begin sailings. So far, P&O and Princess have resumed cruising, and their protocols are based on the Eastern Seaboard Cruise Protocols (NSW, QLD, VIC). https://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-06/Eastern-Seaboard-Cruise-Protocols.pdf If Carnival were cruising here tomorrow, they would have the same requirements as Princess and P&O, so that is more accurate than the US based rules for Carnival. One distinct difference is that you don't need to pay for a supervised (travellers) covid test. Check out these FAQs, and that will offer a guide: https://www.pocruises.com.au/plan/know-before-you-go/healthy-cruising https://www.princess.com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/frequently-asked-questions/au-cruises/

P&O sunk heaps into commercial TV when Pacific Explorer was arriving back to Sydney. Am I so gullible to think they don't know that P&O and Princess are run by the same Corporation? For their dollars, it only took those channels 6 weeks to turn 180 degrees on the cruise industry. While their initial efforts would have driven a run of bookings, I don't think they have got a lot of bang for their bucks.

The Australian has just written the words of the Sky News reporter. Yes, on non-political stories Sky News is more neutral, and even has a Stefanovic that has some credibility.

In this case it was an entity, Daily Telegraph. I don't think it came from Karl Stefawhatever - his spouted quote is "Ruby Princess 2.0", which was to be expected considering his daily rant a couple of years back. One minute, the Today show is pro-cruise when they are getting freebies aboard to promote the cruise line, and anti-cruise when they have an audience for it. I hope the cruise lines have learned to never use them again as a cash for comment advertorial tool.

Courier Mail headline this morning has " ‘Cruise from hell’ returns to Brisbane The Cruise from hell bit is in inverted commas, as if to say it is not their opinion, but also attract clicks. I believe that was the Telegraph's headline a few days ago. The story is behind a firewall, so I can't see the details. For anyone with a subscription, is it a rational story or another beat-up? The numbers for the current cruise will have been reported to QLD officials yesterday. No news is good news, as it would suggest a return to yellow status, but I expect there will be something out later today. I don't believe the number is based on new infections, but on those aboard currently infected, so many crew will be carried over in the numbers, despite being infected & already isolating from the previous cruise.

For parody only. Not new, but I still get a laugh out of it, and no more dramatic than Aussie commercial channel news.

A bit of reasoning and perspective. The media story in itself is news that needs to be told, but doesn't need all that clickbait BS hyperbole. Yes, who put her on the telly again? Fancy telling one of the main media culprits that it is a media beat-up. Looks like she has saved Australian cruising again, despite all the challenges of the Varroa mite. 😉

Sounds like the show is Under Investigation. Perhaps Carnival Australia threatened to pull their advertising dollars from channel 9.

Maybe this is what they are investigating. Much more fun on Carnival Magic 😂 60-Person Brawl on Cruise Ship Erupts Due to Alleged Threesome (msn.com)

The above is 99% correct. If you are vaccinated, you are free to do your own tours. Currently, if you are cruising from Australia, you are required to be vaccinated, or have an approved medical exemption for being at risk of vaccination. If you have one of those exemptions, you can only do approved ship tours. From the relevant question on Princess' Australian FAQ: https://www.princess.com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/frequently-asked-questions/au-cruises/ What requirements are in place to go ashore for guests who have been approved for a vaccination exemption? For guests aged 12 years and older, you may not be permitted ashore in all ports and, if allowed, may only go ashore through shore excursions sold by or through Princess using tour operators who comply with our COVID-19 protocols. Self-exploration or participation in shore excursions not sold through or operated by Princess will not be permitted. Children under 12 who are not fully vaccinated will be permitted to participate in independent shore activities alongside their fully vaccinated parents/guardians.

The passengers shouldn't be too sad about not being in Newcastle today. The weather has been 99% miserable.

To have restricted karaoke in old folks homes was outrageous 😉

Yes, If you test positive after disembarking, you need to report your positive test, the same as catching it anywhere else. Your result is not linked to a location where you think you contracted the bug. As it is with the local pub, there is no contract tracing of your result. Once disembarked, you are no longer at risk of passing it on to anyone aboard the ship, and the ship numbers are gathered purely to determine the risk of an outbreak on the ship. That is why the health authorities are only interested on those that have tested positive onboard.

No, but I think it will the ship will need to return to port and remain there until it is no longer red. Disembarking the passengers takes care of one part as soon as they have departed and the ship is hosed out. If it is related to crew numbers, then they would go through their isolation and testing until it is low enough to resume. The most likely scenario to go into code red, is that there is insufficient crew (numbers or key roles affected) to maintain the safe operation of the ship, hotel or medical facilities. Red = "There are a lot of cases on board (100 or more positive cases per 1,000 people) and/or the vessel is unable to maintain critical services due to staffing or resource shortages."