mum and son

They're not listed under the Carnival Corp & PLC category. Maybe they decided their demographic didn't suit the app yet?

Interesting question. There must be an alternative.

Same here. One day it will bite me and I'll only have myself to blame I guess. Remember when that original covid app came out that notified you if you had come into contact with a covid positive person? And everybody was up in arms about it because it allegedly "tracked" you? And those same people had Tik Tok on their phones, and used Google, and Snapchat etc etc ... 🤣 , Somehow it is more scary when you think the government is tracking you than an anonymous face in another country whose sole purpose is to steal your data, or worse.

Ahhh ok. Now I understand. I thought somehow, somewhere direct passwords were being handed over and I felt a bit concerned.

Hi Donald, I just had to upload my broker statement in Stockperks. I didn't give them access to my account.

Passwords? I just uploaded my broker statement (removed the account details) and that was all I gave them.

UPDATE 3hrs 15mins after submission I received an email confirming my US$250 OBC and I can see it when I log into my booking.

This Eligible list includes: Carnival Costa HAL P&O Australia Princess Seabourn It looks like it would cope with multiple bookings because Princess is in both my Eligible and Redeemed lists. In the Eligible list I can click on Princess and go through the Redeem Perk process again, for another cruise.

Hi all, I saw a recent thread about shareholder benefits and there was a mention of the Stockperks app. Here's my experience in the last 24 hours for an upcoming Princess cruise from the US. I emailed sbpcl@princesscruises.com as per the shareholder form to request my OBC. Received a reply saying: Thank you for your request for an onboard credit as part of the Carnival Corp & plc. Shareholder Benefit Program. Carnival Corp is implementing a more automated onboard credit request process in partnership with Stockperks. Please go to www.stockperks.com/carnivalcorp for all details about the program and how to apply for your onboard credit via the Stockperks app. Thank you for being a CCL shareholder! We look forward to welcoming you aboard. Last night I followed the process and created an account on Stockperks, which took 2 minutes. I submitted the required statement and received the email below: Manual Brokerage Statement Submission Acknowledgement Thank you for submitting your proof of share ownership. Stockperks is reviewing your submission now and will respond within two (2) working days with next steps. Thank you for joining the Stockperks family! Approx 7 hours later I received the following email: Manual Brokerage Statement Processed Confirmation Your proof of share ownership has been processed. Please go to the Stockperks app to explore and redeem your perks. Thank you for being a Stockperks member! Your proof of ownership was validated. I have now returned to the app and I have a list of all the Carnival brands under the "Eligible" tab. I click on Princess and then Redeem Perk and add my booking details. Then it says "Your Onboard credit claim has been submitted. They will contact me within 5 business days to advise if my claim has been approved and applied to my itinerary.

I have not cruised yet with the Free At Sea deal, but I understand that you do need to pay the gratuity on top for all "free" drinks. Someone here will chime in with the absolute correct info in case I've got it wrong.

I've only sailed NCL once and it was a long time ago, but I enjoyed it. I think you'll find a lot more upselling and additional charges on top of the basics. I found the general quality of the "free" dining options to be a little lower than Princess, but that's subjective. There was a good selection of specialty restaurants. The ship was definitely more lively than Princess as it probably attracts a slightly younger demographic, and more families. The bars were more fun at night. The Free At Sea deals make it a very easy way to enjoy a holiday.

Thanks Geoff. I do personally recommend, very highly. I even trust them to deliver precious cargo ie. my parents, when I allow them to go away without a chaperone 😆. Kim even calls me to let me know he has delivered mum and dad safely to their hotel, as my oldies can't seem to manage a mobile phone. https://www.a2btransit.au/

I have a driver that I use when I go to Palm Cove (he does a transfer from Cairns Airport for me) but he would pick up from anywhere. His prices are very reasonable and he's very nice. He's usually in a Pajero so shouldn't be an issue to fit you all in. Not sure what I can post here but google A2B Transit. Kim and Helen. Hope they can assist.

Shower over bath was an issue for my parents as well, and the TV is in a very awkward location in the suites. I think you're very wise staying with a balcony cabin in the location you prefer.

I've been in both a balcony cabin and an Ocean Suite on Luminosa. Do you know what category of Suite it is? I didn't find there were any suite perks of value (to me) on Carnival and the balcony rooms are quite large anyway. Yes, I enjoyed the suite, because it was a suite, but I wouldn't say it added anything extra to my cruise. It does have a shower over bath if that's a concern. The bath is a spa as well but that isn't a benefit to me. If it is a Cloud 9 Suite category that gives you free access to the thermal suite onboard I would probably take it as that cost me $310 for a couple anyway (I believe that price may have gone up a lot since I was last onboard in April too), and I think its one of the best thermal suites on any ship I have been on. It's really personal choice. Is the upgrade price total, or per person?

Other than your health (I hope you recover quickly) - I'm particularly concerned about the inevitable news story that will be coming about price gouging. I mean, I get that they're not going to charge the same price for a RAT as they do at my local pharmacy, but, when I can buy a 5 pack for under $20, then charging a 950% premium is a bit rich. Especially when most of the planet think cruise ships tried to destroy all of humanity with covid in the first place!!

Absolutely agree. Honestly I would grab an uber from the Brisbane port straight to Lone Pine to beat the bus loads. I'm guessing that Uber might be around $50ish AUD each way?? @Yehootu There is still a boat trip the goes there from Brisbane City. Details of the boat trip posted below. You can also use public transport from the City, https://lonepinekoalasanctuary.com/getting-here/. Mirimar Cruises have been taking locals and visitors to Lone Pine for over 70 years. Jump on board and enjoy a scenic cruise up the Brisbane River, before disembarking at Lone Pine for a day of wildlife discovery. Mirimar II (75-minute cruise): Depart Cultural Centre Pontoon, Brisbane 9:00 AM Arrive Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary 10:15am Return trip: Depart Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary 1:30 PM Arrive Cultural Centre Pontoon, Brisbane 2:45pm *Currently operating on select days only, and subject to availability. For information and to book, contact Mirimar Cruises: Ph: 0412 749 426 Email: info@mirimarcruises.com.au

I don't like it either, actually I'm allergic to the preservative in sanitiser but it needs to build up in my system before I have a reaction. Because I've eliminated contact with the preservative in my basic day to day activities, I can cope with a week or two of sanitisation. I just avoid drinking the stuff! 🤣🥂!

What the? Slow news day obviously...

Broncofan is correct. To pre-purchase or pre-book anything you need to pay upfront. To use obc you must be onboard.

I agree completely. Yes, a cruise ship is a confined space and there will always be guests and crew who have covid but, seriously, its like passengers have some aversion to sanitising or washing their hands. People give so many excuses, like, I washed my hands before I left the cabin, I just had a swim, I just had a shower. Why do passengers think an extra hand wash is going to hurt them? Do they think they'll over wash and their skin will fall off? Sometimes when I'm trying to locate my parents on board I'll walk through each side of the buffet several times while doing circles. I don't touch anything on my walk through but I happily sanitise each time because that's the process. I actually have this cute little sanitiser that hangs on my lanyard and, after getting our food and sitting at our table I always do a quick sanitise for myself and my parents before we start eating. Every little bit helps.

I have only cruised RCCL once, on Voyager, and for some reason did not love the ship. I think maybe because it was so different from what I was used to. It was also only 3 days so I didn't really give them much of a chance. I think its time for me to try again, when the right deal pops up.

As Cruisey said above, Ubers are cheaper unless there is a surge fare at the time. Our taxi companies also have an app that offers quotes and then fixed price booking so it's easy to compare. I'll let someone else chime in for the best taxi companies in other cities but in Brisbane they are Yellow Cabs and Black & White Cabs, if Uber prices are too high. Other rideshare companies here are Didi or Ola.

Yes, agree completely, but the cost of the base package was much cheaper in USD and as I'm travelling solo, doubling that cost benefit made it an easy decision. Cruising is a complicated business. After all this maths I'll need a cruise to relax!

I'm also a standard fare person generally, and have been on plenty of cruises where I have disembarked without spending any money onboard at all. I refer to myself as a "proud binge drinker" so I either drink for a night out, otherwise my drink of choice is water. I've decided to upgrade to the Plus package for my upcoming 15 night cruise, which is booked in USD, so the upgrade is in USD 😱, but I have USD$360 of OBC to offset the cost. In the US the Plus package also covers the gratuities so that would've been an extra USD$240 for me without the package. All of this brings the true cost of the upgrade to the package to USD$300 for 15 nights, and well worth it at that price I believe. I'll now plug my estimates into your calculator and see where I end up, but I'm confident this time the plus package will be the winner for me!