bazzaw

Here in Qld, we used to get daily FB posts from the Govt - detailing cases, deaths , hospitalisations and Icu admissions. The daily numbers caused great fear ( AND paranoia) in the Community. For me I ignored completely the "case" numbers as there was no way to gauge the impact of those case numbers on me personally - I ignored the hospitalisation numbers soon after I realised that they were including positive cases who sheltered at home as being "hospitalisations" - I ignored death numbers as most older people die with many "causes" - so I only took notice of ICU admissions , on the basis that people are not admitted to ICU unless there is a VERY good reason ! Wife and I (76 and 70yo) have not yet caught the virus - don't know what we are doing that all these thousands of so-called cases are not doing , maybe the same thing we have done all along to avoid ever getting Norovirus when it was rampant on ships? And my personal strategy has prevented us from getting that highly contagious Paranoia virus.

If somebody is a heavy smoker and gets Coronavirus, I think they have more to worry about than the requirement to isolate.

Unless they close off the Forward Observation Deck - or fill the Queens Room with poker/slot machines - I can handle any other changes.

Bali is a very large island - and the exact port where the cruise ships berth is not in any way exciting at all. We took a day long cruise shore tour in a bus when we arrived there in pre-Covid times - I am happy enough that we got a glimpse of Bali, but wouldn't be in a great hurry to go back there. I am sure that, as a visiting Brit, you will enjoy Fremantle and Perth much more

Is there any Italian-ness left on the ship - or is it just another gaudy Carnival cruise ship?

No certification required.

I am in Australia - I got an email from Cunard re our QE cruise leaving Sydney mid - January saying that a negative RAT test was needed before embarkation. Nothing since then and nothing about wearing masks.

18yo Captains??

Yes - I think so. I have been on Cunard ships with a large contingent of Aussies and most wore Black Tie. But Black Tie is very rare in Australia.

Cunard dress code? She is now in Australia - I have read elsewhere that Aussie's sense of dress is "casual - to the point of indifference " 🙂 Most of our Cunard cruises have been from Southampton (2x3 Queens) - with one QE from San Francisco to Sydney. We have a short 8 dayer on QE in January (think HOT summer) Sydney to Hobart and return. I am expecting it to be a bit rough!!

I feel both happy and sad. Happy to see QE back in Sydney where we will do an 8 day cruise to Hobart and return in January on her - and sad because in April 2020 we were meant to pick her up in Yokohama for a 38 day cruise around Japan and Alaska. Even sadder because when that cruise was cancelled , my wife and I (being poverty stricken, inside Stateroom type people) managed to book a Q4 stateroom for a cruise to the US from Australia at an UNBELIEVABLY and RIDICULOUSLY low fare . Alas, that was not to sail either and we are NEVER likely to see the like of the deal that we got for that 😞 What would we do with a Butler anyway?? - we are Aussies. 😞

What App is required for Luminosa??

I am not that old fashioned and do have a smartphone. But I resent being forced to use it or even have to carry it upon my person. I am thinking that I will place Princess on my personal Blacklist because of Medallion. How about RCL? We have a Cunard cruise first up in 2023 and then hopefully will do an RCL cruise locally - and maybe a cruise in Japan( there are a few cruiselines which do Japan so would like an alternative to Princess)

Hmm - just did a couple of trial runs to Insure and Go -- and Covermore . There was a remarkable similarity between the questions asked after declaring the breast cancer - and both Companies offered a Policy to cover us - but there was a remarkable difference in cost - for an 8 day cruise, Covermore was $711 while Insure and Go was $280. Makes you wonder , doesn't it???

I know that many here are very experienced cruisers - but I am now looking for advice from those who have recently taken out travel insurance for cruising . Times have changed and I guess that this also applies in the insurance World. The factors I am interested in are AGE 75+, and breast cancer first diagnosed over 2 years ago with all treatment completed by 1 year ago. Local cruise in Aussie waters. Your experience and advice please .

and PLEASE do not try to pay for anything in NZ with Aussie Dollars !!!! 🙂 Same as I wouldn't dare to try to pass off Canadian Dollars in the US 🙂

I am thinking that perhaps operations at Portside are now no longer financially viable. There would be a lot of people involved in working that wharf - and they would be sitting around doing nothing for much of the year?

Back onto that old topic again - but I really can't understand people who are anxious about the possibility of coming across one person with Covid - when they didn't ever have the same worry about Influenza in the past - and they also drive around in a car on those maniacal Motorways North and South of Brisbane. Anyway , to each their own - but WE don't wear masks now (at least I don't) - if I did , I would be doing it for the rest of my life because that is how long Respiratory viruses of one type or another will be around.

Just see why!

I'll bet you can't sit like hi!! 🙂

Yes - we were on the inaugural P&O visit way back in 2013. It was perhaps THE most memorable cruise we have been on - including a World cruise, cruises in the Baltic and Norway, etc. I did a blog here http://pacificdawntopng.blogspot.com/

Seems to be true https://postcourier.com.pg/blood-flows-on-island-of-love/

https://www.news.com.au/world/pacific/massacre-on-papua-new-guineas-island-of-love-after-tribal-warfare/news-story/b2413ce25acf267425f9277e2c891bdd

Not much point in having an overnight in Cairns for Quantum then? In March 2023

An overnight in Airlie Beach - with 4800 passengers? Can't remember if Airlie is a tender port of not??? Same thing goes for Cairns - RCL is advertising a cruise with an overnight in Cairns in March 2023 - will Quantum fit alongside in Cairns?