Sailaway John

Is the Chef's Table available on the Sun Princess? Also is the Balcony Breakfast or the Ultimate Balcony Dinner available on the Sun Princess? Both wife and I will be celebrating our Wedding Anniversary and I would like to do either one or all of these. I know there are extra charges applicable but what the heck . . . let's do it.

Will be needing to transfer from Perth Airport to Fremantle to get onto the Sun Princess for our cruise around Southern Australia. Any suggestions of who to use. T/A suggested getting a private car at a cost of $160. Thought that a bit steep.

Would like to now how Princess Cruises arranges EZAir. Do they arrange the whole airfare and ticket you or do they just give you a credit against the cost of the air ticket or as an OBC.?

Just would like to know if there is an Elite and Platinum area that you can go to each afternoon for pre-dinner drinks and snacks as they have on the Diamond, Ruby, Majestic ships.

Had a great time in these areas and met some wonderful people.

Thanks

I have seen on Princess Web Page that the only specialty restaurant on Sun Princess is Share. Is that correct.

 No Japanese, No French, No Steakhouse!!!!

On 3/18/2019 at 2:13 AM, Bpos said:

Has anyone travelled to Noumea recently by way of a cruise?

 

If so, were you asked for documentation or ask to prove that you had comprehensive travel insurance..

 

A lot of cruisers on this forum have received recent notification from their respective cruise line that French authorities have specified visitors need

comprehensive travel insurance and that without it, you may be denied entry of the ship in Noumea.

 

Surely someone has been there recently?

 

 

Yes both wife and I have and we were not asked about Travel Insurance or validity of Passport. I have understood that your Passport has to be at least 6 month life on it AFTER you return . . . not whilst you are away. Also anyone travelling anywhere without valid Travel Insurance these days needs their head read. But to answer  your questions . . . never questioned at all by anyone.

On 3/16/2019 at 2:56 AM, rollingjay said:

We were on the Ruby in December and were allowed to board the ship but had to wait in and around the Horizon court until 1:00 to go to our room.  Has anyone been on recently and are they still making people wait till 1:00?

You usually get a letter or email to tell you when to be at the wharf and at what time for your deck loading. If you arrive early then you have to wait as your room may not be quite ready, and you want your room nice and clean, don't you?

Have heard a lot of unfavourable comments about the Sun Princess lately from this forum and other forums and I would like some genuine comments as to what the ship is really like today.

The reason is I have booked to cruise on her in March of next year and it is cruising to a area that is very popular and it is one cruise that I never been on before, although I have cruised many times with Princess.

I have heard that she is a rust bucket and that the ship has toilet problems overflowing and continuous smells (sewerage) throughout the ship.

I have also heard great reports about the ship, the staff and the food. I hope that the bad reports are just whinging people who did not get what seat they wanted in the Theatre or had to line up to get into a restaurant or could not get a lounge chair on deck when they wanted them. You have these whingers on every cruise no matter what ship or cruise you go on. I wish they would stay away from cruising altogether.

Sailaway John

On 11/16/2018 at 7:32 PM, kate59 said:

Just another question for Sailaway John, can we still get holes punched in the cruise card on Majestic or do they provide the clear plastic folder to go on the lanyard.

 

 

No they are a different type of cruise card now and I do not think you would want to punch them. May damage the code. They are just a tap and enter card.

Having recently been on the Majestic, we had no theme nights that I can remember and we were looking out for them. Some special nights on top deck but actually there style.

Enjoyed your report and the photos . . . Thanks.

Thanks for the reply.

Can you tell me if there is an Platinum/Elite/Suite area set up for pre-dinner drinks as per the larger ships?

Thanks for that info, but what about the staterooms, have they had any upgrade, especially carpet in hallways, mattresses in the bedrooms.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Who has been on the Sun Princess recently? Has she had any work done on her recently. Reason for asking is that I am planning a cruise from Perth back to Sydney and would like to have a pleasant cruise without anything leaking or rusty balconies.

Both wife and I are considering cruising on the Sun Princess from Perth back to Sydney. We have cruised on the Sun before, a few years ago,  but would like to know what condition is the ship in now. We prefer a balcony and have heard that the Sun recently underwent dry dock facilities. What did they do? and how is the ship?. Would be interested to hear from anyone who has travelled on her recently.

Thank you

Sailaway John

By the way, Karryl. Can you send me some photos of the cruise if you can as I have had a accident with my camera. The Card got damaged and I cannot get the photos off it. Thanks..

We had a wonderful cruise.

The worst complaint I heard onboard from passengers was the ship was too big.

Just think of it as opportunity to walk off all all those extra sweets. :D

 

Enjoy the shows thay are out of this world.

Thanks Karryl and Warren . . . you have made my day.

Greetings SailawayJohn and Mrs Sailaway,

Had a great time playing trivia with you.

We enjoyed ourselves so much I would count it as a win even though we did not win any ship prizes.

We too had a fantastic cruise and I have a few tips to add to John's review.

 

 

The Fantastic Journey and Fiere are the pick of the shows. I would say they are the best I have seen at sea.

For Fiere try to get a seat in the middle row as when they are on the roller coaster this is best viewed from the middle.

For Fantastic Journey don't sit too near the stage (front 10 rows) as the side walls at the front of the theatre are part of the show. To get your pick of seats you need to get there 1 hour before. If you arrive half an hour before you are risking not being able to sit together.

 

 

 

When there is an art auction on get to the morning trivia in the Vista lounge extra early on sea days as seats will be limited.

They put the art work along the side wings of the room and it takes up a lot of room.

 

 

After trivia (on sea days) if you go for a coffee straight away head for Le Mer as it is easy to find seats here at this time. You can easily take snacks from the Internation Cafe up here.

If you want a quiet place to sit and have a talk with friends during the day the Conners Bay is a great place to catch up.

We could always get a seat here during the day.

 

 

Make sure you go outside for one of the sailaways from a port just as the ship is leaving and listen out. You never know what you will hear.

 

 

 

Thanks John and Eileen for all the work you put into the Meet and Greet. The best one we have been to.

 

 

Karryl and Warren

I would suggest the Hollywood Conservatory for the quite time and/or the Wake View Bar area at the aft of the ship for a great view and great service.

We are going on The Majestic in December, one of the negatives that i have been reading is the difficulty in finding a quiet place for a coffee etc , did you find this?. Also i love a lounge area where you can have a drink in a comfy couch or chair which would be the best lounge area for this ?

 

 

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Look forward to that. Let me know when.

Hi John a good review and i’m moving to Wauchope very soon so we’ll have to meet you in Port for a coffee and I’ll bring Chez and Deb too

 

 

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On this cruise I had organised a Meet & Greet and 84 participants had agreed to attend, but some had other special places to be and we ended up with 76 in total . . as far as I was concerned that was a great turn-out. I sent out invitations to the Captain, Cruise Director and other Senior Staff and all attended and spoke to the group. We arranged a Cabin Crawl to be done on the next day which was the first sea day and thanks to all you volunteered their cabins we were able to visit all different types of cabins . . . Suites, Mini-suites, Balconies, Inside, aft and forward . . . Thank you everybody.

Now the review:

Embarkation . . .

After arriving at Sydney Airport from Port Macquarie we were escorted to a waiting Princess transfer bus that took us straight down to the Embarkation Wharf at Circular Quay and it was our first full sighting of the Majestic Princess. Boy what a ship . . . huge. We were directed to the Priority Boarding line (we are Elite Passengers) and soon were heading for the Registration Desk to get our cruise cards. It was at this point that we struck a little problem. Eileen received her card with no problem but apparently they had lost mine, so after searching everywhere they issued me with a temporary cruise card that would get me on board but not to the cabin area. Once on board I was stopped by Security and told to wait until the Purser’s Desk could check and print out another cruise card for me as their computer terminal had gone down. After three-quarters of an hour and very much apologising from the crew and ship’s officers, I eventually got my card and was allowed to proceed to my cabin where Eileen was already waiting for me. We had a Balcony Cabin on Port Side Aft and it was very nice and as expected was tidy, very clean and fresh. I checked for our little “Freebees” that Elite Passengers get and found that they were all in their right places and it looked like we were ready to sail.

By the way we were celebrating our 59th Wedding Anniversary and my Birthday on board this cruise.

The Ship . . .

The ship can carry 3560 Passengers with a crew of 1345. There are 36 Suites, 306 Mini Suites, 360 Deluxe Balcony Cabins, 732 Balcony Cabins and 342 Inside Cabins. Please note there are no Ocean View cabins on this ship.There are 20 Decks and the ship has 2 gigantic anchors. The ship is propelled by 2 huge propellers.

The ship was launched in 2017 . . . The Captain was Captain Dino Sagani.

After Two Sea Day we started at our Ports of Call . . .

The night before the first port of call, which was Noumea, we went to the Crown Grill, a Speciality Restaurant on board, and had a great evening. The food was excellent. Service was great.

Our first port of call was Noumea. Noumea is a perfect combination of South Pacific hospitality and European elegance. Although we had been here before we decided to do an excursion and decided on the Noumea Sights and Anse Vata Beach Break. In our opinion not worth the money and quite disappointed in the excursion. This excursion went for 4 hours.

The next port of call was Mystery Island. Apparently this Island is uninhabited and the islanderss who live on adjoining islands come across to Mystery Island to set up stalls only when the ship are expected. Went ashore and walked around the tiny island, had a look at the airstrip that the American Forces made and used in World War II. I think this airfield could still be used today. Got sand in our toes and had a refreshing time. The weather has been great for the entire voyage so far.

Sea Day today so went to the usual Trivia, then to the Enrichment Programme which was about “The Golden Age of Pirates”, did other miscellaneous things around the ship but after dinner we went to the Princess Theatre show which was The Princess Entertainer of Year winner Nathan Foley . . . wasn’t too bad but the next show in the Vista Lounge was very good and entertaining and that was the Marriage Match Gameshow.

Suva today, 21st September and my Birthday. I was 21 again and I felt like 25. Did not take a ship’s excursions as we have been here many times before and we decided to just hop on the free shuttle and walk around the shopping area. Some things had changed but not many and the city was still quite dusty, noisy and full of people hurrying from place to place. Headed back to the ship for lunch and then to the Vista Lounge for the movie “The Death of Stalin”, which was a disaster and we walked out just in time to get to the start of Afternoon Trivia. At this point I would like to mention our Trivia Team . . . Karryl and Warren, Terry and Bernadette and Eileen & John. We didn’t win any major prizes but we had fun.

We had bookings at Harmony Restaurant as a treat for my Birthday and it was fantastic. The food was just so plentiful that we could not eat it all. The staff were excellent and the atmosphere was very, very Chinese. Highly recommend.

Caught a bit of the “Mercury Rising” (Freddie Mercury) show but it was completely full up so decided not to wait till the late show and did other things about the ship . . . cocktails, etc. and watched the goings on in the Piazza.

Lautoka

The forecast for today was around the 27c and we had an excursion to the “Land of the Giants” and the Orchids that grow near this spot. The gardens were very lovely and we walked throughout the circular pathways and the orchid collection. Some of the orchids were amazing and after hearing about the “Black Orchid” we were intrigued to see where it was. Well we asked and it was pointed out us but it was a surprise . . . it was a white orchid with very small black flowers right in the centre of the flower. We were looking for a complete black orchid. After the excursion we went back to the ship for Afternoon Trivia!!!! Tonight was the “Hot Latin Nights Deck Party”.

Another Sea Day today and tomorrow we arrive at Lifou

Lifou

First of all, the island looks different – less pine trees, higher cliffs. Secondly, there are no expensive resorts awaiting you, hardly any tourists are staying overnight (although you can, if you want to, stay overnight in basic, more traditional accommodation). People on Lifou Island go by their everyday business, and on days that a cruise ship arrives they pack their traditional clothes, their home cooked meals and their imported cheap souvenirs and welcome the day guests at the tender boat pier near Easo. Once the cruise ship departs, life returns back to its normal, quiet self until the next influx of 1,000 or so tourists arrive for one day only. Most people in Lifou live in modest houses these days, however, some of them still have a traditional hut in their yard which is sometimes open for visitors. if you want to be able to wade into the water safely, consider using reef shoes or other shoes that you can use in the water.

Back to the ship for that famous game . . . Trivia. That was after we attempted to watch a movie in the Vista Lounge called “The Female Brain” . . . another terrible movie.

The next two days were Sea Days . . .

With all the activities that are on board we started off with the “Paper Plane Competition” then we went to morning Trivia followed later on to the “Explorers - Mapping Australia’s Coastline Enrichment Programme”. Then later in the afternoon we went to see the “Scrap Heap Boat Building Finals” which were done in windy conditions in the main pool area, then guess where to . . . Trivia.

After dinner we attended one of the best show we have seen and that was “Fiere”. What a show, the costumes, the sets, the singing, everything was as you would expect from a full Broadway/Vegas show. After this show we went to the Simon McKinney Show which was a mixture of comedy and voice impressions. Very good. I must mention at this point that we did see another show earlier in the cruise, “Fantastic Journey”. It was really good, colourful, and we recommend it.

Our last day at sea and the day before arriving back in Australia and apart from going to Trivia we went to the Enrichment Presentation which was “Famous Shipwrecks of the Australian Coast” . . . very interesting. We then went and saw the final of the Egg Drop Comp and surprisingly not one egg was broken when dropped from 3 decks above.

Back to our cabins and we had to start packing so that before dinner we could put out our bags so they could be collected for disembarkation tomorrow.

Disembarkation . . .

This sad episode of the cruise went extremely well and we were off the ship within the hour after having our numbers called and we then met up with the transfer bus to take us to the airport. Our cruise was over.

It was a great cruise and we met many nice people. We had a great turn-out for the Meet & Greet that was organised and Princess put on a great venue for us the Hollywood Conservatory. The exclusive Lounge set aside for the Elite, Suite and Platinum passengers was well attended and the pre-dinner complimentary hors d’oeuvres were excellent, changing every night. Last but not least on the two Sundays whilst on the ship we attended Interdenominational Church Services which were conducted by our Cruise Director, Andrew Kadillac. Thank you Andrew for a job well done.

We would highly recommend cruising on this magnificent ship . . . The Majestic Princess.

Sailaway John

On this cruise I had organised a Meet & Greet and 84 participants had agreed to attend, but some had other special places to be and we ended up with 76 in total . . as far as I was concerned that was a great turn-out. I sent out invitations to the Captain, Cruise Director and other Senior Staff and all attended and spoke to the group. We arranged a Cabin Crawl to be done on the next day which was the first sea day and thanks to all you volunteered their cabins we were able to visit all different types of cabins . . . Suites, Mini-suites, Balconies, Inside, aft and forward . . . Thank you everybody.

Now the review:

Embarkation . . .

After arriving at Sydney Airport from Port Macquarie we were escorted to a waiting Princess transfer bus that took us straight down to the Embarkation Wharf at Circular Quay and it was our first full sighting of the Majestic Princess. Boy what a ship . . . huge. We were directed to the Priority Boarding line (we are Elite Passengers) and soon were heading for the Registration Desk to get our cruise cards. It was at this point that we struck a little problem. Eileen received her card with no problem but apparently they had lost mine, so after searching everywhere they issued me with a temporary cruise card that would get me on board but not to the cabin area. Once on board I was stopped by Security and told to wait until the Purser’s Desk could check and print out another cruise card for me as their computer terminal had gone down. After three-quarters of an hour and very much apologising from the crew and ship’s officers, I eventually got my card and was allowed to proceed to my cabin where Eileen was already waiting for me. We had a Balcony Cabin on Port Side Aft and it was very nice and as expected was tidy, very clean and fresh. I checked for our little “Freebees” that Elite Passengers get and found that they were all in their right places and it looked like we were ready to sail.

By the way we were celebrating our 59th Wedding Anniversary and my Birthday on board this cruise.

The Ship . . .

The ship can carry 3560 Passengers with a crew of 1345. There are 36 Suites, 306 Mini Suites, 360 Deluxe Balcony Cabins, 732 Balcony Cabins and 342 Inside Cabins. Please note there are no Ocean View cabins on this ship.There are 20 Decks and the ship has 2 gigantic anchors. The ship is propelled by 2 huge propellers.

The ship was launched in 2017 . . . The Captain was Captain Dino Sagani.

After Two Sea Day we started at our Ports of Call . . .

The night before the first port of call, which was Noumea, we went to the Crown Grill, a Speciality Restaurant on board, and had a great evening. The food was excellent. Service was great.

Our first port of call was Noumea. Noumea is a perfect combination of South Pacific hospitality and European elegance. Although we had been here before we decided to do an excursion and decided on the Noumea Sights and Anse Vata Beach Break. In our opinion not worth the money and quite disappointed in the excursion. This excursion went for 4 hours.

The next port of call was Mystery Island. Apparently this Island is uninhabited and the islanderss who live on adjoining islands come across to Mystery Island to set up stalls only when the ship are expected. Went ashore and walked around the tiny island, had a look at the airstrip that the American Forces made and used in World War II. I think this airfield could still be used today. Got sand in our toes and had a refreshing time. The weather has been great for the entire voyage so far.

Sea Day today so went to the usual Trivia, then to the Enrichment Programme which was about “The Golden Age of Pirates”, did other miscellaneous things around the ship but after dinner we went to the Princess Theatre show which was The Princess Entertainer of Year winner Nathan Foley . . . wasn’t too bad but the next show in the Vista Lounge was very good and entertaining and that was the Marriage Match Gameshow.

Suva today, 21st September and my Birthday. I was 21 again and I felt like 25. Did not take a ship’s excursions as we have been here many times before and we decided to just hop on the free shuttle and walk around the shopping area. Some things had changed but not many and the city was still quite dusty, noisy and full of people hurrying from place to place. Headed back to the ship for lunch and then to the Vista Lounge for the movie “The Death of Stalin”, which was a disaster and we walked out just in time to get to the start of Afternoon Trivia. At this point I would like to mention our Trivia Team . . . Karryl and Warren, Terry and Bernadette and Eileen & John. We didn’t win any major prizes but we had fun.

We had bookings at Harmony Restaurant as a treat for my Birthday and it was fantastic. The food was just so plentiful that we could not eat it all. The staff were excellent and the atmosphere was very, very Chinese. Highly recommend.

Caught a bit of the “Mercury Rising” (Freddie Mercury) show but it was completely full up so decided not to wait till the late show and did other things about the ship . . . cocktails, etc. and watched the goings on in the Piazza.

Lautoka

The forecast for today was around the 27c and we had an excursion to the “Land of the Giants” and the Orchids that grow near this spot. The gardens were very lovely and we walked throughout the circular pathways and the orchid collection. Some of the orchids were amazing and after hearing about the “Black Orchid” we were intrigued to see where it was. Well we asked and it was pointed out us but it was a surprise . . . it was a white orchid with very small black flowers right in the centre of the flower. We were looking for a complete black orchid. After the excursion we went back to the ship for Afternoon Trivia!!!! Tonight was the “Hot Latin Nights Deck Party”.

Another Sea Day today and tomorrow we arrive at Lifou

Lifou

First of all, the island looks different – less pine trees, higher cliffs. Secondly, there are no expensive resorts awaiting you, hardly any tourists are staying overnight (although you can, if you want to, stay overnight in basic, more traditional accommodation). People on Lifou Island go by their everyday business, and on days that a cruise ship arrives they pack their traditional clothes, their home cooked meals and their imported cheap souvenirs and welcome the day guests at the tender boat pier near Easo. Once the cruise ship departs, life returns back to its normal, quiet self until the next influx of 1,000 or so tourists arrive for one day only. Most people in Lifou live in modest houses these days, however, some of them still have a traditional hut in their yard which is sometimes open for visitors. if you want to be able to wade into the water safely, consider using reef shoes or other shoes that you can use in the water.

Back to the ship for that famous game . . . Trivia. That was after we attempted to watch a movie in the Vista Lounge called “The Female Brain” . . . another terrible movie.

The next two days were Sea Days . . .

With all the activities that are on board we started off with the “Paper Plane Competition” then we went to morning Trivia followed later on to the “Explorers - Mapping Australia’s Coastline Enrichment Programme”. Then later in the afternoon we went to see the “Scrap Heap Boat Building Finals” which were done in windy conditions in the main pool area, then guess where to . . . Trivia.

After dinner we attended one of the best show we have seen and that was “Fiere”. What a show, the costumes, the sets, the singing, everything was as you would expect from a full Broadway/Vegas show. After this show we went to the Simon McKinney Show which was a mixture of comedy and voice impressions. Very good. I must mention at this point that we did see another show earlier in the cruise, “Fantastic Journey”. It was really good, colourful, and we recommend it.

Our last day at sea and the day before arriving back in Australia and apart from going to Trivia we went to the Enrichment Presentation which was “Famous Shipwrecks of the Australian Coast” . . . very interesting. We then went and saw the final of the Egg Drop Comp and surprisingly not one egg was broken when dropped from 3 decks above.

Back to our cabins and we had to start packing so that before dinner we could put out our bags so they could be collected for disembarkation tomorrow.

Disembarkation . . .

This sad episode of the cruise went extremely well and we were off the ship within the hour after having our numbers called and we then met up with the transfer bus to take us to the airport. Our cruise was over.

It was a great cruise and we met many nice people. We had a great turn-out for the Meet & Greet that was organised and Princess put on a great venue for us the Hollywood Conservatory. The exclusive Lounge set aside for the Elite, Suite and Platinum passengers was well attended and the pre-dinner complimentary hors d’oeuvres were excellent, changing every night. Last but not least on the two Sundays whilst on the ship we attended Interdenominational Church Services which were conducted by our Cruise Director, Andrew Kadillac. Thank you Andrew for a job well done.

We would highly recommend cruising on this magnificent ship . . . The Majestic Princess.

Thanks CheznAndyfor all the info you have been supplying while on your cruise. I am about to board when you get off and look forward to the Meet & Greet of over 84 that I have booked in - if they all turn up. You have given great explanations and some great comments re activities. Of all the big ships we have been on we hope this ship does not disappoint. Once again thanks for all the expertrise you have shown.

Sailaway John - Port Macquarie:):):)

Yes we are in the cabana....whoohoi!!

Just met some lovely people( yes we left the curtain open) they just boarded and are on the two nights then the next one and have a sideways inside for the two nighter then the cabin above ours for the next cruise.

They are popping in to see our cabin after their muster, then showing us theirs so a mini cabin crawl!!

 

 

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Yes re the Cabana situation I think that the people in the cabanas are Inside Cabin passengers who have upgraded themselves to outside cabins. Totally unfair and un-Australian. May cause some problems.

I'm loving your review of the Majestic Princess Cheryl. Thanks so much for all the info you are providing. The cabana situation is intriguing me! I hope you and Andy enjoy the remainder of the cruise.

 

 

Leigh

Thanks for your great reports. JUst to let you know that we have had a little rain here in Port and Wauchope which should have kept your garden going. Looking forward to getting on board. We will be cabin C702 so if you know of anyone in that cabin please tell them to look after it for us. ONce again, thanks for your reports.

Sailaway John

quote=cheznandy;56945878]Hey guys, me again. Nothing much to report, a lovely sea day yesterday catching up with friends and snoozing. Another formal night and a full dining room.

Singapore today, overcast but only light rain this morning and hot.

We took the MRT with a few friends, had coffee on the waterfront, a riverboat cruise, had a fish spa, that got a few laughs, then the Singapore Flyer, which we hadn't done before.

Made our way to Lau Pa Sat for some great cheap food and a couple of beers, back onboard with a couple of hours to spare.

Took a swim at the Hollywood club pool and will enjoy sailaway from our balcony.

Tomorrow is the Crossing the Equator ceremony. It's the first time this ship has crossed the Equator the Captain said, and there are alot of staff to initiate.

Captain Dino Sagani takes over the ship today. Hard to believe we are halfaway through this cruise today.

We have 4 seadays, then Darwin, four seadays then Brisbane, then two to Sydney. Alot will disembark in Brisbane.

Re people not liking this ship, I hear lots of people complaining on the ship about all sorts of things, lack of promenade, to much going on in the Piazza, it's too big etc. People will always complain.

We are missing the aft deck and pool of the other ships and missing Skywalkers so much, we usually go every evening for Elite drinks, but have only been twice on Majestic as the Vista lounge just doesnt have the same intimate feel, but we are not complaining to everyone who will listen as we knew these things were missing when we booked. It is what it is. Different.

We really have had no complaints, have had fabulous service, but we are polite and friendly to staff. We have heard how some speak to staff and they are just plain rude.

We are having a great time, have met wonderful people, enjoyed our ports and looking forward to sailing into Sydney.

*Captain Sagani just introduced himself before we sailaway, he is very excited to be back onboard, he has been with this ship from the beginning and it was built in his hometown.

From the Food and Beverage manager

The costs of drinks in the PES lounge in Vista of an afternoon will be $8.50AUD, instead of the $6.50 they are now. It was $6.50USD and all the menu/schedule paperwork had been delivered to rooms before they realised. It was left* at $6.50 for this cruise only, so a heads up to you all that are sailing soon.

Gotta go, we are on the move and my vodka lime and soda is waiting!!

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Great reading your posts, CheznAndy. Wanted to ask you about the Meet & Greet you had. I see it was in the Vista Lounge. How many did you originally have and how many turned up and do you know if the Captain and/or staff were invited. This info is for the M&G that I am organising on our cruise from the 15th Sept. We have over 84 registered and they have set aside the Conservatory for us. I also have invites for the Captain and/or staff together with the CD if any of them wish to come. Also how was the Cabin Crawl I heard you mention? Sorry for all the questions but time is getting close for us and you are experiencing the new ship right now. Thanks.;p:cool:

y

We were so tired last night after dinner, went to the aft deck at Wakeview bar, it was quite busy, but decided to sit on our balcony as we sailed out, then climbed into bed for the best nights sleep so far.

We ordered tea to our room and a sleep in, the balcony is hot,* we have the sun on our side in the mornings as we cruise down. We decided to skip breakfast this morning, neither of us feel hungry, so just tidying up a bit in the cabin, hard to believe this time last week were on a flight to Shanghai.

 

A coffee from Gong Cha, caught up with some friends sitting in Vines, catching up on yesterdays tours etc. While there, medical staff were called to the stairs in the Atrium, someone had had a fall, they covered the area with sheets so no one could see, but it appeared a woman had taken a fall. Those are the marble, curved stairs with different sized treads as it curves, tricky even for me who is able bodied.

Seen a woman with a big bruise on the side of here face, others in leg casts, some with legs bandaged and walking sticks, i think there have been a few falls.

Second night in a man collapsed outside the lifts, was lying on the floor unconscious, hopefully he has recovered.

 

Drinks in PES lounge, noticed they have taken the gaming tables out and replaced with small round silver tables. It was packed again, not a place we would frequent for the atmosphere, only for the $6.50 drinks. Prefer Skywalkers for sure.

 

We went to the 5.45pm show at 5.30pm and it was full, geez, what time do people get there, so that changed our plans as we had 2 hrs to fill in before our 7.45pm dinner in Concerto.

We sat in the Crown Grill bar listening the the guitarist/ singer, its a great atmosphere, very much like Crooners on other ships, there is a piano there as well.

*We decided to tell staff we would not be at Concerto tonight and have dinner earlier in Symphony as its Anytime all the time, but they told us to go on in as our usual table was available, how good are they??

 

Its Country night tonight, Buddy Holly show in the Princess theatre, 3 times slots, 5.45pm, 7.45pm and 9.45pm. We have retired early to finish a movie we started this afternoon.

Nha Trang in the morning, supposedly a 8am arrival. Paperwork on our bed this evening states Elites and Suite guests are to meet in Harmony restaurant for priority tendering.

 

 

Random thoughts....

 

They are offering shuttles in Brisbane, $20 p/p, drop off at Anzac Square and Anne st, begin at 8.30am till 4.30pm.

 

Sliding doors in cabins are really hard to open and close, therefore make heaps of noise slamming.

 

Missed the light show David, was having dinner, so not sure how well it could be seen from the ship at Kai Tak, but i am sure i will find* out!! Update, apparently there was no light show due to weather, told you i would find out haha

 

Re the internet, yes we have 500 minutes each free, i also had read that when logging on for the first time we may be offered unlimited for a fee, but no, we were not.

But i just type up my thoughts during the day, then just copy them to CC, i use Tapatalk and find it great for forums.

I am only online for 2 minutes at most, happy to say that 7 days in and have only used 150 of our combined 1000 minutes.

 

Re specialty dining venues, Harmony is $29 surcharge, Crown Grill which we thought was $29 is $35 and Le Mer is $45, friends went to Le Mer a couple of nights ago, were unimpressed so we will give it a miss for $90 per couple.

We have bookings for the Crown Grill and Harmony so will let you all know.

 

Janelle, i noticed you said you were trying to contact me, hopefully Mic has answered your queries, is there anything in particular you needed to know?

 

Just received details for Vietnam Visas, they are charging us $56, we do have two entries of Nha Trang and Vung Tau, but still expensive compared to other lines.

 

 

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