Aussieflyer

ExpertFlyer shows the loadings under Seat Map:https://www.expertflyer.com You can sign up for a free account which gives a limited number of searches. The 80 hours is a moveable feast - sometimes it is earlier, sometimes later. It is when the seats which are blocked for higher level status holders are opened up to all.

Saffire Lodge is lovely - three (or even two) nights is fine there. Re the itineraries - the Bay of Islands (North Island) is lovely if the weather is good and the hole in the rock excursion is great. Napier is a lovely art deco town (Napier 'express' is great), Wellington is good. The South Island is perhaps more picturesque. We were on Muse in December and it was cold but we did get into Milford Sound (when we were on her in 2019 it was too rough and we missed it). If aiming for Tasmania - Hobart is quite nice but I've been to Burnie on cruise ships twice now and that is plenty! You really need a shore ex there as the town is very small).

Couldn't happen to a nicer chap 😁.

The best bag we ever received was on Azamara - a blue canvas tote with cream handles - it is over 15 years old and I still break it out when needed. The ones Princess gave out were not designed to last long at all.

When we were in Tauranga before Christmas, as others have said, the ship will dock at Mt Maunganui. We were on a ship's excursion so the bus picked us up from the dock, otherwise you could walk along the dock to the main gate, but this was about 600m as we were parked behind a RC ship. There was no shuttle into Tauranga (which was maybe 10-15 mins drive). But Mt Maunganui has the namesake mountain to walk around or up, and also quite a few eateries within walking distance of the port. The town used to be a separate town but once the bridge to Tauranga was built it has become a suburb. In Kaikoura we had to anchor on the 'wrong' side due to wind conditions and then a drive to meet the whale watching boat (The town was rushing around to get enough buses). From memory I think there was also shuttle bus into the town area but we didn't go there, just the whale watching excursion which was very good even though not prime whale migration season and there was two sightings of the sperm whale. A bonus was a huge pod of dolphins leaping and somersaulting.

And they did when we were there a few weeks ago. Drop off was at the Octagon. It took about 25 or so minutes. There was some building work in the city and access to the visitor centre was limited.

I seem to remember there was a 'find the duck' competition on Carnival in July - though somehow have the idea it was printed ducks and you wrote the location on the answer sheet -with (not sure) a ducky as a prize.

I love the Party - such an hilarious film!

According to my husband, I am the one who just 'disappears' - one minute I am right there with him and the next - voom, gone. I only stop or veer off a little to look at something and of course he keeps walking,😁

Happy New Year. Canberra started very grey and drear this morning but there is some blue sky around now. We watched the fireworks from our place last night but were well in bed before midnight. Canberra only did one fireworks show at 9pm so that made it an easy decision. Hope 2024 is all you wish it to be and brings joy and peace, thinking especially of those who are facing health or other challenges. J

And available on SBS on demand. Just watched it.....so funny.

I thought the Tattoo was on earlier in the week but is available on iView. I saw the War Horse puppet last night when there was a program looking back at the history of the Tattoo. It is probably available on iView as well. The live ABC concert is always a total waste of time watching IMO. Dinner for One is always hysterical, especially as we know what it coming.

Wishing all a very Happy New Year and a safe, happy and healthy 2024. We will be watching the 9pm fireworks from our place as we have a reasonable view and are pleased that Canberra is only having the early display this year so we don't feel bad going to bed before midnight.

Your MDR dishes look much better than what we had in July. It was one ship where the buffet was better than the MDR. Agree that Alchemy is by far the best bar on the ship. Interestingly the Piano Bar was basically dead every time we went past (even quite late).

I reckon it is almost impossible to get really good photos of whales as they mostly do look like floating lumps of wood. Exciting to see but hard to photograph. Love the SGHT fundraising auction idea.

Hopefully the small gift shop will be open - credit card (or English pounds). Like an idiot I did not take mine when we were there 4 years ago so couldn't purchase anything.☹️

So clever Geoff.

Merry Christmas to all from downtown Canberra. Will be a quite day for us, just the son and a friend for lunch tomorrow and mainly salads etc as we only got back from our Silver Muse cruise on Thursday. Wishing everyone smooth sailing, whether on the water or land, and good health (especially for those we know who are ailing). Fair winds to all. Jenny 🎄

I sometimes don't even bother with the oven/airfryer and microwave only. Pastry can be a bit soft but that's fine, my teeth are old!

Ah so that is a bit different so could have been some issue identified at the end of the last cruise.

Strange though that these pax had non-allocated guarantee cabins when they arrived to board. I have only done guarantee a couple of times and always had the cabin number weeks before sailing. I wonder about something unforeseen as I would have thought that the pax would have already known their cabin numbers.

From an earlier post, it seemed to be at the terminal - ie they were ready to board - and the letter was given to 13 couples. That is pretty poor IMO - a week or more should be minimum especially for those who have to travel.

Wow - we had heavy rain on Wednesday but has been only off and on rain since then. Friends down the coast have had much more than us. Hopefully will have dried off a bit by now.

True for you but I am from CBR and when cruising from OPT always go the day before and stay close to CQ - so more convenient for me. Obviously not for you. When embarking from MEL usually take the tram from the city (stay in the CBD) but then it is a bit of a hike from the end of the line to the pier. Taxi would make it easier.🙂

Sydney has the Opera House which is a wonderful venue for opera (not so keen on the concert hall barn), and we go there for that a few times a year, but for a weekend away, Melbourne is usually the one. Maybe as we originally came from there but there are no real family left there but we find it easier to navigate and mostly stay in the CBD which is better than Sydney IMO. Embarking from Melbourne is nowhere near as convenient as the OPT though.