Emma Chisit

Go to the Princess website. Scroll down to bottom of page. Under “Ships and Experience” click on “FAQ: Onboard Experience” which gives you this link: https://www.princess.com/learn/faq/onboard/onboard-experience/ Click on “Stateroom Services” where it says: Tipping is not required or charged to your onboard account when sailing on a Princess ship that departs and returns to Australia and/or operates with Australian currency onboard (please refer to Onboard Currency.) You are welcome to reward our onboard crew for exceptional service, however, tipping is not required. For all other Princess ships, to simplify the tipping process for our guests, a discretionary crew incentive of $16.50 per guest for suites, $15.50 per guest for mini-suites and $14.50 per guest (including children) in all other staterooms, per day, is automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. The crew incentive is a daily (adjustable) amount added to your onboard account and pooled in order to recognize the many crew members in the Bar, Dining, Entertainment, Housekeeping, Guest Services, Galley and Onboard Revenue areas and entertainment areas throughout our fleet who contribute to the guest experience.  A 18% service charge added to bar charges, dining room wine accounts, and Lotus Spa® services. This is shared amongst the beverage staff, their support staff and Lotus Spa® personnel. Under “Onboard Currency” in same list of FAQs it says: All prices onboard Coral Princess®, Majestic Princess®, and Grand Princess® cruises departing from and returning to Australia, one way Sydney to Auckland and vice versa and repositioning voyages from Asia to Australia and vice versa are in Australian Dollars. Prices onboard all other Princess Cruises ships including Princess cruises repositioning from USA to Australia (including sector on repositioning sailing Auckland to Sydney and vice versa) Regal Princess® repositioning from Europe/Asia to Australia and Diamond Princess® cruises departing from and returning to Japan are in US Dollars.

This was just added to the Courier Mail website as part of a longer article about Covid stats in QLD.: "Authorities have confirmed an Covid-19 outbreak on a cruise ship currently docked in Brisbane. Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said authorities were aware of cases on the Coral Princess cruise ship, which carries 2600 passengers and had been docked in Port Douglas in the state’s far north on Thursday. Ms D’Ath said anyone due to embark in Brisbane today had been informed of the outbreak and could make “personal decisions as to whether they want to go on board or not”. “There were protocols put in place as to what would occur if there was an outbreak (and) we are seeing an outbreak,” she said. “Some of those the passengers are being removed. “They have chosen to isolate either home or in other accommodation. And we’ve supported them in doing that.” It comes as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed that 782 are being treated in hospital for Covid-19, with another 104 people treated for flu. Queenslanders aged 65 and older are being “strongly encouraged” to don masks in crowded spaces and everyone is being urged to get their fourth shot. Ms Palaszczuk said 91 per cent of all deaths in the state with Covid-19 were people aged 65 or older. “If you’re 65 and over, seriously, okay. Get that full dose, but also to strongly encourage you if you’re in that age bracket, seniors in our community to think about wearing masks in crowded spaces.”

Agree - and hope someone from Princess reads these threads because they seem to have better wine offerings on their overseas cruises. Also thanks for the wine tips!

Thanks it sounds good. I just looked it up because not familiar with Makepeace. ( Not precious but I tend to stick with whites because I often get headaches from reds so has made me a bit risk-averse. Actually used to prefer reds) We are doing a short Coral Princess cruise in October in the same cabin we booked for next year's world cruise. Booked as a try-out for the cabin - but might end up being a try-out for the wine!😀 Frankly the thought of 107 days with that selection of wines depresses us both, and DH drinks anything.

Thanks OzKiwiJJ for posting all this information. The wine by the glass selection for those with a Plus package is depressing, especially for predominantly white wine drinkers like me. I hope it improves, Princess clearly is able to offer a better selection overseas. This was posted on the main Princess board from a Majestic Princess cruise in March 2022. https://profcruise.com/oceannow-delivery-menu-2022/ The same blogger also posted a selection of beverage menus collected from multiple Princess ships in May 2022: https://profcruise.com/princess-bar-and-drink-menus-2022/ Again, a lot more variety than is being offered on the current Coral Princess cruises.

Yes they have excellent wines, and they don't always make it to the US. (I lived in Northern VA for 17 years.) With O's wine policy you should be able to clink your way on board with a few bottles in the three Tasmanian ports.

I just hope that the early cruises continue to follow stricter protocols for the time being. Given the nervousness about cruising in some parts of the Australian community. The live report from Pacific Explorer (Post #252 on page 11) indicates they have certain protocols - but that they are not necessarily always being enforced. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2855548-live-from-pacific-explorer-31st-may-australia-is-cruising-again/page/11/ I've been following overseas cruises since their re-start last year. They started with strict protocols, then things were relaxed and more cases happened.

Yes I see - just looked her up. I think Regatta is in the same neck of the woods, but she is coming to Australia via Japan not Pacific islands like Westerdam. Japan might be a challenge for the Oceania ship. The Tasmanian government might be somewhat cautious but the Japanese government seems more so.

Where is Westerdam at the moment? Regatta still has to do her repositioning cruise from Los Angeles to Sydney. She comes via Japan - and Japan is definitely not open to cruise ships as yet. .

Aren't we all! But also interested in what is going to happen with Tasmania opening up to cruise ships as we are on the Oceania Regatta circumnavigation from Sydney on 12 December which has three Tasmanian ports. So I am following Pacific Explorer with fingers crossed, ditto Coral Princess when she starts cruising. No problems I hope.

We are on your cruise for the Sydney to Brisbane segment. It's a trial as we got the same cabin as we booked for next year's world cruise. Have been reading your roll call.

Not listed on Tasports site however; that only goes till end of June.

Good question. Earliest port stop I could find was Burnie on 5 November for Coral Princess.

Tasmanian Ports website - cruise ship schedules are not listed at the moment. Only small ships (under 100 passengers) with Tasmania-only itineraries are currently allowed. See: https://www.tasports.com.au/cruise