daydreamer16

I agree, a taxi is our best bet, thanks again!

Thanks for the info! We are arriving in Melbourne from a few days visiting Uluru. So I guess we'll be arriving at a domestic terminal. We are staying at the Melbourne Sheraton, on Little Collins St.

13 hours ago, possum52 said:

It would be metered. You would be unlikely to get a flat rate in a taxi to/from the airport unless you have a deal such as described above.

What about travel to & from the airport in Melbourne? We are going to be there for 4 days at the end of March. Thanks, Denise

Is that a flat rate or a metered fare?

44 minutes ago, Over from NZ said:

$60 to the CBD? That price hasn't changed for ages. That's a fair deal. 

22 hours ago, Mark_K said:

I think your time frame may be off. It wasn’t licensed for sale east of the Mississippi until the mid-80s. I remember going to a football game in Iowa in the early 80s and bringing back cases of it. 

Well, they had in New Jersey in 1976. It was a Pathmark supermarket, right off Rt.4. We would drive from NYC every 2 weeks for groceries & they had it in the refrigerated section!

4 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

At the time, Coors controlled distribution east of the Mississippi. So the concept was to bootleg a truckload of Coors from Texarkana and bring it to Georgia for a multimillionaire who wanted Coors. Of course then you throw in a crooked smalltown sheriff, Sally Fields running away from her wedding, a Trans Am running interference for the big rig, etc. But it all goes back to bootlegging Coors...

That's very cool, thanks for the back story!

Just now, markeb said:

 

The entire actual plot of Smokey and the Bandit...

Really? Never saw that, may have to now!

Not arguing -  especially since I am unable to drink Alcohol and haven't had  a beer since in College where we would pay a premium for Coors --  LOL -  I was on the East Coast. 

In the mid 70's we lived in Manhattan & would drive to New Jersey to buy Coors! At the time it was not sold in NYC & in New Jersey it was only sold refrigerated because it was so special. It was treated better than French champagne! 🤣

3 hours ago, KKB said:

I have a little pill container that contains my few prescription meds--blood pressure meds, estrogen & progesterone. (4 total)

When space is an issue, I put them in tiny baggies, labeled.

I have taken them to Europe, Caribbean & traveled domestically this way.

 

I see on the AUS government website it says they need to be in their original pill bottle.

Do you feel this is necessary? A couple bottles are large & a terrible waste of space.

Could I just clip a pic of each label to keep on my phone?

 

How about over the counter meds--are they OK in small labeled baggies?

Thanks for your help!

 

I've done the same thing, my DH takes a load of meds! Plus on our last Princess cruise in 2019 DH got a very bad case of the flu & we spent about $30 just on Tylenol since we were on a TA. Now we bring loads of OTC meds.

3 minutes ago, LIMPIT said:

Have you contact details for the taxi you contacted please 

I was in contact with Joseph from Jotours. He said we could not reserve in advance because the port has strict rules about that & it's first come, first served but that we should not have a problem as there are many drivers. He said we could arrange with a driver to come back & pick us up when we want to leave.

2 hours ago, LIMPIT said:

This equates to approx £73 per person, taking into consideration the facilities, lunch and drink offer, I think this looks great value.

Do you have to pay in advance to secure the booking ? 

They just wanted my info & said we would pay when we got there.

2 hours ago, LIMPIT said:

Thanks, would you mind sharing your experience after your cruise ? 

I sure will!

1 hour ago, LIMPIT said:

Can anyone confirm the price and what is included for the Hilton Day Pass, do they need booking in advance ? 
Thanks 

Yes I booked for my visit this coming April. My biggest concern is getting a taxi there & back. I did correspond with a taxi driver in Moorea & he assured me that there would be taxis available.

Just now, arxcards said:

As long as there isn't a line-up for taxis, once you leave the terminal it should be around 30 minutes max to the airport. Depending on your itinerary, the time it takes to get through immigration will vary greatly.

Thank you, we plan to walk off with our luggage & hope to be one of the first off!

We will be on the Celebrity Edge in March and need to catch a domestic flight out from Sydney. How long would a taxi ride be from OPT to the airport, this would be on a Sunday? We have an11:00am flight, it's the only direct flight that day. Normally we would not have cut it so close.

Thanks for your reply! Wow, never thought that the laundry would be closed for Noro! We are on for 3 weeks & that laundry will be piling up! LOL

On 1/12/2024 at 5:46 PM, dreams_of_travel said:

That is the opposite of my experience with the Taronga Zoo on 30th of October.  I wonder what changed between my visit and yours.  We saw all the animals, got a close up experience with the kangaroos, and quokkas in the kid area as well as got talk to one of the docents who was wonderful at explaining things.  The only thing not operating was the sky gondola.  It is disappointing to not have a good visit.  I was able to visit both San Diego zoo, and Taronga zoo last year, and I think I liked the Taronga one more.  YMMV

Thanks for your update, we have an overnight planned at the zoo in March. Also have been to the San Diego Zoo & that's quite a compliment!

On another subject, how did you enjoy the Grand Princess? We will board in April.

Thanks, Denise  

Yes

6 minutes ago, Tahitianbigkahuna said:

 

Sofitel is much further away ....

 

I would do the Hilton and the taxi driver you have to take you there ... pre-book a time for yuor return with the same drive. 

Thanks, the person that I have been in contact with at Hilton didn't make me feel confident in getting someone to come back. That's my concern, my next port is Honolulu😅

4 hours ago, Tahitianbigkahuna said:

 

Mega ships are almost always anchored in Opunohu Bay do to the depth. There usually are some taxis around. 

Thanks so much!  The Hilton won't arrange a round trip taxi but the Sofitel will so I may go with them. I'm just too worried about getting back to the ship.

I know that there was a change to the suite deposit. We have never booked a suite but are thinking about it for a special anniversary. What' the deal now?

Thanks

Also, are there ATM machines near where the tender docks? Will need local currency.

4 hours ago, cococruiser said:

Great thread! We are cruising in a couple of weeks. We are elite and this will be our first cruise without a package. It’s just my husband and I, if we were with friends (if they weren’t elite)  I think we’d need to take the package. It’s a 12 night cruise with around 6 days off the ship on excursions. I really don’t think the package would be worth it. We plan to take a bottle of wine on board each. We bought a few bottles of wine in the Black Friday sale for dinners. The other nights we will avail of the 20% elite wine discount.  We will use the HH each day that it’s available.  For the rest of the time, we will pay as we go. I think it will work for us as this cruise is more about touring. A new experience for 2 passengers who have only ever had the premium package!

Come back & let us know your experience!

Does anyone have experience with stops in New Zealand? We have a few winery tours on our trip. We probably won't buy much as we have the PBP and we are not going to bring it home either.

Thanks for your review, love the positivity!