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I'm not sure if I heard this correctly or not, but last night when the Police Commissioner was being interviewed in relation to the repatriation of some crew from Ruby Princess he thundered that anyone whose visa had expired were going to get sent off to Villawood!

How is it the fault of the crew if any of them have expired visas?  It's not as if they have deliberately overstayed  - they hardly had a choice.  Besides, if there are visa issues with some crew then I would think this would be the jurisdiction of Border Force.

In relation to the news item abut the naval vessels, it's definitely gone way under the radar.  There's been a couple of items on line but not much else.  Not much shock and awe value!

I saw Queen Elizabeth sailing past Caloundra yesterday afternoon heading north and on Monday it was one of the Carnival ships.  The shipping channel brings the ships very close to shore here but normally cruise ships enter the channel either in the early hours of the morning when heading to Brisbane or around 8pm when leaving so I don't often see them.  It's quite a surprise to look up and see a large cruise ship sailing by in broad daylight.

Very strange knowing there is only crew on board instead a lot of excited passengers.

Off topic I know, but Sea Princess is currently on the move headed in what looks to be a NE direction.

Pacfic Dawn arrived on Sunday and is anchored off Caloundra and it was joined on Monday by one of the Sun Class ships - not sure which one.

As I type, Azamara has entered the shipping channel just off Caloundra and north Bribie Is which would indicate it's heading to port.  I wonder if they are reprovisioning/bunkering or making a medical stop? 

Seadog you just beat me to it😄

One of the possible reasons for no information on excursions in Samoa is due to the severe outbreak of measles over the last few months.  Sadly, over 70 people (mainly children) have died and thousands have been infected and if memory serves me correctly the Government declared a state of emergency.  There has been a mass vaccination campaign to try to stop the infection.

Therefore, I suspect the cruise lines are waiting to see what the situation is closer to the time of their arrival.

Fiji and Tonga are also now experiencing issues with measles and just last week passengers on Maasdam were not permitted to disembark in Fiji (I can't remember which port) unless they were born before 1956 or had proof of vaccination against measles.

Hopefully, by the time you cruise the outbreak will be done and dusted.

Sorry, I forgot to mention taking a ship's tour to Australia Zoo.  Of course Possum52 is correct, as if you are on a ship sponsored tour it takes the stress our of any traffic problems.

I have  read where passengers complain about not getting enough time at the zoo but if you decide what is a priority and head there straight away you will make the most of the time available.

Have a look at the Australia Zoo website as there is a map to help you plan your day.

If your day in Brisbane is on a schedule i.e. you have to be at the airport in the evening or back on board the ship by say 4pm I wouldn't chance Australia Zoo.

I travel up and down to Brisbane regularly from the Sunshine Coast (Australia Zoo is located about 30 minutes from where I live) and the traffic is heavy in both directions most of the time.  If there is an accident on the highway the traffic can be horrendous and the delays significant and you run the risk of not making it back to Brisbane in time.

If you aren't on any schedule then Australia Zoo is fantastic.  My grandson loves it and we spend around 4 hours there (after which time I've had enough) and we still haven't seen everything.

The drive there is about 1 hour 30 each way if the trip is straightforward.  Not sure when you will be in Brisbane but Sunday afternoons in summer returning to Brisbane the traffic can be very, very heavy.  Ditto for holiday weekends.

I don't want to sound negative, as you could travel up and down to and from the zoo without a hitch but you do need to be aware of the traffic issues as any hiccup could ruin your day!

I hope you have a great day in Brisbane whatever you decide.

We were there in 2014 and really loved it but you do need to do a tour.

At the time we went, we had previously tried to organise a private tour but had no success so we went on a ship's tour which turned out to be fantastic.

We travelled up into the mountains (views amazing!) to Piton de la Fournaise (excuse spelling but I would have to dig out my paperwork for correct spelling).

This area is volcanic and the scenery is like what you would imagine on Mars.

On the return trip the scenery was more like Europe with lovely gardens and cute houses.  We were dropped off in St Denis for an hour or so before returning to the port.

Those guests who didn't do a tour and instead just got the shuttle to St Denis were disappointed.  We were a bit fortunate as we had seen a documentary on Reunion a couple of years before we went so had some idea of what the island had to offer.

Taxis are very expensive too so that's another reason to go with the ship on this occasion.

I would definitely recommend a trip to the volcano area.

I hope you have a great day there!

Happy days!  😀 Our favourite Princess ship (along with Ocean Princess when she was still in the fleet).  We used to sail on Pacific when she was last based in Sydney and were so disappointed the she was replaced.

I realise she's not for everyone but for those who like the smaller ships she's ideal.  We were last on board in 2017 and loved it.  Can't wait for bookings to open  - then decisions, decisions. 

Just be aware that in December/January the breeze blows onshore in Jimbaran/Seminyak and as such tends to blow in plastic bags and debris on to the beach and swimming is less than optimal.  Even if there is no rubbish in the water, it's still not so good for swimming as the water tends to be rougher.  Of course, it may not happen and be as calm as a lake but it's something to consider.  

We have stayed in Jimbaran in December a couple of years ago at the Intercontinental which is a lovely hotel but found the swimming less than pleasant unlike previous trips to Bali at different times of the year.

My son goes every year and is staying at a lovely hotel in Seminyak called the Bandha which is quite new.  Seminyak though is very, very busy although there are tons of hotels/ restaurants and shops so can be crazy.  He also reports that the wind is blowing in a bit or detritus.  

I realise beach time is only one of your considerations but at the time of year you are travelling, Nusa Dua may be a better option.    

We live on the coast in South East Queensland and have only had a few showers so you can see that the effect of the ex Cyclone can be variable.  It did have an effect on some of the beaches around here though as the water was rough and there were lots of rips forming so it wasn't safe for swimming.  Apart from that, and the fact the skies are overcast (mostly), we haven't had an adverse conditions.

Smalltowner - you mentioned going to Colo-I-Suva National Park in your previous post.

You might want to do a bit of research here as I don't recall there was much to see at the area that taxis were dropping folks off.  There are lovely fresh water pools with waterfalls BUT it is a hike down to them and definitely not for people with mobility issues.  The track was very narrow with lots of tree roots and it was steeply downhill.  Of course, the return was uphill although on a different track.

There may well be other parts of the National Park worth seeing that doesn't involve a hike but best to check it out rather than be disappointed.

A little bit more info regarding Lautoka and Apia.

From the dock in Lautoka it's about a 20 minute walk into town although the ship usually has a shuttle service.  There are ATMs in town as well as in some of the larger hotels.  The preferred currency in Lautoka is FJD.  Taxis are non-metered so agree on a price before hopping in.

In Apia it's also a 20 minute walk into town.  Also most likely to be a shuttle but there will be lots of taxis.  Retailers are happy to take USD and AUD and there are ATMs in town.  Shops also have EFTPOS facilities and accept credit cards.

You could probably get a small amount of FJD in Sydney if you wished.

BTW try to get over to Bondi or Bronte when in Sydney and take a walk along the coastal path.  The scenery is lovely (it's where I used to live),   but it's not really suitable if you have mobility issues.

I hope you have a great trip.

There's definitely ATMs right near the port in Suva as it's an easy walk from the ship to town - just a couple of minutes.  (Well, at least that was the case when I was last there).  I'm not sure about the situation in Lautoka as it's years since I was there.  Anyway, most taxi drivers would be happy to drive you to an ATM if you needed cash or you can always ask if they take AUD if you have any left!

I'll try and check the location of the port to the town in Lautoka and Apia.  In Vila, Vanuatu it's a bit out of town but there will be gazillions of taxis on offer.

There were lots of ATMs in Suva when I was last there but the larger stores will take AUD and if I remember correctly also USD.  If you want to buy something in the markets or smaller stores you may find they prefer Fiji$.  

Apia is not part of American Samoa - it's on a different island altogether but it's so long since I was there that I can't remember the currency situation.  I wouldn't be surprised if they accepted AUD and NZD as most tourists to the island are from Australia and NZ and both countries have sizeable populations of expat Samoans but there are ATMs in Apia anyway.  The local currency is Tala. You may find that with more cruise ships returning to Apia they may also accept USD.

BTW Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango) is the capital of American Samoa and if you are calling there USD is indeed the currency.

You can also use credit cards in these ports but smaller stores may not accept them. 

We were there in 2014 and did a half day tour with various stops for views as well as a stop at the beach for a swim and the botanical gardens to see the giant tortoises. The scenery on the tour was beautiful so it was an enjoyable tour.

We also walked into town from the ship and had a look around the small produce market. Upstairs there are shops which sell clothing and I think souvenirs. The town is quite a pleasant place.

Sorry I'm a bit vague but I would have to find my travel diary to jog my memory for more detail.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day there and I recall that the sail away was quite pretty as well.

It's worth doing some sort of tour to make the most of your day there as you would be hard pressed to find enough to do in town.

I lived in the area until a few years ago and it's a great area but it depends what you want to do.

There is a beautiful coastal walk with fantastic views over the ocean and the coastline. You can start at the southern end of Bondi Beach and walk to beautiful Bronte Beach or further to Clovelly or Coogee (or even further if you have the energy). It's not for those with mobility issues. If you don't wish to walk the return you can catch a bus back to Bondi Junction then another bus to Bondi Beach from the other beaches.

Be aware though, that in summer at weekends the area is very busy and buses can be crowded (of course there are taxis and Ubers as well).

There are buses that go direct to Circular Quay or you can get the bus to Bondi Junction where there is a very large shopping centre and then get to the city on the train.

If you wish to spend your time in and around the city and the harbour then you may prefer to stay in the city.

I think the OP should post this question on the P&O Australia site if he/she has not already done so.

The locally based P&O ships call at the Conflict Islands from time to time so there is likely to be someone able to answer the question on the Aus. site.

Failing that, it might be worth a try to just post the question on the Australian and New Zealand forum which isn't related to a particular cruise line.

We disembarked Arcadia on Monday after 47 days. This was our third cruise on her and all three cruises have been on sectors of the world cruise. We have cruised on a number of lines although more on Princess than the others. We find P&O UK similar to Princess. Some things Princess do better, some things P&O do better but at the end of the day it depends on the ship. The crew are mainly Indian (from Goa) and Filipino and were fantastic.

The passengers were nearly all from the UK with a smattering of us from ANZ at least on the WC. Everyone we met seemed happy and friendly so had lots of laughs. Some bars were quiet at night and some were lively.

Speaking to people who regularly cruise with P&O from the UK the Ventura seems to be the least favourite ship. Words such as 'never again' were mentioned although I think this was in reference to the demographic on mainly Caribbean cruises! I suspect that a cruise to Iceland might be a bit different. Good luck with whatever you decide.

After signing off yesterday I realised I should have mentioned a couple of other things.

It will be very hot in all those ports and most likely there will be a high level of humidity in most places. Make sure you take some bottled water with you when ashore and take a hat and sunscreen. You don't want to be fried :eek:. If you forget to take bottled water from the ship it's available in all those places but for such a small purchase, you would need local currency so it's easier to get it on the ship. If you go to the wildlife park in Kota Kinabalu also take some insect repellent!

As mentioned by others, check out the older posts on this forum as there are recommendations for tours and tour guides. There is one particular company that gets lots of recommendations in Vietnam so you may want to check that out. Rules prevent me from mentioning them but it shouldn't be hard to find them.

Oh, and in Thailand if you intend to visit temples make sure you wear modest clothing i.e. no short shorts or tank tops. Although all these places are well used to tourists unless things have changed recently, temples and religious sites have dress requirements. Anyway, in your research, just check out what the recommendations are.

Perhaps there is another cc member who has visited some of these places recently who can give up to date info.

In case you feel homesick, you will also find chains such as Starbucks, Maccas and KFC in some destinations. :D

Penang - the ship docked right next to the Colonial part of George Town. If you walk off the ship and turn right you can wander around this pretty part of town. There is a fort called Fort Cornwallis just after you leave the port. Penang is renowned for food so there are many restaurants in the area and the food is generally excellent.

Port Kelang - it's about 2 hours into KL from the port. The ship will probably run a tour called KL on your own or something similar. They drive you into the city (in our case it dropped us at the mall under the Petronas Towers), you do your own thing, then they pick you up at a designated/time place.

Ko Samui - Chaweng beach is about 40 minutes from the port. There is also a shuttle that will run you there and pick you up. It's not free though.

There are shops/ATMs, restaurants etc in the beach area. It's a popular tourist area. There are also resorts that you could probably get a day pass to if that's your thing.

Bangkok - about 2 hours from the port with lots of traffic. Bangkok is amazing but very, very busy so it might be best to either take a ship's tour or meet up with other passengers and arrange a tour as it might be a bit daunting otherwise. I've been a few times but only once on a ship. There is so much to see and do it would be a shame to miss the best sites.

Ho Chi Minh City - both times we docked right in the city but your port is quite a long way out. Lots of things to see. Make sure you visit the roof top bar of the Rex Hotel! Millions of motor scooters so traffic is crazy. Once again it might be best to do either a ship's tour seeing as it's your first time in Asia or joining your Roll Call on Cruise Critic to see if other passengers have any tours organised.

Sihanoukville - only been once and that was years ago before it was very touristy. There are beaches a short cab ride away (or probably a shuttle drive away). There is an interesting market too and I was reliably informed the restrooms were clean (just in case you were wondering).

Have a great trip. There are some fantastic destinations but do your research so you don't miss the sites or activities you want to do. It would be a shame to get off the ship, walk outside the port then turn around and go back to the ship as it looks too daunting!

Actually there are Brisbane based snorkelling trips that leave from Raby Bay and sail over to Peel Island or North Stradbroke. I haven't been, but saw them on a TV programme last night. Looked wonderful but I don't think they would be suitable to do with just one day in port as it appeared they would be full day trips. I have googled the tour site but can't mention the operator here. If you google something like boat trips from Raby Bay you will come up with the tour operator.

Anyway you could check out the site - you never know.

We visited the park in around 2012 I think it was. We had been to Bali heaps of times on private trips but had never been to the park so when we were there for only the day on a cruise ship we decided to check it out. We had already seen a documentary regarding the rescuing of the elephants from poor conditions in Sumatra so we were interested to see the outcome.

In our experience the elephants were very well cared for and were rested after providing a couple of rides. The standard of the park was very high when we were there so I don't think you are likely to have any concerns in that regard.

Enjoy your day if you decide to go.

PS I don't recall seeing any other animals there such as mentioned above but perhaps there were some in another part of the park.

We are also booked on the Majestic Feb 6, 2019. Waiting a bit longer before canceling. We are "Elite" Princess members from California and are sorry to be reading so many terrible reviews. I'm hoping Princess is getting the message and will make some adjustments before hitting the Australian market. Also can't find any recent reviews anywhere.

I don't think you will find any recent reviews as I understand that while the ship is sailing from China the cruises are aimed solely at the

Chinese market. If there are non-Chinese speakers on board the chances of them being cc members is probably not high.

It will be interesting to see what changes will be made when she arrives here in Australia as the original design included more gambling chances, high end shops, less emphasis on outdoor activities i.e. lying in the sun and other features favoured by the Chinese market.

We're doing our first cruises in March on Radiance OTS to New Zealand and AU. We've done 20 other cruises in the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, etc. Other than the ship being non smoking-YEAH!- what differences should we expect? Are the cruises more casual or more dressy, are the menus different, anything else we should know about? I know we have to get VISAs and bring meds in their original containers along with a list of them from the doctor.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

With regard to the menus, we have sailed on locally based Princess ships and US based ones but I can't say we have noticed many differences with the food. Sure, there may be the odd thing such as the bacon at breakfast may not be the crispy kind (then again, they may have both crispy and non crispy :)), some of the packaged cereals may be different but other than that it's pretty much the same.

I honestly don't think you will have any issues with the food.

I'm not sure what MrYellowDuck meant re replacing the US food items as the only thing I've noticed was the bacon as I like the crispy version :eek:

You may notice that the comedians will tell jokes with a local flavour that won't mean a lot to citizens from other countries but overall the differences in the cruise experience are relatively minor unless you are particularly fussy!