circuitrider

If you need a lot of data, or only need to use it once every few days (for example, if you're on a cruise), I like Optus's $2 days. $2 gets unlimited calls, texts, and 500MB of data. Go over 500MB and they'll charge another $2 for the second 500MB (you can't go over $4/1GB in a day). Optus has pretty good coverage, they cover some places that Telstra doesn't but it's generally the other way around. For those in the US, they're somewhere between AT&T and T-Mobile.

 

Starting April, Boost (prepaid Telstra) will have a plan that costs $20 for 100 minutes, unlimited texts, and 1GB data. That's cheap for Telstra. This is the Verizon of Australian carriers.

 

Vodafone has decent prices. If you catch a sale, I've seen the $30 sims for $10 (I sometimes stock up on these good deals). Vodafone here is comparable to Sprint. Decent unless you're between cities or in a rural area.

I think it was Noumea where we tried to use a handful of coins to pay for a tour (I think it was $15 AUD). They said they only took dollars. Took a bit to understand that they meant they only took PAPER dollars. That'd be great if you had a bunch of US dollars, I guess.

 

Then we tried to buy some stuff at the local stores. Nowhere let us use a card unless it was over a certain amount, not even the supermarket.

 

So, take paper bills and spend lots on your credit card.

Thanks all. Just made the actual payments. Still have to book airfare, but that shouldn't be an issue. If anyone runs into my mom, don't tell her that it was cheaper if she came with us. I told her we were paying for her cruise (I mean, TECHNICALLY I am...). It's all good, we're covering some of her airfare too.

 

Awesome price, and we've been on Voyager before and enjoyed it (Freedom of the Seas spoiled us a bit though). Too bad it doesn't visit Christchurch, but for that price I'm not complaining.

Good luck, hope it all works out. I assume this was the one that didn't take you outside the 90 days?

 

Just got the third confirmation!

 

Edit: Sorry, was so excited that I forgot to answer the question. Yeah, this shouldn't affect our days at all, since it's less than 30 days and begins/ends in Australia.

Circuitrider

 

That cruise you're interested in, Sydney to Fremantle, is back at $866pp. Get in quick!

 

It's been "available" since this morning but it kept timing out halfway through the booking (all the cruises did this, I checked).

 

I finally got three bookings in! Well, three requests. I've wasted all the time I can today, have to run some errands :( . Once they all go through I get to call up and use my Next Cruise Credit (the agent said I could...I hope he was right) and hope that flights don't magically triple in cost.

 

Edit: #2 just got confirmed. Screw the errands, I'm not going anywhere.

This is one where I'd say ask immigration, but almost certain the answer is day 1.

 

Have you talked to immigration before? If I don't get the answer I like, all I have to do is keep calling back until I get the answer I want. Though the hold times limit the calls to 2-3 per day. :)

 

Just noticed the travel agent allowed no-obligation holds. I feel like an idiot.

I think circuitrider is trying to take advantage of the super-cheap guarantee cabin deals.

 

As soon as you start requesting specific cabins the price doubles (at least).

 

Anyway the guarantees are booked out for that cruise now, I just checked.

 

Yup, yup, and yup.

 

I finally got hold of mom (she didn't pick up her phone for hours because the battery was charging). Cruise still available. Over an hour later she says "ok", cruise sold out. Plan B, let's go on the 14 night cruise from Perth to Singapore. She says ok a bit quicker. I then realize we're going to be pushing 90 days out of the country for the year (over 90 days and we have to wait to apply for citizenship). A cruise that begins and ends in Australia doesn't count against you at all. I should have just booked the Sydney-Perth one and hoped for the best.

 

So, question (I'll probably make a separate thread too). If you're on a one-way cruise that leaves Australia and ends in another country, does Australia immigration consider that you've left the country on day 1 of the cruise, the day of the last Australian port, or another day completely? We're cutting it so short that the three days difference between April 1 (Perth) and April 4 (Port Hedland) will decide whether we can do this or not.

Bugger. Could you take another family member with you? They could then have their own cabin?

 

It seems to be cheaper to cruise with 2 people rather than 3. I'm leaving my husband to do his own thing & taking my son.

 

Family lives in the US. A free cruise for them will still cost about $2k.

 

On the phone with mom, having to walk her through AGI, MAGI, ACA subsidies, etc. This may take a while.

I would call royal and see what their cabin policy is for 1yr olds

 

Unfortunately I don't think it matters. They don't have the cheap price. I called the agencies that do, but they won't book a third person (regardless of age) in a two-person cabin.

Book the two rooms, one for you and the bub and the other for your partner.:D

 

We have three kids. That'd leave one without a parent.

 

I wonder what would happen if we booked the third room with an adult that may or may not show up (can't get hold of my mom; sent an email offering a free cruise if she paid for airfare, but flights from Tennessee ain't cheap). Would Royal Caribbean deny boarding? Or just give a wink and say "as long as baby stays in a cot/playpen in one of the other two rooms, you're fine."

It'd be cheaper to book our baby in a room all by himself! Except they won't allow that, there has to be at least one adult. Argh.

 

I'm going to assume I can't post a "cruise partner needed", so I'm gonna be calling everyone I know (and maybe a few I don't) and see if anyone wants a cheap room to themselves.

Couple of last minute deals:

 

16 March 15 - Sydney to Freemantle, 16 nights, Voyager of the Seas, $889 inside twin

 

1 April 15 - Freemantle to Singapore, 14 nights, Voyager of the Seas, $839 inside twin

 

Where? I looked at Royal Caribbean's site plus a couple travel agents I've used the past few years, I'm not seeing those prices. Interested in the 16 March cruise.

Booked on Oct 22 Celebrity Century. Could not find any deals with more than two in a cabin (cost nearly three times as much to have three in a cabin vs just two), so it'll just be me and my daughter sailing this time.

 

Cost was about the same in US vs Australia. After the currency conversion, it cost about $5 more to book direct with Celebrity Australia (though their site caused some issues, that's a rant for another day). About $895AUD vs $829USD. Now, if I had gone through a US TA that's know for having the "best price" on "cruises", I would have received $25 obc. I think I'll make up the difference by being able to buy obc at parity.

 

BTW, this was a past passenger promo, but not senior. Gratuities not included. We're going for the cruise itself and not the ports, though I'm sure we'll do something fun in Sydney before the cruise, and maybe hit the zoo in Adelaide. Just lots of good food, some good shows, and lots of kids club (and me catching up on my reading).

Disclaimer: I wholeheartedly recommend you use the official Australia website for VISAs. Don't skimp! Do it right! Etc.!

 

That said, I used EasyETA for my mom's and my great aunt's visas when they came to visit last year. They had absolutely no problems. I did check them out, the only bad thing anyone would say was "egads, why buy from a shady place when it's not much more to buy direct?!", no one said they were actually scammed (to the contrary, lots of people said everything went fine).

[quote name='frantic36']Selfish of me but I am hoping it stays around the 90 mark as I have my first trip to the US planned for the end of the year.[/quote]

Took me a while to make sense of your post. I was wondering why you weren't thrilled with it going up. Then I understood...you figure it'll either stay near 90c, or drop like a rock. Interesting.

Still, I'm going to hope that it shoots back past parity. I won't get too greedy and hope for $1.10; $1.05 would suit me fine.

[quote name='MicCanberra']Yes, fell again from reaching $0.9101 today.:D[/quote]

I only read this thread for fun. If I want to see how the AUD is fairing against the USD, I just need to read the thread titles. If there's multiple "Company X is screwing its Australian customers!" threads, then it means the AUD is up and the cruise can be booked SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper on a USD site. If those threads are missing, then it means the AUD is around 90c or less, and the pricing is pretty close (just paid for a cruise, and it MIGHT have been $50 or so cheaper if I paid in USD, used my NextCruise certificate, $100 C&A certificate, plus a $225 obc...even then I might have come out behind due to a last-minute currency fluctuation).

You may be getting confused with direct debits.

Salary sacrificing is for Superannuation or a work related expenses (i.e. car, laptop, etc). The salary sacrificed is paying for items that are pre tax, and therefore can add to your overall wealth. Of course people can pay their bills with the money they still receive and they pay less tax and therefore may have a better total remuneration package.

 

My wife has salary sacrificing, and we personally use it for rent, restaurant meals (has to be eaten in the restaurant and not be fast-food, McDonald's doesn't count but the sushi restaurant nearby does), holiday expenses (some exclude cruises, some include; ours includes), and more.

 

A lot of these attract a fringe benefits tax, but non-profit employers are exempt from paying that (wife works in a public hospital). My guess is that many employers simply don't offer benefits that attract extra tax for them; your employer may not offer it, but it doesn't mean they couldn't.

Which is the case. You skip Category Q.

 

Allocation is also a bit different between Z grade and if there is a designated grade.

 

I would disagree about allocation (you might be at the front of the line for an upgrade...but are still only guaranteed an interior room). But if Category N completely skips Category Q, but Z does not...I guess they may have me on a technicality.

 

Given the sale's now been running a couple of weeks, it's not unlikely for things to sell out...

 

I'm not sure when the sale started, but I think it was around August 21 or 22. I found out about the sale last Friday, the 30th, so it'd been going just over a week. I'm 90% sure that it was sold out well before then, as I've been pricing this cruise about once a day for the past month, sometimes on the US site and sometimes on the Australia site. I actually noticed earlier (made a silly post even) that an Inside Guarantee on the US side was costing over $100,000pp. Checked with four people in one room, and two rooms with two people per room (due to Crown & Anchor and NextCruise certificate, it often costs less to have two rooms vs the one). Not once did I notice a significant savings from having an Interior Guarantee. Since I didn't know to actually check for it, I'm saying I'm only 90% sure that it wasn't actually available for any non-trivial amount of time.

 

I do thank you for your comments. I'm still not happy about things, but maybe I feel slightly better that they got me on a slightly bigger technicality (though having fine print say it must be an Interior or Outside Guarantee, and having even smaller fine print say it must be a certain Interior Guarantee...ugh I just need to let it go).

Terry

 

I have always noticed that you Americans say "Could care less" -- when we say "couldn't care less". I have always wondered why you say that. Being pedantic - but "could care less" surely means that you do care somewhat but "could care less".. whereas our "couldn't care less" means exactly that.

 

Just one of those things where one word/saying means one thing, and reversing it also means, um, the same thing.

 

Inflammable = flammable

 

Unthaw = thaw

 

"Could care less" = "Couldn't care less"

 

What's more interesting, is if you come here (as an American) and say the American equivalent of bum bag, or to cheer for a sports team (i.e. "I'm rooting for the Dallas Cowboys!"). Fun times, fun times....

Z is the general interior guarantee grade, and used for specials. This is a special category only sometimes available when they want to sell some interior cabins. i.e. many sailings won't have that grade.

 

An N guarantee is a different thing. It means that you're assigned to an N grade cabin which is one of the standard interior grades. However, unlike usual it means that you don't have a specific cabin assigned.

 

Ok...if I book a Category Z, what is the lowest actual category of interior cabin I might get assigned to? And if I book a Category N, what is the lowest category I might get assigned to?

 

If Category Z means I might get the absolute worst cabin available, and Category N means I'll never get that absolute worst cabin available (though I may get the next worst cabin), then point taken. If Category Z is simply a Category N, and is only a way to artificially limit supply during a sale, then my point stands. Not that I mind them limiting the number of cabins at a price point; rather that they've done so, decided they don't want to sell any more cabins at the sale price, but are still advertising the sale.

 

possibly on the basis that they may be returned if people don't pay their booking/cancel.

 

A fair point. Then I'd ask, at what point were all of the eligible cabins booked and fully paid for? I would expect (whether it's reasonable or not) that once all eligible rooms were fully sold, that the sailing would be removed from the sale page. A more dynamic solution would be to show, real-time, whether the sale was valid for that cruise (for example, if absolutely all insides are sold-out, then the details for the cruise simply say "Not Available" or "Sold Out" under; something similar could be done regarding cabins on sale).

I called ACCC. Took my information, then said I could call Consumer Affairs Victoria. Did that, they had me go online to fill out a form.

 

I am curious though...is there any difference at all between an Interior Guarantee Category Z and an Interior Guarantee Category N? Pricing was the exact same (except for the whole "50% off second passenger is only for Interior Guarantee Category Z, not Interior Guarantee Category N")?

 

Ah well, moving along. Will just look at other things to do.

Try going through a ta if no joy report to ACCC to investigate!

 

Sue

 

I think you answered my question before I finished posting it. I may look into that. Feels a bit whingy, but I'd have no problem if it wasn't stated as still being eligible for the sale. I've missed plenty of sales before, still got the bruises from beating myself up over them.

I feel silly even asking, but ah well.

 

Is there a law/rule that states you must honor an advertised sale?

 

Voyager of the Seas, 14night repo, Singapore to Sydney. It's listed right here:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com.au/dealsandmore/featuredCruises/selectLandingPromo.do?promoCode=131315&cid=edm_130820_bogoho_aus&wuc=AUS

 

The sale is for 50% off second passenger. That page lists the cruise I'm looking at, and states an Interior is $1,342pp, outside is $1,849pp. When I go through the booking process, it shows an Outside available for $1,848.65, but it's not a guarantee. It also shows an Inside Guarantee available for $1341.65, but it's the wrong guarantee (N instead of Z).

 

I just feel, perhaps wrongly, that if they're advertising a buy one get one 50% off, and there are still cabins available at the price listed...they shouldn't be able to say "well, interior guarantee cabins for $1,342 that were available in the 50% off second person sale are all sold out, cause they were Z; but we have completely different interior guarantee cabins for $1,342pp, they're different because they're N!"

 

Either have a sale, or don't. And if you're sold out, stop advertising it (shouldn't be too hard to go "ya know, we sold out of the one Category Z and one Category Y guarantees for that sailing within 30 minutes, so let's remove that sailing from the list).

The promotion still appears to be going on, however for the sailing I'm looking at, they've made it impossible to take advantage of it.

 

Last night, it'd let me pick an interior guarantee, but would error out toward the end, saying that category was not available. Get up this morning, low and behold it's working! Except...it's not applying the discount. Even put one on a courtesy hold, still nada. Well now I know why.

 

In the fine print, it says an Interior or Oceanview Guarantee. Ok, fair enough; in the fine FINE print, it says an Interior Guarantee Category Z, or Oceanview Guarantee Category Y. Well, wouldn't you know it, the Interior Guarantee they'll let me book is a Category N, and the Oceanview Guarantee Category Ys are all sold out.

 

I've been checking for price drops on this cruise for a while, guess I must have missed the small window that there was an actual sale. But how is it that they can continue to advertise a sale that they are supposedly all sold out of? Shouldn't they either, I dunno, put up more cabins for sale? Or remove the entire cruise from the sale page?

 

It's one thing to miss a sale. I get that. But right now it feels like I am in the middle of missing it. That's worse.

Me either, a total mystery, perhaps it is the texta ink reacting with the ink on the note.:D

 

It's a special pen. If the bill is made from the right material (starch-free paper), it's virtually colorless (looks to be a light yellow that fades away). But in wood-based paper, the iodine reacts with the starch and it turns black.

 

It's only useful to detect really obvious fakes. Any halfway legitimate (ha!) counterfeiter would use the right paper (or at least, starch-free). It is definitely much quicker to check an ink mark than taking 30 seconds to examine each bill for security marks and what-not.