strathnaver
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Posts posted by strathnaver
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I've refrained from weighing in since I saw (and was frankly shocked and stunned) by the post we are all referring to on Monday night. And no, I was not on the cruise but that doesn't disqualify me from trying to accept or reject differing reports from people who were. Nor having an opinion.
Royal Caribbean were damned if they did and damned if they didn't from the moment the accident happened with regard to almost everything - itinerary (? continuing even), onboard activities (? fun), updating frequency , etc. We at home (in fact globally) were exposed to a barrage of information, coming out more quickly than the journalists were able to get right. I haven't see anything, including here, which suggests the captain was incompetent.
As well as for some passengers, being a port still important to them, continuing to Wellington may have been necessary as a refueling and re-provisioning point.
The White Island tour (which I have done, from a land-based trip) is not an "adrenaline junkie" activity. It is an extraordinary experience. A quarter of a million people have visited it over three decades without incident - until now. While nobody would be under any illusion that volcanoes cannot be dangerous (it's in the waiver that you sign), so are many other activities we do on a daily basis, e.g. driving on the roads. They had full and reasonable expectation to return back to the ship unharmed but 2Tack wants to blame them for their own deaths AND particularly, upsetting his plans.
As we all know, you don't have to cruise for too long to miss ports you were keen to visit. It in the contract. And it is disappointing, I would say with some ports for every passenger on a particular cruise. It happens for many reasons - one of mine was a mischievous or malicious rumour from onshore of an Anthrax risk (later disproven). How much more a reason is that 40+ of your fellow passengers were killed or critically injured?
2Tack, I am now honestly concerned about your apparent lack of compassion for those people, who were doing the same as you except for choice of tour, and their families. I do empathise that you feel that you should be better compensated for what you missed out on through no fault of your own. I also think there could be more of an impact of what happened on and to your cruise than you realise - perhaps you should talk to somebody about it, rather that rant anonymously on here.
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5 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:
The balcony is likewise big, but even more shabby. The outdoor furniture looks like it was already distressed when it was picked up at a garage sale.
They must have listened to you (or somebody), Sinbad! All the outdoor furniture for the suites (and I think balconies) was replaced at the refit last year
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1 hour ago, VK3DQ said:
Internet $99 for the 4 day trip --a tad expensive fot an unlimited package
Hey John
Enjoy your trip!
There's generally a first 24hrs special for unlimited internet through the photo shop for $79. Still steep for 4 nights but it's the same price on a 14-night cruise. Generally fairly good satellite and local wi-fi performance. (And we want to hear how you're going!)
Oh, and also make sure you step out on the bow (as shown in the webcam pic) sometime. Access up a flight of stairs from the promenade deck forward (the inside bit) - nothing fancy but it's a place you don't get to access on all ships and makes it feel "real".
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2 hours ago, Brisbane41 said:
...avocado, cucumber and all sorts of abominable ingredients that were never meant to be inserted...
Cucumber was never meant to be inserted? 😲
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Has been raging over there for the past week!
SallyandTex suggested that there might have been interesting discussion if the topic was here - but if anybody feels like checking it out +/- fly the flag...
https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/topic/2648219-whats-to-become-of-po-aus/
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Sad.I think that whole family should be in a mental institution. It is not normal behaviour. It is disgraceful and it was racist the way they behaved towards the Japanese. They have shamed Newcastle and turned it into a laughing stock full of gutter trash and bogans.I suppose The Castle was the most appalling movie script ever written and brought shame upon our nation.
I'd wager that the Guides are pocketing a bit more than a handful of free holidays too.
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I agree Brisbane41. I suspect that the producers have picked totally, my first choice of word to describe them would not acceptable on here, so idiots will have to do, to get the most ratings and comments from the show.
A commercial network determining content to increase ratings - who would have thought!
Who also would have thought that a light entertainment TV show would be as divisive on cruise critic as, say... tipping!
Anyway, it's helped me to compile a lost of people I'd rather not cruise with and be exposed to their value judgement of others (or me) such as "bogans", "common trash", "morons", "idiots" or "pigs at the buffet" (notwithstanding that Aria doesn't have one).
For the record, while I have enjoyed the series for pure entertainment, I found this episode the poorest in terms of memorable moments and laughs.
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Thank you Cyrix400 on your comprehensive appraisal of the ship and your experience.
It is indeed good that the initial service / staff issues appear to be being addressed.
I am pleased that you seemed to have enjoyed your actual cruise more than your pre-cruise apprehension.
I continue to look forward to being onboard Eden in September.
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Nov 25 (inaugural) Aria cruise, Zoltina CD and Bobbie assistant
Agree that Zoltina is superb!
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Sorry but I still can't get over how much time you're spending on this when you haven't even cruised on the ships. You've already got threads running about this, it could just go in there. That's my thoughts.
This x 1000000!
Cyrix400, don't represent me in the "number of my friends and I, all active cruisers and members of the cruise community cruisecritic.com, would appreciate P&O’s updated response". I think they've been very decent replies to you in the circumstances.
I've viewed your other threads with something between disbelief and disdain and thought if i was P&O Aust I'd probably have cancelled your booking by now, citing the probability of not having a product suitable for someone of your hypercritical nature.
My qualification in finally chiming into your thread, is that I've experienced and thoroughly enjoyed Aria, despite obviously some teething problems early in her P&O Aust life and I am very much looking forward to my cruise on Eden later in the year.
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Robert, we did a B2B Fiji Fly-Cruise the year before that.
It consisted of 14 nights Sydney - Lautoka, which went out to Samoa and Tonga and a 12 night Lautoka - Sydney, starting with various ports around Fiji.
If nothing else comes up, I can flick through the photo album for exact ports and order in ours.
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Just wanted to post a selection of my (well, just phone...) pics from our day on the harbour and Pacific Aria.
(I haven't been able to log in until today since Nov 25, getting a "database error" mesage from cruise critic).
I wanted to avoid including my onboard pics similar to that you'd see of, say, public rooms in the brochure but there's a few of interest to me:
Loved being able to see the wake from promenade deck level and the lido pool area for just chillin', day or night. I spent I nice hour late on the sea day afternoon surveying 270deg of the ocean from a stool at the illuminated bar in the Dome :).
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Just noticed on Marine Traffic that Pacific Aria has left the Sembawang shipyard and is at anchor in the Singapore Strait.
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Hi David
27 Dec 2012 - Pacific Pearl - (just the) South Pacific
Back to the South Pacific after 11 years, cruisy holiday needed!
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David
On 29/09/2011 we're embarking on Disney Dream to The Bahamas
Ovation of the Seas back in Sydney today 16 Dec
in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
Posted
Look, I agree with all the above around how things could have been done better. Hopefully lessons learnt (but even more that there'll not ever be a next time).
Unfortunately, I feel you've buried those constructive criticisms under the question of fair compensation for yourself and a whirlwind of angst against the captain, officers, cruise line, posters here (but hey, that is fair game - this is a forum 😉) and even it seemed to me, the victims. The latter was the reason for my last paragraph - which looks like what RC's sheet also suggested.
Interesting that you said this. As you know, this sort of experience does have impact on people in many sorts of ways - I'll just leave my suggestion out there.