Aus Traveller

We have been caught with pre-paid shuttles. On two occasions we had to wait a long time. Once it was more than an hour and on the other occasion it was more than two hours. We phoned the company and each time we were told they were "on their way". A taxi or the cruise line's shuttle are better.

AUD$40? Tell 'me they're dreamin'. (That is a line from a famous Aussie movie). I don't know what decade they are living in. We haven't sailed from Sydney post-pandemic. Pre-pandemic we did it often. The taxi fare was usually AUD$56-AUD$60. Just grab a taxi at the airport. We have never encountered a queue.

We booked the early timeslot and usually turned up at the dining room at 5.30-5.40. When we cruised at the end of August into September, P&O were not seating people at shared tables unless they were travelling together. In lots of ways the set-up was like traditional dining in that we were taken to the same table every night we were in the Waterfront. The waiters were great. We were able to get to the show. I wouldn't leave booking until you board unless you like the late dinner slot. We were booked into the specialty restaurants (Angelos and Dragon Lady) alternately with the Waterfront. We aren't keen on Asian food so we swapped back to the Waterfront for that night. Angelos is superb. I would happily dine there every night except for the fact that it would mean repeating the menu.

I agree, that was very generous. I hope you are feeling better and that Rolf is still virus-free.🙂

That is very helpful info. Thanks for posting it. 🙂

Was the problem caused by the ship or because of its location at the time. If your cruise was trans-Pacific, this could be the problem. I can recall pre-COVID, that there was very limited internet access mid-Pacific.

Geraldton and Albany have/will be missed because of weather conditions - factors outside the control of the cruise line. On previous occasions when this has happened, passengers are credited with the port fees for that port. This would only be a small number of dollars per person per port. If your travel insurance has compensation for a missed port, you can file a claim.

We have cruised to NZ many times and have often gone into Dunedin on the shuttle. I think it cost $15 return and we paid when we boarded. It wasn't pre-booked. I had the impression it was organised locally, certainly not through the ship.

There is no indication how old that info is.

I think the boarding times became available 59 days prior to the cruise. It is stated to be 60 days, but presumably the difference is because Princess HQ is in California on a different time zone.

Not only was the train that came to the wharf reserved for people who booked the Taeiri Gorge trip through the ship, it was never used to transport people from the wharf into Dunedin in addition or instead of buses.

On our Coral Princess cruise, I don't think anyone would have got past the person on the door without washing their hands.

These deals aren't going to continue. I suggest that Carnival may not have marketed the cruises sufficiently to bring in the bookings they need. It is better to have people in a cabin, even if they are paying nothing, then no-one. Hopefully these people will spend up big on board.

The comment 'passenger rail to return for cruise passengers' puzzles me. I don't think the trains were ever available for cruise passengers (except for the ship's excursion to Taeiri Gorge). I would pay $20 return for a shuttle bus, but $77 is ridiculous.

Excellent article. You obviously gave the reported good information to write it. 🙂

The article quoted above mentions the train being used to take passengers into Dunedin, but I have never seen that happen. The only train I have ever seen in the wharf is the one that goes to Taieri Gorge. When we have been in NZ, the shuttle bus cost $15 return. Maybe the price was higher this time.

Someone in my family had to reluctantly set up a small call centre in the Philippines because they can't find enough staff here.

The Taeri Gorge railway was mothballed during COVID, but may have re-opened. If you cruise is offering it as a shore excursion, then it is probably operating again. None of us can tell you from first-hand experience because the last cruises to NZ were in Feb-March 2020.

We have been to Japan with Princess a few times. In the Northern spring you have a chance of seeing cherry trees in bloom but this depends on the itinerary.

We cruise on P&O although I prefer Princess. Since cruising re-started, we feel that P&O has moved a bit up-market. It could surprise you (pleasantly I mean). 😁

We had a 'shortcut' on a NZ cruise. I think it would have been on a Sea Princess cruise from Brisbane. We called into the North Island ports and got as far as Akaroa before a big storm further south caused a change of plans. We turned back north, called into Picton and had a 'drive-by' of Lord Howe Island on the way back to Australia.

I don't think many people from the UAE are on this forum. Although I do agree with you, I wouldn't ask people here about visas for a foreign national going to another foreign country. That said, I feel that Lyndarra gave an excellent reply.🙂

The couple could be on a cruise from Australia that transits through the UAE.

I thought the visa question related to the UAE, not to Australia.

Please reply to her.🙂 Hope you are fully recovered soon and that Rolf doesn't catch the 'lurgy'.