yarramar

Thanks for the tip on the Fosko key. I saw a woman using one at Aldi and asked where she got it. She said she didn't know and I made a point to look them up on Amazon (which I didn't) There is a pub I pass weekly in Port Melbourne. They have a sign in the window saying "$6 schooners all day every day". That would give you $4 to save. Another tip is to open an internet only bank debit card savings account. DW has one where $200 a month is automatically taken from her usual account and she earns a higher rate of interest which is actually better than long term investment accounts. She doesn't use it and forgets that it is there. There was over $12,000 in it from the last check, and we have an overseas trip and cruise coming up in May 😁

Another vote for Rottnest Island. If you need any help to convince you google "quokkas" Tell DH to go out on deck while at sea and look up if he wants to see a magnificent night sky.

There have been a number of complaints regarding the inclusion of taxis by hotel booking sites. For $60 there may be no savings at all over the regular fare, depending on time of day, traffic etc. Uber without any surge pricing should be even cheaper. I would just get a cab/uber when I arrive as any potential savings (premium) is not worth the risk of another thing going awry. Particularly as it is so easy and straightforward getting a taxi (or Uber) from arrivals.

There was the first mistake. Book a hotel around Circular Quay, drop off your luggage on disembarking the ship and spend a leisurely day (or exciting one) in Sydney. Get a cab after breakfast next morning to the airport.

I see that you have been active on your roll call. Have you asked fellow shipmates if they are interested in joining you for any number of tours that are available on the days you are in port? This organization gets good reviews and it is better value than the ship's tours. https://www.toursbylocals.com/Melbourne-Shore-Excursions

OK, If you are still keen, since there are no other NCL excursions available, you could still go by train. The 9.16am train from Southern Cross (15 minute Uber or cab from the port) gets you to Ballarat at 10.41. A bus to Sovereign Hill meets the train, route 21 at 10.45, which gets you there before 11.00am. The tours only give you 3 hours so if that is enough there is still time for the botanical gardens, the lake and the wildlife reserve, Although depending on where else you are visiting in Australia, there are wildlife reserves all over the place. I would use taxis/Uber to get around Ballarat. The fare from Melbourne to Sovereign Hill and back is capped at $10.60 for the day but you need to purchase a Myki card. You can do that at Station Pier (port). The trains from Ballarat to Melbourne run every 40 minutes so you can decide when you wish to return. You could also catch a tram back to the ship as you still have use of public transport for the day with your $10.60 paid. Some resources https://www.vline.com.au/getattachment/8b367055-20b3-4d52-bb9e-2f8fd14474a7/Ballarat-timetable https://www.travelvictoria.com.au/images/ballarat/greater-ballarat-map.pdf https://www.travelvictoria.com.au/images/ballarat/ballarat-cbd-map.pdf https://www.sovereignhill.com.au/

At a whopping $482 AUD PP, you could catch a taxi there and back and have plenty more for a wonderful lunch. With 2 of you, you can save double!! If you have your heart set on Sovereign Hill (or any other excursion) Send an email to the tour guide I linked. You will have a much better experience being driven in luxury without worrying about 50 other passengers jostling for attention. All for far less than being scammed by NCL

They offer bespoke private tours, you would need to email them with your requirements Sovereign Hill is not the type of place that has ready made tours which can be booked online. You can also easily get there yourself by tram, train and bus. It will take 2-2.5 hours to get there.

Unless in a hijacked sports car.🤣

I guess she DID qualify with the description "angel".... but with the increase in crime rate these days???

I am also having problems with this one 🤔

You could try these people They say the tour is 8 hours, but they also have many other tours to offer from Melbourne and Station Pier

There should be a similar number of merchants and savings in each city if you choose a single city. If you travel a lot, just eating out at another city could pay for the book if you choose all cities & NZ. One example of what you could save is the 4% on Woolies vouchers. If you spend $100 a week on groceries, that alone will save you over $200 for the year. At $40 for everywhere for 3 months, a visitor to Oz & NZ could save $1000's

Maybe this was one of the excursions?

This is the best of such things here & NZ. Read through for your needs. https://www.entertainment.com.au/

Yes, you pass all the duty free on the way out from arrivals. You can also preorder and pay online and it will be ready to collect when you arrive

To prevent the merchant fee charge, the card needs to be inserted into the machine, "savings" or "cheque" selected and then a PIN. As most US cards don't have PIN's it would have to be tapped and the fee is then charged (but only if advertised as being charged). A small amount of cash, say $50, is handy in case there is an interruption to the EFTPOS terminals, which is not all that rare.

That is incorrect. An ETA IS a visa unlike the American ESTA which is a visa waiver. An ETA is only available by an app on your Android or iPhone. It is usually granted instantly but some are randomly taken for manual processing and could take longer. The cost of the ETA is free but for US and other citizens there is a service charge of $20. It is valid for a year and allows you to return to Australia for up to 3 months at a time. The year starts the day after you go through Australian customs and is attached to your passport. No paperwork necessary, you are notified on your Immi account by email or you can search your account for confirmation. I suspect it is somewhat similar with obtaining a NZeTA . https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/nzeta My fear is that you clicked on a dodgy website pretending to be an official website and paid a huge premium for your visas. You may still get your visas but there is a chance that you will not. My advice is, if you have not yet received any sort of correspondence from your application, to get a chargeback to your credit card for goods not received. You can then apply through the official channels and even if they did apply on your behalf, that visa will be cancelled automatically with the application of a new one. Good luck.

I actually misread Manly for Bondi. Not sure why but Manly probably has good opportunities for fish, etc. again no comparison to GBR but it is likely to be a fun day. Again, with all your own gear, Sydney is a very easy place to DIY. Great transport and there is a gazillion apps and websites to help find your ideal snorkeling spot. You could also check out one of the snorkeling clubs, e.g. https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/sydney-snorkeling-meetup/

If you are snorkeling the GBR, why would you want to snorkel on a surf beach? They will probably walk you to Clovelly, which is suitable but not awesome like the GBR, along the Bondi to Coogee walk which is worth doing. My suggestion is to do it yourself as you don't need a tour. Go to Bondi by Uber, do the walk, pick up some fins, snorkels and masks from Kmart for very little money and if you can't keep the snorkeling gear, donate it to a charity shop. The total cost will probably be less than half of a tour.

While overseas, it is "Data Roaming" which needs to be turned off. Leave the phone on as in don't put it into "aeroplane mode" and if a call comes in, you don't have to answer it and let it just go to voicemail. Text messages are usually free to receive (but check). You also should not incur the $10 a day roaming if "data roaming" remains off. (Again, check). As above, once you have installed your Eskimo eSIM, your phone will magically have all the settings you need to play with switching SIM's etc

This discussion may also be of use. I am also still researching the different options. https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/974p75m2

Depending on your phone, you should have WiFi Calling available. This means that if you are connected to a WiFi network, hotel, ship, data SIM (if you have dual SIM or are using a hotspot from another phone with a data SIM), etc. you can call or text home as if you are there. Don't turn on Int Roaming while your Aldi Mobile is connected to a NZ tower, your phone may start updating apps or uploading photos, etc and at 50c per MB could incur $1000's in charges.

Which Telco are you with in Australia?

If your partner has a prescription for a medically available product from a doctor, I cannot see that there can be any objection. Why would you even need to declare it? Some passengers take bagloads of medications with them.