buchhalm

We went to the (for lack of a better term) open house last night. $95 or so admission fee, which apparently goes to preservation of the Great Barrier Reef (or some such). I knew that dinner was included and some drinks, but not that this was unlimited open bar (from a reduced menu) and also (more) food from the buffets, ice creams, cakes etc. Ok. From the outside the ship is rather ugly and chunky, in a US navy sort of grey. Meh. Decor inside is modern-ish with some areas having a bit of a 1979s airport lounge / MAD Men feel. Not entirely my cup of herbal tea . "Celebrity " does 'quirky' much better. Welcome committee by a few hundred (or so it felt like) retires. The constant "Ahoy" was cute for the first 150 times. Gimmicky. The food in the "Test Kitchen " restaurant was pretty good to excellent. Lovely service in that venue, but in other areas the staff seemed rather frazzled. They DO work hard, without a doubt. And God are they gorgeous creatures. Ladies and gentlemen alike. Definitely a recruitment criterium, I think. Entertainment wise, a bit lacklustre and no where near as much as we would have expected, given the hype. Unfortunately we didn't get to see any cabins. The viewing of these stopped at 8pm (or so we were told). This was not communicated well at all. Shame about that. Was it a good night? Yes, definitely. It was a bargain night out. Would we cruised on this ship? Probably not. But if there would be a well-priced short cruise that fits in our schedule, we'd give it a go.

The rich people are rehearsing for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race... (With Richard's ship in the background)

THAT is true. Otherwise, Sydney is fabulous.

I never imagined that something like this could happen! Wow. So much for "guarantee " cabin, eh?

Tesalite beach towels. Easy to pack. Dry fast. And that stuff repels sand. It just doesn't stick to it.

Celebrity and Cunard have BS "discounts " for most Jan 2025 cruise extras (excursions, beverage packages and such). Not worth the time reading their emails. 🤬🖕

If you open a tub of yoghurt, yes.

We booked a January 2025 cruise on C Edge. We got automatic assigned "any time" dining, but it seems we could swap to fixed times, early or late. No biggie. What I am more interested in, is how much the menus differ getween the various restaurants. I think I have seen sample menus somewhere, and they look pretty much the same in all restaurants. Any insights?

Indeed. Wellington

I second tge corner of Lambton and Brandon near DJ store. Two ships had pick-up there when we were in AKL earlier this year

And I'm surprised (or NOT, actually) that there is complete radio silence from the OP after a question in the mode of "how long is a piece of string", and people are trying to help...

What is "reasonable " for you?

Check out TESALATE towels. Awesome, sand repelling and ultra fast drying. Sand simply won't stick to it after a good shake...

Post #36 mentions a total of THREE people with gastro. That is considered an OUTBREAK by certain trash media outlets? Gimme a $#%#!! break!

Holy 💩

How would that even end up being a "air crew" visa?

The SOH. One of the few instantly recognised buildings in the world. And it has the same birthday as I. (Minus a few years).

My though as well

Cunard's proposed withdrawal may be due to the fact that the local customer base is limited and those of us who have "done" the forever same loop Sydney/Melbourne to NZL and the limited stops there and back, are tired of the destination options. Looking at the 2024/25 summer schedules for a number of cruise lines. they all offer the same ish SYD-NZL runs. There are VERY limited options of anything else on premium lines.

Yeah yeah. I don't want to dress for dinner. Boohoohoo. There is always Carnival.

Booked for Sydney! Should be interesting. Must remember to wear something red. Sorry, "scarlet".

A tip would definately be welcome. Not expected, but a nice surprise. However, for a WEEK of tour guiding and two people, anything under $50 (AUD) would be somewhat stingy. Then better nothing. As for the USD vs AUD argument, I find it mildly patronising that Americans still think their USD is universally loved. Perhaps 50 years ago and/or in "3rd world countries "...

Nuff said