DT1304

I have only just starting researching other cruise lines. What have you heard about the way they do things?

I have cruised on RCCL on all but 1 of my cruises, with that 1 odd one out being on Carnival. 1 cruise was Alaska, 2 were to New Zealand and all the rest, including the Carnival cruise were to South pacific. While I would love to cruise somewhere else, costs of getting to the departure port are excessive so I am thinking about possibly changing cruise lines to try get a slightly different cruise experience. I dont want to be disappointed though, like I was when I tried Carnival after 2 or 3 Royal Caribbean cruises. I would love the opinion of others that have cruised multiple cruise lines. FYI, we are a family of 5 with 3 older kids (22, 20 and 17) The cruiseline we are considering for a change is NCL, but I don't like the fact that their cruises out of Sydney all seem to be one way cruises.

I called and paid over phone with same mastercard. Operator told me their system is having trouble accepting payments

For some reason I am unable to pay my final payment online for my RCCL cruise in April. It keeps giving me an error message and I have checked and I have the funds available in my mastercard. Has anyone else had issues paying RCCL?

Keep it nice and clean and covid free Chili. 😉 I board on Wednesday.

Thanks. Much appreciated. 5 days until cruise time!!!!!

Sorry to jump in on the OP but I also have a question about this. There are 4 of us, each with a suitcase. Would we still be able to get 1 taxi for all 4 of us with luggage from airport to Circular Quay as this would be cheaper than 4 train tickets.

Thanks for your replies Taking a look at Gateway tours now

bumping up the list

Its been a while since i cruised, but what I usually do is this..... I usually get there quite early, say around 11am, and drop off my luggage. I then hang around the port area, soak up some atmosphere, and board at my allocated time. (This cruise coming up its at 1:30pm) As much as I'd like to get on board as early as possible, I'm pretty sure the buffet wont run out of food before I get there. 😉

Yep, thanks Chili. I remember seeing that table of confiscated items on previous cruises. Its for my daughter and I have told her she will have to make do with the dryer in the cabin.

Thanks all for your replies

Are we allowed to bring a Dyson Airwrap on board and does it work on board? We are on Ovation in a couple of weeks

Hi all I have been to both these ports numerous times, but not since a couple of years before Covid so am just curious from ppl that have been there on a cruise recently if much has changed. In Vila, I have previously just hired a driver in a minibus outside the gates at the cruise terminal, and he has driven me to cascade waterfalls, Tanna Coffee, etc. Are there still all these drivers scrambling for business at the cruise terminal, and is cascade waterfalls still a nice place to visit. I have read some reviews that it is not in good condition, very little water due to drought etc.- Do you have any recommendations to go to and what is the current going rate for a driver for the day? 4 adults travelling together. In Noumea, I was going to try book a tour at that little market/tourist office right at the cruise terminal. Do various tour companies still offer tours from there, like the tjou tjou train? Also there used to be a place that rented out beach cars at that tourist office. Google seems to indicate that this place has shut down. Can anyone who has been to N oumea recently advise about the tour operators in that little tourist office.

Judge much??? To the OP, get on the internet all you want. its your money to spend and your cruise to enjoy.

Yep. All very confusing. We arrive at 5pm into Vila and leave at 3pm the next day. But I can reserve excursions through the ship for 9am on the day we arrive. Weird!!! Either way, I think I am just going to DIY my port days anyway like I have done on all other South pacific cruises because the costs of ship excursions is stupid!

I posted this in Royal Caribbean forum but thought I should post here too. I am going on Ovation on 14 December to South Pacific. The itinerary shows that we arrive in Vila at 5pm on Day 4 and leave Vila at 3pm on day 5. That is what is on my cruise planner too. The ship is offering excursions early in the morning on the day we are only supposed to get there at 5pm. What's also confusing me, is that if I go and try do a new dummy booking for my exact sailing, the itinerary is totally different, arriving at the ports in a different order and at different times. Am I missing something here?

I have done a few cruises to the South pacific and have never booked excursions through the ship. The ship prices are ludicrous and I would like to DIY my own days on the islands. In Vila, is there somewhere you can just get a taxi or book a private tour. I was last there many years ago and we just hired a driver at the port and he drove us around for the day. Not sure if this is still happening post Covid. In Noumea, is that little hall with the small market still there from where I used to book my own excursions or tours.

But when i try book excursions, the days are correct as per the planner and the original itinerary on my booking. If the new itinerary is the updated itinerary then they are offering excursions on the wrong days completely. Here they are offering excursions on the correct days, but just at the wrong times.

I am so confused. When I booked my South Pacific cruise on Ovation many months ago I noticed that we arrive at Port Vila at 5pm, overnight there and leave the next day at 3pm. This is also indicated on my cruise planner however the ship is offering excursions early in the morning on the day we are only supposed to get there at 5pm. Whats also confusing me, is that if I go and try do a new dummy booking for my exact sailing, the itinerary is totally different, arriving at the ports in a different order and at different times. Am I missing something here?

Thanks for all your replies. We enjoy the formal nights, and dressing up for dinner in the MDR. Will plan my specialty restaurant bookings around 2nd night formal night.

Do we have to wait until we board before we can find out what day of our cruise formal night will be. We are on a 9 night S Pacific cruise on Ovation and want to plan around when formal night is.

Hi again all, I see that I can prebook for iFly and for North Star for a fee. I thought this was not charged, but upon further investigations it seems that it is free in port but they charge on sea days. is this correct? Also, how easy is it to get a reservation if I go in on boarding day to make a reservation for later in the cruise?

Thanks all for your replies. I have another question about this. It states that they will make a courtesy reservation on night 1 or 2. If the reservation is made at a venue I do not want to go to or on a night I do not want to go on, can I cancel it when i get on board and rebook for my chosen dates, or am I tied into the 1st courtesy reservation?

Thanks for your answers. I am more focused on buying dining packages and internet access than on excursions. I have been to all the ports before and know what I want to do at each port without booking excursions. I think I'll just wait to see if they have any Black Friday sales, and then will just pre-buy what I want.