woodsmiths

Had this problem for a couple of weeks using Google Chrome on an IPad and cleared my cookies, history, etc, but nothing helped. Deleted the Chrome App and reinstalled it and the site now works fine. 

12 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

New Wine List Prices.  
 

You will have to extrapolate as the prices include the 20% Gratuity. 
 

Iain noted the 1/2 Bottle Pouilley-Fuisse has gone up from $27 ($33 with tip) to $48.   Pure greed. 

 

 

 

The Grant Burge 5th Generation Shiraz at $US60 plus gratuity per bottle if frankly ridiculous.  It retails for $AUD12 per bottle in Australia or about $US7.90.  I think Celebrity will have difficulty selling much of anything at those prices to Australian and New Zealand guests in coming months whilst home ported in Sydney - we are generally not that stupid.

As others have advised the train station is across the road from the cruise terminal, about a 1-2 minute walk.  Trains into the city end at the Adelaide Railway station, with pedestrian exits onto North Terrace.  The South Australian Museum and Art Gallery are a 5-8 minute walk straight up North Terrace in an easterly direction. On North Terrace the Tram (light rail) stop is immediately outside the Railway Station and will take you either directly east to the Museum, Art Gallery or the Botanic Gardens or if you catch the tram to Glenelg you can get off for Rundle Mall (main shopping strip) - one stop from the rail station, or to Victoria Square for the Central Market.  These trams are free.  Have a great time in Adelaide.

The OP asked for some observations from countries other than the US, so this Australian will offer an observation.  
 

When you raise the issue of tipping service staff many Australians get a little upset, because our wage system ensures that every worker is paid a minimum wage that we would consider a “living wage”.  
 

We are also not used to having additional charges added to the purchase price of any item - so in general whatever the advertised price of an item is that is the full price (as with everything in life there are some exceptions, I.e. state government stamp duty on property transactions, etc.)

For many years Australians objected to purchasing a cruise holiday then to find there was a daily charge once onboard for gratuities - many Australian’s view was “why don’t you pay your staff a proper wage?

At some point in the 2010s all cruise pricing for a cruise purchased in Australia became “all inclusive”, with gratuities included in the overall price.

In reality when we cruise (usually with Celebrity) we will provide a cash tip to serving staff who have provided us with service.  This is in recognition that they work extremely long hours for very poor remuneration; live in very cramped living conditions; and are at the mercy of short-term contracts that may not be renewed if they have had to deal with snarly passengers who like to complain.

For many Australians the whole idea of tipping is very alien to what we believe is our egalitarian ethos.  Make of this what you will.

Enjoy your cruising and be kind to every staff member you interact with.

7 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

Been to Sydney twice for cruises and you are right, the paper ETA was not examined at all.  During our first trip the immigration officer said that he could see it electronically (or something like that) when my passport was processed.

ETAs are Electronic Travel Authorities with the details gathered at the time of application and attached to your Passport details.  When you enter Australia your Passport is scanned and the ETA information that is recorded allows entry.  No need for paper copies except for your own peace of mind.  Australian Border Force has no need to see paper copies.  Some may  think it is just an  exercise in revenue collection, but rest assured without one you can’t enter the country - Computer says NO.

8 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Is this not the official government site?

 

The Official eVisa website for Indonesia (imigrasi.go.id)

Yes, that is the correct site.

12 hours ago, ECCruise said:

I would not, however, do anything about obtaining a Visa on Entry for Bali until all the discussions in Bali regarding curbing tourism are sorted out.  Changing (or ending) Visas on Entry is one of the major issues on the table.

These discussions in Bali relate to the behaviour of some tourists from certain parts of the world.  Bali’s economy is highly dependent on tourism and the local government is highly supportive of the tourist industry.

Indonesia introduced the online Visa on arrival service a few months ago.  You can also just pay on arrival at the airport - not sure about how this is arranged at the Benoa cruise terminal.  When using the online service always make sure you are using the imigrasi.go.id domain as there are a lot of fake sites.

Celebrity Solstice is sailing from Singapore to Sydney from 27 March to 9 April 2025, with a stop in Benoa (Bali).  This is followed by a 17 night Transpacific departing 9 April from Sydney to Honolulu via a number of Pacific nations (Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, etc). Both itineraries are interesting. 

I have my influencer vaccination annually - it always keeps the disease at bay.

ETA (Electronic Travel Authorities) are a common way of countries managing tourist entry from countries that they have visa waiver agreements with.  The US ESTA system has been in place for some years - as an Australian I have obtained an ESTA to enter the US as a tourist visitor.  They are linked to your passport so you generally don’t need to print them off.  So far as an Australian Border Force officer saying they are a money making exercise - he is probably right - the fee is partially paying his wages - I guess if you want border security / control you have to pay for it.

18 hours ago, Ski-Lady said:

I check and it doesn't mention yarn. I even tried the search function and no luck.

No luck is good luck.  Bring as much yarn for personal use as you like.  Anyway in Australia to spin a yarn means to tell someone a story - generally a long far fetched story - spinning a yarn.  Enjoy your trip, and yarn away.

I would imagine you would have no problem with knitting yarn.  You can check the Australian Border Force website https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/can-you-bring-it-in/overview , but I suspect knitting yarn is not mentioned.

35 minutes ago, buchhalm said:

Ok. Just returned from 2 weeks Celebrity Sydney to NZ.

"Always included " package from Australia. Included were all gratuities, "basic " Wifi package and standard drinks package. We upgraded to premium drinks package. No further charges for any additional gratuities were made 

So with that already included beverage package, what's the stress about "free elite drinks" or cocktail hour???

If you purchase the Cruise Only fare (generally much cheaper) the drinks are not included.  So the Elite Cocktail hour provides a couple of hours of drinks at no cost for those cruisers.

I understand from reading the Celebrity thread that the Captains Club Elite and above cocktails, beer/ wine & spirits are still available between 5-7pm at various bars across their ships, but they no longer have a dedicated lounge with canapés. Bit if a shame really because we had enjoyed that part of the experience in the past.

With generic over the counter medications simply bring them in their original packaging or in the blister packs they come in, which are all labeled.  Bringing bags full of unlabelled multi-coloured tablets and capsules may attract some interest from officials.

On arrival into Australia you will be asked to complete an incoming passenger card.  Question 1 asks if you are bringing a number of items into Australia, including medicines.  If you are, you tick yes and on presentation of your card you will be asked what items you are bringing in.  An honest answer and supporting documentation is all that is required for prescription medication.  In having reentered Australia over more than 50 times over 40 years I have always answered yes if carrying medicines and have always explained that I have prescription medication and have never had to show the medication or the prescription.   This shouldn’t pose any issues for people who answer honestly.

From the Australian Border Force website:

You do not need a permit to bring in most prescription medicines even if they contain a controlled substance because such imports are generally covered by a traveller exemption scheme.

Prescription medication can be imported under a traveller exemption, provided that:

• you are arriving in Australia as a passenger on board a ship or aircraft
• the medicine is carried in your accompanied baggage
• you carry a letter or copy of your prescription (written in English) from your doctor to certify that the medicine has been prescribed to you to treat a medical condition
• the quantity of the medicine does not exceed three months supply.

You should leave your medicine in its original packaging and declare it to the Australian Border Force when you arrive.

Examples

Prescription medicines such as morphine, oxycodone, methadone, methylphenidate, Adderall®, and benzodiazepines are all covered by the traveller exemption outlined above.

Exceptions

The following substance are not covered by the Traveller Exemption and require written permission from the Office of Drug Control when travelling to Australia:

• Abortifacients (e.g. mifepristone - RU486)
• Yohimbe (Yohimbine)
• Aminophenazone, amidopyrine, aminopyrine, dipyrone
• Amygdalin/laetrile (also referred to as ‘Vitamin B17’)

The following items require permission from the Office of Drug Control when travelling to Australia:

• Injections that contain material of human or animal origin (e.g. Hizentra®, Clexane®).
  • An Australian doctor must organise access for you through the TGA Special Access Scheme.
  • You do not need permission to bring insulin with you for personal use

• Athletes and sporting staff travelling with hormones and peptides

People seeking permission for these items should contact the SAS (SAS@health.gov.au) for further instructions.

If you run out of medication, you will need to either see a doctor to discuss your options for procuring a further supply locally. If your medication is not currently registered for use in Australia (e.g. Adderall®,), then contact the Drug Control Section (DCS@health.gov.au) for further instructions.

We have been on several Celebrity and Azamara cruises prior to Covid 19 and depending on the itinerary our Passports were collected onboard and held for certain periods for immigration clearance to be undertaken before arriving at the port.   It depends greatly on the countries being visited.  In 2019 we undertook a cruise from Hong Kong to Shanghai via ports in South Korea and China.  Our passports were collected and returned to us twice during this cruise.  In 2012 we took a Celebrity cruise from Barcelona to Singapore via the Suez Canal.  Our passports were collected from us on a few occasions on this cruise.  The process of collection and return has always worked seamlessly.  

All international travel into and out of Australia is currently suspended (except for strictly defined reasons), but with vaccination rates escalating it is likely that cruising will have recommenced by October 2022.  

The original poster asks about driving from Sydney to Melbourne.  With only 7 days available to you, I would recommend flying to Melbourne from Sydney as the road drive is approximately 850 kilometres on the inland road, which is not particular scenic.  The coastal drive is a lot longer in distance and would potentially take 2 or 3 days.

Melbourne is a wonderful city to visit and you may want to maximise your time staying in the city and travelling to the surrounding hills, wine regions, coastal areas, etc.,  rather than spending an extensive amount of time driving from Sydney.

I hope that you get to enjoy your cruise next year.

10 hours ago, 1pinehurst said:

Room service must have changed since my last Celebrity Cruise as only Concierge and above were allowed to order hot breakfast items. Also no MDR room for room service if not in a PH. If this true I am really looking forward to our April Cruise with a balcony cabin.

We have sailed in standard balcony suites with Celebrity since 2009 and hot/warm breakfast items have always been available from room service.  Have never tried to order from the MDR menu for lunch or dinner, but I understand this has been available for many years, although it is not promoted onboard.

If you are interested in Australian wildlife you should visit the Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills - see https://www.clelandwildlifepark.sa.gov.au/Home  You can meet a whole range of critters and pay to hold a Koala.  Cleland is a State Government operated park, and is very well run.  A good tour of the Adelaide Hills will take you to Cleland and also to the Mount Lofty summit overlooking the city as well as the small town of Hahndorf, which was settled in the 1800s by German migrants, with their influence still strong.  If you have an interest in Cricket a tour of Adelaide Oval is a must, including the Bradman collection.  The SA Art Gallery and SA Museum, adjacent to each other on North Terrace and both free to enter, are also great gems holding impressive collections.  Hop on the tram in the City and head to Glenelg for a day at the beach, eating, drinking or strolling along the shopping and cafe strip. You could also spend a day visiting wineries in either the Barossa Valley (north of Adelaide) or McLaren Vale (south of Adelaide).  Hope you enjoy your visit.

We have cruised on Solstice (S) Class ships since 2008 and have always booked an adjoining cabin with other family members.  On all ships we have been able to have the balcony divider opened by our Room Attendant to allow us to meet up on the balcony.  However, on the Solstice last December we had two Aqua Class cabins on deck 11 near the rear of the vessel and whilst we could have our adjoining dividers opened we notice that the dividers on the either side of our two cabins could not open as they contained part of the structure holding up the overhanging deck 14.  I am not sure how many cabins are impacted by this, but I suspect only some cabins on deck 11.  

An an earlier poster also stated that you cannot lock your balcony sliding door.  This is not correct, but I understand why many would think this.  The locking mechanism for the sliding balcony doors is not near the door handle but rather is a small circular locking mechanism set into to door frame to avoid people accidentally locking themselves out.  It is not immediately apparent that this is the function of the device.  You can lock the sliding balcony door - so even if you have the balcony dividers opened people cannot enter your cabin unless you choose to leave the door unlocked.

Have not docked in Melbourne, but know the city reasonably well.  The airport is approx 27 kilometres from the cruise terminal and traffic can be heavy in morning peak times - often the travel time can blow out from 30 minutes to more than an hour if there are roadworks, etc.  If you are catching an international flight you also need to check in 2-3 hours before the flight.  So you will need to take this into account when booking flights.