Sparky74

2 minutes ago, Aussieflyer said:

One other thing I would add is that the OP mentioned a Carnival cruise. There were some people on the cruise my son and I did in July to the South Pacific (Splendor) who had flown in from the US. Although they were enjoying the cruise, some commented that the ship was not up to US standards in many ways. As one of the cheaper lines in AU, it is fine for a bit of cheap and cheerful so to say (as long as you know what you are getting) but personally I wouldn't like it to celebrate a special occasion.

I haven't been on Lumiosa but some people here said it is perhaps better than Splendor. 

Now that's interesting! 
DW and I were onboard the Carnival Splendor for her trans-Pacific cruise, 23 nights from Seattle to Sydney last year. 
By and large it was the Aussies onboard who were unimpressed. More than one Australian was heard to mutter that if this cruise was indicative of the "product" that Carnival was bringing to Australia (post-pandemic) then they would be spending their cruising dollars with other lines.

DW & I haven’t been back onboard a Carnival ship since but that’s not solely based on our experience of that cruise. 

If it’s a trans-Pacific cruise consider if you want the long flight and jet lag at the start of your vacation or at the end of your journey. For me, I prefer to get the long flight out of the way at the start and come back to work refreshed. JMHO

I'd also add that Australia is a large and diverse country. And nearly 3 million square miles we're the sixth largest country in area after Russia, Canada, China, the USA, and Brazil. There’s lots to see from the Top End, the Great Barrier Reef, the Snowy Mountains, Tasmania, the Red Centre, and, and, and… And then New Zealand is just across the ditch with its own unique landscapes, culture, and version of the English language. 😁

This is to say, plan to spend as much time here as you can. It’s quite an effort to fly half way around the world so make the most of it! 

DW & I cruised Alaska with HAL last year. We really enjoyed the trip and both agreed that we’d like to return. As we’re Australians, it’s a bit of a trek to get there but we’re looking at the possibility of 2025. 
Our main (only) disappointment in Alaska last year was that our shore excursion in Juneau, a helicopter flight and dog sledding on Mendenhall Glacier was cancelled due to the weather. See below for a link to the relevant part of my trip review. 
Now, I know that the weather is difficult to predict, especially in Alaska, but I’m wondering if anyone can shed some light on the LIKELY-HOOD of this tour being cancelled. How often does it go and how often is it cancelled? What months is it more likely to run? And are we better to book through the ship or direct with someone shoreside? If shoreside, book ahead or on the day?

At this stage we’re thinking of booking B2B cruises to give us two visits to Juneau and thus two chances at this bucket-list experience. We will have the luxury of 8 weeks vacation 😱😁 in 2025 but, alas, limited funds. I did wonder about building some time into our itinerary to return to Juneau later on, if necessary, either by plane or the Alaskan Marine Highway ferry, if we miss out again. 
Your thoughts would be appreciated. 
 

DW & I loved our Alaskan cruise last year. We’re Aussies too. 
I had booked a helicopter flight and dog sledding on Mendenhall Glacier and it was cancelled on the day due to the weather. This was a bitter disappointment but we made the most of it and managed to pick up a whale watching trip on the dock. 
 

Here's a link to my review from that day. 

10 minutes ago, arxcards said:

The cabin pricing is reasonable, but the prices of everything aboard has deterred us from booking. Having a $US account is a start while our dollar is tanking, but Royal has increased their US pricing as well.

 

I keep looking, as they are otherwise a great option.

We don’t spend much onboard so that doesn’t affect us greatly. But you’re right. You’d think after all of these years they could charge in Australian Dollars while cruising from Australian home ports like many of the other US cruiselines do. 

Our first ever cruise was with RCI and we remained loyal to Royal for some years. I still have a bit of a soft spot for them and as Diamond C&A members the 4 complimentary drinks each day are a bit of a sweetener. So it’s a little disappointing that they haven’t been mentioned in this thread lately. 💰

It might be worth checking out Quantum OTS sailings from Brisbane to the South Pacific Islands. 

15/2/2024 - 7 nights - inside cabin - $799

1/3/2024 - 7 nights - inside cabin - $799

29/1/2024 - 9 nights - inside cabin - $999

We used Uber when we disembarked from our trans-Pacific cruise in Sydney last year. From memory, the fare to the airport was only a little more than it would have been for the two of us as those airport trains are pricey. Uber drivers were lined up waiting at the cruise terminal on that day. 
We don’t use them often but we’ve found Uber cheaper than a taxi. But this could have changed recently. 🤷‍♂️

9 hours ago, arxcards said:

Hey Les,

Prices for just about everything in Sydney is shooting through the roof. We even stayed over the bridge last weekend to get a view of the harbour and also get change (not much) from $300.

It’s a reminder that a cruise is great value for money. 

3 weeks out and we’re still waiting for our cabin allocation. 🤷‍♂️

Isn't Black Friday still a fortnight away?

I wonder if we'll see any cruise deals here in Australia (and New Zealand).

We’ve stayed at Mascot twice. Close to the airport. Walking distance to the train, Woolworths, and cafes. We would stay there again. 

11 minutes ago, mum and son said:

Not quite. It's actually Mount Coot-tha. Hard to believe I know, but, after decades of seeing it written is passing, I refused to believe this was the actual spelling, and what appeared on road signage etc. But it is.

Mandela Effect! 🤷‍♂️

1 minute ago, Sparky74 said:

Years ago there were luggage  lockers at the airport and also at Roma Street Station. They may have taken them out after 9/11 or the service  may still exist. 🤷‍♂️

Apparently there are still luggage lockers at the airport. 
 

https://www.bne.com.au/passenger/passenger-information/check-in-and-baggage#lockers

2 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

Your big problem is what to do with your luggage. Maybe you can find luggage storage somewhere in Brisbane.  Then you will be free to do a DIY tour of the city, as long as you get to the airport by about 7pm.

Years ago there were luggage  lockers at the airport and also at Roma Street Station. They may have taken them out after 9/11 or the service  may still exist. 🤷‍♂️

I’ve been following the discussion about Alaska and the ferries.

DW and I are have been deliberating about holiday plans for 2025 (or ‘26, or possibly ’27) as we’ll have 8 weeks to play with. From past experience we’d prefer to take the 8 weeks in one block. We really enjoyed our Alaskan inside passage cruise on HAL last year and are keen to return. (It's only one of many options on the table.) 

BUT I’ve started looking at the prices of accommodation in Alaska and it’s not cheap. I'm actually thinking that a traditional cruise or two (B2B or even B2B2B on jump from ship to ship) might be as cheap. It’s certainly looking like better value for money for us. 🤷‍♂️

3 hours ago, Jean C said:

Hi, it costs an arm and a leg, but Coral will offer a debark tour that will take you sightseeing around Brisbane, drop you at the South Bank for time on your own, then take you to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where you'll see lots of Aussie wildlife and birds, including hand feeding Roos, then take you to the airport.

 

We did this last year and thoroughly enjoyed it - our guide also took us to Mt Cootha (sp?), a scenic high spot, which wasn't on the itinerary. It was so good and so convenient that I've booked it again this year for family - even though it cost an arm and a leg 💰 Our guide/driver was a Frenchman who'd been in Aussie for 40-odd years but still had an accent any female would fall in love with [swoon]. I hope we get him again 🥰

I was going to suggest Lone Pine. 
And yes, you’ve spelled Mt Cootha correctly. 

10 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

Doing a performance at the Sydney Opera House was nice and gave us more of a sense for why this large facility continues to be so famous and loved…

When I read this I thought Terry was performing. 😱

5 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We've got the Black and White and the Roaring 20s gala night on our QE cruise next year. Notice of these coincided with a serious online sale of my favourite evening kaftan brand so I treated mysrlf to a black and white kaftan. Now all I have to do is find or make a headband. Amazon seem to have some nice ones.

I don’t think I could pull off a kaftan either!

1 hour ago, Mareblu said:

We enjoyed Cunard immensely, and loved dressing for dinner, as we do on every voyage.  It's part of the cruise experience.  Gala evenings were especially enjoyable, and it's not at all onerous for gentlemen to slip into a jacket and attach a bow tie, which is what my husband did on those evenings.  Each other evening, he simply wore tailored pants and a less formal jacket, usually with a tie.  I simply wore black pants and different dress tops.  Theme nights were fun:  a headband and feather for Roaring 20s, a mask (available for purchase in QE's shop) for Venetian Masquerade, etc.  Black and White was easiest of all:   black pants, a black top and pearls.  You only need a touch.  We are very sad Cunard will not be home basing here for the season.

I’m not sure I could get away with wearing pearls. DW maybe but not me! 🤣

We are currently considering our options for 2025 as we will have 8 weeks holiday to use up again. 😁 The Queen Anne sails from Southampton on 9th January 2023. A 49 night cruise ending in Sydney would be wonderful but I don’t think DW would cope on Cunard. 🤷‍♂️

Our first cruise, back in 2010, was booked through a bricks & mortar TA, as were the next few. I eventually worked out that I was doing all the research online and then calling (or visiting) the TA with the details of the exact cruise I wanted to book but not getting any bonuses such as OBC. So I switched to booking directly via the Internet. 

Last year we planned a multi segment itinerary including os flights and 4 cruises on 3 different lines so decided to engage the same online cruise TA that DW’s parents use, same individual and same person. I was a little annoyed that she booked the in-laws on the same cruise as us but that’s another story. 

As it was we did have issues with delayed flights but QANTAS sorted that, and P&O organised a complimentary COVID motel and complimentary taxi when I tested positive. I didn’t need to call upon the TA or our insurance. Getting the promised cruise credit out of P&O was a different story but that was booked direct; I’d grabbed a cheap sail price when I saw it and found out the hard way that they won’t transfer a booking to a TA after you’ve paid in full. It would have been helpful if the TA could have chased the credit for me. 

I’ve continued to use the TA to date. 
 

PROS & CONS

With a TA you don’t have direct control of your booking. Any changes need to be done through the TA. This can be a frustration but dealing directly with a cruise line can also be frustrating. Over the years I have spent hours on the phone with cruise lines. Sometimes it’s easier if a TA can do that on your behalf. On the other hand, I’ve had a cruise line tell me I couldn’t change my booking and I’ve phoned the next day and a different operator fixed it for me without a hassle. I’m not sure if a TA would have done that. 
 

We got a really good price on a cruise earlier this year that was only available to members of the TA “club". It cost me a $90 annual membership fee but I ended up saving 100s. 
 

My sister is about to go on her 2nd ever cruise, and her first with the kids who are now teens. The TA said it was impossible to link the two bookings (2 cabins) together but my sister was able to do it herself with information from an online forum. 
 

Going forward I might go back to booking direct with the cruise lines unless the TA can give me a better deal or better service. 🤷‍♂️

39 minutes ago, arxcards said:

…Value is a bit different for everyone…

So true!

I think I’d enjoy Cunard. I have no issue with dressing for dinner every night. DW not so much. 🤷‍♂️
 

But it’s disappointing to hear of any line withdrawing from the Australian market. 

12 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Wouldn't  mind having a look but it is a bit of a commute.

Just wait until she sails to Canberra. 🤣

Prices are per person based on twin occupancy.

This is what I can find online at the time of posting. YMMV