linanles

We've sailed out of Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland and Singapore and at all of those terminals the Bag Drop opened at about 8:30 - 9:00am so you can drop off your non-carry on bags from then on. The are two stages to getting on board, check-in and boarding. We've found that check-in opens about 11:00am. When you check-in they will give you a boarding number and you have to wait until that number is called. Once the ship is ready for boarding those with priority boarding will be called first then within about 15 minutes the numbers will be called progressively.

So far, we haven't encountered a situation where we have had to wait until our allocated boarding time. I think if you did wait for your allocated time you would find that there would be no waiting as most people would already be on board giving the buffet a hammering.

Princess has introduced star gazing on the upper decks. We have yet to try it out though (hopefully will in March).

We were on Diamond Princess recently and they had "star gazing" on the list of activities. Unfortunately it turned out to be an overcast night so they rescheduled it. Guess what, another overcast night, in fact it was overcast for most of the cruise.

I just wonder what you would see through a telescope on the desk of a moving ship given the angle of view of a telescope is so narrow.

I've found some of the activities are no more than promotional talks and not educational. Especially the digital photography or GoPro lectures. All they talked about were the features of the cameras they had for sale on the ship. I'd put them in the same category as Art appreciation, foot analysis and weight loss/well being, all just advertising.

We went on a cruise from Auckland in March 2016. As our plane got in after midnight and the ship left that day we decided that we didn't need NZ cash as anything we needed we would just put on credit card. That morning we grabbed breakfast at Subway down near the pier and put it on credit card then went outside to get a real coffee at a stand in the street. The lady didn't ask for payment until she had made the coffee and then said they couldn't accept international credit or debit cards, it would have to be cash which we didn't have. Luckily a lovely local lady in the queue behind us overheard what was happening and said don't worry I'll shout you.

What an asset to NZ tourism she was.

Let's hope the medallions are more reliable than the current swipe cards.

How many times have you been down to reception to have your card re-programmed because it won't open the door?

The Diamond Princess like all Princess ships has WiFi repeaters all over the ship. They are usually mounted on the ceiling in corridors and bars. The closer you are to the repeater the stronger the WiFi signal. However, there are two wireless links affecting the speed at which you connect to the internet, WiFi and the ships satellite link.

When you connect to the ships network via WiFi you can then connect to the local server and view local data and your account details and the speed of delivery of these pages will give you an idea of speed of the WiFi which is usually very good. If you then connect to the internet and view some web pages you will get an idea of how much slower the satellite link is. In fact you could go to a speed test website and see how fast your connection to the internet is.

The dish antenna on the ship used for the internet connection only has a narrow angle of reception so you can imagine the effect the motion of the ship will have on the strength of the signal received and hence the speed of the internet connection via WiFi.

The simple answer to the speed of WiFi on Diamond Princess is, there is no simple answer.

This is obviously referring to Aussie cc charges.

It is my understanding that when Mastercard and Visa were first introduced into Australia in the terms and conditions for merchants they were not allowed to pass on the merchant fee which was a percentage of the transaction amount and that percentage depended on the amount of cc payments the merchant put through the system per annum. Somewhere the rule about not passing on the changes has been changed or Mastercard and Visa now turn a blind eye to it. For some merchants the fee can be about 0.3% yet they are charging the customer far more. This is happening with the airlines in particular and politicians have been talking for a long time about stopping this but as usual with politicians, talks cheap.

"The linchpin of the system is a tracking medallion the size of a quarter. Cruise passengers wear it as a pendant, throw it into a purse or place it in a pocket. The medallion uses wireless technologies to communicate with sensors placed around the ship"

Sounds like an RFID medallion which just identifies the holder the same as the current swipe card. The difference is that the RFID can be read from a distance. Nothing new in this technology. The smarts aren't in the medallion but in the software on the computer the RFID readers are connected to.

This release reminds me of Microsoft Software presentations years ago. If an opposition company announced the release of some new software then Microsoft would start the FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) and put on a presentation of their software that would be even better. The presentation was usually for some software that was only in the development stage and what you saw at the presentation was not the actual software but a screen mock up. Invariably when the software was released a lot of the features shown in the presentation were missing. The answer to that was, "oh, that was only the demo". This sounds much the same, some wiz bang features but many are impractical in real life.

We sailed on Diamond at the beginning of December and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Another app for calling via WiFi or mobile Data Connection is Viber. Google it.

We've just returned from a cruise on Diamond Princess and we missed one port. Koh Samui was to be a tender port and we anchored there but the captain advised that we wouldn't be going ashore due to heavy monsoonal rain and sever flooding the day before. The water was very brown and contained a lot of rubbish due to the runoff and the choppy sea would have made tendering unpleasant.

We had booked a tour including elephant trekking with Koh Samui Tours and paid a deposit which we thought we would have lost as the tour was cancelled in less than 24 hours. To our surprise when we returned home we received an email advising that our deposit would be credited back to our Paypal account which it was. Obviously a good company to deal with. Keep them in mind if going to Koh Samui.

I am looking for suggestions on where to stay in Singapore for one or two nights. We are boarding the Golden Princess afterwards. I've never been to Asia before.

If you are looking for inexpensive overnight accommodation I highly recommend the South Bridge Hotel. We booked a room through Wotif for the night before a recent cruise and it was AU$114 for the night. The room is very small but more than adequate for a one or two night stay. It was very clean and had all amenities including toothbrush and shaving kits in the bathroom as well as the usual shampoo, conditioner, skin lotion etc.

As an added bonus you received a voucher for a free drink in the bar, I had a Single Malt Scotch, and as a guest of the hotel you got 50% off meals in the bar. We had steaks, a good size, good quality and perfectly cooked with salad for $11 each with the discount. We also got 25% off English Breakfast in the morning.

It is right next to Chinatown and a short walk to the Chinatown MRT station. A taxi from the airport was $25.00 and less from the hotel to the Marina Bay Cruise Terminal.

Not a bad deal for AU$114 per night. We'd certainly stay there again.

I recommend you leave your hotel early and drop your luggage at the terminal, bag drop opens at 8:30am. You can leave your carry on at the Left Baggage Counter for a fee then spend the morning at the Gardens by the Bay.

Reading the info on carnival corp website it states the offer finishes on 31st July 17, will this be the end of the obc benefit

From what I have read the renewal of shareholders right to the perk is voted on by the Directors at each AGM. They also vote on their own perks. They're hardly likely to say no to shareholder benefits but agree on Director's benefits. There would be an outcry from shareholders.

Did not know there was a cruise director till 14 days in. Four great shows, the rest were insulting.

How did you not know there was a Cruise Director for 14 days but you went to 4 great shows and some insulting ones. You should have received emails prior to cruise from the Captain and the Cruise Director.

Didn't Lee Childers, the Cruise Director come on stage before each performance and introduce himself? This has been common practice on all the cruises I've been on and I would imagine it is one of the Cruise Director's duties.

golf mom please let us know what cabin you were in.

We're sailing on Diamond Princes in 3 days and I hope we don't get that cabin.

Where did you get the banner? I can't see it in the CC Store.

I'm organising a M&G on Diamond Princess next Tuesday but it's too late to get a banner now.

So far 62 members have advised they will be attending.

Just returned. Cabin had no air conditioning, lost power twice, toilet didn't work, safe broke twice and had several days with no tv. Air being repaired in March. Rey disappointed in princess. First time on this line. Beware!

What was your room number?

I just checked online and the taxi fare from the airport to Circular Quay or White Bay is about the same as the train and ferry for 2 people without the hassle of changing with luggage.

Google the Sydney Taxi Fare calculator.

Exactly what is pork belly? I have seen much mention of it lately. It sounds awful. Yes, I understand it is the belly of the pig. What sort of meat would it be? Very fatty?

Until a few years ago you couldn't give pork belly away. It was used for Pet Food. Then we had this surge of "celebrity" chefs all looking for something different to serve and Pork Belly went from pet food to "delicacy" and the price soared. Lamb shanks, although far more palatable, also fall into the once were pet food, now command a high price category.

As you guessed, eating pig fat is not my thing. Nor are fancy dishes consisting mainly of garnish and no substance from "celebrity" chefs. Give me good wholesome food any day.

Depending on which airline you are with, you can check in your luggage and get boarding passes at the Marina Bay Cruise Terminal then go to the airport that night. Check their website;

http://www.mbccs.com.sg/passenger-guide/cruisefly-flycruise

If you're from Brisbane the humidity shouldn't be a big problem.

We are fit and in our late 60s and we are going to visit the Jurong Bird Park and Botanic Gardens on the day we get back. There is also the Gardens by the Bay which is near the cruise terminal.

Sure can , I got mine through my broker comsec. It's easy to do . I'm sure other brokers also can help.

 

John

 

 

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+1 for Commsec. Easy to setup International Trading Account. Trades are cheap.

A few years ago he had a dish on the menu called 'Coat of Arms.'

Some restaurants have our mixed native species on the menu as "Road Kill".

They're a Kiwi thing not a Queensland thing.

The kiwis have no love for possums and blame the aussies for inflicting possums on them.

They also call peter heaters, willy warmers and here is a link to a site where you can buy one made of possum fur.

http://nzsouvenirgifts.co.nz/?product=possum-fur-willy-warmer

Read the description.

Sorry if someone has already suggested this. I only read the first page then jumped to the end to add my 2 cents worth.

What about white slacks, white shoes, hawaiian shirt and lots of gold chains.

The yanks will think you're from Florida.

The poms will think you've just come back from the Costa Del Sol.

And the Aussies will think you're a car salesman from the Gold Coast.

Wear your best Ugg boots on formal night.

For men they could also wear a possum peter heater, oh, I forgot, that wouldn't be seen.

But you would know it's there. :D:D:D

My exercise hours vary. I get up when I have to pee and then I yawn and go back to bed. I'm told that yawning uses multiple muscles. I'm dedicated to exercise and have been known to repeat this regimen more than once per night.

In Australia that is known as a swagman's breakfast. Wake at daybreak and have a pee and a good look 'round. :D:D:D