CCC's

Usually on a cruise I turn off my mobile as soon as we reach Sydney Heads however, if I wish to access the various Apps available ( P & O, Princess) how do I setup my Samsung mobile WITHOUT incurring overseas roaming charges. Thanks for any assistance.

Excellent suggestions above and I would like to add a suggestion. I have used this website many times when visiting NZ and anywhere in Australia. Go to www.viator.com. Enjoy planning your upcoming cruise.

Hi. Thanks for your excellent review. Just one question..... were you able to book Waterfront prior to embarkation? I have read somewhere that it can only be done when you are actually on the ship. Hope you can clarify for me. Many thanks.

I have an upcoming cruise in November on Majestic Princess. I also have complimentary speciality dining for one night. Tried using the Medallion app to book Crown Grill using my freebie but would only accept payment which at $29 each pax was a no brainer, so booked and paid. Then read a post here (thank you Ondine) which suggested using the laptop/computer website, which I did. I booked the French Speciality restaurant and instead of paying it "Reserved" my booking. So will pay for this booking using my freebie when onboard. Worth giving it a try.

Your ongoing trolling is becoming soooo boring!

Could be a smart move for you to take.

That is so funny. Perhaps the instructions on the bottle were only in Arabic !!?

Yes agree. Darling Harbour for accommodation, dining, fun things to do... then cab it to White Bay which is about 2-3 klms away.

I can't live without Shazam now that I have found it. My Spotify playlist is a little out of control now.

I am booked on Majestic Princess 20 November 2022 for 5 day cruise..... Sydney, Port Arthur, overnight Hobart, return to Sydney. A nice short cruise to ease back into sailing after 3 long years.

First time cruising with P & O. Would like to book one of the above speciality restaurants, but can't decide. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Check out Airolodge International at Hamilton. Walk across road to Portside Wharf which has an abundance of cafes, bars, movie theatre etc. You could pick up a room for about $120. You can catch taxi or shuttle (Conn-X-ion) from airport. It is possible the motel would have available a shuttle to the NEW ship terminal, but check first. They previously had one to the old Portside terminal. Definitely suitable for a short stay.

I am booked on a 4 night cruise in September on Pacific Explorer with a guaranteed deluxe balcony room. My luggage tags are now available. It shows .... ROOM GUAR and DECK DE. Can anyone explain what Deck DE means. Also I believe I should wait for an actual room number before printing my luggage tags.

I was referring to Meriton Apartments, in particular Kent St apartments. I spent 3 nights there recently and found it very comfortable, a few minutes walk to light rail system, close to CBD as well as Darling Harbour and Chinatown. They are worth checking out.

You can still get a studio for $195 per night however, if it is a Saturday night you would pay about $300+ per night. I am unsure why "subaru94" was quoted $900 for 1 night for 4 persons, but it might be for their penthouse. I did a check and last Saturday night in April 2023 for 4 persons in a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom was $545. But if you book a weekday room it is only $365 per night. So, still reasonably priced.

I took this steam train trip from Picton to Blenheim, then return. Train trip was good but found the actual town of Blenheim very disappointing. To me it seemed that the style of the buildings dated from 1950s onwards. No beautiful old buildings or places with a wow factor. However there is an interesting cafe, souvenir shop attached to Blenheim railway station which is worth spending some time browsing and having coffee and cake or a light meal.

My next cruise to Hobart in November I have booked the HoHo bus at $35 pp. I always try this excursion ( Auckland, Hobart, Melbourne) it allows you to see all the main sites and hop off at any that takes my fancy. Cruisermsoon above has given a lot of good advice and suggestions. Also, if you dock at Picton NZ (not sure if you do) the best excursion I have ever taken in NZ was from the local wharf area. It was swimming with wild dolphins. My daughter actually donned a wet suit and swam with the dolphins but I stayed on the small cruiser boat and took photos. You can't touch them but they are curious and will come to you to check you out. And there were 100s of dolphins. Absolutely unforgettable.

When your ship docks at Dunedin try to visit Larnach Castle. Lively bus ride to castle and interesting back story to the history of Larnach. Very nice cafe within the castle as well and grounds are beautiful. Not as grand as castles in England but worth a visit. Olveston Historic Home close to Dunedin CBD is stunning too. In the past we have also used the Dunedin HoHo bus which gives you a snap shot of the top tourist sites within Dunedin. Check out this website as well https://www.dunedinnz.com/visit/see-and-do/heritage

Agree. Hotel prices in Sydney and surrounding areas are over New Year period are horrendous. Perhaps you could consider flying into Sydney day before cruises, stay at hotel at the airport (reasonable price over NY period) go on cruise 2-14 January then book accommodation in Sydney CBD after cruise. Accommodation costs are back to a more normal level, that is about 25% of overnight cost over NY period.

Recently stayed at Meriton Apartments Kent St in the city. (Other Meriton Apartments also recommended too). Minutes walk to Darling Harbour, Chinatown, only 3 minutes to light rail system. Overnight rates are v.good and you have a small kitchen and washer/dryer in apartment. Being a regular visitor to Sydney I have found these apartments to be the most central for all tourist sites to visit. Also, it is very easy to catch a taxi to White Bay terminal. A thought.... you will be booking accommodation late December, early January over the New Year period and the rates will be very high in Sydney CBD and surrounding areas!

As SinbadThePorter suggests, you could also consider.... a cruise from Sydney to Tasmania plus Adelaide or Melbourne and return to Sydney. This could be a 6-7 day cruise. Then fly to Auckland NZ and pick up a cruise of the South Island and Fjords, then back to Sydney, which is maybe another 6 nights. Fly from Sydney to your home. This is a very rough outline only and you would need intensive research to make it work. I am not necessarily including warm tropical tourist spots because as you reside in a tropical area of the USA you would probably want to see something "different" .

It might be worth phoning Con-X-Ion shuttles. I have used them many times and never had a problem. You will need to call 1300 920914 to ascertain whether they have commenced a service from/to the new Cruising terminal.

Something to be considered should you wish to NOT report that you are Covid positive......I would definitely prefer to be close to my local medical support/hospital rather than a medical centre on a cruise ship should my Covid illness become serious. And personally I would not knowingly endanger other cruisers on the ship. I find that behaviour shameful.

If you don't have a credit card with complimentary travel insurance attached you could consider the NAB Platinum DEBIT CARD which has travel insurance with covid cover, and it takes 5 minutes to apply online. Being a Debit Card you will be using your available funds for any purchases. It is worth checking out as their travel insurance will cover the whole family for each and every travel excursion taken. However, there is a $10 monthly fee to maintain the Debit Card account.