Welcome Home 4th Jan Cruise

[suexxx]

Hi all. Hope all of you are well and finding your land legs. Besides the Virus being onboard How did you all go. Please Please some reviews before we go(31st Jan). Suexxx

[JJWA]

Besides the virus, we had a great holiday. There were a lot of very unhappy people onboard, which dampened the mood a little. The noro was probably the biggest reason for the moaning, but other people would just find anything to complain about! Watching the news report the other day with people going on about how disgusting it all was, made me wonder if we'd been on another ship?

 

Missing Christmas Island was a big disappointment. It looked lovely from the deck. Rumours ran around faster than the noro as to why we couldn't get off, but still to this day we have to assume it was due to the large swells...

 

The crew were all very attentive. The entertainment staff did their best to appeal to the varying age groups on board. We missed a few shows and other planed entertainment due to some of the crew/entertainers being ill.

 

Kids club (HQ) for the 11 to 17’s was in my opinion aimed more at the older age group. Our 12 yr old thought it great as she got to hang around with older teens, but, as a parent, it’s not really something I felt completely comfortable with. Most days all they did was hang out in the Ozz Bar (bar wasn’t open tho) Most nights they had a disco in there too.

 

The tenders were a sore point with most passengers. Again, no one’s fault, it’s just the only way off the ship. Queuing became a way of life whilst onboard.

 

The port days were all good. Missing Christmas Island meant we didn’t touch land for 6 days, so pretty much everyone was hanging to get off.

 

Semarang itself was a typical Asian city with slums and filth. Lots of people just went to the shopping mall. We took the tour out to Borobudur, which was a really great day. (Except we all got sick afterwards – rumour has it about 80% of the tour was wiped out. Originally we were told food poisoning, but then it changed to noro as it spread thru the ship...)

 

Bali was very hot, as to be expected at this time of the year. We had a driver organised so he just took us into Kuta, left us to do our own thing, then picked us up when we were ready and took us back to Benoa ( only about a 30 minute drive)

 

Lombok we also had a driver organised. We had planned for him to take us to a beach for snorkelling, but, it rained that morning and the water was all murky, so we changed our plans and headed to Sengiggi Beach. Our daughter had her hair plaited and nails painted in the markets there and we ate lunch before heading back to the ship. It was approx 2 hrs drive there and back, with a couple of stops for photos.

 

Komodo Island we stayed on board as we’d seen the lizards before at Singapore zoo. From all accounts it was worth a look tho.

 

Broome was HOT. I don’t think I’ve ever been so hot before... We got off the ship and a bus took us straight into the visitors centre in town. We had a bit of a wander around, but very little was open as it was a Saturday arvo. (Very odd that shops wouldn’t open knowing that a cruise ship full off people was coming to town?) We had lunch in the Roey Hotel (nice meals ) and a few drinks before heading out to Cable Beach on the town bus ($3 per ride or you can get a day pass for $10 I think?) The beach looked so inviting, but, you can’t swim because of the stingers. Lucky for us we knew someone who works in a resort up there so we scored a swim in the pool. Spent a couple of hours there, then headed back into town (during a huge down pour with loads of thunder & lightening) and went back to the pub to kill time and eat dinner before heading back to the ship. At this stage we wanted to be off as they’d closed the buffet and the restaurant food wasn’t all that appealing.

 

Geraldton I didn’t bother getting off as been there before, and I was over the tenders by then. It was really hot too, so nicer to stay onboard as the air con was finally working again in our cabin. (That’s another story, as the air con was playing up from about the 2nd week up until around about the 2nd last day) I had to organise packing anyway, so it was easier with the family out of the way.

 

The food was plentiful, but in my opinion, not a huge choice if you don’t eat meat. From everyone’s past experience I actually expected more like theme nights, eg: seafood, Italian, Indian etc. We ate mainly in the buffet (when it was open) as a better choice. The restaurant food was ok, but very small servings, and often it took ages for the food & drinks to come out. I was very pleased I came back the same weight as when I left J maybe due to eating mainly salads and being sick for those few days?

 

There was no lack of drinking tho, as our final bill showed us... My hubby became quite fond of the cocktails, and they were around the $10 mark L

 

The self serve laundry was just about impossible to use unless you were prepared to queue for ages. One morning we were there on opening time (8am) and the machines were already in use with about 6 people waiting... We ended up just rinsing out what we’d worn each day and hanging it in our window and everything dried nicely.

 

I think there were at least 3 formal nights. Themes nights were a Latin Fiesta, Island Night, 80’s night, 70’s disco inferno, beach party, country & western and 50’s & 60’s rock & roll party (think that was all?)

 

We had very smooth seas, and I only noticed the swell a couple of times, mainly whilst in the Atlantis Lounge. At nights I slept with ear plugs in as the cabin had a few rattles.

 

And, back to the sickness, we couldn’t have washed and sanitised our hands any more than what we did, and we still caught it, so be prepared is all I can say. Only one out of our lot of 5 that got sick ended up having a needle, as he had the runs and cramps quite bad. The rest of us just got on with it.

 

All in all, we had a great holiday, and would cruise again. The crew did all they could to keep the moral up, and for them it must have felt like fighting a losing battle some of the time (hearing all the complaints)

 

We met some nice people and saw some lovely sights, so we’re all very happy J

[suexxx]

Hi JJWA. Thanks so much for your review. Can I ask--If it didn't rain in Lombok where would have you gone snorkling? Can you swim at Sengiggi Beach and snorkle there? What type of food did you eat in Lombok and Bali? I'm glad that you had a good time even though you got sick. When is the next one? Suexxx

[Megawat]

Hey JJWA thanks for your veiws and glad you had a great time too, barring the novo and no stop at Christmas Island.

Hey Suexxx, you are just getting Sooooo excited, it's great, I can sence it in your words.....LOL, So am expecting a good in depth reveiw from you when you return.

We snorkelled at Sengiggi beach and it was quite a surprize as it was quite overcast and thought the water would not be that clear, but having taken goggles and snorkel thought what the heck, and it was great. We are gioing back in June to Gilli Air, thats a little Island at the top norwest.;)

[suexxx]

Hi Megawat. Thanks sooo much for your input. Yes I am excited. That's just me though. Love cruising. This is our 3rd & more to come I'm sure. Suexxx

[fishtaco]

Besides the virus, we had a great holiday. There were a lot of very unhappy people onboard, which dampened the mood a little. The noro was probably the biggest reason for the moaning, but other people would just find anything to complain about! Watching the news report the other day with people going on about how disgusting it all was, made me wonder if we'd been on another ship?

 

Missing Christmas Island was a big disappointment. It looked lovely from the deck. Rumours ran around faster than the noro as to why we couldn't get off, but still to this day we have to assume it was due to the large swells...

 

The crew were all very attentive. The entertainment staff did their best to appeal to the varying age groups on board. We missed a few shows and other planed entertainment due to some of the crew/entertainers being ill.

 

Kids club (HQ) for the 11 to 17’s was in my opinion aimed more at the older age group. Our 12 yr old thought it great as she got to hang around with older teens, but, as a parent, it’s not really something I felt completely comfortable with. Most days all they did was hang out in the Ozz Bar (bar wasn’t open tho) Most nights they had a disco in there too.

 

The tenders were a sore point with most passengers. Again, no one’s fault, it’s just the only way off the ship. Queuing became a way of life whilst onboard.

 

The port days were all good. Missing Christmas Island meant we didn’t touch land for 6 days, so pretty much everyone was hanging to get off.

 

Semarang itself was a typical Asian city with slums and filth. Lots of people just went to the shopping mall. We took the tour out to Borobudur, which was a really great day. (Except we all got sick afterwards – rumour has it about 80% of the tour was wiped out. Originally we were told food poisoning, but then it changed to noro as it spread thru the ship...)

 

Bali was very hot, as to be expected at this time of the year. We had a driver organised so he just took us into Kuta, left us to do our own thing, then picked us up when we were ready and took us back to Benoa ( only about a 30 minute drive)

 

Lombok we also had a driver organised. We had planned for him to take us to a beach for snorkelling, but, it rained that morning and the water was all murky, so we changed our plans and headed to Sengiggi Beach. Our daughter had her hair plaited and nails painted in the markets there and we ate lunch before heading back to the ship. It was approx 2 hrs drive there and back, with a couple of stops for photos.

 

Komodo Island we stayed on board as we’d seen the lizards before at Singapore zoo. From all accounts it was worth a look tho.

 

Broome was HOT. I don’t think I’ve ever been so hot before... We got off the ship and a bus took us straight into the visitors centre in town. We had a bit of a wander around, but very little was open as it was a Saturday arvo. (Very odd that shops wouldn’t open knowing that a cruise ship full off people was coming to town?) We had lunch in the Roey Hotel (nice meals ) and a few drinks before heading out to Cable Beach on the town bus ($3 per ride or you can get a day pass for $10 I think?) The beach looked so inviting, but, you can’t swim because of the stingers. Lucky for us we knew someone who works in a resort up there so we scored a swim in the pool. Spent a couple of hours there, then headed back into town (during a huge down pour with loads of thunder & lightening) and went back to the pub to kill time and eat dinner before heading back to the ship. At this stage we wanted to be off as they’d closed the buffet and the restaurant food wasn’t all that appealing.

 

Geraldton I didn’t bother getting off as been there before, and I was over the tenders by then. It was really hot too, so nicer to stay onboard as the air con was finally working again in our cabin. (That’s another story, as the air con was playing up from about the 2nd week up until around about the 2nd last day) I had to organise packing anyway, so it was easier with the family out of the way.

 

The food was plentiful, but in my opinion, not a huge choice if you don’t eat meat. From everyone’s past experience I actually expected more like theme nights, eg: seafood, Italian, Indian etc. We ate mainly in the buffet (when it was open) as a better choice. The restaurant food was ok, but very small servings, and often it took ages for the food & drinks to come out. I was very pleased I came back the same weight as when I left J maybe due to eating mainly salads and being sick for those few days?

 

There was no lack of drinking tho, as our final bill showed us... My hubby became quite fond of the cocktails, and they were around the $10 mark L

 

The self serve laundry was just about impossible to use unless you were prepared to queue for ages. One morning we were there on opening time (8am) and the machines were already in use with about 6 people waiting... We ended up just rinsing out what we’d worn each day and hanging it in our window and everything dried nicely.

 

I think there were at least 3 formal nights. Themes nights were a Latin Fiesta, Island Night, 80’s night, 70’s disco inferno, beach party, country & western and 50’s & 60’s rock & roll party (think that was all?)

 

We had very smooth seas, and I only noticed the swell a couple of times, mainly whilst in the Atlantis Lounge. At nights I slept with ear plugs in as the cabin had a few rattles.

 

And, back to the sickness, we couldn’t have washed and sanitised our hands any more than what we did, and we still caught it, so be prepared is all I can say. Only one out of our lot of 5 that got sick ended up having a needle, as he had the runs and cramps quite bad. The rest of us just got on with it.

 

All in all, we had a great holiday, and would cruise again. The crew did all they could to keep the moral up, and for them it must have felt like fighting a losing battle some of the time (hearing all the complaints)

 

We met some nice people and saw some lovely sights, so we’re all very happy J

 

 

I just read that Bali has a Gastro outbreak at the moment so its quite possible that you picked it up on your Semarang tour!

 

Was the trip worth it to Senggigi? My driver has already informed me that it will possibly rain! and sorry was that 2 hours each way from the port?

Thanks.

[JJWA]

Hi Suexxx

Yes, you can snorkel at Sengiggi Beach. Our driver also mentioned another island, somewhere south of Lembar harbour that is very good. Shame I didn't get the name tho. If you have the time and have nothing else organised, going over to one of the Gilli Islands would be worth it. We did it years back, and on one of them (can’t remember which tho) there is a huge drop off that is quite amazing to see.

On Bali we ate Nasi Goreng, Mee Goreng, chicken satay sticks and spring rolls (Lumpia). And Lombok was pretty much the same, but my hubby had the beef rendang instead of the Mee Goreng. Also managed a couple of Bintang’s J

Not sure when the next one will be, but, there will be one. Hubby and I talked earlier and we’d like to do the Mediterranean, Caribbean or Alaska... Guess we’d best start saving, eh?

Oh, I forgot to mention in my post that one family got kicked off in Broome. Gossip has it; their teenage son took to another kid and roughed him up a bit? Also, a 17 yr old got 1st warning for smoking, but lucky for them they turned 18 whilst away, so could continue puffing.

You’ll have a ball, so enjoy every moment.

[JJWA]

Hi Fishtaco,

Yes, it’s approx 2 hrs each way. But, we did stop for photo opportunities. We had been to Lombok before so had seen some of the sights (temples, mosques, weaving, pottery, waterfall etc..) , so we opted for Sengiggi as knew we could swim/snorkel there. It's pretty much the main tourist area, but there's not an awful lot there. Hotels, restaurants, markets and a few shops. If you want the touristy sights, then probably give it a miss. A few on the cruise were just going to the mall, but, we'd hit the shops in Bali and couldn't be bothered again. We just wanted a relaxing day. It was just a shame it rained L

[aussie57]

Hi JJWA

What is a reasonable price to pay in a taxi or van or whatever from Benoa to Kuta & back? Once at Kuta, are the markets, shops etc placed within easy walking distance or do you have to cover a lot of distance? And are Kuta & Legian the same place...or far apart?

Thanks

[suexxx]

Hi all. Does anyone know if they still have the send out laundry on Pacific Sun? Also ,did anyone notice if JELLY was served? DH favorite. Thanks Suexxx

[Megawat]

Hi all. Does anyone know if they still have the send out laundry on Pacific Sun? Also ,did anyone notice if JELLY was served? DH favorite. Thanks Suexxx

Hi Suexxx,

Yep didn't use it but sure there is send out laundry, and I saw and had once the jelly, it did have fruit in it but was still yum.

Richard

[Megawat]

I just read that Bali has a Gastro outbreak at the moment so its quite possible that you picked it up on your Semarang tour!

 

Was the trip worth it to Senggigi? My driver has already informed me that it will possibly rain! and sorry was that 2 hours each way from the port?

Thanks.

Hi Fishtaco,

We got a bemo that seated six and it took about 45 minutes to Sengiggi, cost about 480000 ($60.00aud all up) for the day, there and back, we had a good few hours at the cafe in the art market with great Lumpia, Nasi Goreng and beautiful cold Bintang, well worth it all. I just want to be back there!! So I'm jealous!!!:rolleyes:

The rain there would be great, typical tropical downpour, but it may make the snorkelling rough.

Have a great time away.

Cheers

Richard

[JJWA]

Hi aussie57,

We paid 400,000 indo rph for our driver, which was a full day rate to take us anywhere. For 2 families it was cheap as chips as his van seated 6. (Approx $47. Aus) We just opted for Kuta as been to Bali many times before. If you want to give me your email details I can send you his contact details, as not sure if I am allowed to post it on here? I'm sure you could get it much cheaper if you wanted to barter as there were loads of drivers at the gates looking for people. We just couldn't be bothered with the fuss, and wanted to know we were a text message away from our transport back when we'd had enough.

Kuta runs into Legian, if you just keep walking. My thoughts would be maybe get dropped at Mataharis dept store, which is near the beach markets, and then just walk. There are shops selling all sorts everywhere, so you'd not have to worry about not finding things.