Live from the Dawn Princess Mar 11 Around Australia

[Pia1913]

Good Morning Donna and Tina. Just finished reading this entire thread. Now that my "job" on the Star is over, I can continue sailing with you on this one.

 

For the person who asked about internet, both Donna and Tina are Elite and therefore receive the free minute allotments. I know Tina carries her own netbook; forgot whether or not Donna does too.

 

I received an email from them this morning; on their way to Bali for a Sunday arrival.

 

Donna: hope the cough has not lingered, though I know you carry a "hospital" with you as we do. ;)

[DonahCBrown]

In re: internet etc. - as Pia says - we get a package of minutes - did hear from a friend recently, though, that it is now possible to 'pre-purchase' at a pretty deep discount so you might want to have a look around the Princess website for how that works. More minutes you buy, the less per minute you pay, but it is also good to do cut and paste for this type of thing (am typing 'live' at the moment, though) - compose in the word processor on your laptop or notebook (can't do on the Princess computers though) and then copy and paste into CC.

 

In re: the m & g - spoke to Lisa a while back, but in the interests of not having it fall through the cracks, was going to write another note closer to the end of this cruise - sounds like it worked out in any event.

 

Couple of notes on this and that:

 

Service in the dining room for breakfast is VERY slow - did for the first time today, as yesterday in the buffet was madness - we ended up breakfasting at the bar and then having people hover behind us to encourage us to finish our coffee and move on. Will go back to the buffet after this, though.

 

Last night was the Captain's Circle Party - third place was over 820 days, first was 1,020. After a '2nd place' on the NZ on the Sun, not sure we will even make the lunch cut on this one...

 

First time for Elevator Roulette on this cruise (also first time I've seen it done at all, although Pia had a great description on one of her Live threads.

 

That's it until I can do a compose and cut and paste. Bali tomorrow - port talks have been full of warnings....

[paul929207]

Hi Donna,

I'm on the Sept. 7 cruise out of Sydney that is the reverse of your cruise and am thinking of starting a blog for friends and famiy back home to follow our travels. When you're making the trek all the way from Eastern Canada, the journey to the embarkation point is almost as big as the cruise itself:)

 

My question for you is about your thread and your entries on it...did you purchase internet minutes in advance from Princess? I see they sell blocks of minutes with supposed bonus minutes for buying in advance. Also, did you carry your own laptop or do you use the internet cafe for your entries? I'm thinking of bringing a small "netbook" on the cruise, but I want to be sure that should I purchase internet minutes in advance that I can use them on my own netbook in my cabin, and am not required to go to the internet cafe to use.

 

Hope you can help! And thx for all the great info, it will certainly help us plan some of our port activities in advance!

 

katrina

Katrina,

We will be with you in September.

 

I am pretty sure Donna is at least Platinum in the Captain's Circle and therefore is using the internet credit she gets to pay for these posts and other activity.

 

If you buy internet minutes in advance, you get the most bonus minutes. You get 20 to 80 extra minutes depending on the size package you purchase. These minutes can be used in either the internet cafe or on your laptop/netbook via wifi from nearly everywhere on the ship.

 

I bring my laptop and write most of my emails and posts while I am offline and just connect to send mail and post.

[Pia1913]

Katrina,

We will be with you in September.

 

I am pretty sure Donna is at least Platinum in the Captain's Circle and therefore is using the internet credit she gets to pay for these posts and other activity.

 

If you buy internet minutes in advance, you get the most bonus minutes. You get 20 to 80 extra minutes depending on the size package you purchase. These minutes can be used in either the internet cafe or on your laptop/netbook via wifi from nearly everywhere on the ship.

 

I bring my laptop and write most of my emails and posts while I am offline and just connect to send mail and post.

 

Paul, Donna is very much Elite. Also, we can't "buy" in advance to enhance our free minutes. ;)

[paul929207]

Paul, Donna is very much Elite. Also, we can't "buy" in advance to enhance our free minutes. ;)

It just isn't fair. They won't give us bonus minutes for using our free minutes!!!

[Pia1913]

It just isn't fair. They won't give us bonus minutes for using our free minutes!!!

 

How about that! :(:p

[Woobstr112G]

In re: internet etc. - as Pia says - we get a package of minutes - did hear from a friend recently, though, that it is now possible to 'pre-purchase' at a pretty deep discount so you might want to have a look around the Princess website for how that works. More minutes you buy, the less per minute you pay, but it is also good to do cut and paste for this type of thing (am typing 'live' at the moment, though) - compose in the word processor on your laptop or notebook (can't do on the Princess computers though) and then copy and paste into CC.

 

In re: the m & g - spoke to Lisa a while back, but in the interests of not having it fall through the cracks, was going to write another note closer to the end of this cruise - sounds like it worked out in any event.

 

Couple of notes on this and that:

 

Service in the dining room for breakfast is VERY slow - did for the first time today, as yesterday in the buffet was madness - we ended up breakfasting at the bar and then having people hover behind us to encourage us to finish our coffee and move on. Will go back to the buffet after this, though.

 

Last night was the Captain's Circle Party - third place was over 820 days, first was 1,020. After a '2nd place' on the NZ on the Sun, not sure we will even make the lunch cut on this one...

 

First time for Elevator Roulette on this cruise (also first time I've seen it done at all, although Pia had a great description on one of her Live threads.

 

That's it until I can do a compose and cut and paste. Bali tomorrow - port talks have been full of warnings....

 

Hope you have are having a safe and enjoyable stop in Bali.....:):):)

 

Bob

[cruisemeaway]

We will be doing this cruise next year. And, really looking foward to it. Also, really enjoying reading this thread. My question is regarding liquor. We usually pack our favorite beverage in our checked through luggage and have never had any problems. I wondered if any of you and done that. We enjoy a cocktail in our cabin before going to dinner and don't enjoy the price Princess charges for their's. So, if anyone has any suggestions, please let us know. Happy Cruising!

 

Doug and Barbara

[chamima]

In

 

Couple of notes on this and that:

 

 

Last night was the Captain's Circle Party - third place was over 820 days, first was 1,020. After a '2nd place' on the NZ on the Sun, not sure we will even make the lunch cut on this one...

 

First time for Elevator Roulette on this cruise (also first time I've seen it done at all, although Pia had a great description on one of her Live threads.

 

That's it until I can do a compose and cut and paste. Bali tomorrow - port talks have been full of warnings....

 

 

What kinds of warnings about Bali? :eek:

BTW- I love elevator roulette!!! Try it.

[paul929207]

What kinds of warnings about Bali? :eek:

BTW- I love elevator roulette!!! Try it.

What is elevator roulette?

[chamima]

Someone from the CD staff covers up the box in front of the elevator that tells you where it is. Everyone is given a certain amount of tokens. Then you place your bet on which elevator (1,2, 3, or 4) will come next. The people with the tokens on the elevator that opens split the pot. It requires that everyone is honest and in it for the fun so it can be a hoot. Also, the expressions on the faces of the poor people in the elevator when the door opens are extra entertainment.

I hope I explained it clearly.

Great for a rainy day!!! (And you don't need to know anything to participate!)

[paul929207]

(And you don't need to know anything to participate!)

 

Thanks for the explanation and confirming that I am qualified to particiapate.

[chamima]

Me also, Paul!

I always feel so inadequate at Trivia. :o

[Pia1913]

Thanks for the explanation and confirming that I am qualified to particiapate.

 

You can't participate until you stop sailing on the little ships. Elevator roulette is played on deck 7 aft.

[paul929207]

You can't participate until you stop sailing on the little ships. Elevator roulette is played on deck 7 aft.

I will be on the Dawn in September. I guess I better practice.

[srpilo]

Someone from the CD staff covers up the box in front of the elevator that tells you where it is. Everyone is given a certain amount of tokens. Then you place your bet on which elevator (1,2, 3, or 4) will come next. The people with the tokens on the elevator that opens split the pot. It requires that everyone is honest and in it for the fun so it can be a hoot. Also, the expressions on the faces of the poor people in the elevator when the door opens are extra entertainment.

I hope I explained it clearly.

Great for a rainy day!!! (And you don't need to know anything to participate!)

 

LOL LOL !! Only on a cruise !!! :D

 

 

 

But I have to admit, it's sounds like fun :)

Srpilo

[Pia1913]

LOL LOL !! Only on a cruise !!! :D

 

 

 

But I have to admit, it's sounds like fun :)

Srpilo

 

It is fun, but you also have to have the right CD. Some of them can't be bothered with anything extra (i.e. CD on the Star to name one).

[srpilo]

It is fun, but you also have to have the right CD. Some of them can't be bothered with anything extra (i.e. CD on the Star to name one).

 

I agree, on longer cruises with alot of sea days, unfortunately the CD came make or break the cruise.

 

 

 

 

Let's hope the CD on our upcoming TA will be better :)

Srpilo

[Pia1913]

I agree, on longer cruises with alot of sea days, unfortunately the CD came make or break the cruise.

 

 

 

 

Let's hope the CD on our upcoming TA will be better :)

 

Srpilo

 

Do we know yet who it is?

[srpilo]

Do we know yet who it is?

 

 

Hard to tell with the Grand coming out of the long dry dock..

 

 

 

But, fingers crossed

Srpilo

[DonahCBrown]

Here’s a bit of a catch up – after our three sea days, we had a really nice day in Bali with a private tour with Bali Traditional Tours that Tina found on Trip Advisor. Our guide Nioman was waiting at the gate as promised when we disembarked from the big catamaran Bali Hai II that was used for tendering along with 6 of the ship’s tenders. We were ashore by just after 9:15 and headed to Ubud, with our first stop at Nioman’s family compound, which has been occupied by his family since the 1860s. Nioman had just been married, three days ago, and all the decorations were still up from the wedding so it was a very special experience as he introduced us to his new wife, his sister in law and his two nieces. He explained a bit about the traditions for the family and how the various families who live in the compound are arranged in accordance with the compass alignments (most senior family gets the north) and showed us the kitchens and ceremonial areas as well. From Ubud, we proceeded to the rice terraces, which were really beautiful, and then went to the temple of the holy springs. Nioman explained the various areas of the temple, gave us some background on the beliefs and practices of Balinese Hinduism and then we proceeded to the craft village of Mas and visited a wood carving shop. Unfortunately it was made really clear to us that bringing wood products into Australia was going to be really difficult, so we didn’t purchase anything, but the masks and carvings were really magnificent.

 

We had been informed that the final tender would leave at 3:30, so we headed back to the port, arriving at around 3:00, just to be on the safe side. We’d also been told that there would be a numbered tender ticketing system on the return, but there was not, and we were able to board the Bali Hai II for the return with no problems.

 

As it turned out, the last passengers didn’t return until nearly 6 PM as there was a tragic accident involving one of the tour buses that struck and killed someone on a motorbike and as a result several of the buses were held up. We haven’t heard anything more about it at this point.

 

In re: warnings about Bali from the port lecturer - in no particular order:

- aggressive vendors - reality - some places yes, but no worse than a lot of other places we've been, better than others like Jamaica.

- crooked money exchange - reality - don't know, didn't change money - they like US currency

- heavy traffic - reality - yeah, it was pretty bad, and probably would be worse on a weekday, so you DO need to plan your time accordingly

- 'bottled' water - could have resealed tops and be not really safe local tap water - reality - don't know, didn't want to take that kind of chance so brought water from the ship

- toilets- bring your own tp and sanitizer - they have both kinds, squat and western, but lack tp and/or running water - true

- monkeys in the monkey forest/temple are trained to steal stuff from you and you have to bribe the locals to have them get it back for you - according to our guide, true and he was very critical of the villagers who did this and said it was just in the one area where it happened.

- price switching - vendors offering $1 until you get inside the shop or pick the item you want, then changing to $10, $20, etc. - true. Also, our guide said to bargain, starting at 30% of what is asked and settling for 40 to 50% of the initial price.

 

Can't remember the other stuff she talked about, but these were the biggest issues.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

We also had the catamaran Bali Hai when we tendered in Benoa at Bali.

 

 

 

[kobecat]

Our Department of Foreign Affairs continues to issue a travel warning for Indonesia, including Bali, current at today's date. Having said that thousands of Australians, particularly Western Australian's travel to Bali every day. We will be among them in June. Yeah!!

 

From the smarttraveller.gov.au website as of today: I quote.

 

This advice has been reviewed and reissued. It contains new information in the Summary and under Safety and Security: Terrorism (updated reporting in March 2011 indicates that terrorists may be planning attacks in Indonesia which could take place at any time), Civil Unrest and Political Tension (violence against minority groups in West Java and possibility that trials of extremists may promote strong reactions from supporters, including acts of violence) and Natural Disasters, Severe Weather and Climate (eruption of Mount Karagetang near Sulawesi). The overall level of the advice has not changed.

Summary

 

• We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Indonesia, including Bali, at this time due to the very high threat of terrorist attack.
  
• If you do decide to travel to Indonesia, you should exercise great care, particularly around locations that have a low level of protective security and avoid places known to be possible terrorist targets. See the Terrorism section for details.
  
• Since early 2010, police have disrupted a number of terrorist groups in North Sumatra, Lampung, Banten, Jakarta and Central Java. Police continue to conduct operations against these groups. Police have stated publicly that terrorist suspects remain at large and that they may seek to attack Western targets.
  
• Updated reporting in March 2011 indicates that terrorists may be planning attacks in Indonesia which could take place at any time. Attacks against Westerners in Bali and Jakarta indicate that these areas are a priority target for terrorists.
  
• Terrorists have previously attacked or planned to attack places where Westerners gather including nightclubs, bars, restaurants, hotels and airports in Bali, Jakarta and elsewhere in Indonesia. Analysts judge that these types of venues could be targeted again.
  
• Judicial processes, including trials of extremists and the implementation of sentences, could prompt a strong reaction from their supporters such as demonstrations and acts of violence.
  
• Australians should avoid all protests, demonstrations and rallies as they can turn violent.
  
• Since July 2009, there has been a series of violent attacks near the Freeport Mine in Papua. One Australian has been killed in these attacks. There is a possibility of further attacks in the Papua Provinces, including attacks on infrastructure and national institutions.
  
• We advise you to read carefully the sections on travel to West Java, Aceh, Central Sulawesi Province, Maluku, Papua and West Timor where additional safety risks exist.
  
• In late January 2011, a number of flights between Bali and Australia were cancelled or redirected due to a volcanic ash cloud from the eruption of Tengger caldera in the Mt Bromo volcano complex in East Java. You should be aware that volcanic activity may continue in these areas and further eruptions could cause flight disruptions at any time. For more information, see our Travel Bulletin on flight disruptions caused by volcanic activity in Indonesia.
  
• Australian health authorities have detected a small number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease (Legionella pneumophila) amongst travellers returned from the Kuta region of Bali since August 2010. See our Travel Bulletin for further information.
  
• There is a risk of rabies throughout Indonesia, in particular Bali and Nias. See the Health Issues section below for advice to Australians travelling to or resident in Indonesia.
  
• You should telephone ahead for an appointment before going to the Australian Embassy (See Where to Get Help).
  
• Because of the serious terrorist threat in Indonesia we strongly recommend that you register your travel and contact details with us so we can contact you in an emergency.
  
• Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas:
  
  • organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy
    
  • subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it's reissued.
    

[Pia1913]

Thanks Donna. Between your post and Tina's email, I now have a complete picture of your day in Bali. But I still hate when you guys travel without me. :(

[mildew1951]

Our neighbours left for Bali today, the whole family of 7. We have been there several times since the original bombing and never felt anything but safe. We always avoid gatherings of locals in the street as we were advised they sometimes can be the start of political rallies or people up to no good. If we see these we just cross the street and go on our way. Bali is a lovely place and the people are beautiful.:)