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Gut and Mrs Gut's adventure

GUT2407

By GUT2407,
in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers

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GUT2407

GUT2407

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I should hand the keyboard over to Mrs GUT she's the expert on this topic, two handbags (one Coach and one one Fossil) she reckons they were a great buy, and she even used some valuable internet minutes to make sure before she bought. (Said she saved a few hundred on one and about $150 0n the other).

 

Some make-up type stuff (l'ocotaine???) that she said was a great buy and some other make up junk my baby girl wanted that she paid $5 more for two than they pay for one at home (saved about $40 on that one).

 

I must say I was a bit disappointed. I would probably have grabbed one of the anniversary watches, but they were sold out of the men's, I suspect they didn't have any at the start of the cruise because it was early day one when I asked (which probably cost them a women's sale too) they also sold out of Go-Pro Cameras by the three week mark. was a bit let down by the range of Cameras basically only a few Nikon, Leica and Go Pros and prices weren't terribly competitive.

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OzKiwiJJ Great Review Rare

OzKiwiJJ

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I picked up a really pretty "diamond" bracelet on Dawn Princess. One of the Jacqueline Kennedy collection items. I would never have bought it at full price but at 50% off it seemed a reasonable deal. Most of the stuff in the onboard shops don't interest me much though.

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GUT2407

GUT2407

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This section will be short, we don't do big shows, the lights and noise cause the delightful Mrs GUT problems.

 

We did see Phil Cass, a comedic magician, who we had seen on one if our first cruises, if you ever come across him he is a not to miss.

 

However he was only on board two nights and they had him in Explorers (why not the theatre I have no idea, maybe he prefers he more intimate area himself.

 

Trivia is a regular, but it was a bit disappointing, lots of anagrams and rearrange this face type questions, and a lot of American or Canadian questions. It also bugs you when they ak the same question twice (do different quiz masters) and give two different answers, and 50s 60s music Trivia without one question on 69s music, but we still love trivia. There was a good roll up each day.

 

Por lectures were poor. Perhaps the worst we've ever had the lecturer was, much of the time, clearly reading a script.

 

Special lectures were pretty good, I would need I double check the names, but the lady on Astronomy and related topics was great, pity the actual observations were in trouble because of cloud cover, but she was very interesting. The fellow who gave he talks on Capt Cook and similar was ales generally very good.

 

The Art lectures were on the whole good.

 

The quality and price of he art on the other hand was disappointing. Nothing even close to a bargain. They told me they were getting some Aussie art on in Perth, but no one I'd ever heard of (and I do know a little about Art).

 

Mrs GUT did some dance classes, but she was a dancer once and while she enjoyed them found hem a tad basic, she also did some Zumba classes.

 

I did some Eukelale lessons but in reality I probably needed to get to them all to benefit.

 

Bingo seemed well attended (not by us). It must be a huge money maker for the lines, little man power, a caller and a couple of crew selling cards outside the door.

 

The musicians we say in the atrium and on the piano near Crooners were exceptionally good one girl in particular was an extremely talented pianist.

 

Went to karaoke once, when some friends talked us into it, one young girl (who was sight impaired) wouldn't have been out of place on The Voice or similar.

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GUT2407

GUT2407

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First Port of call was Port Douglas....

 

Well tendering...

 

When you have 2600 PAX and who knows how many crew, wanting to visit the Port, why only use three tenders capacity about 100 each???

 

How can a cruise line not know the depth at the tender dock and the tides getting the last few tenders of the day stuck on sand bank??????

 

We like Port Douglas a lot but it was over run with the number of visitors, the only way to put it, I heard a few locals muttering about being unable to get their lunch or coffee (now I'm sure those shops sold a bunch of coffee).

 

Probably not a lot more to say, we basically just wandered around, unfortunately the Marina shopping area is being renovated so even while waiting for a tender there wasn't a lot to do or see.

 

Still a beautiful town, but not sure a great port for the bigger ships.

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OzKiwiJJ Great Review Rare

OzKiwiJJ

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It was bad enough on Dawn with only 2000 passengers. They did use one of the local big catamarans but then you had to wait ages for it to fill up with passengers.

 

Luckily we've spent quite a few holidays in Port Douglas so knew exactly where to go for coffee and lunch, and managed to get tables without any problems.

 

The beach there is lovely. Very flat so great to walk along, and no buildings overshadowing it.

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Aus Traveller

Aus Traveller

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Yeah normally good, this time we had the one port lecturer th whole cruise and I was underwhelmed.

The Port Lecturers on Princess are on for a length of time - can be three months or four months and sometimes at short notice. They have to cover all the ports that the ship will visit in that time. Not easy. :)

 

Sorry to hear the port lecturer on your cruise was just so-so. We have encountered some excellent ones, and also others. :D

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OzKiwiJJ Great Review Rare

OzKiwiJJ

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Tendering is always a stressful and time consuming activity, a shame that PD marina was being renovated though, I hope that the crew improved with the tenders at future ports.

 

The Port Douglas marina badly needed to be renovated. It has been run down for years. When we first went there, over 10 years ago, the marina had all sorts of interesting shops. Over the years most of them closed down. Port Douglas had an economical downturn 2-3 years ago which hasn't helped. On our last two trips, last year for a week and this year on the cruise stopover, I noticed that many of our favourite shops are no longer there. Bummer!

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OzKiwiJJ Great Review Rare

OzKiwiJJ

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How can a cruise line not know the depth at the tender dock and the tides getting the last few tenders of the day stuck on sand bank??????

 

 

I'm surprised at that. I've been out on boat trips from Port Douglas a few times and always thought there was a clear channel out to sea. Perhaps there had been a storm and a new sandbank built up. The last marine notice for the area is dated August 2015 with depths of over 2 meters listed. Not sure what the tenders draft is though.

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GUT2407

GUT2407

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I'm surprised at that. I've been out on boat trips from Port Douglas a few times and always thought there was a clear channel out to sea. Perhaps there had been a storm and a new sandbank built up. The last marine notice for the area is dated August 2015 with depths of over 2 meters listed. Not sure what the tenders draft is though.

 

It was at the pier itself.

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GUT2407

GUT2407

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The Port Douglas marina badly needed to be renovated. It has been run down for years. When we first went there, over 10 years ago, the marina had all sorts of interesting shops. Over the years most of them closed down. Port Douglas had an economical downturn 2-3 years ago which hasn't helped. On our last two trips, last year for a week and this year on the cruise stopover, I noticed that many of our favourite shops are no longer there. Bummer!

 

Close to 10 years since we'd been there, hopefully it will be better when it's finished.

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GUT2407

GUT2407

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No great secret that those Down Under are not regarded as great tippers by those from some other countries.

 

Now a few times I had to visit the Pursers desk a card that stopped working, get some consummate host cards, change some AUS$ for NZ$, pick up a poppy, grab an extra Patter, that sort of thing.

 

EVERY single time here was somewhere there removing the auto grats (funnily usually with an American accent).

 

Many of you will know that if you are an AUSSIE or KIWI Princess bundle the tips up in the fare. Some say it's because Aussies remove tips in such great numbers but in reality it is an ACCC requirement.

 

Go figure.

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

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No great secret that those Down Under are not regarded as great tippers by those from some other countries.

 

Now a few times I had to visit the Pursers desk a card that stopped working, get some consummate host cards, change some AUS$ for NZ$, pick up a poppy, grab an extra Patter, that sort of thing.

 

EVERY single time here was somewhere there removing the auto grats (funnily usually with an American accent).

 

Many of you will know that if you are an AUSSIE or KIWI Princess bundle the tips up in the fare. Some say it's because Aussies remove tips in such great numbers but in reality it is an ACCC requirement.

 

Go figure.

 

Yes, I have seen many nationalities doing the same.

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dizzy1948

dizzy1948

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Lest anyone thinks that the lack of a giggle means Mrs GUT has no sense of humour, she does (after all she married GUT)

 

But she is a strong woman, GUT can tell her his best joke and she won't even smile not even a little grin, see one strong woman that.

 

......................that's because she is laughing on the inside :p

Edited by dizzy1948
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GUT2407

GUT2407

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A couple more sea days. Now this cruise was heavy on sea days, about 20, but that was fine by us, one of these sea days was the Beautiful Mrs Gut's birthday.

 

Some may remember I was hoping to do chefs table or ultimate balcony for this, however Mrs G had other plans she wanted a burger under the stars,nso being a sensible man, that's what we did.

 

As previously indicated we just did our own thing in Darwin a visit to some of the bomb ruins and cyclone sites.

 

Hot and humid.

 

It was here that I made one ladies day, when DW asked a question and I responded bug...d if I know, as you do, lay was so excited because she had Ben told she may hear an Aussie say it, so at least I made someone happy. Wasn't Mrs GUT I can never make her happy.

 

Darwin was our daughter's birthday also the day she got her Uni results (which lead to the thread Guts Bragging).

 

Interesting that while walking along the jetty the water enclosed by the jetty aw teaming with sharks, must have been at least 20.

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