Live (Almost) from the Rhapsody - Around Australia - Feb 24 through Mar 31

[raringtogo]

glad you seemed to enjoy Darwin Tour, Beth.

We were there on Diamond Princess in 2006 and my husband says it has not changed in 40 years. there really isn't much to do there except go out to Litchfield which some people seem to enjoy.

 

I spoke to my son and he told me about the mishap with the fishing boat. surprisingly, he and his mate didn't feel a thing, but were shocked at the mess in the Windjammer- he said all the water from the swimming pool had flooded the windjammer when the ship listed at 45 degree angle-thank heavens no-one was hurt.

 

thank you for keeping us informed -

[BoyntonBeth]

MO0309 - day 14 - Broome

We were originally scheduled into Broome at 8am but were advised when we boarded that wewould not arrive until 10:30 and apparently all tours were resecheduled. My 8:30 tour would now be leaving at 11:15.

It turned out that we were even later than the revised schedule. This was due to both the tide and the wind. It didn't seem terribly windy, but the port is not sheltered and the wind plus the rapidly changing tide made the approarch less than desirable. In 58 prior cruises, I do not remember a delay due to winds for a pier-port - for a tender port, of course, but never when docking.

Despite the delay, my tour, Broome Explorer, left at 11:30. Capt Stein was already on the pier, making sure the early tours got off ok.

Shortly before the tour, I went to my cabin (on deck 2) and we were at pier-level, but, by the time I got back to the ship around 3pm, we were well below the pier. The tide certainly was changing rapidly.

The tour was as described, but we travelled in circles quite alot in order to see everything listed. In contrast, we had heard about PNG tours which seemed to be going in circles to stretch those tours to the allotted number of hours.

It was a good tour and both Toni and I enjoyed it. I guess her major disappointment previously was the wasted time in getting from the ship to the first point of interest. This time we stopped quite often because Broome is fairly small and compact.

During the tour we ran into our table mates who had taken the shuttle into town in order to meet a local friend for lunch. They did not get off the ship until well after 12 because they had to wait until all the tour participants left. They will be taking a private tour this evening - a sunset camel ride on Cable Beach - so they will not be at dinner. I'll report on their experiences, but I don't know when I'll see them next.

We were scheduled to leave Broome at 8:30pm, per the revised schedule, but I have heard that we may be even later than that due to our late arrival this morning,

[BoyntonBeth]

MO0309 - day 14 - Broome Update

It turns out that, starting with the pier operations, Broome wasn't really ready for 2000 extra people. There was no shade on the pier, neither from fixed structures nor from temporary tents. And it was hot - close to 100 degrees.As a result, except for those of us who had early tours, everybody was subjected to considerable delays.

(I was off the ship early, so what follows is what I heard. I cannot vouch for this part 100%, but I'm reasonably sure it is accurate.) Everybody was held until there was a bus on the pier - either a shuttle bus or a tour bus, whichever was appropriate for them. There was no general announcement explaining the delay, so even those people who had private arrangements with cars picking them up were not given the opportunity to get off.

My table mates reported that their private tour - camel riding on Cable Beach at (close to) sunset - was quite a success.

[BoyntonBeth]

WO0311 - day 16 - Exmouth

When I spoke to my father before arriving at Exmouth, he said he couldn't find Exmouth on a map. Neither could I. Now I know why. There's nothing there.

One of the main advantages to Australia is probably the biggest disadvantage to the tourist at the same time. The country is so vast and undeveloped. When you go from point A to point B, you go from A to B. There is nothing in between.

I took a tour called "Cape and Canyons." We got onto the bus at the tender pier and went through a tiny town. Then we went to a cape. Nice lookouts, etc. Nothing really new except for the connection to the Pacific theater in WWII. I could have been at any of a number of places on the Maine or Mass coast.

Then we went back to the town, past the town and on to the canyon. No stops in between as we went from point B to point C. The canyon could have been on the north shore of Aruba - canyon, water view, desert vegetation. Then we went back to the tender pier - from point C - you guessed it - through the town.

The tour was both exactly as described and boring.

There were other disappointments that day. The tenders were not running as continuously as was claimed and the buses did not adhere to their schedules.

Toni and I chose to leave the theater ahead of our group rather than be herded like cattle down the 4 flights of stairs. When we got to the tender gangway, we said we were ahead of our tour group but we were told to go ahead and get on the tender that was about to leave. We did.

At about the same time, it was announced that our departure was delayed due to the late arrival of the bus. We ended up waiting on shore (at least under a tent) for over an hour. Shuttle busses ran constantly and they were also using full size busses. All the time we kept hearing the dispatcher talking to our driver regarding his eta.

We waited about 20 minutes for the tender - mostly in direct, midday sun. By the time we got onto our tender, the staff member helping shoreside had radiod'd that there were 200 people waiting. The tenders seemed to be on a schedule rather than running continuously.

I know this all sounds very negative, but I'm reporting what happened. Let me diminish the negativity with a preview of Perth/Fremantle. (I can do that because I'm running behind in my writing.)

We loved both Perth and Fremantle!!!

We think Exmouth should be eliminated and there should be an overnight in Fremantle instead. Are you listening, Royal Caribbean?????????

[BoyntonBeth]

For the first several nights, our dinner service waS less than what I would normally expect. The "waiter" (waitress Nancy) had 3 tables, with what looked like a total of 16 people. Each night our table was the last to be served. Our food was generally luke warm, at best. We asked Nancy if she could serve us first once in a while, perhaps rotating which table she started with. She said ok, but she did not.

Then, one night when the food was cold, Toni, with her knife and fork in her hands loudly declared "that's it." She certainly got the attention of our Head Waiter. All the food was removed from our table, and, along with the food still on the serving tray, all food was returned to the kitchen and quickly replaced with hot food.

From that point on, our dinner was supervised by Sam, the Head Waiter, and often served by him. The other 2 tables were served before us, but our food was not waiting at the serving station. When it was brought from the kitchen, it was rapidly served to us.

About the same time b2b people received a very nice request in the cabins. If we wanted a specific dining arrangement, we should notify our head waiter. Since Toni and I had been served lunch and dinner by a delightful Romanian couple, we requested the wife Ioanna in writing (and, as back up, the husband Daniel verbally). Bill and Lila at our table were also b2b and wrote on their card that they wanted to sit with us. I personally handed both cards to Sam.

Then we got our new Sea Pass cards for the second leg, and it showed the same table number. When we questioned that we were told not to worry, since the waiters were moved each sailing. That has not been my experience - clearly some are moved, but certainly not all.

 

We were subsequently confused when we got another notice in the cabin, advising us to ignore the table number on the new pass, and, instead, our new table would be ... the same table anyway!!

When we questioned this, were told to see the Maitre d' on Embarkation day. Toni did (actually, it was an Assistant), and she was told we had to wait until they knew how many others wanted to change. We were to go to the assigned table and come back the next day.

Needless to say we were not happy, but complied. Also, needless to say, Nancy was again our server. Toni immediately went to talk to the Maitre d', which she eventually did. She was told again to come back the next day. She asked him to come to our table, he said he would but he didn't. To this day, I have not had one word with him.

This time the service was terrible. Nancy apologized that a cheese appetizer was not hot, but if it were hot, it would melt! Huh? When she delivered the next course, she told us to be careful because the plate was hot - the plate was indeed hot, but the food was the coldest we had received for the entire trip.

Then Sunnil, our new Head Waiter stopped by and asked how everything was. I don't think he expected the earful that he received. He was very concerned, very caring. He said he would look into it, and do what he could. We believed him.

He delivered! The next evening, he told us immediately that he had 2 seats at Ioanna's station. He said he may have 4 but would not know definitively until the next day. With little hesitation, we accepted the change, after apologizing to Lila, Bill, and our new table mates.

Sunnil escorted us upstairs, showed us to our new table. Ioanna came over right away and gave us a big welcome. Colin, the Head Waiter in that section came over a few minutes later to check on us, and repeatedly assured us he would take care of us. Later, Sunnil came back to check again.

It turns out that there was a table for 4 near Ioanna's station but the people did not show up the first evening. That table was changed to Ioanna's.

All's well that end's well. Thank you Sunnil, Colin, and Ioanna!!!

[BoyntonBeth]

I have several CruiseCritic friends who will be taking this same trip next year. When I told them I would be going this year, I also told them that I would be blogging and would be their guinea pig. The response was that I would be more like the advance scouting party. It turns out that "guinea pig" is the more accurate description.

The major reason for saying that is the fact that there are no port talks - no shopping talk, no port lectures advising points of interest or local history/government/culture, no discussion about the shore excursions (other than the TV broadcast which is really the audio for the printed material). The consistent response from ship personnel is that they (the people, the ship, and the line) had never been to these ports. The ship was not ready for the ports and the ports were not ready for the ship.

Guinea pig.

There was a series of Destination lectures each sea day afternoon. They were, however, an aging journalist's travelog - interesting, but irrelevant. There was no focus on our ports. (Note: the lecturer was scheduled to stay on board for all 35 days, but left in Perth due to a serious illness in his family. His "Destination" lectures have been replaced by "Enrichment" lectures, so I expect that they, too, will not be port-specific.)

Every sea day morning, Carly has a "Chat with the Cruise Director" session. She is very personable and very open to suggestions. She did not originally know about the problems with PNG (visas, info, security, tours) and certainly agreed that the overall situation was poorly handled. In several other instances, she has already incorporated changes suggested at these sesssions.

Carly is a guinea pig also, The only advantage for her is the fact that she will be able to benefit from this experience because she will be back in the fall and again year from now.

[BoyntonBeth]

Carly is one of the best CDs I've ever met. She is personable and available. She makes a point of saying that the stage belongs to the entertainers (probably because she was originally a dancer) and she intentionally minimizes her stage time. She also, rightfully (in my opinion), feels that her stage duties represent a small portion of her job and she can go a better job by concentrating on other areas.

Her sea day morning chats are enjoyable. Her willingness to change is refreshing.

I know that the personality that works on a long cruise is not the same personality that most people want on a short cruise. I wish there were a way to get someone like Carly on the short Florida cruises instead of the clowns they now have!

[wrp96]

Beth thanks for the continued updates. Definitely sounds like you were the guinea pig.

[Rancher Dave]

Wow, you have really been keeping quite a log. Glad your cruise is so much fun. Wish I were cruising around OZ...even if the captain was off by a day on arrival dates.

 

When I worked 6hrs on and 6hrs off, one time I started my normal morning routine again in the afternoon since I had become confused as to the day...we all had a good laugh a couple hours later.

[BoyntonBeth]

Previously, on March 13th (just before the first dinner of the second leg), the Maitre d' told Toni that Ioana's station was filled by passengers from the first leg who had been with her and asked to stay with her. I found it hard to believe that 100% of her prior passengers were b2b, since, shipwide, the repeat rate was approximately 20%.

On March 17th we found out from Ioana that she only had 2 people who had been with her on the first leg. Why did the Maitre d' have to lie? Why couldn't he just say they messed up?

By the time we learned the truth we had already left a message for the Food and Beverage manager that we wanted to see him. After learning the truth, we wanted to see him more than ever.

Trevor, the F/B Mgr called shortly after we left our message. He spent about 45 minutes with us and I think both sides were pleased with the discussion.

He was not pleased to hear our story, and a few times I felt that we were confirming his opinion, and possibly even giving him ammunition. I had given him a copy of what I had previously posted.

He, in turn, gave us some added insight into some of causes for our dissatisfaction.

We had heard that there was a new provisioning manager. That was true. He has not been involved with repositioned ships doesn't understand that, as you change markets, tastes change. The best example is the fact that the Aussies really like their local fish. A few cruises ago, they ran out of fish at dinner.

On the other hand, there really is no excuse for running out of iced tea or frozen yogurt. Just poor planning, poor management.

As for the table assignments for b2b, because of the impending transition to My Time Dining fleetwide, tables are being handled by both Miami and the ship's personnel. To further complicate this situation, Guest Services was planning a b2b party and was getting information ready for that meeting. On the previous cruise, prior to our first leg, there were only about 30 people continuing on to our cruise - now they had over 400, so the impact was greater.

Trevor did not, however, realize that we had been "reassigned" to the same table per the 2nd communication. He wondered whether anybody had received a correct reassignement or the same information and will look into that further.

Trevor told us to feel free to contact him if we have other issues, but I have a feeling that we (and our treatment) are being watched. Thanks, Trevor!

[BoyntonBeth]

The shuttle information this leg is better than that on the first leg.

We were given the shuttle prices on embarkation - Bunbury $7 each way - Adelaide $8 - Dunedin $7 - Christchurch $7 - Wellington $5 - unlimited pass for all ports $59.

Albany will have complimentary shuttles, provided by the town.

No shuttles in Melbourne.

Burnie, the same as Albany.

Hobart, no shuttles.

In addition, we were given other information at the same time - shuttle schedules, travel time and frequency - drop off location - distance from town, etc. Good information to have, but it would have really been appreciated in advance.

Of course, some people are not happy. They ask why RCCL is getting us this far and then charging us to get into the town. Good question.

[BoyntonBeth]

The shuttle information this leg is better than that on the first leg.

We were given the shuttle prices on embarkation - Bunbury $7 each way - Adelaide $8 - Dunedin $7 - Christchurch $7 - Wellington $5 - unlimited pass for all ports $59.

Albany will have complimentary shuttles, provided by the town.

No shuttles in Melbourne.

Burnie, the same as Albany.

Hobart, no shuttles.

In addition, we were given other information at the same time - shuttle schedules, travel time and frequency - drop off location - distance from town, etc. Good information to have, but it would have really been appreciated in advance.

Of course, some people are not happy. They ask why RCCL is getting us this far and then charging us to get into the town. Good question.

[BoyntonBeth]

Crown and Anchor, b2b, D+, etc

On the first leg we didn't go to the first welcome back event, but we did go to Platinum/Diamond/D+ party. We also went to the Captain's welcome. Both were ordinary.

There was a D/D+ lunch hosted by the Cruise Directors's staff which was quite good. I guesstimate that there were about 175 people there.

There was also a reception for b2b 3 days before the end of the first leg. The best b2b I came across previously was last September on the Jewel OTS between the Members' cruise to the Baltics, and the TransAtlantic cruise from Harwich to Boston. At that time, most of us got new sign/sail cards in the cabin on the last night. This time we had new cards 72 hours before boarding would begin. We also had all the tour informtion, local maps, local bus info, etc. Kudos to Sue and her Guest Relations Department!

Early into the 2nd leg I met Danney, the (in)famous Loyalty Ambassador. What a difference! I subsequently learned that Lynn, the LA on the 1st leg had left the company. It was obvious that she was not happy and her attitude was certainly evident in her work.

On this leg there are only 16 D+ and somewhat over 60 Diamond members. I was not at the first C/A party, so I don't know what the numbers were previously, but I know they were higher than this leg.

There were approximately 10 children on the first leg, now it's up to 50. Do you think that's why there are so few D+?

[greeneng]

Beth: Thanks again for being both the guinea pig and our advance scouting party. We also are on a part of this itinerary next March: the Perth to Sydney part with a tour following. So, all your observations are very relevant. I hope that they get all these kinks worked out before March 2010. As Sheila mentioned, there are a bunch of us on that one, but she forgot to list us.

 

You should remember us from the dining room table on the Jewel TA last September.

 

Keep it going, please!

 

Jim and Joan

[nlcentralchmps03]

Thanks for the blog Beth. I know it can be very frustrating when you end up with a disinterested waiter. Your persistence has paid off.

 

Steamboatin - I think your post was incredibly rude. Beth is posting from the ship, where she is paying a lot of money for internet access. The PCs are not the best. If you have a problem with READING POSTS - go to View on the tool bar and you can enlarge the text size.

It was incredibly rude. Especially, like you said, she is using her own money to keep us updated.

 

I guess I will never understand some people.

[BoyntonBeth]

Day 10 - James Bustar - juggler - did not go - heard show was ok

Day 11 - Terry Tull - vocalist in production company - only so-so - left early

Day 12 - Bernard Walz - Australian pianist - classical, gypsy (almost Klezmer), show tunes - excellent

Day 13 - Greg Arthur - off-key Australian vocalist - left early

Day 14 - Rikki Jay - Australian comedian - ok

Day 15 - Ballroom Fever Production show - went hoping for better - remember I don't like production shows - don't understand why there was so much Spanish in a show in Australia - left over from Caribbean cruises? - left early

Day 16 - Sounds of the Supremes - good show but I don't remember the originals screeching so much

Day 17 - Cameo Rascale - acrobatic family, including 2 young children (10 and 12?) - excellent

[BoyntonBeth]

FR 0313 - Day 18/Day 1 - Fremantle and Perth

Turnaround day was handled very well. We had been told that b2b people could have room service for breakfast (normally there is no room service on a departure day), but we took a chance and went to the dining room which has always been our preference. We must have been well after the rush, since the service was quite good and the room was not crowded at all. Reports from the WJ indicate that they were busy all morning.

Those b2b'ers on tour were escorted from the ship from deck 4, whereas disembarking passengers used deck 2. As a result, we did not have to contend with long lines and other pasesengers' carryon bags. We went straight from the theater to the busses.

Toni and I took different tours - mine was both cities and hers was both cities plus a river cruise. We both saw enough of each city to know that we want to go back to both of them. That's why I think it would be a great idea if RCCL were to drop Exmouth and do an overnight in Fremantle instead. There really wasn't enough time to do justice to either city - now that we had a decent port, we wanted more.

We had no problem getting back on the ship, bypassing newly arriving passengers.

I've already reported about the disappointments at dinner the first night of the second leg, so you alreeady know that the situation has been rectified.

Again, with only one show between both sittings, we didn't even try to go.

Despite the wrong table that night and the single show that night, we already knew that this leg would be better than the first.

[dramaqueen4lyfe]

Beth: Thanks again for being both the guinea pig and our advance scouting party. We also are on a part of this itinerary next March: the Perth to Sydney part with a tour following. So, all your observations are very relevant. I hope that they get all these kinks worked out before March 2010. As Sheila mentioned, there are a bunch of us on that one, but she forgot to list us.

 

You should remember us from the dining room table on the Jewel TA last September.

 

Keep it going, please!

 

Jim and Joan

 

Sorry Jim, Senior Moment I guess.:o

Watching these posts with great interest.

[BoyntonBeth]

There were lots of problems on the the first leg which RCCL should be able to rectify by the time they have the same itinerary in Sept 09, and certainly before so many of my friends do this same trip a year from now.

 

The underlying problem is the lack of experience with the northern ports. Well, that excuse will no longer be valid!!

 

There are secondary problems also associated with the newness. Without having visited a port previously, the various departments cannot know what to expect. The best such example was mentioned by the Food and Beverage manager when we met with him. In any new port they have no idea how many people will return to the ship for lunch and how many will remain ashore. How do you cook and staff for such a scenario?

 

The people from the new markets make new demands on the foods and drinks - local fish, local wine, etc. Hopefully those provisions will be handled better next time. I still cannot understand how you run out of staples such as frozen yogurt and iced tea.

 

Then there are the shore excursions. There is room for improvement - more busses, more frequent stops (as opposed to driving long distances and seeing/doing nothing. If a tour operator cannot get enough busses, then drop that tour and/or that tour operator. Add photo stops at some of the scenic lookouts rather than just driving by when going between two destinations.

 

The policy against allowing wine to be brought onto the ship for consumption on the ship must be revisited. There was a great deal of frustration among people who took ship's excursions which included wine tasting adnd specfically mentioned buying bottle to bring back to the ship who did buy and then had their purchases taken away only to be returned at the end of the trip. Furthermore, post 9/11 rules in America make it more difficult to transport wines.

 

The PNG situation remains thde most deplorable. Let me recap my story. I have an email from the RCCL shorex office stating that thenere would be no tours in PNG. I reluctantly joined a group taking a private tour. Upon boarding the ship, I discovered that there were

shorex provided by the ship after all. These trips quickly sold out, probably because there were very few seats available.

 

I have been told that there is a Revenue Act which seems to be similar to our Jones Act. A non-Australian carrier must visit a non-Australian port. Otherwise sales on board ship cannot be duty free.

If this is true, what would the $ consequences be if duty were added to onboard purchases? I have no idea how bad it would be compared to the $40 US added to everyone's onboard account if they did not get a PNG visa in advance.

 

I feel that there should be more tours in PNG, offered by the ship, with more of a semblance of safety. Otherwise, the port should be dropped and replaced with an overnight in Cairns and overnight trips to Ayer's Rock.

 

Exmouth was a complete waste of time. It should be dropped. I understaned there are other ports between Broome and Fremantle, but I think there should be an overnight in Fremantle/Perth instead.

 

Now let me put all the negativity aside. Do I regret having taken this trip? Not at all. I think RCCL let me down in several ways, but I'm still glad I did it. I do feel, however, that if one only has the time for one leg of this trip, the "bottom" is a far superior trip. Of course, I would suggest the full circumnavigation!!

[BoyntonBeth]

SA0314 - day 2 - Bunbury

The dining room is normally open for breakfast at 7:30 on sea days and 7:00 am when we are in port; the WJ is usually 1/2 an hour earlier. Neither was especailly good for a 7:30 tour when we were asked to meet in the theater at 7:15. There's certainly room for improvement here.

Furthermore, we were in port all day. There was a 7 hour tour scheduled to leave an hour after mine. The other morning tour also had an afternoon departure as a second choice, so why did my tour have to be so early?

Despite several maiden calls to ports on the first leg, we were never officially welcomed by the locals - at least the passengers were not. There were, of course, the usual behind-the-scenes Plaque and Key ceremonies, as well as inspection tours by local travel industry personnel.

Bunbury was the first port that had any semblance of a welcome for the passengers, in the form of a small band that played familiar songs on the pier and they did rather well.

We took the Bunbury and Busselton tour which was pretty much as described. At one point we had the option of getting off the bus near the Busselton tourist office and walking down the main street to the jetty where the bus would be waiting. The main street looked like any beach-side tourist area, so we opted to stay on the bus and stroll around the jetty. Some people took advantage of being able to wade in the Indian Ocean for the first time in their lives.

[BoyntonBeth]

SU0315 - day 3 - Albany

Albany ("Al" like Alan, not like all) is normally sleepy on Sunday. This time, they went all out to welcome us. There was one entertainer on the pier, John the Piper. The shuttle was free, supposedly sponsored by the town. The shops, which are usually closed on Sunday opened for our business. I heard about the owner of a shoe store who didn't think she'd have many sales, so she didn't open, but most of the other stores, including ordinary drug stores, were open to meet our needs.

I took the Southern Wineries and Albany Sights tour. It was a little early for wine tasting, but, hey, it's 5 o'clock somewhere! We stopped at 2 local wineries which were nice - very hospitable, and the wine was quite nice. Considering we cannot really bring wine back on the ship, the owners really put themselves out for us. The wineries were small, with little or no exports, so even if you found something you liked, you wouldn't be able to get them at home.

A nice tour, but it would have been better appreciated later in the day.

[BoyntonBeth]

WE0318 - day 6 - Adelaide

The City Wine and Aboriginal Culture tour was an interesting tour. We went to the Tandanya Aboriginal Insititute and the National Wine Centre. The latter was part of the (Adelaide?) University and featured interactive displays about wine making. There also was a nice Botanical Garden.

The museum featured a lot of the Aboriginal designs we had seen at so many shops throughout the trip. Normally they have a yidaki (didgeridoo for those who are uninformed) presentation at 12:30 but we were scheduled to leave the museum at 11:15. The gentleman who had been explaining the art work was also involved with the music, so he did a special presentation for us. I suspect he was the main part of the show anyway.

[BoyntonBeth]

TH0319 - day 7 - sea day

I haven't been writing about sea days, because there's been nothing to differentiate them from other cruises. But tonight's show was so unique it warrants discussion.

Danny Elliott was promoted as an instrumentalist. His picture, with multiple instruments surrounding him, made me think he was a puppeteer until I heard the promo information. Then, considering the picture and the promo, I thought one man band.

Instead, he was a very talented musician. He played ordinary brass, woodwinds, etc. He also played bagpipes, pan flute, harmonica, mouth organ, piano, etc. Plus, he sang very well. What a nice show.

[BoyntonBeth]

FR0320 - day 8 - Melbourne

I originally planned to take the City and River tour. On the first leg, however, we met a couple from Melbourne who offered to pick us up and take us around the city. How could we refuse?

During the drive we noticed a tourist bus which we learned is free and takes about an hour and a half to make the circuit. I didn't take it, but it seems to be a good way to see the essential sights, unless you're lucky, as we were. After complaining about the HOHO in Sydney, a free one would have made up for it quite well, thank you very much!

From what I heard from other passengers, Melbourne was a very good port.

[BoyntonBeth]

SA0321 - day 9 - Burnie, Tasmania

The Burnie Highlights tour was scheduled for 7:30am with the usual meeting time of 7:15 in the theater. Again, with a fairly long port call, with some of the other tours scheduled for about 7 hours and leaving at about the same time, and with no afternoon tours, it makes little sense to have this 3 hour tour leave so early.

Once again, breakfast was rushed due to the early hour of the tour. The dining room didn't open until 7 and the WJ at 6:30.

To make matters somewhat worse, it took a long time for us to be cleared by the local authorities. Why? We were still in the same country.

Our stay in Burnie was extended by an hour, although I understand that not all passengers knew that and some ended up cutting their trips short.

The Highlights tour covered everything listed. I almost didn't take this tour because it was described as strenuous, with approximately a mile of walking - that is, in my opinion, a lot of walking in 3 hours in addition to the activities listsed. Even allowing for walking the entire Pioneer Museum and the entire showroom at the Cheese Tasting Centre and the

showroom at the Creative Paper factory, I don't think the total walking was 1/4 mile. Glad I didn't cancel!

When my bus came back to the pier, we were subjected to the most stringent security check I had seen this trip. We were stopped twice, at two different gates, and security people got on the bus and checked all Sea Passes. Also, at the first gate they searched the baggage compartment and looked at the undercarriage of the bus with a mirror on a pole - picture a large dentist's mirror!!

When we got to the dock, the Burnie Highland Pipe Band played for us. I watched them from the open promenade later and they greeted all the busses. I happened to be outside as we were preparing to leave. With a revised departure time of 3:30, at 3:29 a port security car arrived with the pilot. I guess he's alllowed to cut it close!