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oskarNZ

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  • Posts

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About Me

  • Location
    New Zealand
  • Interests
    Travel
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    I’m not loyal to any.
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Southern Caribbean or the Greek Islands.

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  1. Funny you say that as I have only seen a wild wombat once and it was in Cradle Mountain. Travelling the world to see animals in the wild is a bit of a passion of mine and that includes all the fabulous animals you have there in Australia. Next on the wishlist is a platypus. By the way, that photo is very cute.
  2. I’m pleased I asked. I am learning about animals (eg the pademelon) that I never even knew existed and have gone on a marsupial google hunt. I must admit, I have a bit of a soft spot for your wombats. The baby ones I saw at a sanctuary in Tasmania some years back were possible the cutest thing ever.
  3. Wow! That sausage meal doesn’t sound even remotely nutritious. It annoys me when restaurants, including those on land, think kids are okay with food free of vitamins and flavours. Also, as someone who hasn’t decided yet, I really appreciate feedback, both good and bad, in order to make an informed decision. I’ve seen Facebook pages where fans of particular lines can become quite defensive (in a disrespectful way) whenever anyone posts something negative about the company they love. However, for those of us researching, it’s better to approach any booking with realistic expectations rather than our head in clouds. The fall to land can end with a night thump otherwise. So thanks again for your feedback, it’s appreciated.
  4. I have no experience with any of those islands, but I have become stuck chewing over the first paragraph. Can someone tell me what the “country’s cutest marsupial” is please? I can’t seem to open the article without subscribing.
  5. Thanks so much for your detailed and honest review. It confirms some of my concerns. The P&O cruise I have been looking at was on a really good (but non-refundable) flash sale over the weekend and yet I couldn’t bring myself to book. I think it was my gut telling me something. In this day and age, all vacation spots should have multiple vegetarian options. I was vegetarian up until about a year ago and I still eat vegetarian meals much of the week. I support the comments that tasty meals can be made fairly cheaply. I just recently returned from an all-inclusive vacation in Mexico where I had access to not one, but two, restaurants that were both 100% vegan. The food was some of the best I’ve had. The success of good veg meals does require access to a lot of fresh ingredients and I read a review somewhere that P&O has really gone down hill when it comes to vegetables and salads.
  6. Good to know. Will google that. Out of interest, why do you say Port Douglas is better? Is it because Port Douglas itself is a nicer city or is it because it’s closer to better excursions.
  7. Thanks also to everyone for the feedback about fries. I’m not specifically concerned about the access (or lack thereof) to fries throughout the ship, it’s just that I find charging for things like this an odd business decision. Perhaps it’s just me.
  8. I’m pleased you responded as that is really useful to know. I have wondered if it’s worth waiting until we get the chance to actually fly into Cairns and spend a proper amount of time in the area, and your response makes me think it might be. In fact, if it weren’t for the risks of summer (stingers and storms), I would consider doing it this upcoming trip instead of a cruise. I don’t mind wearing a stinger suit for one or two excursions, but not a whole week. Carnival does one day Port Douglas and one day Cairns. P&O meanwhile does an overnight/2 days in Cairns but no Port Douglas. I did wonder if one option was better than the other?
  9. Thanks so much everyone for your really helpful feedback. I would reply individually to all of your thoughts but are in a bit of a rush this morning. I just wanted to add that after speaking again to our friends, it seems that they just aren’t in the financial position to book a vacation over the next year or so, so it will be just my family of 3 going on a cruise. I’m disappointed, but also it relieves the pressure of feeling like I might make the wrong choice. With that in mind, I have narrowed our options to the HAL and P&O cruise. I like Carnival, but am keen to try something else. I’m leaning towards HAL, but I want to sit down tonight and crunch everything (shore excursions, drinks, HAL gratuities, flights etc), to work out if the value for the P&O cruise is still worth considering. If P&O really is considerably cheaper, I suppose I can look past paying an extra $4 for a side of fries, but I have to be honest, it would irritate me a bit. I fully understand paying extra $$ for things like seafood and expensive cuts of steak, but not things like burgers, hot dogs and fries. It seems they have decided over the last couple of weeks to start upcharging on comfort foods, which is really odd given that carb-loaded food like this fills people up at less cost to the cruise line. I could happily go a week without eating this type of food, but seeing all these up charges on a menu does kind of mess a bit with that all-inclusive bubble feeling. On the flipside, I do like all the rave reviews I’m reading about the evening shows such as the one ‘7’. I will have to Google them.
  10. This comparison is very useful. Thank you. I really dislike when cruises put popular shows in small rooms and it’s a scrum to get inside. My favourite onboard experiences have been ones that distribute what is happening around the ship so as to spread the crowds out. Celebrity for example, seemed to have very little going on inside during our sea days, so getting a seat around the pools was always difficult. It’s therefore good to hear P&O offer a lot of fun trivia options. Out of interest, have you been on P&O Adventure? (I see that is pretty much the same ship design as the Encounter). If so, did a ship with so many pools and shared spaces distribute the crowds well? I keep watching You Tube videos of all 3 ships and the Encounter/Adventure really do look like lovely ships that have been updated well. The design and the way they have utilised upper deck spaces does seem a bit more reminiscent of the likes of Royal Caribbean which I think my family might enjoy as long as the crowds are distributed well.
  11. I would love it if you could feed back. Thanks. I am finding it hard to find recent info on the company, so anything you can share would be great. I see that they changed their menus a few weeks back and are now charging for things in the main dining room that I would consider cruise staples (eg eggs bene at breakfast, burgers for lunch, steak at dinner). I am admittedly feeling a put put off by that as I like to go on a cruise and know that unless I choose to eat at specialty spots, my food costs are pretty much covered. In saying they are cheaper, so I have to factor that in when making a decision.
  12. Thanks so much Jazdax for your thoughts. We didn’t think a comedy club was important to us until we went on Carnival Splendor. The acts were mostly hilarious and a great way to end the evening. Do you know if P&O has good comedy acts outside the Comedy cruises?
  13. Thanks Daz, I really appreciate the input and comparative insight into P&O. I’m completely fine with a good pub style meal and like you, we prefer a good pub band than a string quartet. Also, thanks for your thoughts about the drink package. I am thinking of getting the same one for my family. I don’t drink a lot on cruises (perhaps 2 cocktails a day) and my husband mostly drinks beer (which doesn’t quite add up enough in price to the justify the alcoholic drink package).
  14. Thanks heaps for sharing your opinion of HAL. It’s always good to hear a mix of opinions to help with our decision. Also, I agree about the Carnival food and piano bar.
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