Tigerlily75

On MM's social media page it says their new contract starts June 6, which is the Spirits return from Singapore

On other ships they refurbed the cabins and installed lamps with USB ports, hoping they do this on Spirit

A cross body bag that actually has nothing of value in it (a bottle of water, umbrella etc). I keep a small amount of cash and one credit/debit card easily accessible (to me, not them!) in a zipped or inside pocket so I don't need to pull out a wallet/purse out to pay for things. I keep my other credit/debit cards separately (hotel safe, or under garment money belt), so if one is lost or stolen, I still have access to money.

Don't sign any petitions and ignore people who approach you and offer you a taxi!

Thanks Tigerlily! Do you think the social Media package would be enough to check email and submit a few files? Not sure if those submissions need to go through some online portal or vpn etc.

 

I hope you enjoy your upcoming cruise. ⚓️ Please do get back to me upon your return! [emoji482]

 

 

Cheers

No unfortunately social media is only social media, for example if you're in the one Zuckerberg created, you can't even open an article that's been posted from say The Age within the the app, if that makes sense, it won't load. No emails. You can use apps like Messenger, I'm guessing probably WhatsApp too.

I'll do a couple of speed tests in June!

Roaming is changing though, with mine (Vodafone) I can roam in 60 countries for only $5 per 24 hours (only payable when and if you actually use it). I can use my plan just as if I was at home, so 40GB per month, unlimited calls/text etc. So it might be worth checking.

I've only used the Social Media wifi package, but I can say that it worked fine the majority of the time. I'll probably get premium on my 25th of June cruise so I'll come back to this!

I don't know if it's different in Ocean Suites, but in other cabins the inputs to the tv are disabled.

Spirit is about to enter dry dock, so things could change too!

A complete break from life.

My other trips are land trips and full of exploring - a cruise is when I want to do nothing but be taken care of. It's almost like being a kid again where the adults take care of everything - the food, the transport, the activities, everything is just there for you, and you just get to play and eat and enjoy.

It's in the Federal Budget. $300k at this point to develop options for extra cruise ship capacity in Sydney.

Last part of this article https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/federal-budget-2018-nsw-vying-for-share-of-1-billion-urban-congestion-fund-20180507-h0zq1l.html

Oh I visited there over ten years ago!

I actually live five minutes from the Cadbury factory here in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, it's not open to the public like the Dunedin one was, but I have access to the staff shop as an emergency services worker. I only went once, the stuff is so cheap it may as well be free. But you know what happens when you have a cupboard full of chocolate in your house .. you eat it. I'll never go again. I still feel sick.

Well I had recently just started looking into my super proper, and this thread helped inspire what I want to be when I retire (in 25 years). I'm not one who paid too much attention to my finances in the past, but I'm setting up salary sacrifice into super now .. the projections for this look much better than I expected.

I have an an appointment with a super planner next week and when he asks what I want in retirement I'm going to say "free laundry", hehe

Sorry to break it to you but the pension here in Australia doesn't work that way.You may be thinking of how Superannuation works or European Pension models work. In Australia it is means tested and has no bearing on how much tax you paid, although how long you lived (not necessarily worked) in Australia does have a bearing. It is a welfare payment and as such is targeted to those who need it rather than being a universal payment.

In any case, if you can afford to cruise, good luck to you.

No it's not a universal payment but as you say its generous and is provided to top up ones super, or provide in full for those who don't have any/enough. You are saying it shouldn't be so generous, but I think the attitude of (most) Australians is that the pension is indeed an entitlement earned after years (and years) of working, not a welfare payment like Newstart, and I've never heard anyone of my generation begrudge an older person their pension, full or part, ever.

Compulsory super didn't even come into effect until 1992, and it still might not be enough for many. Part pension tops that up. I got lucky compulsory super came in before I even started my working life.

What goes around comes around. I might be funding someone's part pension while they cruise now, but they funded everything that I had growing up like schools and roads and hospitals. Now I fund their pensions and for the next generation the schools and roads and hospitals. And they in turn will fund my part pension.. and on it goes

As someone who is nowhere near retirement, my understanding of the pension has always been that if one has spent 50 odd years working and paying tax into the system then they have earnt every penny of any pension they get.

They are not taking anything away from anyone, they fair dinkum paid for it.

I’m sure there are many teachers and nurses and police officers (etc) who weren’t in a position to accumulate million dollar assets, that doesn’t mean they didn’t “work hard”.

Cruise away I say, you deserve it.

From the website it says:

When to tell us your travel plans

You need to tell us you’re leaving Australia if you:

• are going to live in another country
  
• will be away for more than 6 weeks
  
• get payments under a social security agreement with another country
  
• came back to live in Australia within the last 2 years and started getting Age Pension since then
  

Otherwise you don’t need to tell us about your travel. The immigration department will tell us when you leave and return.

By my logic, it would have to be written into the legislation - or Act or whatever it is that governs Centrelink payments - that when you return you need to stay at least one night.

If it doesn't specify a minimum return time, then you ARE returning to Australia and it shouldn't affect your pension. They can't make up a new rule on the fly.

So I guess the key is to find out what, if anything, the Act says about minimum return times, I would ask them that specifically, preferably in writing.

If you want the answer just look to Australia. Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Princess charge NO gratuities to Australian guests on Australian cruises. Instead, our cruise fare is higher, and the crews wages are higher.

Taxes and fees are also incorporated. So for us, the price you see is the price you pay, and that's it, no additional charges.

In the end, it all works out the same.

If you do decide to go to Cairns I suggest actually staying at Port Douglas, an hour away by shuttle bus.

 

For a reef trip I recommend Wavelength https://www.wavelength.com.au/ which departs from Port Douglas.

 

Then do a Daintree Forest tour with Tony's Tropical Tours https://www.tropicaltours.com.au/.

 

I recommend the Meridian Port Douglas apartment hotel. https://portdouglasmeridian.com/about/ It's one block from the main shopping street, and an easy walk to the marina. Tours pick up at the apartments. No children under 16 either. We've stayed there a number of times and always loved it.

This. Do this.

You will have a trip to remember!

HI ''The other Tom"' one board is ports of call ( ie land based ) Australia and New Zealand

 

The other board Australia and New Zealand cruisers is for people Cruising in and around Australia like the "'ÜK cruising"'

 

Since some of cruise line do different things in Australian waters if the cruise starts and ends in Australia.

 

I hope this explains for you.

 

Cheers Don.... oh almost time for a G&T

I didn't know this other board existed until I accidentally clicked on it recently when trying to find my way back here. I could see the names of familiar posters but all the posts were different ... I thought I was in The Twilight Zone. It took me a few minutes to figure out it was a different board altogether!

There many options, but to get you started, some commonly mentioned hotels off the top of my head:

Holiday Inn Old Sydney (The Rocks)

YHA The Rocks

Marriott Circular Quay

Travelodge Wynyard

Shangri-La

InterContinental

Four Seasons

Swissotel

The Tank Stream

I'm not sure if the above posters are quoting AU$ or US$, if it's AU$ then just note it will be a lower figure in US$ with conversion.

January is generally more expensive, but the prices Skyscanner is showing me are a bit ridiculous, at over AU$2k, compared to around AU$1200 for May.

I would sign up for airlines newsletters and wait for a sale or enlist the help of a trusted travel agent who can notify you of a good deal.

Airlines to keep your eye on:

Qantas

Virgin Australia

Air New Zealand

American Airlines

Delta

United

Air Canada

I would think for January, anything under AU$1500 would be a good deal, so that's around US$1150.

I use sites like Skyscanner to watch prices and see available routes, but I never book through them, some of those online agents they're connected with have terrible reputations. It's best to book directly with the airline.

There is a danger in booking tickets separately, i.e. STL - LAX then LAX-SYD. If your first flight is delayed causing you to miss your second flight, they have no obligation to get you to SYD. If your ticket is all the way through to SYD from STL, and the same thing happens, they will get you to SYD on the next available flight that they can. Always allow plenty of time. I'm on two cruises out of the US next year and plan to arrive at least 2-3 days early.

Remember also to allow for time zone differences. Generally, leaving from the US to AU, you will arrive two days later. If you depart LAX on Jan 20, you will arrive in SYD on Jan 22. Going the other way, from AU to US, you will arrive in the US before you even left Sydney. Ie you leave SYD at 9.30am on Feb 15 and arrive in LAX at 6.30am Feb 15.

The luggage part is easy. There's a luggage storage place 2 minutes walk from the OPT, and another at Central Station.

Or - if you fly Virgin Australia to Cairns, they now set up a check in desk at the OPT (someone will need to confirm if this is done every time a ship comes in) and you can get off the ship, check in for your flight there and then, and they'll take your luggage right to the plane and issue you your boarding passes. Then you go about your day and just turn up to the airport for your flight. There's a $25 fee for doing this, well worth it.

By the time you come, other airlines may be doing this too.

Someone else will have to advise re stingers... I assume if the tours run in December (have a look for this December) then it must be ok.

I think the Auckland idea is great, and will probably save you money on flights, since one way flights from the US are about as expensive as return flights.

Buy a return ticket to Auckland. Get off the ship in Sydney, fly to Cairns, spend your 2 days there, fly Cairns to Auckland. Fit in the restaurant somewhere (that will be your challenge!).

Forget Brisbane, I really don't see the point of Brisbane in this scenario. Your best day trip to the GBR is going to be from Cairns.

I'm not here to defend the media, but what they were doing was quoting passengers on board and that is how they presented it, i.e. "Sally, who is on board, reported that ... etc".. they weren't saying that IS what happened, they were saying this is what is being reported from passengers on board.

The problem lies I think in that nobody actually bothers to wait anymore for facts. People don't even read articles these days, they just read headlines.

I started this thread but I made NO assumptions about what happened. We didn't know what happened. All I knew is that somebody went overboard. The facts of how, when, what and why always come out in time, but nobody wants to wait. That includes the media, because they all want to beat each other to the news. They really shouldn't report more than what is actually factually correct at the time, though I don't see it changing anytime soon.

But no I don't think they "lie", they're just too hasty in wanting to get a story together, and they pad it out with fillers. Every time there's a murder in a residential street, they interview the same Joe Blow who tells us "This is such a quiet neighborhood, I never would have expected this to happen here". Every. Time. It drives me batty.

Journalism has definitely gotten lazy, and no one seems to proofread at all.

VIFP points do count, I think the people you're getting on the phone don't quite know what they're talking about.

When I click the VIFP tab on the Carnival AU site it actually directs me to the US site... it's all one VIFP.

That would be great.

I wonder if this happens after re-fits also. Coming home from Singapor on "Carnival Spirit". I wonder if the rooms will be ready at 11:30 boarding??

Surely they would be! Will you be getting Internet? Can you please come and update us on the refurb if so? I'm boarding for her first trip once back home, 25th of June. I really want to know if they refurb the cabins at all, and install the lamps with USB ports some of the newer ships have.

Some of those Spring Breakers seem a bit raucous, but maybe we're just next level.. !

I agree it sounds like you just struck a bad day.

I definitely wouldn't choose my cruise based on this.