Ondine

Hi yes!yes!yes!    Son and I will be on the cruise departing Melb 8th Jan so maybe we will catch up with you.  Hope you get the SA portion sorted.

Hope you  enjoyed your cruise Juls.  One day we will meet.

Son and I are on QE dep Friday for NZ.  Christmas in Fiordland and New Year in Auckland o'night.  First time and probably last on Cunard since they are deserting us.

On 12/14/2023 at 11:23 AM, singleflyer said:

 

I don't have Facebook.  Care to share what went so wrong??

We were there.  Our check in time was 1.45 (originally 1.30) and we arrived at 1.40pm.  There was no access to the pier as per usual to drop off luggage etc because they were having "technical difficulties" so everyone was told to just drive around and come back later or join the queue.  We parked and waited for 20 minutes in the car and then decided to join the queue which was growing and snaking around the street and along the beach front.  Probably around 500 in the queue by then.  After about 30 minutes we had moved around 50 ft/15mts with little or no information being given out. After 2 hours and still not reaching the port gate officials came along calling out for passengers with 1.30 or 1.45 boarding times to go to the front of the queue and check in their luggage.  We then progressed onto the pier and crawled or stood for another 2 hours before reaching the lifts/elevators leading upstairs to the check in lounge.  Finally Richard came along apologising for the debacle which was caused by their systems going down in the terminal and the back up systems in Miami being very slow and dropping out all the time.  By then I think there were about 1,800 people in the queue.  People loved getting selfies with Richard so some were happy.  When we finally reached the lifts people were allowed to go to check in in groups of 10 because there was mayhem at the check in counters.  We had DBE and saw the line for Rock Stars so we joined that.  There was no one in it.  The officials were channeling people into the snake without asking if they had priority boarding and so many people were not aware of it. We got on board in about 10 minutes after that.

After all that there was confusion with disembarking because people were not told to select a disembarkation time via the app. Most passengers are used to the cruise line issuing papers with times and coloured tags.  They kept sending out messages to ask you to select a time under excursions but many people especially older passengers, and yes there were quite a lot of over 50/60/70/80s onboard (including me), did not read their messages.  I had to ask at sailor services how to handle disembarking.  I did find the absence of announcements and general how-to info confusing.  I know better for next time (February) now.  It was a learning curve.

So all in all it took us 4 hours to board.

Just off Resilient and yes we had small washcloths.  They were toweling with a plain strip through the centre.  I have had better.  Bar of soap but we just put our hands under the pump in the shower.

3 hours ago, arxcards said:

As far as I am aware, you cannot get an "in case" script for covid anti-virals in Australia. You need to test positive to be eligible for PBS supply. There was mention a month or so back that these are around $750 per course on Princess (no PBS), but may be covered by your travel insurance.

https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/covid-19/treatments/eligibility

Went to my doctor for a regular check up last week and mentioned I was going on a cruise next week and she gave me a box of anti-virals to take with me.  Think she was breaking the law but obviously doctors get supplies to have in their surgeries.  She knows I hate taking medications of any kind and having vaccines (yes I have had 5 covid needles and caught covid 3 times on cruises since they restarted in Aus) but wanted me to be prepared.  I know she has knocked back other travellers who have asked for prescriptions and tablets but told me I am special!!!!!  We get along well.

Son and I have booked separate gty cabins on QE for Christmas cruise, 22nd Dec.  They stopped selling cabins several weeks ago so fully booked.  Mine (balcony) came through around 4 weeks ago (just showed up in personaliser) but his is yet to be assigned (inside).  Just over 2 weeks to go so fingers crossed.  Have been getting emails re dinner bookings for Christmas so everything seems to be in order.

Just been talking to friend who came in yesterday on QE repositioning cruise.  They boarded in Barcelona and 3 of the group didn't get their luggage.  Lost in transit with aircraft somewhere.  It eventually caught up with them some ports later but it was a matter of scrounging what clothing they could put together at the beginning of cruise.  Not a great start to a Cunard cruise.  He also said it was riddled with covid but there was no checking or protocols to follow from company.  If they don't know they don't have to report it.

My Deep Blue Extras and $100 bar tabs disappeared from my booking around 10 days ago.  We sail in a week.  I contacted Sailor Services and in a few days they had reapplied it.  I had done a screen shot of it but they didn't ask for it.

My $200 for the survey appears as 2 x $100 gifted sailor services.

Can someone tell me if these OBCs can be shared by both people in the cabin if we are using the same credit card.  I don't drink but would like to share my "sailor loot" and bar tab $100 with my son.

Maybe they could use the excuse Qantas made about selling seats for flights that had been cancelled.  Namely that they are selling seats to fly and not guaranteeing a particular flight or day or destination!!!

I guess that if you have flown from Tassie to Sydney to board the ship and you find yourself back in Tassie it is a bummer.

Reminds me of that other trip some years ago that was meant to go to the Islands and ended up in Tassie.  Problems of people dressing for a hot holiday and ending up in a cold place without jumpers.  Think that was a P&O cruise and a cyclone got in the way.

Some years ago we got a moveover offer from Princess.  It was to be our first cruise with them.  It came 48 hrs prior to boarding and they offered a full refund and a free cruise of the same duration in a mini suite (we were in a balcony).  We took it as we live 15 minutes from the port and apart from disappointment had no other problems to sort out.

Spirit of Tassie relocated 12 months ago last October.  The reports prior to moving were that they could not come to an agreement with Port of Melbourne regarding an increase in fees so they built a new terminal in Geelong (Corio) and went.  Geelong were happy to have them and in the past have touted getting cruise ships there.  One mayor was offering to build a new terminal for cruising but I don't think he is still Mayor.

Perhaps Port of Melbourne want the cruise ships to contribute to a new terminal like they did in Brisbane but that was prior to covid ruining everything.

There is no date on this letter.  How long prior to the trip was it sent out?

7 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

there will still be 126 bookings for 25/26 season.

Not sure where they got that figure from.  Melbourne Ports has 100 visits scheduled for 25/26 and that is the total number of visits including all the day stops by all ships some of which are here multiple times. 

It is not an indication of home porting which the article is really about.  Day visits don't require all the infrastructure or staff that turnarounds do.  Fewer ships home porting means less fuel and food supplies needed.

My pet hate was a dude who wore a cowboy hat to dinner in the main dining room on Grand Princess each night last month.  Never took it off.  Not sure where he tied his horse up.  His lady wore normal clothes.

In fact I don't like seeing men keeping their hats on at dinner at all especially the ones who wear baseball caps backwards.  Guess I am old fashioned.

Or come to think of it why people are wearing parkas on formal nights in the dining rooms.

Just newspapers beating up the cruise industry with half baked news.  Yes there are new port charges which come in effect on Jan 1 and apparently were just announced last week but they are not very large.  Other things are at play.

Cunard announced on November 3rd (4 weeks ago) that they were pulling out of Australia after the 2024/25 season.  We have known for 6 months that after this season 2023/24 QE would not be returning to Melbourne and in 2024/25 would home port Sydney, later announcing that this would be the last time for Sydney.  No mention of this in the Press!

When the new itineraries came out for Princess about 6 months ago we Melbourne people complained on this forum that there were very few cruises listed for Diamond Princess in 2024/25 and if you look at the Melbourne Ports schedule you can see that they were not planning to come back in the near future.

P&O have got a lot of slots for 2025/26 booked but this is only an indication.

Disney and Virgin have committed for 2024/25 cruising but things can change.

I am looking forward to Norwegian Sun coming in 2024/25 and hope that the cruises are not too expensive because I would like to support any company who comes here.  Interesting itineraries although would have to be B2B.

I believe another problem is the scarcity of ships.  Princess have announced that they will be home porting Cape Canaveral from this season so that takes another ship out the mix left for Aus.  I heard that they are also going to do the Antarctic voyages again which is in our summer.  It took us too long to get started after Covid lockdown and companies have looked elsewhere to position their now limited number of ships.  Remember they sold so many off.  They work years in advance.

Slightly off topic but I got an email this afternoon from Princess giving us $25 per cabin OBC on our 8th Jan cruise because of the rule changes (read room service and charging for Alfredos etc) last December.  We had booked in October 2022, a standard fare prior to the changes,  That will give us one pizza from Alfredos or pay for some room service which was previously free.  14 night voyage!  

We didn't get anything for the voyage just completed so there must have been complaints.

I managed to lop $1700 off my October Diamond Princess cruise this morning with Princess Black Friday upgrade from a balcony to Mini.  BF to ME.  Haven't as yet been able to specify a cabin but have asked.  Want a covered one if possible (the original booking had one) but with that saving I will take what they give me.

I swear that the specials did not come out till Friday because I was checking and only the Landmark sale was showing for Melbourne.  Happy Little Vegemite.

The Grand is 25 yrs old. Oldest Princess ship.

I was also grumpy because my cabin was above the Vista lounge and every night there was loud music until 11.30pm.  Sometimes even live bands.  I was not very impressed and rather sleep deprived by the end of 3 weeks.

On her again 8th Jan so hope that the bug is under control by them.

Are they giving any compensation?  It got very tiring having to vacate cabins and pack up on the first voyage and all they did was keep reminding us the wash our hands and use cabin toilets.  I would have if they were working which my area they weren't in the mornings for the first week.  Other areas were having problems with toilets also. Heard people from other decks complaining.

I know that somehow they have to get rid of it but a little compassion and even $50 would have softened the inconvenience which we went through.  Really puts a downer on the voyage especially if it is a long one.

Can you status match?  That is what we did.

On 11/26/2023 at 10:00 AM, Geebeeau said:

The current sailing club terms for Sea Rovers eligibility covers sailings up to the end of 2023. Assuming that VV are going to extend the existing rules again, would you expect an announcement in the next few weeks?  I have 3 sailings on 2024, and am hoping to have DBE on the 3rd one.

The Deep Blue Extras etc was extended to sailings until end December 2024.  It is on their loyalty page.

I caught the tram down to Port Melbourne just to have a look at Pacific Eden when she first came.  Booked a 4 night cruise on her to KI and then a longer (I think 12 nights) one to the Islands.  Very much a boutique ship after Pacific Jewel.  All that brass and velvet.

Are they banning cargo ships and tankers or only cruise ships? 

If it was only the Sounds then surely ships could continue to the main ports. I believe they have also been banned in Tauranga in the past.

Do I smell a rat?

Oooh our coffee is pretty good.

2 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

What are Deep Blue Extras?

It is the perk for their loyalty program at the moment.  They status match. Hopefully the link will take you there.  Priority boarding/laundry/$100 drinks tab etc.  Not bad.

https://www.virginvoyages.com/sailing-club