beatleman

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

Essex County Cricket Ground @ Chelmsford.  No more Jellied Eels, Cockles or Whelks at ye olde Leigh on Sea either. No more walks on the longest pier either.  Sad that. Big 5 Iron Chelmsford to Colchester lol.

 

I have a half sister at Thundersley and a few cousins dotted around that area and Sarfend on Mud. I have been to see them 3 or 4 times in the past 18 years since retirement.

Lovely oval Essex CCG, have you forgotten those outstanding Oysters from The Company Shed West Mersea or the lovely Jams from Tiptree YUM!😋 Maybe a 4 Wood would be a better club selection lol😁

On 5/26/2022 at 3:27 PM, NSWP said:

Same here mate, no more flights to LHR, picking up a rental car and heading onto the M25 and A12  and A13.  No more chips with curry sauce or Premier Inn at Sarfend or Toby Carvery's lol.  I was born in Essex you know, Colchester Military Hospital actually, I was transported to the Colony in 66.  That is 1966, not 1866.😂Still got my uniform, lol.  Not graduated to Scooters, yet.

 Mrs Beat was a Chelmsford lass before being deported to Oz, only a 5 Iron from your domain.

17 hours ago, Ondine said:

 

What type of Rock Star Suite have you booked?  Have seen several videos of various ones.  Some at the back have problems with the noise late at night coming from the Terrace when they open their balcony doors.  Probably ok if you are up high.  Some have glass doors to the bathrooms!!!!!!

 

Watched this video last night but it is not the only one I have seen.  The suites at the front seem more luxurious.  There are so many different types.

 

We just have a balcony, sorry Sea Terrace, booked on deck 13.

 

Sweet Aft Suite, the Balcony is big enough to park the car. Do you like the "Medicine Cabinet" supplied free. All small suites have been booked on this sailing.

17 hours ago, LC1950 said:

If you are going to book the Rock Star suite I hope you enjoy the amenity kit with included condoms. 😂😂😂

Took a while but you guessed the real reason for the Rock Star suit, along with the "Medical Cabinet" way to go .😋

We told them we were 40, OK we lied Les but had to try and hang on to some youth. No more zipping down the A13 to Souf End on Mud or 24 hour Flights to Europe. 😊 Gunner miss those great Bitters and Porters and the Pork Pies, so hoping Dicky will fill the hole. The DARK SIDE to which i have been loyal seems to have lost the plot. 100 AUD TO dine at Chops!!! Madness. Ok Les if you have a spare Scooter send it to Station Pier lol.😁

Booked the Mermaiden voyage, decided on a Rock Star Suite. Still have 2 cruises to do with RCCL next season,however Virgins onboard package looks the goods. My TA told me that this cruise is selling fast Dicky Branson certainly can create anew vibe in cruising. Botox and hair dye and away we go.

Have used Viator in Europe and cannot fault them, don't know the other company

Back to you Les my pic's are all on dvd's

Don't want to join in but this looks like the shop in Melton Mowbray England.

22 hours ago, NSWP said:

Good to hear the dogs eyes were good, what is your preferred topping if Heinz Ketchup is not to your taste, perhaps a drop of Rosella ? or HP?I am fond of ye olde HP sauce.

Rosella or the Aldi house brand will suffice  Uncle Les,the Brown Sauce is good for Mixed Gorillas and Full Pommy Brekky's.

Many thanks Mr Gut for the heads up on the Park Cafe on Radiance of the Sea. Really great  Pies made onboard also the sausage rolls were top class.  Two types of Pies Beef and Chicken, only drawback was that terrible  57 varieties Tomato Ketchup that is nearly as bad as that yellow mustard, both could be used as paint stripper.😀

On 1/10/2020 at 5:01 PM, GUT2407 said:

Just had a beef pie at Park Cafe on Radiance of the Seas, very nice.

Thanks for the tip will be on board her in Feb, Pies and the Hot Dogs from the Doghouse should help the calorie intake😁

I just put on 3kg looking at that Pic Mr Gut, almost put me of finishing my Stilton and Crackers, from Aldi. I said almost.😋

On 10/27/2019 at 9:34 AM, jamieandsam said:

Thank you all for your feedback. The ship does not offer an Australian Zoo excursion so I'm going to pass on that. I wish the ship offered the river cruise with Lone Pine - the excursion that is included is bus tour with Lone Pine. Deciding if I will do that, or will pay myself for the cruise/Lone Pine tour.

 The Bus direct from the wharf has a bonus of not having to pay for the Shuttle Bus, also a nice scenic tour of Brisbane.

Voyager of the Seas 16th Nov 2019 Singapore to Sydney.  Radiance of the Seas 9th Feb 2020 Sydney to Perth. 30 nights in total   Ron & Brenda                                                                                                                       

Sorry, the correct spelling for the boat is MV Mirimar

40 minutes ago, bronte2 said:

If your day in Brisbane is on a schedule i.e. you have to be at the airport in the evening or back on board the ship by say 4pm I wouldn't chance Australia Zoo.

 

I travel up and down to Brisbane regularly from the Sunshine Coast (Australia Zoo is located about 30 minutes from where I live) and the traffic is heavy in both directions most of the time.  If there is an accident on the highway the traffic can be horrendous and the delays significant and you run the risk of not making it back to Brisbane in time.

 

If you aren't on any schedule then Australia Zoo is fantastic.  My grandson loves it and we spend around 4 hours there (after which time I've had enough) and we still haven't seen everything.

 

The drive there is about 1 hour 30 each way if the trip is straightforward.  Not sure when you will be in Brisbane but Sunday afternoons in summer returning to Brisbane the traffic can be very, very heavy.  Ditto for holiday weekends.

 

I don't want to sound negative, as you could travel up and down to and from the zoo without a hitch but you do need to be aware of the traffic issues as any hiccup could ruin your day!

 

I hope you have a great day in Brisbane whatever you decide.

We are from Melbourne and go to the Sunshine Coast on a regular basis of at the least twice a year, so we endorse bronte2's advice. The  Lone Pine has other advantages, like Platypus and Kookaburra exhibits. A nice way to visit is to go up the Brisbane River on the MV Mirramar which leaves and returns to central Brisbane

1 hour ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

Nice Pic David, looking forward to going aboard her again in Feb for a trip to Perth.

1 hour ago, erniediane65 said:

Any suggestions for airport transfer from the Sydney Airport to Circular Quay on Christmas Day? Thanks.

Catch the Train from the airport station.

10 hours ago, NSWP said:

Over the years I have some great fish and chips around Essex, Skate and Chips, Cod and Chips, Plaice and Chips,  fresh from the North Sea.  Don't like mushy peas with the fish and chips though. OK on a pie.

 

So when are you blokes, Brian and Beatleman going to open a Greggs franchise in ye olde Sydney Town? 

I would rather open a Queen's Farm Shop like the one on Datchet Road in the Windsor Great Park, a sure fire way of printing money. By the way Uncle Les that Spanish golf club owes me a load of cash I'm sure there machines were rigged😂

On 10/8/2019 at 4:56 PM, brian1 said:

Did you ever try the famous Leigh on sea cockles,Uncle Les.

I still think The Company Shed at West Mersea has the best seafood in Essex, superb local oysters and great cockles kept the wife and I sated. The missus gobbled a load Whelks as well, I'm a bit like you Brian there a bit crunchy.

38 minutes ago, aztek519 said:

Hello All, 

 

We are US citizens and will be going to Australia early in 2020.  We will be spending a couple days in Sydney, then going on a cruise that begins and ends in Sydney.  I know I need a visa, but when I go to apply, it says there are 2 possibilities; an ETA Visa that has a $20 fee or the Tourist Stream Visa, which has a $145 fee.  From what I am reading, the ETA would suffice, but under the Stream Visa, one of the reason is a cruise.  Does anyone know happen to know which Visa I will need? Any help would be appreciated. 

 

Thanks!

The ETA will suffice as long as you are not staying over 3 months

12 minutes ago, Idratherbeatsea said:

Any tips for getting a ETA for Australia and one for New Zeland. We are Canadian. Never had to get one before. 

For Australia go to www.eta.homeaffairs.gov.au  NZ is through  immagration nz. Best to use Government sites so your info is secure. ETA for OZ has a admin fee of $20AU. Hope this helps.

42 minutes ago, mike60707 said:

This should be an easy question, but when asking Royal Caribbean, they suggested I call the Australian embassy? LOL

 

Departing Sydney, cruising to Melbourne & Hobart Tasmania (which is still part of Australia) seems to me its a DOMESTIC Australia cruise....I received replies that it was a domestic cruise with no immigration formalities when departing the ship, I heard that you clear customs when departing on the ship, and I heard "I really don't know, call the Australian embassy !!!

 

Working for an International Airline for 30+ years and being a Diamond Plus member, I should know this, but unfortunately, I can't get an answer. 

 

The reason I need to know is that the ship arrives back in Sydney at 6:30AM, and we have a flight at 11:50AM to Auckland and on to Honolulu......

 

Want to be off the ship as early as possible and catch a taxi to the Airport.  Does anyone have an answer to this crazy question???

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Mike

 

 

It certainly is domestic,however the only holdup you may encounter is late arrival of the ship or the bio boys. At that time of the day Sydney traffic is bedlam, you might be better of on the train from Circular Quay to the Airport. Hope this helps.

On 9/25/2019 at 3:55 PM, GUT2407 said:

I wonder what ships go there???

I hear the Penalty Princess is going to join Finey McFine Face at the Zoo terminal🤣