Aussieflyer

Strange though that these pax had non-allocated guarantee cabins when they arrived to board. I have only done guarantee a couple of times and always had the cabin number weeks before sailing. I wonder about something unforeseen as I would have thought that the pax would have already known their cabin numbers.

From an earlier post, it seemed to be at the terminal - ie they were ready to board - and the letter was given to 13 couples. That is pretty poor IMO - a week or more should be minimum especially for those who have to travel.

Wow - we had heavy rain on Wednesday but has been only off and on rain since then. Friends down the coast have had much more than us. Hopefully will have dried off a bit by now.

True for you but I am from CBR and when cruising from OPT always go the day before and stay close to CQ - so more convenient for me. Obviously not for you. When embarking from MEL usually take the tram from the city (stay in the CBD) but then it is a bit of a hike from the end of the line to the pier. Taxi would make it easier.🙂

Sydney has the Opera House which is a wonderful venue for opera (not so keen on the concert hall barn), and we go there for that a few times a year, but for a weekend away, Melbourne is usually the one. Maybe as we originally came from there but there are no real family left there but we find it easier to navigate and mostly stay in the CBD which is better than Sydney IMO. Embarking from Melbourne is nowhere near as convenient as the OPT though.

Yes the shorts and long socks were quite the thing in the 70s and 80s. It was more the short socks and sandals with shorts which was not a good look.

Any short socks and sandals on a gent! especially when wearing shorts as well.

☹️ Thinking of you,

Carnival? What have you been taking Uncle Les??? When I was on a Carnival cruise, it was certainly underwhelming. 😂 And sorry if I sound a snob but plenty of bogans!

Enjoy the time in BKK and hope you start to feel better soon. I remember in SIN last year a couple of weeks after we had both had COVID, we were just so tired we didn't do much at all. I liked visiting Jim Thompson's house in BKK when we were there about 8 years ago, but I am a sucker for silk. 😃

Interesting that Muse is a Laem Chabang as I thought she would have been small enough to go up the river. From memory friends were on Azamara a few years ago (same basic size) and they were able to. Agree that the drive from LC to Bangkok is something to avoid if possible.

That's such bad luck - isolation again. Hopefully you will be both feeling better soon and then right to gain your freedom at the end of the iso period.☹️

I did Splendor to the Pacific Islands in school holiday time (stupidly didn't check dates) and the ship was heaving with kids, big, middle, little, in pushers, babies, extended families (cousins, in laws) etc. I have never seen so many tattoos and sleeveless athletic singlets in one place before. 😃 That said, we did have a good time but I wouldn't repeat it. It was the only ship where the buffet was better than the MDR.

Glad that you prefer Carnival then and are happy with the cruise line. Hope you have a great time on Splendor (with the advantage that she sails out of Sydney which is always spectacular).

One other thing I would add is that the OP mentioned a Carnival cruise. There were some people on the cruise my son and I did in July to the South Pacific (Splendor) who had flown in from the US. Although they were enjoying the cruise, some commented that the ship was not up to US standards in many ways. As one of the cheaper lines in AU, it is fine for a bit of cheap and cheerful so to say (as long as you know what you are getting) but personally I wouldn't like it to celebrate a special occasion. I haven't been on Lumiosa but some people here said it is perhaps better than Splendor.

Oh I can just imagine. Would have put me off my lunch! An elderly butt is not a good look. Good that the waiter took steps to have the situation remedied (and a good idea for the M'D to handle it).

We haven't but it sounds a wonderful experience for her that she will remember forever. Have a wonderful time.

We don't use the internet a lot when onboard, mostly for books to reading for the iPads but can accept a laptop can be easier in some cases. We don't post any photos when away so don't really need that 'grunt'. The extra weight and bulk of a laptop just doesn't fit within out luggage HLO limit.

Thanks drron - will check my plugs so we have enough. We use USB-C unfortunately but there are a couple of items with B - my 'ears' for example and recharge of electric toothbrush (as long as we remember to pack those cables. Have plugs for USB C that we can use for the rest with travel plug. By the time we do iPads (don't travel with laptops which is a bonus), phones, watches, ears. toothbrushes etc we need quite a few. Luckily we don't bother with cameras any more. HLO gets a bit tricky sometimes. 😃

Looks like they are geared to the international visitor now. A question drron, as my memory fails me, what are the power outlets in the verandah cabins? I know I should know but I just can't remember how many US/European etc and how many prongs!

We went to Antarctica in 2018 on Ponant. Whilst we loved the trip there were a few (for us downsides) as below (we went to the Arctic on Silversea on PA2 back in 2010 and comparing to that so things may have changed): 1. Food (esp red meat) was pretty ordinary on Ponant and much better on SS but alcohol was good. 2. Biggest issue was quality of expedition staff. On SS we had a range of professionals and educators/university lecturers - Ponant were not in the same class at all. 3. As a bilingual ship, lectures and announcements were in French followed by English. Lectures in English were woeful - they couldn't answer questions and the content was pared right down. Did go to a few French lectures and they were much better. 4. Size of cabin if that is important - Ponant cabins are around 18 sq m - only one chair and a pouffe stool. 5. As a short person with a bit of arthritis I missed the stool used by SS for getting out of and into the zodiacs on land - one appeared at the last landing but before that I sort of had to roll into the zodiac as I couldn't sit on the side and swing into it. On the other hand any one taller was fine. 6. Was particularly upset that the captain drove the ship onto the sea ice so people could 'get off for champagne' - left lots of paint on the ice and IMO ruined the beautiful area we were in at the time. Would still sail Ponant but would be more aware of the differences and might aim for Seabourn instead. Remember this is just my subjective view.

I book many cruises directly with the cruise line (especially mainstream lines like Princess etc) and use an online specialist cruise agent for something like Silversea or expedition. They give a bit of a sweetener with $ rebate. My agent is good and will get back to me very quickly if I have a question or want to check something. But if I am booking something cheap, I just go straight to the cruise line site as that way I have full control. Only once have I tried to contact the Princess PVP - useless. I keep getting emails where they introduce themselves or tell me 'exciting news' but the one time I wanted to ask a question the person didn't reply at all, so I don't bother.

That's such a shame but good to hear a) you have recovered and b) Rojaan is on the mend (hopefully). Lots of bugs out there lurking! Hope you both stay well.

Only a few weeks till we are on board - you are whetting my appetite! And hoping you have recovered from your bug drron and rajaan has had no more 'wobblies'.

We cruised Montevideo to South Georgia and then the peninsula in early November 2018 - lots of penguins around and being early in the season the 'penguin pong' had not developed yet. Also the snow was beautifully clean. Remember to take a credit card onto South Georgia as the little shop has some lovely things. This looks blurry but it was snowing and gorgeous ice/