Kiranus

Just returned to Perth after our Auckland/Sydney cruise on the Solstice. We did the same trip 2 years ago but this time they included the Bay of Islands and Melbourne as stops, both of which were fabulous. Melbourne turned on the nicest summer day for us and it is such an interesting and easy city to get around, we had the best day. New since 1st January, all trams in the main CBD area are totally free - no MYKI card or payment required, just get on and get off. Melbourne should be a must-stop port for all Australian/NZ cruises!

Yes, can't agree more - if paying by direct bank transfer, do it as early as you can, within reason. As I said in another thread, my father used this method to pay 13 days before final payment was due and it is still not showing as paid, 3 days after the final payment was due.

We have emailed twice and called 5 times now. Whilst they continue to assure us that the payment has been received, just not posted yet, we continue to receive "please pay" emails.

Whilst I do believe there is no problem with the actual payment, just the delay in posting to his account, it's been a very stressful time. I just wish their processes included a confirmation email once payment is received, surely that would tie up less staff time than that created by our many subsequent phone calls (and we probably haven't finished yet!).

Sorry, just realised you leave Tauranga some hours earlier than us, so this is also a great starboard view.

We did this cruise in 2013 and have booked again for 2015. We had a starboard cabin last time and I have booked the same again. It is true that when you are in the sounds, the ship turns around, so it doesn't matter which side you are on. Some of the better starboard views from the cabin were leaving Tauranga (Mt Manganui side -although it might be nearly dark this time and you may get better views coming in from port side), and coming into Sydney as she backs in, you end up on the Opera House side and if you're up early enough you can photograph the sunrise behind - absolutely gorgeous! I would choose starboard for this reason alone as it was a real highlight of the trip.

My dad does have a credit card, but being with an Australian bank the charge for this payment to RCL (overseas bank fee or some such title) is 3% of the transaction. We thought a direct deposit would be quite hassle-free, and clearly save a considerable amount of money.

Latest call to Celebrity call centre has asssured me that the payment has been made and there is no chance of cancellation, it just has not yet been processed onto his My Cruise account, and will not be for another two days (no explanation as to why my payment went through in 2 days!) They will not send a confirmation email, because they record all of their phone calls for future reference.

Not the best procedures in place for the receipting of direct deposits :(

Sorry, forgot to say my dad's bank can only check if they receive an error message from the receiving bank, which they had not - so have to assume the money has gone into RCL account.

Just spoke to the call centre again. The operator assured me that there is no need for concern as his booking is active, the payment has been received, there is zero chance of cancellation and that the payment department (with whom she spoke while I was on hold) will process it to his My Cruise account in 2 more days (why mine was so much quicker she could not explain). I requested a confirmation email, which she said could not be done, but not to worry as all phone calls are recorded!

Not sure whether I should feel better or not :confused:

Moral of the tale - if you are making a payment via direct bank transfer, do it 3 weeks prior to the deadline so you don't have to stress!

I posted this thread in The Australia/ New Zealand forum, but thought others here might be able to help - Thanks.

We are sailing on the Solstice in January with my parents, and the final date for payment is this Sunday, 26 October. Both bookings were made together. On 13 October (9 working days ago) my father (who does not do internet banking) went personally into his bank and arranged a direct deposit for his final payment. I subsequently emailed RCL on his behalf with a scanned copy of the receipt. On 17 October I paid my final account through internet banking, with an accompanying email which also mentioned that my father had paid, but that it was not yet showing off his My Cruise account on the X website.

My account balance was cleared to $0 on 19 October (2 working days after paid). My father has rung Celebrity three times now, to be told on each occasion that they have a record of his payment it just "hasn't gone through yet". They even sent an email to me 2 days ago asking for his payment! Naturally, my father is beginning to panic, thinking a computer might automatically cancel his cruise on 26 October.

Now to my question - When we ring Celebrity today, what is the best action we can request in order to avoid such a calamity? Any advice much appreciated.

We are sailing on the Solstice in January with my parents, and the final date for payment is this Sunday, 26 October. Both bookings were made together. On 13 October (9 working days ago) my father (who does not do internet banking) went personally into his bank and arranged a direct deposit for his final payment. I subsequently emailed RCL on his behalf with a scanned copy of the receipt. On 17 October I paid my final account through internet banking, with an accompanying email which also mentioned that my father had paid, but that it was not yet showing off his My Cruise account on the X website.

My account balance was cleared to $0 on 19 October (2 working days after paid). My father has rung Celebrity three times now, to be told on each occasion that they have a record of his payment it just "hasn't gone through yet". They even sent an email to me 2 days ago asking for his payment! Naturally, my father is beginning to panic, thinking a computer might automatically cancel his cruise on 26 October.

Now to my question - When we ring Celebrity today, what is the best action we can request in order to avoid such a calamity? Any advice much appreciated.

A very interesting, fun and informative way to tour the Swan Valley is with the Swan Valley Wagon Trails horse drawn wagon tour (swanvalleywa.com). You can do either a morning or afternoon tour (once you make your own way to the valley). You cover quite a lot of ground, with food and wine tasting and stops at historical points. I think it's pretty good value for the unique experience you get. You can't really "wander around" the Swan Valley on your own unless you have a hire car to drive between various places. It's been 10 years since we did this tour but I believe it's still very highly rated on Tripadvisor.

Re the credit card travel insurance - we have a platinum ANZ visa which we have used for travel insurance and made 2 claims for completely cancelled holidays - once for my emergency appendectomy and once for my husband's heart attack. In both cases, once we completed all of the required paperwork (which is a bit onerous no matter who you are insured with) we were paid out no problems at all. I think the difference is that the excess is normally higher (say $200 rather than $100 for medical claims). Of course, you gain every time you travel and don't need to claim, and you have the added convenience of not having to organise separate insurance.

Having said that, now my husband has a pre-existing condition, it is not automatically covered and you need to ring them beforehand to seek advice.

Aah yes - how could I have forgotten Rottnest (or Rotto, as we call it)? A ferry ride from the city, Hillarys or Fremantle, it's a very relaxing day swimming, snorkelling or cycling (bike hire available on the island). It's a car-free island but there is a bus that does the island round trip on a regular basis, and you can get off at various points of interest. There are lots of holiday units, a hotel, cafes, supermarket and a bakery. I would recommend it if you are really into swimming, snorkelling etc as the waters are beautiful.

Hi PaulaJK,

I am a Perth local, and my recommendations would be:

Car service - taxis are (usually) readily available at the airport. Cost to the city centre would probably be around $40-$50. If you want to check, the major companies are Swan Taxis and Black and White Taxis.

Hotels - haven't stayed there myself, but the Holiday Inn Perth seems very well located. Maybe check Tripadvisor for other recommendations.

Restaurants - Matilda Bay Restaurant on the foreshore at Crawley (short taxi ride from the city) has beautiful views and great food. Similarly, Frasers at King's Park(itself a must-see attraction). At the cheaper end, Jamie's Italian opened not that long ago and has been very popular (no bookings but be prepared to wait). Perth has an abundance of cafes and restaurants, and alfresco dining in Northbridge (close to the city) Fremantle (where you will embark) and along the northern beaches to Hillarys Boat Harbour is very popular - the weather is generally pleasant to hot from Spring through to the end of Autumn.

Attractions - other than the aforementioned:

- cruise on the Swan River

- Cottesloe Beach/Scarborough Beach etc (all of our metropolitan beaches are outstanding (just swim between the flags!)

- The Swan Valley for wine tasting (plenty of nice restaurants here too)

- The Perth Mint for gold history and gold processing tour

- Perth Zoo (catch the ferry across to South Perth from the city centre)

- Art Gallery and Museum in Arts Precinct in Northbridge.

You don't say when you will be here, but in February every year we have our International Arts Festival with lots of activities on offer,some of it for free. I hope you enjoy our lovely city!

Thanks everyone for the sound advice. Didn't realise the last shuttle would be as early as 4pm, and we are going Auckland to Sydney (Bay of Islands first stop) so early tender tickets will probably be in high demand. I will take the most cautious approach, as it is my parents' first cruise and I don't want to put them off by missing our first return to the ship and having to scramble our way to Tauranga!

Hi all, we are cruising NZ in January 2015 with Celebrity Solstice. In the Bay of Islands, the ship arrives at 7am and leaves at 6pm. We would like to get off and over to Russell by 10am to spend a couple of hours there, then catch the ferry back to Paihia for a private excursion to Kerikeri leaving at 1.15pm and returning to Paihia at 4.15pm. As we are not using ship's tours, are we optimistic in thinking we can get to Russell by 10am? Assuming we have to be back on board by 5.30pm, do the shuttles run frequently enough to get us back to Waitangi in good time (we are with my parents, who would be unable to walk the distance back)? Appreciate any advice or comments from previous passengers of Solstice or other ships.