Australian family

We are cruising on the Oosterdam for Christmas and have just discovered that our cruise finishes at Barangaroo, Darling Harbour.

I thought the Oosterdam was too high to sail under the harbour bridge, so which ships can sail under the bridge?

Does this OBC also apply to Holland America Cruises?

Hi David

Can you add me please to your list.

19th Dec 2012 Oosterdam Christmas NZ cruise.

Thanks

Leanne

You're not dreaming, but that was two cards ago.

The unlimited card was supposed to be one card per person, but some people were abusing it. They were buying the one card, then letting everyone in the family get soda with that one card. Blew it for everyone.

That unlimited card was replaced by a punch card that got you 20 glasses of soda. No more abuse of the system, but the soda amounted to only a half-can; fountain soda was given if it was something in the spout. If you ordered something that was from a can you could get the leftover from a previous purchase. It could be flat by then.

 

And that brings us to the current card. You pay $25 and can purchase $50 worth of cans of soda. If you don't spend it all, there is a return of the balance of the purchase price that you have not spent. But it's an upfront load. The first $25 worth of soda is full price; the remaining $25 worth of soda is free.

How many cans of soda does that include? So it take it from what you have also said that it is not a full can of soda?

Hi David

Could you please me for:

Oosterdam Pacific Treasures Cruise, 5 Dec 2012

Thanks

Leanne

Dawn Princess will depart Sydney next Friday 16th March on a 28 night circumnavigation of Australia. If you can pack now you'll save BIG! Inside cabins are available for just $2298pp for past Princess Cruises passengers only. That's only $82 per day, plus you'll receive $300 onboard credit per cabin!

..and if you forgot anything , just buy it along the way:D:D

 

Less is better than more. And then you would be spending more time in the laundry and subjecting yourself to laundry rage. :D:D

Thats what I call real last minute.:eek:

 

Gosh thats sailing on Sunday...:D

 

Would be a quick throw it all in the suitcase and hope for the best.:D

This deal came through on a email:

Last Minute Deal - Cherry Blossom Cruise

42 Night China & Japan Cherry Blossom cruise, sailing from Sydney roundtrip, on board the beautiful Sea Princess. This cruise features 15 ports of call including Darwin, Benoa, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nagasaki, Tokyo & Brisbane. And, if you book now, you can receive a BONUS $300* onboard credit per cabin.

HURRY - hot last minute cruise!

Departs 4 March 2012.

From $4997*

I think this thread has gone in two directions! So, I will try to help with the first.(Tranzalpine Tour) I think it would be difficult to 'DIY' because of the length of the trip plus getting to Christchurch and back to the ship. On our last cruise, you could only go from Akaroa, which meant the earliest start possible, with a bus picking up passengers from the ship and taking them to Christchurch Station and vice versa on return. I wouldn't risk it.

I researched very much to do the train ourselves, we even looked at a tour guide, who would pick us up at Lyttelton and drop as at a station then do the rail to Arthurs Pass, and then he would have picked us up and dropped us back to the port. Even this option wasn't cheap, hence why we hired a car.

But now with the ships stopping at Akaroa this makes the whole trip even more difficult.

My advice if you want to do the train trip, book it through the ship, as at least you know that you won't miss the ship if the tour is running late. The train trip goes on another route to the road, sometimes you will see the train track when driving but not all the time.

The cost of chartering the train would be huge, as you go one way on this specially chartered train and then go back by bus.

We have driven to Arthurs Pass from Christchurch. A beautiful trip.

Have a look at this thread, I posted some photos of the Arthurs Pass

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1277770&highlight=arthurs+pass

The train trip is one of the worlds best train trips. Yes it is expensive. What you have to decide is, will you return to New Zealand.

Thankyou Goldygolfer for all your info. Hope you don't mind but have forwarded some of your experience to our CC friends on Radiance doing the trip in March from Fremantle.

Also a good idea to do a group booking, they will allocate seats all together and if you have more than 10 people booked you will get a 10% discount. Being allocated seats all together is the best part. We had the rear car nearly all to ourselves.

Received an email today with these bargains:

7 nights from $749 twin, Pacific Islands

25 Feb 12, Pacific Dawn from Brisbane .

12 nights from $859 twin, Australia & New Zealand

11 Jan 12, Diamond Princess from Sydney

10 nights from $979 twin, New Zealand

18 Mar 12, Pacific Pearl from Sydney

Bonus $150 Onboard Credit!

11 nights from $1279 twin, Fijian Jewels

11 Jan 12, Sun Princess from Brisbane

Bonus $100 Onboard Credit!

We have a super special on the beautiful 'Cherry Blossom' Japan & China cruise from Sydney to Brisbane, departing 4 Mar 2012. Includes a bonus FREE flight from Brisbane/Gold Coast to Sydney, then cruise on the 'Sea Princess' to the amazing Asian cities of Hong Kong, Shanghai, Osaka & Tokyo. 40 nights from $5909 twin plus a Bonus $300 Onboard Credit!

Can anyone tell me what the configuration is for a quad outside cabin, that is does the 4th bed open above the sofa bed, or elsewhere?

What a busy day that will be for Port Chalmers/Dunedin.

What attractions will be open for the visitors?

A lot of people and nowhere for them to spend their money.

Thats unusual...They try to have Christmas Day on a sea day as just about everything ashore will be shut, especially in Dunedin.

 

The Volendam is also in Dunedin on Christmas day this year.

The maths:

 

Taieri Gorge Railway $128 AUD return for two adults

Princess $398 AUD return for two adults

 

Difference $270 AUD

 

:rolleyes:Ann

$270 would buy a lot of drinks on board.:D

Also work out what it costs for children, and how children travel free on the train with paying adult. Much bigger saving.:D

As far as we are concerned the extra $$$ paid to do the ship's tours is well worth it.

First off the ship. Pick-up ship side. No stress, no strain & no worries just how it ALL should be!

 

B&B

The extra cost and what they charge for children (given that children are free when you book direct) made me sick. A rip-off.

20/11/2011 Sydney to NZ 14N From 1379pp Twin with free upgrade

 

04/12/2011 Sydney to NZ 14N From 1379pp Twin with free upgrade

 

04/12/2011 Sydney to NZ 14N Senior from 1299pp Twin

 

18/12/2011 Sydney to NZ 16N From 1329pp Quad share; Twin inside 1739pp, Twin outside 2019pp

 

etc etc

Is that from an online travel agency?

Has anyone seen last minute deals for Radiance of the Seas this season?

We were in Dunedin on Volendam in January and had the same situation with the only Taeri Gorge trip booked out by the ship. The people who went on that trip loved it, by the way.

 

The cost was a bit more than we were able to spend for the 3 of us so I booked the Seasider online. It was a wonderful trip. The cost was around $72NZ per adult and our 14 year old son was free. I booked by email with the railway and we caught a local bus into town to catch the train. The scenery was great and there was a 45 minute stop at Palmerston before the trip back. The train had a small snack bar but we had eaten breakfast on the ship so we didn't need it. The journey took about 4 hours altogether and I would highly recommend it.:)

Totally agree we went on the train to Middlemarch, which is further than the cruise ship tour (we actually passed them, and waved to them), and absolutely loved it. The other advantage in booking direct is that kids are free, and you get to board at the station (which is a highlight in itself) in Dunedin.

We also found that we didn't need to eat much, so full from the big breakfast on board.

make a group booking through your roll call fellow passengers and save 10% if more than 10 people book, which I organised and encouraged fellow passengers to go on.

Email address was from holland@e.hollandamerica.com. That would be Holland America direct I'm guessing so hopefully OK to post? It had my Mariner number on the email and knew I was Australian as it said "convenient homeport sailings from Sydney" so not sure where it actually came from. Hope that helps anyway, as I said I think it went very quick.

You should consider yourself privileged to receive an email from HAL as a past Mariner, as we receive no emails from them, even though we signed up for emails.

I spoke to a TA today and he said that celebrity cruises have been taking a lot of business from HAL.

I hope HAL left their act when they open a office here in Australia.

Love this thread!

 

Got an email from Holland America yesterday, 14 night Volendam cruise, round trip (solves the airfare problem!) from Sydney to NZ, November (and March I think) departure $998 per person inside. Prices like this are usually guarantees but this one wasn't had normal 3rd 4th person rates so for our family of four $3477 for 2 weeks: $62 pp pd. Pretty good! Think it went while I was pricing it though which was OK as we have been on Volendam and keen for something different.

 

Seeing some good prices on the Century NZ cruises too, will be interesting to see what happens as the sailing dates get closer.

 

Penny

Was that direct through Holland America's Australian agent?

Wonder if they are giving away a set of steak knives with it too! :D

But wait if you book this cruise within the next 30 minutes, we will give you an extra bonus!

I was walking past one large shopping centre TA today and they had signs up that they would beat any cruise price. Obviously the TA's make a hefty commission that they can offer these incentives.

Just received this in an email newsletter...

 

Rhapsody of the Seas Hawaii to Auckland, 14 nights with onboard gratuities included from $999 . Departs Sept 21 2011.

 

This is a great deal, must really be trying to fill her up! If only I could have more time off work!

 

But wait there is more: receive a further $100 per person off any prices if you book and deposit on Monday or Tuesday.