Aus Traveller

When we have been on ships where there is a helicopter evacuation, they have evacuated the aft part of the ship. Of course it is as a precaution in case of an accident.

Do you think Speights would have served alcohol to a 15 year old girl? In the photo in the article she appeared her age - not 15 going on 20. 🙂

The missing teen was a girl.

Going by train from Melbourne to Sydney will avoid the luggage limit, but hauling extra luggage on and off suburban trains in Sydney might not be the best start to your holiday. It might be worth getting a taxi for the last leg of your journey.

I have cruised on the Coral Princess after your March (last year) cruise and know what the usual practice was. I have paid corkage at the alcohol table on embarkation on several occasions. After your earlier post where you mentioned corkage only paid in the dining room, I wondered if that was the new way of operation now that corkage is $30. I am trying to find out the current situation. Now that many people have the plus package that includes alcohol, fewer people are taking wine on board. I wondered if that might have resulted in Princess changing the policy from charging corkage at embarkation to charging in the dining room. However, your latest post indicates that it was just chance that your wine was treated that way.

On the cruises where you mention you were charged corkage in the dining room, were other passengers charged corkage in the 'old' way - at the alcohol table in the terminal?

Someone posted that corkage was charged in the dining room on the Grand. I am hoping that it will be done that way on the Coral also.🙂

Can anyone tell me how corkage is charged on the Coral Princess? Is it before boarding the ship or is it on bottles taken to the dining room?

I don't know the OP personally or which cruise lines they have cruised with or for how long. I was just going on what they had in their post.

I know that the corkage fee on Princess cruises has increased from AUD$15 to $30 per bottle (after one FOC). I was interested to read the post that on the Grand, this was charged when a bottle was taken to the dining room, not prior to boarding the ship. Can someone tell me how the corkage is currently being charged on the Coral Princess. I have not been on the ship since the corkage increased.

The OP said this - On our last Brilliance of the Seas cruise, we found it quite boring at times. We do not play bingo or trivia and the shopping on board is of no interest these days. The Spa prices were absolutely ridiculous too! We like shows, and some nights there was nothing. We are also interested in music around the ship before and after dinner, but will Brilliance the timing of these didn’t suit the 5.00pm dining (never again either). He/she is asking about activities on a long Princess cruise, whether there would be a show every night and whether music around the ship would be available before and after dinner. The experience on a Princess cruise would be quite different from what they indicated they had on their RCI cruise.

Which ship were you on?

We have done many long cruises with Princess. There will be two shows every night in the Marquee Theatre (7pm or 7.30pm and 9pm or 9.30pm). There is often another show in the theatre at the back of the ship. In addition, a band with a singer will entertain people (usually in the Wheelhouse Bar). I don't know what time this starts but it is certainly before 7.45pm. There will be a pianist playing in the Crooners Bar but this doesn't usually start until 9pm. There will also be some game shows (Marriage Match etc). Daytime - We don't play bingo but we do go to trivia usually twice a day. On long cruises Princess usually has Enrichment Lecturers who present a talk every sea day. In addition, the shore excursions staff (or a Destinations Expert) will present a talk on each of the ports of call. There are sometimes craft activities.

I haven't come across this limitation. Which CC is it?

Which CC requires a minimum spend on each item of travel? I haven't ever seen this limitation.

Maybe I will try the Princess address next time. As long as I apply well in advance, I will have time to use the Carnival address as a fall-back option.

Have you considered the complimentary travel insurance that comes with many credit cards?

We have used the free insurance with our ANZ Visa card for a cruise to Noumea and Vila. The check-in person just glanced at it and said OK.

Agreed. I usually take a Tupperware container so I can keep any left-over cheese in the fridge for the next night.

Corkage is now AUD$30 per bottle 😢 although you can take one each without that charge.

I have always had more success using shareholderbenefit@carnivalaustralia.com rather than the princess one quoted above.

A couple of months ago I returned from New York to Brisbane with QANTAS. They operate a non-stop flight to Auckland from where there are three options - Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne. Air New Zealand operate the same route. I realize you are in Ottawa so this route would involve a flight to New York, but it might be cost-effective.

Future Cruise Deposits are only valid for two years, after which the $100 cost will be refunded. FCDs can't be used as the deposit on the WC because of the length of the cruise. Also because of the length of the cruise, there are two substantial deposits that have to be made (unless you book in segments). Trying to remember back to 2018 when I booked the 2020 WC - I booked it in segments (Brisbane-Dubai, Dubai-London, London-New York, New York-Brisbane). I did that to get the shareholders credit multiplied by four rather than just one. I seem to remember I was able to use the FCD and get the relevant OBC, but I am not absolutely sure about that. I don't have time to look back through my files to check on it. Your travel agent would know. I am sure about the multiple shareholders' credits. When I booked the 2023 WC, segments were no longer available so I couldn't get the multiple OBCs.

The prices are much lower if the ship is going to Vila. 🙂

When we were in Vila in August, we felt the prices at Fung Kuei were as good as they always had been. When you were comparing the prices on the Ballantine scotch, were the bottles the same size? Usually spirits are 1 litre or 750mls. When P&O ships have Vila on their itinerary they drop their duty free alcohol prices to match those in Vila, or maybe 20 cents cheaper. I haven't ever seen more difference than that. BUT when the ship goes to North Qld, the duty free prices are more than double even though the ship is going into international waters and the prices are duty free.