Helsy Lucy

Hi fellow cruisers,

We are retired Aussies looking forward to a wonderful cruise, doing the back to back trip from Barcelona to Singapore.

I'm hoping we can join a small group in a private tour from Aqaba to Petra including lunch at a hotel or restaurant before rejoining the ship.

I've made a couple of enquiries with local tour operators (as we find the ship excursions rather expensive) and am awaiting replies.

If anyone else is looking for someone to make up a group, we would be interested. Many thanks, Helen and Tony from Perth.

Interesting and ironic that the most stellar employee would be a newbie.

Kudos to Angela.

Hi fellow "non" cruisers! I must say that on the whole, the poor crew members sent to front the 2000 very unhappy non passengers did the best they could to stay polite, calm and even tempered. I saw a very angry lady unleash a tirade of abuse at one young man who took it all on the chin, never once losing his temper or showing impatience.

From what I could make out, the Captain didn't make an appearance. I believe the fellow reading out the formal letter we all received was actually the Art Auctioneer!

Things seemed to deteriorate once the so called "experts" arrived, some 5 hours into our incarceration in the dungeons beneath Marina Bay Sands convention centre. Advice came sporadically, was difficult to hear and was then altered time and again.

People were herded from one side of the room to the other then told to sit or stand with their luggage until mini buses arrived. No one took our names but we were among a group who happened to be on a particular row of seats sent off to the lovely Shangri La Hotel.

We were also told to find something to eat anywhere in the Marina Bay Centre, keep the receipts and we would be reimbursed.

We could do the same at the hotel. I wonder whether this will be so?

Yes, it was the longest, most frustrating and tiring day we have ever experienced. 11 hours from the time we took a cab to the Marina Bay Terminal until finally entering our hotel room.

One lighter moment was when a true blue Aussie took the microphone and recited "The Man from Snowy River" ! Brilliant!!

On the whole, as always, people saw the funny side of the situation and there was much laughter among the crowd. Perhaps, semi hysterical at times but still, we laughed.

My husband and I are now having 10 days in a lovely resort in Phuket, having decided to refuse the Princess line's demand that we board a plane back to Perth, via Melbourne and Sydney - a journey of over 10 hours. My heart goes out to all those who came from UK and decided to head home immediately.

Happily, our Travel Agent in Perth was able to arrange this for us though my heart goes out to those stranded without enough money or time to at least make the most of a really terrible situation.

Good luck Princess you're going to be REALLY busy sorting this mess!