mr walker

No red carpet at Mum's 🙂 That was the cruise we met you & Rosie. I want Mum to go again for her 90th in 2025 but she says she's too old these days!

One of life's mystery it seems. My Mum got the 'gbenjo red carpet experience' in Feb 2015 It was good to get to say G'Day on our return yesterday mate.

Loved the ship - Radiance class is our favourite! It was good to be back on RC (even without D perks) 🙂 No, no A. Harvey this time, but a great cross-section of Aus country music incl John Williamson, Beccy Cole, Amber Lawrence, Wolfe Brothers, James Johnson etc etc Great entertainment from 10am to 2 am or so 😮

just of Brilliance this morning (Çruisin' Country charter). Our waiter last night said the ship is going to Eden, Adelaide & Hobart for today's departure.

Yes glad you could catch up - I am reminded of Tracey & my dinner with Les at Raymond’s a couple of years ago now. Great dinner!!

Filled in 'enquiry/interest' form for Grand Princess Syd-Hawaii-Syd 37N in Oct '25 when the emails came out. Had a missed call from our planner yesterday & today received an email with booking for the cruise with 10% deposit required by 15Dec. BB mid balcony on Baja deck. Off on Brilliance tomorrow, so will have to give it some thought. Sth Pacific, Hawaii, Tahiti, Tonga & NI sounds pretty good 🙂

I'll give that a go tomorrow when we board BR for the Cruisin' Country charter 😉 I'm sure I can find something wrong 🙂 How was Brilliance Chilli? It's going to be hard having to pay for drinks on RC - advice is that D drinks etc do not apply on the charter cruise 😦 No OBC and no freebies!!!!!!

C'mon Mic, you and Rosie in matching 'loud' Lowes shirts is the go! 🤣 It will be compulsory to all wear matching outfits when/if we ever get the Aus/NZ CC cruise happening. I recall the photos of the American couple who wear matching outfits every day of the cruise - a different one each day 😮

Always a worry for me. I am a double, triple, quadruple checker & then one more time for luck 🙂 When I regularly flew OS for work DW would think I was mad. She would watch me put the passport in my carry-on bag. She'd then watch me check again a few minutes later, and then when I pick up the bag & my wallet, phone etc I'd check again. I'd check again as I went out the door. Often our regular shuttle driver would ask just before we pulled away "has everyone got their passports" & I'd check one more time.

I agree, but don’t expect that many survey respondents were ranking culture based on sport

My first thought was actually that the people who voted for Melbourne having the best culture must have never been to Melbourne, or at least not spent much time there, or perhaps the problem is that they haven't spent enough time elsewhere 😮 All my life I have heard Melbourne has the best culture, the best shopping, the best coffee, the best food etc etc. My experience is that they do not excel in any of these, but I admit that they are the sporting capital of the country, and indeed perhaps the world.

Sydney born & bred - was always a "Gregorys". Now a GPS 🙂

How many pies do you reckon have been consumed in that time mate ? - I reckon we have all had our fair share 😁 🥧

Yes, it's amazing that people pay thousands to travel to a 'free' wi-fi spot, far more important it seems than seeing or doing anything at the destinations. For some, the main focus is getting online asap to make contact with others, post on social media (food photos) & play games on their phone 😮 If I was working in the excursions dept of the cruiseline I would be selling tours that offer free wi-fi at some point of the tour - you would likely sell a lot more 'tours' 🙂 Also, I doubt too many consider the security aspect of free public wi-fi in a foreign country.

They are easily recognised - evenly balanced from having a chip on both shoulders 🙂

Hope all’s going OK mate - I’ll have a crownie in your honour 🙂

I wasn't seriously suggesting you were a plant - it was a joke based on some others (perhaps on CC with another username) re-appearing after a long time to make a comment. Sorry if I offended you. I'm glad you are over 80 and still cruising - only hope it is the same for me. Stay safe & enjoy. Cheers

I recall reading about issues on sailings out of Galveston, where non-Texan beer had to have Texan sales tax added to the price until the ship reached 'international waters' & then some other rules applied. Caused a lot of complaints by the early onboard drinkers.

Wow. Lunch in a pub with friends with beers and sports - sounds perfect. Count me in next time Geoff - doesn't even need to be on a ship 🙂

Hope you both come good soon. Stay safe

Thanks Geoff for the information. I am now looking at us doing this cruise (Syd-Syd) 37N - no flights 🙂 . Let's see if I can arrange it! It's only money, right? 🙂

Intrigued about poster "yungyung" - joined CC over 10 years ago & then zilch until 2 posts within minutes of each other yesterday, both attacking P&O Aust on a thread about VOS. Maybe a RC plant? 🙂 😮 Guess they were pretty busy on the 200+ cruises.

For this reason, we almost always have tours (with locals) booked ahead of time. Then we are able to have a leisurely breakfast & get off & join our tour at appointed time. Note: this doesn't work so well on Fiji time, where you may have a leisurely breakfast followed by a leisurely wait for the tour to depart 🙂

Ask 10 economists & you’ll get 10 different answers. The value is somewhat based on the strength of the Aus economy vs other countries. People make & lose lots of money trying to make money on Fx rates. The cruise lines are not making extra, just charging in $A to the equivalent USD amount. Its less than 10 years ago when the $A was higher than USD & our cruise bill was less in $A than USD - we were happy then 😁

Oops - typed wrong year. Majestic cruise is 10Feb 2024 not 2023 😳 Port stop in Vila showing 8am - 6pm. This is second itinerary change - with Noumea going from first to last port