El Cheapo Cruises Thread

[Aus Traveller]

27 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

Ruby Princess, 24th September 2019, 20 days, Los Angeles to Auckland via Hawaii, Tahiti and Pago Pago.

 

Inside $1819

Window $2059

Balcony $2924

 

Captain's Circle.

I just got an email including this deal. The prices are good, but not for us. Unfortunately it overlaps a cruise we have already book in September.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

A cheep quickie for someone wanting a short break.......

Pacific Aria , August 5 2019 , Auckland to Brisbane , 4 nts. 

[lyndarra]

3 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:

Ruby Princess, 24th September 2019, 20 days, Los Angeles to Auckland via Hawaii, Tahiti and Pago Pago.

 

Inside $1819

Window $2059

Balcony $2924

 

Captain's Circle.

I would presume gratuities and flight not included?

[Aus Traveller]

8 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

I would presume gratuities and flight not included?

Flight definitely not included. My email quotes the price in AUD, but I think it's likely the on-board currency would be US$ and that gratuities would apply.

[The_Big_M]

3 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:

Ruby Princess, 24th September 2019, 20 days, Los Angeles to Auckland via Hawaii, Tahiti and Pago Pago.

 

Inside $1819

Window $2059

Balcony $2924

 

Captain's Circle.

 

They gave me 28 nights to Sydney, for

Inside $2679

Window $3589

Balcony $4509

 

But I'd say yours is the better deal.

[SinbadThePorter]

29 minutes ago, The_Big_M said:

 

They gave me 28 nights to Sydney, for

Inside $2679

Window $3589

Balcony $4509

 

But I'd say yours is the better deal.

 

For me it's nearly as easy to get a flight home from Auckland as Sydney.

 

Someone can correct me, but I thought that Princess cruises bought in Oz/NZ that originated or terminated in Oz/NZ used AUD as the onboard currency and included grats.

[MicCanberra]

20 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

For me it's nearly as easy to get a flight home from Auckland as Sydney.

 

Someone can correct me, but I thought that Princess cruises bought in Oz/NZ that originated or terminated in Oz/NZ used AUD as the onboard currency and included grats.

The ones that originate her may well do but the ones coming from the US may not.

[Aus Traveller]

42 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

For me it's nearly as easy to get a flight home from Auckland as Sydney.

 

Someone can correct me, but I thought that Princess cruises bought in Oz/NZ that originated or terminated in Oz/NZ used AUD as the onboard currency and included grats.

I agree with Mic. The cruises usually have to start and end in Australia to have AUD in board and included grats. If someone is interested in this trans-Pacific deal, they should enquire about the currency on board and the situation regarding gratuities.

[SinbadThePorter]

24 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

The ones that originate her may well do but the ones coming from the US may not.

 

I did a little digging:

 

"All prices onboard Sun Princess®, Sea Princess®, Diamond Princess®, Majestic Princess®, Ruby Princess® and Golden Princess® cruises departing from and returning to Australia and Majestic, Golden and Ruby Princess sailing one way Sydney to Auckland and vice versa and Majestic Princess repositioning voyages from Asia to Australia and vice versa are in Australian Dollars.

Prices onboard all other Princess Cruises ships including Princess cruises repositioning from USA to Australia (including sector on repositioning sailing Auckland to Sydney and vice versa) Regal Princess® repositioning from Europe/Asia to Australia and Diamond Princess® cruises departing from and returning to Japan are in US Dollars."

 

The way I read that is that you are correct and the Ruby cruise above would be USD onboard. As would all Princess transpacific cruises.

 

However Majestic cruises going to or from Asia are in AUD.

[lyndarra]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

Flight definitely not included. My email quotes the price in AUD, but I think it's likely the on-board currency would be US$ and that gratuities would apply.

As I suspected. Still it looks like a good price. I've been looking for a cruise either ex LA or Hawaii to Sydney . The killer however is the one way airfare, I did a quick search and came up with cheapest at about AUD1700. In the past I've found return flights SYD/LAX for about the same. Add on AUD300 for grats and its adding up. I think a fly/cruise package from a TA could be the way to go. Or maybe I could use some Velocity points.

[MicCanberra]

3 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

I did a little digging:

 

"All prices onboard Sun Princess®, Sea Princess®, Diamond Princess®, Majestic Princess®, Ruby Princess® and Golden Princess® cruises departing from and returning to Australia and Majestic, Golden and Ruby Princess sailing one way Sydney to Auckland and vice versa and Majestic Princess repositioning voyages from Asia to Australia and vice versa are in Australian Dollars.

Prices onboard all other Princess Cruises ships including Princess cruises repositioning from USA to Australia (including sector on repositioning sailing Auckland to Sydney and vice versa) Regal Princess® repositioning from Europe/Asia to Australia and Diamond Princess® cruises departing from and returning to Japan are in US Dollars."

 

The way I read that is that you are correct and the Ruby cruise above would be USD onboard. As would all Princess transpacific cruises.

 

However Majestic cruises going to or from Asia are in AUD.

Well done.

[MicCanberra]

It is getting harder and harder to use points for flights that you want or can actually use.

[The_Big_M]

4 hours ago, lyndarra said:

As I suspected. Still it looks like a good price. I've been looking for a cruise either ex LA or Hawaii to Sydney . The killer however is the one way airfare, I did a quick search and came up with cheapest at about AUD1700. In the past I've found return flights SYD/LAX for about the same. Add on AUD300 for grats and its adding up. I think a fly/cruise package from a TA could be the way to go. Or maybe I could use some Velocity points.

 

You can fly Air NZ SYD-LAX those dates one way around $900 via AKL, or American direct for ~$100 more.

[lyndarra]

That sounds much better, thanks.

[joll]

Check EZAIR.  Looks like flights start from $715 AUD pp, SYD-LAX. 

[MicCanberra]

3 hours ago, joll said:

Check EZAIR.  Looks like flights start from $715 AUD pp, SYD-LAX. 

That isn't too bad at all.

[woodyren]

20 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

It is getting harder and harder to use points for flights that you want or can actually use.

 

It isn't always easy but they are there to be found. I have both Qantas & Velocity pts. In the last two years we have flown all in J (Mrs woodyren and I ) to connect with repo cruises or distant cruises.

Beijing to Barcelona on Singapore Airlines with Velocity pts, 

Beijing to Sydney Singapore Airlines twice with Velocity points.

Copenhagen to Beijing on Finnair with Qantas pts.

Singapore to Barcelona  on Singapore Airlines with Velocity pts.

 

We also have a pts booking this coming Sept Brisbane to San Francisco on Fiji Air with Qantas pts then LA to Vancouver on Delta. We will then join Ovation back to Australia.

 

The trick I believe is to get out of Sydney or Melbourne and fly on partner airlines. Will be looking to fly Sydney to Taipei on China Airlines and then connect to Vancouver on Cathay from there using Qantas points for a future cruise from Vancouver to Tokyo on Radiance in sept next year.

Also lots of availability on Virgin Atlantic New York to Hong Kong which we will use to get back most of the way from our Allure Trans Atlantic in Nov next year. Superb lounges in NYC and London to enjoy. Velocity pts.

Cant book as too far out at present but quite a bit of availability currently.

You dont always find then searching initially on either website but at times you try each leg individually and then call to book.

 

Most pts via credit card churning.    

[MicCanberra]

Thanks for the tips.

[lyndarra]

I got an email at 7 this morning for this one.

Cruise tour including return flights

Hotel Rome 1 night pre cruise

10 Night cruise, Explorer OTS, depart Rome, to Sicily, Valetta, Santorini, Ephesus, (Kusadasi), Mykonos, Athens, Naples/Capri, return to Rome.

Hotel Rome 1 night post cruise.

Including grats.

Inside AUD2799. O/V + $359.

May 2020.

Sorry, it was a 1 hour special

 

Edited July 3, 2019 by lyndarra

[MicCanberra]

There are some great deals going, but I would want to pad out the travel if going to Europe, all that way for only 10 days is too much.

[The_Big_M]

It's actually 14 nights due to hotels before and after as well. Two weeks is pretty normal for a Euro or US vacation, unless lucky to have more time.

[MicCanberra]

If I am travelling on a plane for 20 plus hours, I want to spend 4 weeks or more and do more than just the cruise.

[Ru2on]

Darwin to Singapore

Departing Darwin  

 Monday, 05 August 2019

 8 Nights

 Pacific Dawn

 Up To $100 Onboard Credit

Twin From $571 pp

 Quad From $666 pp

[Sallyandtex]

There is some unbelievable prices for packages to Northern Europe with mSC and Norwegian. Does anyone have experience with them,?

 

[MicCanberra]

We have sailed NCL a few times and enjoyed the cruises, one was the Baltic the other was the Med.