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Ovation review

pearlsz

By pearlsz,
in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

Posted
Posted
Thats the question mark over Fiordland. What happens to the ships tour people if the ship cant pick them up again ?

They will have to wear the cost of flying them out and back to Sydney.

A similar thing happened one year but they managed to call them back to the ship after they got half way.

 

That would be a costly exercise.

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shireboi

shireboi

Posted
Posted (edited)

Not to self to add to upcoming review....

 

The so called MINI BAR CRAP - and the bottles of Evian

 

Checking account and noted 11.90 - what the hell was that ??? And it appeared twice. Room attendant..... who barely comes into our room (our choice !) has noted somehow that 2 bottles were used...NOT.

 

WHO THE ***** WHO WANT TO PAY $6 FOR A LITRE OF WATER ??????? :eek:

 

Still here @ 8.30

 

We are organising permanent residence visas for us :)

 

Edit - we may be going @ 9

Edited by shireboi
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erewhon Holiday Sharing Rare

erewhon

Posted
Posted
Not to self to add to upcoming review....

 

The so called MINI BAR CRAP - and the bottles of Evian

 

Checking account and noted 11.90 - what the hell was that ??? And it appeared twice. Room attendant..... who barely comes into our room (our choice !) has noted somehow that 2 bottles were used...NOT.

 

WHO THE ***** WHO WANT TO PAY $6 FOR A LITRE OF WATER ??????? :eek:

 

Still here @ 8.30

 

We are organising permanent residence visas for us :)

 

Edit - we may be going @ 9

 

 

It's a good idea to regularly check the account. Hope you get it sorted quickly.

 

 

Solstice in the channel.

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

Posted
Posted
Not to self to add to upcoming review....

 

The so called MINI BAR CRAP - and the bottles of Evian

 

Checking account and noted 11.90 - what the hell was that ??? And it appeared twice. Room attendant..... who barely comes into our room (our choice !) has noted somehow that 2 bottles were used...NOT.

 

WHO THE ***** WHO WANT TO PAY $6 FOR A LITRE OF WATER ??????? :eek:

 

Still here @ 8.30

 

We are organising permanent residence visas for us :)

 

Edit - we may be going @ 9

 

Go to guest services and get it taken off. Our room had two bottles in the cooler but we left them alone. Hope you get out at 9pm.:D

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Homerclese

Homerclese

Posted
Posted

We were in 270 seeing Pixels for the second time (we met the cast on the bus in Picton and our Genie arranged for us to see the show again and meet them which was a treat for our kids) and Cruise Director Joff was joking after the show that "Celebrity is itching to depart before us, you can see her revving her engines to try to be first".

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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

Posted
Posted
Thats the question mark over Fiordland. What happens to the ships tour people if the ship cant pick them up again ?

They will have to wear the cost of flying them out and back to Sydney.

A similar thing happened one year but they managed to call them back to the ship after they got half way.

 

We had that one year with Millennium. Too stormy for the tender at Milford, so they flew them on to Melbourne.

 

They loved the excursion and were treated well, but still lost 3 days of the cruise (though it was a rough crossing as well, so maybe some didn't mind missing!) :p

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

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Posted
We departed at about 8.45pm. The captain advised it would be rough in about an hour from now and there are bags of sick bags hanging on the ends of the stairwells. Fortunately the Simpson clan has their sea legs. For now...

 

Solstice was seen at the heads.... we are drifting very very slowly out....

 

Note sunset is about 9.45mdown this end of the earth

 

Good to hear you have gotten away, hope it isn't too rough for you.

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rwil111

rwil111

Posted
Posted

Is NZ really that popular for cruisers or is it partly there is less and less choice ?Not sure if I am imagining things but there used to many more options to do Queensland cruisers with RCI and Celebrity. Rhapsody would do 4 or 5 11 day cruises each season Radiance maybe 1 or 2 and Solstice usually 2. Now it is lucky if Radiance and Solstice do 1 each and Ovation, Voyager and Explorer now 0.

 

I know you can get bad weather in the North but I believe there is a much higher chance of perfect weather on a Qld cruise than what seems an almost certainty of rocking and rolling to and from NZ.

 

Realise P&O do some Qld cruises but not a fan.

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

Posted
Posted
Is NZ really that popular for cruisers or is it partly there is less and less choice ?Not sure if I am imagining things but there used to many more options to do Queensland cruisers with RCI and Celebrity. Rhapsody would do 4 or 5 11 day cruises each season Radiance maybe 1 or 2 and Solstice usually 2. Now it is lucky if Radiance and Solstice do 1 each and Ovation, Voyager and Explorer now 0.

 

I know you can get bad weather in the North but I believe there is a much higher chance of perfect weather on a Qld cruise than what seems an almost certainty of rocking and rolling to and from NZ.

 

Realise P&O do some Qld cruises but not a fan.

 

The Ovation cannot dock anywhere in QLD but Brisbane so that is one issue.

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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

Posted
Posted

Same situation with Voyager and Explorer.

 

Rhapsody was about the largest size that could visit those ports - and even then had to tender sometimes.

 

Plus QLD's not as popular with international market. Ovation is not here as long so has limited itineraries as well.

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MMDown Under Holiday Sharing Rare

MMDown Under

Posted
Posted
Same situation with Voyager and Explorer.

 

Rhapsody was about the largest size that could visit those ports - and even then had to tender sometimes.

 

Plus QLD's not as popular with international market. Ovation is not here as long so has limited itineraries as well.

 

I feel Ovation is better suited to its home port in Asia.

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Opua Kiwi

Opua Kiwi

Posted
Posted (edited)

As far as I am concerned NZ port facilities are fine as is.

Infrastructure in NZ is under stress due to huge numbers of land based tourists.

 

Far more important priorities for the dollars than to cater for a few visits of random mega ships.

 

I agree with MMDown under, better suited to remain in Asia.

Edited by Opua Kiwi
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Opua Kiwi

Opua Kiwi

Posted
Posted (edited)

I am not complaining it is too large.

I simply disagree with people who say we should spend money improving our port facilities because of it.

Asia already has such facilities in place.

 

If it comes here fine, but our tourist infrastructure dollar has priorities elsewhere I feel.

 

NZ is very well catered for in the 2500 - 3500 pax size ship.

I've only sailed on 4 of them, but certainly don't consider them old crappy hand me downs.

Edited by Opua Kiwi
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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

Posted
Posted
I am not complaining it is too large.

I simply disagree with people who say we should spend money improving our port facilities because of it.

 

Are there many saying that?

 

I don't recall hearing many. Though there are a number who - generally - complain about improved facilities for more ships. As mentioned, Explorer and Voyager have similar limitations, and there are other issues both with ports and for more ships.

 

Where there is an infrastructure limitation like in Akaroa/Christchurch, I think that should be remediated and addressed, and that applies to benefit most ships, and also benefit the local economy through tourism.

 

Where there is a solution, but the cruise industry just wants better e.g. increased access, that's where a cost/benefit analysis is of more value.

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

Posted
Posted
Looking forward to cruising on Ovation in February.

Has anyone used the Royal iQ?

I've downloaded the app in readiness, thinking it would be handy.

 

The royal IQ was very easy to use and very handy for booking in things or just checking out the (Cruise compass for the activity schedule.:D

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