Warning if your about to cruise on Coral.

[MicCanberra]

Perhaps the lights make it easier for the room stewards I.e.  cleaning.

[Aus Traveller]

9 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

Just a couple of observations.

 

The Princess Patter used to contain port agent details. It doesn't anymore.

 

A number of cabins have red bars at the top of the door medallion screen. I don't know what it means, but the cabin next door has it and I haven't seen anyone go in or out. There are also some cabins with a green bar.

 

The End of Cruise draw is in half an hour. There are 17 in the draw for $5000. Good odds.

What is the End of Cruise draw?

[MicCanberra]

You submit a sketch of how you think you will look at the end of a cruise, best one wins 😉

[arxcards]

59 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

What is the End of Cruise draw?

Better than an end of cruise loss, but not as good as an end of cruise win?

[SinbadThePorter]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

What is the End of Cruise draw?

 

If you bought a Premier package or paid $20 a day, you go into a draw for prizes and a cash draw.

 

The Entertainment Director said there were 17 on this cruise. The prize turned out to be $6750.

 

Also those red and green bars turned out to just be for privacy or room service.

[NSWP]

On 8/3/2022 at 9:58 AM, bazzaw said:

We did the 7 day cruise around Hawaii on Norwegians "Pride of America"  years ago long before Covid. It was impossible to get a sharing table in the MDR. They had tables larger than for two only but would only sit us on a table by ourselves. Apparently the Americans there preferred to dine by themselves. I have noticed this attitude in the Cunard CC forum as well. 

Many snobs on Cunard Barry, they dont like to mix with us Colonials, lol. 
Now before I get zapped, not all Cunarders are snobs.

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

Many snobs on Cunard Barry, they dont like to mix with us Colonials, lol. 
Now before I get zapped, not all Cunarders are snobs.

We got lucky the first time on Cunard and scored some awesome company at dinner, eh Barry.

[NSWP]

3 hours ago, arxcards said:

We got lucky the first time on Cunard and scored some awesome company at dinner, eh Barry.

Same here Geoff on QM2, Syd to hk in 2017, table of 8 in Brittania MDR, half brits half Aussies, great mob.  But i often bumped into some real miserable brits on their worldie. 

Edited August 4, 2022 by NSWP

[MicCanberra]

I found Cunard pax just like on every other line, some nice, some not.

[windsor26]

On 8/3/2022 at 3:08 AM, Aus Traveller said:

I agree that having dinner with you partner every night on a ship, isn't that much different from at home. My comment is sometimes "I'm with him 24/7 so  it's nice to have a change!"

 

When Yvonne referred to having to have dinner with just her husband Colin and not at a share table, it was a cruise on the Sky Princess. A few of us have encountered the reluctance to share tables when the cruise has predominantly people from USA.

 

On our Coral Princess cruise (26th June) we were seated at a share table - usually eight-seater - at our request. We met a few people travelling solo.

The Sky only had 300 USA and 80 Oz people on board all the rest were Uk  but when spoken to they would have liked to chance to share.

[NSWP]

On the subject of Coral Princess, as a matter of interest I just perused the east coast cruises on Coral, by jove there are loads of unbooked cabins. Some of the cruises only appear half full a week or two out from cruise.

[MicCanberra]

2 minutes ago, NSWP said:

On the subject of Coral Princess, as a matter of interest I just perused the east coast cruises on Coral, by jove there are loads of unbooked cabins. Some of the cruises only appear half full a week or two out from cruise.

Good, much better than the ship being packed.

[yes!yes!yes!]

I hope its not too empty. I like a bit of atmosphere.

They messed around with the itineraries too much when they removed Conflict Islands. Most people don't want cold climate cruises. I have stuck with it. Got a free upgrade for the last 3 cruises.

[MicCanberra]

I like it when you don't  have to wait for anything ever

[Jean C]

The cruise I was recently on had only 900 passengers. Other than a "flat" boarding and first day at sea when people were still smarting from how Princess handled the delayed boarding, it was wonderful, you really only noticed the positives from fewer passengers - always plenty of prime window tables in the buffet, able to go to theatre 2 or 3 mins before show starts and still having a choice of plenty of good seats etc, plenty of seating at popular coffee venues etc. Ours was the only occupied cabin in our "block" of cabins, ie the twists and turns in the corridors 🤫

[OzKiwiJJ]

34 minutes ago, NSWP said:

On the subject of Coral Princess, as a matter of interest I just perused the east coast cruises on Coral, by jove there are loads of unbooked cabins. Some of the cruises only appear half full a week or two out from cruise.

Princess could  still be restricting numbers on cruises. If they are operating to a capacity count they will still offer cabins in all categories so people have a choice of what cabin they want but once the capacity is filled the cruise will no longer show any cabins available. 

 

Plus I think there were a lot of cancellations (including us) after they cancelled the original 22nd August Queensland itinerary out of Sydney and replaced it with NSW coastal cruising. We're now doing the slightly shorter 3rd Sept cruise B2B with the 13th Sept cruise.

[sewgood]

28 minutes ago, Jean C said:

able to go to theatre 2 or 3 mins before show starts and still having a choice of plenty of good seats

Sounds lovely to me.

I hope we don't have a full ship on Friday when we board.

Edited August 8, 2022 by sewgood

[arxcards]

11 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Princess could  still be restricting numbers on cruises. If they are operating to a capacity count they will still offer cabins in all categories so people have a choice of what cabin they want but once the capacity is filled the cruise will no longer show any cabins available. 

 

Plus I think there were a lot of cancellations (including us) after they cancelled the original 22nd August Queensland itinerary out of Sydney and replaced it with NSW coastal cruising. We're now doing the slightly shorter 3rd Sept cruise B2B with the 13th Sept cruise.

That is very true. When they list the best 1/2 dozen cabins of each category, there could be a total of 10 empty cabins or 200, you never really know.

 

Even if restricting numbers, they are still selling on most categories apart from suites. The chopping and changing of itineraries has a few reluctant to book, and it is still winter after all, when Princess is usually doing a World cruise because things are so quiet on the home front. The media spats from a few weeks ago wouldn't be helping to fill the ship either.

 

I can live with half to two thirds full. My T/A has recently scored a "work" cruise for the one we are doing on 19th, so there must be a bit of availability on those short ones. I am looking for an unbeatable deal so that we can add 22nd August as a B2B.

[sewgood]

27 minutes ago, arxcards said:

I am looking for an unbeatable deal so that we can add 22nd August as a B2B.

As it gets closer you might be able to snag that unbeatable deal. Fortunately it's out of school holiday time so you might just be in luck.

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Princess could  still be restricting numbers on cruises. If they are operating to a capacity count they will still offer cabins in all categories so people have a choice of what cabin they want but once the capacity is filled the cruise will no longer show any cabins available. 

 

Plus I think there were a lot of cancellations (including us) after they cancelled the original 22nd August Queensland itinerary out of Sydney and replaced it with NSW coastal cruising. We're now doing the slightly shorter 3rd Sept cruise B2B with the 13th Sept cruise.

Julie, more like they cannot sell and/or loads of cancellations.

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, Jean C said:

The cruise I was recently on had only 900 passengers. Other than a "flat" boarding and first day at sea when people were still smarting from how Princess handled the delayed boarding, it was wonderful, you really only noticed the positives from fewer passengers - always plenty of prime window tables in the buffet, able to go to theatre 2 or 3 mins before show starts and still having a choice of plenty of good seats etc, plenty of seating at popular coffee venues etc. Ours was the only occupied cabin in our "block" of cabins, ie the twists and turns in the corridors 🤫

Different situation if you had 2000 pax.

Edited August 8, 2022 by NSWP

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

That is very true. When they list the best 1/2 dozen cabins of each category, there could be a total of 10 empty cabins or 200, you never really know.

 

Even if restricting numbers, they are still selling on most categories apart from suites. The chopping and changing of itineraries has a few reluctant to book, and it is still winter after all, when Princess is usually doing a World cruise because things are so quiet on the home front. The media spats from a few weeks ago wouldn't be helping to fill the ship either.

 

I can live with half to two thirds full. My T/A has recently scored a "work" cruise for the one we are doing on 19th, so there must be a bit of availability on those short ones. I am looking for an unbeatable deal so that we can add 22nd August as a B2B.

Prices are still up there Geoff, despite only half cabins sold  on the next few cruises. As a solo I would still be up for $300 per diem for a balcony. No wonder Princess is getting travel agents on board for a free go see to promote and market Princess Cruises.

Edited August 8, 2022 by NSWP

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

Prices are still up there Geoff, despite only half cabins sold  on the next few cruises. As a solo I would still be up for $300 per diem for a balcony. No wonder Princess is getting travel agents on board for a free go see to promote and market Princess Cruises.

I don't know if it is free, if his employer is paying the fare, or part way between on an industry fare. There are freebies going for Pacific Encounter's shakedown heading from Brisbane to Sydney at the same time.

 

The prices still being up there is what hints to me these are more than half full, or they are happy to cruise with lower passenger numbers until getting close to the bottom of the latest wave in a few weeks time. For my 3 nighter, it is currently starting at $360pp for a 3 nighter in 11 days time, yet they are selling a Grand Princess 3 nighter in March for $349. For whatever reason, they aren't looking to heavily discount.

[MicCanberra]

Agreed,

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

 There are freebies going for Pacific Encounter's shakedown heading from Brisbane to Sydney at the same time.

Sorry, that should read Sydney to Brisbane