Review - Carnival Luminosa - Great Barrier Reef

[aussielozzie18]

Internet - we both decided we wanted a break from the internet so we didn’t buy the internet package before boarding but we still needed to keep in touch.  
 

Carnival offer “Chat” through their Hub app for a flat rate of $8 each.  This worked great for when we were both at separate places around the ship and needed to msg each other or even when in our separate cabins..,.

 

On the eve of our second last sea day, daughter was desperate for some internet though  so she was able to buy  24hrs of internet for $38.00.  We could share it, she just needed to log out first. Worked really well.

[aussielozzie18]

Day 1 - Daughter headed to the deck loungers by the Serenity pool.  Serenity pool is adults only.  

Surrounded by plenty of loungers in the sun (always a few available) and Pods around the outer edges.  Never saw any pods free except on our boarding day.

 

I explored the ship.  It had a tiny library near guest services.  Small amount of decent books there.  Half with Carnival stickers.  Half had obviously been donated by my fellow cruisers after they finished reading them, so a few new releases.

One of the shops had Guess handbags at 30% off and Pandora jewellery including the popular cruise ship charm.

The Carnival shop was separate - stocked lego and Carnival logo gear but nothing Luminosa specific.

Shop selling watches, perfumes and duty free liquor (once we passed Willis Island).  Liquor stock looked limited to me.

Java Blue Cafe was popular for those wanting their paid coffee fix and individual cakes/biscuits/muffins.

Edited December 14, 2022 by aussielozzie18

[aussielozzie18]

At 11.30am Fahrenheit (specialty) restaurant was running a cooking demo.  I had been to something similar on Spirit so was keen.  Got there early (it’s very popular).  Two chefs + one staff member on a mic as an “interpreter”.  Entree, main and dessert are cooked.  A menu with instructions for each dish is provided as well as a sample of each dish as the chef is cooking/preparing it is served individually by waiters to everyone in the audience.  It runs for 30mins, it free and you don’t have to book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[aussielozzie18]

After cooking demo, I discovered my favourite spot on the ship - the sunset bar above the Serenity Deck.

 

This had comfy individual woven chairs with cushions and double chairs and tables that could be moved - so you could decide  whether you wanted to be in the sun or not and could be grouped depending on the size of your party. Umbrellas and side tables

and a small bar with friendly bar staff.  I worked my way through the cocktail menu here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by aussielozzie18

[aussielozzie18]

Meanwhile daughter loved the Serenity deck & pool.  Lifeguard always on duty and despite being busy, always enough room to the pool to cool off. Needed shoes though to walk from lounger to pool.  Deck was hot.

Towels were available nearby from a staff member on towel duty.  

 

You had to give to room number to the staff member on duty when taken & returned.

On port days, you could NOT take these off the ship.  Plain blue towels were available right near the gangway (often you had to wait for them) as you disembarked on port days.

[aussielozzie18]

Only went to the main pool twice.  Once was for Conga for kids.  The Carnival charity where you buy a $20 t-shirt and all funds raised go to a QLD children’s hospital.  The CD & other staff will sign your tshirt and then a group conga line and Macarena dance by everyone.  Lots of fun for a good cause.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by aussielozzie18

[aussielozzie18]

The other time was for movies under a the stars.  Unfortunately the movies started at 9.30pm and the chairs weren’t particularly comfy.  That was a problem when you were trying to watch Baz Luhrman’s ‘Elvis’ and it goes for 2 1/2hrs..,I only lasted til 20.30pm. When I told DH, he said the last hour is the best part!

[aussielozzie18]

We didn’t go to the theatre.  There were a few productions on but they just didn’t interest us.  We usually left after 10mins.  
Trivia was fun.  In a big space and very popular.  We went to the “Friends” trivia.  20 questions.  Two cruisers separately got the full 20.  Tiebreaker question.  A lady from the US with a Friends tattoo won. A carnival medal.  There are other trivia sessions on but we kept forgetting.

Towards the end of the cruise, we realised that if you “liked” an event on the Hub app, it sent you a reminder 15 mins before.

 

No paper planners on your beds on the night before anymore.  It’s all on the App and very easy to navigate.

Edited December 14, 2022 by aussielozzie18

[aussielozzie18]

Music: Piano bar.  Song requests by Paul at the Piano this was around the corner from our restaurant so we usually stopped in here for a while. He was good and had a good crowd but  Got a bit repetitive towards the end of the cruise.

House band - we usually stopped to listen for a while after we left the theatre early.  Lead female singer had a great voice.  
Comedians - wanted to go - but kept missing them or arriving when the doors were shut - definitely needed the app reminder.

[aussielozzie18]

 Our first port of call was Airlie Beach.  We had a beautiful day forecast and calm seas.  Was awake early and up on the open top deck for the sail in.

 

 

 

 

The open top deck was popular for early morning walkers.  There is a much smaller running track here too which you can see in the above photo.

[buchhalm]

Looks like a ghost ship. Where are all the people!

🙂

[aussielozzie18]

Airlie Beach is a tender port.  Instead of the ship’s small tenders, they were using the large  reef sightseeing boats like ‘Reef Magic’ to take us from the ship to Airlie Beach wharf.

 

We had a booked a ship tour as we wanted to go snorkeling and felt it was safer, time wise to go via the ships tour.  With Carnival Australia ship tours, you cannot book in advance.  You can only book once on board.  Confusing thing was their website before the cruise had several tours listed as “sold out”. Apparently it’s a glitch in their computer system.

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by aussielozzie18

[aussielozzie18]

Just now, buchhalm said:

Looks like a ghost ship. Where are all the people!

🙂

6am in the morning - still in bed….

[buchhalm]

4 minutes ago, aussielozzie18 said:

6am in the morning - still in bed….

Ahhhhhhh!

Thanks for the tip.

I'll send my wife to take photos.

[aussielozzie18]

Last time I was in Airlie, I did the ‘Scenic Sailing’ excursion which was 7.5hrs and was a relaxing day of sailing on a lovely old style yacht and snorkeling off the yacht in the Whitsundays.

 

This time around with daughter, decided to do the Ocean Rafting Tour.  High speed motor-raft trip with a small group of fellow cruisers and a very energetic host, speeding out through the Whitsunday passage to Hook island.  We anchored, put on our stinger suits & snorkeling gear supplied by the tour company and had a hour of snorkeling which we thoroughly enjoyed.  Then we anchored at a beach.  Had lunch and swam off the beach.  This was a very enjoyable half day tour.

 

 

 

 

 

Only negative with this tour is that there are no toilets.  Toilets are at the wharf at Airlie before you leave and return to the Wharf after a 4hr+ tour.

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by aussielozzie18

[aussielozzie18]

Once we got back to Airlie a beach wharf there was a long queue to join the shuttles back to the ship. They were alternating the ship’s small tenders with the big Reef Magic.  Thankfully we were lucky to get the Reef Magic.

 

I think it was that night we had Mexican themed dinner in the MDR. It was the only night I thought to screenshot the MDR dinner menus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 It was the only night I thought to take a photo of the MDR menus.  

Edited December 14, 2022 by aussielozzie18

[rkmw]

I just came off the Luminosa today after 4 nights and I found the ship quite nice and not sure if it’s been mentioned but we had a day at Airlie beach

the CD said they would put out times and tender tickets at 6am in the Ocean Plaza and you can pick a time from 7.30 until when ever they had the open tenders and once you had your tender ticket you could have breakfast and come back when it’s time to get your tender and they made announcements when the tenders were available, I found the system very good 

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, rkmw said:

I just came off the Luminosa today after 4 nights and I found the ship quite nice and not sure if it’s been mentioned but we had a day at Airlie beach

the CD said they would put out times and tender tickets at 6am in the Ocean Plaza and you can pick a time from 7.30 until when ever they had the open tenders and once you had your tender ticket you could have breakfast and come back when it’s time to get your tender and they made announcements when the tenders were available, I found the system very good 

I thought the system was excellent also.  The most efficient I've come across.  

[rkmw]

53 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I thought the system was excellent also.  The most efficient I've come across.  

Yes I haven’t come across anything similar with the tenders

 

our CD was good and he made one blue but most probably following orders

we did a 4 day cruise to Airlie beach and he told everyone at the disembarkation meeting that everyone had to fill in an Incoming passenger card but we couldn’t duty free and never left Australia and no Border Force at Brisbane cruise terminal, people were given one to fill in but nothing left in my room so I didn’t have to 

[aussielozzie18]

3 hours ago, rkmw said:

I just came off the Luminosa today after 4 nights and I found the ship quite nice and not sure if it’s been mentioned but we had a day at Airlie beach

the CD said they would put out times and tender tickets at 6am in the Ocean Plaza and you can pick a time from 7.30 until when ever they had the open tenders and once you had your tender ticket you could have breakfast and come back when it’s time to get your tender and they made announcements when the tenders were available, I found the system very good 

We had ship shore tours on both tender days, so didn’t need to use this system but pleased to read that the tender ticket system operated well.

[aussielozzie18]

Of course, you can do your own thing at the ports.  But for anyone interested, here are the ship tours for Airlie Beach:

 

 

 

 

[aussielozzie18]

Precovid, I enjoyed the ‘Love & Marriage Show’ on the ships.  I was too tired to go during our cruise but daughter went and really enjoyed it. 

[rkmw]

1 hour ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Precovid, I enjoyed the ‘Love & Marriage Show’ on the ships.  I was too tired to go during our cruise but daughter went and really enjoyed it. 

They had the marriage show on the other night and the CD did a good job 

 

Simon London is a good CD 

[rkmw]

Disembarking was a breeze today at Brisbane, I was walking down the gangway about 7.55am and in my car at the car park driving out the gate at 8.05

 

 

[LPGA Golfer Gal]

On 12/14/2022 at 7:00 AM, aussielozzie18 said:

Airlie Beach is a tender port.  Instead of the ship’s small tenders, they were using the large  reef sightseeing boats like ‘Reef Magic’ to take us from the ship to Airlie Beach wharf.

 

We had a booked a ship tour as we wanted to go snorkeling and felt it was safer, time wise to go via the ships tour.  With Carnival Australia ship tours, you cannot book in advance.  You can only book once on board.  Confusing thing was their website before the cruise had several tours listed as “sold out”. Apparently it’s a glitch in their computer system.

 

 

 

This is a great review. So excited to start reading Australia trips. We are on Splendor coming in June 2023. So disappointed to not have any options for dives on GBR. Do you happen to have any excursion details with what options you had at various stops. So panicked thinking about waiting to book on board. Thanks.