Missing Ports Again!

[gbenjo]

On 4/12/2023 at 7:42 AM, NSWP said:

Graham, you would know mate, you are at the coal face.

 

Crew sometimes exaggerate to get some sympathy tips, lol.

And some posters as well. Not to mention creating a false view of what is really occurring. We don't need that sort of false garbage  at the moment.

Edited April 14, 2023 by gbenjo

[capriccio]

On 4/14/2023 at 10:24 AM, capriccio said:

Another missed port update from the Coral Princess:  today was supposed to be a port day in Geraldton. 

After missing Geraldton yesterday we are making great progress to Broome and should arrive tomorrow afternoon by 3 pm.  So we will have an overnight in Broome which I realize is a small town (I attended the destination lecture before the Captain made his announcement this morning). We have an independent around Broome tour scheduled for Monday morning.  Does anyone have recommendations for Sunday afternoon and evening?  

[By The Bay]

26 minutes ago, capriccio said:

After missing Geraldton yesterday we are making great progress to Broome and should arrive tomorrow afternoon by 3 pm.  So we will have an overnight in Broome which I realize is a small town (I attended the destination lecture before the Captain made his announcement this morning). We have an independent around Broome tour scheduled for Monday morning.  Does anyone have recommendations for Sunday afternoon and evening?  

Broome has the Sun Picture Gardens. It is the world's oldest outdoor picture gardens still in operation.

[Aus Traveller]

Sunset at Cable Beach is usually pretty spectacular. 🙂

[capriccio]

10 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Sunset at Cable Beach is usually pretty spectacular. 🙂

Our destination expert showed us some spectacular pictures of sunset at Cable Beach and when the early arrival announcement was made it didn’t even occur to me that was now a possibility. Thank you!

[MMDown Under]

Sit on Cable Beach and watch fishermen rush to shift their cars on the beach as the tide comes in. 

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, capriccio said:

Our destination expert showed us some spectacular pictures of sunset at Cable Beach and when the early arrival announcement was made it didn’t even occur to me that was now a possibility. Thank you!

One of the iconic sights at Cable Beach is people riding camels in a caravan (that is a line of camels). Be aware that they are on the northern section of the beach - to your right as you walk down onto the sand. Even if you don't ride on a camel, you can get some great photos sometimes with reflections in the wet sand.

[MMDown Under]

My favourite places north east of Broome are Lombadina and Cape Leveque, Dampier Peninsula.  You can do day trip by 4WD and return by plane, if available.  (We went up with the postman).

Horizontal Falls

This area has king tides, the opposite of Canada. 

Catching mud crabs with aboriginals. 

Fishing on charter.  

 

[capriccio]

6 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

My favourite places north east of Broome are Lombadina and Cape Leveque, Dampier Peninsula.  You can do day trip by 4WD and return by plane, if available.  (We went up with the postman).

Horizontal Falls

This area has king tides, the opposite of Canada. 

Catching mud crabs with aboriginals. 

Fishing on charter.  

 

I am afraid our budgets for time and expenses won’t allow that but it sounds fantastic!  

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, MMDown Under said:

My favourite places north east of Broome are Lombadina and Cape Leveque, Dampier Peninsula.  You can do day trip by 4WD and return by plane, if available.  (We went up with the postman).

Horizontal Falls

This area has king tides, the opposite of Canada. 

Catching mud crabs with aboriginals. 

Fishing on charter.  

 

Broome is famous for pearls.  Paspaley pearls.  You can visit a pearl farm 

Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Aboriginal and European make up the multi-cultural population. 

Broome is unique in Australia. 

[Aus Traveller]

7 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Broome is famous for pearls.  Paspaley pearls.  You can visit a pearl farm 

Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Aboriginal and European make up the multi-cultural population. 

Broome is unique in Australia. 

The main street of Broome has wall-to-wall pearl shops. Paspaley is probably the most famous and the most expensive. We went on a tour to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm and found it quite interesting.

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

The main street of Broome has wall-to-wall pearl shops. Paspaley is probably the most famous and the most expensive. We went on a tour to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm and found it quite interesting.

I find it hard to not be tempted by

beautiful pearls.

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, MMDown Under said:

I find it hard to not be tempted by

beautiful pearls.

I have quite a collection of pearls. My first was bought at the Willie Creek Pearl Farm in an around Australia driving trip in the early 2000s.

[MMDown Under]

7 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I have quite a collection of pearls. My first was bought at the Willie Creek Pearl Farm in an around Australia driving trip in the early 2000s.

Those pearls must hold special memories. My first pearl was a ring whilst my second was a

pendant. Both were stolen with all my jewellery.  I still have my beautiful strands of pearls.

[MMDown Under]

3 minutes ago, capriccio said:

I am afraid our budgets for time and expenses won’t allow that but it sounds fantastic!  

Sitting on the beach watching all the activities, fishermen, people riding the camels, sunset is free.

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, MMDown Under said:

Those pearls must hold special memories. My first pearl was a ring whilst my second was a

pendant. Both were stolen with all my jewellery.  I still have my beautiful strands of pearls.

I have a lot of pearls. My husband jokes that I travel with 2kg of pearls, but that is probably an under-estimate! I found that pearls became addictive. I have beautiful seawater pearls not only from Australia, but from Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Indonesia, Vietnam and freshwater pearls from various places.

[capriccio]

1 minute ago, MMDown Under said:

Sitting on the beach watching all the activities, fishermen, people riding the camels, sunset is free.

Absolutely!  My comment about expense was directed at the trip by 4WD with return by plane.

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

I have a lot of pearls. My husband jokes that I travel with 2kg of pearls, but that is probably an under-estimate! I found that pearls became addictive. I have beautiful seawater pearls not only from Australia, but from Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Indonesia, Vietnam and freshwater pearls from various places.

Wow I'm impressed  I recall some of the pearls were coloured.  Last year on my cruise to Darwin we visited a small pearl farm. 

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, capriccio said:

Absolutely!  My comment about expense was directed at the trip by 4WD with return by plane.

I know.  That is why we went return with the Postman and didn't do the spectacular Horizontal Falls Cruise.  

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, MMDown Under said:

Wow I'm impressed  I recall some of the pearls were coloured.  Last year on my cruise to Darwin we visited a small pearl farm. 

South Sea Pearls (from Australia, Indonesia etc) are primarily white, but there are some spectacular golden pearls. 🙂 By contrast, Tahitian pearls (also in the Cook Islands) range from silver, champagne, grey to black - no pure white. In the Abrolhos Islands of Western Australia a company is farming the Tahitian pearl oysters (Pinctada margaritifera) but they can't achieve the spectacular black pearls. Theirs are grey. In discussing this with a pearl 'farmer' I asked if it was the temperature of the water that makes the difference, but he said it is the organisms in the water.

[OzKiwiJJ]

The one unexpected experience I really enjoyed about Broome was walking out of a cafe on Short St just as a small plane came in for a landing at the airport. Short St is right off the runway and it looked like the plane was almost clipping the trees in the street. Of course it wasn't but it was fun seeing it go over so low.

[buchhalm]

40 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I find it hard to not be tempted by

beautiful pearls.

DW asked for a new car or some nice pearls for her birthday.

I got pearls. You can't buy a fake car.

[MMDown Under]

19 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

South Sea Pearls (from Australia, Indonesia etc) are primarily white, but there are some spectacular golden pearls. 🙂 By contrast, Tahitian pearls (also in the Cook Islands) range from silver, champagne, grey to black - no pure white. In the Abrolhos Islands of Western Australia a company is farming the Tahitian pearl oysters (Pinctada margaritifera) but they can't achieve the spectacular black pearls. Theirs are grey. In discussing this with a pearl 'farmer' I asked if it was the temperature of the water that makes the difference, but he said it is the organisms in the water.

Oh the spectacular black pearls were my favourite. 

A lady at Lombadina told me I must go to the Abrolhos Islands.

[MMDown Under]

19 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

The one unexpected experience I really enjoyed about Broome was walking out of a cafe on Short St just as a small plane came in for a landing at the airport. Short St is right off the runway and it looked like the plane was almost clipping the trees in the street. Of course it wasn't but it was fun seeing it go over so low.

When I flew into Broome, I took a taxi to my accommodation walking distance around the corner!!  Anywhere else the taxi driver would have abused me.  

[Esilef]

On 4/10/2023 at 7:18 PM, resordanis said:

Currently on Ovation and we will miss Wellington tomorrow. We have already missed Dunedin.,I understand from someone on board that Majestic missed 3 NZ ports this week. Seems to be a pattern this cruise season with bad weather unfortunately.

we were on the Sydney to Auckland majestic princess cruise. We only had 1700 and 700 got off at Auckland.

we were meant to visit Tauranga, the bay of islands and then Auckland. We missed all and stayed on the ship looking into Auckland. We did get a helicopter emergency visit for a passenger.

 

majestic Princess is a beautiful ship but what makes this ship special is its staff.