Bob Wood Cruise Group for Australia land tour

[compozer]

Has anyone dealt with Bob Wood Cruise Group prior to their Australian cruisetour?    We have so many questions and no one from their group is replying to our emails.    Our final payment is due next week and it is so frustrating not to get answers to our questions.    None of the reps at Princess have any idea how to help us.       Thanks for any help.

[skynight]

Is this the group Princess uses for their cruisetours? If yes, what are your questions and in what cruisetour are you booked? Many of us have been on these pre-cruise land tours and can probably offer some insight.

[Worldtraveler 4727]

I’m having a difficult time getting the Bob Wood Tour Co to respond at all. I sent an email days ago and a FB message today 🤞🏻

This is the message I sent them:

 

My husband and I and another couple will be traveling with you Oct/Nov embarking on the Royal for the cruise around NZ after the AU land tour with your group. 

I just received this notice from Princess today regarding COVID testing before embarkation.

Can you please tell me how this will be handled? Will you help our tour group receive the necessary testing at the required time before embarkation?

 

 

Princess Cruises - come back new®

 

CruiseHealth™ FAQ: Sailings To & from Australia & New Zealand

Updated June 22, 2023

 

At terminal check-in guests must attest to a negative viral COVID-19 test (PCR or rapid antigen) taken before embarkation.

 

Based on current Australian requirements for cruising, all guests will require a negative viral COVID-19 test result taken before boarding:

 

• Within 24 hours for Rapid-Antigen Test (RAT)
• Within 48 hours for PCR

Have any CC friends out there dealt with this company in AU? 
I don’t understand why they don’t respond to emails sent directly through their webpage. It’s making me nervous with regard to the overall service we can expect in AU! They are in charge of hotels, flights, luggage etc on this land tour. 🫤

[Rick&Jeannie]

1 hour ago, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

At terminal check-in guests must attest to a negative viral COVID-19 test (PCR or rapid antigen) taken before embarkation.

 

I cannot give you a definitive answer to your question...but keep in mind that the key word "attest" simply means that you must verbally state that you have done a test...I may very well be wrong but it *sounds* as if you take your test wherever (within the confines of the time window stated) and maybe just take a picture of the result.  I *think* the days of needing an "official" certified test result are over.

[Essiesmom]

Why not ask on the board here for Australia and New Zealand cruisers?  They might be able to offer advice.  EM

[compozer]

1 minute ago, Essiesmom said:

Why not ask on the board here for Australia and New Zealand cruisers?  They might be able to offer advice.  EM

I have found that more people are on the Princess board so that is why I asked here.    I have more questions and know I will have more as it gets closer to our adventure.   We have done several Alaskan landcruise tours through Princess and there is so much information available.   But I have not found anyone that has done one in Australia.   

Again, thanks for any help.

[EDDY0827]

Did you try a good old fashioned telephone call?

[compozer]

Phone

number said disconnected.   But then why do I need to spend my money on a long distance phone call when they are being paid by Princess to help us??

 

Edited July 19, 2023 by compozer

[Worldtraveler 4727]

10 minutes ago, compozer said:

Phone

number said disconnected.   But then why do I need to spend my money on a long distance phone call when they are being paid by Princess to help us??

Yes! Exactly!

[Worldtraveler 4727]

53 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I cannot give you a definitive answer to your question...but keep in mind that the key word "attest" simply means that you must verbally state that you have done a test...I may very well be wrong but it *sounds* as if you take your test wherever (within the confines of the time window stated) and maybe just take a picture of the result.  I *think* the days of needing an "official" certified test result are over.

 

So are you thinking we need to take over our own tests from the US?

 

[capriccio]

Based on our experience boarding the Coral Princess in April for the Round Australia cruise, this is a requirement of the local government (New South Wales in this case). 

 

Within 24 hours of embarkation take a self-administered test (we brought tests from home but they are readily available in Australia) and photograph the test results, along with a date/time stamp (we used a cell phone home screen), and your name.  Princess had us submit the photo on the Medallion app.

 

There is a current thread on the Austrailian and New Zealand Cruisers board that includes the information that this covid testing on Princess has been extended: 

 

Edited July 19, 2023 by capriccio

[Worldtraveler 4727]

15 minutes ago, capriccio said:

Based on our experience boarding the Coral Princess in April for the Round Australia cruise, this is a requirement of the local government (New South Wales in this case). 

 

Within 24 hours of embarkation take a self-administered test (we brought tests from home but they are readily available in Australia) and photograph the test results, along with a date/time stamp (we used a cell phone home screen), and your name.  Princess had us submit the photo on the Medallion app.

 

There is a current thread on the Austrailian and New Zealand Cruisers board that includes the information that this covid testing on Princess has been extended: 

 

Thank you. This was helpful! 
(Much more so than the  Bob Wood Tour Co so far! 🙄) 

[capriccio]

2 minutes ago, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

Thank you. This was helpful! 
(Much more so than the  Bob Wood Tour Co so far! 🙄) 

I hope you have a great time.  We certainly did and loved the wonderful people, food, wine, cities, and countrysides.  We did the reverse of your trip, taking an independent tour around the South Island of New Zealand first and then the cruise around Australia. 

[Worldtraveler 4727]

20 minutes ago, capriccio said:

I hope you have a great time.  We certainly did and loved the wonderful people, food, wine, cities, and countrysides.  We did the reverse of your trip, taking an independent tour around the South Island of New Zealand first and then the cruise around Australia. 

Thank you!

Still hoping to hear from CC members who have had the Bob Wood Group as their tour company in AU. Looking for any and all (reassuring? 😵‍💫) info on the land tours and this company. 

[arxcards]

6 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I cannot give you a definitive answer to your question...but keep in mind that the key word "attest" simply means that you must verbally state that you have done a test...I may very well be wrong but it *sounds* as if you take your test wherever (within the confines of the time window stated) and maybe just take a picture of the result.  I *think* the days of needing an "official" certified test result are over.

Correct. You are attesting that you have taken a test, as well as the test result.

 

A self test within 24hrs of boarding, where you attest your result at check-in if negative, to Princess' phone contact if positive. In addition, most of the cruise lines in Oz have requested that you take a photo of your completed test strip along with something that validates the time & date such as a lock screen on your phone. Currently the photo is randomly checked at check-in.

 

This could all disappear if the Australian cruise protocols are repealed, but cruise lines are communicating as if this will remain in place till at least the end of 2023. We have a Carnival cruise on 26th December, and have received the same notification for that cruise.

 

As to the OP, sorry I don't know anything of Bob Wood cruise group. If that is co-ordinated by Princess, is it possible they only deal directly with Princess? When using Princess ezy air, the airline can't help me until everything has been ticketed by Princess, and that is well inside final payment date.

[zukecruiser]

Also using the Bob Wood Group for an Australian land tour prior to boarding the Royal Princess for a New Zealand cruise this October.  Do not know if we have to test before the land tour, but so far need to test before boarding the ship.  Plan to bring testing kits along just in case they are needed.  Also interested in hearing more the Bon Wood Group.

[compozer]

I am hoping that the Bob Wood Group will contact us soon.  Final payment is a week away and they may normally wait until people are locked into the cruisetour.    Thanks for all the help.

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Tried to contact them through Facebook (besides email via their website). 

Nope. Nothing. Nana. Zip. Zero. 🤯☹️

[Worldtraveler 4727]

At least I know someone there READ it!

Why not answer?