marinating

Our 13 day cruise departs in 2 days, I bid for an upgrade from mini suite to front facing mini suite. Last week informed I had been outbid and asked if I wanted to bid more which I declined, today received an email offering me a Penthouse suite for a fixed price, no bidding! Keeping my fingers crossed and checking my email every 5 minutes, I guess they probably sent out hundreds of emails and first in probably will win!

Boarding her on the 19th November, NZ here we come again….

Got a bargain on Queen Elizabeth, 5 nights Sydney, Melbourne, Burnie back to Sydney in a balcony for $610 per person! Went straight back in to book for a friend but not available!

A few years ago we were lucky to pick up a UK P&O ship from Melbourne for a four day segment of a World Cruise, I double checked prior that there were no Formal nights as our group love to get dressed up in Dinner suits. Unfortunately there was a Formal night, the guys were not allowed in wearing smart pants and jackets but us ladies were invited to stay as we were appropriately dressed! Even though I produced the email confirming there would not be a Formal the guys were asked to leave, what was hilarious was the loud comments from many of the Brits sitting nearby, comments ranging from what would you expect from Australians to they don’t know how to dress in the Colonies! Whilst us girls enjoyed lobster the men went off to the buffet!

We were on the 12 night cruise prior to this cruise, every morning found cigarette butts on our balcony as did the cabin next to us, reported it to guest services. Had an interesting chat with a passenger on her first cruise, she was leaning over her balcony having a cigarette when security knocked on her door! Apparently she was spotted by an Officer on the Bridge, given a warning. 

On 5/12/2023 at 12:46 PM, northg32 said:

We are cruising with P&O Aus to New Caledonia and Vanuatu on May 30th 2023 and the information given on the P&O website says " Comprehensive insurance with Covid cover is highly recommended, but insurance policies will not be checked on embarkation or onboard ship.  However, they also say that the New Caledonian authorities demand that all cruise passengers are required to have Covid cover.

This week we received an email recently saying that this type of insurance is required by the New Caledonian authorities and passengers without it will be refused to board.

We have spoken with other travel agents who say that New Caledonian authorities are not stating that this type of insurance is mandatory.

Basic cover with evacuation by air will cost $182. Comprehensive with Covid cover will cost us $720!!

Does anyone have any experience or advice please?

My sister and I leave Sydney tomorrow for 12 nights to the South Pacific, we’re told that Covid cover mandatory for New Caledonia, we paid $274 for the two of us with Qantas, neither of us have pre-existing conditions and are under 65. Another option is if you have free travel insurance with your debit/credit card and you paid the required amount using your card towards the holiday. I opened a NAB Platinum Debit account and used their free travel insurance for NZ and coastal Australia, this included Covid Cover and cruise cover. My husband has many pre-existing conditions and I paid $750 for 16 days with Qantas insurance, he is 73. Hope this helps. 

We are sailing tomorrow as well, doing a B2B! Catching the train up from Canberra in the morning!

No need to worry about not having appropriate clothing! I always support the local fashion industry in ports! NZ has some great fashion labels.

40 minutes ago, geoff2802 said:

I'm currently arranging travel insurance for a few cruise holidays and found this thread useful.  

 

I found that Qantas' travel insurance is underwritten by NIB (the health insurer).  I checked out NIB's direct travel insurance offer.  https://www.nibtravelinsurance.com.au  .  The risks covered are very similar and NIB has higher coverage limits for some items.  NIB is about 10% cheaper than Qantas for us (ages 59 and 56).  YMMV.  I can't vouch for the claims experience of either, although NIB probably processes Qantas' claims anyway.  

 

Always an interesting subject! NIB wouldn’t cover my husband [73] yet Qantas travel insurance [same underwriter] would! I found Qantas a few hundreds dollars cheaper than other insurers  for an 11 night cruise. 

We take our own miniature pepper and salt grinders! Lot’s of yukky behaviour, masks on the table whilst eating/drinking! 

46 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Sorry to her you are so crook. How is your husband today?

Hi, spoke to his nurse this morning, still needing to be on oxygen and having IV antivirals, his blood pressure keeps dropping so they have had to take him of most of his cardiac meds at this stage. 
See what the next 24 hours brings, thanks for asking after Dennis. 

17 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Hope you both recover quickly.

 

I had rebound Covid too but it was very, very mild, just over 24 hours of a slight sore throat and stuffy nose which were the primary symptoms when I caught Covid. Then I had a couple of days of feeling tired. I tested negative though. All good now and ready for our next cruise. 

 

Take care of yourself! 

Thank you, initially I felt like it was just like a bad hay fever day however the rebound Covid has made me really unwell. Hopefully tomorrow morning I’ll feel a little better. 

17 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Marinating….very sorry hear your husbands covid illness, hope you both get better soon.

All the best to you both.

Thanks very much. 

27 minutes ago, thistledoo said:

Just wondering if you were given anti-virals on the ship?  I've heard rebound COVID is not uncommon after taking them.

I'm sorry to hear your husband is unwell, and hope his health improves soon.  

Yes I had the antivirals, apparently there are questions around whether 5 day course is long enough.

‘Thank you for your kind thoughts regarding my husband. 

21 minutes ago, JohnGc said:

Not good, sorry to hear that. I hope you both recover soon.

Thank you. 

27 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I am so sorry to hear that your husband is so unwell. Best wishes to you both and particularly to him for a quick (and complete) recovery. 🙂

Thank you. 

Just to throw something else in the mix I’ve just been diagnosed with Rebound Covid! I was on Majestic for 26 nights and disembarked on Thursday. During the NZ leg tested positive, did my 6 day isolation with the last three days testing negative so was able to get off at the last two ports of call, within 24 hours of leaving the ship tested Positive again and really unwell. My husband tested positive in the evening before arriving in Sydney, we had to hire a car to get back to Canberra in lieu of the coach, he deteriorated pretty rapidly after arriving home and was taken to hospital where he remains very unwell and needing assistance to breath. We both really enjoyed the BTB cruises and aware of the risk of contracting Covid, it’s a matter of playing safe or living your life I guess. Unfortunately will have to cancel our booked cruises but consider we have been lucky enough to have done so many cruises and have some lovely memories. 

56 minutes ago, windsor26 said:

Just wondering why they collected our declaration forms for customs. That is new

They haven’t collected mine, unless it’s those that are currently positive to make it easy to have a smoother disembarkation. 

2 hours ago, paradiselivin1 said:

Concerns me for our cruise next month. Do you know how many are currently on board with COVID? What a miserable experience that must be. At least you are going home. We are from the US and I'm literally terrified about being stuck in a foreign place with no support! One of the reasons we canceled our upcoming world cruise. Princess is failing their passengers.

Unsure how many on board with Covid, sure the media will inform us! Today everyone was tested again apart from those that have previously tested positive and recovered and those in isolation.

I had no issues with the isolation, I was well fed, given fresh linen as required, offered complimentary internet, free soft drinks/alcohol, staff called daily to see if I was happy with everything. My husband who was negative was allowed to leave the room so would bring me ice cream and any extra’s I wanted. We ordered our meals from the restaurant menu and dined together. I was offered the opportunity to move into an isolation cabin on deck 9 but declined the offer, husband remained negative. 
The doctor contacted me on the day I tested positive, I was required to fill out paperwork stating my medical history and medications, I was commenced on antivirals, my symptoms were consistent with a bad hay fever day. I would much rather be on a ship with Covid than at home, I have anther 24 day cruise in February which I can’t wait for. 

3 hours ago, northhavenjon said:

After 7 days on board we contracted COVID, 2 days feeling sick then the trouble started ; incorrect food delivered short of tea cups salt & pepper, just to name a few.

ORDER FORMS with no way to add missing items

GUEST SERVICES RELAY REQUESTS but it seem that both ends of the conversation speak different languages 

STEWARD tries but has a lot of other duties and forgets about isolated customers until last.

MEDICAL STAFF take notice of positive test and inform you that you can not leave cabin give you very little information and no follow up calls to see if you are still alive

DEPARTURE told that we would be last of ship starting at 10-10:30an

So sorry that you are having these issues, we had a few minor issues but found on the whole we were well cared for. It must be very hard for the staff as they are working short as well, always feel like I want to jump the coffee bar to give them a hand. If there’s anything I can drop off outside  your cabin feel free to ring me on Emerald 405. 
 

Just come on board and have a wonderful time, follow the advise and relax! The cruise is heading to warmer weather so lots more people outdoors so less crowded inside areas, looks like it won’t be a full ship which is good. We wanted to stay on board for your cruise but my husband doesn’t have enough medication to last him, we have already been on board for 26 days. To all those sailing have a great time. 

On 12/4/2022 at 4:38 PM, windsor26 said:

Knock on door gift of Godiva chocolate as they are sad we are in isolation. Fabulous treatment 

On 12/4/2022 at 4:38 PM, windsor26 said:

Knock on door gift of Godiva chocolate as they are sad we are in isolation. Fabulous treatment 

Have to complain, no Godiva chocolates for us!

On 12/4/2022 at 9:35 AM, nnps said:

Thanks for posting this report. I was booked on this cruise but ended up cancelling because we had symptoms prior and were nervous of a 13 day cruise after the last one to NZ. Have you noticed many other cases? tables outside rooms?

What a shame you had to cancel, hopefully you will be back on board soon.

I haven’t noticed tables outside doors, we didn’t have one during my iso, would have required a dining table for the amounts we ordered!

On Majestic, I tested positive on day 2, husband negative. I was released from isolation yesterday after testing negative on days 4,5,6. I commenced antivirals and really it felt like bad hay fever for 24 hours, minimal symptoms. I chose to remain in our cabin, very happy with room service and the daily follow up to see if everything was okay. Great having a balcony stateroom to admire NZ stunning coastline whilst confined, kept busy and always good to have a daily routine! Covid has certainly not put me off cruising, in fact booked another two whilst in iso.

The self serve laundrettes have been closed, Captain’s Circle Cocktail Party has been cancelled and on one night a couple of bands/dancing in the atrium were cancelled, apart from that everything else appears to be the same to us. Beautiful ship and we have had an amazing relaxing 24 days so far even with the dreaded Covid thrown into the mix.

Currently on the Majestic doing 3 BTB, the first was 8 days, second 5 days and currently on 13 day NZ cruise. I think that on the longer cruises you will always have higher Covid numbers, the virus has time to spread and symptoms to develop, prior to passengers disembarking thus the higher numbers testing positive. On Saturday there was mandatory Covid testing in response to increasing numbers of passengers testing positive, I personally feel that Princess needs to test all passengers doing BTB  cruises the day prior to the completion of each cruise, this brings them in to line with all new passengers who have to test within 24 hours of cruise commencement.