OzKiwiJJ

We did the Queenslander in 2009. The Queenslander carriages - pullman sleepers, lounge/bar and dining - were attached to the Sunlander train. It was as good as the Indian Pacific was when we did that a few years earlier. They don't run the Queenslander anymore. I believe whatever has replaced it has airline-style reclining seats, rather than sleeper compartment carriages, which wouldn't be anywhere near as nice.

A couple of year pre-Covid we were invited to the RANSA New Year's Eve party. $5 entry fee, cheap drinks from the bar, and BYO food. It was great but it cost us a fair bit in taxis.

Close! AU $45pp per day. 😊 They always show the AU price under the Terms and Conditions for each package.

On Princess there is no restriction on the quantity and type (can or bottle) of soft drinks you can bring onboard, and it doesn't have to be loose. Sealed packs can be labelled with a luggage tag and handed in with your baggage to be delivered to your cabin.

Plus most of the bartenders can make non-alcohol versions of some popular cocktails.

Breaded! 😯 Why would they ruin a good piece of salmon by breading it??!! Surely they could find a piece, unbreaded, that they could just sear on the hotplate.

That one of the few things I really liked about HAL - the ability to select a disembarkation time rather than a 30 minute time slot. But these days we leave our cabin, have a leisurely breakfast, and by the time we're ready to go our disembarkation group/time has passed so we can just wander off.

Ask your cabin steward if they can remove the topper or replace it with a thinner one. I always feel it's too soft on the first night but then I adjust to it. I'm not used to quite such a soft topper but I always sleep well after the first night, and it was a real boon when I had Covid onboard as I sat/lay on the bed while Rolf sat at the other end of the minisuite.

I think many people expect it to be like Honolulu and then get disappointed when it isn't.

The main town is a bit strange and people forget it's not really a tourist town, it's the main city for industry and commerce in New Caledonia plus it's serving an island population of a different culture to us. Anse Vatu and Lemon Bay remind me of beachside places in Australia and NZ where there are a few nice shops or restaurants and a pleasant view over the ocean. A French version of Manly or St Kilda in Australia, or Mission Bay in Auckland. People also bag Suva as well but we enjoy wandering around there and there are some great Indian restaurants for lunch.

I believe most cruise lines have topper pads which they will provide if the mattress in your cabin is too hard for you. I've never had a bed that was too hard on a cruise ship though. Princess beds are wonderful. The base is firm enough to give good support but then there is a cloud-like topper over it. Soooo comfortable.

I love that supermarket. We usually wander through it when in Noumea just to see what interesting things they have. It also has an ATM outside it if you need local currency.

That's odd, you should have got the Port Douglas port fees refunded. It would have gone on your onboard account and was probably only a small amount.

Great that you got ashore and have also done so in the past. You must be the ship's "lucky mascot" passenger! 😊

I also concur that your mum shouldn't bother going through the house but just enjoy the gardens. They are beautiful. The iconic lake where the waterlilies are is across the road but it's very easy walking and there are places to sit around the lake. She should probably tell the guide that she is just going to wander around and arrange a time to get back to a meeting place. We enjoyed sitting under a willow tree for a short break, enjoying the views of the waterlilies. It's such a beautiful place!

I'd call it Optional Formal. You don't need cocktail dresses but most people make an effort to dress a little smarter than regular nights. Shirts instead of polo shirts for men, dressy tops, sometimes with a bit of glitter, for women. We enjoy dressing up to the nines but understand that isn't everybody's ideal these days. Wear something pretty and enjoy yourself!

Congratulations!

I know. 🤣

We now carry ultralight day backpacks with us when we travel, just in case we need them. They are very lightweight so live in our suitcases all the time. These would be ideal for you to use during your land tour as once you arrive in Australia you could transfer all the things you want to take on the plane with you for the relatively short hops between stops, and check in your normal wheeled carry-ons.

Low cost ships? Many of the ships that now dock at White Bay are the luxury lines. That's a bit ironic - they get White Elephant Bay while the mass market lines get the prime spot at the OPT! 🤣

Exactly. I'm looking forward to doing just that in November on Regent Seven Seas Explorer. As ships get bigger and bigger there may end up being fewer and fewer ports they can dock at so they may need to use alternatives - and that is what has happened in Saigon.

But Edinburgh doesn't have a port suitable for large cruise ships so for those it's a tender port, tendering to South Queensferry.

But how many of those actually coastal places/cities, and if they are can they handle modern cruise ships? Most are inland or river cities ie Rome, Florence, London, even Edinburgh, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City.

Rolf just went through that carefully. They don't specify what existing conditions are covered so a phone call will be necessary. It's looking promising though. 😊 Thanks for all your help.

I'm going to ring them on Tuesday to find out what we have to report in that respect. We have a few that we've had to report for Insure and Go.