SinbadThePorter

I've done it onboard several ships. The only caveat is that the laptop needs to have a reasonably modern wireless chipset. My guess is that 99% of laptops would be fine.

In Windows (and presumably something equivalent in Macs), there is a facility in "Settings" under "Network and Internet" called "Mobile Hotspot". You can use this to setup your laptop as a wireless router allowing multiple connections through it. So no need for a travel router. As you move around the ship with your laptop, you also bring along your connections.

Will nobody think of the bedbugs! They become homeless next March. 😪

Noumea may be a problem. I believe most cruise ships are still skipping the port due to the recent rioting and turmoil on the island. Mystery Island is very good for snorkeling. It's not developed except for the old airstrip and a few small sheds. The tidal currents can be very strong so take care. Nobody lives there, but some locals will come out from the main island to provide boat rides and such. Suva is the capital of Fiji. Not my favourite place. Try to get out of town on a tour or boat trip. Beqa Island is said to have good snorkeling. Dravuni is a delightful Island. Very small with a fine lookout on a tall hill at the southern end. The best snorkeling is usually on the northern end, but that can vary with tides and currents. The eastern side of the island is exposed to the prevailing wind, so it's usually better to stay on the western side where you tender. Lautoka is worse than Suva. Try to get a trip out of town. Port Denarau is a short taxi ride away and from there you can catch the tour boat that visits the island resorts dotted across the sea. Tom Hank's Castaway Island (Monuriki) is out there and can be visited.

It's a sign that Raygun's 15 minutes of fame are just about up. 🥳

I've only been on four and they've all been mostly rough crossings. 🤢 I think it would be fair to say that out of four average days the Tasman Sea in summer would be rough two days, bumpy one day and smooth one day.

1. I think November is a little early in the season for NZ, but since you are from Canada the weather shouldn't be a problem. The only thing you can say about the Tasman Sea is that it is more rough than smooth at any time of year. 2. I doubt that the NZ border force people would allow you to depart the ship in NZ. They would have to setup all the customs and immigration facilities just for a few people. P&O could probably tell you. 3. P&O is a very different scene to HAL, but I don't think it would be anything to worry about. 4. I believe you can book with P&O from overseas if you contact them directly. Or just let a TA do it for you. P&O, Celebrity and Princess all have round trip NZ cruises in mid Nov 2024 for about the same price. HAL have a one way Sydney to Auckland on Nov 9th 2025.

1. If the wind is up then it can get very choppy. The ship tenders from a long way out but they mostly use large local tour boats for the tendering. These make for a drier and faster passage to shore. 2. You haven't said which ship you are on. If it is the Quantum of the Seas, then no. If it is a smaller ship then maybe, but you'd need to be quick of the mark in getting early tender tickets. 3. I don't know of any GBR tours in Port Douglas, Cairns or Airlie Beach that have timings that work out for cruisers. That is why the grossly overpriced ship tours always sell out.

I'll add Lautoka, Alotau and Luganville.

Because they can. Quantum of the Seas arrives in Airlie Beach on the Monday at 7pm and departs at 5pm on Tuesday. The third party Viper excursion, i.e. not bought through the ship, departs Airlie Beach at 8am and returns at 5pm. If you buy the non-ship excursion for the first day, you will need to get to the departure point on shore within one hour of anchoring. If you have ever tendered from Quantum you will know that it essentially impossible to do so. If you buy the non-ship excursion for the second day you will arrive back to Airlie Beach just in time to wave goodbye to the Quantum as she leaves without you. Which is to say Royal (and other cruise lines) know just exactly how much the market will bear, and so far the market is bearing this. 🤑

On most days it was a soggy ham. I don't think it was spam, but it was hard to tell. 🤢

The cost of those school supplies is a bit less than the cost of a resort at Lelepa. That should show up well on the bottom line. 🤑

The original split between League and Union in the 1890s was over payments to players. Union was played as an amateur game and injuries and time off work was at the cost of the players. League was started up in order to compensate those working class players who could not afford to lose wages. They started out with the same rules, but over the past 130 years they have diverged considerably. Union became professional in the 1990s.

Just to add to the confusion, in Australia AFL, NRL, Rugby and Soccer are all called "football" or "footy". Generally the only way to tell which is being referred to is by context. 🏉

Not a lot of information there. There is no Ovation cruise that starts on 24th November. There is a Sydney to NZ cruise on the 28th. What are your preferences? Do you intend to stay in Sydney before or after the cruise? Do you want to cuddle a koala? 🐨

Once you are Elite, points become pretty pointless. A few years ago Princess killed the loyalty OBC, which was the only reason to keep counting after you reached Elite.

Just to save confusion when you get here, "rugby" generally refers to "Rugby Union". Rugby League, which is the main football code in Sydney, is usually called "league" or NRL. If you ask to see a rugby match you might not get what you expect. They are two very different games which have been separate almost as long as American football has been separate from rugby.

My experience year or so ago on Luminosa was a bit different. Out of about 20+ days I can only recall bacon at breakfast in the buffet two times. All the other days it was soggy ham. 😢

The thing about specialty dining is that the Princess MDR is quite good. It's not like P&O Oz, where there is a definite incentive to dine elsewhere. If I were to put a number on it, I'd say that the Princess MDR experience is 95% as good as any of the specialty restaurants. I really don't feel that paying extra for that 5% is worth it. Of course, your mileage may vary. 🍽️

As a non-drinker I'd like to thank all the purchasers of plus and premium for subsidising my cruises. Seriously though, there is not a single item in the new premium package that I feel the slightest interest in paying for, apart from the internet which I can get for half price anyway. I'm expecting Princess to start a teetotallers tariff to make up for the shortfall. 🤑

My experience of their refund process is that there is no refund process unless Virgin are the ones to cancel the cruise. Once they have your money, that's it.

Kiriwina doesn't really have excursions. It's an island with a beach and a village. No tourist infrastructure except for the jetty where the tender drops you off. When a cruise ship turns up, there is usually a big market setup by the locals of carvings and weavings. The carvings are made by the men and the weavings by the women. It is not customary to haggle as in the local culture this is considered to be rude. Always bring Kina as it is very difficult for the locals to exchange any other currency. 5 Kina notes are very handy. There is also a singsong put together by the village. If you attend you are expected to make a donation. There is sometimes a BBQ of big fish on the beach, but I don't know the details. You can get canoe rides from the kids there, who for 5 Kina will take you for a paddle or else out to the deeper water for snorkeling. You can snorkel off the beach, although it can be tricky at low tide, but the better coral is further out. The Conflict Islands are an understated tourist resort. Only one of the islands is the actual resort. The main thing is snorkeling as it has some of the best easily accessible coral in the South Pacific. There are the usual tourist trappings, snacks, drinks etc, which can only be paid for by credit card. I would recommend getting on the ship excursion to the pontoon for snorkeling.

Kiriwina is a tropical island with a village. Quite safe to just walk around or snorkel off the beach, although at low tide it gets a bit difficult. There is a big market setup by the locals with carvings and weavings. The locals hate haggling as its not customary. Always bring Kina for purchases as it's very difficult for the locals to change any other currency, including Oz dollars. Lots of 5 Kina notes are very useful. There is usually a native dance and singsong set up by the village for which you are expected to give a donation if you attend. There is often also a BBQ of big fish on the beach, but I don't know the arrangements for that. The kids offer canoe rides, which were 5 Kina for a short trip or a lift out to deeper water for snorkeling. Alotau is a large town and as with all PNG towns you should always be careful. Don't get off the beaten track, don't travel alone, don't flash cash. It is not a pretty town, but the surrounding scenery is spectacular. Rabaul is shell of what it once was. The volcano just about killed the town when it exploded in the 90s. It was once the local capital, but that has been moved twenty or so kilometres away to Kokopo. Lots of WWII sites to visit as it was the headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Army. There will be many excursions on offer at the port. Conflict Islands are nearly the perfect tropical getaway. If you snorkel, get the ship excursion out to the pontoon, where the good coral is.

Coral is fabulous, but she was my go to ship from Brisbane for the last few years, so I think eight cruises on her is enough for me. The trouble with WC sectors is that they are usually (with some exceptions) an automatic 50% price increase on normal cruises. The parsimonious part of me just can't get past that. 🤑

Yes, definitely Coral. The aft public viewing areas are wonderful spots to take in the sights. I think that they are on Emerald, Dolphin, Caribe and Baja decks, but the two most spacious are on Caribe and Baja. Great if you are in an inside cabin. Coral is also the only ship that does the "On the Bayou" show, which requires the stage in the Universe lounge that was scrapped on Island. Also the passenger capacity on Coral is 2400 and Island 2657. Considering that public areas were gutted on Island to include those extra passengers, Coral has the feel of a much less crowded ship.