lyndarra

How can you find your number if you have cruised before?

OT for a moment. On the ferry from Spain to Morocco duty free cartons of Chesterfields were 27 Euros. Not much more than a packet here.

Some of those wine by the glass prices could buy you a bottle at Dan Murphy's.

On MSC Divina smoking is allowed in the casino. Above the casino is an atrium up to the next deck right where there was a popular bar with an excellent duo playong and singing every night. I would have loved to have spent time in that bar but could not due to the smoke. On some US cruises smoking is allowed in the casino with a proviso that you are using the tables or slots but it is not always enforced.

Many still allow smoking in casinos - but not in Oz.

You can have it.

Makes me wonder. I would have thought the waxed paper straws would have made a comeback.

None in Oz.

I forgot an exception for poor coffee on ships. I had excellent coffee on MSC Divina Nov 2019. My recent experience this year (France, Spain, Portugal) was a bit hit and miss hotel for tea/coffee facilites. We had an excellent hotel on arrival in Barcelona which had what we needed but some others did not. Our hotel in Bordeaux had a very good coffee machine but it would not heat the water hot enough for tea even though good tea bags were supplied. I don't recall any facilities in our Portuguese hotels and none in Morocco.

The coffee machines are designed to not produce boiling water. They are designed for coffee pods which do not require water that hot. I have an Aldi pod machine and I usually nuke my coffee for 30 seconds after. Espresso machines are, of course, different. My Atomic espresso machine boils water and has a milk steamer.

Although my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our NZ cruise on Ovation in December 2017, I couldn't help thinking I was in a cruising shopping mall.🙁

Agree. I usually have one coffee on a cruise, on the first day, just to remind me how bad it is. Ship coffee - yuck. Coffee makers never seem to get the water hot enough for tea. Had that experience recently in European hotels. Not a kettle in sight,

Semantics.😟

Just confirmed here, post #8

"An Australia ETA is for visa-exempt nationalities. It is not a visa per se or a full visa. It is a simple electronic travel authority that lets the Australian government know that you want to visit their country." - ivisa.com

That's my recollection. IIRC the Taeiri Gorge train could be booked privately (as a non ship tour) but you had to board at Dunedin station and get off there on return.

I would be looking closely at the itinerary however, in my experience, HAL usually has more variety in ports of call than Celebrity. These two would be my preference over the others.

BTW. Reports on TV news this morning of 400 COVID cases on Quantum.

Knowing what to expect I didn't waste my time watching it and, from the above reports, my time was better spent elsewhere.

Of course. Social media is the place to go for accurate information - not.🤡

Have a look at this. Nothing conflicting there. He needs one. https://www.emirates.com/ph/english/before-you-fly/visa-passport-information/uae-visa-information/

Agree. My first cruise Feb 2012 was on Century, Sydney to Auckland via Hobart.

HAL still had it up 'till COVID. I was on Maasdam NZ to Oz in Feb 2020. Happy hour was two for the price of one in the Crow's Nest shortly before (early) dinner IIRC. I'll know on January 3 when Westerdam departs Sydney for Singapore.

Different countries = different SIMs. When I go from Oz to NZ I usually buy one at the airport on arrival. I used Vodafone last time - no problems. This may help https://www.kiwiexperience.com/blog/the-best-sim-card-for-your-new-zealand-travels

USD1.45 for AUD1.00. That doesn't sound right. The highest the AUD has been to USD was $1.10 way back in July 2010. The lowest was 0.48 in Sep 2000. Unless one goes back to the 1970s when our dollar was floated.