LittleFish1976

I really hope this doesn't lead to a covid s---show on board ships around Australia over the next six months. I thought the pre-boarding testing was a simple and efficient measure to try to keep the numbers of cases down. Now it's a free-for-all.

Can confirm this fact. Purchased this afternoon for February, 2025 @USD70 per day. 30% increase in the price makes it worthwhile purchasing so far ahead (for me, in any case - I know you abstemious lot don't need it 😁).

I don't know how they get away with the shabby wine. Good thing I don't mind a cocktail.

I do have a club class MS so hoping it still has some benefit. The package will still have the benefit of a few drinks unless they make more changes between now and October!

Thanks Julie. Good advice.

Princess very quick on sending out updated Booking Confirmations with updated information regarding covid protocols. Just received mine for late October sailing. Still crickets as for notifying me my package inclusions have changed. 🤣

Thanks Ondine for sharing your knowledge about this. It just seemed a bit odd. I had hoped to have lunch on board; I'm only on for the five days. I notice I've just received the information from Princess that the covid protocols no longer apply to our cruise - that should save them a bit of time at the port, surely! They didn't send me any notification that the package inclusions had changed though!

Thank you for your helpful response.

So does that mean other passengers have a different time on their Travel Itinerary if they're starting boarding well before the time I see? (Sounds like 'groups' to me!)

Can anyone help me understand what's going on here? I'm boarding the Grand Princess in Melbourne in October (first Princess cruise). I understand there are no boarding times or boarding groups any more. However, on the Travel Itinerary for me that I find via my booking on the Princess website, it says 'check in' is from 1pm to 4pm. This seems rather late if that's for the whole ship. I would assume that I've been given this slot as I have no status with Princess. I did think that a mini suite had some early boarding advantage. How would you experienced Princess cruisers make sense of this? Can I really not turn up until 1pm? Doesn't this look like a Princess-imposed 'group' for boarding time?

I'll be boarding my first Princess cruise in Melbourne (Australia) in October. Itinerary tells me boarding is from 1pm to 4pm. Is this Princess doing 'secret' boarding groups? I mean, are they assigning passengers into times rather than letting passengers choose? 1pm seems late. I've boarded other ships in Melbourne and never as late as that. I've also booked a mini-suite (club class). Doesn't this grade of cabin have earlier boarding benefits?

This particular dance enthusiast didn't receive the survey, I'm afraid, so I wasn't able to cast a vote for dance hosts or quality musicians.

It may take a while for the effects to become apparent. Most keen cruisers have a cruise or two already locked in, some of which can't be refunded or got out of so easily.

I would check with Ponant. I think they've had their own requirements regarding covid protocols regardless of the country being sailed in. I'm booked for Ponant for February departing from Argentina so will be interested to hear.

I'm afraid we have nothing like that amount of useful information presented to us on the Australian website! And then there's the angels who work at the UK call centre who can actually effect action regarding bookings. In desperation I rang and booked through the UK not so long ago and would do so again if it becomes necessary. So helpful.

I've just checked a big box website which has a cheaper price if not using the current promotion (?) plus $250USD OBC for a cabin (9 night cruise), versus $300USD OBC for the current Cunard balcony promotion but the fare was $200AUD more expensive (same cruise). Also, using the TA's own promotion required only 10% deposit versus the Cunard promotion's requirement of 20%. I think booking directly with Cunard for this promotion does allow for a return of deposit though (but worth checking with call centre as the website's information on this seems to say two different things). Swings and roundabouts.

I've noticed it too when I'm looking at various cruises I'm interested in and calculating 'deals'. Why they don't just tell you how much the OBC is on the page prior to inputting personal details I don't know. They seem to only tell you when you get the confirmation email I think. I don't know how many dealings you've had with the call centre but I wish you luck - I've found them less than helpful. Can I ask how much the online TA was quoting for OBC? I'm just wondering if we're talking big figures or the usual small amounts we seem to be offerred in our market.

The cruise you mention is on a Cunard ship - they do have a dress code on board so head to their website to make yourself familiar with it. Basically you need to dress a bit more formally than you would on many cruise lines for dinner (and to be in many venues after 6pm) and they also have formal nights which they now call 'gala nights' which most people dress even more formally for. Daytime dress is more relaxed. I'll be interested to hear which authors they invite as guest speakers for this. If they can nab Tim Winton I might even be interested!

I think it's a shame they don't use better batteries so they can be re-used from one passenger to the next. Airtags last much longer than the 2-4 weeks being quoted for the medallion battery life so it must be achievable. Also, why don't they have the pull-out bit of plastic to activate them like airtags do so they're only being 'used' from the time the passenger checks in on the ship. Otherwise the batteries must be wearing out from the time they leave the factory in China. And yes, Princess should be collecting them for efficient recycling. Great idea.

They should go into the electronic waste recycling through your local council facility.

Thanks for that suggestion. I'll give it some thought but I don't feel confident in Princess' ability to cope with me changing the old existing package to a different sort of package. Having the old premier package versus the new premier package will be confusing enough for them I imagine (and for me - new to Princess and trying to remember all the 'special names' for their systems etc and what comes with what).

Oh that's nice to hear as that's the only addition from that tranche of 'inclusions' I'm interested in but the juices aren't supposed to be included for us (according to the Princess literature). I'll have to try my luck before committing to the upgrade, I guess.

Hi teenieleek, Any package purchased prior to 14th December, 2022 does not include the items that were new from that date (desserts; juice bar; fitness classes) and also now do not include the recently introduced changes such as the charge to order items on the app (I think it's called Ocean Now) as well as the room service charge, medallion delivery (for those in delivery areas) etc. The premier package has increased in cost since I purchased it (purchase date was prior to that date mentioned in Dec, 2022) although I also will not be receiving the items that *were* included when I did purchase it which is disappointing, irritating and a bit of a nuisance. If I wish to I can pay extra per day to upgrade my package and I may do so just to make the whole thing simpler but it grates. I hope I've explained the situation as it affects me and others in my situation. It sounds like you purchased your fare/ package after 14th December, 2022 so you will have all the new inclusions (apparently!). Fingers crossed that it works out that way for you.

It says the Federal body has removed 'its' requirement for vaccination but the States still have theirs in place. The article also states that 'The AHPPC though, will uphold recommendations for isolation for those who have Covid.' So it's not a free-for-all just yet!

I agree.