LittleFish1976

Take the photo of the RAT and your driver's licence (with two c's) and then take a screen shot of the photograph with your phone. The time on your phone will show on the screen shot and you can send them the latter picture.

I'm glad that someone else likes that spot - no-one ever mentions that table but it happens to also be my favourite. I haven't cruised since covid started but shortly prior to that there was a large table in that spot on Queen Elizabeth. I'm hoping to find myself back there again in February on a large and congenial table.

Where is the 'bubble'? Do you mean the circular alcove by any chance?

If you go around the corner to the Barents Sea you'll get a bit of the old 'rock and rolly' for sure!

I might have thought receiving a true refund of the amount paid (less excess) from the insurance company would be more attractive in many circumstances than receiving a mere 'cruise credit'. Are people really that concerned where the money/credit comes from?

'Sales Tax', referred to in Australia as GST is already built in to the prices you will see. It's a big illegal no-no to do it any other way, here. As for tipping - that's up to you. It won't be added automatically to your bill - a custom I've come across overseas which I find very uncomfortable. I wouldn't tip in a cafe and if I had good service in a restaurant I would probably tip 10%.

I do wonder why Cunard use the term 'entree' for main course when they are not overtly American in most other things. Any ideas? I've sat with people in the Queen's Grill at the first dinner who've looked at the menu and exclaimed, 'They don't have any main courses!' as they were listed as 'entrees' which, of course, to many of us means a course preceding the main course.

Surely the others at the table are capable of ordering extra courses for themselves if they don't want to sit and wait for the other fellow to eat his earlier courses? Isn't ordering a 'second appetiser for the table' a bit patronising to them? I assume the others got to hear the one eating the earlier courses ordering and so had fair warning of how long they would have to wait for their main courses. Or they could have poltely asked the fellow if he minded if they had their main courses while he was eating his appetiser.

There certainly are and there's some wonderfully interesting company to be had there sometimes including the guest speakers. I tend to travel solo and always request to join a large table for 8. I will be on-board again next February for the first time since covid so can report back on the state of play with the large group tables then. These tables tend to be made up of singles, couples and friends travelling toegther who are sociable enough to want to have dinner companions.

Gosh, I'm a bit worried about the Princess cruises I've just booked if the food is that bad in the MDR! So what was your alternative? The buffet? and if so, how was the food there?

I'll be watching all your adevntures on this one. I've booked the same trip for 2024! Such a long time to wait but these circumnavigations do seem to book up really quickly.

It's a pity the short cruises turn into booze cruises. Is 3 days the outer limit for them? If you book a 4 day-er is there a lot less chance of it being full of 'aggressive', barefaced boozers? I gather that returning to departure point is an important factor too. I'm not as experienced at cruising as most of you and it wouldn't have occurred to me to avoid a short cruise for this reason. Pity because sometimes you just would like to go away for a few days and a sale-priced short cruise would be perfect.

The mother brought an dead/dying bird back for them to eat (mynah?). I was on the phone while I was watching so wasn't watching as closelyt as I should have been but then she flew away with it - maybe to have her share in peace? I think it's the father back now, empty beaked. He just stands there looking at the chicks, not protecting them the way the mother does. As already commented, he's not yet up to the fathering game.

That big lump the mother has in her claw is like the one the father had in its claw when it returned late in the afternoon yesterday. Would I be right in thinking it's a rat or a mouse?

I hope so. Personally, I don't have the energy these days to be a VIFP 😉

I hadn't a clue either so I googled it. Goodness me, it stands for 'Very Important Fun Person' from the Carnival website itself. I assumed at first it was a joke...maybe it is?

Yes, I agree. I looked for quite a while this afternoon before Mama put her wing around them for bed! I'm sure there were four little hungry beaks looking for tucker.

I think the comment was referring to the aversion airlines have to having pressurised cans in the luggage hold. I doubt they would let them into the cabin either. You are so right that they are also very bad for the environment. Sunscreen, if in a spray, tends in my experience to be a non-pressurised spray bottle - it's also not effective for our strong sun from what I've seen.

You should start your own roll call so that you can get in touch with other passengers. A quick google search brings this crew up as the first option - there'd be more. https://www.tastingtours.co.nz/tasting-tours/local-tasting-tours They run Tuesday to Sunday due to closure of venues on Monday - is your ship in Tauranga on a Monday? Could be why your ship's tour was cancelled. Tauranga is a *beautiful* place and NZ is full of great food and wine. Maybe have a nature exploration day and a nice lunch somewhere if you can't find a dedicated tour running that day.

Hello sfred. I wanted to let you know, and anyone else who may require this information, that I followed your advice and used the email addresses you found to work. I addressed the email to the shareholderbenefit address but also cc'd the cunard.aspac address so they could all see what was required. I'm glad I contacted them straight after your experience with them as I assumed that chancces were, there'd be someone who'd had experience with your enquiry. So all in all, I received notification of my OBC having been applied this morning, Saturday! - four days (almost to the hour) after my emailed request. Thanks again for laying the groundwork!

Just received confirmation of my first US$100 OBC this morning - pretty happy as I bought the shares just before covid hit. I believe Carnival Corp are big enough to survive what's left of the pandemic and the financial crisis we're still in. Only buy shares with money you can accept losing if the worst should happen.

Well they say a change is as good as a holiday - why not have both at once!! And having the bed to yourself....bliss!

I second the recommendation of the Cancer Council sunscreen - supermarkets carry them. You'll need one for swimming - a thick waterproof one - and one for everyday use when you're wearing day clothes. Always wear a hat and sunscreen and keep a refillable water bottle with you.

Personally I've never understood why it's called a 'Grill' anyway. Like, 'Harry's Bar and Grill'? Getting a grilling in Australia is not necessarily a pleasant experience. 😃

Wedding and formal wear hire/sale places have them in every city here in Australia (well, I don't know about Darwin). Just found a place in Brissie that will hire you one for 2 weeks for $159.