Bubbeh

Off topic but relevant to your response. Our granddaughter when she was an apprentice hairdresser a few years ago, thought her penalty rates were not being properly applied. She surreptitiously took photos of the appointment book back dated a while and went to see her Union. The Union investigated and discovered that the employer was also not paying the correct amount of Super into her account. This was reported to the Govt and an audit was done which revealed that this was an across the board problem with the employer. Fines were administered and the situation was retrospectively corrected for all 8 staff. We were very proud of that 19 year girl who had everything to fear when she decided to investigate and take action.

Just out of interest, was part of the tour cost refunded based on how good it was? Or, was the 'whip around' a way of shaming people into contributing?

Please do not tip. We do not want to create a culture where this becomes part of the norm and thereby an expectation. To the best of my knowledge, hospitality staff are not taxed on presumptive tips and if such a culture is introduced this may well become the case and then those who are not being tipped are effectively being disadvantaged for the same work. In Australia and New Zealand, laws ensure staff are paid a living wage and even the lowest paid workers are protected (theoretically) from exploitation by employers. The fiscal relationship exists between an employee and the employer, not the employer's customer. We don't want to give employers any justification for lowering wages or work standards. People have died to protect this right. In my opinion, the only tip acceptable is to be kind to your mother and look both ways before you cross the road. Do not tip, please.

Just like all those people who refuse to wash / sanitise their hand and all the others who get tummy troubles and still go to the buffet etc. It never ceases to amaze me the self serving behaviour of some people!

One of the reasons Princess is our preferred line is that the gratuities are included in the fare and we don't need to do any of that awful, who to, how much, when to give etc etc BS. I hate having to actually front up with an envelope to tip somebody, I feel it demeans the tipper and the tippee. Just not part our my culture.

Ditto, I also take my own little tube of Vegemite. A couple of years ago (pre-COVID) a crew member in the buffet at breakfast mistook this for charcoal toothpaste!

Absolutely too much 'disposable' plastic floating around our oceans and in land fill.

We take one of those water filter jugs with us and fill from the tap in the bathroom. Once it's filtered through to the jug we just fill our Tupperware bottles via that. Viola! Fresh filtered water with no icky contaminants.

Friends have recently returned from a cruise Fremantle to Sydney on the Queen Elizabeth, as an elderly pensioner couple they've saved for a long time to take this trip and it will be their last. She tested positive on day 2 and he did a couple of days later. They spend almost the entire time restricted to their cabin. Balcony or not, I felt so sorry for them.

Not sure if this is helpful or not but have you tried contacting your local NZ Consulate? It's possible they may be able to act for you or at very least pass on a message, just a suggestion. Good luck, this must be quite stressful for you.

The last time we stopped in Brisbane we were on an Royal Caribbean ship and there was a shuttle bus to the city provided. If you're lucky.....

I see you're new to CC. Welcome! 💐

Not gonna fit within the $200 budget either AUD or USD but for what it's worth we always stay at the Amora Jamison whenever we're in Sydney - https://www.amorahotels.com/sydney/ . Based on what others are saying and given that I come from the other side of the country, it's looks like a $200 hotel in walking distance of the Quay is a bit of an ask. Good luck though.

I think that cruises out of Fremantle sell out quickly as they are few and far between. Unlike our lucky cousins in the eastern states who get many options to cruise from home ports. This may be the reason.

I'm so sorry for you loss. I'm also in awe of your choice to continue living well. Good for you! As others have suggested, keep busy. Go to the Trivia sessions and find yourself a Team, eat in the MDR in the evenings at least and as much as you possibly can, smile and act engaging. Go you good thing. 💗

When we first cruised in 2012 we were on a Royal Caribbean ship and the AUD had recently exceeded parity, we were getting $1.02 USD for our AUD. I was buying a Brandy Alexander for $0.45; I'm a girl that doesn't usually drink cocktails and I'd not had a BA for probably 35 years but crikey, I drank a bucket load of those on that circumnavigation trip.

While our favourite line is Princess, we very much like RCI too. We did one disastrous 35 day cruise from Fremantle to Rome with MSC and in all honesty if I won another cruise on that line I would find someone I disliked intensely and give it to them. I think it's about finding a cruise line that as far as possible meets expectations. I taken seriously advice from friends who have warned us off P & O and also Cunard. We're casual people, we never do formal nights and eat in the MDR once in a blue moon. We like to spend our sea days reading, engaging in any and every trivia session possible, attending destination lectures and generally relaxing either on our balcony or a less patronised deck. In the evenings we prefer to watch a movie and occasionally if the show looks particularly good we'll go the early performance. So, we're not party people or late night people and Princess / RCI suits us perfectly.

Not quite the same thing I know but a while ago on a cruise out of Singapore I splurged and bought myself a Mikimoto pearl necklace. The sales person assured me that I would receive certification from Mikimoto itself once I submitted a copy of the purchase invoice and that, as the ship had run out of forms, this could be done on-line from home. Well, that never happened did it? The company itself had never heard of such a practice and I'm left with the knowledge that as per usual, caveat emptor is a rule that cannot be ignored. As they say, every day's a school day!

Over time I've seen many threads about 'chair hogs' and the social faux pas of reserving a lounger for later use. However, in the decade I've been cruising (yes, I do know that makes me a 'newbie' in some peoples eyes) I've never come across this situation. Am I just incredibly lucky or is this maybe a matter which can get blown out of all proportion because, let's face it, there's not a lot to get upset about on a cruise ship?

Hmmm.... think I'd just be waving goodbye and denying all knowledge of the other person.