Ondine

No but I notice when I put in a Coles online order it suggests every thing I ever bought at the supermarket. Handy but I hate it.

Do we have to use Stockperks when applying for local Australian based cruises? I was watching Allison on Lets Go Travel Tips on Youtube the other night and she was describing how to apply without giving them very much private info especially bank account details etc.

Brings back memories of one of my last cruises BC. Was on Carnival Spirit and it was just prior to shutdown in the March. Everyone getting a bit paranoid about this new bug. Rushing along to trivia and faced with the choice of hanging onto the handrails or not I decided not to and promptly tripped on the metal angle on the edge of the stairs and down I went. Fell headfirst about 4 steps and although did not break any bones one foot was around twice the size of the other with swelling and lots of bruising elsewhere which I had to try to explain when I got home to my kids. I was travelling solo. No one came to help me. An old Italian guy waiting for the lift asked if I was ok - which I wasn't and then said he had to get the lift he was in a hurry. When I finally managed to lift myself off the floor and find a chair in Alchemy I managed to signal a cleaner who found a young waiter who came over. I asked for ice and the only thing he could find to put some in was a pair of rubber gloves which he did. Interesting trying to hold them to my face. Major injury was to my dignity. Now regardless of what bugs are circulating and how late I am running I hang on to handrails for dear death. I'll take the bugs anytime.

Thanks for the info about grats/service charges. I was under the impression that because the ship charges in USD that I would have to pay them but it appears that this has been altered over the years. Still charged on drinks, spa etc but that won't worry me.

If I didn't already have NYs booked I would be very tempted to do the NYs to NZ and return. Very good pricing if you want one of the 4 cruises. Makes me mad that they cancelled my March NZ trips.

The current deal does not seem to include grats. I see on their webpage that grats are US$20 per standard ocean/balcony cabin and more for the suites etc. A bit pricey but you just have to allow for these on some lines. I don't drink and couldn't care about internet so I might just have to wait for a different offer. Current offer is a Black Friday thing. Thanks for all the contributions. Just what I need and I know you will all pass on good info.

OK so Princess have decided that Melbourne doesn't exist after December 2024. However I now see that Norwegian Sun is scheduled to do 2 B2B (Melb to Auck and Auck to Melb) cruises after the Diamond Princess disappears over the horizon to Brisbane in December 24. Plus another Melb to Auck followed by Auck to Bali. They have just published the return Auck to Melb itineraries. Can someone enlighten me on Norwegian. I know the Sun is an older ship and not all that large, 1900 passengers. Does Norwegian discount or have many sales? What are the pitfalls? It is all new to me only having looked into ships which have homeported Melbourne in the past. Would like peoples thoughts and opinions. I just want to meander down to Port Melbourne get on a ship and return home same way. Not interested in flying and hotels. Too old and lazy.

I have just seen the release of Princess for 2025/26 in Australia. Courtesy of a washy washy agent in Brisbane. Grand is now to home port Brisbane and there is no Princess ship home porting Melbourne after the 2024/25 season. We only get to participate in the 2 around Australia cruises on Crown. Beginning of season and end. This is not what the Forward cruise sales officer led us to believe onboard Grand. According to Melb Ports the only lines booked for turnaround in Melbourne at the moment are P&O and Disney. Not looking good. Even Cunard is giving up on Australia after 2024/25. Feeling very unloved.

Our local council is still giving tests away free. I picked up 4 x 5 boxes before I went on my last cruise.

Going to the buffet from the aft lifts I would wash my hands then walk 4 steps and sanitise them then walk another 15 steps to the food area and sanitise them again and point at the plate and dish to get these and cutlery. Then walk around the food pointing at what I wanted and hopefully getting what I wanted. The only thing I was allowed to pick up was the small glasses of juice at breakfast. Don't ask me why. Woe betide you if you made a grab for a banana - no the waiter would hand it to you with tongs. Once when they ran out of cutlery we had to wait. While waiting I went and put my food down on a table. When I returned I had to go through the whole sanitisation process again in order to be given my cutlery. If you wanted tea or coffee you had to get in line and ask for water, teabag or whatever. They constantly ran out of certain brands. On the last morning there was only Earl Grey available. There were limited staff walking around with jugs. Only limited stations were open. The others were roped off. The amount of sugar or milk was open to interpretation. If people wanted flasks filling the staff would fill them by using cups. I usually forgot to ask for a teaspoon grrr. All cutlery, salt and pepper and sauces etc were removed from the tables half way through the voyage. It got rather tiring I must say although I appreciate they were doing all they could to limit the spread of Norovirus. Unfortunately there are no washing stations outside dining rooms only hand sanitiser which was not being enforced by anyone.

Sorry you got the bugs Jules. I got a mild case of Covid (again) but escaped Noro. Yes after 2000 or more got off in Melbourne I would imagine the numbers would go down. With the emphasis being put on Noro, Covid took a back seat. From the sound of coughing I believe every second person had it before the end of the cruise. I think that the captain was happy to overlook the covid outbreak so as he would not have to report how many got it for pratique coming into Melbourne. What he does not know he does not have to report. I noticed many crew leaving and joining at ports as we went along so maybe they could also be bringing new varieties of covid with them. They were admitting that crew were sick. I did hear from several people who ended up in the Medical centre that some were very sick with Norovirus and on drips. On the other hand I think the average age onboard was around 80 and so many were very feeble and in ill health to start. Cleaning certainly went into overdrive. I feel for the cabin stewards and the rest of the crew. Hopefully we will catch up one day. I did meet Chris Shepherd and his mum from USA.

She would have had a rough night last night coming around Wilson's Prom into Bass Strait. Wind 100kms per hour, very rough right up till coming through the heads around 3.00am. Windy map was showing 4mt seas. Cold here this morning but supposed to improve later in the day. She is in and getting fuel so she made it. Got to pack the last few bits and bobs and then I'm off when my daughter comes to get me.

I wondered if auto tips are taxed in a different way to your cruise fare and maybe the company pays less tax. Also if crew members are given money do they bank it on board because many do not get to go ashore. Therefore they couldn't really hide tips. I am happy to leave things as they are and tip my cabin steward and any others who look after me extra.

No didn't put in for an upgrade so hope nothing untoward happens. I want my covered balcony.

I've got a mini on Emerald deck with a covered balcony so nothing special. They are not usually very concerned with boarding times here in Melb. Once they get the go-ahead they just process whoever is in line. Never been asked for my boarding time that I can remember on Princess/P&O or Carnival. Pre Covid Princess used to board according to your deck level and room status. Plus the priority elite line of course.

Golly they get into Sydney early.

Well here in Melbourne I'm happy to go on any ship that comes here. We don't get much choice and looking ahead from 2024/25 it will be worse. Not sure what we have done to upset the cruise gods.

Finally success. I didn't hear back for 2 days so phoned them this morning (call centre in Manila for Aus). Talked with a lovely lady and after a while she got hold of the right person who fixed the problem. My cruise is a mer-maiden one which was another no no in the terms and conditions. All good now.

I just got confirmation for my 8th Jan cruise. Took 2 weeks. However it is showing up as "Customer Goodwill" on this one. One less thing to worry about before I go on Monday!

I am going on Grand Princess on Monday. About a week ago the QR code just appeared on my phone app which stated that boarding was from 1.30 to 4.00pm. I guess you can rock up anytime during this period. Not sure if suites get an earlier time. Hopefully there will be a elite lane when I get there. It also stated that my cabin was pending which I hope is a glitch because I have a specific cabin chosen since booking around 18 mths ago which shows up on the computer version.

I also wrote to Sailor Services and they agreed to add the Loot to an existing booking. However when I got the confirmation this morning the booking had been re-fared to the current pricing telling me I now owe them $782 payable in May 2022!!!! The booking had been paid in full when originally booked. Back to the drawing board and hopefully I will receive a fixed up email tomorrow morning. Always overnight for Australia. grrrr Sailor Services have been easy to deal with returning emails promptly. No complaints there. Love your template The True North. My letter was not quite as good. Oh they did email back requesting the Access Key Code.

Is anyone having trouble obtaining the OBC with Princess at the moment? I have emailed them several times over the past 2 weeks for a cruise in January but so far no reply. (within the 3 months) I am using the "benefits@princesscruises.com.au" email address but have also tried the Carnival one. I am not even getting the automated reply. A month ago I got the OBC for my October Princess cruises and also the December cruise with Cunard without a problem. P&O gave me OBC for a late January cruise several months ago but Princess seem to be unhelpful.

I live on the border of Caulfield South and Elsternwick and fully understand what it would have been like. I walk to Elsternwick every day for exercise and coffee and pass the Hamerkaz Centre which has always had security outside, however these guards have been carrying pistols for the past 6 weeks. Makes me feel nervous in case they ever use them. All their schools and cultural centres have always had guards outside. It has always been them and us around here despite many of them being friends. There is always a divide.

I believe it is ok up until sunset. We had neighbours who were Jewish and we had to move their car from the street into their garage one Friday night and turn on their lights when they got home after sunset and were unable to do either.

I live in an area with more than 60% Jewish people. Friday and Saturdays pedestrian buttons at crossings are set to automatically turn green because they cannot press the buttons. I have also been stopped in the street by a Rabbi and asked to enter the Synagogue and turn on the lights for them because the last person leaving the night before forgot to leave them on and they cannot turn them on. That has happened several times.