Fosters1951

C755:-

There is a small support beam but found that here was minimal obstruction.

On 1/28/2020 at 8:39 PM, Globaliser said:

 

 

OT: Apart from the naming, what's the difference? From a passenger experience point of view, the new line's rolling stock looks much like that on the existing Sydney Trains lines, and Wikipedia's listing of the specs doesn't suggest any vast difference. They both look like pretty typical suburban commuter trains. It's not like the "Metro" is using rolling stock like that found on London Underground's deep lines.

Just to clarify - There is a bit of difference. Current Sydney Trains are double deckers whilst metro is single deckers.

Metro is more standing than seating and are like those in Singapore. And whilst no quite as many door, has a bit more in common with the Tube Carriage than the Double Decker Trains on the rail network.

Sydney Metro:-

Waratah (Latest Sydney Train) upper deck:- (Gee certainly looks different to me)

1 hour ago, dns65 said:

 

OK, since you've been following this every day, you are up to speed on how they plan to continue to do business without exposing future customers to Coronavirus.    Explain to me details around how they will handle my situation and what is going to happen based on what they have posted 

I am scheduled to depart Hong Kong on May 10th on an 8 day cruise ending in Singapore.  But if you have been in Hong Kong at any point in the 14 days prior to your cruise, you will be denied boarding.

How do I board my cruise departing from Hong Kong if I can't be in Hong Kong?   Please go re-read what Princess has posted and explain to me how this is all going to work.   

 

They themselves don't have an answer so I am not sure they really know how to handle the situation and are overwhelmed by the Diamond quarantine.  

Thanks in advance

Your cruise is still 3 months away. No-one, not even the medical experts, know what will be happening with coronavirus that far out, as the situation keeps changing daily. The cruise lines are doing what they can, based on what is known about the coronavirus, which even the medical specialist dealing with it don't have all the answers.

However, closer to time, when there is a clearer picture on what is happening with the virus, if there is still an issue, princess would move the boarding location to another port. 

4 minutes ago, FredZiffle said:

 

It may not be near them, but apparently the smoke was enough to endanger the animals, and it was closed the second week of January.

I think you may be confusing it with Mogo Zoo, which is on the South Coast, which did need to close, due to a fire coming up to its boundary. Which if you visit their website, says they are currently closed due to fire activities.

3 hours ago, FredZiffle said:

If your cruise is stopping at any other Australian ports prior to Sydney, you likely will go through immigration at that port.  As I recall, the process in Sydney was very fast (under 15 minutes).  You don't mention which wildlife park you're planning on visiting, but you might want to double-check that it's open.  Featherdale was supposedly closed a couple of weeks ago due to the wildfires.

Featherdale is at Doonside, which is nowhere near any of the large 'wildfires' (we call them Bushfires) that are in the news. Featherdale is in a residential suburb of Sydney, with houses on 2 sides, a park on a 3rd, the railway line between it and a small amount of bushland on the 4th. Saying that, if the small area of bushland was to 'catch' fire, this would be a 'small' fire, and nothing to really worry about when in the context of the large bushfires currently burning around NSW and Victoria.

4 hours ago, pink845 said:

Is my understanding correct that we would have to have $18 dollars left on the Opal Pass to cover the Airport Station Access fee plus the regular cost of the train itself.  And we would tap pass as we board train at Circular Quay and then tap it again as we exit into the International Terminal at the airport.    Please Please do not tell me you have train subway issues daily as we do here in Toronto with our subway trains!!!!  No other city can be as bad as Toronto.    Is the train a train or a subway metro?    Also, checked with my insurance and they tell me that should I be taking the train to the airport and there is a delay on that, as I am still on my journey from point A to point B, I would be covered should I get stuck on the train.  Oh, the problems I have since my darn airline changed my departure from 12:15 pm to 11:15 am.  Oh,!

It is a train - we are getting a metro system (currently only 1 active line in the northwest).

The current peak fare (you would be travelling in peak time) - per the snapshot is $19.35 (which includes the access fee).

1 hour ago, Colo Cruiser said:

You do not both have to buy but only the 15 specialty coffees are supposed to be shared.

The 2 coffees you mentioned are part of the unlimited brewed coffee? Not sure what a flat white is so he may have to use a punch for one of them?

I think you may find that the barista may not even worry about it.

This is how it shows up on the Medallion now so you can keep track of how many you used right away.

A flat white is a specialty coffee (espresso shot and steamed milk - with little to no milk froth) so would require a 'punch'.

If you are travelling to or from White Bay Cruise Terminal, it is a little more difficult, as Public Transport is almost non-existent, except for a long walk. Best option is Taxi or Hire Car. Transport NSW Website gives you some options to consider.

For an idea of the train and travel times, this screenshot shows the information from Transport NSW website for travel from OPT (Overseas Passenger Terminal) to Sydney International Airport Train Station (which is directly under the international terminal). It is based on arriving to the International Terminal Station by 8:15am on a Tuesday based on the timetable current at this time.

This is the public transport website, however, you can only search for trips around 2 weeks in advance.

https://transportnsw.info/

Most of this trip is underground (only the stops at Circular Quay and Central are above ground - all other stations are underground stations).

Additionally, the cost shown is for an Adult, and does include a 'Station Access Fee', which currently ranges from $13.31 (Concession) to $14.87 (Adult).

6 hours ago, kiwichick62 said:

Thanks everyone, I was feeling a bit peeved and vented in here.  Have cancelled the ships tour for St Petersburg and are keen on Alla Tours which look reasonably priced and are well rated.  Another two ships tours I didn't cancel as they are well priced and comparable to what private companies charge for the same type of tour.  Just strange the Russian tour is 50% more expensive to Alla and others.  Our tour is late April so I had time enough to cancel.

 

Have a great Aussie day Aus Traveller!

I did a Baltic Cruise in 2019. After reading all the reviews on CC, we opted to take the Alla Tour, for both the cost and the smaller group size.

We had the same guide and driver both days. They really looked after everyone on the tour and provided a great tour. Whilst you cannot see everything that St Petersburg has to offer in 2 days, we got to see quite a lot, and it would be one of the best tours I have done. 

2 hours ago, Pharry said:

Thank you for the additional information, based on this it doesnt seem as though it will apply to us. Thanks again for the info 🤔

Pharry,

Unfortunately we come the "Land Down Under", where Princess is not so kind to us. Whilst we currently have a similar Best Sale Ever, ours only has WiFi and Drinks Package included. Alas, possibly because there is no Gratuities for Australian based Cruises, we don't get free Gratuities, which would make it worthwhile for those that do not partake in Alcohol, and taking non-Australian Based Cruises. 

6 hours ago, Z3r0 said:

My wife and I will be taking our first Princess cruise in December (Ruby from Australia to New Zealand) and are very excited.  The itinerary shows 5 days at sea, so we want to maximize our time in Sydney as much as possible, as it will likely be a very long time before we go back.  The ship leaves Sydney at 6:45 PM.  If we planned to be at the port for 3 pm, would that give us enough time, or should we plan to be there earlier.  We will be staying in Sydney the night before, if that matters.

 

Any advice/recommendations would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance!

If you are sailing on the 5th December, you are scheduled to depart from the Overseas Passenger Terminal, which is the terminal at Circular Quay/'The Rocks' (opposite the Opera House), so this gives you a bit more time to explore, as depending where you are staying, it is close to the railway station and some of the major hotels.

If you were departing from White Bay Terminal, you have to allow more time to get there, as it requires more travel with fewer options.

17 hours ago, d1k said:

 

 

My only options are Refreshment,  Classic Soda + Voom, Bottle Water Package, and the Cafe Card.

 

Weird huh?

Whilst I am on a different cruise, I also have no classic soda without voom. My cruise planner shows the same options, so apparently not a glitch, as I have been checking constantly - more so the keep an eye on the prices of the refreshment package. Appears RCL don't always offer all packages on cruise planner.

5 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

I've purchased the package on almost every cruise of 7 days or more and, while I can't remember the exact terms, I'm pretty sure there was nothing as explicit (or vague?) as this in there. I have always been able to get any pictures that my mom was in, providing that myself or kids were also in it. It seems that Princess is now using the term quoted above to restrict included photographs to those that ONLY have members of the cabin in them - though, as has been pointed out, what about the snaps you take with crew members or photography mascots?

In 2017 I requested the Terms & Conditions, and was able to get any photo as long as it contained myself or the other person in the cabin, even if their were others in the photo.  

It appears the terms have not really changed, only the interpretation by the photographers, as this was the what was emailed to me in mid 2017:-

The All Inclusive Photo Package entitles the purchaser to one print of every photograph taken during regularly scheduled times. Guests should check the Princess Patter and Photography Guide for shoot times and other details. 

Digital files are included for every print received with this package. Guests will receive a free flash drive that will hold the digital copies of their photos. This promotion applies to the package purchaser and only photographs of themselves, anyone traveling on the same booking number or anyone verified staying in the same cabin. The $249 All Inclusive package entitles the purchaser to one print of every photograph taken during regularly scheduled times. Guests should check the Princess Patter and Photography Guide for shoot times and other details. All prints must be taken to sales desk to be processed by Photo-Video Staff for accounting purposes. All requested reproductions regardless of size (10x8 maximum) are an additional $10 per print. Both 8x10 and 8x6 photos are available with this package. Digital files are included for every print received with this package. Guests will receive a free flash drive that will hold the digital copies of their photos. The package offer applies to photographs taken during this voyage only. Guests sailing on back to back or multiple voyages are required to purchase a $49 package on each embarkation day. Once any prints or digital have been taken from the Photo-Video Gallery no refunds will be accepted.

A few years ago, I had issues with the photographers trying to tell me certain photos were not included in the package. Fortunately I had requested a copy of the T's & C's at the time of purchase and had them with me. With the T's and C's in hand, I was able to show that the relevant photos were not excluded at the time of purchase, and they therefore had to abide by the T's & C's provided at the time of purchase, even if their Promo Material on board later tried to exclude the relevant photos.

In the end they had to relent and provide the relevant photos. 

Just to clarify the comments about possible weather issues. I was on a Transatlantic cruise at the exact same time, on a different cruise line. We also had itinerary changes, as did a lot of other ships, including very large ones, due to a severe storm that was building in the north Atlantic. Our captain kept us well informed of what was happening and why he took the actions he did. 

Out of what was originally to be 3 ports of call, we only stopped at 2- 1 original and another totally different stop. Both these stops we had previously visited, and of the 2 we missed we had never visited 1 - Complaints - NO.

Trans-Atlantic cruises can be a lottery, as a few years previously, we had transatlantic out of Southampton changed due to another major storm - we were offered compensation - nice but not required nor expected. 

Did all these changes affect our enjoyment of the cruises - no.

It can be disappointing to miss port, but to use the quote - 'Such is Life'. We always look at the positives and that safety comes first - we arrived at our destination safe.

This link may help answer your question:-

http://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/safety/navigation/pages/standardmarinecommunicationphrases.aspx

Stay away from Marina deck cabins beneath public deck and beneath the Horizon Court or Horizon Bistro. The noise starts at 3:30am. Awful. I've booked sideways inside cabins on Caribe deck. Love the cabins and location. Very quiet.

Having read how negative Pam is regarding cabins on Marina Deck, I felt compelled to:-

- correct a slight inaccuracy - not all cabins are below public areas - the cabins at the front are under Lido Deck Cabins;

- yes there MAY be noise under public spaces, but does that affect everyone? No.

I never experienced any noise that affected me. I was on board for 25 nights, under a section of the Horizon Court, where the tiles came out further, as there was an passage from the Pastry shop, and thus would have been directly over the main part of the cabin. In 25 nights and days on board, there was only a handful of times that a chair was heard to scrape on the tiles as it was moved. Each time was not that loud, and I was never woken up during the night, by noise from above. I would have made more noise moving around the cabin that came from above.

I am not sure what caused the noise at 3:30am, that Pam experienced, as I walked through Horizon Court every night around 11pm or later, with most of it having already been closed off and cleaned ready for the next day. The staff were still cleaning, but this was areas that were open later, but were closing.

Some people have bad experiences, and allow this to reflect in their opinion, where as other have great experiences. Some people read negative opinions, and go in with negativity, so allow this to affect their experience. Having read these posts and looked at the deck plans, I was a little apprehensive in regards to the noise from above, but went in with a positive attitude and I had a great experience

Cabin selection is subjective, so one should take on board all experiences and work out what best suits you.

.

This is always subjective. Each person has there own opinion. Each cabins has pros and cons.

Reading the post from Pam of California:- "I’d stay away from cabins on Marina deck that aren’t under other cabins. Horribly noisy starting at 3:30am every day with cleaning and set-up for the day.":-

- Not quite accurate, if you check the deck plans, the ones at the front are under Lido Cabins;

- "horribly noisy starting at 3:30pm" is one persons opinion, but is not always the case, having spent 25 nights in a cabin under the Horizon Court - where there is a section of tiled floor directly above the relevant cabin (having calculated the location of the room prior and seeing the location on boarding) which made one a little apprehensive, yet in all those nights and days, we heard minor scrapping of the chairs on the floor no more than half a dozen times which was around breakfast time, when it is was at its busiest. Never had an issue with it been loud - one made more noise moving around the cabin than came from the noise created above.

One of the aspects of these cabins, is that the Horizon Court overhangs the balcony, thus providing shade, but the slight negative is that with this overhang it does slightly affect ones ability to look directly up at the night sky - but to me, this only a slight negative - again this is subjective.

Everyone has their own experiences and opinions. One person could have a bad experience, and this can be reflected in their opinions, and whilst this should not be 'written off', it should be weighed up against all the other experiences. Hence, why I felt compelled to give some feedback on my experience.

Normally we go for cabins that are located between Cabins above and below, like others have mentioned, but as I like the mini-suites on princess, I was limited in location. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the mini-suite, and would be more than happy to stay under the Horizon Court again.

Again, cabin selection is subjective, and one should consider all feedback and weigh this up against what works for them.

It is interesting reading post that state gratuities are "Included" in the fare in Australia - which is incorrect. As previously posted, with what princess states in regards to Gratuities, for ships based in Australia, during their Australian "Season", the gratuities are not included in the fare:-

"For our Australian guests, when sailing on cruises departing from Australia aboard Sun Princess, Dawn Princess or Sea Princess, a daily gratuity amount will no longer be added to your on board account. You are welcome to reward our on board crew for exceptional service, however, tipping is not required."

This Cruise Critic article explains the reason why the 3 Princess ships, when based in Australia, along with Carnival Spirit, Carnival Legend and all P&O Australian ships have the same policy on gratuities, and do not add gratuities to onboard account:-

https://www.cruisecritic.com.au/articles.cfm?ID=1591

Before anyone decides to assume, I will point out that we do not remove the gratuities and happily accept this. We have always had excellent experiences on board and fully understand the many reasons gratuities are added (as so many have pointed out previously).

Yes, the law simply requires that it be fully distributed to crew.

 

When you think about putting the money into a pool across the fleet makes sense. It balances issues that would otherwise occur with different cruise home ports, cruises, ships etc. In the same way it balances out different positions on the ship as well, those with front line contact vs those that more behind the scenes, but still very important.

 

They solved the problem in Australia by making those cruises under the Australian subsidiary, and therefore under Australian financial laws (gratuity included in fare and not optional).

 

What we don't know is how the pool works, does everyone in an equal position get the same thing, or are they adjusted in some way based upon customer feedback.

Just to clarify the reference to, in Australia. It is not automatically added, for 'Australian Guests', on the relevant cruises out of Australia (when the relevant ships are doing their 'Australian Seasons'), to their onboard account, it is optional:-

"For our Australian guests, when sailing on cruises departing from Australia aboard Sun Princess, Dawn Princess or Sea Princess, a daily gratuity amount will no longer be added to your on board account. You are welcome to reward our on board crew for exceptional service, however, tipping is not required."