RobinBancs

Wow. Im prepared to have an additional $3.50 per person charge passed on.

I prefer that answer. The Melbourne market would be too big to just abandon IMHO.

Oh My!! That’s not what I wanted to hear at all. Getting to Sydney is much harder for us from Adelaide.

We loved following the 2022/3 chat last year @yes!yes!yes! In the lead up to us joining Grand on Jan 5 2023 in Adelaide. Glad you’re off doing it again in 2024 and wish you a fabulous trip!

We’re not cruising this summer but have headed for the Great Ocean Road instead for 2024. While paying more per night for Caravan Park cabins than our family of four would on a cruise ship with all the inclusions, I’m getting itchy for another big trip. I can see there are lots of offerings from Princess out of Sydney with Crown being based there pretty much full time except when it’s doing world trips, but there seems to be a cut off for Melbourne/Adelaide itineraries next year. I’m guessing that’s because they just haven’t announced itineraries for whatever ship is based in Melbourne yet, but was worried that they trimmed Melbourne from their schedules. That wouldn’t make sense though since it’s enormously popular. Do I just need to be patient or was there an announced reduction of a ship in Melbourne that I just haven’t seen?

ChatGPT is surprisingly good. I've been using it a lot at work for copywriting as it gives me a pretty good basis from which to be able to edit and make specific to my needs. It writes a lot of my emails now and has helped in overcoming that initial writers block. I'll even be using it to write a submission on a community consultation for rezoning! I think it could easily be used by independent travel agents wanting to develop copy for their brochures etc on what to expect. It needs a critical eye over it to check the facts, but in essence it's got value.

Princess will ask you to do some tests during the journey and supply the kits for them. We had to test two times on our 19 night cruise on Grand last month.

Here’s one of the Patters. I hosted Mahjong play was scheduled in Michaelangelo Restaurant most sea days for 10:00am

I was on Grand last week. There were Mah Jong sets available from Leaves on deck 7

Ditto from our mini on grand too

We hired a car through Pegasus with pick up at Port Chalmers. A local guide in at the terminal suggested adding in a detour to Allan’s beach on our way back from the albatross centre. Kids (7 & 10) loved the beach and running away from the waves as they came in. I can confirm that there were wild sea lions on the beach. The amount of bird life at Tiaroa Head is insane!

Sorry, I understand that you had a poor experience, but cruising is still a special case. The mortality rate in Australia from COVID is currently as high as it has every been (See below). A cruise ship hasn't got the medical capacity to deal with the serious cases that are still happening in the community, and given the disproportionate age cross section that cruise, there is a higher risk clientele on board. We were on board the Grand Princess when a guest was medevac'd (sp) from the ship just off the edge of bass straight (see below) and this was on the operational limit of the helicopter. The location was so much on the edge that they had to drop off two paramedics and some equipment before flying back to Melbourne to refuel and come back to collect the paramedics and guest. A covid case that necessitates a medical evacuation further from shore than this is a major operation, so I'm not at all surprised or concerned that the protocols on a cruise ship are designed to minimise the infection risk as it exists to protect vulnerable members of our community.

I have some advice on kids in the Tree House (3-7). Bring something to store their treasures in through the cruise. They will bring back lots of paper and little trinkets that they make throughout the cruise. A flat file for paper and an empty pencil case for miscellaneous items would be ideal. Fluffy toys are much easier to deal with. You know the sessions because it refers to a Whale and Eagle in the programme. If you’re doing a long cruise, they finished with a surprising larger and adorable husky (I think it’s a husky) on night 13! If Anya is on Grand still when you go, she is an absolute treasure and understood our 7yo so well. Tell her that “Mr Charming” from Adelaide said hi and I’m sure she’ll know who it is 😂. We already miss her!

Debarking from Adelaide was stress inducing but that’s probably because of the added tension of getting DW off to work and having two young kids as my deckhands. In itself, it wasn’t actually that hard. ABF process was quick and easy. We had declarations to make in relation to feeding farm animals at a wildlife park which fit the category of “least concern.” Andrew’s airport staff were clearly visible at the exit and seamless transition to the bus. We had $850 of onboard credit between the 4 of us over 19 days and were scrounging for ways to use it all at the end. A couple of formal photos at the end used it all up. Not sure I want to step on the scales when I get back in the house.

Last nights menu was a repeat formal night menu. Not a fan of the last night being a formal night and the mess it creates for packing, but with the allocation of Sea Days, it had to happen for someone (MEL or ADL pax).