RobinBancs
-
Posts
141 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by RobinBancs
-
-
20 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:
Cruise lines just pass the port charges onto the passengers so I doubt that is the reason.
Â
I recall reading something somewhere a month or so ago about upgrades to the cruise terminal being delayed. I don't think there were details about what the upgrades entailed but if they were significant it may mean the port couldn't be used for embarkations and disembarkations due to the amount of space needed for those, but day visits would still be possible as long as passengers could get off Station Pier safely.
I prefer that answer. The Melbourne market would be too big to just abandon IMHO.Â
- 1
-
Just now, Cbtours said:
Melbourne have put the prices for port charges and Princess have stopped sailing from Melbourne I believe!
Oh My!! Â Thatâs not what I wanted to hear at all. Getting to Sydney is much harder for us from Adelaide. Â
- 1
-
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 youâre off doing it again in 2024 and wish you a fabulous trip!
- 2
-
Weâre 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, Iâm getting itchy for another big trip.
Â
I can see there are lots of offerings from Princess out of Sydney with Crown being based there pretty much full time except when itâs doing world trips, but there seems to be a cut off for Melbourne/Adelaide itineraries next year. Â Iâm guessing thatâs because they just havenât announced itineraries for whatever ship is based in Melbourne yet, but was worried that they trimmed Melbourne from their schedules. That wouldnât make sense though since itâs enormously popular. Do I just need to be patient or was there an announced reduction of a ship in Melbourne that I just havenât seen?
- 1
-
ChatGPT is surprisingly good. Â 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. Â It writes a lot of my emails now and has helped in overcoming that initial writers block. Â I'll even be using it to write a submission on a community consultation for rezoning!
Â
I think it could easily be used by independent travel agents wanting to develop copy for their brochures etc on what to expect. Â It needs a critical eye over it to check the facts, but in essence it's got value.
Â
Â
-
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.Â
-
-
On 1/11/2023 at 6:42 PM, nini said:
Actually, the Grand Princess departs Sydney, Australia on March 31st. Has she joined the Roll Call board? Many are asking about Mah Jong. The safe bet is to bring your own.
I was on Grand last week. There were Mah Jong sets available from Leaves on deck 7
-
On 1/28/2023 at 8:51 AM, 2022cruisey said:
Just got off the Grand - was in a mini on Dolphin deck. No night lights.
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 Allanâs 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.
Â
The amount of bird life at Tiaroa Head is insane!
- 1
-
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.Â
Â
Â
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. Â 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.
Â
Â
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.
- 11
-
On 1/23/2023 at 5:03 AM, Jean C said:
Thanks so much, the kids are excited about the programme, the crafts, the movies etc so I appreciate you posting them. The youngest one (7) said she didn't want to go as "Kids Club is for babies" but I think it's just a bit of resistance to the unknown. Mum said that was fine, she would just have to hang out with. We'll put her in for a couple of hours and check how she is - she'll be fine. Fingers crossed she can go to the 8-12 club as they'll all be able to talk about the same experience together đ€
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 youâre doing a long cruise, they finished with a surprising larger and adorable husky (I think itâs a husky) on night 13!Â
If Anya is on Grand still when you go, she is an absolute treasure and understood our 7yo so well. Tell her that âMr Charmingâ from Adelaide said hi and Iâm sure sheâll know who it is đ. We already miss her!
-
Debarking from Adelaide was stress inducing but thatâs probably because of the added tension of getting DW off to work and having two young kids as my deckhands. Â In itself, it wasnât actually that hard.
Â
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 âleast concern.â Â Andrewâs airport staff were clearly visible at the exit and seamless transition to the bus.
Â
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.
Â
Not sure I want to step on the scales when I get back in the house.Â
- 4
- 1
- 5
-
-
4 hours ago, yes!yes!yes! said:
The beef short ribs are so good
Hope youâre home safe and sound in Perth. Thank you for kicking this thread off not helped so much precruise!
- 2
-
5 hours ago, Jean C said:
Thanks so much, the kids are excited about the programme, the crafts, the movies etc so I appreciate you posting them. The youngest one (7) said she didn't want to go as "Kids Club is for babies" but I think it's just a bit of resistance to the unknown. Mum said that was fine, she would just have to hang out with. We'll put her in for a couple of hours and check how she is - she'll be fine. Fingers crossed she can go to the 8-12 club as they'll all be able to talk about the same experience together đ€
ÂFor sure. Having said that, there has been some jealousy going the other way with our two.
-
The ship got a whole lot busier and noisier since we stopped in at Melbourne and got the newbies on ship. Â Short cruise clientele are here for a fun time, not a long time đ
Â
I hope they enjoy their time aboard and in Adelaide and KI!
- 1
- 1
-
-
4 minutes ago, arxcards said:
Looks yum.
Don't they all come from the same galley for all three dining rooms?
Not sure. They changed the size last week for us here and @yes!yes!yes!posted a picture on the same night that looked smaller. Michaelangelo is on deck 5 and the others are on deck 6
-
-
-
32 minutes ago, arxcards said:
Tell him about the downgrades - no free ice cream đ
They have been told and weâre horrified
- 1
- 1
-
Some feedback from our 10 year old referencing the water slides he can see. Â âHow come Golden Princess got such good upgrades after weâve already been on it?â
Â
I darenât mention that they are racing slides or heâll really lose it!
- 2
-
Melbournes public transport is great! Â We used the free shuttle to get to Eureka Tower and then the teams out to Docklands for the day. Got out to ArtVo with the kids and spent the day at Docklands. Easy tram back for free and made it on to one of the very last free shuttles back out to Station Pier.
Â
My least favourite part of being in transit is just how busy the terminal is and having to mix in with the newbies to the ship. Itâs like negotiating a path through horizon court on a sea day at 9:30am.
Â
I think that when Grand stopped at Adelaide, there were two gangways, one for new embarkation and the other for cruisers in transit. Wish it was like that here!
- 4
Princess 2025/6 out of Melbourne/Adelaide
in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
Posted
Wow. Im prepared to have an additional $3.50 per person charge passed on.