V_icki_e

14 hours ago, Jilltoons said:

Thank you so very much for all your kind and informative replies. Based on all of your replies I did find an 11 day cruise out of Sydney in May. It seems weather would be perfectly that time. I truly appreciate the post that pointed out that the port locations can be more primitive than what a cruiser might imagine. We are so up for this. I am very excited to learn more about cultures and would look forward to _at least for one day) immersing ourselves in things we haven't experienced before. My only cruises in the past are one Caribbean, 1 Alaska, 2 Mexican Riviera. I am up for this 100%. Thank you again for all the suggestions. I know where I am coming in the year and a half to come. G'day!!!!!

Mystery Island is my most favourite South Pacific island - I hope it's on your itinerary!  As others have said, you will find that locals sail over from other islands when they know a cruise ship is in.  This pic (taken in May a few years back)  is of a lovely NiVatu bloke named Desi.  He hand carved this boat in 2 months and 5 days and he takes visitors for a sail out over the reef for the princely sum of $5 Australian.  I'm actually jealous now ... sailing out of Sydney takes your breath away PLUS you get to the islands!  🙂 

You people are amazing!  If we ever meet on a cruise ship, remind me to join your trivia team 🙂 I honestly wonder if there is anywhere in the world that has not been visited by the regular players of 'Where Was I?'  Me on the other hand ... well I'm off to work so that I can afford to pay for some serious travel itineries.  Thanks for the entertainment while I was on term 3 break!  

2 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

Was that direct with Princess or some other place?

Directly with Princess on the day that the 21/22 Australian sailings were released.  I do wonder if someone stuffed up because I don't see that pricing anymore... but the early bird gets the worm!   It's for an itinerary that I've not seen before either, including Bay of Islands, Picton and New Plymouth.  Only 504 sleeps 🙂 

13 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:

If I was forced to bet on a local resumption of cruising, I would put $5 on November 2021, and $1 each on the October and December.

 

So while it's probably not a terrible idea to book a cruise for late 2021, there is no way I would do it.

 

Besides, prices at the moment are 25-30% above what I like to see. When cruising becomes something more than hypothetical I think the prices will become less hypothetical.

We were over the moon with our pricing, but it could also be that we booked for Feb '22 (more certainty for cruising then, surely).  We got a mini suite on Coral Princess for a 14 night NZ round trip ex Brisbane, for $170 pp more than what we were paying for a balcony on the Sea for the same trip in February 2021!  I don't know how we stumbled across it, but we grabbed it!  

4 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

I'm going to guess Pigeon Lake, just to restart this marvelous game

Indeed!  It is Pigeon Bay (technically) in Akaroa, NZ.  A magical place 🙂 

5 minutes ago, vada_9 said:

Western Plains Zoo , Dubbo

There was some confusion with 2 photos in play ... this was Guatang Lion Park in Johannesburg.  

We had squab for dinner after visiting here ... 

6 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

so now we have 2 photos in play, great🥺

Mine was the Guateng Lion Park in Johanessberg.  Now we are down to just one pic ... 

We had a roaring good time here! 

Just now, vada_9 said:

Yes, correct. I am at the Keppell Kracken waterpark on the foreshore at Yeppoon overlooking Great Keppell Is

Many years ago, Great Keppell Island was THE place to spend your end of year 12 holiday (before 'schoolies' was a thing).  Oh how envious I was of all those sunburnt and hungry campers on their return!  

Yeppoon.  Great Keppell Island was a great place to get wrecked 😄 

The Concierge Lounge on deck 14 is fantastic - speciality coffees, plenty of snack options, a small library, very comfy seating and a nice way to find a few minutes of quiet.  You will also get complimentary bottled water in a suite, and can order anything off the MDR menu to be delivered as room service.  Having a traditional afternoon tea served in the suite is just a bit fancy 😉  Sounds silly, but one of the handiest benefits of a suite that I found is that there are full sized umbrellas for your use!  You'll love it all!  

27 minutes ago, NSWP said:

She is a great ship, done Panama Canal on her, Fort Lauderdale through to LA a few years ago.  Ideal vessel for Australia.  At least they did not butcher Coral like they did with her sister ship Island, taking out aft viewing decks, aft prom deck, Universe lounge forward all for the sake of extra cabins to make more revenue, been on that one too, did not like what they had done, I am surprised they did not send Island here.

 

So let us hope your 2022 cruises happen, fingers crossed.  Your 2022 Worldie on Coral is about 99% booked out when I checked Princess website the other day.

From what I've been able to find online, I think that the Coral has many similarities to the Sea/Sun ... the promenade deck being the big plus for me.  We are booked mid-ship and I'm just excited that we don't have to walk kilometres each time we leave our cabin (like we did on Majestic - that girl is just too big for me 🙂 ) 

1 hour ago, drsel said:

Yes we're doing flights only and 6 nights in Gold coast or Brisbane to cover Dreamworld, SeaWorld, Movie World and 3 day trips to Byron bay, Brisbane and Sunshine coast

Maybe you'd like to consider splitting these 6 nights into 4 on the Gold Coast and 2 in Brisbane? If you're keen for theme parks, I'd suggest you base yourself on the Gold Coast for quicker access.  Public transport from Brisbane to the parks is at best 90 minutes each way (a bit over 2 hours each way for Brisbane to SeaWorld).  Gold Coast is also much closer to Byron Bay.  If you are wanting to see more than just beaches on the Sunshine Coast, it might we worthwhile to find a day tour that leaves Brisbane and helps you explore Noosa/Montville 🙂 What time of year are you thinking of visiting us? 

There seems to be a fantastic pool of knowledgeable cruisers in this Australian / NZ thread, so I'm here for your thoughts.  Today I booked a 14 day NZ round trip ex Brisbane on the Coral Princess, leaving February 2022 (I can't live without at least one cruise countdown!).  From my limited knowledge, the Coral has never called Australia home, so I'm wondering what you think might be done to her before she starts her 21/22 season here.   My only hope for her is that they reinvent the current Bayou themed restaurant into a more typical Princess Steakhouse - I'm not sure that gator ribs are my thing 😄 

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

Too right, most of us travellers have met foreigners who are thinking the undoable, I met some Germans one time in a cafe in Hahndorf, SA, they were going to drive overnight to Ayers Rock !!  Mein Gott !!!  😁

Always a useful reminder of just how huge Australia is...

16 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Maybe you are planning to have 6 nights on the Gold Coast are so you can relax on the beach. When we travel overseas we consider each day to 'cost' us a proportion of the air fare, so to spend so long relaxing in the beach is an expensive way to do it. You can relax on a beach in your own country at a lower cost. 🙂

 

If your visit to Australia is to see the sights and experience the country, I feel you could re-consider the plan. If it was my first visit to Australia I would plan a trip something like the following:

Perth - maximum 3 nights (preferably in the Southern Spring when wildflowers are in bloom - spectacular) include Rottnest Is.

Melbourne - maximum 3 nights

Sydney - 4 nights (maximum 5 nights)

Brisbane/Gold Coast - 2 nights. Even though I live in Brisbane I don't feel this is a "must-see".

Cairns - 3 or 4 nights

Uluru/Alice Springs - 4 nights. This shows a totally different part of Australia.

Hobart - 3 nights (Port Arthur and stunning National Parks)

Darwin - maybe consider a couple of nights but this isn't a "must see" on a short trip.

Fantastic thoughts there ... as a fellow Brisbanite,  I see 6 nights at the Goldy as 6 nights too many 😉  

2 hours ago, drsel said:

Yes done already. In Australia we are planning to visit

Perth 4n

Melbourne 4n

Sydney 7n

Gold coast 6n

Cairns 4n.

 

 

When you're on the Gold Coast, what are your thoughts for filling those 6 nights?  Are you basing yourself there and daytripping to Brisbane and surrounds?  

1 hour ago, Bowm54 said:

Where in Dunedin did you take the photo?

We were up the top of the botanical gardens I think - somehow we got there after walking through the university grounds. 

Just now, Bowm54 said:

Then it must be Dunedin, my ancestral home.

Correct!  We absolutely loved our time there.  Tag, you're it!  

1 minute ago, Bowm54 said:

Its hilly like Dunedin but the houses are not right , i’ll say Picton?

Well I've only ever visited one of these places, and it isn't Picton 😉 

1 minute ago, Bowm54 said:

My guess is Wellington.

Try the South Island.

7 minutes ago, Bowm54 said:

Are we in New Zealand?

Sure are!  

Some of you will likely identify this place with your eyes shut ... but it's still one of my favourites!  

10 minutes ago, vada_9 said:

I am away again with only my phone. Just realised I only have a few “places amongst the 100’s of the grandkids. Here is the next one.

Is that South Africa? Storms River?