NSWP

Cheap as chips, is that twin or quad share per person?

Have you done any cruises? I lived and worked in 'The Gong in the 1970's.👮‍♂️It was a dump back then. Anyway if you want to know about cruising, plenty of experts on here, just ask.

Is this a Holland America or MSC Cougeress, Chilli? She looks a little young for HAL 🤣

Plenty Spaget, Garlic (yuk) and Chianti on MSC Chilli. The MSC ships get differing reviews, but they offer good value.

Welcome to CC.

Re masks etc, both Noordam and Westerdam are working the Australia/NZ region later this year and early next year. I am on Westerdam from/to Sydney in November. I reckon the mask protocols will still be happening on board, as they are in some places on land, dependent on State. Our Federal and State Governments will insist on it I reckon.

The head waiters in the MDRs, on Princess normally 3 or 4 of them in the sections, have been with the cruise line, 10, 20, 30 years, they know all the lurks, you know like the $. I have met some good ones and ordinary ones. As I register on booking as Coeliac and take traditional dining (yes I know Princess has got rid of that) the HW comes over first night with the menus and every night thereafter with the menus, I tick what I want. Some HW's linger at the table, buttering me up, lol, perhaps after a bribe, lol. If they have been extra good to me with my GF food selections and advice I will give them an envelope with some $, in appreciation, but not always.

From now on you will be known as the 'Princess Medallion Lady.' 😁 You sure are having some issues with the darned thing.

Quite a few Aussies and Kiwis would also pay cash tips to service staff in addition to paying the automatic gratuities, sorry 'Crew Appreciation now, lol. Trouble is the crew get plenty of $ from the Americans as it is their culture and probably expect the Aussies, Kiwis and Brits to cough up extra too. As you say, where does it stop? I have seen Americans give the piano players in the ship's lounges cash tips, over the top in my opinion. Other Americans told me if you want a good MDR table, tip or is it bribe the Maitre' D/Head Waiters, no way Jose.

Bad news re you getting the lurgy. I reckon you would have been real careful too, doing the right things. Hope you are better soon Leigh. Perhaps you got it from your grandson, the schools have been impacted by it.

'Crew Appreciation' just a new buzz word dreamed up by the Carnival/Princess bean counters lol. Perhaps it sounds more friendly than gratuities/tipping. But at the end of the day it is a wage subsidy and for Aus/NZ Princess cruisers it is built into your overall cruise cost so as one cannot line up at the Pursers desk and remove them lol. As some did !!!!

Thanks Lyle and others. I have been to all the places except Kangaroo Island, but what the heck. At least HAL still has ye olde cruise card not that infernal Princess Medallion which is always being slammed on CC, lol. I am a dinosaur, lol. I think you will like HAL.

Crikey, those are big prices, have you checked out 1Cover? I just got domestic cruise cover from them for $238 with 5 declared pre existing conditions. ## Which cruise line was the $7500 Verandah price? I just today got a forward verandah (balcony) on Westerdam, 13 days, for AU4655 inc taxes, as a solo traveller and US$200 obc.

Good afternoon my friends, well I have been AWOL on here for two weeks, been on a downer, all these events hit me, mothers day, wife's 2nd anniversary of passing, wife's birthday, 50th wedding anniversary, so been munching on Prozacs. Anyway, getting better and my family have pushed me back into cruising, I was not going to do anymore, so finally I got some some domestic cruise travel insurance from 1Cover at a decent price, $238.20, disclosed my conditions with a supporting letter from my GP. So Uncle Les has deposited a mighty $99 deposit on HAL's Westerdam, 23 November 2022, 'South Australia Discovery Cruise, 13 days, Sydney - Eden - Port Arthur - Hobart (overnight) - Adelaide (overnight) - Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island - Melbourne - Phillip Island - Sydney. Lashed out on a Balcony Cabin and HAL is fairly decent, not doubling the twin share price for a solo occupant. I reckon the loading is about 50% for sole occupancy. They also gave me US$200 obc, buys a few vinos. #My daily rate for cruise is AU$355, bit pricey yes, but that's life travelling solo. I have only done 1 HAL cruise prior - on Noordam, sister ship of Westerdam, to Honolulu mid 2019, I liked HAL and the Vista Class ship. So that is the news folks.😀

When you travel overseas and see the trains they have in Japan, UK, USA, other European countries etc, you can see how antiquated our trains are.🚆

Church St Pizza, heading south, over the bridge, turn right at the 1st set of traffic control light signals and it is on the right, byo.🍕

She lives at Moryua, half hr south. It is dodge the roos and wombats on way home at night, lol Yep the dog still there and bigger every day, Irish wolfhound and something else. Oh yes the half eaten pizza went into a box, lol.

The Golfie and Rissole do $15 lunches, choice of half a dozen meals. But evening, full restaurant menu prices. The Golfie does good pizzas too of an evening, around $22. It was my birthday last Monday, went out to a great Italian in Moruya with my daughter and two grandies. I could only eat half my pizza, yes it had a gf base. Took the rest home for lunch on Tuesday, lol.

Rod will be leading the demos, lol.

You are oozing with confidence Geoff. Oh, I see, you mean positive tests? lol.

I detest tipping, here, there and everywhere. No one ever tipped me, I would have ended up with the sack and time in the 'big house.'👮‍♂️😬

Looks good Mr Gut, average Club prices across NSW - The Premier State, lol. Can't be bothered to cook tonight, think I will hit the Golfie for a $28 mixed grill with pepper sauce, chips and salad, plus a glass or two of...🍷 I might even lash out for a half a dozen oysters kilpatrick.

For the information of Lyle and some others...club meals are subsidised by the poker machines (slots to the North Americans.) They are decent prices Mic, much the same as my Golfie and Rissole down here, but sauces/gravies included as are chips, salad, veggie, etc. Members like me also get another couple of bucks off the price. What club is that? Southern Cross?

How much a night for 1 solo pax then?

$3000 a night for a cabin, crikey. Can carry 120 pax.