cshepard1965

Hey Cruisers: Funny story on this very subject... We sailed on two MSC cruises in Europe and usually brought "lunch" off the ship, especially on independent excursions. We saw others doing it, NOT abusing it, and it seemed like no big deal. THEN in October '23 in advance of a 32 cruise to Australia and New Zealand, I posted our experiences in Europe on the subject and I literally received the wrath of the cruise board gods. Seems that the current passengers on that ship at the time, had just transited in Auckland and received the equivalent of a cruise colonoscopy. 1st, Cruise passengers were warned numerous times on the ship in advance; 2nd, contraband sniffing canines greeted them when they got off. So being the good cruiser I feel I want to be, I found and posted Australia and New Zealand’s strict protocols. Here is the link to that post: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2901208-grand-princess-october-26-2023-18-day-queensland/?do=findComment&comment=66278400 As expected, before each port the reminder from the captain was given. Also, fruit was cut in half or prepeeled to reduce the temptation. In April we are sailing from Singapore to Dubai on the Serenade of the Seas. I hope to update my experiences on this subject when that sail ends in May. Happy and Healthy Sailing!!!!

Hey Cruisers: We sailed on a 32 day Australia and New Zealand Grand Princess Cruise in October/November 2023. 1st. We told Princess that we will tip personally, and not to charge a daily fee pp/pd. 2nd. About 2 days before end of sail I loaded all of obc into a slot machine. Played 1 game and then cashed out. Balance was paid in ship currency, which was AUD. We used that money to tip directly to cabin steward and regular waiter. Happy and Healthy Sailing!!!!

Hey Cruisers: For P&O searches for Americans or others experiencing the same search problem, just use the UK link provided: https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/ Happy Sailing!!!!

Hey Cruisers: As mentioned in Grand Princess October 26 Roll Call... For those that are taking multiple sails out of Melbourne and don't feel liking checking in more that two bottles per cabin and/or one 24 pack of cans, I located two very close stores, one just up the street from the other. One grocery and the other a liquor store for your restocking needs... Grocery Store: IGA Port Melbourne Plus Liquor, 78 Bay Street, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207 Liquor Store: First Choice Liquor Market Port Melbourne, 120-128 Bay Street, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207 Happy Sailing!!!!