2022cruisey

The tours are listed on the website but when we log in and try to book, there are no tours at all for Tauranga.  We have booked other town shore excursions on the same cruise so it is unusual.

Since there are no excursions showing at all I am worried we will not be going there and will contact Princess to find out.  There is a particular shore excursion we are interested in, which will be mostly covered by OBC.  I am reluctant to book anything else until I find out what is going on.

We would like to book a hire car for the day in Tauranga but I just be doing something wrong as it won’t let me book just for the day.   The cruise I am on is not showing any shore excursions for the port and we really want to see Rotorua and surrounds.  

I have used cashrewards before but not for cruises.   You have to remember to go in and claim the money once the qualifying period has been met.  I use it a lot for booking hotels.   I saved $50+ at Marriot Sydney earlier this year, had to wait until 45 days after staying then claimed the money back.   

I am really disappointed.  I’m going on my second cruise from Melbourne soon.  I’ve cruised from Brisbane and Sydney before and will be sailing from Freo next year.  It is so easy for me to catch a tram to the dock here, rather than pay for airfares and accommodation in the other cities.  Melbourne is definitely not alone in putting the port fees up and it is an absolute furphy that they haven’t been given enough notice.  Carnival is entitled to make their decisions for commercial reasons but latching onto this excuse when it is more expensive elsewhere is marketing spin.  Unfortunately we have media that doesn’t check facts anymore.

Just looked at a quick cruise for 2 nights, Melbourne to Burnie and return in a sea terrace -  $1396.   That is $350 per person per night.  If it reduces by half I’ll be interested.

New vaccine available December 11, according to The Age newspaper.

It is very easy.  However in most of the port cities in Australia there is very good public transport in the CBD, often free.  Cost comparison to taxis depends on the time of day and demand.   When there is surge pricing taxis are cheaper but harder to find.  If you are staying in the middle of Sydney it is easier and cheaper to use the airport train and then either walk or catch the light rail to the port.

Thanks Ozwoody, that looks great.  I have got plus the last couple of times on Princess despite being a non drinker and it has been worth it with the lower price, not so sure now.  This will help.  I’m also going on P&O for the first time next year and haven’t decided whether to get a soft drink package yet so will use this to make my decision.  Much appreciated.

In the morning you will also have different types of juices and smoothies.  Coffee/tea/milk available.

6 hours ago, jwattle said:

 

It's all well and good to call it a US tipping culture, but we've been in Australia for two days now (LOVING it!! <3) and at EVERY restaurant and the cabs, our credit card receipts have a line for gratuity, bar none, full stop.

That is because the credit card software is ubiquitous, not that you are expected to tip.  When this software was introduced many people were very annoyed in Australia.  Now we just ignore it.

We did it as a princess tour.  Worked well.

The crocodile tour at Airlie Beach is excellent.

Thanks for sharing prices.   I feel better about my decision to get the plus package with those prices, even though I don’t drink.   By the time I’ve paid for wifi, mocktails, coffees, juice, room service and casual dining it is more than worth it.

Duty free alcohol to bring into the country is 2.25 litres of alcohol.   Doesn’t matter how many containers it is in.

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/entering-australia/duty-free

Hoping all of you experts may be able to help, please.

If you take non alcoholic wine on board, do they charge corkage?  Mum is recovering from liver cancer and can’t drink alcohol but still likes a glass of wine with her meal.   On the Grand earlier this year they didn’t have any zero alcohol options for her.

Marketing spin.  

We were in Nouméa for two days in July.  Did not need any currency, just used credit card everywhere.  We didn’t go to the markets though.  You don’t have to pre book the hop on hop off or tchou tchou train.  The free shuttle drops you at the cruise terminal and there are heaps of tours available which you can pay for using card or cash - even Australian/NZ dollars for some.  I am unsure about US dollars though.  
The aquarium is good, the tchou tchou train very good and if you buy the hop on hop off use the company that is not the double decker.   In the time we waited for our double decker, four of the other brand had come and gone.

The first day we were there we wandered around the city centre and that took up a few hours.  Great, cheap patisserie for lunch - the shops at the cruise terminal are more expensive that the local shops. 

My daughter was desperate for us to go on a Disney cruise.  For just above the price for 3 us to go on the 4 night Hobart trip from Melbourne, we are going on a 14 night Melbourne to New Zealand in a mini suite on a plus package with Princess.   

My good price is $200 per night including drinks/wifi in a balcony/mini suite.

We did a cruise to Noumea in June in a cloud 9 cabin on Splendor.   First Carnival cruise, has only gone on Princess before.   I was very pleased with the spa, the cabin and the food.   The app worked well too.   I missed free room service, a 24 hour cafe and a package that included wifi and drinks at a reasonable price.  Also a teacher so it was crowded with families but we avoided the pool and arcades as much as possible.  It was quite crowded at times.   Pools were impossible to get into.   One in the 18+ area was always full and the lido pool was always full of kids.   You will have access to the thalassotherapy pool which is really like a giant spa.

You can use a credit card just about everywhere - visa and Mastercard most common, American Express not used as much,  there is a small surcharge for each transaction depending on the card, usually around 1.1%.   
The price you see is the price you pay, no tips required.  So if your food bill comes to $100 and you pay by credit card, you get charged $101.10 including surcharge, as an example.  
You would only need cash for some markets.

Also agree. Noumea is lovely.  Well worth having a proper look at.  Have spent two days there and would happily spend more time there.  Also not as expensive as I thought it would be for food/coffee.  

Have not been to that restaurant but have been able to use my visa in all places I went to in Noumea, even the dodgiest looking corner shop.

Having recently used the medallion on Princess and cruise card on Carnival, the medallion was much better.  I didn’t use it for any of the bells and whistles, just as a different type of cruise card.  It is much easier to carry, it opens your door automatically without having to stuff around and you don’t have to hand something over and sign every time you order a drink at a bar.  Much better experience.