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Forgive my ignorance, but what is a Scotch pie?

Even better in the air fryer - keeps the pastry flaky

So are actors. Even the family dog knows 'the look' even when I'm not directing it at her.😂

Ouch!

Oh come on, Sparky. Demis Roussos managed it!😂 And you are already rocking the beard and mo.

Yep. Haven't actually used one, but they look fairly well equipped.

No, they're on the opposite side of the Nerang Broadbeach Road on the hill. Apparently they heard everything! Awesome.

We booked an OS cruise with a bricks and mortar TA (and yes, it was in a shopping centre but there are quite a few different companies and they are not all tarred with the same brush🙂) and were happy with the expertise, service and deal. Conversely, we have used an on line cruise specialist company and it was a constant frustration from start to finish. It was like amateur hour. Then again on another occasion we used a different on line specialist and they were just great. So, I guess in some cases it is the luck of the draw. We booked our last two cruises directly with the line and got a good deal with no hiccups. The foregoing, unfortunately is probably not very helpful in assisting you to decide, Jaaaney. If it helps, we are seriously considering using the bricks and mortar agent again for a cruise we are considering mainly because we are looking at cruise lines we haven't sailed with before and it might initially be easier to do the comparison with a TA before making a final decision.

According to the P&O website, gym opening times are 6:30am to 9:30pm each day. It doesn't specifically differentiate between sea and port days so I assume these hours apply to every day

With regards to the Star Princess, fire. I have read some time ago the MAIB report of the incident and it was concluded that "the fire started on an external stateroom balcony ........ probably caused by a discarded cigarette .. smouldering for 20 minutes before flames developed". Whilst 'probably' is not confirmation that a cigarette was definitely the culprit, the report still points in that direction. As for the Pacific Adventure, I used the word 'scuttlebutt' deliberately to indicate that there was no proof that fire was started by a cigarette and I am definitely not saying that it was. I was not on Pacific Adventure at the time (though I was, ironically, on board her sister ship Pacific Encounter - the former Star Princess) so I don't know anything other than what was reported in the media which I tend to take with a grain of salt. Whatever the actual cause of those particular two incidents, the point I was making is that smoking on a ship's balcony is dangerous, is banned, is inconsiderate and totally irresponsible which was the thrust of the initial post in this thread.

Yep, you're playing my song🤣

That's a shame. It's quite classy and you would have enjoyed the quiet ambience

Same, John. We arrived at least an hour before our scheduled embarkation time (and were quite prepared to wait) and were waved straight through.

Great review John. Very balanced and I agree with most of what you had to say (and for reference, we were on the same itinerary in May/June this year). Unfortunately, most cruise lines are nickel and diming these days with their upcharges for various items that used to be included (judging by comments on the various forums). However, we managed 7 days without paying extra for food except Luke's Bar and Grill and hamburgers from Luke's burger bar and of course coffee from Avalon. However, we had generous OBC included so that covered all of the above, so we didn't actually spend anything above what we paid for the cruise. Would we go on P&O again? You betcha. We're booked for Christmas 2024 on Encounter.

I'm with Hilary, Avalon's coffee was exceptional.

We only ate at The Pantry when the ship was in port and nothing else was open for lunch. I'm not a fan, but will admit that the baked ham I had was excellent. We didn't mind The Waterfront, but Angelo's was our absolute favourite. Dragon Lady was also good (we managed to read the menu but if you're having trouble use the torch on your phone😉). Over 7 days I think we dined at the Waterfront twice for dinner (had lunch there most days) and enjoyed it. The rest of the cruise we dined at Angelo's and Dragon Lady and first night out at Luke's Bar and Grill (which was worth every cent for the specialty dining). Overall, we had no complaints about the food.

Blue Room was our favourite, too, John and Hilary. It was our 'go to' every night after dinner or after a show. Did you try the Bonded Store? It was always very quiet and John, the bartender, is very knowledgeable and always up for a chat. We first met him on Pacific Dawn in 2016!!! I agree that some of the cabins could do with a refresh/refurb. (Our friends had a balcony cabin on Deck 10 and although clean, was looking a bit drab and dated). We were happy with our Byron Mini Suite, but that had had a soft furnishings makeover to update to the Byron livery (new carpet, curtains, etc). The bathroom hadn't been updated but it was very clean and the only fault we could find was a chip out of one of the tiles in the shower wall.

Have never tried ConX but were very happy with Sky Transfers and they were punctual to the minute when picking us up. Indeed we disembarked the cruise earlier than expected and they adjusted the pick up time when we advised them of the change so we were only waiting around 20 minutes instead of 1.5 hours.

Well, I suppose if the Star Princess fire was mentioned he may well scoff that it was ancient history. However, there have been quite a few fires since (I mentioned that one because of the fatality). Indeed, in June 2023 P&O Australia's Pacific Adventure had a room/balcony fire just outside of Sydney. (My understanding is that it was contained to just that one cabin, but resulted in a couple of thousand passengers being jolted out of bed to spend several hours at their muster stations from around 3am). I haven't seen the official investigation report, but scuttlebutt indicated that it was caused by a cigarette. The point is that smoking anywhere other than the designated smoking areas is inconsiderate, dangerous and sheer folly IMO.

Great to see you posting, Les. Hope you are doing ok

I would really love to have a tour of Resilient Lady. I believe, though I may be dreaming, that she has at least one cruise out of Brisbane scheduled. Wonder if they will do the 'open ship' deal up here? I'm really tempted to book a cruise, but it would be a real bonus if I could have a look at her prior.

When we last cruised from an American port, we used our credit card for most things, but obtained a few hundred dollars in US currency before leaving Australia so we had cash for small purchases. Perhaps get some Australian dollars before you come.

Hopefully this inconsiderate (dare I say 'idiot') smoker is in the minority. For pity's sake, how hard is it to go to a designated smoking area rather than risking a devastating ship's fire. Obviously this muppet either hasn't seen photos and reports (or just doesn't care) about the tragic fire on Star Princess in (I think) 2006 as an example. A passenger died as a result of that particular fire. These entitled morons make my blood boil (and I'm a smoker). As for the ship's staff, surely someone in authority (such as the purser) could, as someone suggested, confront this passenger and reiterate the no smoking in rooms or on balconies policy and perhaps underline the extreme danger of doing so. The OP filed a complaint, surely it is not their responsibility to provide video proof. And in this day and age of litigation, are they opening a legal can of worms if they did take photos or video? I'm certainly not a lawyer so I've no idea if this would be the case but I would certainly be hesitant to put myself in that situation.

Absolutely no help to you, but it's a pity you're not in Australia. We have a plethora of 'sampler' cruises of around 3 days' duration. Definitely not my cup of tea, we prefer a minimum of 7 days and preferably longer.🤗

The weather should be good at the time of the year you are considering. If you've sailed Royal Caribbean before you'll be familiar with the cruise experience on their ships. We've done the reverse and flown to Miami to cruise the Caribbean on Symphony. It was a great experience.