arxcards

I trust you enjoyed some wind and a few waves over the past couple of days. We have found it hard to sync with Carnival's activities, so we usually give most of them a miss. Sadly, our most interesting activity on our last Splendor cruise was putting coins into that "tipping point" machine at the edge of the casino. Yes, the house still won, but there was more entertainment per dollar than losing it on the pokies or at bingo. Still, our food was great and we made the rest up on the run. Pity about the lack of enrichment. Make sure management knows what you think of their level of integrity.

Not for the 9-5 bit, but the public spaces/venues are not to scale and the cross traffic in the thoroughfares is a problem. Our cabin (same both times) has been mostly fine, but that was an Ocean suite. The only real detraction was that the cabin TV wasn't much bigger than my galaxy pad. I would much rather "downgrade" to a grand class Princess mini, as we are doing on Diamond, Emerald & Crown over the next 18 months. I hope we find Luminosa to be better for us than Splendor when we bord on 6th Feb. Yes, I would agree, the grand class inside/outside/balcony cabins aren't compatible for any more than two people.

Speculation indeed, but Carnival will match ships to ports. If there is extra capacity that isn't being filled on Encounter, Carnival will look at how/where they can maximise passenger numbers. Yes, they are older ships, but Carnival has been happy to have ancient ones in their fleet. The difference with those US Carnival cruisers is that they don't see a swap happening, but just to add those ships to the US fleet. That would be very pie in the sky. As far as ship layout goes, despite the age difference, I would much rather be on a grand class Princess ship that on Splendor. Also to note, Luminosa is still seen by many in the US as a Costa ship.

Keep your fingers crossed Cilla. At least Carnival is showing their intent, so it is on their want list. She already has bookings at the terminal though till April 2027, but none through the winter. The key confirmation will be if Luminosa starts showing winter bookings at BICT, and that will show months ahead of any JH announcement. On the other hand, Luminosa could also swap roles with Carnival Encounter at some stage.

I think Justin is looking after this booking for Carnival - Justin Case. These bookings have been there for several months. They also had year-round bookings in Airlie Beach, Cairns, Port Douglas for Luminosa in 2024-5, but they didn't materialise when the schedules were announced. Carnival has held an ambition of cruising year-round from Brisbane since BICT was announced. Initially Spirit was going to cruise full time out of Brisbane from October 2019, but covid squashed that. While they still hold that ambition, the absorption of P&O has come along since those bookings were made, and Carnival is not going to keep Luminosa here year-round if Encounter is not sailing full through winter. They have to discount Encounter to fill her now, so things will have to go gangbusters before any of those "in-case" bookings become a reality.

I think the keyboard needs a new battery. It drops the occasional letter. I may use that though. I like to have my own name for ships, such as Ovulation of the Seas, OK Corral Princess, Pacific EggCounter - just as long as I don't have to call them malapropisms.

Basic answer - enough people keep paying those prices for the tours.

I don't know in this case, but historically they will usually keep a fair chunk (or all) of the commission they receive when they book and forward the deposit for a cruise.

By having trouble getting them to cruise on Carnival branded ships, I mean loyal P&O passengers are not keen to move over to Carnival Spendor or even the Carnival'd Adventure & Encounter. Yes, lots would rather Princess than Carnival. Others, particularly in Brisbane where there will be less Princess presence in the years ahead, will drift to Royal and other brands as well. P&O cruisers sailing on Princess, like it or not, are Princess cruisers. Plenty of them are also elite Princess cruisers. I get what you mean vs a traditional demographic, but the shift has been happening since restart. Lots of the more traditional Princess cruisers will move on to Celebrity, HAL, Azamara and beyond. The demographic doesn't concern us too much, but we are wary of the amenities and services slipping. Maybe this is more of an Aussie thing, as we have had a few friends who are already smitten with the glitz of Sun Princess.

Future port bookings in Sydney & North QLD. They are subject to change, but usually a reliable indicator. I expect Princess will release their Aussie 2026/7 itineraries somewhere around mid-November.

It was an unannounced increase, as it is an onboard expense and really no different to putting up the price of a cocktail. These were in the system over a week ago, with the new rate for pre-paying grats already showing in my personaliser back then. For our 30 days cruising from Southampton next June/July it will cost us each an extra $US60. I think we will manage. As mentioned above, not big news in our waters - as long as we can keep Princess on the same $AU fare structure indefinitely beyond P&O Australia's exit.

If you have enough buffer time, the only real discount is to do it independently. Yes, that would be a stretch on an all day tour. They really do treat their shore tours as a cash cow - a thinly veiled one. We are seeing some similar prices jumping around for our UK based Princess next year too, but we have seen the same sorts of inconsistencies on other lines as well. The worst version I have seen is booking tours at a good price, then having them cancel and refund, only to find them re-listed again later at a higher price.

Are you talking about cruise fares or shore tours on your cruise? It isn't just a Princess thing. Typical that this months promo will be packaged into a different one next month. One promo will be extra credits, the next one will be a cheaper price. It seems to work. Some like the best advertised price, others like steak knives. One of the most common ones is a cruise that comes with $200 OBC as part of the going price. As if by miracle, they have a flash sale that is $200 cheaper - guess how much OBC is included? The only time they will offer a true bargain is when they are having trouble selling that cruise, and that certainly isn't the case for NY cruises.

Don't tell him it is an active design on Redbubble then.

Locally, the industry as a whole is somewhat jaded. Same itineraries with less available ports. Our big summer seasons are partly there for international passengers, and they are less inclined to fly big distances at present. When coupled with the overheads of cruising here, that is what is taking ships away. I think you and I are like most cruisers out there, and there is no way Carnival Corp could squeeze us on to Carnival ships in lieu of Princess or Cunard. As it is, Carnival is going to have trouble getting P&O passengers to cruise on Carnival branded ships. These Crown cancellations are just about a change to their scheduled drydock dates, and unrelated to anything with Grand Princess and Melbourne. My tip for anyone in Melbourne is that if you have to get on a plane to get to a cruise ship, you may as well fly to Miami, Seattle, Southampton, Singapore instead of Sydney. Try something new.

I am thinking of buying this one.

Sort of. I hadn't taken much notice of what Royal was doing with their transpacifics. Just that missing Hawaii and/or Tahiti port bookings no longer count when trying to confirm a transpacific relocation, with more looking at the Northern route. The last Luminosa relocation was from Seattle (or was it Vancouver) up into Alaska, then across to some Japanese ports on their way to Australia. This option is becoming more popular, especially with the boutique Tahitian ports being removed from the itineraries.

Are they likely to ever try a Singapore - Japan - Alaska route?

There is a Mr Bean on most cruises, and sometimes you don't have to look very far.

Many Sydney hotels are following a growing trend, where if you want an early check-in, it can be made available for a fee. Alternatively, it can be negotiated if you book direct and are paying the advertised rate and it also helps if you have a loyalty membership with them. Even if your room is ready, they will prefer to have you drop your bags till close to the advertised check-in time.

Also to note, we are pretty laid back and speak English (sort of), so it is easy to interact and do some independent stuff, instead of being reliant of cookie-cutter tours & packages. What is important to you? Some itineraries suit certain activities more than others.

Outside of Sydney, your embarkation numbers are much lower, so day visit passengers are in the majority. If Sydney is a day in port for you, it will be busier.

I don't know about the off days, I don't buffet breakfast unless there is no other option. I would imagine links snags and maybe Canadian Ham. No bacon would make it a pancake morning for me. How good would it be to have a grill full of cold cuts? I don't think Carnival could ever serve spam on Splendor ever again, as there could be too much PTSD Carnival Splendor cruise passengers dine on Spam and Pop-Tarts | World news | The Guardian

Start with when (limited cruise options between April & October). Then how long do you have to travel. The main cruise options here are 4 week Aussie circumnavigations, 2 weeks to New Zealand, 1 to 2 week cruises into the south Pacific, 1 week QLD coastal cruises out of Brisbane. Sydney is the main cruise port, with options from most of the main cruise lines. Brisbane also has options with Princess, Carnival & Royal Caribbean. Good luck planning.

Nobody, including me. I can't find much in the way of new port bookings between those dates. Crown is booked in Sydney on 20th January, so possibly heading south to Hobart. Princess won't answer your question until the new itineraries are released on 15th September. Perhaps someone who has been offered their alternate cruise on 14th January might be able to help. Simple question indeed but call centre staff won't be given the answer sheet till then.