arxcards

AUD_Europe2025_Southampton_Standard_ FaresItin.pdf (princess.com)

Same check-in staff as for Princess but wearing different logos on their clothes. Same terminal and terminal operator as for Princess On a good day, check-in will open at 11ish, well before the first assigned check-in time.

They are not sending her back but taking her back. She is also perfect for Panama cruises, and the US market always matters more than us antipodeans who will cruise on anything. In normal circumstances, I don't think she would have been sent here, so I am glad to get the opportunity, but also disappointed she is going. Who knows, bring on Pacific Coral in 2027

Not at this stage Sarah, just some new port entries for Honolulu, Lahaina & San Pedro, plus the Honolulu entry quotes Yokohama as the previous port.

Scratch that California Coastal thought. The relocation includes Japan, and a call in Honolulu on 10th November plus Lahaina the following day.

Until earlier this month, the cruise that has been cancelled was the final cruise in the schedule. Princess have decided to relocate the ship, and the final cruise back to Fremantle was the odd one out. There is still a gap in their schedule which should be filled soon. Currently her final Australian based cruise departs Fremantle on 15th September 2024, arriving in Singapore on 26th. She then goes into drydock presumably till mid-October. The remaining gap in the schedule will likely be filled with a relocation cruise from Singapore to Los Angeles, where she departs for her next scheduled cruise through the Panama Canal on 17th November. Given there is a gap of around a month, there could also be a Californian Coastal squeezed in after the relocation.

The ships are capable, as long as the wharf at the other end is. North Queensland wharves are much better than a spot like Champagne Bay where only 1 tender can pull up on shore at a time. Port Vila is using temporary facilities, so I would say the queues could be long.

Yes, the menu prices become inclusive, i.e. the 18% is absorbed into a higher menu price.

Pacific Encounter is anchored in the bay at Port Vila today and using tenders.

My car is as old as Diamond Princess, and the same country or manufacture. I love the drive, but it is starting to cost a bit more to run. I certainly wouldn't part with it just because it needs a good clean though.

A bit like a car I guess. For most, the money goes to the bank when they are new, then to the mechanic when they are older. There is a sweet spot in the middle, but also a point when they get to be unreliable or cantankerous and eventually sent off to become razor blades.

Yes. It takes lots of TLC to keep older ships running. Age is a relative thing, but they are required to pass the same compliance inspections as the newer ships.

It won't open up, but should download to your PC when clicked, where it can be opened. Sourced from 2024CoralCancelation6417Memo.pdf (princess.com)

Not sure how things are for the US, but these UK Telegraph articles are behind a paywall for me.

Usually, the cruises wipe out on the weekend after announcement, but they are also blocked from booking in the meantime. The cruise is still there for booking this morning. Booked passengers have been notified, so it is official. Hopefully the attached pdf is viewable. 2024CoralCancelation6417Memo.pdf

Not sure what you have done there, but you have quoted me with someone else's comment.

I agree. We will do the Panama on Crown's 2025 world cruise but are already aware it will be 2nd prize vs the old locks. The lives of Coral and Island are not indefinite, but there has been a fair clean-out of the fleet to cover for a few more years. The newbuild schedule has also slowed. Grand or Sapphire will be next, but who knows where and when. P&O Australia ships are, well, old. They tend to retire around age 30, which puts the shelf life of Pacific Explorer at around 2027. Given there are no current issues apart from looking old and tired in places and having a dirty hull, she will serve most of her remaining sentence with P&O.

I agree. The new locks look boring in comparison. Way too efficient.

They do and they don't. Their main health FAQ page - https://www.pocruises.com.au/plan/know-before-you-go/healthy-cruising#faq no longer references VeriFLY at all, yet it is still referenced elsewhere on their site. So many cruisers over the past year didn't have smartphones, so making the app a key component of identifying vaxx status was falling short. That said, I can't find any link to P&O ditching it. Maybe I got my wires crossed with Carnival, who also used VeriFLY, but I do have some recollection that it was applying to P&O as well, especially considering you can do your vaxx attest on their cruise control. If you have the APP, great, you will not be disadvantaged. It should also give you peace of mind that your vaxx status has been proven & accepted. This was Carnival's message from late January: UPDATE REGARDING VERIFLY CARNIVAL LUMINOSA & CARNIVAL SPLENDOR 27 January 2023 Dear Carnival Guest, As you prepare for your cruise, we have an important update regarding VeriFLY and pre-cruise requirements. Effective 13 February, guests will no longer be able to utilize VeriFLY to complete pre-cruise requirements. Instead, all guests will be required to visit Carnival.com.au (click on “Manage My Booking” and then access “My To-do List”) to complete their vaccine attestation and health assessment. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and declaration of a negative test result will be required at embarkation. As a reminder, all guests aged two years and above, regardless of vaccination status, are required to take a self-administered Rapid-Antigen Test (RAT) within 24 hours of boarding or a PCR test within 48 hours prior to boarding. Guests aged 12 and older who requested a medical exemption will need to present evidence of a medical need at time of check-in and carry it with them on the cruise. For more information, please visit our Have Fun. Be Safe. page. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and look forward to welcoming you aboard soon.

Interesting. Maybe it is a K1W1 thing. I have no news subscriptions, yet can see the full story. Dated 15th April, a couple of key comments: - Cruise ships will anchor in the Port Vila Harbour and passengers will tender to the Seafront seawall (near the main shopping strip) - At the time of the story, the main wharf was still damaged, and the relevant government official said that it is #1 priority that they get it fixed. (5 weeks on, I don't know if it is fit to be used yet).

P&O announced a few weeks back that they no longer require you to have verifly, and they will rely on your vaxx status declaration on Cruise Control. You still need to prove your status via your E or printed certificate when you check-in, whether you have verifly or not. We uploaded the P&O app and it worked fine, but it gave us very little benefit. Nice to know what is on, but nicer to read it on something larger like a printed Pacific Daily. Nice to book dinner, but easier to just plan before you board, head to your room to drop your bags and call the reservations number to lock-in your first few days. At the time we used the app, you couldn't book your dining prior to boarding, and maybe that has changed to be more like Princess? P&O does have those kiosks for checking your folio, and you can also go to the desk. You will not suffer without the app.

There is something happening there, but I am not sure what. It would appear to be related to one of the main tour companies that operate from Tauranga, as many of those providers still operate a Hobbiton tour from Auckland the previous day. While it appears there are several places you can book the tour, many of them just independently ticket the same tour company. There are still some companies offering the tour from Tauranga, so search quickly. This is one, but I have not used this company to be able to recommend https://www.cruisetourstauranga.co.nz/hobbiton-movie-set-tour

I would say no. Anyone in one of the tenders at the time would have felt the bump and a wobble from an unexpected wave, but nothing more.

Mystery Island reported a mini-tsunami while Pacific Adventure was at anchor and tendering. I hope the video link works

There are ways