arxcards

Yes, there was a lot of government control for two years that fueled paranoia. No mandated isolation is true, but for those of us that work or have kids in school, the reality is that for anyone infected they don't want you or your kids anywhere near their workplace/schools. Covid exceptionalism has been peeled back but is far from gone, especially for those of us that can't bulk bill. Covid testing and vaccination is essentially free, which is not the case for other illnesses. Two orange lines on a RAT means I stay home till I test negative, which isn't the case for any other ailment. In my world, it applies to a large manufacturing site, not an office block. Having no pre-existing health issues, I was never paranoid about catching it, but it still took an infected cruise passenger to give it to me even though it was all around me in the community. If anything, I was only ever paranoid about testing positive on a pre-cruise RAT that would have prevented boarding. We are still booking cruises and prepared to accept the T&C's and doing short cruises to take away the risk of cabin isolation.

So much an Aussie thing, that P&O usually pre-punch their cards to avoid the queue at the service desk for the hole punch. Not all Aussies, as I just stick mine in my pocket. A bit harder with the Princess medallion which is easier with the lanyard.

Hard to know how many, but it does happen. For now, all of the cruise lines are crediting your fare if you test positive on your pre-boarding covid test. That offsets any need for insurance to cover it.

Luminosa is lucky that nobody knows when they are at tier 1 while ever they are not visiting NSW. The ship isn't required to communicate covid numbers to passengers. Some do, some don't, but it is only when a ship reaches tier 2 that they are required to alert passengers of an elevated covid risk. We have done 4 cruises since the restart, all with low levels of covid aboard. No mention whatsoever on the ship, yet all 4 showed as tier 1 prior to arriving in Sydney.

Our home for a couple of weeks here and there, but the crew don't get to go home. The protocols have never been about protecting us as individuals, but to ensure the safe operation of the ship during an outbreak. Not only service levels, but bridge, engineering, environmental & medical services. If a medical centre is understaffed and overworked, it isn't just a covid issue, but any kind of medical emergency could find a cruiser at greater risk. To let it all run freely aboard also results in ports that won't allow the ships to dock, and travel insurance companies that wont cover for medevac or any other medical expenses related to covid. Lets hope the numbers ashore continue to slide and we can start to cruise the way we remember. Yes, mandatory isolation on land is no longer required, but the official message is stay home if you are unwell. Alas, your cabin is your home away from home, and that has been the requirement since 31st May. Pre-testing, vaxx requirements, masks will eventually be done away with. Anyone testing positive aboard will be required to isolate for years to come, which has long been consistent with other influenzas and gastro bugs of the day.

Luminosa keeps on giving. This might be a selective promo, and includes past cruiser discount. It is also showing as $198 solo with $250 OBC.

BICT is about the same distance from the city as the airport is. Similar price for both.

The Brita water bottles are easy to travel with, and easily fit in the fridge.

Better to be out and about and sharing it with other passengers? True about mandatory isolation, but there are still lots of high-risk settings that won't let you visit while you have covid. If the ship outside of your cabin is considered a high-risk setting, it makes some sense to be confined to cabin. I would hate to be in ISO too, as it was boring enough doing it at home. You were aware of the iso requirement when you booked and when you boarded? Try to stay sane and get well if you are feeling crook.

The thought of isolating in a suite wouldn't appeal to me either. I haven't had an inside cabin on that ship since her days as Dawn Princess. They are somewhat cosy. The rules are not in place to protect individuals, but the overall safe operation of the ship. The rules are adequate, but getting all passengers to comply is another thing. If you are concerned about catching covid, maybe you are not ready to cruise yet. We, and a large number of our cruising friends have been isolated aboard or have brought it home as a souvenir. This was over a period of many months, across many ships. We didn't catch covid on Pacific Explorer if that is any consolation, but two friends did as well as the Cruise Director. It took till cruise #4 to catch it on Majestic Princess. Timing is everything though, as the current surge is dropping away. If you are looking to cruise in the coming months, there is covid aboard most ships, but numbers are being pretty well managed. If you are looking at next year, who knows what things will be like. P&O hasn't changed a lot since 2015. The same things that had charges vs Princess having inclusive are much the same. Burgers, pizza, room service etc have a charge attached on P&O, but that has long been the case. As the cabin goes, it is the same as you would have experienced on Dawn Princess with only different carpets and bedding. Some of the public areas look better now - a bit more vibrant than that faux timber styling of Princess. Most of the public areas still have the same function, so the ship will feel familiar and easy to navigate.

Majestic Princess bailed on Tauranga today, and Norwegian Spirit only berthed for a short time before heading toward the next port. Majestic is due to end her current cruise in Auckland tomorrow. Stay dry!

Shame they can't do it off the NSW coast. That way, they could do the cleaning during a cruise to nowhere without affecting the itinerary.

Lots of oddities between sister brands of cruise lines. If they did everything the same, they wouldn't need different brands.

Another plus to the maxi taxi is that it will drop you on the pier, while the Skybus/Tram option requires a walk of a few hundred metres from the tram terminus. Princess would also have a transfer you can pre-purchase, which would be a good option for one or two people. Times 6 people = much cheaper per person with the taxi. It also depends on how heavy you are travelling. If your luggage won't fit into the maxi taxi, they will split you into another taxi which will create two fares.

It was meant to assist with check-in, but our privacy laws prevented that. For the US, it was used to accept vaccination info, and to load the pre-boarding supervised covid test certificate. Due to privacy, Aussie terminal staff were unable to access verifly data, so they still needed to sight your vax certificate. As for a test result, you only needed to attest and then attest plus photo if needed for "proof". The only lingering function of Verifly for Carnival and P&O here was that it provided advanced vax proof to count you in the 95%. An online form where you state your vax status is all they need, and if they are not truthful, being denied boarding if they cannot show a vax certificate or the accepted medical exemption.

One is cruising from Sydney, the other from Brisbane. A Royal ship has been a regular fixture in Sydney for close to 20 years, but have previously only had one season based in Brisbane. At this stage, Royals international cruisers would also prefer to cruise from Sydney, and given the ship amenities are close to identical, those in Sydney are less likely to pay for flights to Brisbane for a near identical cruise experience. Maybe Quantum bookings would have also been more solid had Carnival not dropped Luminosa along with her bargain fares into Brisbane.

Can be either. Jump on to Royal's site and do a dummy booking, then email your agent of choice for a quote on the same cabin category.

Under the green lane, this is how mine looks. When I tap the "Personal information & Documents", it takes me to the 2nd screen and "arrivals" takes me to a 3rd screen to select a boarding time.

Luke Mangan & Gradi 400 opened on Monday night.

As of last week, yes.

I agree with Chili, just don't tell anyone. Slightly different, Royal's Australian seasons usually released in late April. A lot of water between here and Oasis class. Congrats at getting life under control. Hopefully you can enjoy the rest of your life cruising with your partner.

Boarding times have been available since the 60 day mark (US time). I think it is likely that only late boarding times will remain for selection.

Only if people keep on buying it.

Make the most of it. An amazing space.

Give me cabin 8320 any day.