mum and son

All very handy info, thanks Geoff. The NCL deals I'm looking at do offer all the extras so it makes them look good knowing they also include grats. I've only done NCL once, in Europe in a 2 bedroom Haven suite so this would be a very different cruise from that one. If going it alone I'll consider their solo Studio option. My loyalty to Princess is still hanging in there and, despite having two wonderful cruises on Celebrity out of Singapore and Hong Kong, I'm still shackled by the status perk of free laundry 😁 and tend not to consider other lines as options. Again, thanks for the info provided.

Yes, there are quite a few on offer. One option to Bermuda ex NY but I'm conscious of the temps as my last visit to NY arriving Jan 1st 2018 was during the "arctic freeze". The rest are options from Fort Lauderdale. One does a partial Panama Canal transit. With the prices being asked for a decent cabin on the cruises out of Aus during the same time I'm looking to spread my wings a little further afield this time. There's a great priced cruise out of Singapore as well but I've been to all the ports so it's not quite as attractive to me, unless I end up going solo.

I may be wrong, but I don't think you can get married at sea unless your celebrant is also travelling on the cruise. I have friends who were married on the Pacific Aria some years ago and they had to get married while the ship was still docked. All guests have to be booked passengers, but I believe the celebrant will come onboard and perform the wedding and then disembark before it sails, unless they are a booked passenger. There are some recent reviews of onboard weddings on fb groups for some of the ships that call Brisbane home. The happy couples were thrilled with the service from the cruiseline (P&O) from the reviews I read.

Hi all, It's been a long time for me since I cruised from an overseas destination, and I've never cruised from a port in the US. I'm currently looking at some cruises over the Dec/Jan break. Is there anything I especially need to consider, besides the ludicrous airfare? I'm looking at Princess and NCL at this stage. I believe gratuities are included on NCL after reading the fine print. How about Princess? Is there anything I'm missing or should look out for? I'm looking at the packages that include drinks so won't be expecting a hefty onboard account. Any feedback appreciated. Thanks.

Thanks for the suggestion. It still came in at $1,400 😖.

I wish insurance companies would allow "medical only" policies for cruising. You can get them for other forms for travel. I don't care about cancellation costs/confinement/luggage costs because, to me, none of those have a life-changing effect on my financials. They may hurt for a while or make me grumpy but I won't have to sell my house over them. I really just want to be covered for being airlifted off the ship in the event of a medical issue or accident. I often travel with my parents, who are pretty active and healthy 89 and 87 year olds. My dad swims 1500mm every day, and my mum's only ailment is very, very mild asthma. With cruising being the most suitable holiday for them it is now almost impossible to get insurance for them. Well, I can get it but it now costs more than the cruise itself. It's a shame because they love it so much.

Try a Twinings Assam Bold, far better than English and Irish Breakfast. My new favourite tea by far!

I would assume that less people get a sound sleep on a plane so less snoring - but some people seem ok to sleep/snore anywhere. I wish I was one of them!

Agreed re the almighty $, I guess that's why I'm surprised that they don't hit up their waitlist. They seem like pretty easy, no fuss sales to me. I was actively trying to give them my $$ for that cruise.

Hi Geoff, Yes, I do agree with you, but I was originally waitlisted for a balcony cabin (without another cabin booked on the ship) and still had no luck. I eventually found the balcony cabin myself online, on the P&O site in fact. I just saw a fb post this morning by someone waitlisted for the same cruise who was patiently waiting for her call up. Obviously I advised her to look daily herself and grab it instead. I guess I just feel sorry for all the people who miss out because they "thought" they would be offered a waitlist cabin before the general public. Seems a pretty flawed system, but at least I got my cabin! Actually, I got my allocation today and, as luck would have it, it's the cabin right next door to my cabin on the previous cruise. That makes for an easy move!

So, this is more of a whinge but I'm dressing it up as a query (or trying). I am cruising on the Encounter next week for a 7 day Island Hopper. I recently decided 7 days would not be enough and wanted to add a 4 day Qld cruise to the tail end. I was booked in a mini-suite for the first cruise and waitlisted for everything from a balcony cabin and up for the 4 day cruise (but preference was for a mini-suite again). I watched and watched the cabins become available and then vanish and eventually I bit the bullet and booked a balcony cabin last week when I saw the availability online. I kept my waitlist in place for mini-suites and above but at least I was going to be onboard. On Friday I saw a mini-suite become available on the P&O site and called to upgrade to it. The call centre told me the cruise was sold out and that their availability is often different to what can be seen online. I could get to the point of inputting credit card details on their site so the cabin was definitely there. During this process I found out that I was 5th on the waitlist. On Saturday morning I saw a mini-suite still there online and tried my luck again with the call centre - and to my surprise they could see the cabin and I was able to upgrade, noting that both of my bookings (the balcony and the mini-suite) were $100 - $150 more expensive via the call centre than by booking direct online, but my hands were tied and I paid up. My issue is... with people waitlisted, why are available cabins not being offered to those people first? I was originally able to book my balcony cabin last week, despite being waitlisted for a balcony cabin for a couple of months and never being offered one - and then ultimately upgrading to a mini-suite, despite being on a waitlist for that cabin type too and never being offered one. Why even bother with a waitlist if those people don't get a first hit at the availability? Seems strange to me.

I did three Luminosa cruises earlier this year, two in a suite and one in a balcony cabin. In the suite I was sleeping on the sofa, which was hard as a rock but was able to get a "mattress topper" of sorts for it. It was more of a doona folder in half than a proper mattress topper, so maybe that's the best they can offer. I found the beds in the balcony cabin to be extremely comfortable, but I prefer a firm-ish mattress. There were 7 of us across 3 cabins and I didn't hear any complaints, but no existing back issues among us either.

I've been in a balcony cabin with those pop-up bunks (albeit on Encounter, but they look to be the same beds). My cabin was a triple, incorporating one set of the bunks and a single bed, which was the "collapsed" bunk. The single bed sat much higher than the lower bed on the bunks, basically a mattress higher, so I don't think the lower bunks goes down, the upper mattress just sits above it.

There used to be a billboard as you drove from Brisbane Airport that said "Welcome to Brisbane, Australia's most liveable city". Somebody graffiti'd it to add "if you want to at home in bed before 10pm on weeknights!"

I'm in a few fb groups specifically for the Encounter and the Dragon Lady reviews from returned cruisers are just generally bad, although I have noticed an improvement in recent weeks. Years ago it was Angelo's that seemed to cop the bad reviews but it has done a complete 180 in recent times and most people rave about it now.

Yes of course you can, but there are not a lot of options on the menus these days.

Thanks everyone. I know food is subjective but I have read so many bad things about Dragon Lady of late that I was nervous to waste a night there. I wouldn't mind for just me by dragging my two old parents around adds an additional challenge. I'd be perfectly happy if I could spend my life in Princess Club Class dining eating Bugs and Beef Wellington every night but, alas, I am stuck with short cruises on Carnival and P&O out of Brisbane for a while... but life could be worse.

Hi all, So a couple of years pre-covid I thought Dragon Lady was wonderful on the Aria, and I remember Angelo's got bad reviews. I've dodged Angelo's ever since but recent reports appear to be overwhelmingly positive. I went to Dragon Lady last October on the Encounter and thought it was terrible and a lot of reviewers seemed to agree. Over the last month I've read some positive things about Dragon Lady again. Any feedback from those who have eaten at either venue in the last month or so? I accept that, generally, the quality of all cruiseline food has deteriorated post the spicy cough, but I'm just working out what selections to make for a 7 night cruise. I was thinking 1 x Luke's, 2 x Angelo's and the rest Waterfront. Maybe one Dragon Lady if the feedback is improving. I would happily eat a few nights in specialty but I'm cruising with my elderly parents and my dad has a "bulk bill" mindset. I will likely just go to Luke's solo. Thoughts? Also, I remember Waterfront used to have 7 different menus and they didn't repeat on a week long cruise but recently read that they now have 3 menus that rotate throughout the cruise. Is that correct? Thanks!

Ahhh ok, I was curious. I think I know the location because it was being fitted out when I returned from a cruise in April. I just always felt like the staff were a bit protective of letting everyone wander in and out, without reason. Having something accessible from outside just seemed like a winning concept as that's where the people are. I shall check out the coffee activity next month!

So do people wanting a coffee now just wander freely into the terminal at their leisure? Previously they kept everyone herded outside until their boarding time is called, but now is that transit area just open to all?

I heard that Shell & Bones is no more, and won't be returning. I guess I'll find out next month!

To be honest, I'm not sure. There could definitely be private operators who may cater to your personal choice. I know our guide travelled a very long way to Komodo to host the tour. He told us it took a day or 2 in a very small boat, and he said a lot of the guides do the same when a ship visits so I guess they want to make a day of it and worth their while. We actually chose not to go ashore at Pink Beach and just enjoyed the boat we were on, dived and swam off the side, and ate lunch. It was a wonderful day for young and old alike!

I recently travelled to Bali and you pay $50pp for a VOA. Would it be any different for a cruise? I love Komodo, we did a wonderful private tour that included the dragons, and a small boat cruise to Pink Beach, and were served the best lunch. To this day my family still talk about the "Pink Beach pineapple". Nothing has ever lived up to it!

Yes I agree. As long as people clearly understand what they're getting before they board I'm ok with it. Nobody will go hungry on a cruise, but I AM glad that I'll have the Byron Beach Club perks and can still get free Eggs Benny in Angelos for breakkie 😁.

Welcome back to cruising! I've managed to fit in 5 cruises since resumption but all pretty basic trips from Brisbane, and only one upcoming. I'm looking forward to heading further afield at some point but probably still at least a year away for that 😩.