MMDown Under

5 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

So we are starting to get into the proper planning for this adventure, we are less than a year out and this time next year we will be enjoying our visit with Lyndon and seeing part of Oz that was not part of the original plan. From there it is down to Penrith to meet Neil and Tracey, that will also have us getting some local knowledge about the Blue Mountains. From there it is Canberra and a visit with Linda & Mario. 

For now we are working on accommodation in Sydney, I have looked back at what we booked before but some of those places are not available or now have unfortunate reviews. So I was hoping to get a few suggestions for hotels in Sydney that would be convenient to the Opera House and Manly ferry. I know that Mic may have some good suggestions, but please remember we are from a fairly small town and really not "Public transit" savvy. So any suggestions greatly appreciated. We look forward to meeting Mic & Rosie in Sydney in a little less than a year.

We have just had visitors from NY visiting.  Are you visiting the Sunshine Coast in Queensland?  We have just stayed at Mirra Chana on the boardwalk, beachfront, in Mooloolaba Spit.  It was a heavenly peaceful place, walking distance to everywhere.  We look forward to visiting again.  They are now staying at Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay,  This afternoon they have walked along the harbour waterfront, under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, to the Sydney Theatre Company to see a play at the Wharf 1 Theatre located on pier 4/5.  The Marriott is a great location for catching ferries at Circular Quay or catching light rail along George Street.  I will let you know what they think of the Marriott, which is popular with Americans.  

On 2/21/2024 at 10:02 AM, OzKiwiJJ said:

We didn't see the Arcade either but the games area was very impressive.

I didn't see the Arcade either.  It is that kind of ship, full of surprises.  

Cyclone Lincoln is reforming off Broome, WA.  What an interesting journey this cyclone has followed!

4 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

That side unit on the bed is for turning the double bed into two singles in a L shape.

 

It's a ridiculous concept and Virgin lost a lot of brownie points with me over it.

I did read two singles would be in a L shape, but I couldn't work out how the side unit on the bed worked.  I put the big wooden tray on it!

3 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

My wife is jealous of the hammock. One of the things she wants todo when we are in the tropics next year. Hopefully we can find a shady hammock with bar service so she can relax with a book and sip a fruity drink.

When we go camping at festivals, we take a hammock to hang between two trees.  It is relaxing to return to the campsite in the middle of the day with a good book and a cold drink.  I hope your wife finds one on your travels down under.  

3 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I never even got around to ice cream. 😪

That is a shame as the ice cream was delicious.  I only discovered it with help near the end.  

4 minutes ago, Cruisegroover said:

So if miss out on getting dinner reservations where do you eat? And if you are last to board you may miss out on seeing the shows?

20 places to eat.  You will never be wanting for somewhere to eat.  On the last day of a eleven day cruise, I found the pizza place and Italian Restaurant so I had pizza for lunch and was able to book a place for dinner at the Italian Restaurant. 

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Lombok is like Bali 30 years ago, nit much there except bad roads, dirty markets and all the rest of it that goes with a developing country. Perhaps stay on board.

I walked outside the taxi enclosure and booked a car for the day for a set price.  The driver took us to a number of  beautiful beaches and waited for us.  It was an interesting day, with farmers drying their crops on the road in one place.  We paid on return to ship.  

16 hours ago, Travel-and-See said:

When you say “smaller ones” were they still the hash brown patty like you’d get at fast food? 
 

I mean like real hash browns or breakfast potatoes.  The kind a diner would serve.  

Yes The ones I had were real hash browns.

On 2/16/2024 at 7:21 AM, Mark_UK said:

 

I think if they didn't return they'd need to refund the money, not just a cruise credit! 

I agree.  Money was paid as a future cruise deposit, which won't be possible if there were no local Aust/NZ cruises.  

4 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

On Thursday night we received 200 mm of rain then another 45 mm during the day on Friday.

We were the same.  Brisbane is a big city in area so some areas get more rain than others.  We are close to Albany Creek, Bray Park north west side of Brisbane, which received torrential rain and local flooding.  

1 hour ago, cheznandy said:

We are just about to board a flight to Brisbane....stay away cyclones.

No cyclones near Brisbane, but torrential rain and local flooding all night Thursday/Friday.  Went for a walk along a creek today and you could see how high the water had been rushing through.  

8 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Traditionally in Korea and Japan you do not top up your own glasses. Politeness dictates that the person next to you ensures that your glass is never empty. So ...

Lucky there was no drinking game during your Korean dinner.  There was a noisy table near us that was having lots of fun loudly participating.  

2 minutes ago, Colin_Cameron said:

The two are not mutually exclusive. We are currently here on a month long land tour BECAUSE we previously came here on a cruise.

Agree a NZ cruise can give you a taste for a longer land tour later.

5 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Well it all started with dinner at a Korean restaurant in Singapore, hosted by one of Rolf's Korean colleagues. I was there too. Rolf was sitting next to his colleague. Need I say more? 🤣🤣🤣

No.  The clapping was part of the game during dinner.  

Cyclone Lincoln, Level 1, Gulf of Carpentaria heading for NT Coast.

3 hours ago, Ozwoody said:

Wellll, mostly one at a time, as some like the trivit may look straight forward, but there are a lot of little fiddly bits. However I have got myself in a little pickle at the moment as I have started on three projects, it was supposed to be only two.

BUT, I have taken an interest in a Japanese art called kumiko, and suddenly found myself well in over my head. not only do you have to make the art, but all the tools to make it with.😬

See examples below I am have been inspired by, so far I have only cut some strips, and made some special jig type tools.

 

I'm currently working on something like the bottom one.

Wow you must have incredible patience.  

On 2/14/2024 at 12:51 AM, SteamyLeigh said:

Ist time cruising in New Zealand and Australia. Leaving auckland 3/15 arriving Sydney 3/27. I can see high/low temp averages on land but am hoping to find someone who knows what it will be like on ship in evening. Too cold for scarlett pool party, pj party etc? Need to pack a proper coat?

In mid summer, It can be cool on deck because of the sea breeze.  No proper coat needed, just a light wrap or jumper to wear over summer clothes. 

Brisbane has received the most rain since 2022 floods.  Lots of local flooding in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. More than 1,000 homes were without power on the Northern Gold Coast.

Parts of Brisbane have recorded up to 200 millimetres of rain, with more to come.

BOM

3 minutes ago, Ozwoody said:

Thanks, its nice when people like what you make.

I enjoy making parquetry objects, from the smaller pieces like the 160mm dia. trivit I made my daughter Rebekah, and the Tray & charcuterie board set I made Hil. See below:

All made from old pallet wood.

Wow they are beautiful.  Do you make one thing at a time or have several works of art on the go at once?

On 2/14/2024 at 3:26 PM, Tolkmit said:

There are issues taking cruise ships through the Red Sea right now, which was the planned route to get a ship back to Australia. The issues are almost definitely enough to justify Virgin breaking their contracts to have a ship sailing out of Sydney with minimal penalty. There is an alternative route they could have the Resilient Lady take to get from the Mediterranean to Australia, but that re-positioning would likely be less lucrative than the planned one through the Red Sea. Virgin's sailings in Australia have not been selling well. Virgin has stopped selling the cruises to Australia for the 24 to 25 season, the cruises that were planned as part of that, and the cruises back.

That's about all we know with relative confidence. Virgin might be still be planning to bring a ship to Australia for 24/25 and pausing while they adjust the details. They also might be cancelling the 24/25 season due to a combination of the less lucrative re-positioning routes it would require, plus the low sales for it, plus the fact they can get out of their contracts there much more easily now.

 

Virgin will announce their new plans for Resilient whenever they can be reasonably sure of them; we can be certain their preference is to know what she is doing then and be able to sell those sailings. If I had to guess, I would say it's unlikely Resilient is coming to Australia for 24/25.

I hope Resilient Lady will be coming back to Australia in 2024/25.  If they don't, they will loose all the favourable publicity from this year's Aust/NZ new cruisers.  In addition, if they don't return, they would need to refund money paid as a future cruise deposit 

38 minutes ago, WanderingBrit said:

Just as a heads-up, to manage expectations, we’ve had a poor experience with Virgin marketed Shore Things where the actual excursion did not align to the marketing description - the excursions have been good, but not what was advertised.

 

In Barbados our “Walking Legends of Barbados” featured no walking but several hours on a bus. We got a 30% refund.

 

Today our “Hike & Explore World Heritage Island Trails‘, described as “In the historic Nelson's Dockyard Village, you'll set out through the Carpenter's Rock Trail and get immersed in the untapped splendor of the island's natural landscape.”, did not visit Nelson’s Dockyard at all. It did include 2 hours at Galleon Beach which wasn’t mentioned at all in the description, so we sat on a rock in the shade for 2 hours waiting for the bus to take us back to port.

 

Feedback from others on our cruise suggests these aren’t isolated cases. Buyer Beware.

I've always found it is better and less expensive to organise your own independent tours.  I hope you got a part refund for not visiting Nelson's Dockyard, plus spending two hours on the beach,  

I have always admired the talent and imagination of Richard Branson since he established Virgin records and Virgin Megastore in Oxford Street, London in 1979. 

10 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Yeah, but I don't trust Rolf and soju! 🤣🤣🤣 It's a long story ...

Did you clap?

On 2/3/2024 at 4:50 AM, Lolou127 said:

Hello, I’m after more help and advice! VV now have a special offer on their 6 night cruise from Portsmouth in September, it’s on the Lock in Rate ltd view sea terrace cabins, are these all on deck 8? how limited is the view likely to be, has anyone had one of these cabins and can offer any feedback or advice? 

I had a limited view cabin on Resilient Lady on Deck 8 and could see the water between the lifeboats.