Cruisegroover

I'm currently on Royal Princess enroute to Osaka. It's my 2nd cruise around Japan and prepared for this by watching numerous you tube videos. Certainly will be back though probably on a land based trip.

I kept some paperwork re transfers from the port etc which I post when I get home.

3 hours ago, resordanis said:

On another note. Waiting for coffee this morning and there were quite a few disgruntled Elite passengers  complaining about  downgraded benefits. Not much they can do about it……but heard them say they would speak to the Captain 🤣. It was my laugh for the morning. 

Well in line this morning my friends overheard a conversation from some people fretting about the fact they have to get off in Brisbane as they thought the ship was returning to Sydney. They had no idea the ship had commenced the repo to Alaska. So therefore they had made no arrangements to return to Sydney. They assumed very wrongly in was a round trip.

No Whiners I wondered where you were glad to see you are still following the Swans.

As for the favourites one big betting agency here had Collingwood, Brisbane, Carlton and GWS as top 4 a couple of weeks ago and of course now Collingwood are out of the 4 and Sydney in. 

The AFL had Brisbane, GWS, Collingwood and Adelaide.

I like taking screenshots at the beginning of the season and compare end of season.

2 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

I bought a couple of drinks last night out side of happy hours.

A coke was $US 6 and a bourbon and coke was $US18 ,that’s about $24 Australian.

Royal Caribbean for a bourbon and coke is $US11.

Wow I got off the Edge on Thursday after 11 nights and a coke was $US5. Now it's $US6!

On 3/8/2024 at 12:48 PM, Chiliburn said:

I heard at the bar a couple times,someone order a cocktail or a fancy glass of wine.

The bar tender said your drink package doesn’t cover that it will be an extra $6 or $8 

 

The Tender area or gangway is really fancy. The side of the ship opens up to like a shop front with glass windows. Like the perfume area at Myer .I started to take a picture inside but security jumped on me.

 

 

I sort of got an inside picture when I went to the art auction as they are held in that area.

3 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Prebooked all restaurants before boarding (they are included in price) when they opened up prior to cruise.  You had to be quick.  They booked out quickly.

 

Shows could only be booked on boarding.  Had issues with app for the first hour or so on board.  So missed out on most of the shows (limited capacity).  Managed to get a booking for a show on the  final night.

 

Headed up to the pool deck

 

 

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?

Hopefully we see some more posts. I am I interested in see your adventures in the Japanese ports.

I have a question about how immigration formalities where handled at your first port in Japan.

Thanks I'm thinking of doing this next year. Look forward to your review

Agree as a solo traveller I'm off elsewhere. Have sent a message to Celebrity with no answer of course.

That is not good news re Covid. I have been enjoying your posts and was looking forward to your thoughts on Taipei.

I am on Royal Princess next year going to Taipei and was going to ask has there been any communication about immigration procedures on arrival in Taipei. I am tossing up between a private tour or the ships shorex and if the ships tours get go through immigration first I'd book that.

Take care and get well soon.

I just stumbled across your report whilst researching a similar itinerary - it was great. Well done for all the information you wrote about. Very helpful.

Happy cruising.

Great review and photos thanks for posting this.

Thanks for the great update.

I have often looked at Ponant so thanks for doing a thread on your trip. It's a great itinerary for sure.

What are the demographics onboard? I travel solo so wonder if it would be easy to fit in when I would want company so to speak.

On 6/2/2023 at 9:42 PM, NoWhiners said:

 

Hi Cruisegroover

 

Welcome to the USA. The games are covered by Fox Sports 2 mostly, but sometimes Fox Sports 1, and even once in awhile on ESPN. You can check AFL schedules by using Google. I just tried and the Swans don't look to be on that day 😞

 

But, you should check for yourself. I don't usually check until the nights they will play here. I am in the Mountain Time zone, so the games are on at either 10:30 pm or 3:00 am, approximately.

 

Where will you be? If you are in a big enough city, and the games aren't on in the wee hours of the morning, you might find them at a local bar. Unlikely, unless you are on the US east coast.

 

I will keep an eye out and post as soon as I see what will be on for that day.

 

I hope you enjoy your visit and if I can be of any help, be sure and ask,

 

Go Swans!

 

ML

 

PS: Any chance you will be in Albuquerque??

Thanks for the info. I am in Nashville this week for CMA after spending the last 2 weeks touring the beautiful national parts (loved Zion).

I searched Fox Sports 1 have found a replay will be Saturday morning only. So will watch that.

@NoWhiners I am in the USA at the moment can you tell how do I find out if the Swans game on 8 June is telecast somewhere.

Thanks

On a recent Celebrity cruise at the end of the final nights show the cruise director talked about the cruise survey and basically said anything other than a 9 or 10 is considered to be a failure by head office.

Travelling anywhere seems to be fraught with rules and regulations unless travelling independently.

As a comparison to what happens on a land based tour I was on a 15 day APT tour of Canada a few weeks ago. Those who tested positive to Covid were left at the hotels where they tested positive. First couple left behind at Whistler (Westin Whistler Resort) day 5, second couple at Vancouver (Fairmont Waterfront) day 7 and the last couple Lake Louise day 12 (they made their own way to Banff (Fairmont Banff Springs) as they had other family travelling with them).

Canada covid rules are the same as ours. So no strict isolation.

The tour director didn't give us many updates only to say the couple from Whistler on day 15 flew to Calgary where the tour finished to pick their flights home to Australia via San Francisco as they were told if they didn't fly Calgary to SFO the entire ticket would be cancelled.

Mask wearing on the coach was encouraged but only 50% wore them. The TD and driver did all the time.

Oh no what a decision to have to make (unless the ship makes it for you).

While in NSW there is no mandatory isolation here are the NSW Health guidelines 

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/travel/cruising-rules/cruise-factsheet

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19

Good luck with it all. 

1 hour ago, ShazM said:

On the Ovation transpacific last month if one person in the room tested positive and the other/s were negative then the positive person was moved to deck 3 to a room with a window. The negative person was allowed to stay in the original room but had to be tested daily. That person was allowed to go and get dinner or any other meal but had to eat it in their room and had to have a mask on when moving around the ship. If both people tested positive they let them stay in their original room to isolate for 5 days but both had to have a negative test before either could leave isolation.

Different rules on different cruises depending on capacity it seems. My friend last week on Ovation was positive and partner negative and both remained in the room. My negative friend was allowed out wearing a mask, could get dinner but had to eat in the room. Certainly a lot of people wearing N95 masks appeared toward the end of the cruise. At the end of the cruise they were escorted off after everyone had left ship as they live locally. Someone I knew who was also positive who had to fly home was escorted off to the airport before anybody else was allowed off.

My roomie didn't get it nor any other of my friends. My friend is still testing negative at home now so the virus is certainly random.

On 11/21/2022 at 2:39 PM, kernow said:

More pics from our day.

Thanks for your review. I have friends and rellies on your cruise and have heard nothing from them so they will wonder how I will know what's going on. 

I got off Ovation the day you got on but my cruise was the Super Music Charter so all activities were run by the charter company. It was a fantastic cruise. We too missed Mystery Is though just in the last couple of days another cruise company got there.

Where was the picture of the pool taken in Vila? I love going to Vila for a land based holiday and certainly like the location of that pool.

The class action has been listed for trial. The trial will commence on 12 October 2022 and run for four weeks. It will be open to the public and a link is also provided for a livestream.

Further details in this link

https://www.shine.com.au/service/class-actions/ruby-princess-coronavirus-claim

1 hour ago, aussielozzie18 said:

The cc regulars may or may not be interested to hear that there is a large group of “Cruising with Honey” on board.  I am told 200 but I walked past one of the bars and they had it fully booked for pre dinner drinks for 2hrs and the venue was full.

 

She posted on Friday she had 88 people in her group.

21 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Will be on a cruise, hoping they play it on the sports channel.

If we win I will be on Coral Princess for the GF.

Preliminary Final locked in for

Saturday 17 Sep 4.45pm

SCG

Sydney Swans v winner of Collingwood/Fremantle game.