lissie

I can't see there would be a problem - you could certainly go on shore - buy a bag and fill it up with more shopping - not sure how collected a pre-owned bag is any different from that

I know they aren't in Australia - we are considered part of Australia and charged in A$!

That's why we are booked on the cruise on Zaandam which is similar - but doesn't go all the way to continental Europe. Heard about Voyage of the Vikings on our last Cunard cruise and started looking at options. The price point is attractive compared to the only other options which were Viking, Ponant or Regent - and attractive compared to a land based holiday as it includes both Greenland and Iceland.

We've only cruised Queen Elizabeth 1 cruise pre-Covid, 2 cruises last year. Except for the obvious changes: masks, vaccinations, testing, quarantine areas, lower passenger numbers I didn't see a huge difference. The food and drinks were the same, though they did run out of some of the more obscure bar items on our repositioning to Australia. The entertainment wasn't as good -but that was mainly Covid putting guest entertainers into quarantine. And our last cruise we had a really, really bad entertainment director - previously we'd had really good ones and I didn't realise how good he was until this woman took over 😞 I blame her mostly for the lack of ballroom dancing in the queen room - they kept on putting acts which didn't play danceable music (ie classical guitar, folk, soft rock) in the Queens Room (the dance room). Even some of the acts made comments which suggested they weren't sure why they were there! The enrichment lecturers are usually very good (with the odd dud), oddly they did really good commentary and lecturers before we went through the Panama Canal. But no lecturers, no commentary for the Suez Canal - very, very odd. Again I suspect the ED was the problem

You only need a jacket and tie on formal nights on Cunard now. On informal nights the code is a "collared shirt" - which on a recent cruise I saw interpreted as a polo shirt - though most wore business style shirts, often short sleeved as it was a warm weather cruise.

Hmmm - although I live in NZ now I've spent plenty of time in Australia including time living there. ALL of Australia is north of the south pole (that's why its called the south pole). And yes they do talk about northern Australia - particularly as that climate zone covers 2 states and the Northern Territory. i think you are confusing the equator - which is north of ALL of Australia (but not by much)

There are definitely quarantine cabins still being used / required on Australia/NZ cruises for HAL and Cunard that I know from recent travellers

True - you don't happen to have their actual Sydney number htough ie starts with 02 (from memory) - the free call numbers don't work

I think it's the opposite. On Cunard as soon as I got to 20 nights I got $45 internet credit - now at 70 nights I get $80 credit and 20% of laundry. On HAL I'd have to get 500 nights before I got $30 internet credit - that's an insult frankly. I'd have to do 200 nights just to get some meaningful benefits like 50% off some wine packages and priority tendering/embarkation

I actually thought the app looked cool because it looks like you can text your partner on board when you've lost him! And its nice to keep track of my on board spending. And it would be nice to see that they have the right about OBC loaded as you never get an acknowledgement with shareholder credit.

Thanks its still a phone number though - and I can't call a 1300 number from overseas I'm pretty sure - this really does just need an email address so they can fix it LOL

I'm new to HAL but not to the world of online accounts. I setup an account on HAL.com and they gave me a mariner number. I have an existing booking which I can login to and buy shorex and book restaurants for - but every time I have to enter the booking ref (on the website). On the app (on iOS) I can't even do that - it doesn't recognize my booking ref and says call a USA number. I could go to the trouble of finding which timezone that number and workong out what hours they operate and finding some credit on my Skype and calling them - but surely there is a better way - an email would work for me? Can't find one anywhere. I'm guessing they dont' do anything as modern as WhatsApp?

Except Cunard doesn't have unlimited free laundry as a 'perk' - I think you get a small discount. They do have free laundromats though. I guess that's why they don't do it - because your expectations need to quite different on different lines

Does your travel insurance not cover the costs of a friend to come out and stay with your and help you get home?

That was scheduled after she missed Fiordland and Dunedin. The whole of the South island is forecast for sunny weather - and Wellington is fine but a bit cloudy - this is a north of the north island and the east coat thing

But only the Territory and maybe Cape York - andnow lifted. Physics 101 wasn't going to affect the Tasman Sea

Yes they are quoting me over C$200 for the day maybe cheaper to do a tour!

Cyclone Hale - 6m swells they are suggesting Cyclone Hale: Auckland set to be hit, more areas brace for worst of storm set to last days | Stuff.co.nz

Yup - works worldwide - so nice not to have to bother with travellers cheques and changing local currency all over!

Of course the menu is in the currency of the country! You can use your card they will charge you in C$ and the bank willdo the conversion

Can I ask which agency you are using? We are also visiting Sydney in August and I'm thinking I'd like a car and to be able to easily combine Louisville and the Graham Bell museum.

And bonus for when we went through last year it was the most relaxed and easiest entry into the USA we've ever had. Short queue, really pleasant staff - it was night and day compared to LAX

You get creative - we are flying to Boston from NZ for a cruise this year - Hawaiian does direct to Boston from HNL so we considered a stop over there. In the end we wil ljust go with the 4 hour layover - at least it splits the legs equally.

Yes I saw that! Bizarre itinerary - the "cruise" to Picton take 3.5 hours and is very scenic - yet they were planning on doing it overnight?? What a waste

For Wellington - take the cable car if you wish - but then get the (I think) free shuttle over to Zealandia(from the top of the cable car) and spend 2 hours wondering through the NZ bush seeing the native birds - far more NZ than the botanic gardens. You can then bus or take their free shuttle to Wakefield St - very near to Te Papa . Antarctic Centrre is fantastic in Christchurch - out near the airport Larnach Castle is worth it - in part because of the drive out along the Peninuslar. However if you like colonial history I rather like Olveston House - a complete Victorian House - with all the "downstairs" room - not just the pretty stuff