CruisnGram

Thank you both for the info  

Hi everyone,  Can anyone give me some info on what the port is like in Sydney?  Our cruise line is showing zero excursions and I have done some searching for private tours and frankly, nothing appeals to me (not a big history buff).  So I am wondering what the area is around the port?  Is there shopping etc?  Or nothing to do?  Trying to decide if I want to book a tour just to drive around a bit and see Sydney or just hang by the port area. Are there taxi's standing by that offer a tour when you get off the ship that you can book? 

Thanks!

Joyce 

Thank you so much!  I have been researching some pictures and it does look like it is paved in most places (not on the beach of course)  Thank you for the info!  

Hi all,   Is the majority of Princess Cay paved?  Like for a wheel chair or scooter?  I understand of course that it is all sand in the beach areas.  I know it is a tender port but my scooter folds up automatically to the size of a suitcase and can easily be carried on the tender so even if they are not allowing folks confined to wheelchairs or scooters, I can still go since I can walk on my own (just not long distances) and my scooter folds up to be small.  TIA for your help.  

Hi everyone,

Have been to most cruiseline islands but never Princess Cay.  Can anyone tell me it has paved pathways or is it all dirt/sand?  Have a fold up mobility scooter (yes, it can be carried right on the tenders) but don't know if it is usable on Princess Cay or not.  TIA for any info you can give.

Joyce

First time I organized a M&G we went to board and were directed to the VIP area. We were in a balcony cabin and I told them there was a mistake...we were not VIP. They just said, yes you are. I had no clue as to why but hey, wasn't going to argue. We received tons of perks throughout the cruise including concierge service, priorty everything, invite to dinner with the hotel director etc. It was not until towards the end of the cruise I figured out it was because I had organized the M&G. I have done it on 4 cruises since then and haven't received a thing. So it is definitely up to the hotel director on each ship.

They did it on the Pearl last week and I refused to get naked and put on women's bra and shoes in front of crowd. Fun game.

Aww, you could have joined out team...we weren't strangers! My brother the cop did it so you could have too! LOL And you would now have that very cool NCL beachball we all got for getting 3rd place! :)

CG

This is a story that I have never really shared before. First, I'm a true skeptic, or rather I used to be. I've heard people tell these sort of stories my entire life and I just listen. Yes, I'm fascinated but not really a believer. I guess I'm just too practical in my thinking and can always come up with a "reason" for these visions.

Well, I didn't have a vision, but something occurred, with 6 other people in the room (as witnesses) that has made me truly believe that there are definitely ways that those who have passed can communicate if they desire to do so.

My mom was a very practical person. When discussions ever came up about funerals, she would always say how ridiculous it was for people to spend a fortune on a funeral. She could understand why the families wanted it to be nice, but not extravagant. In particular, when friends or family members passed away and spent a lot of money on a casket, she would always say how better spent the money would be if given to other living family members instead of spending it on something that would be put in the ground never to be seen again.

My mom passed away very suddenly leaving all of us in shock 2 years ago. When we went to make arrangements, my 3 brothers, myself and my dad were sitting in the room where they have 1/2 sizes of caskets for you to look at when choosing. They are samples of course (not full size) and are placed around the walls. Each has a large, bright, spotlight above it so you can see the casket well. When it came time to choose the casket, my dad told us kids to just look at them and pick the one we liked best. So my brothers and I were looking at all of them and narrowed it down to two. One nice one that was just a basic, bronze colored casket and one that was more intricate with delicate flowers etched into it etc. We kept going back to the flower one as it was just so beautiful. Of course the one with the flowers was twice as expensive as the other one. We were trying to decide and the director told us that we could think it over, discuss it and get back to him later in the day as to which one we wanted. So we sat back down at the table in the front of the room to finish the arrangements and not 3 minutes later, we heard a loud "pop" sound...like a small explosion, and a flash of light. It had come from the back of the room. The director even said "what the hell was that?" and all of us got up to go see what had happened. When we walked into the back of the room, it was immediately obvious that the light over the cheaper casket that we had been considering had blown. It hadn't just went out like most light bulbs do, it had exploded for some reason. The director was totally baffled as to why this had happened. There was no one else in that room and no explanation whatsoever for why that bulb had exploded. My brothes and I stood there staring at one another not believing what had happened. The director hadn't been in the room when we were looking at the caskets so he didn't know why all of us were acting as if we'd seen a ghost when it was just a broken light bulb. When we explained, he simply said "well that makes your decision for you doesn't it...your mom has told you which casket she wants".

To this day I truly believe that my mom was communicating to all of us which casket to pick...and it wasn't the expensive one! :) And of course, she got her wish. None of us would ever go against what mom said! LOL

CG

Neither. Freestyle all the way for me. I can choose to eat late one night, and early the next if I want.

CG

Can't wait to hear what you think of Bermuda and the Majesty when you get back. I hope you're not disappointed as some of us Bermudaholics can get carried away with our enthusiasm.;) I have run into a couple of people who weren't impressed and saw no reason to go back. Either you "get" Bermuda or you don't.....most do.:)

I can't imagine that I will be disappointed. I just love the "tropical" islands. I could stare at that blue water all day long. Just being on vacation, in a beautiful location, with family along is enough for me.

It's funny but until I found these message boards, I never gave Bermuda much thought. I knew people who have gone there and enjoyed it, but when I thought about cruising to a tropical location, I just thought of Bermuda being a place off the Carolina coast..never even considered going there. But when I saw all the people here who love it, plus the Majesty leaving from my home port, it was a win win situation.

Same goes for the Majesty. I know she's old. And I do think that we're going to find that she's a little worse for the wear since she has been sold. I can't imagine that NCL is spending tons of money on the upkeep of her since she's leaving soon and they are probably doing just the minimum necessary. But I have seen her (from the outside) and she's a beautiful ship, not a garbage scow! :) Our whole group is relatively easy to please and I think we will enjoy her...warts and all! :D

I'm getting excited....not long now!

CG

BTW, I DID ride, but that was before roads were not as congested, people were more courteous on the roads, there were not hot shots flying around on much more powerful bikes and the scooters that were available were peddle starts.;)

 

:D:D:D:D

Aw, what a cute picture! That's a moped isn't it? I know they used to be very popular in Bermuda. Some places still rent them.

Believe me, even those can mess you up. My mom rented one many years ago at a local resort and crashed into a curb. I never seen anyone so black and blue in all my life. It's a good think she was on a moped and not a scooter as she'd probably have been a statistic.

CG

Hey CG!:)

 

As usual you're giving good advise!;):D I didn't realize you were going two weeks after us and I'm sure you're getting anxious to go just like us!:eek: I've already started up my next group for 2010 and we're expecting pricing this week!:cool: Enjoy the rest of your weekend and speak with ya soon! Barry

Hey Barry,

Yep, we're getting very excited! I know we're only 2 weeks after you. I wanted to go with you guys but due to our business(we own school buses) we couldn't leave until we were sure school was out. It ended up a smart thing because due to bad weather this winter, we don't get out till June 12th.

Hope you guys have a wonderful time!

Joyce

Just an update for all of you that have provided such great information on this topic.

We have 4 people in our group who have never even sat on a scooter. 2 of them said no way they were renting one in Bermuda and would ride wiht one of us. The other 2 (both women) were determined to rent with us when we went to Bermuda. I tried to discourage them but they are adults, and there was only so much I could do/say...and they were insistant that they'd be just fine.

I was really, really worried, so I came up with an idea. I told them they should come over to my house and ride one of ours to get the "feel" of scooters before they rented one. Well, they came over yesterday and it didn't go well.

One was so wobbly I thought that she was going to tip over. She immediately got off and said "no way I'm riding one of these things". The other person took her turn and rode just fine, but when she came to a stop, she couldn't hold the bike up. She's a tiny little thing with zero strength in her arms and her and the bike toppled over when she stopped.

Needless to say, both have now decided that they aren't renting scooters and in fact, they don't even want to ride with anyone else. They said that the bus and ferry will be just fine for them thank you very much.

Not making light of their situation, but I have to say, I'm a happy woman! :) I love them dearly but they don't belong on a scooter in Bermuda...at least until they get more experience, and I'm really relieved that they aren't going to ride.

CG

For inside cabin, see whether your PCC or TA can get one of the larger cabin (they're still available) - deck 10 and 11 has at least one each at 235 SF, designed for HC pax. If they aren't assigned to HC pax by now, they will generally release it and if you can get one, it's so roomy that you will not need 2 cabins - just work out the bathroom arrangements since it's all in the family.

I certainly hope that the OP doesn't inquire about a HC room simply to get more space. They don't sail until July which is 3 months away and there may be someone that needs the HC room that won't be able to go if that room is taken. And, the cruise line will not bump an able bodied person from a HC room once it is booked.

Please, leave the HC rooms for those who need them.

CG

I have no doubt that if cost were no object, you would enjoy having more room. However, $1500 is a lot of money, and I completely understand why you are doing 4 to a cabin. Yes, it will be tight. But you know that going in, and I'm sure you will be just fine.

A couple suggestions. Find out if the gym has showers, and if so, let your teens shower and dress there. That will make a huge difference when all of you are getting showered and dressed. Also, once you unpack, have the steward take your luggage somewhere and store it for you. Also, go to Walmart and buy an over the door shoe hanger. It's great for storing all those small items: camera, sunscreen, sunglasses, cell phones, medication...the list goes on and on and it free's up a LOT of space and really keeps the clutter down which is going to be important for you all to keep your sanity. :)

Hope you and your family have a fabulous trip!

CG

Thanks everyone for the great input. We've discussed it and have decided to go ahead and rent. We do have a couple people in our group who are not experienced riders and we've told them we do not recommend they rent their own scooter, but to ride with one of us. We understand the general risk involved of riding, but don't want anyone hurt due to inexperience.

Does anyone know where we can pick up road maps of Bermuda? We will most likely want to ride from end to end to enjoy the scenery. But, having never been there, we have no clue where we are going.

Thanks

CG

Thank you so much for the youtube suggestion. I have no idea why I never remember that youtube has absolutely anything you want posted. :)

There are a lot of good video's there that give you a good idea of what it's like. We'll take our time and look at them and then be able to make our decision.

Thanks again for the great suggestion.

CG

I really need some honest feedback with those that have some direct knowledge of riding scooters in Bermuda.

Our family owns and rides scooters on a regular basis. We've ridden them locally and on vacation for many miles. So we are not inexperienced riders.

We are going to Bermuda in June and our plan was to rent scooters for the 3 days that we are there. However, a friend of my brothers who isn't the type of person to exagerate or use scare tactics highly advised my brother not to it.

He said that someone on his cruiseship was killed 2 years ago on a scooter in Bermuda. He said that while any accident can happen, and perhaps the person who was killed shouldn't have been riding in the first place, but that from what he has personally seen, he would not rent a scooter in Bermuda. He claimed that the roads are narrow and hilly at points and that the buses drive fast. Claims he was on a bus last year that was tailgaiting people on scooters while blowing his horn the entire time. The people on the scooters had no option but to speed up as there was no shoulder or anywhere for them to get out of the buses way. This guy is a certified rescue diver so is not faint of heart and said you couldn't pay him to ride a scooter in Bermuda.

This is something that we were really looking forward to doing, but are having 2nd thoughts. We want to have a good time, but do not want to end up dead if it truly is dangerous. We realize that you drive on the left side of the road and that there are traffic circles, etc. and would have no problem handling that, but this other stuff has us concerned.

So any experience you may have had, either riding or witnessing, would be appreciated to help us decide.

Thanks,

CG

I started another thread to report the other free stuff I forgot before.

You are the best! LOL

CG

I always wanted to sail on the Norway. Was not as big as I expected.

.

All of this was very funny, and very clever but the above................

Absolutely priceless! :D

CG

I don't have any answers for you as I've never done it...well, not yet. Our last cruise in that area, we had to skip GSC because of bad weather. I intended on doing it, but of course, didn't get the chance. On our next trip (January) I'd love to do it, but am going to wait and see how warm the water is before deciding.

The real reason that I responded to your post was simply because you made me chuckle.......thanks! :)

CG

Okay, as an old woman, know what comes to my mind 1st thing? Not that anyone could see us (like who' WANT to?) or whether or not it is appropriate (hey, it's my balcony so I can do pretty much what I want) but the fact is how damned UNCOMFORTABLE it would be on that little balcony! I can't imagine using the balcony when a perfectly comfortable bed is 3 feet away!

And hey, if I wanna feel that ocean breeze, I'll just leave the balcony door open, and crack my main cabin door and hold on to hubby for dear life when the wind tunnel starts! :D

CG

I would never walk out to them on a rising tide, however.

Ugh. I'm not afraid of water but just the thought of that gives me the creeps. I really want to see the caves, but not that up close and peronal! :-) We are on a private tour and you can bet I'm going to be very familiar with the tide charts that day so I am assured myself that we are on a falling tide. No way I'm going to just assume that our guide is that knowledgable.

We sail at 5pm. If you look at the tides for this day is appears we would only have an opportunity to explore the caves after 3pm....isn't that cutting it close since St. Martins is at least 45 minutes away from the port? TimeHeightADT(m)(ft)04:451.6 5.2 10:566.8 22.3 17:012.0 6.6 23:107.3 24.0

 

Thank you for your optimism but I am just afraid to pay that much for the excursion and then be seriously let down.

Sapper is right. If you are on an excursion through the cruise ship, they are not going to leave you. If you are close to 5 pm getting back, so what? That's their problem.

I still maintain that the ship is not going to sell a excursion to tour the sea caves and then once you are there say "oops, high tide, sorry". The tour people are professionals and I'd bet they know the exact timing of when the caves can be explored safely.

If I were you, and you really want to see the caves, I'd go for it without any hesitation.

After looking at the tide predictions it seems a waste for me to book the Sea Cave excursion since there is no way I could get there during low tide. Am I correct? We are scheduled to be in Saint John July 15. Why would the cruiseline offer this on this day if participants won't get to experience the caves?

I haven't been there yet, but I think that it will still work for you. Here's what you need to remember. The time that is posted as "low tide" is absolute low tide. However, that doesn't mean that you wouldn't have access to the caves until complete low tide. If absolute low tide is at 5 pm, you most likely would have access to the caves a couple hours before that, as the tide probably doesn't have to be all the way out before the caves are accessable. So, I'm sure that the tour company arranges their tour time so that you will have access to the caves. You are right that they wouldn't sell that excursion (advertising the sea caves) if they couldn't do it at the time you are there.

For example, if your ship sails at 5 pm, and low tide is at 5 pm, and it's a 4 or 5 hour tour, they could have you in St Martin at 1 pm. You could tour the town and the covered bridges etc. until around 3 and then have access to the caves for an hour or so before heading back to your ship.

I wouldn't worry about the tide chart if I were you. They know what they are doing and if they are selling this excursion, then they must be able to work it out.