Bescotti

Yes, your pre-purchased shore excursions definitely count towards your Mariner cruise day credits.

If there are any HAL excursions I want to do, I book early online to reserve a place, especially if they are popular - I can always cancel online without penalty prior to the cruise if I change my mind.

In Europe (and I believe Australia), if we cancel, we lose our deposit from the day we book no matter how far we are before final payment.

Fortunately for those booking in Australia, in the last two years our booking and cancellation policies have fallen in line with the USA and Canadian terms and conditions.

I'm a solo Aussie traveller who uses this forum for the wealth of information available here. On my roll call this year for a Med cruise though, I found more Brits and Aussies than North Americans.

I have also found that on port intensive cruises I prefer open seating so I can dine in my own time. The last time I chose fixed seating a couple of nights I was the only one at the table as the others were late back from excursions. With open seating I often met up with new friends for dinner. Whichever seating you choose, definitely join your roll call.

I now prefer to cruise solo as I meet more people!

Are the questions suited to all nationalities or mostly geared to Americans? (if so, I shall recruit some Americans to our team). How many on a team? Are there prizes? Are there normally people who take it far too seriously as on most ships :) I think it can be just so much fun and a great way to meet new people! Look forward to hearing from those who know!

A lot depends on where you cruise. When I have joined cruises from the US I've found that a lot of questions were geared for the North American audience. This past August on a NA Mediterranean cruise with a large contingent of Aussies and British on board the trivia questions were more general. The afternoon trivia in the Crows Nest had pins as prizes and the pub trivia often had a bottle of champagne as the prize - which we were able to swap for a bottle of wine in the MDR at dinner.

HAL's 5 day "sale" When checking on the cruise I'm interested in next year, I found that it didn't make any difference to fares whether I used my Mariner ID or not - i.e. the sale is available to all new bookings.

The cruise I'm looking at isn't until August 2014 and I found that there were small savings in inside cabins and bigger savings in suites (SY - SA). Unfortunately there were no savings to be had in oceanview and balcony, and in some cases the fares have gone up $50 (probably more of a US$/A$ currency adjustment) for my particular cruise. I'm also looking at single supplement. This year though I didn't see any price drops until the beginning of Febuary for my August 2013 cruise.

So, depending on when and where you are cruising and what cabin category - seems to be more of a focus on Sth Pacific and Mediterranean - you might find some savings but for myself, it's not going to make me rush out and book this week.

We are penalised here in Australia with the large non-refundable deposits we have to pay. It would be nice to be able if things here were as they are in the US, but they're not unfortunately.

Im not sure who you are booking through but I book directly with HAL Australia and receive the same booking terms as the US - fully refundable deposit right up to final payment. This was the case for my cruises both last year and this year. HAL Australia honoured all price drops up until final payment without question for me.

I don't expect to get a fare drop after final payment but up until then HAL recognises that a passenger can cancel without penalty and rebook at the new fare if they wish. For the fare drops I took advantage of, I didn't have to cancel my booking - HAL just adjusted the fare.

I think the majority of Australian passengers don't realise they can do this so they don't monitor fares for price drops.

I'm mystified as to why people think the fares should drop when the Explore4 offer ends. It's a special offer, not a reduction in fares. For we Aussies the best thing about it was having such a reduced deposit (in other countries they had a special drinks offer instead). If a Sheraton Hotel has a weekend special with breakfast and parking included, you don't expect them to drop their normal room rates when that special offer (which is a way to drum up business) ends. So many people want the cruise fares to drop, but I just don't understand that reasoning.

There are several threads on the HAL board now about the price reduction now that Explore4 has ended in the US - it finishes here on November 30 - so I see no reason not to be hopeful of some sort of price reduction here too.

I'm tracking the fares of a NZ cruise my brother is going on and for that cruise the fares just keep increasing but for Med cruises it is a different matter. I watched fare drops for my August cruise this year and received substantial drops - and ended up being upgraded into a balcony cabin after my final fare was over $2,000 less than what the original obstructed oceanview cabin was going for.

And Markarmel, there were lots of Aussies on my cruise, plus other Commonwealth passengers, so we had a Commonwealth brunch (with huge bowls of king prawns, etc) plus Aus/NZ cocktail party each sector. With the new On Location program there were more sailaway dinners and entertainment on the back deck than previous cruises I've been on. So I suggest you do what I'm going to be doing - keeping a regular watch on fares and then contacting HAL to take advantage of them.

The mail out only gives the lead-in price for some cruises, not the various cabin staterooms, and only the 14-28 day South Pacific and NZ cruises, not the 42 day cruise, are mentioned for this neck of the woods.

Now reading a lot more closely, especially all the small print, it looks as though it is a targeted mail out as I have to give my Mariner ID to get the discounts - the first time that has happened.

On Monday I'll check out fares online by not using my Mariner ID and then with it to see if there is a difference in price - in the past the fares have always been the same whether I use my Mariner ID or not.

Either way, I'll report back.

I'll have a look at the mailout when I get home tonight and report back. All fares were in AUD$ so I don't know if Kiwis can take advantage of this.

That's interesting. I didn't know there was going to be a sale then. If it's for new bookings only, I wonder if I can cancel and then re-book? I guess I'll just have to wait and see! :)

I received notification by mail. I don't know if it will just be a 'sale' because the Explore 4 component has been removed. Now that I'm home from work I've looked at the mail out and the sale is for 2-7 December and includes the 22-33 day Med cruises - and it is aimed at Aussies as you have to contact HAL Australia or your TA.

I'm looking to book the 33 night Med trip on the Noordam next year but I'm waiting to see if the prices will drop a bit first. I was on the Nieuw Amsterdam for 24 nights this past August and from when I booked in January until final payment in May I followed up on 3 price drops through HAL Sydney, saving over $2,000, or nearly a third of the original fare. I found the staff very helpful and they didn't hesitate to adjust my fare down.

If I were you I would keep checking the fares regularly for price drops and then contact HAL Sydney immediately. I know there is a sale from 2-6 December but I don't know if that is for new bookings only.

Whether the drop in the A$ adversely affects us is another matter but I am hopeful that in the new year fares might still go down.

Hi Cruisemom, you have been so generous in sharing your notes on Herculaneum so I hope you don't mind me asking for a copy for myself. I have already been to Pompeii but now want to visit Herculaneum independently on my August cruise. My email address is bevscott8 at tpg dot com dot au

Many thanks

Bev

Hi David

Can you add me for:

7 August 2013: Nieuw Amsterdam - 24 nights Magic of the Mediterranean

So far I am the only one on my roll call:eek:. Has anyone else had so little interest 7 months out? The cruise is filling though and there don't appear to be big groups either.

Bev

04 Ocotber 2012 Westerdam - Circle Hawaii Tahiti and Marquesas - 30 nights.

Thanks so much, Copper10-8, for all the info on the ss Australis. On my voyage I shared an inside 6 berth cabin with no facilities and a grotty shower room down the corridor.

I'm amused now when I read such negative reviews by some passengers because they have to use hand sanitizers or the trays have been removed. When you've sailed on some of those pre-war liners, anything build in the last 20 years is luxury!

My first cruise was on the ss Australis (Chandris lines), sailing from Southampton to Sydney in 1975. Two years later when a friend sailed home on her the crew were still talking about my cruise - 1 death due to extremely rough seas around the Cape of Good Hope when a passenger slid along the corridor and hit lift doors which opened and she fell down the lift shaft, another death on the dance floor (he was buried at sea one night of the cruise!), a 'mutiny' when the crew went on strike at sea and the passengers at second seating had to raid the kitchens to get food, a stowaway .... and the list goes on.

The Australis started out as the ss America in 1936 and ended life as the American Star, going aground and breaking up near the Canary Islands in 1993.

Despite such an 'eventful' voyage, I've kept cruising - one whiff of sea air and I want to be off!!!