JJK2008
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Posts posted by JJK2008
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3 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:
So it's so close now, We fly out to Boston tomorrow. I started an "Observations" thread on the HAL board. If you're interested I'll be posting there from time to time. We may book the cruise section of our down under adventure while on this cruise, it all depends on whether HAL seems a good fit for us.
Wakey wakey is 0300 tomorrow (for us) 21 Aug 2023, it's going to be a long day.
Safe Travels......
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10 minutes ago, JJK2008 said:
Thank You, will do.
Sorry I didn't notice the Victoria, BC at first. Beautiful city, we were there pre-covid. Took the ferry across from Port Angeles. Coincidently it was Deuce Days. Perfect timing on our part.
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5 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:
For good ideas see the pie thread, lots of banter there.
Thank You, will do.
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I must confess that this has been a learning experience. I never heard of an Australian "meat pie" before. I was familiar with meat pies in England, so I assumed the Aussie version was similar. Will be in Oz for much of October & November. Looking forward to sampling the meat pies in various cities. We have a number of Aussies friends that live scattered along the east coast from Sydney up to the Sunshine Coast. We have a rental car planned and will do touring to visit with them. Through emails, they are already starting the banter about who can show us a better time in their part of Australia. I was thinking that I can stir the pot a bit by asking them where would have the best meat pies. I can pose the question and then sit back and watch the friendly feuding begin. Good entertainment🤣😇😁. Any tips or suggestions to help me fuel the fire would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
John
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On 8/2/2023 at 12:21 PM, compozer said:
I downloaded the same site that I used on my phone and posted a screen shot of. It worked fine but would not accept a picture. Trie 15 times then I decided to try taking a picture outside. Worked great the first time. Did the same with my husband.
all done!
thanks for all the help
Glad you got it done. We also had an issue with photos being accepted. Through research we found a post that recommended turning the flash on the camera/phone fully on and then take the picture. This worked for us. Apparently, the flash being on blocks out any shadows that were causing the pictures to be rejected. I would think going outside as you did to take the picture achieved the same thing. Good job.
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We've cruised Carnival a number of times. They are budget cruise line market themselves as such. Knowing that, we have always been satisfied with Carnival and will cruise with them in the future. Catching a good deal during winter or even in the summer months is still worth it to us. A chance at a variety of food, shows, out at sea are what we look for.
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5 minutes ago, JJK2008 said:
This is the OFFICIAL NZ ETA online site. NZeTA application - request an NZeTA | Immigration New Zealand
The cost for the NZ phone app is $17 NZD or $23 NZD to do it with the online site. We couldn't get the phone app to work so we used the online version. There is also a "tourist tax" called an IVL that is also tacked on. So, the total to do it online is $58 NZD which is about $35 USD for each ETA. Your total for both of you should be no more than $70-$73 USA dollars depending on the exchange rate at the time to get it. We paid $36.60 for each ETA back in May. Good Luck.
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8 hours ago, compozer said:
I had no problems applying for the Australian visa for myself and my husband.
A friend told me when she did the New Zealand one, she had to pay ($99 plus $35) before she could enter any information. When I did it, it did not ask for payment until the end.
After 20 tries to get a photo of my husband, we were finally successful. I filled out all the information then they asked for payment of$58 - $23 for electronic travel authority fee, and $35 for international visitors conservation, and tourism levy.
Talking with my friend we don’t know which site is correct. People have talked about third-parties that charge a fee but I don’t want to pay until I make sure I’m on the correct sight.
Anyone apply lately? Thanks for any help.46 minutes ago, JJK2008 said:I don't know what site you used, but there are a number or 3rd party site that are NOT official Govt., sites that will charge to administration fees. From reading here on CC we were aware of these 3rd party sites when we started our booking process. We made certain we were on the Official Govt site. The 3rd party sites look very official but are NOT connected to the Govt., sites. Make certain you are on the Official NZ & Oz Govt., sites. The Australia phone app worked with no problem. The NZ phone app we could not get to work. We did the NZ ETA on-line. The Total cost for us in US Dollars was $36. 60 EACH, $73.20 US Dollars for BOTH ETA's. There was no added costs or administrative fees. The on-line version costs only a few dollars more than the phone app, but it worked for us. I hope this helps.
This is the OFFICIAL NZ ETA online site. NZeTA application - request an NZeTA | Immigration New Zealand
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7 hours ago, compozer said:
I had no problems applying for the Australian visa for myself and my husband.
A friend told me when she did the New Zealand one, she had to pay ($99 plus $35) before she could enter any information. When I did it, it did not ask for payment until the end.
After 20 tries to get a photo of my husband, we were finally successful. I filled out all the information then they asked for payment of$58 - $23 for electronic travel authority fee, and $35 for international visitors conservation, and tourism levy.
Talking with my friend we don’t know which site is correct. People have talked about third-parties that charge a fee but I don’t want to pay until I make sure I’m on the correct sight.
Anyone apply lately? Thanks for any help.I don't know what site you used, but there are a number or 3rd party site that are NOT official Govt., sites that will charge to administration fees. From reading here on CC we were aware of these 3rd party sites when we started our booking process. We made certain we were on the Official Govt site. The 3rd party sites look very official but are NOT connected to the Govt., sites. Make certain you are on the Official NZ & Oz Govt., sites. The Australia phone app worked with no problem. The NZ phone app we could not get to work. We did the NZ ETA on-line. The Total cost for us in US Dollars was $36. 60 EACH, $73.20 US Dollars for BOTH ETA's. There was no added costs or administrative fees. The on-line version costs only a few dollars more than the phone app, but it worked for us. I hope this helps.
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4 hours ago, westborocruiser said:
I just started working on booking this with Viator today. Hope it works out. Princess is no longer offering tours of this. Did your reservation get canceled?
Well so far, our reservation is still on. The latest info I got from Viator was that Hobbiton is still doing tours during the construction but that certain parts of the original tour will not be included. In particular the outside of the Hobbit Houses built into the hill as seen in the movie. From what I know, this is where the construction is happening. They are creating an inside of the Hobbit Houses like in the movies. Whereas before they were only an outside facade. The tour will also be shorter than the original one. Construction is scheduled to be complete by the end of November. But that is NOT set in stone. All we can do is hope for the best.
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18 hours ago, ozdevil said:
Bonza is another airline to look at however they are reasonably new and dont fly the convential routes
also if your planning on hiring a vehicle you can can some very good cheap rentals that wont cost you an arm an a leg . if you can snag a vehicle relocation to an area you want to see in the area your in and to the destination your heading this could even save you airfare costs
for example you may get a small hatch back from sydney airport to brisbane 4 days free and after that $25/day with 2000km +1 free tank of fuel +road tolls in Sydney and Brisbane include and only a $500 dollar bond
https://www.transfercar.com.au/search?sort_col=extras&view_by=list&page=3
Even camper van relocations can be done as well
Great info....Thank You
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On 6/27/2023 at 8:28 AM, Worldtraveler 4727 said:
We are visiting Sydney Oct 22 & 23 and would like to tour the Sydney Opera House. I understand advance tickets are recommended.
Can anyone tell me why their 1 hour tour on the official Opera House site is $43, and the seemingly same tour through TripAdvisor and Viator is $29.22?
Any "Insider Advice" on touring the Opera House welcome as well.
Thank you!
October 21 & 22 the opera House is celebrating their 50th anniversary with FREE tours. This is a ticketed event but there is no cost for the tickets. Tickets are not available yet, but you can go to the Opera House website and sign up to receive information when they are released.
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On 6/27/2023 at 6:56 PM, Bubbeh said:
Your skydiving quote is PRICELESS. I LOVE it. I'm going to use that quote. PERFECT!!!
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You folks are the BEST!!! Thank You for all the replies.
John
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OK going to ask for more opinions. My DW and I will be spending about 6 weeks in Australia in October and November with a two-week NZ cruise in the middle of our Oz adventures. Our plan is to see as much as possible in the time we have. We're planning fly/drive combinations to various places in Oz and are in the process of booking our domestic flights. We've read all the bad things about Jetstar. We came across Rex Airlines which will have flights on one of the city-to-city legs we were looking at. We know nothing about Rex Airlines. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks, in advance.
John
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I confess I've never heard of Dr. Jurd's Jungle Juice but certainly am intrigued to give it a try. Is it available anywhere in Australia or only at Wollombi Tavern???
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4 hours ago, crewsgirl said:
We are finally considering taking the plunge and would like to plan our first trip to AUS/NZ, possibly during March 2024 and need a little insight on which ship/itiernary to choose. I want to spend a few days in Sydney beforehand, visit Hobart if possible,and enjoy a stop for the lovely NZ white wines. Looking for the most efficient pricing and if you have any tips on where to search for that, it would be most appreciated. Is it possible to use an Australian TA to book a cruise if we are US citizens? We just got off Celebrity Reflection, and we also like HAL, but open to other cruise lines, not opposed to a smaller ship if it affords availability of smaller, interesting ports of call. Would love to hear your compelling thoughts on which ship does this area the best and which ports are not to be missed. We are active mid/late 60s, love nature, no mobility issues, enjoy new adventures, and want to have plenty of time to plan this trip. Thanks in advance.
WOW!!! Where to begin. There are many on CC doing exactly what you are planning. Without overwhelming you, I'd suggest checking out not only this forum but also check the roll calls for the ships that are already doing a Down Under cruise. We are booked on Princess for a New Zealand cruise out of Sydney. It is claimed that Princess is the largest cruise line doing the Down Under Cruises. Not sure what the "largest" means or even if it's true. But price wise they were in our budget, plus they offered many different itineraries and checked a lot of the boxes we were looking for. We are planning 8 weeks of travel doing the cruise to New Zealand and then in country Australia. We are splitting the Australia weeks between driving and flying. We'll fly to a section of the country, rent a car drive and then fly out of a different city to another location and do the same thing. This is a daunting task to organize, but it can be done, as we've done it in Europe and planning it is a great experience as well. We have found that these forums in CC have provided invaluable information and have saved us a lot of time and effort. The locals from Australia and New Zealand have been Outstanding in their offers to help and give suggestions. I'm sure you'll agree. Stay Safe & Healthy.
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Some updated news on the Hobbiton Movie Set tours. As always, I suggest people do their own research and CONFIRM for themselves this info. The Hobbiton Movie Set is scheduled to undergo a construction project through November. Our original tour company (Zealandier Tours) was unable to book anything for the upcoming season and emails I received from them was that the set was going to be closed with no official reopening date scheduled. This was most disturbing for us since visiting the movie set was an anticipated highlight of our trip. Princess Cruise Lines offered an excursion to Hobbiton and is still taking reservations. We found this peculiar assuming that at some later date the excursion would be cancelled. But to cover our tracks we booked this excursion with Princess. Doing more research, we have now discovered that the Hobiton Movie Set will NOT be closed completely and will still be giving tours through the construction period. Some of the set may not be available for tours but tours will still be taking place. So, we went back onto the Viator website and sure enough they are offering a 6hr tour to Hobbiton, slightly different than the one we had previously tried to book. The tour is catered to cruise passengers. It picks you up at the pier and guarantees return time to the ship. This tour is conducted in a small van (12 passengers) rather than a bus that the cruise ship uses. The cost is slightly less than the cruise ship. So, my DW and I have this excursion booked with Viator as well. As we get closer, we should know whether or not one or the other excursion will happen, and we can cancel accordingly. Viator has a 24 cancellation policy and the cruise ship has a I think 5 days cancellation. So, should be plenty of time to confirm the excursion. Hope this info is helpful. Again, confirm for yourselves.
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21 hours ago, Kristelle said:
JJ - you have illustrated quite well why we in Australia do not want tipping culture to creep in here - hence you will see sticky (similar on TA) in the Aust/NZ ports of call section about tipping here and the advice of DO NOT TIP
of course when we are in other countries where tipping is the thing, we should abide by that (or do an all inclusive tips included package)
but please please do not bring it here.
I just wish everyone would adhere to the "when in Rome, do as the Romans" saying states. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
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12 hours ago, MMDown Under said:
When I first travelled to the US the tip for a meal was 10%. with alcohol 15%. Now 20-30% of meal cost seems a lot. My friends in the South go to cafeterias where there is no tipping.
A small amount is left for person cleaning the table.
Sadly, it has gotten so bad that many Restaurants will actually have the "suggested tip" printed at the bottom of the bill. 20% being the minimum, 25% for better service, 30% for excellent. These are of course suggestions and NOT mandatory. But the point is, it has gotten so bad that the expectation is a tip of some amount no matter the quality of the service. This makes no sense to me. I adamantly disagree with this mindset. If the food and service is good, I don't need a reason to tip, the food and service speak for themselves. But I refuse to tip for bad service and bad food. The "obligation" to tip becomes a mindset and ultimately removes the incentive to provide good service/food. Just my humble opinion.
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9 hours ago, arxcards said:
It's OK though. Many Aussies struggle to adjust to the custom of tipping when travelling to the US too. Some will blatantly not tip because they don't agree with a tipping culture, which is equally ignorant.
Good post. The difference is the wage structure. Unlike Oz where service people make a good wage, in the US, waiters, waitresses, bartenders, etc., are considered "tipped" employees and receive a Federal minimum wage of $2.13 per hour. They rely on their tips to make a decent wage. That is why for a waiter/waitress for example the customary tip for say a meal of $50, would be 20%-30% of the meal price. So, in this case the tip would be $10 - $15 on top of the meal price. Tipping of others such as taxi drivers, porters, etc., is not as consistent. Tips given to these folks for Good Service for example is usually a small amount of a couple of dollars or such. Sadly, in the US tipping has become expected. So, good service is not automatic as too many workers expect a tip of some amount no matter how they perform. Worse yet, porters at the airport for example control where your bags go. If you want to be sure your bags go where you want them to go, a good tip is a bit of an insurance policy. It's really a form of extorsion. But that has what has evolved from the "expected tip" culture. The key point is to "do as they do" in the country you're in.
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15 hours ago, arxcards said:
Another tip to saving money in Sydney, for a US perspective. The tip is - don't tip. Don't tip your cab driver, don't tip your tour guide or driver, don't tip the concierge, don't tip the maid, don't tip the waiter. The service is already included in the price.
To stay in Sydney with a view of the harbour is expensive. Stay in the same hotel but no harbour view and the price drops down considerably. Stay a 15 minute train ride away and it is even cheaper, and there are plenty of good local eateries out in the suburbs, where most locals will eat.
Then again, pay the price and have a view like this from your hotel room. Sometimes a discounted price also discounts the experience!
Good advice. One thing you point out that is VERY important in my opinion is to abide by the customs of the country you're in. Sadly, some Americans seem to have a hard time doing this. This mindset is baffling to me. Regarding tipping, I've read a number of posts on different forums, including this one, about tipping where some of my fellow Americans will openly say they will tip as they do here in the US because they feel "it is the right thing to do" even when they KNOW it is not the custom of that country/culture. This blatant arrogance is truly unfortunate. Thanks for your insight, much appreciated.
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20 hours ago, wlbox said:
What are the best ports and scenic cruising locations for a New Zealand cruise? Definitely need help choosing a good cruise on Celebrity, HAL or Princess. We’re from US and it’s a long way so want good itinerary. Even considering returning back via ship. Thank you I’m not knowledgeable about these ports.
Princess Cruise Lines seems to be the leader in offering the most options for cruising New Zealand. We have a cruise booked for November this year that covers a number of ports for both the north and south islands. It's not ideal but should give us a bit of a taste for New Zealand. Plenty of threads on here with cruises visiting New Zealand that give lots of good info and suggestions. Best of luck.
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Finally, was able to get our New Zealand ETA. For weeks now we kept getting errors messages with the phone app. Switched to the on-line version and got it to work. It was slightly more money, but it worked. A small tip that may be of help to those using the on-line application instead of the phone app. You are required to upload a photo. The photo must meet certain size requirements, etc. After several attempts at downloading photos and having them rejected, my DW and I started searching the internet. We found a post that advised turning the flash on when you take the picture. IT WORKED!!! Apparently, the flash will block out any shadows that were causing the photo to be rejected. This is for the photos uploaded to the on-line application NOT the phone app. I have no idea if the same issue arises with the phone app. Good Luck
Australian Literature Festival at Sea
in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
Posted
Hey Britni, WELCOME to CC. This site can be a bit overwhelming. There are numerous threads to explore with lot of colorful tales and information to enjoy. Because of the voluminous amount of info on this site, I'd suggest being patient and persistent. When you find a thread that you like you can click the "follow" button and get notifications anytime a new post to that thread is written. We have an Oz/Kiwi cruise coming up in November. This will be my first time "Down Under" and as such of course I turned to CC for advice and info. My experience with the folks on here has been priceless. When it comes to travel, I have found CC to be invaluable. Loads of experienced folks from all over the world more than willing to share their experience and knowledge. Just ask and they will respond. We have met many "friends" here on CC over the years, some in person, some just CC friends. In fact, in addition to our upcoming cruise we are spending time in Oz visiting friends along the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast that we had met on CC and then travelled together on a River Cruise in Europe. That was pre-covid so it's been a few years since we've seen each other. Really looking forward to seeing them again. One thread in particular you may enjoy is the Australian and New Zealand Cruisers thread that provides a wealth of information from your fellow Aussies and Kiwis. This thread might be the perfect forum to ask about the Australian Literature Festival. Anyway, welcome to CC, I hope it proves to be as beneficial as it has been to us. I may seek suggestions from you on Melbourne as that is also on our travel plans😊. Stay Safe & Healthy.
John