Aus Traveller

Thanks. I will phone Portside Parking soon and will let you know how I go. I don't expect them to match the price they had on their website a couple of months ago.

I don't think I will be able to negotiate a better rate with Portside Parking, but it is worth asking.😁 I am not concerned about under-cover parking, but my husband is a bit paranoid 🤣 worried about a hail storm.

I will phone Portside Parking today about parking for our June cruise. I would like to mention the price that my friends got. I know your first names, but unfortunately I don't know your surname. Do you mind mentioning it? If you prefer, you might like to email me - peterandevon at bigpond dot com

Congratulations!! All systems 'go'.🙂

Particularly when the shuttle buses to the cruise terminal would virtually always be full, whereas those to the airport would usually have only a few people on board.

You might have got a good deal.🙂 I will try tomorrow.

Great. I originally got a price from Portside Parking of $105, but then it changed to $152.10 when we specify the booking is for a cruise. Today the price their website showed the same price. I will see if we can get a booking at $105.

The only other option I see is Portside Parking but they are more expensive. The person I spoke to at Wilsons, said that they are just getting the parking at BICT up and running and she felt that they might offer two options - under cover and open air in parking area 1. However, this was just her opinion.

Quite a puzzle. I would think that the person you mention would know the correct info. I spoke to someone at Q'd Ambulance who read from the notes they have to enable them to answer questions. This was where the info about land-based helicopter retrieval and medical evac within territorial waters came from.

What department was your written response from? By the way, I also have personal experience of a case where the medical evac from a cruise ship was treated as free ambulance transport.

The latest advice (today) from the Queensland Ambulance Service differs from what you were told. I was told that Q'ld residents are covered for free ambulance transport anywhere within Australia and within territorial waters. A helicopter evacuation from (for instance) the Glasshouse Mountains is free of charge. When I asked about medical evacuation from a cruiseship, the Q'ld Ambulance Service operator read from her notes to say that it would only apply in territorial waters. For transport on land in other states, the Q'ld resident has to forward the interstate invoice to the Q'ld government for payment. We will have to agree to disagree. I will rely on my info 🙂 that I have obtained on two separate occasions and Sinbad has also obtained.

I don't go along with bothering my MP, then the Minister, who have to refer the matter to the relevant staff. I will enquire again from Queensland Ambulance and see what they say. I do know what happened in the past (the medival evac from Ql'd territorial waters was free for a Q'ld resident).

The information you have received is at variance with what Sinbad and I got from Queensland Ambulance, the government body that would organise a medical evac. I am rather puzzled why you would ask your MP. I would not expect them to know the financial arrangement regarding a medical evac from a cruise ship. Which department did you speak to, to get your final answer?

What state do you live in?

The way Portside operated in the past was to have a few shuttle buses that ran a continuous service. They would not be able to quote times. Usually people only had to wait a few minutes for the 12-seater bus to fill before it left for the ship and the next bus would be available almost immediately. With longer to travel (15 minutes, not 7), maybe they will have another bus or two. On occasions at the end of the cruise, we wouldn't be able to get in the bus that was already loading passengers, but had to wait five minutes for the next one. The buses each had a small enclosed trailer for the main luggage.

Wilsons quoted $128.44 for a car parked in their Premium parking area 1 for our seven-day cruise. The problem is that they have some 'under shade' carparks and the rest are open air. I was told that if you arrive and there is an under shade space available, you can use it. Otherwise you park in the open. At the moment there is no option to book an under shade space. The under shade spaces are under structures that hold their solar panel array.

Wilson Parking is operating parking at the BICT. An alternative is Portside Parking who operate shuttle buses to the terminal.

I suggest you get a recommendation from someone. Some PVPs are good and some are not.

I don't believe the Carnival Board would discontinue paying the OBC. It would result in a widespread selling of shares, causing the share price to plummet. I bought 100 Carnival shares when the price was much higher than it is now. Would I buy it now at that price? No. If I didn't have shares, would I buy them now at around AUD$20 per share? You, bet I would. However, there is no advantage to buying more shares unless it is for capital gain over time.

Your TA sounds excellent. Hold onto him.

Beautiful weather in Sydney compared with Brisbane.

I received your email. Thanks.

On the short (7 day) cruises we have booked, I don't think we will bother with internet. Our sons are busy with work so we don't like to bother them with chatty emails. Out daughter is busy with family etc. If you want to buy the internet package, you would only need one to share, unlike the drinks package.

Or now planning to fill some more cabins rather than keep to 50% occupancy?

Is the specialty restaurant free on the first night? Does this have to be booked?