Aus Traveller

I suggest you do some sums and work out whether or not it would be cost effective for you to book the Plus fares. Consider if it would be better for you to pay for drinks as you go and pay the daily rate for the internet. Are you platinum or elite? If so you get 50% discount on the internet charge. You could easily work out what the daily 'saving' would be to book the Saver fare.

I am pretty sure that if the two people are on the same booking, they will both have to be on the plus package.

We will be on the NZ 6th Feb cruise. After reading your posts here, I look forward to meeting you on board. 🙂

After crossing the Anzac Bridge, turn hard left at the second set of traffic lights into James Craig Road, The last couple of times we went there pre-pandemic, there were signs 'White Bay Cruise Terminal' (or similar wording) - different from the early days after White Bay opened.

A few of ours have disintegrated in the last few months.

Wow! The free blue carry bags!! We didn't get one on our June cruise on the Coral. I could have done with one to take the place of the several bags that disintegrated while sitting unused for the last three years.

I am glad Princess looked after you. We were on the Pacific Encounter from 5th November for a week. An older gentleman we had met on an earlier cruise was also on board. At our first port (Noumea) he was taken away by ambulance. As he was travelling alone we were concerned how he would get on. Later I emailed him to see if he was OK. He said that on the first night of the cruise he became ill (high temp and high blood pressure) so the on-board doctor decided he should be treated in hospital in Noumea. He was there for a week. He said that P&O looked after him very well and that they organised his flights from Noumea to his home in Cairns.

Yes, it was.

Sorry to say, but in our experiences with Princess over many years, they are consistent in their inconsistency. 😁

The bar soap/liquid soap must vary. We had a mini suite on the Coral and had liquid soap.

Under 12s were counted in the unvaccinated quota, but I seem to recall an announcement a while ago that unvaccinated children would no longer be included in the count.

I suggest if there isn't a shuttle bus available on the day, that you catch a taxi to the CBD.

On Princess ships in Australia you will find bath gell and a combined shampoo/conditioner. There is also a pull-out clothes line, but don't confuse it with the red emergency cord over the bath. 😁 There will not be a kettle in any Princess cabins in Australian ships. There are no other toiletries. BTW, I suggest you only use the bath in the mini suite as a bath if you are very agile because it is very difficult to get out of. Using it as a shower is OK because you remain on your feet.

I read a news report that the NSW government is going to introduce a levy ($1.20 I think it was) on all taxi/uber fares to be used as compensation for the loss of value of taxi plates.

You misunderstand. 😁 If there is no levy for taxis at the OPT, surely it is better that we know it and then refuse to pay a scamming taxi driver the extra.

That was my suggestion - a scam.

We aren't "discussing for days if a taxi should cost $5 or $10 more or less". One point under discussion is whether there is a surcharge to take a taxi from the OPT compared with one from Central Railway station. When it was stated as fact that there is a surcharge, I am trying to verify it. Once again, I am dubious. A surcharge wouldn't stop me taking a taxi from the OPT. I pay it rather than walk the extra distance dragging luggage. This was the suggestion made earlier.

Yes. She/he did. After extensive checking I can't see where this is an official surcharge (like the one from the airport). I floated the idea that it might have been the taxi driver's personal surcharge. 😁

Uhh?? Of course the toll on the tunnel applies to all vehicles that use it. We still don't know for sure if there is a levy on taxis using the rank at the OPT. A $5.10 levy has to be paid by taxis using the airport.

I realise there is a toll if the taxi uses the tunnel, but this applies to taxis that pick up passengers at the OPT or near Central Railway Station.

I cannot find information online whether or not a taxi rank levy applies at the OPT. The levy at the airport is $5.10. If there is a levy at the OPT, I doubt that it would be $10 but I am inclined to think there is no levy. Is it possible that a taxi driver told his passengers there is a $10 levy and collected the money himself??😁

Thanks for your post. You have confirmed that there is a levy for taxis using the OPT taxi rank.

I know there is a levy on taxis using the airport, but I am dubious about your suggestion of a levy applying at the OPT.🙂 Graham (gbenjo) would know. We have caught taxis many times from the airport or from the cruise terminal and the fare varies by several dollars depending on many factors other than a levy.

Are you saying that a taxi from outside the railway station would be cheaper than one outside the OPT? If so, why? Are there shuttle buses (other than the cruiseline's) outside the terminal? I ask because I haven't ever seen any waiting there.

We have only done the tour in the opposite direction - Akaroa to Christchurch. I don't think there was a toilet on the bus.