cjm66

Pacific Princess was our first modern cruise ship and we loved her, especially the layout on the pool / buffet deck with the aft facing dining area and shady tables by the pool for leisurely lunches. Much quicker tendering on the smaller ship if your itinerary has tender ports. I agree with other posters that service on both lines is about the same and with the differences pointed out by Pan and Marian. We really liked the more relaxed vibe on the smaller Princess ship, which suited our Pacific island itinerary better than the larger HAL or Princess ships we have tried.

Don't forget to highlight that almost every remark can be a backhanded compliment when it is delivered with the correct laconic drawl and a barely noticeable warm undertone or it can be a major insult if said more quickly without the warmth. Strine is a very tonal langiage.

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Eggs Benedict on Princess - by a wide margin the worse anywhere.

 

Coffee on Princess would be a close 2nd.

 

DON

I had an odd experience on HAL (Oosterdam). I ordered eggs Florentine, looking forward to the combination of spinach, runny egg and holland aisle sauce. It came with these but also covered in grated hard cheese. (Edit) I left in the auto correct typo as perhaps this is the right name for it. I prefer traditional hollandaise.

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Solar panels?

 

Your not talking about the sliding glass roof over the pool?

 

Btw- what is she in dry dock for anyone?

Repair and maintenance to the Azipods - a combination of propulsion motor, main propeller, rudder and stern thruster in one. Recent problems in Alaska prompted this I gather. Carpets in public areas and suites will be renewed and some soft furnishings, upholstery etc will be refurbished. The hull will be cleaned, polished and repainted to improve speed through the water. Plus general titivation, spit and polishing. Information gathered on ship's tour three weeks ago.

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I hope they are right. It might be worth going down to watch. 2m is not allot of clearence considering the ship is likely to be high in the water due to all the fuel it will consume on the way over. I wonder if Vista ships can suck in ballast water to bring their hull lower in the water.

 

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I forgot to mention that the faster the ship goes the lower she will be in the water. The Captain and Third Officer did explain this phenomenon but I did not take it in. I was also not sure we were not being treated to Dutch humour.

Update on the Oosterdam debate. Captain Draper confirmed that the Oosterdam could/would fit under the bridge - the timing was critical - must be at low water when there will be the minumum 2 metres clearance required by Sydney Ports for a cruise ship to sail under the bridge. The highest point is not the funnel. It is the adt navigation light. He seemed to be aware of the interest in this. And no I did not ask what would happen if the O missed the timing on the way in. Presumably the newly maintained azipods will get her across the ditch in time on Jan 2nd? I think that is the first sail under. The bridge visit was up there with the laundry as the high point of the tour. Colleen

MMMmmm ..

Just wondering what "soft furninshings in pubic areas" will be.:D:D:D

Don't know yet how to roll about laughing on an iPad. I am sure the puns could go on for several exchanges. Colleen

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Enjoy that cocktail.:D

 

How did you get to organise a tour to the bridge? Are you doing the tour of the ship?

 

Your cruise is going quick.

I did the ships tour on Tuesday. They can no longer schedule the bridge visit while we are underway so that is being done when we are docked at Noumea. Yes it is going qickly now.

The Hotel Director is Robert Versteeg. Captain as above - Henk Draper. The Captain is unobtrusive and makes a very short weather and position report once a day, but he did find the hole in the clouds so is to be congratulated. The hotel Director was forthcoming about the dry dock. Purpose is to clean and polish the hull for fuel economy, do necessary maintenance on the azipods and renew carpet and some soft furninshings in pubic areas and suites plus some general manicuring and tidification.

They are offering chilren's cooking classes on the Oosterdam - last one was cheesy pretzels. One grandother on board spoke very highly of Club HAL. The area itself is not extensive but apparently they spend a lot of time in activities around the ship and the staff are excellent according to my informant. Colleen

We have a visit to the bridge on the Oosterdam scheduled for Noumea on Sunday. I may get the chance to ask but I suspect the response will be equivocal - depends, it's up to the port authorities etc. BTW we were refunded $4.49 pp for missing Mackay. Almost enough for a cocktail!

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Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD. Oops double post.

First time on two counts. Uploading with iPad and watching an eclipse.

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Your Australian fans are also falling about laughing.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1731605

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Does anyone know if a printout of my prescriptions from the pharmacy will suffice?

I rang the TGA , therapeutic goods administration, office and got the following advice. Turnaround time on applications to import restricted items can vary according to the product from a few days to two weeks. She offered to put me through to a pharmacist but not knowing the medication, this would not be helpful. I asked about the print out for other meds instead of original prescriptions and she advised that this should be OK, provided the documentation had your name on it, the pharmacy name and the names of the medications. It would not be sufficient for the permit application. Hope this helps. I will ring them with follow up questions if you wish. There is a delay getting through so calling from the US could be problematic. She also agreed that taking copies of your application and the supporting documentation and trying for an 'on entry' approval from customs would be the way to go if your permit did not come through in time. Good luck!

This has me very concerned. One of my prescriptions is on their restricted list and I need a permit to bring it into the country! I'm leaving in 2 weeks. This is causing me anxiety and my prescription is to control anxiety. Isn't this just wonderful.

Begin the process now, by getting the documentation from your doctor as outlined on the web site and email it off ASAP. Keep hard copies of this documentation, in case there is no answer before you depart. Declare and explain what has happened to customs, show your copies of your application, prescription and medication in original packaging and await a decision at point of entry. Cover yourself by asking your doctor to prescribe something as a substitute that is NOT on the list. Ask you doctor to check if the medication is available in Australia as a second back up and be prepared to visit a doctor here for a prescription. The documentation needed for your import application should be sufficient for the local doctor to be confident prescribing the medication. Your current prescription will not be honoured in an Australian pharmacy. I hope it all works out for you. We had a similar issue going the other way and had a positive outcome at the point of entry, but what worked for us entering the UK may not work here.

I heard they they are very strict when it comes to bringing in prescription drugs to Australia. You have to bring original prescriptions with doctors orders. That would take up half my suitecase. Has anyone had problems with them confiscating their medicine? What do you do if they do, this could mean life or death to some people.

Here is one of several Q&A's on the official Australian Government web site.

I am travelling to Australia by plane or ship and need to bring my medication with me. What do I need to do?

Provided that your medication IS NOT subject to regulation 5H (or in certain circumstances regulation 5G) of the import regulations you can bring it into Australia for the purpose of treating your own medical condition or treating a passenger who is under your care, provided that you have a prescription or a letter from your doctor to confirm that the medicine was prescribed by a medical practitioner. So that you comply with other Australian legislation covering therapeutic products you should ensure that the maximum amount of medicine you bring is equivalent to 3 months’ supply at the maximum dose recommended by the manufacturer.

To check out if anything you are carrying in is listed under one of the prohibitions, go to the web site. You do not need both a letter AND a prescription. We always travel with our prescriptions in case of an issue with our supply while we are away.

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/general-guidance-for-travellers-bringing-medicines-to-and-from-australia

Hope this helps!

Hello David, please with regret cancel Sea Princess 26 January 2013.

Thank you Sandy great review. Were the villagers on Wala still offering the island walkabout with performances along the way? I would go back for that alone. I agree the itineraries ex Sydney for 2013 are not so attractive. Colleen

Does any one know the price of the shuttle?

Barb

This varies according to the cruise line - it is not a service provided by the port but is organised by the local shipping agents. About $15 - $20 AUD seems common. The taxi fare will be about $58-$60 and take 30 minutes - probably a longer travelling time for a shuttle bus. It is 25 Km - about 16 miles. I found this information sheet by the Brisbane ports authority. It may help.

http://www.portbris.com.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=6vbkfmd3QA0%3D&tabid=157

The taxi rank is controlled and not a free for all. I did manage to contact the taxi authority who confirmed this. Colleen

Please cancel Sea Princess 25 Jan 2013. Thanks

Thank you M Bruce. I grew up with Autumn colours and miss them.

Love the seal / sea lion. Which is s/he?

Our E docs for 7 November Oosterdam Cruise are now available. This is a copy and paste.

And on two Saturdays in March, the O is booked according to Sydney Ports web site into the new White Bay terminal. On 2 March she transfers late afternoon to the OPT to O/N until Sunday.

Hi everyone,

 

My husband and I will be sailing into Sydney in November and we are staying for 3 nights after the cruise ends. On Sunday, Nov 25th we have to be at the airport at around 6:30pm for our flight back to the States. We are staying at the Sofitel Wentworth hotel. Would the train be a good idea to take to get to the airport from there? And if we did take the train, how early should we get on board the train to make it to the airport by 6:30pm?

 

Thanks so much for the helpful suggestions on this post (and other posts). Appreciate it very much.

 

- Linda

The closest train station is Martin Place but it is not on the airport line so you would need to change trains and platforms at Central Station - a hassle! You are several blocks from Wynyard Station or Circular Quay, both on the Airport line. At that time city traffic will be light and the airport traffic will also be lighter than on a weekday so I would take a taxi. You will be able to test out the walking distances in your three days - enjoy.