tropical dreams

With all the negative press Heathrow is getting I am worried about my bag ever making it to the cruise. Luggage forward was mentioned but they also have some negative reviews. Anyone have any advice?

Given the problems in Heathrow I am looking to find recommendations for companies that ship bags from the US to international ports. I would like to hear specifically who you used and the pros and cons if any. 

Thanks for your help!

Thanks for the info

We are doing a back to back Regent cruise and the layover will be in London. Are there any shopping areas near the port? Specifically we would like to get to a bookstore and a place to buy some Cadbury chocolate. We could get a taxi if needed.

I am looking for anyone who has sailed the Galapagos on the Flora. How do the shore excursions work? Do you have to sign up like a regular cruise and is there a chance you could be closed out of a tour? We are trying to choose between the Flora and the Isabela II. Any other input would be welcomed.

Final payment is almost due. This cruise has already been rolled over from last year. My understanding is that the Cook Islands are closed. We are probably just going to cancel because I have lost confidence with communication from my ta. I don’t want to roll it again because I heard prices are going to be all over the place, similar to airline pricing. Is there anyone who is still planning on sailing?  Have you been given any information about ports to replace the Cook Islands? Thank goodness I was able to do this cruise  11 years ago.

Although i have been cruising for years this will be our first 5 day Disney cruise with my 5 1/2 year old granddaughter. She loves princesses and I know she will have a great time. I am looking for specific information and details about the character breakfasts, the bibbidi bobbidi boutique and the tea.  It is hard to know if these are something we should consider when I don't know anything about them.   She already has princess dresses we can bring but she is excited about getting her nails done. What happens during each of these activites? Are they  age appropriate for her? Do they all need to be booked in advance?

Thanks so much for your help. If there are any other tips please feel free to share.

Thanks for this information and replying to my other post about spending the day in Abu Dhabi. I think we will stay at the hotel at the airport if we can get a driver and guide in Abu Dhabi for the day. We did that in Istanbul and it worked out well. Is this something that we could arrange? Would you have any suggestions? It would just be so much easier than a hop on hop off bus.

Thanks

Karen

Thank you for the information. Luckily we will be there on a Thursday. I will look into hotels and the hop on hop off bus.

We get off the Regent Cruise at 8am and have all day to see Abu Dhabi. Should we drop suitcases off at the airport  and then continue to sight see or we are planning to book a hotel near the airport so maybe we can leave bags there. How easy is it to sight see and get around with out a car? Given the short amount of time we have here are there sights we should put on our to do list? Any information would be helpful. 

We have a 2am flight out of Abu Dhabi and want to get a clean inexpensive room to rest and shower before the flight that has airport shuttle if possible. Please let me know if you have any recommendations. Thanks

She can adapt to the time. I was wondering more how it might affect the childrens activites or do they kind of stop during the dinner times.

This will be our first disney cruise with a five year old. Any suggestions on which dining time works better?

It was 2012 when we did the Townsville excursion, so things might have changed...but the description is exactly the same one as we chose, so maybe the programme hasn't altered at all? Anyway, if you'd like to get a first hand view of the Townsville City and Reef Wonderland, then I blogged about it here As you can tell, it was a "tour of two halves" and were we to return I think I'd simply get myself to the two museums (which were great) and avoid the schlep around the suburbs on a bus. Actually a couple of posts earlier is our Mt Tambourine excursion, which was fun. Again, remember this was 2012 so things might not be the same...!

Thanks I am interested in reading your blog about the other ports too.

Townsville is a bit of a poor cousin to Cairns and the better known reef spots, and often overlooked by international visitors. But it is a reasonably large regional centre with much better weather than further north, and less of a focus on the tourist dollar. Of the two tours offered, the Billabong Sanctuary looks the better option. I haven't been there personally but it has good reviews on Trip Advisor both from locals and overseas visitors. Townsville itself will be very welcoming, but their best attraction, Magnetic Island, is not on offer to you, sadly.

Ok thanks. You know I am now going to look up Magnetic Island to see what I am missing!

Depends what you like - the Gold Coast is a bit glitzy a la Miami, but does have great beaches and the tour offers an opportunity for a dip. Lone Pine will be similar to the Townsville experience (without the emphasis on crocodiles). Personally, I'd take the paid Mt Tamborine tour - that area is truly lovely and a bit off the beaten track. Brisbane tends to be more humid that the Gold Coast, and Mt Tamborine is always a few degrees cooler than either due to its height above sea level. Happy to help with any queries about Australian ports.

Any suggestions for Townsville? Only 2 tours offered Townsville and the Billabong sanctuary or Townsville city and Reef Wonderland.

The walkway is popular with people of all ages and abilities - there is a wheelchair accessible section for example. So your fellow traveller should be fine for at least part of the walk. The full walk is 45 minutes, but you can do a shorter segment with mobility issues and still get a great view and be amongst the rain forest.

Thanks for this useful information.

We are also very interested in the answers you get here. We are taking a cruise in the area next year and see the cruise line is offering a very similar excursion. It doesn’t sound like the best way to visit the reef but it maybe the only way we get there without spending many more $’s

I also posted this same question under the Regent Cruise Line message boards and the results have not encouraged me to book with the cruise line. As usual booking privately is probably going to be the best option.

Depends what you like - the Gold Coast is a bit glitzy a la Miami, but does have great beaches and the tour offers an opportunity for a dip. Lone Pine will be similar to the Townsville experience (without the emphasis on crocodiles). Personally, I'd take the paid Mt Tamborine tour - that area is truly lovely and a bit off the beaten track. Brisbane tends to be more humid that the Gold Coast, and Mt Tamborine is always a few degrees cooler than either due to its height above sea level. Happy to help with any queries about Australian ports.

How is the walkway through the canopy of the rainforest? One of the people I am travelling with has some minor mobilty and balance issues.

Depends what you like - the Gold Coast is a bit glitzy a la Miami, but does have great beaches and the tour offers an opportunity for a dip. Lone Pine will be similar to the Townsville experience (without the emphasis on crocodiles). Personally, I'd take the paid Mt Tamborine tour - that area is truly lovely and a bit off the beaten track. Brisbane tends to be more humid that the Gold Coast, and Mt Tamborine is always a few degrees cooler than either due to its height above sea level. Happy to help with any queries about Australian ports.

Thank you for the info.

We went on the excursion this March - Voyager Sydney to Bali.

Quite honest it was dreadful, a long boat trip - with loads of other people (I'm not even convinced all were from Regent) to a Pontoon where there were Masks, Fins, Floatation Jackets & Snorkels plus Wet Suits for those who wanted them.

On the trip out there was CONSTANT upsell attempts - Snorkel with a marine biologist, snorkel with a "trainer" (This was REALLY dangerous IMO - see below), scuba dive or go over the reef in a helicopter - this had loads of take up but didn't happen for some reason.

There was a roped off area in the sea off the pontoon where we had to snorkel:

- there was no coral

- there were very few fish

- there were far too many people

- the sea was very rough - according to a member of staff it had been like it for the past few days

- those snorkelling with a "trainer" - there were 4 plus the "trainer"- were supposed to hold onto a floating ring (large lifesaver) and put their faces in the water & kick/swim away from the pontoon rope. Trouble is, most couldn't swim, let alone snorkel and couldn't/wouldn't put their faces in the water, so ended up bashing into those of us who were trying - in the really rough sea - to get away from the pontoon and rope - IMO they really should have been in a separate area.

Along with several others I felt really unsafe and got out - there were just too many people in too small an area and in too rough seas.

We've been to the GBR before and loved it, but this was awful.

I would strongly suggest that you go with the non-Regent option noted above by Wes.

Thanks for the critique.

Same trip as foregap, this year, Singapore to Sydney but did not get seasick. Longish sail to and from the site but did not find it rough nor did we get seasick. My wife is prone to it in small boats but merely took a Dramamine in advance. Enjoyed the snorkeling and saw lots of fish big and small but not more and probably less than most snorkeling sites. Was in the water longer than most and had a good time. Very good lunch -probably because of the time in the water. Friends did scuba and they said good but nothing special. Yes, lots of upsell for pictures, guided snorkel tours, scuba etc with many people wanting that. We did not, simply said no and that was that.

 

I would probably not do it next time we are there but am very pleased we did it this time. A private tour might be better and more worthwhile but we didn't want to bother which is why we like the included and premium Regent tours - but that is another thread.

 

Best,

John

Thanks for you input.

Ida and I enjoyed snorkeling the GBR last January with fellow Regent cruise friends who organized a private GBR snorkel adventure (at half the cost of the Regent GBR excursion ($200 vs $400 pp). Have copied a few of our posts/photos from that wonderful snorkel adventure, tho when we snorkeled with Frank and Susan in Phuket a few years back the sealife/coral was significantly better. As a diver believe it or not the diving/sealife, coral was even better in Cozumel than the GBR.

If interested in a private GBR excursion (note in photo below we were a group of about 15 or less).

Our Cairns private excursion for those of you going to Cairns in the future:

 

http://www.skedaddlecairns.com.au/the-tour

If you want to read directly from our Auckland to Sydney thread from last year pls see:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2447508&highlight=voyager+auckland&page=9

 

 

 

 

Thank you I will check it out.

I did find the excursion and it is the same one that we took and were disappointed with. We did go into the semi-submersible thing and were able to see fish. Being on the pontoon was boring after a while but just because we didn't enjoy it does not mean that you will feel the same.

Thanks for the feedback.

Another perspective: 200 people on the catamaran, constant upsell of services (this was a Regent Choice paid excursion already) to the point I asked what exactly we paid for. Bumpy ride out, sea sick. Once in the water, no fish to see as the coral is dying. Got out of the water after 30 minutes and “feeding the fish” and slept the rest of the time. The only saving grace was the huge catamaran was air conditioned. This was this year, Singapore to Sydney.

Thanks that's what I was afraid of.