Sparky74

Mandela Effect! 🤷‍♂️

Apparently there are still luggage lockers at the airport. https://www.bne.com.au/passenger/passenger-information/check-in-and-baggage#lockers

Years ago there were luggage lockers at the airport and also at Roma Street Station. They may have taken them out after 9/11 or the service may still exist. 🤷‍♂️

I’ve been following the discussion about Alaska and the ferries. DW and I are have been deliberating about holiday plans for 2025 (or ‘26, or possibly ’27) as we’ll have 8 weeks to play with. From past experience we’d prefer to take the 8 weeks in one block. We really enjoyed our Alaskan inside passage cruise on HAL last year and are keen to return. (It's only one of many options on the table.) BUT I’ve started looking at the prices of accommodation in Alaska and it’s not cheap. I'm actually thinking that a traditional cruise or two (B2B or even B2B2B on jump from ship to ship) might be as cheap. It’s certainly looking like better value for money for us. 🤷‍♂️

I was going to suggest Lone Pine. And yes, you’ve spelled Mt Cootha correctly.

When I read this I thought Terry was performing. 😱

I don’t think I could pull off a kaftan either!

I’m not sure I could get away with wearing pearls. DW maybe but not me! 🤣 We are currently considering our options for 2025 as we will have 8 weeks holiday to use up again. 😁 The Queen Anne sails from Southampton on 9th January 2023. A 49 night cruise ending in Sydney would be wonderful but I don’t think DW would cope on Cunard. 🤷‍♂️

Our first cruise, back in 2010, was booked through a bricks & mortar TA, as were the next few. I eventually worked out that I was doing all the research online and then calling (or visiting) the TA with the details of the exact cruise I wanted to book but not getting any bonuses such as OBC. So I switched to booking directly via the Internet. Last year we planned a multi segment itinerary including os flights and 4 cruises on 3 different lines so decided to engage the same online cruise TA that DW’s parents use, same individual and same person. I was a little annoyed that she booked the in-laws on the same cruise as us but that’s another story. As it was we did have issues with delayed flights but QANTAS sorted that, and P&O organised a complimentary COVID motel and complimentary taxi when I tested positive. I didn’t need to call upon the TA or our insurance. Getting the promised cruise credit out of P&O was a different story but that was booked direct; I’d grabbed a cheap sail price when I saw it and found out the hard way that they won’t transfer a booking to a TA after you’ve paid in full. It would have been helpful if the TA could have chased the credit for me. I’ve continued to use the TA to date. PROS & CONS With a TA you don’t have direct control of your booking. Any changes need to be done through the TA. This can be a frustration but dealing directly with a cruise line can also be frustrating. Over the years I have spent hours on the phone with cruise lines. Sometimes it’s easier if a TA can do that on your behalf. On the other hand, I’ve had a cruise line tell me I couldn’t change my booking and I’ve phoned the next day and a different operator fixed it for me without a hassle. I’m not sure if a TA would have done that. We got a really good price on a cruise earlier this year that was only available to members of the TA “club". It cost me a $90 annual membership fee but I ended up saving 100s. My sister is about to go on her 2nd ever cruise, and her first with the kids who are now teens. The TA said it was impossible to link the two bookings (2 cabins) together but my sister was able to do it herself with information from an online forum. Going forward I might go back to booking direct with the cruise lines unless the TA can give me a better deal or better service. 🤷‍♂️

So true!

I think I’d enjoy Cunard. I have no issue with dressing for dinner every night. DW not so much. 🤷‍♂️ But it’s disappointing to hear of any line withdrawing from the Australian market.

Just wait until she sails to Canberra. 🤣

Date Nights Ship From To Interior Daily 4/7/24 4 Pacific Explorer Sydney Auckland (one way) $314 $79 30/1/24 14 Pacific Adventure Sydney Singapore (one way) $1,139 $81 7/11/23 13 Majestic Princess Sydney South Pacific Islands $1,139 $88 29/1/24 13 Grand Princess Melbourne South Pacific Islands $1,234 $95 29/11/23 14 Grand Princess Melbourne New Zealand $1,329 $95 31/3/24 2 Grand Princess Melbourne Sydney (one way) $199 $100 1/6/24 3 Pacific Explorer Cairns Brisbane (one way) $300 $100 Prices are per person based on twin occupancy. This is what I can find online at the time of posting. YMMV

She would not be impressed with the price. For what they’re asking for a 3 or 4 night cruise we can go on a 10 or 12 night cruise.

DW is a Disney fan; she has over 160 Mickey Mouse watches. But we won’t be cruising with Disney at the prices they are charging. 😱

As I read it that’s only applicable if the price drops within 48 hours of booking.

We booked an Inside Guarantee cabin on a P&O Comedy Cruise for next July (I432) at $756. Under the current Flash Sale an Oceanview Guarantee is priced at $758 but my TA says it’s for new bookings only and we’d loose our deposit if we cancel and rebook. 🤷‍♂️

What are the policies of various cruise lines around price drops in the Australian market?

As we’ve driven to the BICT I have commented to DW, "Imagine an international tourist. They fly in and have a couple of days in a nice hotel in Brisbane. Then they jump in a taxi (or Uber). They’d probably think they were about to have their throats cut in an industrial waste land. Last year we had to take an Uber to the BICT to retrieve our car following isolation in a COVID hotel. The driver hadn’t been their before and as there was no ship docked that day there wasn’t much traffic. I think we started to wonder where we were going and if we had nefarious intentions! 😱

DW & I would love to see a Vision class ship home porting, year round, in Brisbane. Our very first cruise was on the Legend OTS and we sailed on the Rhapsody OTS several times.

Brilliance OTS was launched in 2002 Adventure OTS was launched in 2001, she’s not much older. DW has a preference for smaller ships but I think I could talk her into sailing on a Voyager class ship again.

Are the burgers on Princess included in your fare or an extra charge?

I’m glad I’m not the only one who has this problem. 🤣

A $6 coffee is cheaper than a beer or a cocktail.

We sailed on the Coral Princess out of Brisbane at the end of June last year.