avalon007

1. There is already quite a large baggage drop off sign above where you drop your luggage but I guess you may not see it till you get to it.

 

2. Agree there should be a dedicated line outside the terminal for C&A members.

 

3. Check in is as good as it gets (especially with certain people working there :D:D:D)

 

4. Express lane from check in to security is a bit hard as there is only one escalator up to the level three which is used by all guests. Customs and security are not the function of the cruise line so we do not have much influence on that. There already is an "express" lane to customs for wheelchairs and I believe C&A members but unless the guests show their sea pass to staff they do not know...........agree that maybe there should be some signage so we shall see what happens next season.

My comments obviously only apply to RCCL . Don't know what Carnival etc do.:confused:

You are correct - check in was perfect! :D

Regards the security section - It's not a separate line needed as you enter I don't think. The process fell down for us as they just gave us a coloured card without checking if we were C&A members.

But they do need to have a sign posted separate line at the right side of the main line in front of the customs desks, which is the place we ended up being sent to only after we enquired about it.

Maybe passengers at check in who are identified as priority boarding could be given a different coloured card there & then which they show on entering security & then get directed straight away to the priority line at customs?

I know this would add another task to the check in job but would eliminate the issues with passengers not knowing to ask about priority in the security area & also the lack of staff knowing to check peoples sea passes before handing the same coloured cards as you enter??

My concern was that some of the security area staff seemed clueless about priority boarding so when you ask them if you have the correct card for priority boarding they don't have an answer. I also found one woman's attitude a bit negative like we were asking for something we shouldn't have been. Maybe she was just a bit miffed that she wasn't cruising that day. :)

Thank you for doing this. We had the services before so why were they removed is the issue.

 

So the immediate simple fixes i can see for next season on embarkation are

1. Better signage outside to clearly show where the bag drop is - before you stand in a line for 20 minutes then discover the bag drop is behind you!

 

2. Separate C&A/loyalty express line outside.

 

3. Check in good as is with separate lines. No changes needed.

 

4. Express lane ex checkin all the way to security.

 

Regards, Hugh

You're welcome.

Hopefully next cruise we will both see an improvement & the system will work as it should. :)

UPDATE: Regards the email I sent to the Port Authority at the OPT regards the breakdown in the priority boarding system.

They forwarded my email to Royal & today I received a call from their C&A people in Miami thanking me for my feedback & apologising for the breakdown in the procedure.

They will be discussing the issue with the relevant people at the OPT to ensure it doesn't happen in future.

I stressed to them the importance of 2 lines outside the OPT & the need to also have a priority line in the customs check in.

Fingers crossed this solves the issue ongoing. :)

Well said, fine sentiments.

 

Just in the interests of accuracy and to appease the pedant in me though,

 

What he actually said was, "The longer you can look back, the farther you can look forward."

 

Also

 

"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look farther than you can see."

 

and yet in (a speech in the House of Commons on February 18, 1945.)

 

"It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time."

 

Cheers r

 

:cool:

.

Fair enough - the site I originally found it on must have used a modernised version perhaps - but at least the meaning is the same.

Sometimes quotes from the same person as you point out can appear to be contradictory when read out of context - but then do make sense when the circumstances under which they were said are better known. He was a politician after all! ;)

I do agree with Mr Churchill most of the time though & think we could well do with another one of him right now.

This is a quote from an earlier time I also enjoy - so relevant to todays world where it seems people don't like to let the truth get in the way of their agenda.

"As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand."

Josh Billings, 1865

Yes thank you avalon007 - well said. We are just so fortunate in this country but beware of complacency. I feel that our ideals are slowly being eaten away.:)

Yes they are - more than most people realise. Busy with their own lives & being fed main stream media kumbaya cultural relativism most people don't even notice it happening.

"When tolerance becomes a one way street, it will lead to cultural suicide” Allen West - 2012

One more idea that could help a little. Create a new level between D+ and Pinnacle say at the half way point to 700 and allow that group to access the SL in addition to Pinnacles and suite guests. If you have accumulated 350 points or ~50 cruises you would have paid a minimum of $100K and depending on room and cabin maybe closer to $300K that should deserve some form of recognition. It would also reduce some of the crowding and not dramatically impact the SL. This would also provide some motivation to get to the 350 point level and fulfill the marketing strategy to keep customers loyal via C&A.

 

If not then I go with the suggestion that Pinnacles and suite guests get the SL, D+ gets the diamond lounge and the diamonds get the vouchers to get 3 drinks wherever they want.

There is no good solution that will not irritate some portion of the D/D+ members. You need to reward/motivate your loyal RCCL cruisers that have spent $$$ in the past with a good lounge experience while providing a relaxing uncrowded SL for the suite guests that are spending $$$ now. The real question is what approach will limit the damage and provide maximum revenue while fixing the overcrowding in the lounges. There is no easy solution that I can see.

As it so happens - many of us Diamonds WANT to sit in the DL as it's not about drinks or snacks - it's about socialising for me. I rarely drink more than 3 drinks in there anyway.

Also, your suggestion wold never work in Australia - we have on most cruises over here very few Diamond+ or above, the DL would be a ghost town & a waste of space.

If Royal wants loyalty they would be wise not to strip away a perk already granted to Diamonds, as they are the largest group in the Diamond & above categories & probably overall the youngest with many years cruising ahead of them. This could impact Royals bottom dollar more than asking D+ to use one perfectly fine lounge rather than having access to 2 lounges. Sounds like the CL & DL on US cruises are both packed out during happy hours so no major difference.

They would be better off doing something to encourage Diamonds & Diamond+ who only use the DL for drinks rather than the socialising aspect, to use bars around the ship by offering extra drink vouchers instead of just three so they better match what the drinkers could get in the DL.

It's highly unlikely that if the offered say 5 or 6 vouchers instead of the 3 that everyone would use them all anyway, but it would mean those who just want the DL to get extra drinks will probably stay away from the DL more often.

I'm pleased that so many younger Australians nowadays show an interest in remembering & honouring the tradition of ANZAC day.

'Lest We Forget' - when you think about it is a not just a sentimental saying but a warning not to forget the lessons of history that we all need to heed, especially the way the world is moving lately.

My 84 year old mum remembers growing up during the war & has told me many times that once we forget history we are doomed to repeat it. Never forget what can happen she says - as when you to try appease a person, culture or ideology that is totalitarian in nature you are treading on dangerous ground.

In recent times you can see how our society has stopped celebrating parts of our cultural heritage in favour of political correctness & minority politics. Bit by tiny bit we slowly dismantle it so as not to offend others. You can't please all the people all the time is something we need to remember.

Once we stop valuing & respecting our own Western culture - the very culture that made Western countries such great relatively safe & fair places to live, we allow our cultural traditions to be forgotten & once you do that your culture ceases to exist.

'Lest We Forget' - something we all need to keep in mind next time our politicians or social do gooders want us to degrade our culture to appease another.

Our ANZACS didn't die defending our culture to have us throw it away.

I think Churchill had it right when he said - "The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see."

I often wonder if once the voices of those who experienced the war cease to exist - will those of us who grew up in a time of relative peace forget not their sacrifice so much but what they were actually fighting to preserve?

Lest We Forget - 3 little words that should resonate for every Australian & New Zealander.

Thank you all for the detailed answers. So, if we go with the assumption that I want to see whales on a shore excursion and not from a cruise ship I would have to travel sometime in Aug. But then at that time of the year NZ will be cold. So then should I give sight seeing and great barrier reef priority and still stick on my Mar. trip maybe a cruise starting from Perth and ending in Sydney ?

I live on the South Coast of NSW - about 6 hours south of Sydney in an area renowned for it's whale watching & their Southern Migration (the one where the whales have their baby calves with them) season runs mid August to early December.

So a cruise at the start of our Spring (Oct - Nov) would probably be better for whale sightings from the ship.

Your best bet to guarantee you see a koala etc is to go to the zoo, but a day trip where they actually take you to places they know wildlife lives may suit you better - this company has several that may be what you are looking for?

This is the reason why we always do the self disembarking - we have a policy that if we can't move our own luggage easily then we get smaller luggage.

We also prefer to have our bags with us the night before & the next morning.

We don't usually go & wait in the theatre or wherever either, we have a quick breakfast, return to the cabin to collect our bags & assuming the ship has started disembarking people we just go straight to the lift well nearest the exit point & then off the ship. We have never encountered any delay.

We don't always quite make it off in the designated time either & sometimes passengers are collecting their luggage inside the terminal & it does look like a bit of a cattle call. But we just walk straight past all that.

Usually the whole process from deck to outside the OPT takes us literally under 5 minutes.

I highly recommend it! :)

Avalon 007 - thank you so much for the information you have provided. We are beach people and I guess we will want to find our way to the nearest good beach.

 

We are also happy to cruise with a good range of people of all ages with one caveat we do not like being overun with children (I guess I mean the under 14s). On a recent cruise I did make a mistake, and booked during October assuming the USA kids would be in school, who new they have fall break as well as spring break. There were 750 kids on board and that is a lot for the Breeze. It was mayhem, we were glad when the 2nd leg of our B2B started and they got of the ship and wern't replaced, school went back in session.

 

I guess I ought to ask the cruise is 29th October to 9th November are there Australian school holidays during that time frame? Just want to be mentally prepared for all possibilities lol.

You are welcome.

School holidays this year run from 24 Sept to 9 Oct & should be similar dates next year, so you should be in the 'safe' zone. :)

Rock Climbing Wall, Flow Rider, Mini Golf, Basketball, Table Tennis, Ice Skating.

If she is a crafty person they usually have some sort of craft making most sea days - like jewellery making, scrap booking etc.

They also usually offer young adults get togethers where they can meet people their age, they are listed in the daily cruise compass activities list.

EDIT: Oh, by the way - Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

I agree with your point about age is relative. However my point about the Explorer having a slightly older crowd & the Spirit having a slightly younger crowd was exactly that. I was making a direct reference between these two ships.

I wasn't suggesting that the passengers on Royal are old, I was just trying to say that the average age on board would be younger on the Carnival Spirit as opposed to the RC Explorer. Carnival promotes itself as a family Line here in Oz more so than RCI, such as lack of drink packages, Dr Suess on board, etc. So other than during school holidays I would suggest that the ratio of kids on board would be greater on Carnival throughout the year, thus bringing down the average age.

Agree with most of what you say but still think it needed to be clarified - as what you consider generally younger or older is relative to how old you are. :)

For example my 82 year old Father Inlaw went on the QE2 & was complaining that it was full of old people! :eek:

I would argue that Royal on their Voyager class ships especially promote themselves as family friendly due to the whole DreamWorks characters deal on those ships, the breakfast with the characters, the parades in the promenade etc etc.

Agree in school holidays there are always more kids - we try to avoid that time when possible.

But we are cruising on Ovation in January right in the middle of school holidays, & really hoping the high cost of that cruise will put off a lot of families with young kids so we don't get too many kids on board.

I think Carnival also has more kids because they are cheaper than Royal most of the time & this is more affordable for families.

Also in general the cheaper the cruise the more likely to attract more schoolies & 20 something's party crowd & along with that group often comes more bad & bogan behaviour, which is another reason Carnival has more of a reputation for that sort of clientele than Celebrity for example.

1. Are tips charged to your card on Explorer (I know they are paid in the cruise fare on Carnival) Yes they will be charged to your on board acc about $13USD per day pp. or you can pre pay when booking.

 

2. For folks living in the southern hemisphere and knowlegeable on these ports wich itinerary do you prefer and would recommend? Both trips are good, but the explorer visits Fiji which the carnival one doesn't. I have been to some of those & liked them. Some people really don't like Suva &/or Noumea.

 

3. What is weather like at the end of October/ and mid November, in general as I know it cant be predicted. Personally I would say that that is a very good time. Not as hot and humid & less likely to encounter cyclones/bad weather.

 

When I booked I didn't research enough and had no idea nearly every port but one was a tender port on the Spirit itinerary - I am slightly put off by this but not totally. Yes the Spirit one does have mainly tenders. i'm not sure about Loutoka but I know Noumea & suva are docked.

 

I'm one of those people that could easily jump on a Carnival or RCI cruise and appreciate each one in different ways. I have been on the Carnival Legend- a sister ship to the spirit & I have also been on the Explorer twice. The explorer is a beautiful big ship with nice modern cabins, great pool deck with large hot tubs & a slightly older crowd. Your diamond status would be very handy to utilise on board. Carnival will probably have a slightly younger crowd, have more entertainment options such as late night comedy shows & great 24hr pizza!

I don't think you would regret either cruise. maybe research which ports seem more appealing & compare what sort of cabin you are staying in compared to price.

But compared to what? Age is relative, I'm middle aged but someone who is 70 thinks I'm young, but someone of 20 thinks I'm old.

Just to clarify I would say on Explorer you will get a good mix of families, middle aged 40-60 year olds will make up the bulk & a good sprinkling of 60+, but definitely not the zimmer frame & scooter crowds.

I wouldn't call Royal cruisers a slightly older crowd - that title is reserved more for Princess & HAL in general.:)

Lautoka is docked so you only have Lifou for your tender.:)

I like Fiji, but you do need to get away from the towns.

In Lautoka we did a day trip out to an island for the day with lunch included which was quite nice.

In Suva we mostly scuba dive with a guy we know, the town has some OK shops but recommend a tour as per Lautoka to get out & about on the island.

Lifou has some of the best snorkelling anywhere in the world - it ranks in the top 10 snorkel spots & as a Scuba Diver I have seen a lot of beautiful reefs but Jinek Bay at Lifou is one you shouldn't miss if you can snorkel.

Very easy access & shallow water in a protected bay. Marine reserve so a cots of about $15AUD to enter & they have a limit per day allowed in.

Noumea as mentioned is not anyone's favourite - the aquarium, choo choo tourist ride & main park are Ok to see once & the shops have the best designed T-Shirts in the Pacific I have found, but that is the limit of it's appeal to me.

However if you snorkel Noumea does have a UNESCO listed lagoon & reef that is worth a day trip.

One more note regards whales - if the captain sees some he will usually announce it so passengers don't miss it.

But the only whales I've ever seen on a cruise was Alaska/Canada.

I live in NSW in the South which is a big whale watching area, but only during migration.

Think of seeing whales on an Australian/NZ cruise as an unlikely but delightful bonus.

Gosh - all I can say is first world problems.

 

I have skipped through the posts on this thread because I don't need to check it all out.

 

However' date=' I have a comment from a D+ Downunder cruiser - we paid a premium (not just by sailing in JS) to get to D+ because we had to pay huge sums in Aussie dollars for flights to get us to the other side of the world so we could cruise with RCI and increase our loyalty. We could not hack cruising around Australia and NZ and out to SP islands multiple times :eek:

 

And FYI your cruising price in the US is a darn sight cheaper than what we pay!

 

Shout out to Raina and Clint :D[/quote']

 

Yep we pay through the nose as they say here in Australia & don't forget the TA's if you use one rarely offer much in the way of the OBC deals that US TA's do.

 

We have sailed all Balconies plus 1 Junior Suite & 1 Ocean view on a short Alaskan cruise to get to Diamond plus flights as you say to get out of Australia to sail somewhere new. Luckily we like to Scuba Dive so visiting the South Pacific for us still has it's benefits.

 

So cost wise we are up there compared with many US cruisers who have made Diamond or above at a much lower cost than us.

 

As some here also mentioned - I wouldn't have any issues at all with the C&A levels based on, or at least partly based your cabin type offering different points & not just doing that for suites. Heck if they did that we would probably be D+ by now! :D

I have considered Princess due to the excellent longer itineraries, BUT after looking into the ships they use for these trips most of the time I didn't think it was worth the money.

3 things that really bothered me about those older ships apart from the lack of dining options & other facilities was no My Time Dining on cruises out of Australia - no way do I want to be potentially stuck with folks not conducive to a pleasant meal for weeks on end or be forced to done the same time every night!

Secondly, they charge by the day to use the adults only solarium area & the pool looked like a kiddies wading pool - which could really add up cost wise on a long cruise. Royal & Celebrity have great solariums & they are FREE.

Lastly, we are middle aged & active (flowrider, rock wall, scuba diving etc) & felt the age demographic on Princess especially on longer cruises would be a much older demographic for us to really feel at home. Not sure if this is accurate but I've read many a time o these forums that the zimmer frames & scooters are a common theme on Princess cruises?

However, if they use that Golden princess style ship for those longer cruises & the first 2 issues were addressed I could definatly see us overlooking the age difference issue as those itineraries are very appealing.

What happened was when they did the revitalisation for Voyager class they listed the roof in the new features - I was hoping it was true as we sailed Voyager to NZ & the Solarium was too cold most days for us to swim, however on Radiance to Alaska it was closed in & lovely.

I emailed Royal re the roof on Voyager & advised the mistake & they did fix that page.

I assume the same web site mistake was also made regards Explorer.

Just got off Voyager last month - definitely no covered in solarium but much nicer as it was a South Pacific cruise.

For Alaska I would go with Radiance - that class was designed for that sort of destination - loads of floor to ceiling glass walls in the public areas & even some all glass lifts to see the beautiful views from all around the ship.

Many on this thread including someone who has already experienced some changes on one of the ships are saying the DL is still available to Diamonds & D+ & that it is the D+ who are now unable to access the Concierge Lounge.

So nobody really seems to know 100% what is happening - I'm hoping Diamonds still have the lounge as that is the largest group of people & annoying them will have a larger negative impact, which if I were RCCL I would be taking into consideration.

Fingers crossed we get to keep the DL for Diamonds - logically it's the least offensive thing to do numbers wise as D+ still have a lounge to go to, even if it's not the one they prefer, whereas the other option means thousands of Diamond passengers have an existing perk stripped away with no lounge to call home.

Thank you avalon007. 15 days for both Aus. and NZ.

 

Excellent point about things to do on a cruise ship. I should have thought about that. While, things are scenic for us grown ups, kids do get bored pretty fast and want to burn off their energy. Will look into cruises from Perth.

 

What about marine life around certain ports ? Any chance of excursions to see whales ? I don't know to swim - any way to experience the great barrier reef or snorkeling and scuba diving are the only way to see them ?

Whale Watching - The annual whale migration runs from May to November every year with peaks in July and September, so not really in your time slot.

Great Barrier Reef - If you don't want to dive or snorkel you can do the glass bottom boat or maybe more fun the family are the mini subs

http://www.gbrsubs.com.au/

I agree with you totally. Love MTD and the ability to go to dinner when it suits my needs. Do not eat at a specific time at home, why would I want to have an assigned time on vacation? Also enjoy different tables and different waitstaff. Different strokes.....

Yep, we feel the same. MTD means not having to book - we never do. Always just turn up & be prepared to wait a few minutes if it's a busy time.

Every day we eat at a different time as it depends on what we are doing as to whether we are ready to eat - if you had a late lunch then got involved in some game, or just chatting to new found friends you don't then want to have to cut things short to fit into some regimented dinner time. :)

With kids that young I would pick neither - especially not Princess which in general has an older demographic.

Royal Caribbean or Carnival would be better for the kids IMO - Royal has depending on the ship you choose things like the rock climbing wall, ice skating, mini golf, basketball court, games arcade etc etc.

Regards seeing wildlife actually in the wild - you won't get this in any city, you need to get into more rural & outback areas & you are most likely then to see only Kangaroos during the day, unless you actually go looking for them as koalas are only in certain areas & high in the trees & wombats are nocturnal.

I live in rural Australia with a mob of Kangaroos on our property but wouldn't no they were there most of the time if not looking for them.

I recall though there are some tour companies that take people for a day trip out of Sydney to see wildlife so maybe Google for that.

Also, a good day trip from Sydney is to the Blue Mountains which are a famous scenic spot where you can go on a cable car across the rugged valley or take the scenic railway down a steep drop - very beautiful area.

April will be colder in NZ & most of the cruise ships have already left Australia by then as it's our Autumn (fall). I have been there in both February & October which is Spring/Summer with some nice but not hot weather in some places & cold in others.

The 3 sounds in NZ that you cruise through are beautiful scenically as is Picton. Wellington has a great free Te Papa museum of all things NZ right on the waterfront that would be very entertaining for the kids as well as the cable car up to the top of a small mountain with great views, a planetarium & botanic gardens you walk back down to town through - all very affordable.

If you are fan of Lord Of The Rings then try to do a cruise that includes Auckland or Tauranga as you can do the Hobbiton Village Tour from there which is excellent.

You say you can only do 15 days - is that all up for both Australia & NZ?

If so, then you may want to consider one of the cruises that leaves from Perth then travels via NZ to Sydney to see a little of both. You fly into Perth or for a real outback experience take the famous Indian Pacific train from Sydney across the desert to Perth - but that could get expensive!

You will need a few days in Sydney - Opera House, maybe Harbour Bridge Climb, Taronga Zoo, Old town area called The Rocks is right next to the port plus maybe a day trip as mentioned.

Everything in Sydney city is walkable, it isn't a large city compared to many overseas. :)

Good news that your boarding went well - although if the line had been a mile long out front you may have a longer time of it.

Hopefully they have sorted any glitches out but they really do need two lines out front I think.

Update - I just received this back from the Port Authority:

Thank you for your feedback which we have forwarded onto Royal Caribbean who will respond to you directly in the coming days.

Best Regards,

Port Authority of New South Wales

Level 4, 20 Windmill Street | Walsh Bay NSW 2000 Australia

So - will be interesting to see if Royal does contact me - will advise the outcome in due course. :)

 

Unfortunately you will not get much satisfaction from Sydney Ports as they have absolutely nothing to do with how the terminal is set up. They merely "lease" the terminal building to the cruise line for the day and what they do with it, as far as guest processing, is up to the individual companies. The cruise lines have contracts with portside agencies whom they employ to handle all their portside activities ie, luggage, check in, provisioning etc....(that is who I work for) and obviously we are guided by what the cruise line wants and we need to follow their policies. They are always looking for ways to improve and suggestions like yours could be simply used providing they have the staff available etc.

 

A lot of the delays "post check in" are caused by customs or security or some ship board situation and are mostly out of our control ( but normally short lived) and can happen without much notice. Not an excuse but just the reason.

 

Our company is rated for every turnaround based on guests comments etc in the post cruise survey you do so maybe if enough of you let them know they will be aware and do something about it....the surveys are read.

Hi Gbenjo,

Yes I though it wasn't the exact place to email but figured they may pass it on to whoever it's relevant to.

I have already completed my survey & wasn't associating it with the OPT check in as I don't think of that as being part of the cruise line I suppose. So can't get that message through now as it's too late.

So what is the name of the company you work for - I can look them up & find an email address to contact them directly if you think it will be valuable feedback for them?