Tripmode33

8 hours ago, cheznandy said:

Have a look at Alliance travel insurance, travel.alliance.com.au

A total of $344 including the Cruise pack, I put in South Pacific and two adults aged 75.

Their plans exclude Pandemics in general but when you add the cruise pack it is an inclusion, have a read of the PDS.

Same Alliance Global as your ANZ CC insurance.

 

I was so surprised at the cost of being over 70 for insurance, I had a look at Insure and Go and it was over $1000!

Thanks. Yes, Allianz so far the best value. You can increase the excess and reduce cancellation limit to give a figure around $300. The cruise cost very little so no need for high cancellation cover.

Thanks for this feedback. As someone who has yet to try Cunard, I really appreciate your post.

6 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Yes, (pretty) please, return MY Grand Princess.  While you are at it, just turn the Golden Princess over too.  

I must say, here in Australia, we do feel blessed to have the Grand and the Coral for our season, as well as keeping some of the Ex-Princess fleet, like the Golden, here with P&O Australia. Many of us are making good use of them while we can.

4 hours ago, thunderbaycruiser said:

Apparently? It did not feel like priority anything.

Had you selected a boarding group on the Princess App? ( ie. As well as Green Lane status, did you have Boarding Group 'A'?)

Our friends joined us in booking a last minute cruise to Noumea/Lifou/mystery island. While our complimentary credit card insurance provides the necessary covid & cruise cover (ANZ) that we need to produce, their's does not (Commonwealth).

They are in early 70's and are having trouble finding anything under $500 for the one week trip (no pre existing medical issues). Some appear to cover both covid and cruise, but exclude covid if cruising if read details/PDS.

Has anyone in similar situation found reasonably priced cover?

Thank you for your advice or thoughts.

1 hour ago, PacnGoNow said:

So, it is important for Australian cruises to get the “green status”

Definitely need Green status unless you're happy to board after everyone else that does have it.

4 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Wasn't that way pre-Covid.  I am thinking someone has got the process mixed up there.  Any Elites arriving before boarding commenced should have been waiting in same area and with letter group that no one else would have.

That was this current season in Australia.  If anyone arrives before boarding, they aren't allowed in Terminal until Group A called. No special line for priority until allowed in Terminal when your letter group called, irrespective of whether you're elite, priority or not.

Thanks TrixieBel. Enjoying reading along. We're on Majestic again the week after next.  

I must admit we have enjoyed the Coral and Grand Princess ships this season more than our first Majestic cruise, but sailing out of Sydney is pretty special indeed. We have three more Majestic cruises booked so must have enjoyed!

Looking forward to your future posts on this cruise. Enjoy!

Slightly different experience at Australian embarkation ports. We've tried Coral, Majestic and Grand here this season. We found that our elite (and suite) priority had no effect of preference at the initial stage. That is, they only looked at Green Line status and boarding group to allow you entry into Terminal. Once inside there is a priority lane. So if you were elite or suite and had Boarding Group D, you didn't have any priority until they called D group. So you only had priority WITHIN your boarding time group. Therefore essential here if you want to board early, to go on App at 59 day prior mark and select early time, even if you're elite or suite.

16 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Carnival isn't doing anything different from here. This isn't on Carnival. How do these people even find the dining room?

Most of us here in Australia do actually find the dining room!

Just off our second Luminosa cruise of the season, and definitely asked for 'free tea and coffee' in the MDR even when not listed. Readily available.

I think with Luminosa being based out of Brisbane, many cruisers are new to Carnival as previous to this season we've only had Princess and 'P&O Australia ' home porting here in Brisbane. 

For the record, we love the Luminosa ship. Small size suits us. We were on it's maiden cruise as Carnival ship and again a week ago. And again next month. We will fly to Sydney in August/September to try Carnival Splendor out. As long-time Princess cruisers, we are enjoying the better value cruising that Carnival is offering us at the moment.

Feedback and reviews of Luminosa can be found on this forum under the 'Australia and New Zealand' section rather than the general Carnival section. 

Sad to see the beef cheek pappardelle gone. It was my favourite. However, lots to try on new menu.

Would have been nice to see more fish. My husband, due to a tick bite, now has the Alpha Gal allergy where you can't eat mammalian meat. Princess is traditionally fairly good with offering nice fish dishes.

Agree, definitely not bottles of water or soft drink. Only cans allowed.

Yes, you can buy bottles of wine to take back to room. They'll give you an ice bucket for white wine. Prices start at $34 bottle and some okay ones at $39.

All room service items have a charge. Carnival splendor menus can be found by googling same for 2022.

We've received upgrade bidding emails from Princess the last three cruises we've booked this season.  I understand they use a third party to handle the process.

My last Luminosa booking was just over $200 balcony for 7 days. This was around $20 plus port charges and taxes. So credit would only be $10. Does anyone know if you get refunded port charges if you don't go to that port due to unfavorable weather and out of hands of ship, ie. not a ship problem.

Just off short Luminosa cruise on Sunday. Needed to wear mask in Brisbane cruise terminal, but neither staff nor passengers wearing masks on board. A few passengers chose to do so but very rare. No sign of handwashing and very little use of hand sanitizer. Perhaps on a longer cruise, situation would be different.

Our next cruise at end of month is a ten day Princess so we'll see what is in place there.

The Hollywood Conservatory is indeed a beautiful space. However we found it unusable due to the extremely strong chlorine smell, but perhaps we're more sensitive than some.

I'll second the fact that the lamb is very good at the Crown Grill.

14 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

The free SD promotion bundled with Plus was done after the restart, so this isn’t a four year thing. Sorry if that was not clear. I thought that I had explained that the supply/demand issue has only been present during the past year and will soon go away as all of the cruises booked under those terms wind down. 

Agree, we've definitely had problems getting a booking for speciality restaurants once onboard this past year, and we've been on three different Princess ships. If you want a particular night, or if it's a short cruise, I'd definitely make the effort to book pre-cruise.  Hopefully, as suggested, this need may be temporary.

14 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

As always with Princess....It depends.

 

I have been in a full suite for less than 6 days and have received specialty dinners....SOMETIMES.  There is no consistency to this policy.  

We've definitely had the complimentary speciality dinner on first night on shorter cruises recently.. Just try your app to book a speciality dinner first evening and it may recognise you are in a suite and show a credit and zero charge. 

Agree the Plus Package wines are embarrassing for Princess. I believe the De Bortoli Willowglen are equivalent range to the retail De Bortoli Sacred Hill, available at $4.50 at First Choice Liquor or usually on special for Six for $25.  For Princess to sell them at over $50 bottle is ridiculous. Carnival Australia sells them at $20 less than Princess and I'm sure their overheads would be similar. 

We have upcoming Carnival, P&O and Princess cruises. I understand you can take approximately a dozen canned soft drinks, water etc onboard when embarking (not bottles). Does anyone know if cans of zero alcohol beer would be allowed? Thanks for any advice.

8 hours ago, Galesa said:

Agree lyndarra. By any measure 26th is a divisive issue. I really don't have a problem with changing the date so we can ALL celebrate this great country.

Agree. The number of people finding 26th divisive is growing rapidly. I'm all for changing the date to one where all Australians feel proud to celebrate. I for one will not be celebrating in 26th.

Thanks Lucy. That information will be appreciated by many. Half of my family are diagnosed Coeliac so always looking for advice re planning holidays.

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

Correct Julie, it was De Bortoli Willowglen range, about the same quality as Markview Range, commercially sound.

Yes, off Grand Princess last month. De Bortoli Willowglen is commercial range I feel equivalent drinking to De Bortoli Sacred Hill retail range which we can buy for $4.50 at our bottleshop (or 6 for $25). $53 on Princess overpriced in my opinion and poor drinking at that price point.

In another recent post here, a fellow poster said on Grand very recently they could buy a 'wine package' for $179 consisting of 2 red, 2 white and one rose. And stated wines sounded better quality than Willowglen. Works out around $36 bottle.

Thanks everyone for replies. Indeed, I was getting two cruises jumbled together. We are doing Luminosa early February and Majestic Princess late February. It is Majestic coming from Sydney.  Can I blame Long Covid for brain fade!!!!

We were questioning Luminosa embarkation day as we booked a last minute cruise on 3rd February yesterday before checking there was parking available (we live 2 hours away). Of course embarkation day booked out for parking at terminal until 2.30. All aboard time 3pm. We have earliest embarkment time. So wondering if we could pay casual rates for a few hours and then exit ship to park on our 2.30 booking. But after reading your advice, will not consider this option. Rang Wilson parking and they said one hour grace period at start and end of booking so should be able to enter carpark after 1.30 if booking 2.30.

We have an early embarkment time for an upcoming Carnival Luminosa cruise from Brisbane. Does anyone know if it's allowable to leave the ship again for a short while after you embark. As the ship is also embarking guests in Sydney a few days earlier, there will be many guests using Brisbane as a Port Day and coming and going off the ship, so I can't see why, after we embark, we couldn't leave the ship???  Has anyone done this on carnival?