Over from NZ

That really annoys me that the cruise-lines short-change us with the amount of time spent in ports!

I think the problem is.. most of Princess's clientele is old! Hence the complaints about noise. Wife and I don't have a problem with it at all.. 🙂

Yep - here's your actual temps from last year - https://www.accuweather.com/en/it/rome/213490/april-weather/213490?year=2023

Except the "nos" are a moving target. When we started cruising, even our 10-year old son was sent away from the dining room for turning up in dress shorts and a shirt.. fast forward to this year.. I'm wearing cargo shorts and a polo shirt in the dining room on formal night. Tank-tops and swim-suits might seem a no-brainer sure.. but the "nos" of yesterday ain't the "Nos" of today.

Our recent trip on the Enchanted had 6 formal nights. Shorts were worn at all formal nights in the MDR. Wear what you want. Put a pair of long pants in your luggage just in case you strike a Maitre-D dress zealot that's new and wants to go back to the old days. Otherwise wear what you like and enjoy.

You don't need to do a ships excursion. We just grabbed a taxi from the ship there and that was cheap enough.

Take the full day! You'd be silly to just book the 5-hours.

Yes, we look at the deal you guys get.. and I agree with you up there that it makes a lot of sense generally. If the $35 somebody said above was the figure.. Take off Grats and wifi.. and you don't then need to be drinking many long-blacks or other to make it worthwhile. 🙂 Hope you get the chance to get down under sometime - I'm biased, but they say the scenery is stunning. Don't come by cruise-ship though - you'll miss all the best of it. 🙂

May seem strange to you.. but it is what it is though. And for that reason.. the maths is different for the Antipodeans. It costs us about NZD$71 a day for the Plus. $AUD is not too far different to $NZD. Gratuities are charged seperately on top of the Plus. That's about USD$44 a day plus gratuities. Internet is half price for us. There's no way the package makes financial sense for most non-drinkers from down-under.

No it doesn't. You've missed the point.

If they're booking the cruise from Australia/NZ and it's sailing from say the US or Europe - they have to pay the gratuities extra - they're not included in the Plus.

However.. the OP is from NZ. Grats aren't in the package. Be very unlikely the package is worth it.

It's Princess ships. One of them will have old people on it. The other will have even older people. Unless it's a shorter cruise over the holidays (when you'll have a mix of old people and families). Their "clients" will fit in well. 🤣

Haha. Yes, I should have instead said my dinner was no less tasty..

The "Malta Experience" is excellent. It's in Mdina though. Which itself is another excellent thing to see (particularly if you're a GOT fan).. however if you're only there for a day - you're not going to be able to see all these things.

No - you can eat in the buffet. Or perhaps in your room. If what others are wearing to dinner is causing you a problem.. that problem is with you alone. On our last cruise.. I wore a suit to the first 5 formal nights and then shorts and a polo shirt to the 6th to see what it felt like (as so many others were doing so). Guess what - my food didn't taste any different!

I've seen it ignored just as many times.. It's Alaska. They'll no doubt have a pair of jeans or something in their luggage they could chuck on if they were unlucky enough to strike a dress-code zealot.

Given that you're going to Alaska.. I would assume he'll have at least 1 pair of jeans or pants? As long as he's got one pair of jeans or pants he'll be fine. In most cases he'll be fine in shorts and a T-shirt (even on formal night), but if you happen to strike a Maitre-D out of step with the rest of the lin.. then the jeans or pants will get you by. Of course.. if you want to dress up more than that.. do what you like 🙂

$60 to the CBD? That price hasn't changed for ages. That's a fair deal.

Get a taxi to La Sagrada. Pre-book your entry tickets for opening time (from memory it was 9am). Be there about quarter to. Be the first people in La Sagrada - and you'll have the run of the place.. you'll take photos without people everywhere etc. It's great before it fills up. Probably be out of there by 11am.

An independence day?

You might want to shout yourself a new keyboard.. 🤣😅

Exactly!!!

Happy Australia Day! I have to admit as a Kiwi - you celebrate your National day much better than us. Party on!! 🙂

We've had one of those offers from Carnival once. If the cruise-line has oversold the number of cabins. They can be attractive (for those that live nearby and can be flexible on travel)!! 🙂