Introduction (well reintroduction)

[sarze2591]

Hi Everyone,

 

I had a quick look around but couldn't see a specific intro thread, let me know if I have just missed it and I can move this!

I was a member of cruisecritic about 10 years ago, back then I was sarze, but I no longer even remember what email address I would have been using back then so I have resigned up.

 

My first cruise was on P&O star out of Brisbane, the week fantastique, I was a whole 21 years old back then, and was cruising with my boyfriend (now husband) and 2 high school mates after we had just graduated from Uni.

 

Now I have celebrated the 10th year reunion of my 21st birthday ;) and I just so happen to be graduating from Uni again (I am a radiographer, soon to be qualified sonographer) so what better reason for a cruise!

 

This time it will be Dean and I again but our quad will be rounded out by our two boys who will be 6 and 4 at the time of our cruise. They are only 15 months apart but we are unfortunately cruising at just the wrong time to split them into different kids club categories!

 

We are booked on Carnival Spirit for 9 nights on the 13th November, cruising back to Lifou and Noumea and visiting Isle of Pines and Mare for the first time.

 

A holiday wasn't really on the cards this year so we are trying to do it as budget as possible (although I did convince Dean that $2000 worth of flights from CentralQld was worth it to 'upgrade' from P&O for the kids side of cruising), so we are booked in an inside room, but I will definitely be keeping an eye on any sales between now and the date that cancellation fees apply :)

 

So hi again to anyone who was around back in 2006 and hi to everyone newer than that! I will try not to spend every day here when I should be studying...so yeah I will be here every day ;)

[aussiedisneyfan]

Hi, I was around back then, but I dont' post much on here anymore. Welcome back and enjoy planning as you countdown.

[KirkNC]

Welcome back!

[cheznandy]

Like Jane, I was around back then, and remember your user name. Don't post as much as I used to back then either;)

Welcome back to CC and happy cruising:)

Edited April 2, 2016 by cheznandy

[Meamat]

I'm on the spirit arriving the morning you leave :-)

 

Enjoy the cruise and welcome back!

[Kinkacruiser]

Hi Everyone,

 

I had a quick look around but couldn't see a specific intro thread, let me know if I have just missed it and I can move this!

I was a member of cruisecritic about 10 years ago, back then I was sarze, but I no longer even remember what email address I would have been using back then so I have resigned up.

 

My first cruise was on P&O star out of Brisbane, the week fantastique, I was a whole 21 years old back then, and was cruising with my boyfriend (now husband) and 2 high school mates after we had just graduated from Uni.

 

Now I have celebrated the 10th year reunion of my 21st birthday ;) and I just so happen to be graduating from Uni again (I am a radiographer, soon to be qualified sonographer) so what better reason for a cruise!

 

This time it will be Dean and I again but our quad will be rounded out by our two boys who will be 6 and 4 at the time of our cruise. They are only 15 months apart but we are unfortunately cruising at just the wrong time to split them into different kids club categories!

 

We are booked on Carnival Spirit for 9 nights on the 13th November, cruising back to Lifou and Noumea and visiting Isle of Pines and Mare for the first time.

 

A holiday wasn't really on the cards this year so we are trying to do it as budget as possible (although I did convince Dean that $2000 worth of flights from CentralQld was worth it to 'upgrade' from P&O for the kids side of cruising), so we are booked in an inside room, but I will definitely be keeping an eye on any sales between now and the date that cancellation fees apply :)

 

So hi again to anyone who was around back in 2006 and hi to everyone newer than that! I will try not to spend every day here when I should be studying...so yeah I will be here every day ;)

 

 

Welcome back, Sarze. We were also on the P&O Star late 2006 out of Brisbane. There's no introduction thread here, so you posted correctly. Good to see another CQer here (we're in Yeppoon). Enjoy the planning for November and congratulations on your gratuation into sonography.

Edited April 2, 2016 by Kinkacruiser

[Jacs]

Hello! I know you from another forum ;)

[sarze2591]

Thanks guys, chuffed I am remembered!

I wasn't sure we would cruise again, I got quite bad seasickness in the last couple of days last time with rough seas (and to be honest I wasn't 100% the whole time...) but can't beat the prices and hassle free inclusions of cruising with kids! I am hoping that I fare better this time (or at least I know to go get a jab early on if needed, I think last time it was partly the fact it was the last days and partly I was a uni student who probably didn't want to pay for it haha). I used to get pretty bad motion sickness in anything that moved but having had 2 rough hyperemesis pregnancies (throwing up each day until the buggers were born for those not in the know) I seem to have a much stronger stomach these days!

 

Hi Jacs, love that I bump into people from 'the other forum' everywhere I go :)

[GUT2407]

Way before I found CC, but welcome back all the same.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise.

 

Wish we had found cruising when our kids were little.

Edited April 3, 2016 by GUT2407

[sarze2591]

Just using my thread to test my ticker :D

Getting amazing milage out of my cruise/study procrastination already :P

[MicCanberra]

Welcome back to CC.:D

[Tigerlily75]

Hello!

 

I recommend sea bands for sea sickness, you wear them around your wrist and they work on pressure points. They're about $17 a pair at Chemist Warehouse.

 

While it was a bit of a luxury having a balcony twin room on the Legend (which we got off just yesterday), on Spirit we had four adults in an interior quad room, and it was fine! Squishy with all our stuff, but fine.

 

One common tip is to put the tv on the bridge or aft cam, and mute it overnight. This can be your "window" when you wake up in the morning, you will know if it's daylight or not!

 

I would sail an interior again, no problems.

 

Enjoy!

[sarze2591]

Thanks Tigerlily, I used seabands last time and will again :)

It remains to be seen if the boys get seasick at all...I think the 4 year old has possibly had a touch of car sickness once or twice but hard to know if it was just bugs since it was when he was little and at daycare...plenty of other long trips with no issues.

 

I think you can get seabands for kids though, i vaguely remember having special sized ones for long car trips as a kid :)

[sarze2591]

Super excited!

I just rebooked through an unmentionable provider of offers ;) and managed to secure an unrestricted balcony (5216) for only $531 more than our inside (6325) was and with $600 onboard credit compared to our $0 before!!! So really I have upgraded us with $69 change!!! I also love that even though I am really just prepaying the $600 on board credit it will still feel like guilt free cocktails on board as opposed to having to watch the spending go up on the account :p

 

Many thanks to angelwingsflys who prompted me to go look at prices again after posting in the rolecall! I figured if seasoned cruisers were booking right now the deal had to be out there to find haha

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Welcome back sarze2591 :D

 

I joined Cruise Ccritic in 2007, so you may not remember me from then :)