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Updates from the Emerald Princess – On her way to Australia!- September/November 2016

Kiwi_cruiser
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brian1

brian1

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Hi,I think you guys will have a few Aussies for company.Just got off the Coral from Whittier to FL,quite a few of youre lot there too.Back to topic,we are on the Aurora also,but in Jan from Dubai to Singapore and includes 2 stops in India.This visa business is really confusing as everyone is still saying you need one.Can you shine more light on this maybe Kiwicruiser.Thanks in advance,cheers,Brian.

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bronte2

bronte2

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We visited India(Mumbai) in 2014 on the Ocean Princess and we had to obtain a visa beforehand and our documentation was checked on the ship face to face by Indian officials, checked getting off the ship and checked again before the tour bus left the port! I think it was also checked again when we returned.

 

However things change and we are thinking of jumping on Majestic Princess in Rome and it has a port stop in Cochin so yesterday I did tons of research.

According to the Indian Consulate website and everything else I read, you DO need a visa for arrival on a cruise ship. In fact, even if you arrive by plane into one of the airports that accept the electronic visa if you are departing by ship you need a paper visa :(.

Note: I avoided websites relating to visa processors.

 

I did see some references to an article in The Telegraph in the UK where the Indian Embassy in London had given incorrect info to cruisers as they were told they didn't need a visa.

 

So it would seem to me, that there is no doubt a visa is required but perhaps depending on the port of arrival it may or may not be enforced :confused: I wouldn't risk it.

From memory, it cost us around $90 each for a 1 day visit last time. If, we decide to go on the Majestic cruise we will definitely get one.

Thankfully, we are cruising from Singapore to Southampton on Arcadia and she is not calling at any Indian ports so we don't have to worry about it.:)

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Kiwi_cruiser

Kiwi_cruiser

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Question for Stu....

Have you ever seen the Tradewinds Bar near the gym entrance (mid-forward deck 16) open? If so what hours (roughly).

Thanks,

Anna

 

 

The Tradewinds Bar has been open everyday so far on this cruise :), the Princess Patter says its open from 9am till 11pm (weather permitting).

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NSWP

NSWP

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Hahaha.....l remember you too! How are you going? We will be over there next month for six weeks. Are we mad by surrounding ourselves with 1000's of Poms on a cruise ship for 26 nights? LOL

 

Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

Eileen, don't worry, we were on Aurora/Oriana (USA/Canada and Canaries) last year, we were the only Aussies on board, so surrounded by 2000 Brits. A jolly good time was had by all. Make sure you go to the Great Briitsh Sailaways on P&O UK, they do it best.

 

Rule Britannia and enjoy !!

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NSWP

NSWP

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Great reporting there Stu, we are enjoying it all. We have a couple of American friends on board... Bob and Ann, doing Southampton to Sydney and on to NZ.

Edited by NSWP
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Billy and Charlie's Mum

Billy and Charlie's Mum

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Eileen, don't worry, we were on Aurora/Oriana (USA/Canada and Canaries) last year, we were the only Aussies on board, so surrounded by 2000 Brits. A jolly good time was had by all. Make sure you go to the Great Briitsh Sailaways on P&O UK, they do it best.

 

Rule Britannia and enjoy !!

I like the poms so being surrounded by them will be fun.....at least they give as good as they get when you stir them LOL

 

Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

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cheznandy Holiday Sharing Rare

cheznandy

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I'd also like to know this, Stu. The Sun Princess has a great set up now....wall to wall movies.

 

Anna, I am quite sure that the Emerald Princess doesnt have the movies on demand TV system. I recall reading on a few blogs that it wasn't available.

I know it is on the Sapphire Princess and obviously the Sun.

We enjoyed the ability to watch movies in the cabin on the Sapphire, my husbands favourite passtime:rolleyes:, loads and loads of options, able to pause and come back later!!

Fingers crossed that the Sapphire is on it's way to us in 2018, although the same as the Diamond, the movies on demand and International Cafe and Alfredo's restaurant in the atrium make it perfect!!

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GUT2407

GUT2407

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Anna, I am quite sure that the Emerald Princess doesnt have the movies on demand TV system. I recall reading on a few blogs that it wasn't available.

I know it is on the Sapphire Princess and obviously the Sun.

We enjoyed the ability to watch movies in the cabin on the Sapphire, my husbands favourite passtime:rolleyes:, loads and loads of options, able to pause and come back later!!

Fingers crossed that the Sapphire is on it's way to us in 2018, although the same as the Diamond, the movies on demand and International Cafe and Alfredo's restaurant in the atrium make it perfect!!

 

Diamond has movies on demand, no IC.

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GUT2407

GUT2407

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Thanks Gut, I didn't know that! We did 23 nights on Diamond in 2013 and I am sure it didnt have it then, but I could be wrong.....most likely I am wrong:p

 

We were on oct nov last year, think they'd only started a few months before.

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Scanorama

Scanorama

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We were on oct nov last year, think they'd only started a few months before.

 

The on demand system was installed on the Diamond in 2013 when it was dry docked in Singapore along with other major upgrades. I was on her in the beginning of 2014 to Tasmania and it had the on demand system installed then.

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CassCruise

CassCruise

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We've only been on the Diamond & loved the in room movies on the tv.

 

So with the Emerald ...how does the older system work do you not have a choice movies on the tv in your stateroom?

You have very limited selection and normally they repeat the "movie of the day" the following day several set times as opposed to the new system which is fabulous with an enormous selection and the ability to pause/rewind etc - loved it on the Sun as it is something in the real world I rarely get to indulge in!
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Kiwi_cruiser

Kiwi_cruiser

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Hello again from the Emerald Princess.

 

This is a bit of a catch up post as since I last posted an update we have been to Dubai, Cochin, India and Phuket, Thailand.

 

After 6 lovely HOT days at sea we found land again!! We arrived in Dubai. The ship spent overnight here.

 

The first morning in Dubai as we got off the ship, we noticed a guy offering a trip out to the desert we enquired about this and decided to do it that night :) then we went to Dubai Mall to pick up a few bits for our computers and to try and find an internet cafe or some decent wifi as dad needed to download an update for his computer.

 

I uploaded that video of the Dolphins at the Dubai Mall, but we were not able to find anywhere to download that update…, will try again in another port…

 

That afternoon we headed to the desert on tour to do some 4x4 driving, mum and dad did a camel ride (I took the photos :)) and had a BBQ dinner. We also had local entertainment. It was a good night; we did not get back to the ship till 9:30pm.

 

The second day in Dubai we just went to another shopping centre and pick up a few supplies to keep us going till we get to Singapore and a few things for Halloween.

 

We also got a new caption when we were in Dubai and an about 200 passengers got off a few more got on.

 

We then had 3 days at sea (see my other post for what happened while we were at sea) and we then arrived in Cochin, India!

 

It was a hot day and overcast day in Cochin, we thought it could rain, but it did not.

 

We did not have any plans to do much in Cochin. We ended up doing a tuck- tuck trip around Cochin, which was good. It ended up been a good day. :)

After we left Cochin, India, we had another 3 days at sea, before we got to Phuket, Thailand.

 

I thought we would be docked in In Phuket, Thailand, like we were on the Sun Princess, in April 2016, but instead it was a tender port (so I guess the Emerald Princess is too big to dock there).

 

As it was a tender port I was glad that we booked a ships tour! We went to Phi Phi Island to go swimming and snorkeling, it was a good day. (Snorkeling was OK).

 

And when we got back to the tender pier there was another cruise ship in town, it was the Mariner of the Seas (She looked very much like Explore of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas).

 

Today (28 October 2016) we are in Singapore, which is going to be a big turnaround day as there is thousand passengers getting off!

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Kinkacruiser Holiday Sharing Rare

Kinkacruiser

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Anna, I am quite sure that the Emerald Princess doesnt have the movies on demand TV system. I recall reading on a few blogs that it wasn't available.

I know it is on the Sapphire Princess and obviously the Sun.

We enjoyed the ability to watch movies in the cabin on the Sapphire, my husbands favourite passtime:rolleyes:, loads and loads of options, able to pause and come back later!!

Fingers crossed that the Sapphire is on it's way to us in 2018, although the same as the Diamond, the movies on demand and International Cafe and Alfredo's restaurant in the atrium make it perfect!!

 

Thanks Chez. What a shame :rolleyes: Do you know if it's on the Golden or will be installed by August 2017?

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Kiwi Kruzer

Kiwi Kruzer

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They still have a long ways to go..:D

 

Fri 28/10/16 Singapore / Singapore 18:00

Sat 29/10/16 At Sea

Sun 30/10/16 Koh Samui / Thailand 07:00 17:00

Mon 31/10/16 Laem Chabang / Thailand 07:00 19:00

Tue 01/11/16 At Sea

Wed 02/11/16 At Sea

Thu 03/11/16 At Sea

Fri 04/11/16 Benoa (Bali) / Indonesia 09:00 18:00

Sat 05/11/16 At Sea

Sun 06/11/16 At Sea

Mon 07/11/16 At Sea

Tue 08/11/16 Fremantle (Perth) / Australia 07:00 18:00

Wed 09/11/16 Busselton (Margaret River) / Australia 07:00 17:00

Thu 10/11/16 At Sea

Fri 11/11/16 At Sea

Sat 12/11/16 At Sea

Sun 13/11/16 Melbourne / Australia 08:00 17:00

Mon 14/11/16 At Sea

Tue 15/11/16 Sydney / Australia 06:00

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