Round Aus Cruise

[Savitore]

We just got back from above cruise had a good time, however this certainly is an oldies tour (says me at 67) from Brisbane to Sydney we were amongst the youngest, from Sydney to Brisbane we were some of the oldest. What a change in dynamics we went from 4 seldom seen kids to 600 kids and the whole scene changed.

 

I have never seen so many grumpy hard to get on with bunch, than the ones on the Round Aus cruise, we had to get to each event an hour early to get a seat they would put the disabled tables down to hold seats ( we actually saw passengers doing it, not the staff). Our dining table got together after a while and would have a tag team holding our seats for the main shows. We would rush dinner and three of us would go straight down and spread out along a row then swap around till the show started. I would just take my book down and sit and read for the time. I would not recommend this trip to any young ones unless you were a group so you could interact together. The dance floors were very quiet after 8pm most nights. 

Anyway it's off to NZ ON the 29th Dec ( my birthday) New year with with a few friends coming as well I think that this cruise will be a bit livelier.

Cheers all Sav

[MicCanberra]

Cheers, thanks for the review. Hopefully the next one is a better time for you.

[Aus Traveller]

We have done a few Around Australia or Northern Explorer cruises and noticed a lot of motorized scooters and wheely-walkers and the average age is much higher than on other cruises. My theory is that a lot of older cruisers feel they can go on an around Australia cruise without too much risk because they are always close to Australian medical facilities. However, they may not consider the cost of medical evacuation in the event of a medical emergency.

[MicCanberra]

Without insurance , a medivac is a budget breaker

[Gwendy]

Longer cruises attract the older demographic.  On these I feel like a youngster, lol (closer to 70 than any other number).

The older ones on these cruises, are what I call whingers, nothing ever suits.  They also seem to like the older smaller ships such as Sea and Sun Princess.

sometimes you just have to paste on your smile and do your own thing.

[GUT2407]

One reason is most people who are still working don’t have the time for a four or five week cruise.

[MicCanberra]

Perhaps, another would be that they don't want to spend their total holidays on one cruise (or as Gwendy said, with all those really old whingers).😋

[OzKiwiJJ]

We were on the even longer Hawaii/Tahiti cruise just before this one and rarely noticed any whingers or seat hogging. Yes, most of the passengers were older folk, including us, and most people seemed to be really enjoying the cruise. One thing that stood out particularly on my cruise was that there was little or no table hogging around any of bars serving coffees during the day. People were having their coffees then moving on to somewhere else. Admittedly Sea Princess seems to have more seating in those areas than some of the larger ships which probably helped.

[Savitore]

We did the Hawaii, Tahiti  cruise last year 39 days and it was brilliant the Round Aus was totally different and as Aus Traveller has said dozens of scooters and wheelie walkers to force their way around. We had an emergency evac off WA moved close to Barrow Island. What the cost of that was I would not like to guess. They moved everyone from the top 2 decks aft out of their cabins. It was a huge event most of the ship was on the pool deck watching the spectacle, I got great video as well as a few photos.

We were told they were evacuated to Karatha the on to Perth. The Evans started in Cairns with 2 couples taken off another couple in Darwin. There was also ambulances on the docks in Broome & Freemantle. The rumour mill was running saying 3 had died but who knows.

Cheers

Sav

[Savitore]

I did not realise the site had a word correction. Just read my post and thought what am I doing. I'll take more time to proof read from now on. Where did Evans come from I typed evacuations in.

[Aus Traveller]

17 minutes ago, Savitore said:

I did not realise the site had a word correction. Just read my post and thought what am I doing. I'll take more time to proof read from now on. Where did Evans come from I typed evacuations in.

I realised you meant 'evacuations'. You mention three deaths on the cruise. I suggest there would have been at least that number. One of the staff mentioned to us that there were seven (up to that point) on our around Aust cruise. Yes - he probably should not have said that. 🙂

 

[GUT2407]

2 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I realised you meant 'evacuations'. You mention three deaths on the cruise. I suggest there would have been at least that number. One of the staff mentioned to us that there were seven (up to that point) on our around Aust cruise. Yes - he probably should not have said that. 🙂

 

Yep when we did our Circumnavigation back in ‘15 chatting with the Capt he said the average on that cruise was 2 a week, when we were in Wellington I was sitting on the Dock waiting for Mrs G and a morgue van arrived for a pick up, overhead the officer doing the handover say ‘We’ve had eight due.” Now as we were met by an ambulance, or more than one at virtually every port I don’t know if they meant including those who died after disembarking to an ambulance, or on the ship.

[MicCanberra]

On average per week per cruise for the longer ones.

[GUT2407]

Can’t understand why some seem offended at people in scooters cruising. Maybe I am just touchy about it, but perhaps some need to 

 

1. Appreciate the mobility they have

 

2. Celebrate that in this day and age of technology like scooters that life doesn’t end when mobility goes down hill.

[GUT2407]

Just now, MicCanberra said:

On average per week per cruise for the longer ones.

We were told two, yes on ave per week.

[MicCanberra]

6 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

We were told two, yes on ave per week.

That would be for the twin share coroners vans then.

[MicCanberra]

You know that there have been more than the average amount of deaths on board when they are really pushing the ice cream.

[GUT2407]

Just now, MicCanberra said:

You know that there have been more than the average amount of deaths on board when they are really pushing the ice cream.

We were told florists fridge is first back up.

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, GUT2407 said:

Can’t understand why some seem offended at people in scooters cruising. Maybe I am just touchy about it, but perhaps some need to 

 

1. Appreciate the mobility they have

 

2. Celebrate that in this day and age of technology like scooters that life doesn’t end when mobility goes down hill.

And I celebrate the fact that older people, or people with disabilities still want to cruise.

[MicCanberra]

I try and use the stairs whenever possible so that the elevators are free for those that need them.

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, GUT2407 said:

We were told florists fridge is first back up.

So if you get flowers in your room un-expectantly, that must mean some poor petal has flaked.

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

So if you get flowers in your room un-expectantly, that must mean some poor petal has flaked.

Ha!

[Gwendy]

Wish I could use stairs, dodgy knee.  Had one “gentleman” on world cruise snigger at back of lift when I went one deck up.  Wish he could see me without medication and realise how disabled I am without medication.  

[MicCanberra]

It happens. No need to explain to anyone why you need (or want) the lift.

[GUT2407]

9 hours ago, Gwendy said:

Wish I could use stairs, dodgy knee.  Had one “gentleman” on world cruise snigger at back of lift when I went one deck up.  Wish he could see me without medication and realise how disabled I am without medication.  

Unfortunately lots of judgemental .... on some cruises. I try and ignore them. I use as much or little assistance as I can get by with have had some nasty comments suggesting I used the chair to embark to get priority, but it’s like water off a ducks back, Mrs Gut has been known to become upset.