Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Carnival Australia Information

cmukid87

By cmukid87,
in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers

 Share

Recommended Posts

cmukid87

cmukid87

Posted
Posted

Hello all - 

Hoping to plan a sailing out of Australia for next year.  I have just a few questions.

1 - The final cost of the booking is exactly that, the total cost?  There are no gratuities/daily service charges required?

2 - I'm booking through carnival.com (not .au), is the total owed in USD or AUS?

3 - Does anyone have drink/beverage menus that represent pricing for carnival australia?

 

I'm sure I'll have more questions down the line but these are the important ones for now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TxShipShape

TxShipShape

Posted
Posted

I was on one just before Covid. back then you had to call them directly but now everything is together.  so for #2 yes you can go with carnival USA.  The answer to #1 is yes also but tips to crew are very welcome.  When in port don't worry about tips to waiters, taxi drivers, etc.  Sorry about #3 don't remember anything about prices.  The $AUD is less than the $USD, about .73 cents so a $4 drink is only costing you 2.92 if my math is right.  Also don't worry too much about converting your $USD to $AUD, the casino with exchange them for you, BUT will not change them back at the end of the cruise.

Another tip check your CC to see if they have no fee international use.  I have an Airline CC and that is one of the perks.  My other CC would charge a exchange fee.

 

Check the Australia and New Zealand boards for better info. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OzKiwiJJ Great Review Rare

OzKiwiJJ

Posted
Posted

Yes, as I understand it the gratuities included in fares only applies to bookings made in Australia or New Zealand.

 

However gratutities are included in the drinks prices onboard. There were two different levels of wine packages available onboard. Five bottles from a selected list of wines at about a 20% discount. That was the only form of drinks package available at the time we cruised on Carnival.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
rkmw

rkmw

Posted
Posted

They were bringing in drink packages in but not sure of prices and if one person buys it the other person has too

Gratuities would have to be paid as it’s only included for AU & NZ people and the currency is in AUD


Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hunter69

Hunter69

Posted
Posted

Hi; Done at least 20 Cruises on Carnival Australia.

1. All cruises leaving Australian ports or Ending in Australian ports, gratius is included, so no Tipping needed... No Daily service tipping. We usually give a Tip/reward at end of cruise to Room attendants, Waiters in MDR & Favorite Bar person. You don't have to do this... It's up to you at the end...

2.If booking via USA site, the money owed is in USD...  On the cruise & in ports it's AUD Australian dollars..

3. Carnival Introduced a drinks package last year, the same as the US ship's. it goes for $119 AUD (Around $80-$85 USD). Yes it's a whole lot more cause Australians drink more then the USA. Most Beers are around $7.50 - $8.00 AUD ($5 us); cocktails are $12.95 AUD ($8 USD). Pepsi is $7.50 ($5 USD) Per Day on Bottomless bubbles or $2.75 ($2 USD) a can..

Hope to see you DOWNUNDER..

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
SinbadThePorter

SinbadThePorter

Posted
Posted

Is there a reason you are preferring Carnival while in Australia?

 

It's just that here Carnival is the lesser of the Carnival Corp brands, behind Princess and P&O Australia. Princess being the more premium brand and P&O more budget. Carnival Australia competes more with P&O Oz, but has fewer ships and fewer itineraries than either of the others.

 

I believe that Princess Australia will not allow bookings by overseas people, but of course you can book the same cruises from Princess US but without the included gratuities.

 

I'm pretty sure you can book P&O Australia from anywhere with the same ticket inclusions, although I've never tested it myself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
The_Big_M

The_Big_M

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:

Is there a reason you are preferring Carnival while in Australia?

 

It's just that here Carnival is the lesser of the Carnival Corp brands, behind Princess and P&O Australia. Princess being the more premium brand and P&O more budget. Carnival Australia competes more with P&O Oz, but has fewer ships and fewer itineraries than either of the others.

 

I believe that Princess Australia will not allow bookings by overseas people, but of course you can book the same cruises from Princess US but without the included gratuities.

 

I'm pretty sure you can book P&O Australia from anywhere with the same ticket inclusions, although I've never tested it myself.

 

Carnival is still technically a bit more high end than P&O Aus i.e. it has more inclusions e.g. pizza and a few other things are included, instead of extra cost on P&O. Carnival has a loyalty program (which the poster sounds like they have status). P&O doesn't.

 

Plus P&O Aus can't be easily booked internationally and from the wording the poster prefers to book through the US where they're familiar. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SinbadThePorter

SinbadThePorter

Posted
Posted (edited)
40 minutes ago, The_Big_M said:

Carnival is still technically a bit more high end than P&O Aus

 

That's a very marginal technicality. I don't see that much of a difference between the two brands. P&O for instance has two extra no charge restaurants on most of its ships, which I'd be surprised if they didn't carry over to Adventure and Encounter.

 

40 minutes ago, The_Big_M said:

P&O doesn't.

 

The P&O loyalty program is the Princess loyalty program. Which comes in handy for many of us.

 

40 minutes ago, The_Big_M said:

Plus P&O Aus can't be easily booked internationally

 

Is there something that prevents access to the P&O cruise website from overseas? I wasn't aware of it.

 

Anyway, the point is if the OP is coming all this way he/she may not be aware that Carnival here is not the force it is in US waters and other options from Princess and P&O may have better suited itineraries.

Edited by SinbadThePorter
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hunter69

Hunter69

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, The_Big_M said:

 

Carnival is still technically a bit more high end than P&O Aus i.e. it has more inclusions e.g. pizza and a few other things are included, instead of extra cost on P&O. Carnival has a loyalty program (which the poster sounds like they have status). P&O doesn't.

 

Plus P&O Aus can't be easily booked internationally and from the wording the poster prefers to book through the US where they're familiar. 

Correct...

Plus Princess are for the over 60's here in Australia.  Most over 60's on a Carnival Australian cruise will be either people from Overseas or Platinum/Diamond carnival VIFP.. Around15-20%.

Kids are about the same ratio. Most Carnival Australia cruisers are between 30-60.

As explainded on The Book of faces. P&O = Reject Shop; Carnival = K-Mart; RCL = Myer; & Princess = Retirement Home.. That's pretty close I Reckon Too..

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OzKiwiJJ Great Review Rare

OzKiwiJJ

Posted
Posted

I prefer to think of it this way - Princess is for discerning cruisers who prefer a more traditional style of cruising rather than a floating amusement park. Longer itineraries outside the peak cruise season do attract more retirees but shorter (up to 14 days) cruises in the peak season have a wide range of ages.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
SinbadThePorter

SinbadThePorter

Posted
Posted (edited)

Bookfaces is  a bit rough on P&O, pretty generous to Carnival, very generous to RCL and pretty close with Princess.

 

Maybe P&O=Target, Carnival=KMart, RCL=TJ Maxx, Princess=Myer.

 

But it's all a matter of taste.

 

Out of curiosity, what stops an overseas person from booking with P&O Oz?

Edited by SinbadThePorter
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Chiliburn

Chiliburn

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I prefer to think of it this way - Princess is for discerning cruisers who prefer a more traditional style of cruising rather than a floating amusement park. Longer itineraries outside the peak cruise season do attract more retirees but shorter (up to 14 days) cruises in the peak season have a wide range of ages.

A little birdie said princess may change it’s name because of all the bad publicity?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Docker123

Docker123

Posted
Posted
49 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

Bookfaces is  a bit rough on P&O, pretty generous to Carnival, very generous to RCL and pretty close with Princess.

 

Maybe P&O=Target, Carnival=KMart, RCL=TJ Maxx, Princess=Myer.

 

But it's all a matter of taste.

 

Out of curiosity, what stops an overseas person from booking with P&O Oz?


Related to your website question, 


Previous experience has shown me that I can go through the booking process on US based cruise websites. However, when it came to payment, it reverted to the Australian site and castings.

 

I looked at the P&O site. It only shows the Oz site and a NZ one. I cannot find a US site.

 

So, unless it is geoblocked, can’t see why the Americans couldn’t use it. 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bowm54

Bowm54

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

Then one of their ships would become the Crown Crown.

 

Given the kind of year that 2020 has been, nothing would surprise me. However I'd have the renaming of Princess as one of the lower probability events.

Yes I agree, any rebranding this early could be seen as admitting some degree of wrongdoing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hunter69

Hunter69

Posted
Posted

Don't know about that TJ Maxx Reference for RCL. I found them rude or upper class on my 2 trips. Not so friendly getting in & out of lifts or in lines for service. Mostly keeping to themselves. Unlike my 89 year old mum & her friends on Princess, nice funloving ladies, still think there in there 40's  They have a ball in there groups doing all the activities...Yes they are so much nicer on Princess....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Docker123

Docker123

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

People have relatively short memories eg Italians are still cruising Costa.


My daughter and I were visiting a friend in Naples. Going to dinner the roads were really busy in both directions.

 

Up ahead, someone decided they needed to make a 27 point u-turn to go in the other direction. Cars held back. No horns honking.

 

I asked why so quiet. She said “ everyone makes a mistake sometimes. “

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...