Royal Princess Sydney to NZ and Return on 7th December 2021

[Sailaway John]

Hi all,

 Good to be back booking cruise dates again. Never been on the Royal Princess, but have tried most of the Princess ships before,  so this is a first for the wife and I. We have a Mini Suite on Baja Deck, Mid ship. So what I would like to know is what are these cabins like compared to the say, Ruby, Diamond, Emerald, etc.

What size balconies do they have, extended, half extended or just the normal size as like the Sun and Sea Princess.

Thank you

 

 

[caribill]

2 hours ago, Sailaway John said:

Hi all,

 Good to be back booking cruise dates again. Never been on the Royal Princess. We have a Mini Suite on Baja Deck, Mid ship. So what I would like to know is what are these cabins like compared to the say, Ruby, Diamond, Emerald, etc.

 

What size balconies do they have, extended, half extended or just the normal size as like the Sun and Sea Princess.

 

 

 

Most side balconies are 4 feet deep. A look at the ship map at Princess.com will let you know if you have one of the few with a larger balcony.

[skynight]

The interiors of these mini suite cabins are similar to those on the Grand Class ships. Bathrooms still have the tub/shower. Club Class mid ship mini suites have angled balconies which provide additional space. All other balconies are approximately 9' x 4' and covered. You have to angle the lounge chair to sit on these balconies. For comparison, mini suites on Grand Class ships have 9' x 6' uncovered balconies.

Edited November 10, 2020 by skynight

[Hlitner]

So much will depend on the situation with COVID.  If a safe/effective vaccine is out there in Dec 21 and in wide spread use (and possibly mandated for all cruise passengers) things might be back to the norms on the Royal Princess.  In that case we think the Royal Class ships are fantastic..with the exception of the smallish cabin balconies.  But, if COVID is still not under control and there still is a policy of social distancing I think a cruise on the Royal would not be desirable.  Entertainment and public venues on the Royal Class will not lend itself to social distancing.   Just trying to deal with elevators would prove nearly impossible (or involve huge delays).  The main theater is also relatively small for that size vessel and social distancing in that kind of venue would be nearly unworkable unless the ship were limited to less then 50% of passenger capacity.  Social distancing at many of the bars/lounges would be nearly impossible unless restrictions were so onerous as to make the cruise an unhappy place.

 

Hank

[casofilia]

Again this week the talk "officially but  unofficially " has been that it is still possible that the NZ border will NOT be open till 2022!!!!

[Sailaway John]

I see that you are Kiwi's, so please talk to your PM and tell her we will bring some money over for her and open the borders soon. I will be very disappointed if they are not open for my cruise on 7th December 2021.

[casofilia]

@Sailaway John

 

Good luck.  We want to be able to leave the country for Europe in July but, at this point, are very dubious it will happen.

There has been no comments recently about opening from our side even for "bubbles"

[mcrcruiser]

On 11/10/2020 at 7:03 AM, Hlitner said:

So much will depend on the situation with COVID.  If a safe/effective vaccine is out there in Dec 21 and in wide spread use (and possibly mandated for all cruise passengers) things might be back to the norms on the Royal Princess.  In that case we think the Royal Class ships are fantastic..with the exception of the smallish cabin balconies.  But, if COVID is still not under control and there still is a policy of social distancing I think a cruise on the Royal would not be desirable.  Entertainment and public venues on the Royal Class will not lend itself to social distancing.   Just trying to deal with elevators would prove nearly impossible (or involve huge delays).  The main theater is also relatively small for that size vessel and social distancing in that kind of venue would be nearly unworkable unless the ship were limited to less then 50% of passenger capacity.  Social distancing at many of the bars/lounges would be nearly impossible unless restrictions were so onerous as to make the cruise an unhappy place.

 

Hank

Hank we selected the emerald Princess 23 night cruise starting in Aukland  on April 7 ,2022   with port stops in the south pacific & Hawaii before back to L .a. /San Pedro Calif .   We can use our princess cruise credits & the cyber sale for just a $200 deposit plus get the 3 princess perks  ,We plan to fly in one week earlier & stay in the city center area by booking with VRBO.com for a condo/apt . We intend to book air with Princess EZ air because better pricing  for either premium economy or   bus class .It is a direct flight of 13 to 14 hours from LAX to Aukland 

 

  We pray that by then the world will be in a statre of herd immunity with all the available vaccines 👍

 

 Cliff

Edited November 25, 2020 by mcrcruiser

[Hlitner]

4 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

Hank we selected the emerald Princess 23 night cruise starting in Aukland  on April 7 ,2022   with port stops in the south pacific & Hawaii before back to L .a. /San Pedro Calif .   We can use our princess cruise credits & the cyber sale for just a $200 deposit plus get the 3 princess perks  ,We plan to fly in one week earlier & stay in the city center area by booking with VRBO.com for a condo/apt . We intend to book air with Princess EZ air because better pricing  for either premium economy or   bus class .It is a direct flight of 13 to 14 hours from LAX to Aukland 

 

  We pray that by then the world will be in a statre of herd immunity with all the available vaccines 👍

 

 Cliff

I think NZ's Prime Minister has left little doubt that NZ will likely be the last country on earth to reopen to tourism and cruises.  They are in a somewhat unique position in that their remote islands are relatively easy to secure and they have done a fabulous job mitigating COVID.  So when will NZ reopen?  I suspect it will not be until there is widespread use of safe/effective COVID vaccines and every visitor coming to NZ will need to prove they have received a vaccine.  In my little mind I think that April 2022 is likely to find NZ and the rest of the world open to travel.

 

And by the way, DW and I have been to NZ on three trips and driven a good part of both North and South Islands.  It is one of our favorite countries of the world and we especially love driving South Island...particularly down to Queenstown (not accessible from any cruise).  I have previously posted that if DW and I felt the need to leave the USA we would want to live in Queenstown.

 

Hank

[casofilia]

@Hlitner

 

I think NZ's Prime Minister has left little doubt that NZ will likely be the last country on earth to reopen to tourism and cruises.  They are in a somewhat unique position in that their remote islands are relatively easy to secure and they have done a fabulous job mitigating COVID. The only cases we have had for a long time now have been either returning New Zealanders or incoming Russian/Ukrainian seamen.   Any "Community" cases have been connected with either of those groups.   Everyone has to do Managed Isolation for two weeks at their own costs. So when will NZ reopen?  The "new" government still has not made any announcement so the latest talk has been late 2021/early 2022.  I suspect it will not be until there is widespread use of safe/effective COVID vaccines and every visitor coming to NZ will need to prove they have received a vaccine. Australian airline QANTAS has stated that no international traveller will be allowed on a QANTAS plane without a vaccination certificate.  I am waiting for Air New Zealand to announce the same. In my little mind I think that April 2022 is likely to find NZ and the rest of the world open to travel.

 

Mike

[Hlitner]

3 minutes ago, casofilia said:

@Hlitner

 

I think NZ's Prime Minister has left little doubt that NZ will likely be the last country on earth to reopen to tourism and cruises.  They are in a somewhat unique position in that their remote islands are relatively easy to secure and they have done a fabulous job mitigating COVID. The only cases we have had for a long time now have been either returning New Zealanders or incoming Russian/Ukrainian seamen.   Any "Community" cases have been connected with either of those groups.   Everyone has to do Managed Isolation for two weeks at their own costs. So when will NZ reopen?  The "new" government still has not made any announcement so the latest talk has been late 2021/early 2022.  I suspect it will not be until there is widespread use of safe/effective COVID vaccines and every visitor coming to NZ will need to prove they have received a vaccine. Australian airline QANTAS has stated that no international traveller will be allowed on a QANTAS plane without a vaccination certificate.  I am waiting for Air New Zealand to announce the same. In my little mind I think that April 2022 is likely to find NZ and the rest of the world open to travel.

 

Mike

Mike, the devil can be in the details.  When Qantas issued their press release about a vaccination certificate my first thought was "what vaccination certificate, issued by whom, in what format, would it need to be notarized, would it need an official raised seal, etc etc?"   Currently there is no International Vaccination Certificate for Covid.   I should add that there is already a black market in Europe for folks who want to buy documentation that they tested negative for COVID.  

 

I personally agree with Qantas and do think requiring vaccinations for travelers is a good idea.  But vaccinations have already started in some parts of the world (with Russian and Chinese vaccines) with no standards existing regarding proof that one has been vaccinated.  China wants the world to be tracked and verified via codes on their phones (they do not say what happens to the billions of folks who do not have smart phones).  Japan is talking about a phone-based tracking system for all future tourists (this is a proposal but not yet adopted).  Here in the USA we have absolutely no standard of proof (yet).  In fact, everything in our country is just hit or miss.  I get an annual flu shot at a nearby CVS (a pharmacy chain) and until this year they would always give me a detailed receipt that could be used to prove I got my flu shot.  But last month when I got the current flu shot they gave me nothing in writing.  When I asked the pharmacist she said, "we don't do that anymore."  What will they do when they start to give COVID shots?  Nobody has a clue.

 

Hank

[casofilia]

@Hlitner

 

Hank

 

I agree with all you say.   The usual legal requirements with no thought of how they are to be carried out.

We don't have a smart phone and are already concerned that we won't be able to travel without buying one unless the countries trying that way give us one!!!   HaHa.

 

Mike

[mcrcruiser]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I think NZ's Prime Minister has left little doubt that NZ will likely be the last country on earth to reopen to tourism and cruises.  They are in a somewhat unique position in that their remote islands are relatively easy to secure and they have done a fabulous job mitigating COVID.  So when will NZ reopen?  I suspect it will not be until there is widespread use of safe/effective COVID vaccines and every visitor coming to NZ will need to prove they have received a vaccine.  In my little mind I think that April 2022 is likely to find NZ and the rest of the world open to travel.

 

And by the way, DW and I have been to NZ on three trips and driven a good part of both North and South Islands.  It is one of our favorite countries of the world and we especially love driving South Island...particularly down to Queenstown (not accessible from any cruise).  I have previously posted that if DW and I felt the need to leave the USA we would want to live in Queenstown.

 

Hank

Hank that is saying a lot . Do you know if NZ  charges a fee to live there permanently .I know that is true of Australia  ,a stiff fee is charged or you come in to the country with a viable business . 

 

 Cliff

Edited November 25, 2020 by mcrcruiser

[casofilia]

@mcrcruiser

 

I don't know about a "FEE" but there are requirements.   There is a point scale, usual requirement is as a skilled migrant and there is a list of skills allowed.   The other way is with a large sum that you will invest and then remain in NZ.

 

I got here as a teacher.   My parents came later as I was an only child, on compassionate grounds, with many requirements regarding accommodation and finances.

I had a friend who was a pharmacist who was able to come BUT, as he was NOT an only child, it was included in his acceptance that NO relative would get a "free" entry.

 

Anyone wanting to migrate needs to see a VERY GOOD emigration consultant and a lawyer.   I know that IRD has a department that deals, virtually solely, with those wishing to migrate by the investment method.

[Hlitner]

11 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

Hank that is saying a lot . Do you know if NZ  charges a fee to live there permanently .I know that is true of Australia  ,a stiff fee is charged or you come in to the country with a viable business . 

 

 Cliff

Have no clue if there is a fee these days.  We met quite a few young Canadians and Americans when driving South Island who told us similar stories about coming to NZ after college to spend a few months trekking and never leaving.   Nobody ever mentioned a fee but we are talking about a few years ago.  Funny thing about Australia is that when I got discharged from the USAF back in the early 70s, Australia was reaching out to folks to move to Australia.  In fact there were deals where the Australian government even helped with some of the expenses.  At the time they wanted to increase their population with educated English speaking folks.  Many American military who went to Vietnam (I was in DaNang) would go to Australia for a R&R or on a short leave.  We also routinely met Aussie soldiers in our NCO Club at DaNang and lots of friends were made over many a beer.  In those days there was a lot of talk about guys moving to Australia after they got out of the service but I have no clue as to how many actually made the move.

 

DW and I first visited NZ during a trip to Australia.  At the time we desperately wanted to see Australia and had not thought much about NZ.  We did like Australia but were blown away by NZ which we thought was a fantastic place.  South Island is one of more beautiful places I have visited on earth and to think they only have about a million residents.  

 

Hank

[casofilia]

@Hlitner

 

When we migrated from the UK in 1969 we were what were called "£10 Poms".  That is what we each paid for a flight from the UK to NZ.   All we had to do was I had to stay teaching for 3 years.  

Even better was the cost of a 8ft x 6ft x 6ft wooden packing case with all our furniture in it; £25!!!!

 

We also got "B....y Pom" or "Pommie B.....d" as terms of endearment.

[mcrcruiser]

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Have no clue if there is a fee these days.  We met quite a few young Canadians and Americans when driving South Island who told us similar stories about coming to NZ after college to spend a few months trekking and never leaving.   Nobody ever mentioned a fee but we are talking about a few years ago.  Funny thing about Australia is that when I got discharged from the USAF back in the early 70s, Australia was reaching out to folks to move to Australia.  In fact there were deals where the Australian government even helped with some of the expenses.  At the time they wanted to increase their population with educated English speaking folks.  Many American military who went to Vietnam (I was in DaNang) would go to Australia for a R&R or on a short leave.  We also routinely met Aussie soldiers in our NCO Club at DaNang and lots of friends were made over many a beer.  In those days there was a lot of talk about guys moving to Australia after they got out of the service but I have no clue as to how many actually made the move.

 

DW and I first visited NZ during a trip to Australia.  At the time we desperately wanted to see Australia and had not thought much about NZ.  We did like Australia but were blown away by NZ which we thought was a fantastic place.  South Island is one of more beautiful places I have visited on earth and to think they only have about a million residents.  

 

Hank

That is quite a reference for NZ & especially the south island .  Per haps we need to rethink our land side trip pre cruise April  7   2022  trans Pacific to LA . What I am referring to is to take one week alone & go  to the south island  /You mentioned Queenstown  .what was so special about Queenstown  ? TIA for info 

 

 Cliff

[casofilia]

@mcrcruiser

 

If you would like some comments about visiting NZ I would be happy to oblige, drop me a line to my email, below, and I will do it.   I have done it for a number of people.

 

BUT and it is a BIG BUT don't try to see NZ in less that 3 weeks, 4 would be better.

 

Queenstown is beautiful but it is a real tourist town so relatively expensive, yes spend a couple of days there but there is a lot more to NZ than just Queenstown.

 

Mike

[voljeep]

I remember in the early '60's we 'almost' moved to NZ - My dad ( RIP ) had a Mechanical Engineering degree from Vanderbilt and considered moving to NZ with the Company he was working for - a major pulp and papermill ...

 

didn't happen, but it seemed like it got very close ...

[Hlitner]

30 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

That is quite a reference for NZ & especially the south island .  Per haps we need to rethink our land side trip pre cruise April  7   2022  trans Pacific to LA . What I am referring to is to take one week alone & go  to the south island  /You mentioned Queenstown  .what was so special about Queenstown  ? TIA for info 

 

 Cliff

Oh my, how to explain.  Perhaps there are some Kiwis who will read this and post better info.  But Queenstown is a delightful small city (less than 20,000 souls) that sits on a beautiful lake in the south of South Island (which does mean they get real winter weather).  The setting is beautiful, we found the local restaurant scene to our liking, the city is clean, people nice, etc etc.  When we went to Queenstown we rented a condo for a few days and had a huge picture window with a stunning view of the lake.  Food was good, wine (especially the pinot noirs from south island vineyards) was excellent, and one could isolate themselves from much of the world in that remote place.  There is also a lot of natural beauty in that region be it mountains, hills, valleys, rivers, etc.  And consider that other places such as the Fjords are all within a reasonable distance for a weekend trip.  In fact, we drove down to Milford Sound for a couple of days (stayed in a the little town of Te Anau for a night) which is a spectacular place to visit.  Cruise ships try to get into Milford Sound (always a question depending on the weather) and it is a cruise highlight.  But driving to that area and then taking small boat tours that can take one right under waterfalls is quite special.  

 

One evening we stopped at a Queenstown bar for a drink and started chatting with the bar tender (a Canadian expat) and another customer.  They both agreed that we should not tell anyone about Queenstown since they do not want to see it ruined by too many tourists.  Fortunately for them, it is out of range of any cruise ship (for a day tour).  By the way, when you drive a few days on South Island you discover that there are a lot more sheep and cows then people (and other cars).  Another thing we loved about South Island is that you can actually drive within a short walking distance to several glaciers.  Hiking a mile from a near empty parking lot to the base of a glacier was fun...especially when it started to rain :).

 

Hank

[mcrcruiser]

9 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Oh my, how to explain.  Perhaps there are some Kiwis who will read this and post better info.  But Queenstown is a delightful small city (less than 20,000 souls) that sits on a beautiful lake in the south of South Island (which does mean they get real winter weather).  The setting is beautiful, we found the local restaurant scene to our liking, the city is clean, people nice, etc etc.  When we went to Queenstown we rented a condo for a few days and had a huge picture window with a stunning view of the lake.  Food was good, wine (especially the pinot noirs from south island vineyards) was excellent, and one could isolate themselves from much of the world in that remote place.  There is also a lot of natural beauty in that region be it mountains, hills, valleys, rivers, etc.  And consider that other places such as the Fjords are all within a reasonable distance for a weekend trip.  In fact, we drove down to Milford Sound for a couple of days (stayed in a the little town of Te Anau for a night) which is a spectacular place to visit.  Cruise ships try to get into Milford Sound (always a question depending on the weather) and it is a cruise highlight.  But driving to that area and then taking small boat tours that can take one right under waterfalls is quite special.  

 

One evening we stopped at a Queenstown bar for a drink and started chatting with the bar tender (a Canadian expat) and another customer.  They both agreed that we should not tell anyone about Queenstown since they do not want to see it ruined by too many tourists.  Fortunately for them, it is out of range of any cruise ship (for a day tour).  By the way, when you drive a few days on South Island you discover that there are a lot more sheep and cows then people (and other cars).  Another thing we loved about South Island is that you can actually drive within a short walking distance to several glaciers.  Hiking a mile from a near empty parking lot to the base of a glacier was fun...especially when it started to rain :).

 

Hank

Hank sounds spectacular  & thanks for your illuminating  post  . Making notes . We are now looking at going  on a land our of just the South  Island & what you talked about will be included in the tour . We are hoping we can manage to do it with all our luggage & a portable electric scooter  .Sometimes land tour limit luggage on the buses .Hope not but we will see /

 

  Cliff

 

   

[Hlitner]

7 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

Hank sounds spectacular  & thanks for your illuminating  post  . Making notes . We are now looking at going  on a land our of just the South  Island & what you talked about will be included in the tour . We are hoping we can manage to do it with all our luggage & a portable electric scooter  .Sometimes land tour limit luggage on the buses .Hope not but we will see /

 

  Cliff

 

   

So I will toss out an idea which we did with our driving trip.  We had been on a long cruise (42 days) from Seattle to Auckland.  When we got off the ship in Auckland we grabbed a local public bus out to the airport and flew back to Christchurch where we spent a night.  The following morning we took the TranzAlpine Train from Christchurch across the so-called southern alps to Greymouth.  That train ride is quite famous and we enjoyed the ride.  At Greymouth (which has a tiny train station) we picked up our rental car and then started a few weeks of driving.  We went south towards Queenstown and worked our way around much of South Island.   There is very little traffic on South Island so that is not a consideration and it just comes down to how much time you have and your imagination as far as itinerary.  Queenstown, Milford Sound and driving to a couple of glaciers were certainly the highlights but we also discovered many wineries (near Queenstown) that make excellent Pinot Noir.  In fact we were blown away by the high quality of the pinot noirs which are not well known in the USA.  A couple of the winery owners told us they export very little wine to the States because it is expensive, a hassle (dealing with USA importers) and they can sell all their wine locally and also easily export to China and Japan.

 

One hint about that Tranzalpine Express train.  It is expensive if you buy a ticket online from North America.  But if you know how to use a VPN and change your location to Australia or NZ the cost of the train tickets is much cheaper (they only offer low priced tickets to those two countries).   We were surprised to meet a large group (they were in our train car) from North Island who were on their first trip to South Island.  Even in the relatively small country there are many up North who never venture South to see that part of their country.  

 

Hank

[casofilia]

@Hlitner

 

I concur with your first paragraph completely.   The TranzAlpine rail journey is one not to be missed.   Milford also.   There are so many great wine regions in New Zealand you could easily spend a fortnight going from one to another!!!

 

The second paragraph is interesting but quite true.  New Zealanders find internal travel costs are very high both on the Interisland Ferries and on planes.   It is often cheaper to fly from Auckland to Sydney or the Islands than from Auckland to Queenstown.   For most people the sun is more of a draw than is snow.

[Hlitner]

1 minute ago, casofilia said:

@Hlitner

 

The second paragraph is interesting but quite true.  New Zealanders find internal travel costs are very high both on the Interisland Ferries and on planes.   It is often cheaper to fly from Auckland to Sydney or the Islands than from Auckland to Queenstown.   For most people the sun is more of a draw than is snow.

I will admit that we were shocked when we met that NZ tour group.  The average age of that group was probably in the 50s but several told us it was their first visit to South Island.  They were on a guided tour where they traveled by bus and were intrigued that an older American couple was doing South Island on our own with a rental car.   In some ways you Kiwis are like many in the USA in that there are many here who never venture far from home.  I would add that we did South Island in your late Spring and the weather was fantastic except when we drove down to Milford Sound.  Even though it was November, we still ran into an ice/snow squall in the hills just before you drive down towards the sound.  Fortunately, your road maintenance folks were quite active and kept the road relatively safe.  

 

Hank

[casofilia]

@Hlitner

 

On travelling.   

I was a teacher in Great Yarmouth (Norfolk England) before we migrated to NZ.   People there used to have to make arrangements weeks in advance to take the train journey to Norwich, an hour away.   There were people who we knew who had never been to London.

 

On a visit back to the UK in the 00's we visited the eldest member of my ancestral family.   He was 85 and still lived in the house he was born in, the only one he ever had.