Rollin', rollin' rollin' on a river, and a highway or two.

[OzKiwiJJ]

43 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

My Aranui cruise was just over 500 per day. But it did include drinks (and there was a lot of empty bottles at the end of dinners😂) and 97% of excursions. It certainly is cheaper than my other expedition cruises but when you go expedition cruise you are paying for specialist knowledge and specialist ships that are designed for that sailing area. 

We're learning a lot about the Murray River, it's history and the environment - plants, wildlife etc. It's essentially the river equivalent of an expedition cruise.

[Aus Traveller]

14 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We're learning a lot about the Murray River, it's history and the environment - plants, wildlife etc. It's essentially the river equivalent of an expedition cruise.

It sounds wonderful. 🙂

[MMDown Under]

3 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

My Aranui cruise was just over 500 per day. But it did include drinks (and there was a lot of empty bottles at the end of dinners😂) and 97% of excursions. It certainly is cheaper than my other expedition cruises but when you go expedition cruise you are paying for specialist knowledge and specialist ships that are designed for that sailing area. 

This cruise has always been on my wish list.  When I was younger, I thought I would stay in the "dormitory" accommodation at an affordable price.  The local crew and excursions are the main attraction.

[MMDown Under]

2 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We're learning a lot about the Murray River, it's history and the environment - plants, wildlife etc. It's essentially the river equivalent of an expedition cruise.

That is a great way to cruise.  

[ilikeanswers]

11 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

This cruise has always been on my wish list.  When I was younger, I thought I would stay in the "dormitory" accommodation at an affordable price.  The local crew and excursions are the main attraction.

 

The dormitories were definitely very popular (all full on our sailing) and surprisingly a lot older demographic than you would expect in those rooms. We had a deluxe balcony room got it on one of the discounted sailings so saved quite a bit. It is definitely an amazing trip and yes the excursions and intimate local knowledge are the highlights. I would love to go back on Aranui and do their Austral Islands cruise, assuming they will run that itinerary post covid 🙄. 

[MMDown Under]

38 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

The dormitories were definitely very popular (all full on our sailing) and surprisingly a lot older demographic than you would expect in those rooms. We had a deluxe balcony room got it on one of the discounted sailings so saved quite a bit. It is definitely an amazing trip and yes the excursions and intimate local knowledge are the highlights. I would love to go back on Aranui and do their Austral Islands cruise, assuming they will run that itinerary post covid 🙄. 

I first learnt of this cruise from a diary written by an older woman who stayed in the dormitory, back when they were more basic than now.  

[NSWP]

6 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We got the off season fare, so just over $270pp per day for a "balcony" cabin. Includes excursions and a limited amount of WiFi. The higher prices start in March.

Reasonable price for twin share, so solo in a cabin, $550 to $600 per diem? Equals $2800 to $3000 for the 5 nighter....Mmmm.🙁😩

Edited February 24, 2021 by NSWP

[NSWP]

4 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

My Aranui cruise was just over 500 per day. But it did include drinks (and there was a lot of empty bottles at the end of dinners😂) and 97% of excursions. It certainly is cheaper than my other expedition cruises but when you go expedition cruise you are paying for specialist knowledge and specialist ships that are designed for that sailing area. 

I have long thought about Aranui, but my  wife was not interested. However it really appeals to me now, I must research the pros and cons of such an adventure. I like the idea of included 🍹 Proud Mary cruise also appeals.

Edited February 24, 2021 by NSWP

[NSWP]

4 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

WC is always more expensive ☹️ and I don't think deals are ever offered. We have done a few segments of the WC in previous years and I notice that the on-board spending is much lower than on the normal length cruises. We would always have a glass or two of wine with dinner, but many of our table companions (different people most nights in anytime dining) would say that they weren't drinking because of the cost of the cruise. I am sure other on-board spending in the shops etc. would also be way down. Another point someone mentioned about the world cruise, is that most of the ports are not the usual ones Princess goes to so there is extra expense in scheduling a visit.

Point taken, but i would not go on a worldie if i could not have a good drink and do what shorex I wanted. Some world cruisers are going to have a shock if the policy, no shorex no get off ship is implemented. Just going round the world on a ship with no decent tours or even getting off is a waste of time and money.

Edited February 24, 2021 by NSWP

[Aus Traveller]

46 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Point taken, but i would not go on a worldie if i could not have a good drink and do what shorex I wanted. Some world cruisers are going to have a shock if the policy, no shorex no get off ship is implemented. Just going round the world on a ship with no decent tours or even getting off is a waste of time and money.

I also like to have a drink or two, but that's enough. I will take some wine on board and pay the corkage.

 

I don't think the policy that one or two cruiselines have announced of 'their shorex or not get off the ship', will apply in 15 months' time. Princess have even not announced that it will apply when they re-start cruising later this year - if they do.

Edited February 24, 2021 by Aus Traveller

[ilikeanswers]

2 hours ago, NSWP said:

I have long thought about Aranui, but my  wife was not interested. However it really appeals to me now, I must research the pros and cons of such an adventure. I like the idea of included 🍹 Proud Mary cruise also appeals.

 

I should add that not all types of drinks are free though you were allowed to bring you own alcohol free of charge (lots of cartons of beer😂) and there were what they called happy hour times that reduced menu drinks to half price. A lot of passengers would get their cocktails at this time and the prices I found were not too different to land prices in FP but I'm not a big drinker so the free selection was enough for me though in Rangiroa I did purchase the local rose (they had a white on board but I do enjoy a rose😉)

Edited February 24, 2021 by ilikeanswers

[NSWP]

10 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

I should add that not all types of drinks are free though you were allowed to bring you own alcohol free of charge (lots of cartons of beer😂) and there were what they called happy hour times that reduced menu drinks to half price. A lot of passengers would get their cocktails at this time and the prices I found were not too different to land prices in FP but I'm not a big drinker so the free selection was enough for me though in Rangiroa I did purchase the local rose (they had a white on board but I do enjoy a rose😉)

Thank for info. I am happy slurping on 🍷.

[OzKiwiJJ]

20 hours ago, NSWP said:

Reasonable price for twin share, so solo in a cabin, $550 to $600 per diem? Equals $2800 to $3000 for the 5 nighter....Mmmm.🙁😩

The solo price for our cruise was $2160, so $432 per day but that is the low season fare, it goes up in March.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Proud Mary Day 2.

 

This time it was the sound of the boat's engine starting up that woke me but luckily only a few minutes before the alarm went off.

 

Breakfast was fruit salad and yoghurt, followed by pancakes with syrup and berries. Tea and coffee is always available free, although espresso costs extra.

 

We had some free time after breakfast to enjoy the peace of the river, and have another cup of tea/coffee, before we reached Swans Reach where the bus picked us up for another excursion. We had a quick drive around the very small town then stopped at the museum. There was all sorts of fascinating memorabilia in the museum. We only had time to see a small percentage of it. 

 

 

But we did spot this magnificent creature "flying" through the museum.

 

 

After that we were taken on a drive through an almond farm. We were shown a short video about the farm on the bus then drove past the sheds and through one of the groves. They had just started harvesting the almonds so some trees had been "shaken", these days a very clever mechanical process that takes about 10 seconds. The almonds on those trees were lying ong the ground drying out. Later they will be scooped up, shelled, graded and packaged.

 

Back onboard we lunched on prawn kebabs with salad, chips and a roll. The prawns were beautifully cooked. Our table decided that a chip buttie was the best way to eat the chips. Yum! Dessert was apricot tart with cream.

 

 

After lunch we head up to our big verandah to enjoy more of the scenery as we continued to cruise up the river. It was too hot in the sun but a bit chilly in the shade due to the wind. A flotilla of pelicans were having great fun looking for fish in our wake. They would fly close to the stern, splash down, then drift backwards on the wake. Then take off again to catch up with us. Interesting fact - a group of pelicans is a squadron when in the air, a flotilla when on water, and a flock on land - according to Dave, our captain, who may or may not be believed. 🤣

 

 

Dave also claimed that the section of bush we were passing was called the Toothless Forest ... because it was full of gums! 🙄😁 As you can see, our captain is a bit of a character!

 

Along the river we passed a number of groups of houses, mostly holiday homes or shacks as they are called locally. Some looked palatial, others were more like sheds. The majority were two stories, similar to Queenslanders and for the same reason - to allow flood waters to pass underneath without damaging the furnished interiors. Thry came in all shapes and sizes but this was the cutest of them all.

 

 

Eventually we reached Blanchetown where the Number One Lock is, the first of 14 locks on the river. At some stage the Murray Princess must have passed us as she was just going through the lock as we arrived. The river cruise boats don't always get to go through the lock but we were lucky this time.

 

 

There was a reasonable flow over the weir to the side of the lock and lots of pelicans and black shags fishing for their dinner. We saw a few of the pelicans catch a fish.

 

We're travelling with a small expedition boat, Pelican, attached to the side of Proud Mary. Pelican had to go through the dock in front of us otherwise the combined width would be too wide for the lock chamber.

 

 

As we passed through the lock I noticed a couple of indicators showing flood levels and water flow. The flood indicator photo might be a bit hard to see. Note we were at the lowest level in the lock when I took the photo.

 

 

 

Once through the lock we moored on the bank of an island separating the Murray from Cumbunga Creek. It was a tricky process as the captain had to find a good spot with suitable trees to tie up to, and a bank that wasn't too steep for us seniors to climb. Once the boat was successfully moored we went ashore for a short ecological walk before dinner, learning about some of the local plants and how canoes were made from the River Red Gum trees.

 

Dinner was roast chicken and veges, followed by creme caramel. Delicious!

 

 

We have met another Cruise Critic member onboard, however she mostly lurks on our forum and rarely posts. I'll leave her to identify herself if she wishes. They live in Adelaide and I was delighted, and a little amazed, to hear that my pre-cruise posts had given them the incentive to book on this cruise. 

 

We had dinner with them which also meant we were a team for the trivia session. Due to a combination of their local knowledge, our general knowledge, and the fact that we'd all taken notice of the very broad hints given by crew members since the beginning of the cruise, we won by a decent margin. So the honour of Cruise Critic has been upheld. 😊 We each received a fridge magnet and a key ring/bottle opener.

 

After a celebratory drink we called it a night. We were quite tired and it felt like it was very late, but when we got back to the cabin we discovered it was only 9:15pm, so a relatively early night for us.

[OzKiwiJJ]

This is a video of the pelicans following the boat. Let me know if it works as I have a couple of other videos I can add.

 

I have quite a few photos of the various parts of the river so later on I'll sort through them and post a selection of the best of them. But that might have to wait until I get home as it's a bit tricky to sort through the photos on my phone.

 

For those who are interested some of the photos are taken on my Samsung Galaxy Note 9 phone, the others are taken on my Canon Powershot SX70.

[Blackduck59]

The video worked Julie. It almost looked like they were falling in left right left with spacing, then one missed the sequence and it turned into a mob.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Just now, Blackduck59 said:

The video worked Julie. It almost looked like they were falling in left right left with spacing, then one missed the sequence and it turned into a mob.

Thanks, Lyle. They were coming from all directions at times. Today we have seagulls who aren't anywhere near as amusing as the pelicans.

[Blackduck59]

8 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Thanks, Lyle. They were coming from all directions at times. Today we have seagulls who aren't anywhere near as amusing as the pelicans.

 

Indeed seagulls are rather plain, they are very plentiful here.

[MicCanberra]

31 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Proud Mary Day 2.

 

 

well done on the blog and the trivia.

[MMDown Under]

23 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

This is a video of the pelicans following the boat. Let me know if it works as I have a couple of other videos I can add.

 

 

I have quite a few photos of the various parts of the river so later on I'll sort through them and post a selection of the best of them. But that might have to wait until I get home as it's a bit tricky to sort through the photos on my phone.

 

For those who are interested some of the photos are taken on my Samsung Galaxy Note 9 phone, the others are taken on my Canon Powershot SX70.

Great video of pelicans, Julie.  I could sit on your big deck for ages watching the activity.  We have lots of pelicans at the Coast, but not as active.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Here's a video of the Murray Princess heading down the river.

 

 

[MMDown Under]

34 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Proud Mary Day 2.

 

This time it was the sound of the boat's engine starting up that woke me but luckily only a few minutes before the alarm went off.

 

Breakfast was fruit salad and yoghurt, followed by pancakes with syrup and berries. Tea and coffee is always available free, although espresso costs extra.

 

We had some free time after breakfast to enjoy the peace of the river, and have another cup of tea/coffee, before we reached Swans Reach where the bus picked us up for another excursion. We had a quick drive around the very small town then stopped at the museum. There was all sorts of fascinating memorabilia in the museum. We only had time to see a small percentage of it. 

 

 

But we did spot this magnificent creature "flying" through the museum.

 

 

After that we were taken on a drive through an almond farm. We were shown a short video about the farm on the bus then drove past the sheds and through one of the groves. They had just started harvesting the almonds so some trees had been "shaken", these days a very clever mechanical process that takes about 10 seconds. The almonds on those trees were lying ong the ground drying out. Later they will be scooped up, shelled, graded and packaged.

 

Back onboard we lunched on prawn kebabs with salad, chips and a roll. The prawns were beautifully cooked. Our table decided that a chip buttie was the best way to eat the chips. Yum! Dessert was apricot tart with cream.

 

 

After lunch we head up to our big verandah to enjoy more of the scenery as we continued to cruise up the river. It was too hot in the sun but a bit chilly in the shade due to the wind. A flotilla of pelicans were having great fun looking for fish in our wake. They would fly close to the stern, splash down, then drift backwards on the wake. Then take off again to catch up with us. Interesting fact - a group of pelicans is a squadron when in the air, a flotilla when on water, and a flock on land - according to Dave, our captain, who may or may not be believed. 🤣

 

 

Dave also claimed that the section of bush we were passing was called the Toothless Forest ... because it was full of gums! 🙄😁 As you can see, our captain is a bit of a character!

 

Along the river we passed a number of groups of houses, mostly holiday homes or shacks as they are called locally. Some looked palatial, others were more like sheds. The majority were two stories, similar to Queenslanders and for the same reason - to allow flood waters to pass underneath without damaging the furnished interiors. Thry came in all shapes and sizes but this was the cutest of them all.

 

 

Eventually we reached Blanchetown where the Number One Lock is, the first of 14 locks on the river. At some stage the Murray Princess must have passed us as she was just going through the lock as we arrived. The river cruise boats don't always get to go through the lock but we were lucky this time.

 

 

There was a reasonable flow over the weir to the side of the lock and lots of pelicans and black shags fishing for their dinner. We saw a few of the pelicans catch a fish.

 

We're travelling with a small expedition boat, Pelican, attached to the side of Proud Mary. Pelican had to go through the dock in front of us otherwise the combined width would be too wide for the lock chamber.

 

 

As we passed through the lock I noticed a couple of indicators showing flood levels and water flow. The flood indicator photo might be a bit hard to see. Note we were at the lowest level in the lock when I took the photo.

 

 

 

Once through the lock we moored on the bank of an island separating the Murray from Cumbunga Creek. It was a tricky process as the captain had to find a good spot with suitable trees to tie up to, and a bank that wasn't too steep for us seniors to climb. Once the boat was successfully moored we went ashore for a short ecological walk before dinner, learning about some of the local plants and how canoes were made from the River Red Gum trees.

 

Dinner was roast chicken and veges, followed by creme caramel. Delicious!

 

 

We have met another Cruise Critic member onboard, however she mostly lurks on our forum and rarely posts. I'll leave her to identify herself if she wishes. They live in Adelaide and I was delighted, and a little amazed, to hear that my pre-cruise posts had given them the incentive to book on this cruise. 

 

We had dinner with them which also meant we were a team for the trivia session. Due to a combination of their local knowledge, our general knowledge, and the fact that we'd all taken notice of the very broad hints given by crew members since the beginning of the cruise, we won by a decent margin. So the honour of Cruise Critic has been upheld. 😊 We each received a fridge magnet and a key ring/bottle opener.

 

After a celebratory drink we called it a night. We were quite tired and it felt like it was very late, but when we got back to the cabin we discovered it was only 9:15pm, so a relatively early night for us.

It is a small world indeed.  I've met Cruise Critic members in the past who didn't contribute to the forums.  Nice feedback that your pre cruise posts gave them the incentive to book the cruise.  Well 

done winning the trivia.  Always good to have someone with local knowledge, as well as general knowledge. Prizes will be nice momentos of your cruise.

[OzKiwiJJ]

The Big Verandah! The railed bit in the foreground is the stairway up from the middle deck. Our cabin is just around the corner from the stack of chairs in the background.

 

 

Those chairs came in very useful when we wanted to sit outside our cabin.

 

[MMDown Under]

14 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

The Big Verandah! The railed bit in the foreground is the stairway up from the middle deck. Our cabin is just around the corner from the stack of chairs in the background.

 

 

Those chairs came in very useful when we wanted to sit outside our cabin.

 

Nice relaxing spot to watch the world go by!

[MMDown Under]

20 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Here's a video of the Murray Princess heading down the river.

 

 

Are there passengers on board?