Warning if your about to cruise on Coral.

[queenslander]

Hi Jean,

 

I’m on the same deck and just got a negative RAT test! 😊 

What time do you intend to get there? Our boarding time is at 6.30pm but I might get there before that! I will take a cab from the hotel perhaps at 5.30pm to get there around 6.00pm due to busy traffic at the terminal. 

The forecast is for 18 at that time but might be cooler near the water so I might take my light grey jacket just in case! 

There is nothing near my hotel so I might just take a cab to the DFO to have lunch and then read my book around the pool.

I booked the MDR for 6.00pm so hope I can get a seat when I get there later. I don’t normally use the buffet only when needs must! 

 

[arxcards]

54 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

That was how it was at Portside - the space used for the luggage of disembarking passengers was later used as a seating area for passengers after checking and before embarking. However, the new terminal is designed better. From what I saw on our cruise, passengers could go upstairs and check in while the last of the disembarking passengers were still coming through. Obviously the new passengers couldn't go any further than the check-in lounge.

I would expect all passengers are well and truly off by 5:30pm, which is the time Princess has messaged. Yes, check-in might open a bit earlier than that, but it looks like they want to empty the terminal before embarking passengers arrive.

 

Key is staffing, and on a Sunday when the casual staff were expecting to work on Friday. With limited staff, check-in won't open till all passengers have made their way through the terminal and the disembark staff are redeployed. It is just easier to keep the check-in area closed,, as not everyone will take a seat, but start to queue waiting for the check-in desks to open. Not sure I want to loiter inside with a mask on for an extended period either.

 

Ideally, they would like most passengers to arrive, drop their luggage, show their boarding time at the door and take the escalator to check-in. Then a short wait to be checked-in and join the line through security and to the ship. OK, that doesn't usually happen on a good day, but they hate crowds and queues.

[Aus Traveller]

5 minutes ago, arxcards said:

I would expect all passengers are well and truly off by 5:30pm, which is the time Princess has messaged. Yes, check-in might open a bit earlier than that, but it looks like they want to empty the terminal before embarking passengers arrive.

 

Key is staffing, and on a Sunday when the casual staff were expecting to work on Friday. With limited staff, check-in won't open till all passengers have made their way through the terminal and the disembark staff are redeployed. It is just easier to keep the check-in area closed,, as not everyone will take a seat, but start to queue waiting for the check-in desks to open. Not sure I want to loiter inside with a mask on for an extended period either.

 

Ideally, they would like most passengers to arrive, drop their luggage, show their boarding time at the door and take the escalator to check-in. Then a short wait to be checked-in and join the line through security and to the ship. OK, that doesn't usually happen on a good day, but they hate crowds and queues.

The cruise terminal operates on two levels with, check-in and the waiting area for new passengers upstairs. Disembarking passengers go downstairs to the luggage collection and border control area, then straight out into the entry area.

 

I doubt that check-in staff would be involved with disembarking passengers. That only needs a couple of staff plus Border Force personnel. I doubt that they would need to clear the terminal before embarking passengers could enter. They didn't for our cruise.

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, shireboi said:

 

the C9 hysteria....

 

https://twitter.com/9NewsAUS/status/1550963802207813633?s=20&t=2Iqg4xdPyNWw7zKG1hk7OA

 

water sloshing out the pools.....  wondering if you had a drink packaging as to that was still being sloshed ??  

 

Best of luck those leaving / boarding today.......

A friend of mine is responsible for two of those videos, including the sloshing pool one. They were taken in the morning so they could get back to sloshing their drinks.

 

Interesting, ABC attributed the video with his name embedded at the top, yet channel 9 didn't do that. A bit of help yourself to social media content I think.

[lyndarra]

1 hour ago, shireboi said:

 

water sloshing out the pools.....  wondering if you had a drink packaging as to that was still being sloshed ??  

 

Best of luck those leaving / boarding today.......

Saw video on news this morning of the sloshing, it sure was, 5 - 6 metres into the air is my guess.

[arxcards]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

The cruise terminal operates on two levels with, check-in and the waiting area for new passengers upstairs. Disembarking passengers go downstairs to the luggage collection and border control area, then straight out into the entry area.

 

I doubt that check-in staff would be involved with disembarking passengers. That only needs a couple of staff plus Border Force personnel. I doubt that they would need to clear the terminal before embarking passengers could enter. They didn't for our cruise.

Well, based on times, seems they are doing it today.

 

Borderforce are just there to collect arrival cards, and potentially check for excess duty free. Private security and terminal staff have dual roles around disembark and embarkation. Many staff will arrive just for check-in, but there are several that are there for both. 

[Aus Traveller]

Looks like the Coral is on time to dock at the stated time - 11.45. Usually there is a half hour or so delay for official clearance, then disembarkation can commence.

 

P.S. Looking through binoculars at where the ship is at 11.30, I feel she won't tie up until 12 noon. That's still close to the anticipated time.

Edited July 24, 2022 by Aus Traveller

[lyndarra]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

8:30 Today Show news has added some other shocking details.

- 2000 passengers are stuck below deck,

- Passengers are hoping to come ashore,

- Brisbane are sending a pilot to the ship in the hope they can help get the ship to dock. 

 

What an absolute outrage, this cruise must be nasty and very unsafe.

 

OK, translation. Open decks have been closed due to strong winds. The weather has subsided this morning, and the port pilot has been able to board safely, they are now in Moreton Bay and will dock in Brisbane in the coming hours.

 

They are so bad at getting the facts right, that they must be intentially trying to inflame. Nobody could possibly be that clueless.

 

"Brisbane are sending a pilot to the ship in the hope they can help get the ship to dock." 

The delay was the safety of the pilot boarding. There is no way a ship is let in without one. Today (9 News) have no idea.

 

 

[NSWP]

4 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

 

"Brisbane are sending a pilot to the ship in the hope they can help get the ship to dock." 

The delay was the safety of the pilot boarding. There is no way a ship is let in without one. Today (9 News) have no idea.

 

 

Is Karl S. on board? He should be doing a live from his inside cabin, forward at the bow, the bow thrusters will wake him up, lol.

 

Edited July 24, 2022 by NSWP

[Aus Traveller]

5 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

 

"Brisbane are sending a pilot to the ship in the hope they can help get the ship to dock." 

The delay was the safety of the pilot boarding. There is no way a ship is let in without one. Today (9 News) have no idea.

Agreed. Other reports on Channel 9 said the ship was 'stranded' and all news reports I have heard have claimed it was for three days. Then they say the ship should have arrived on Friday. Mmm.... Friday to Sunday is three days?

[Aus Traveller]

4 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Is Karl S. on board? He should be doing a live from his inside cabin, forward at the bow, the bow thrusters will wake him up, lol.

 

The cruise terminal is in sight now.

[NSWP]

3 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Agreed. Other reports on Channel 9 said the ship was 'stranded' and all news reports I have heard have claimed it was for three days. Then they say the ship should have arrived on Friday. Mmm.... Friday to Sunday is three days?

As we know the media blow many cruise ship issues up, 10 covid cases becomes 100.  2 days becomes three. 4 metre seas become 6 metre seas and so it goes on. They seem to go beserk with the pen. lol.

[Aus Traveller]

5 minutes ago, NSWP said:

As we know the media blow many cruise ship issues up, 10 covid cases becomes 100.  2 days becomes three. 4 metre seas become 6 metre seas and so it goes on. They seem to go beserk with the pen. lol.

A little more accuracy would be a good thing. Unfortunately, people who don't know much about cruise ships believe what they hear on the news or read in the paper.

[Aus Traveller]

The Coral is alongside at the terminal by midday.🙂

[Cbtours]

2 hours ago, Jean C said:

Thank you everyone for all your helpful suggestions and information. Princess havej now announced that boarding will be today from 5.30pm by deck number. We are Caribe so our time is 6.30pm. Finally some certainty as to what the day holds, will be able to store our bags (hopefully) and have the day to explore with a relaxed mind and 🤗

All the best Jean 🥰

[arxcards]

32 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

 

"Brisbane are sending a pilot to the ship in the hope they can help get the ship to dock." 

The delay was the safety of the pilot boarding. There is no way a ship is let in without one. Today (9 News) have no idea.

 

 

Correct, or they are choosing to be overly dramatic to get people to take notice of them.

[arxcards]

13 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

The Coral is alongside at the terminal by midday.🙂

Phew, just finishing up mooring now.

[arxcards]

43 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Is Karl S. on board? He should be doing a live from his inside cabin, forward at the bow, the bow thrusters will wake him up, lol.

 

Karl is nowhere to be seen. He only works on weekends when he can be filmed in front of of a major bushfire, cyclone or flood tragedy. As horrific as this must have been for the 1000's aboard, it wasn't bad enough for Karl to get out of bed for. 😉 

[Jean C]

2 hours ago, shireboi said:

 

the C9 hysteria....

 

https://twitter.com/9NewsAUS/status/1550963802207813633?s=20&t=2Iqg4xdPyNWw7zKG1hk7OA

 

water sloshing out the pools.....  wondering if you had a drink packaging as to that was still being sloshed ??  

 

Best of luck those leaving / boarding today.......

Hehehe, we were on Sea Princess going around South America in 2017 and in the River Plate from Montevideo to Buneos Aries a sharp turn and freak gust of wind coincided and made the ship start to tip over, like Costa Concordia. Alcohol fell of the shelves and smashed on the floor, dishes in the buffet serving area fell all over the floor and at the tea/coffee station tray after tray of crockery came tumbling to the floor and careering towards and all around us like a fast flowing waterfall - very frightening. The captain was Genaro Arma and he announced later that we tipped 7 degrees - that number doesn't mean much to me, but it felt much more than that suggests. As you can imagine, the pool and water feature in the atrium lost a heap of water and soaked the carpets.  Wasn't on line back then but looked at media later to see if it was reported anywhere but never found anything. So it could be worse, I guess Titanic and Concordia passengers would happily trade places with us in our situation 🥴

[MicCanberra]

On 7/22/2022 at 11:17 AM, fifa said:

Why should Princess have to pay for passengers' accommodation &/or flight changes if the ship is delayed due to weather ie. no fault of their own?

Isn't this one reason why we take out travel insurance?

Not Princess's fault, but the port being closed, however it will be Princess paying for the majority of people's affected cruises. 

[Jean C]

Thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement, it's been good to have ya'll on side.

 

Good news, we both got negative RAT tests 🐀🐀 so all hunky dory.

 

We and one other couple from our new found buddies board at 6.30. Don't know when the other couple board but we'll all travel to port together in maxi taxi. Hotel is very comfortable, we just checked out of our late checkout. They are holding our bags for us, we wandered down to Southbank this morning and will go out again this afternoon. Hotel has pleasant, comfortable lobby so will all hang out here until it's time to set off.

 

Thanks again everyone for all the invaluable information and updates 👍 💕💕

 

 

[Aus Traveller]

5 minutes ago, Jean C said:

Thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement, it's been good to have ya'll on side.

 

Good news, we both got negative RAT tests 🐀🐀 so all hunky dory.

 

We and one other couple from our new found buddies board at 6.30. Don't know when the other couple board but we'll all travel to port together in maxi taxi. Hotel is very comfortable, we just checked out of our late checkout. They are holding our bags for us, we wandered down to Southbank this morning and will go out again this afternoon. Hotel has pleasant, comfortable lobby so will all hang out here until it's time to set off.

 

Thanks again everyone for all the invaluable information and updates 👍 💕💕

 

 

All the best. Enjoy your cruise.🙂

[OzKiwiJJ]

15 minutes ago, Jean C said:

Thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement, it's been good to have ya'll on side.

 

Good news, we both got negative RAT tests 🐀🐀 so all hunky dory.

 

We and one other couple from our new found buddies board at 6.30. Don't know when the other couple board but we'll all travel to port together in maxi taxi. Hotel is very comfortable, we just checked out of our late checkout. They are holding our bags for us, we wandered down to Southbank this morning and will go out again this afternoon. Hotel has pleasant, comfortable lobby so will all hang out here until it's time to set off.

 

Thanks again everyone for all the invaluable information and updates 👍 💕💕

 

 

All the best, Jean. I hope you enjoy Coral Princess, she's a lovely ship and the crew are wonderful. We can't wait to get back onboard her in six weeks time.

[MicCanberra]

Thankfully  the weather  is being kinder.

[Cbtours]

1 hour ago, Jean C said:

Thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement, it's been good to have ya'll on side.

 

Good news, we both got negative RAT tests 🐀🐀 so all hunky dory.

 

We and one other couple from our new found buddies board at 6.30. Don't know when the other couple board but we'll all travel to port together in maxi taxi. Hotel is very comfortable, we just checked out of our late checkout. They are holding our bags for us, we wandered down to Southbank this morning and will go out again this afternoon. Hotel has pleasant, comfortable lobby so will all hang out here until it's time to set off.

 

Thanks again everyone for all the invaluable information and updates 👍 💕💕

 

 

Enjoy your cruise to the max 🥰🥰🥰