Live from Coral Princess - Round Australia October 2022

[OzKiwiJJ]

23 minutes ago, JohnGc said:

Sounds like you had a great time.Hope you don't mind a few questions.Love to do that next time we are in Tasmania.Hope the weather was good for you, I read it can be very changeable hourly and day to day on the mountain. Could a fairly fit elderly couple do the walk to Crater Rock lookout and do you need hiking boots ?  Thanks.

The weather was great, we were very lucky. We were told it isn't always like that though. We were prepared for bad weather but didn't need our rain jackets, hats or gloves. It was quute cool though so we wore our fleeces.

 

The walk to Crater Rock lookout is only about 15 minutes. It's a well graded track with a short climb up some rocky steps at the end. You should have no problems - I managed OK with a dodgy knee and a bit of help from a walking stick going up and down the steps. Sneakers are fine for the walk. 

[Rassa]

@OzKiwiJJA nice sunny day (for a change) in Melbourne for you today, may-be just a little breezy.   The beach road is closed all the way to Mordialloc, I think, for a marathon.   It must be busy at the Port Melbourne end.  Enjoy.

[JohnGc]

Just now, OzKiwiJJ said:

The weather was great, we were very lucky. We were told it isn't always like that though. We were prepared for bad weather but didn't need our rain jackets, hats or gloves. It was quute cool though so we wore our fleeces.

 

The walk to Crater Rock lookout is only about 15 minutes. It's a well graded track with a short climb up some rocky steps at the end. You should have no problems - I managed OK with a dodgy knee and a bit of help from a walking stick going up and down the steps. Sneakers are fine for the walk. 

Brilliant, thanks Julie. We are going on a driving holiday later on in February and the mountain is on our list. We will be lucky enough to be able to choose weather wise when to go. 

[cruiser3775]

40 minutes ago, JohnGc said:

Love to do that next time we are in Tasmania.Hope the weather was good for you, I read it can be very changeable hourly and day to day on the mountain. Could a fairly fit elderly couple do the walk to Crater Rock lookout and do you need hiking boots ?  Thanks.

John, the best place to ask about this is the Australia Forum on Trip Advisor.  It's a very active forum, and you will get detailed answers from Tasmanian experts on Cradle Mountain.

[JohnGc]

1 minute ago, cruiser3775 said:

John, the best place to ask about this is the Australia Forum on Trip Advisor.  It's a very active forum, and you will get detailed answers from Tasmanian experts on Cradle Mountain.

That will be very handy, thank very much. I will have a good look at.👍

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 minutes ago, JohnGc said:

Brilliant, thanks Julie. We are going on a driving holiday later on in February and the mountain is on our list. We will be lucky enough to be able to choose weather wise when to go. 

You park at the visitors centre which is actually called the Cradle Mountain Interpretation Centre, and shuttle buses take to various spots in the park.

[JohnGc]

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

You park at the visitors centre which is actually called the Cradle Mountain Interpretation Centre, and shuttle buses take to various spots in the park.

 

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

You park at the visitors centre which is actually called the Cradle Mountain Interpretation Centre, and shuttle buses take to various spots in the park.

Thanks Julie. 😊

[arxcards]

2 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

RATs before departing. Masks required to be worn on the buses and indoors. 

 

We went to Cradle Mountain. It was an interesting excursion but lots of bus travel. Still it was nice to see some of the Tasmanian countryside. We stopped at Sheffield, a country town famous for it's murals, where we had time for a coffee and a short stroll around the town. Then we went on to Cradle Mountain, crossing a spectacular gorge along the way. Once we reached the visitors centre we had to switch to smaller buses to enter the national park. It was a beautiful drive to Dove Lake. We had the choice of a short, easy stroll down to the edge of the lake, or a longer walk up to the Crater Rock lookout. We did the latter and the views were superb. We then went to Waldheim Chalet before being dropped at the hotel for lunch. Then it was a straight run back to the ship by a different route. We saw a few wombats, echidnas and what I think was a wallaroo.

Sounds wonderful, and much more adventurous than our usual pilgrimage to the whisky distillery. 

[MicCanberra]

8 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

RATs before departing. Masks required to be worn on the buses and indoors. 

 

We went to Cradle Mountain. It was an interesting excursion but lots of bus travel. Still it was nice to see some of the Tasmanian countryside. We stopped at Sheffield, a country town famous for it's murals, where we had time for a coffee and a short stroll around the town. Then we went on to Cradle Mountain, crossing a spectacular gorge along the way. Once we reached the visitors centre we had to switch to smaller buses to enter the national park. It was a beautiful drive to Dove Lake. We had the choice of a short, easy stroll down to the edge of the lake, or a longer walk up to the Crater Rock lookout. We did the latter and the views were superb. We then went to Waldheim Chalet before being dropped at the hotel for lunch. Then it was a straight run back to the ship by a different route. We saw a few wombats, echidnas and what I think was a wallaroo.

Sounds great , hope the weather behaved. It was most likely a Euro, slightly smaller (900-1200mm) than an Eastern grey or a Pademelon, if smaller (500-800 mm) and slightly darker.

[MicCanberra]

From our visit in February this year.

The Crater Rock lookout is on the far left (of the 2nd pic).

[OzKiwiJJ]

52 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Sounds great , hope the weather behaved. It was most likely a Euro, slightly smaller (900-1200mm) than an Eastern grey or a Pademelon, if smaller (500-800 mm) and slightly darker.

It might have been a pademelon. It was very small and had light, almost orangy, fur. We only got a quick glimpse of it as we passed it in the bus. It looked very cute.

[OzKiwiJJ]

43 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

From our visit in February this year.

The Crater Rock lookout is on the far left (of the 2nd pic).

I'll put some of my photos up once I download them from my camera. The lake looks even more amazing from the lookout.

[OzKiwiJJ]

We had a later than scheduled arrival in Melbourne due to fog in the bay. Then Border Force stuffed around clearing the ship. There were some very unhappy passengers mooching around the atrium. 

 

We caught up with our granddaughter for coffee. Then we wandered around to the Emporium for a late lunch - I remembered there was a Chinta Ria outlet in the food court there. Chinta Ria was always one of our favourite Melbourne restaurants, serving Malaysian cuisine. It was as good, if not better, than we remembered. 

 

We avoided Bourke St Mall after going through it on the tram. Myer had their Christmas window display up and it was jam-packed. 

 

This time the ship docked stern in and our cabin was opposite the gap between the old Spirit of Tasmania terminal and the Cruise Terminal so we had a lovely view across the bay towards St Kilda. 

 

The weather was lovely, comfortably warm. 

 

 

[MicCanberra]

5 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

It might have been a pademelon. It was very small and had light, almost orangy, fur. We only got a quick glimpse of it as we passed it in the bus. It looked very cute.

Sounds like it.

[Russell21]

With those photos of Cradle Mountain, as usual the shots would have been taken with a wide angle lens to get it all in. This makes things look further away than they actually are. We were pleasantly surprised when we were there to find that the Cradle is a great deal closer than what the photo suggests.

[marinating]

On 11/6/2022 at 9:30 AM, OzKiwiJJ said:

RATs before departing. Masks required to be worn on the buses and indoors. 

 

We went to Cradle Mountain. It was an interesting excursion but lots of bus travel. Still it was nice to see some of the Tasmanian countryside. We stopped at Sheffield, a country town famous for it's murals, where we had time for a coffee and a short stroll around the town. Then we went on to Cradle Mountain, crossing a spectacular gorge along the way. Once we reached the visitors centre we had to switch to smaller buses to enter the national park. It was a beautiful drive to Dove Lake. We had the choice of a short, easy stroll down to the edge of the lake, or a longer walk up to the Crater Rock lookout. We did the latter and the views were superb. We then went to Waldheim Chalet before being dropped at the hotel for lunch. Then it was a straight run back to the ship by a different route. We saw a few wombats, echidnas and what I think was a wallaroo.

Hi, sounds like a great day. Please can you explain the procedure for the RAT tests, who and where they were conducted and if it delayed disembarking the ship.

Many thanks, we have 2 Tasmania cruises BTB on the Majestic from Saturday, I’ve booked a private excursion and worried I’ll be delayed. Thanks and enjoy the rest of your cruise. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, marinating said:

Hi, sounds like a great day. Please can you explain the procedure for the RAT tests, who and where they were conducted and if it delayed disembarking the ship.

Many thanks, we have 2 Tasmania cruises BTB on the Majestic from Saturday, I’ve booked a private excursion and worried I’ll be delayed. Thanks and enjoy the rest of your cruise. 

You get the test kits from your cabin steward along with dated cards. Do the RAT, fill in the card, put the test cassette on the card and take a photo. You will need to show the photo when leaving the ship. It didn't delay anything, you just had to make sure you allowed time in your morning routine to do the test. Do allow a bit of extra time to get off the ship though, it does slow the process a little, especially if people are slow to show their photos.

[marinating]

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

You get the test kits from your cabin steward along with dated cards. Do the RAT, fill in the card, put the test cassette on the card and take a photo. You will need to show the photo when leaving the ship. It didn't delay anything, you just had to make sure you allowed time in your morning routine to do the test. Do allow a bit of extra time to get off the ship though, it does slow the process a little, especially if people are slow to show their photos.

Thanks so much for your explanation. 

[Bonne Voyage]

To all on this site thank you very much for your interesting posts and updates.

Your cruise is nearly completed and it certainly has been an interesting one.

It was particularly interesting how Princess handled the tier 3 conditions.

We have only 10 more sleeps til our next cruise then we will be on the Coral again in March

Kind regards Heather 

[MicCanberra]

10 hours ago, Russell21 said:

With those photos of Cradle Mountain, as usual the shots would have been taken with a wide angle lens to get it all in. This makes things look further away than they actually are. We were pleasantly surprised when we were there to find that the Cradle is a great deal closer than what the photo suggests.

Yes, Samsung phone with triple camera lenses

[Aussieflyer]

On 11/6/2022 at 9:30 AM, OzKiwiJJ said:

RATs before departing. Masks required to be worn on the buses and indoors. 

 

We went to Cradle Mountain. It was an interesting excursion but lots of bus travel. Still it was nice to see some of the Tasmanian countryside. We stopped at Sheffield, a country town famous for it's murals, where we had time for a coffee and a short stroll around the town. Then we went on to Cradle Mountain, crossing a spectacular gorge along the way. Once we reached the visitors centre we had to switch to smaller buses to enter the national park. It was a beautiful drive to Dove Lake. We had the choice of a short, easy stroll down to the edge of the lake, or a longer walk up to the Crater Rock lookout. We did the latter and the views were superb. We then went to Waldheim Chalet before being dropped at the hotel for lunch. Then it was a straight run back to the ship by a different route. We saw a few wombats, echidnas and what I think was a wallaroo.

Was the RAT required for all passengers going ashore or just those who had been in iso? Interested to know as have a shore excursion in a couple of weeks in Tasmania as well.

 

EDIT - Don't worry as have seen info on another thread.

Edited November 7, 2022 by Aussieflyer

[NSWP]

On 11/6/2022 at 11:57 AM, arxcards said:

Sounds wonderful, and much more adventurous than our usual pilgrimage to the whisky distillery. 

Tassie makes some solid whiskies, albeit expensive these days, my son sometimes brings me a bottle back for my birthday and Christmas when he goes to ye olde Hobart Town re his Mawsons Hut Museum.

Edited November 7, 2022 by NSWP

[arxcards]

Our choice when in Burnie. They even had some on the upper shelves of Majestic Princess.

 

[arxcards]

Welcome back!!

 

Coral returned to Sydney as Tier 1, which is a considerable turnaround from a couple of weeks ago. When done correctly, it proves the protocols do work.

[cruiser3775]

That's very reassuring for my cruise on Coral next week! Thank you for your frequent updates.