Tropical Cyclone Jasper forming off the Queensland Coast December 2023

[resordanis]

15 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

I read the email.

We are excited about welcoming you on the fabulous Brilliance of the seas ,oh there’s a bit of a change.

 

No compensation Cheryl?  

I still haven’t received the email. I was just reading it again on FB and they really have a ‘Spin Doctor’ to write their letters. Apparently you can cancel, but not additional OBC.

I have had emails re checking in (3 times), Health survey (twice) and OBC details (once) but nothing about change of itinerary . I feel sorry for everyone who booked excursions as discounted prices in AUD prior to the cruise, now to go on board and book excursions at full price and in US dollars. It is a win, win situation for Royal. A little extra OBC wouldn’t hurt, but that is how you make billion dollar profits I guess.

Nothing to do with this cruise or change of itinerary, but feel this could be our last Royal Caribbean cruise, definitely not the same, looking at activities . Husband will be happy though Veterans get to gether on every day!!!!!

Edited December 6, 2023 by resordanis

[MicCanberra]

27 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

That’s a pretty good walk mic . It looks like 10-12 kilometres  return.

Yes, 5.5 kms  or an hour and a bit each way , there is public transport of course but it is a good walk.

[resordanis]

31 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Yes, 5.5 kms  or an hour and a bit each way , there is public transport of course but it is a good walk.

We can do the walk, not that old yet! Just not my favourite destination!

[Chiliburn]

1 minute ago, resordanis said:

We can do the walk, not that old yet! Just not my favourite destination!

I did a walk in Melbourne and so many places I didn’t know about.

The Royal exhibition building is a beautiful building that I didn’t know existed. We are going to try to do a tour in January.

If you are mobile do a historical walk,there’s quite a few.

[Chiliburn]

38 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Yes, 5.5 kms  or an hour and a bit each way , there is public transport of course but it is a good walk.

I suppose we  should burn some of those excesses off.

[MMDown Under]

45 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

That’s a pretty good walk mic . It looks like 10-12 kilometres  return.

I always get out of the tram at the top of St Kilda Beach, where I eat in a cafe on the sand, There is nothing like wiggling your toes in the sand, overlooking the Ocean  I Love the beach atmosphere.  Then I walk down to the shopping centre where I always buy specialty German cake. I call into the community garden and the beautiful cool Botanical Gardens.  I visit the beachfront markets, if they are on.  I always take different tram routes, one fascinating one through a park.  I love this part of Melbourne  I visit Balaclava to stock up on Glicks Bakery bagels and hot food in cooler months. It reminds me of NY.    

[resordanis]

21 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

I did a walk in Melbourne and so many places I didn’t know about.

The Royal exhibition building is a beautiful building that I didn’t know existed. We are going to try to do a tour in January.

If you are mobile do a historical walk,there’s quite a few.

We probably will stay on the ship! 

[Chiliburn]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

I always get out of the tram at the top of St Kilda Beach, where I eat in a cafe on the sand, There is nothing like wiggling your toes in the sand, overlooking the Ocean  I Love the beach atmosphere.  Then I walk down to the shopping centre where I always buy specialty German cake. I call into the community garden and the beautiful cool Botanical Gardens.  I visit the beachfront markets, if they are on.  I always take different tram routes, one fascinating one through a park.  I love this part of Melbourne  I visit Balaclava to stock up on Glicks Bakery bagels and hot food in cooler months. It reminds me of NY.    

I only just discovered Bagels about a year ago,where has my life been.

 

All my friends have been saying ,what is it with you and Bagels,do you have a mental problem or something.
Until I grilled some with Jarlsberg ,sour cream and smoked salmon . Let’s see who has the mental problem now. LOL 

[bretts173]

Looked to book this cruise a couple of weeks ago as my time became available all of a sudden but there was nothing much available and nothing for what I was willing to pay. Now I bet there will be plenty of cabins spare but too late to book. Destination no factor. In fact I think I'd prefer to head south.

[ceeceeDee]

On 12/6/2023 at 10:41 AM, Aus Traveller said:

The earliest cyclone to cross the Queensland coast was Cyclone Althea on Christmas Eve 1971. I hope that this latest cyclone won't come very far south, even to Central Queensland. My reasoning is that the ocean off Southern Queensland hasn't warmed as much as it will by January.

Yep, Althea made a right old mess of Townsville! We were there in 1972 and the devastation was still very much in evidence.

[Aus Traveller]

6 minutes ago, ceeceeDee said:

Yep, Althea made a right old mess of Townsville! We were there in 1972 and the devastation was still very much in evidence.

My brother and SIL moved from Townsville in 1968. Their former house was totally demolished by Cyclone Althea. It was a new house in 1966 when they moved in.

[ceeceeDee]

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

My brother and SIL moved from Townsville in 1968. Their former house was totally demolished by Cyclone Althea. It was a new house in 1966 when they moved in.

 

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

My brother and SIL moved from Townsville in 1968. Their former house was totally demolished by Cyclone Althea. It was a new house in 1966 when they moved in.

 

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

My brother and SIL moved from Townsville in 1968. Their former house was totally demolished by Cyclone Althea. It was a new house in 1966 when they moved in.

I remember we went up Castle Hill and the famous restaurant there was all but blown away.

[ceeceeDee]

Article in the Daily Mail:

This is where Jaspar is predicted to cross the Coast 13 December.

Quote from BOM:

Jasper is not only the first tropical cyclone of the season but is also believed to be the first to form off Australia in December during an El Nino.

'It is rare to see a December cyclone let alone one where we do have El Nino,' a bureau spokesperson said.

'It is unusual to be seeing this. There aren't too many cyclones we have seen through the month of December let alone early December.'

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by ceeceeDee

[arxcards]

1 minute ago, ceeceeDee said:

Article in the Daily Mail:

This is where Jaspar is predicted to cross the Coast 13 December.

 

 

 

The predicted path currently points directly at Port Douglas at around cat 1

 

The cone of uncertainty is over 1000km though, with Bowen at the most southerly point, and the affected warning area for something that is around a week away would be almost double that.

[Aus Traveller]

32 minutes ago, ceeceeDee said:

Article in the Daily Mail:

This is where Jaspar is predicted to cross the Coast 13 December.

Quote from BOM:

Jasper is not only the first tropical cyclone of the season but is also believed to be the first to form off Australia in December during an El Nino.

'It is rare to see a December cyclone let alone one where we do have El Nino,' a bureau spokesperson said.

'It is unusual to be seeing this. There aren't too many cyclones we have seen through the month of December let alone early December.'

 

 

 

Exactly. This cyclone is very early in the season.

[MMDown Under]

4 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

I only just discovered Bagels about a year ago,where has my life been.

 

All my friends have been saying ,what is it with you and Bagels,do you have a mental problem or something.
Until I grilled some with Jarlsberg ,sour cream and smoked salmon . Let’s see who has the mental problem now. LOL 

Bagels are a specialty.  Canadian bagels are different to NY bagels.  You can watch them making them through a big glass window. Delis in New york sell bagels with lox, red onion, capers and fresh dill.  If you go to ny, visit Zabars Deli and watch men in white coats slice the salmon all day.  My daughter even took one on the plane from NY in case it was awhile between drinks!

[Chiliburn]

1 hour ago, bretts173 said:

Looked to book this cruise a couple of weeks ago as my time became available all of a sudden but there was nothing much available and nothing for what I was willing to pay. Now I bet there will be plenty of cabins spare but too late to book. Destination no factor. In fact I think I'd prefer to head south.

I think the south is pretty good especially during our summer.

[Chiliburn]

56 minutes ago, arxcards said:

The predicted path currently points directly at Port Douglas at around cat 1

 

The cone of uncertainty is over 1000km though, with Bowen at the most southerly point, and the affected warning area for something that is around a week away would be almost double that.

I don’t believe it’s a cyclone,looks more like a Rhino beetle swarm to me.

[arxcards]

This now looks certain to cross the coast as a cyclone, and it looks to be targeting Port Douglas as a CAT 2 or 3 on Wednesday evening. The earlier modelling had predicted it would lose intensity, but the conditions are warmer than they would have been in the past and this is building towards being a monster for this time of year.

 

By some quirk, for large cruise ships, so far it seems like the two Royal Caribbean ships are the only ones to be fully impacted. Luminosa has a Sunday departure to Airlie Beach which could just dodge all this, but it might be a bit too close for comfort and it is likely to see an itinerary change as well.

[valantine80]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

This now looks certain to cross the coast as a cyclone, and it looks to be targeting Port Douglas as a CAT 2 or 3 on Wednesday evening. The earlier modelling had predicted it would lose intensity, but the conditions are warmer than they would have been in the past and this is building towards being a monster for this time of year.

 

By some quirk, for large cruise ships, so far it seems like the two Royal Caribbean ships are the only ones to be fully impacted. Luminosa has a Sunday departure to Airlie Beach which could just dodge all this, but it might be a bit too close for comfort and it is likely to see an itinerary change as well.

Have a friend booked on the Luminosa cruise and he has said they are now going to Sydney with $100 OBC.

[arxcards]

6 minutes ago, valantine80 said:

Have a friend booked on the Luminosa cruise and he has said they are now going to Sydney with $100 OBC.

Yes, I was just looking at the jumble of the shipping schedules. On 10th, it was still saying Luminosa was departing for Airlie Beach, and Airlie Beach still has the ship arriving on 12th Dec.

But, in opposition to that, the return back into Brisbane on 14th December does show Luminosa coming from Sydney. Sydney Ports has now updated with Luminosa anchored at Athol Buoy on 12th December.

[MMDown Under]

37 minutes ago, valantine80 said:

Have a friend booked on the Luminosa cruise and he has said they are now going to Sydney with $100 OBC.

Good idea to change the itinerary south, 

[MicCanberra]

Definitely a good idea to avoid nth Queensland.

[CDaze71]

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

.... Luminosa has a Sunday departure to Airlie Beach which could just dodge all this, but it might be a bit too close for comfort and it is likely to see an itinerary change as well.

 

 

Lumi is going to Sydney. Two other ships will also be there so Lumi has to tender in. 

[MMDown Under]

Just now, MicCanberra said:

Definitely a good idea to avoid nth Queensland.

I spent all my Summer school holidays in Mackay region and the islands.  I have a healthy respect for the power of cyclones.  The damage left behind from a tropical cyclone has to be seen to be believed.  Mackay had huge gutters for when the king tides and cyclones came in.  Everyone lived in high houses on stilts, with push out windows.  The old kerosene lamps and small stoves were handy when the power inevitably went out.  They also used candles so everyone had light.  My uncle had his good billiard table under the house, where it was cool to play in the summer.  But when the cyclones and king tides came suddenly, the billiard table and big refrigerator just floated out.  They used to get all the residents and holiday makers off the islands for safety.  It is sad to see some of the islands never recovered.  Travelling to different islands from Shute Harbour used to be a popular day trip. Mackay used to be the main airport hub for the islands and cruising before Proserpine.   I used to love staying on all the different islands, with day trips to the Great Barrier Reef, fishing trips, and trips to other Whitsunday Islands.  Island life was perfect for families, where full board included everything.