F1guynz

I think the main work they will do is fix the North Star which requires a special crane. One of the robots in the bionic bar needs fixing and it needs a full repaint as the paintwork is shabby, otherwise the interior is in good condition. Maybe they will change Jamie’s Italian into a Giovanni’s Kitchen but I don’t see any major chances, especially as Odyssey is still very similar in design and features apart from Playmakers in the seaplex. i wish they would replace the lifts with destination elevators as lift waiting time is one of the worst features on Quantum ships. I just completed my blog from Quantum this week if you want to have a read.

A wrap-up of our last few days on our cruise: After the Noumea stop, the headliner show that night was a hypnotist called Shane St James. The show was very funny and family-friendly. He called for volunteers to be hypnotised, and there was a stampede of people to the stage. The following day, our final port stop was Mystery Island in Vanuatu, a place we have visited several times. The facilities on the uninhabited island are fairly basic, featuring white sand beaches, shallow-water snorkeling, and market stalls in the centre of the island. Locals also offer boat tours for viewing turtles, snorkelling, and exploring in glass-bottom boats. Mystery Island is a tender port, so passengers who wished to get off early required tender tickets. We elected to get off in the afternoon, avoiding queues for the tenders, and it was a 10-minute trip to the jetty on the island. It was a very hot day, so we decided to walk around the island and then return to the ship. There is a sandy track that runs around the perimeter of the island, and there is also a grass runway down the centre of the island, built by Americans during World War II when the island held strategic importance. There are some half-day beds that can be hired for $159 AUD, which also include a massage. The day beds can be rented prior to the cruise and may sell out, so I recommend booking in advance. Be aware, these are very basic day beds, so do not expect CocoCay quality facilities. Many of the passengers who had come over early had already returned to the ship, so the tender queue was short, and we were soon on our way back to the ship. Dinner was at Jamie’s Italian, and the food and service were great. The final couple of days before returning to Brisbane were sea days, with the sea having a bit of a swell, causing the ship to pitch more than usual. The pool was closed, so it was fun to watch the pool slowly empty itself of water. Dinner was in Coastal Kitchen, which included lobster night. The lobster was nice, but I thought the portion size was less than generous. Our CK server recommended we also order the scallops as an additional main, as it was a very small meal. We both took up the offer, and I agree if this was the only main ordered, you would come away still feeling hungry. I had eaten one and half scallops before I took this photo but this was the whole main dish. On our final sea day, we were joined by Willie in the suite lounge and had a very enjoyable conversation that ended all too quickly as we had a dinner reservation at Chops. After dinner, we put our bags out ready for the sad reality that we would be leaving in the morning. Our final morning consisted of breakfast at CK before meeting Willie at 9 am to leave the ship for the final time. Getting off the ship was very quick, and Willie escorted us straight to our bags. It was time to say goodbye and thank Willie for everything he had done for us on this cruise. There was a Pier Genie waiting by our bags, and she escorted us straight through a special customs zone and out to the terminal forecourt where we had an Uber waiting. If we had preferred to use a taxi, there was a priority queue for SC guests. Sadly, another cruise has come to an end, but we will be back next year to do it all again. In the meantime, we look forward to our next cruise in September on Harmony.

I don’t understand why they would go back to printed photos, I only want digital. I can print any photos I want and I can crop the frame from the photos if I want to.

We also have some taken on Brilliance last November in specialty restaurants that were included. i think next time we will get heaps of photos taken, let them go away and have them printed, and when they come back will just say no thanks. I don’t ever want printed copies as it takes me too long to digitise them properly.

Have the photo benefits been amended recently? At the Chef’s Table, everyone had their photos taken, and towards the end of the evening, the photographer came back with printed copies (how early 2000s is that). There were no digital copies available, and she mentioned that free photo diamond vouchers were no longer eligible for photos taken in specialty restaurants. Sounds more like one of those policies enacted on a single ship in the fleet than company policy. I am going to check with our genie tomorrow about this.

Royal’s marketing information is woeful to say the least that’s why I don’t believe the cabin blurb can be trusted as to benefits received. On Quantum they don’t mention you get a royal genie (you do) with a Grand Loft Suite. I think it never got updated from when it was in Asia.

You will receive an email, in our case, on the day the cruise started just in case there are no-shows.

Today was the first of our two port stops, Noumea. We have been here a few times but never to the aquarium, so that was the plan for today. Noumea port is a working port, so you need to take a shuttle bus to the information centre in town. The bus ride takes around 5 minutes. A lot of passengers take this trip just to access the free Wi-Fi within the terminal building, which is air-conditioned and refreshingly cool. On the top floor, there are market stands where you can pick up souvenirs of your visit. Most, if not all, will accept payment in Australian dollars. Across the road from the visitor centre, there is a supermarket to purchase anything you may have forgotten. The prices are in francs, but you can pay using a credit card. There is not a lot to do in downtown Noumea itself, and it is not a particularly pretty place, and it can also smell at times. If you do not want to venture far, there are a few historic buildings, a square, and a place to buy gelato and play outdoor chess. If you walk to the top of the hill, you can also visit an old church. Outside the visitor centre, there are stalls to purchase third-party tours, including the Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) bus for around $15 AUD per person. There are a couple of different vendors offering HOHO, and there is also the option of taking a tour on Tsu Tsu train to see the main attractions. The Tsu Tsu train tour is around 1 1/2 hours. The HOHO bus you board depends on the colour of the wristband provided to you when purchasing your ticket. You can only get on the same brand of bus when you want to be picked up. The buses are air-conditioned and clean. The HOHO stops at Lemon Bay 1, Lemon Bay 2, and the aquarium before heading back to the starting point, picking up passengers along the way. We took the bus to the aquarium, which took about 20 minutes. We walked to the aquarium, which is about 50 metres from the bus stop but found it is only open for group tours and opens at 1 pm. To pass the time before it opened, we went for a walk around the beachfront and found somewhere to get a drink and have some lunch. It was very warm, so we selected somewhere shaded to have a milkshake before returning to the aquarium. There was only a short queue for the aquarium when we returned, and we were soon inside. The aquarium was a little disappointing, as I felt, for this day and age, the tanks were too small for the fish and turtles that lived there. The tour of the aquarium lasts about 1 hour, and you exit through a gift shop. We finished at the aquarium and headed back to the ship as we had dinner reservations at Wonderland. Before dinner, we spent some time in the suite lounge and had a long chat with Willie, our genie, a thoroughly lovely man. He was one of the original concierges on Wonder of the Seas, and it was interesting to hear his take on the opening of a new ship. Dinner at Wonderland was enjoyable as always, and we ended the evening with the Starwater production show.

More like Dim None.

Chefs table is included for Star Class guests so Willie made a booking for us. There is an additional $25 USD pp cost for alcohol but as I do not drink there was no extra cost for my reservation. The Sommelier was from the Ukraine and was amazing. The chef for the evening was Dexter who apparently has the highest rating on all the ships. Quantum is the only ship that is allowed to make changes to the menu and wine pairing so for this menu the Branzino fish was replaced with Barramundi otherwise the menu was identical to other sailings. We had a great group of people around the table again so conversation flowed and dinner ended about 10:15pm.

The temperature has been around 27-30 degrees Celsius since leaving Brisbane, although it feels hotter than this on our deck as there is no breeze. For our sea day, we had Jamie’s Italian for lunch which was delicious. We are trying not to each to much for lunch as we have reservations at Chefs Table later on tonight.

Here is the menu and prices from the Dim Sum restaurant. i have not been able to ascertain whether it will change to Fish and Ships in the near future.

Hi, we did manage to catch up with Hailey before she left and Willie has been great. There is obvious signage near the door and it will take about 15 minutes to get on the ship.

For slot machines you get 1 point for every $5 wagered and you need 2500 points to advance from choice to prime. The points will reset on the 1st April and then points earned after that will accumulate until March 31st. You can reach prime anytime during that time and it will remain valid for the rest of the cycle. On March 31st the points will reset again but you will remain prime until the points reset again the following year. By my calculations you would need to cycle through $12,500 over the duration of a 7 night cruise on slot machines to reach Prime. Table game points are far more complicated and seem to earn at a much lower rate. Points for tables are based on average bet and time spent in the casino. Even if you ask the casino host they will not give a definitive answer on earn rates. i have never got to prime so I will leave to others to chime in on this.

Yesterday was an uneventful day as it was a sea day. Willie met us in the Seaplex where we took a turn on the bumper cars. This is always fun, especially when you don’t have to wait in the queue. during our walk around the ship I found this animated art which a really love. They draw pictures over themselves then erase it. We had lunch at Izumi which was very nice. Typically just before lunch, a whole of food was delivered to our cabin which will largely go to waste. We have told Willie we don’t need the extra food delivered as it is just too much. After lunch it was back to the cabin but once the sun is on the deck, it is too hot to sit out there so we had a sleep instead. The aft cabins like ours do not get any breeze so when the sun is directly on them they feel like a sauna and the deck is too hot to walk on in bare feet. Before dinner, we took the long walk to the suite. Much like it was like on Quantum last year, it was not very busy. Dinner tonight was at 7:30pm in Chops. There were around 20 people there for dinner tonight. The meal was fine but I wish they would change the menu a bit as after 10 years of going there it would be nice to see a few different options on the menu, and I don’t mean pay extra items like icon. After dinner we visited the casino which was busy but not too busy. The casino is non smoking when sailing in this part of the world which is great. It will be strange going on Harmony where they allow smoking as it will be the first time I have seen smoking in the casino. After the casino we popped into the silent disco in Cafe Two70 which was fun to watch. Then it was off to bed as the clocks go forward as we get closer to Noumea, but tomorrow is another sea day so it is okay to sleep in.

It is usually open between noon and 5pm. We will probably go there one day to try it out but not today as we have Jamie’s for lunch and Chef’s table for dinner. Last year when we were on Quantum it was Fish and Ships but that was the last cruise before the TP so maybe that is when it gets changed over for the US market.

Here are the tidbits of information from the Top Tier Event. The captain is not sure but said that the 3rd Icon class ship may be called Aura of the Seas, but we will have to wait and see. They may also reuse an older name so I guess we will just have to be patient. He said they were looking at building a smaller ship similar to Voyager class in size around 2029 to cater for ports like those in Australia. Possibly 2026 for Lelepa, but if it is that soon I am guessing it will be more like the original CocoCay and that amenities will be added over time. The C&A numbers for this cruise are: 604 gold, 182 platinum, 84 emerald, 174 diamond, 124 Diamond+ 24 Pinnacle The top 3 cruises are all from Brisbane with 1304, 1532 and 1925 respectively.

The week of April 8th.

Sorry, forgot to post Speedtest results. Day 1 @ 23:15 seven hours after leaving Brisbane.

Well, it is finally time for another cruise! Yes, we are sailing from Brisbane on a 7-night cruise to the Pacific Islands with 2 port stops: Noumea and Mystery Island on Quantum of the Seas. On this cruise, we are in a Grand Loft Suite on deck 10. We chose Quantum primarily because it is less expensive than Ovation and is better value for us. We also wanted to cruise again with Hailey, who was our Royal Genie last year on Quantum. We have sailed from Sydney many times, so we are not concerned with the scenery on the sail away; it gets dark quickly anyway. I think this blog will be a mini-blog, as the itinerary is similar to the one I blogged last year, so there will not be too much new information to impart. We flew into Brisbane from New Zealand yesterday morning and are staying near the airport at the Novotel. It is a convenient location for getting to the cruise terminal in the morning. The hotel is clean and quiet, despite being near the airport, and there is an outlet mall around 100 metres away that also has a few places to eat. We spent the afternoon wandering around the mall, and made a few purchases— who can resist a bargain? After a good night’s sleep, we took an Uber to the cruise terminal at around 10:30am, which is about a 15-minute trip and cost around $30 AUD (approx $20 USD). It is important to note that there is no public transport to the port, as it is in an industrial area far away from any amenities. There is parking available at the port if you have a car, though I do not know how much this costs. Our genie, Hailey, had an unexpected medical issue and is returning home prior to the start of our cruise. We were very lucky to bump into her outside the cruise terminal before she left for the airport. It was great to see her again, and even though we are sad not to be sailing with her, Hailey’s health comes first. We are happy she is returning home and will be able to get the care she needs in Korea. So now for this cruise, our genie will be Wilfredo (Willie), who was the concierge for our last sailing on Brilliance in November. This is his first time as a genie, but we are not demanding, so he will be able to ease his way into the job. Getting onto the ship as a Star Class guest is very quick and took no more than 15 minutes. We were escorted every step of the way by a lovely pier genie as she expertly handled a guest who complained to her that, as she had purchased the key with priority boarding, she should be receiving the same level of service. At the end of the gangway, which is actually quite a long walk, we met up with Willie, who escorted us straight onto the ship. We went right to the assembly station and completed the final step of our muster drill. The gangway from above Our cabin was already ready, so Willie took us up to our cabin. It felt similar to the royal loft suite we had last year, just on a smaller scale. Perfect for the two of us, though I will miss the hot tub on the deck. After settling into the cabin, the food started arriving on a regular basis, but we headed up to the CK for a light lunch. I just had some scallops and bread, which was just enough considering all the food we will be eating on this cruise. After lunch, we spent some time refamiliarising ourselves with the ship before heading back to the cabin for some R&R. We left Brisbane just after 4:30pm in glorious sunshine and calm seas, now we have 2 sea days and a clock change before we reach our first stop in Noumea. After watching our departure from our deck we heading up to the suite lounge for some nibbles. The lounge was not overly busy and there were plenty of seats available. While there we caught up with Willie and made a few changes to our daily schedule. Then it was off to Coastal Kitchen for dinner which was quite busy. We had organised to sit at one of the tables at the very end in the partially walled off area which was a bit quieter than the main restaurant. The food was very nice, I had the chicken leg as a starter, a dish I have not had before, but enjoyed very much. For the main we both had shrimp crusted pollack with rice which was also fabulous. The meal was rounded off nicely with vairhona chocolate bar dessert. After a quick wander around the shops and an order of Starbucks coffee it was back to the cabin to relax and retire for the evening. Some quick observations 1) Fish and Ships has changed back into a Dim Sum noodle restaurant. 2) Royal has learned the correct way to spell theatre, now if only they could learn we have holidays, not vacations. 3) We received star class wow bands. Wow bands where not in use last year. See you tomorrow for the next installment.

I am sure it would just be incorporated into the price of the suite. I would prefer that as we always buy it anyway but for those who don’t want it there is an unnecessary expense. I think it would improve the bottom line as currently you don’t know how much you are paying for the privilege in Royal Suite Class but probably more than in the cruise planner.

@Matt has made the news in an article in the UK’s Daily Mail detailing his Empire Supper Club experience. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-13115163/icon-seas-expensive-restaurant.html Some good publicity there.

It was working in April 2023 when we were last on board.

On the plus side Mystery Island may get some upgrades, but if Carnival is footing the bill will Royal still be able go there. https://www.dailypost.vu/news/vt2-billion-mystery-island-tourism-upgrade/article_dcd695b2-4d09-5006-bea4-ed3f482daa7c.html

I will ask our genie Hailey next week when we are on board.