Jump to content

F1guynz

Members
  • Posts

    840
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

Posts posted by F1guynz

  1. 3 hours ago, Cactus527 said:

    Will you be eating there this cruise

    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.

  2. Here are the tidbits of information from the Top Tier Event.

    IMG_9759.thumb.jpeg.c850bce9f469e8cd9372b9c8b04cdc8f.jpeg

    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.

    IMG_9763.thumb.jpeg.7deb529d626c521b430fcf4706e32b9a.jpeg

    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.

  3. 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?

    IMG_9642.thumb.jpeg.f0f2bfc5ab74c7336e55c32dc1225408.jpeg

    IMG_9650.thumb.jpeg.1f5c72f6654f22bb98ecf3255057eeda.jpeg

    IMG_9649.thumb.jpeg.432a9bf574a7d959a2cdbeaa616cd291.jpeg

    IMG_9647.thumb.jpeg.8eaa2adb3210504f550a9453b4e53ca5.jpeg

    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.

    IMG_9653.thumb.jpeg.ae9b302282277aeb97a73dc65f829f77.jpeg

    IMG_9661.thumb.jpeg.48dda132317c5ca32a70002c2676f8b8.jpeg

    IMG_9662.thumb.jpeg.8334b25c8e076237068b81f9a4f98205.jpeg

    IMG_9668.thumb.jpeg.e5901a9d1077fe73fe4e3c1351fdd75a.jpeg

    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.

    IMG_9670.thumb.jpeg.d0ed910d9ac4488ef1d6ba3d1bc191ee.jpeg

    IMG_9672.thumb.jpeg.59e03658bf3fe93c5a36855e1b34500f.jpeg

    IMG_9673.thumb.jpeg.ec95b40dede7bdadcd214f61e409c0c9.jpeg

    IMG_9701.thumb.jpeg.97f72dc01e56e9dd677b2d6241b3370c.jpeg

    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.

    IMG_9676.thumb.jpeg.2d945f28858122f4df214b8c3773b241.jpeg

    The gangway from aboveIMG_9708.thumb.jpeg.29b40cb2d02e00d2759088aad43766a6.jpeg

    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.

    IMG_9679.thumb.jpeg.8a2c7c417efc7e8eac814ded09bf2ea9.jpeg

    IMG_9682.thumb.jpeg.2701d0dbd953f1c4a8d208a728dffa8b.jpeg

    IMG_9691.thumb.jpeg.e1a3b69f11c04c15a89715d59f4fdf3a.jpeg

    IMG_9689.thumb.jpeg.43d91328829bf3f853363f85044ae4d6.jpeg

    IMG_9694.thumb.jpeg.51c59789d63d62d3090022be36df0214.jpeg

    1709269585622959.thumb.jpeg.764d1f11a1620990a13e353bf8d7c8a8.jpeg

    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.

    IMG_9705.thumb.jpeg.2ddb086b640b310fc9f11553ecfaa1b7.jpeg

    IMG_9739.thumb.jpeg.5fdc3c2d3571769127a26f6cf5ade480.jpeg

    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.

    IMG_9703.thumb.jpeg.92c5dc73adcab78fb5da3b8d3780480e.jpeg

    IMG_9697.thumb.jpeg.f9e6c1c34b312c4c49504f1fa9c122fe.jpeg

    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.

    IMG_9752.thumb.jpeg.a4f67de5325e2659aaab68706279a29d.jpeg

    2) Royal has learned the correct way to spell theatre, now if only they could learn we have holidays, not vacations. 😉

    IMG_9717.thumb.jpeg.06d766cc62067639da7cee6fff8cb8b5.jpeg

    3) We received star class wow bands. Wow bands where not in use last year.

    See you tomorrow for the next installment.

     

  4. 5 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

    offering it for free

    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.

  5. 3 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

    Can I just say how much I hate staggered deployments

    I also find this so frustrating when doing our holiday planning as it takes over 6 months to get the full schedule. Aus/NZ are also one of the last to come out and ship consideration is important as the itineraries don’t vary much. If it is a new ship to the region we cruise local.

    By the time all the deployments are out prices have risen if we decide to head to Europe or the US instead. 

    At least it looks like Ovation is finally moving on and we will get something new to replace her.

  6. 2 hours ago, ScottishRobbie said:

    sail from Brisbane

    As we have to fly it is usually Quantum for us as it is cheaper than Ovation. So much so we have booked the Royal Loft Suite again next year and now as we have sailed most itineraries it is about relaxing on the ship.

    We do sail from Sydney if the itinerary is right for us, the last being Brilliance to Kangaroo Island and Adelaide.

  7. 1 hour ago, Jamesszy94 said:

    I would love to try another class of ship

    Voyager is great, we were on her for the last cruise before Covid caused the shutdown.

    i like Freedom class, mainly because it is just a bigger version of Voyager.

    our first Royal cruise was on Radiance in Alaska where that type of ship fits the itinerary perfectly but now I find too small for cruising in Australia. Having said that we sailed on Brilliance back in November and had a great time, partly because the itinerary was a bit different but I missed the bigger ship features.

×
×
  • Create New...