F1guynz

Other cruise lines go to Tonga and Fiji including Celebrity.
Royal tends to stick to Mystery Island, Noumea and sometimes Vila. The itineraries are less diverse than they used to be because some islands never reopened for cruising after Covid, and also some places limit the ship size. Maybe having Voyager/Adventure will provide opportunities for new ports.
Cruises also tend to be shorter now than they used to be with less opportunity to travel further afield. I think it is the cruise ship equivalent to chocolate bar manufacturers who make the chocolate bar slightly smaller each year but still charge the same price.
Also the ships are travelling slower so a port stop that used to take 2 days now takes 3 so the total number of port stops is less.
 

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.
 

You can check you and the rest of family in at midnight and upload the photos later. You can retake the photos as many times as you like until the checkin closes.

You can check you and the rest of family in at midnight and upload the photos later. You can retake the photos as many times as you like until the checkin closes.

When I booked mine, I did get an e-mail from [email protected] confirmation, but it took 24 hours, so not as fast as they said I would.  I can see my bookings, but can't really do anything with them until I pay for them.  
The only way I can see mine is to 1) Go to RC.com and view reservations, 2) click on "pay remaining balance", then 3) hit the back button, then I can see the cruise and flight details.
The Air2Sea payment will be added to the cruise fare, all due on the final payment date.  You can pay early as well, if you like. 

When our Grandeur sailing was shortened by two days for a rudder issue, we were still awarded 9 points for what became a 7-night sailing.

I notice I can now use Air2Sea to book flights for the cruises in Australia and New Zealand with the option to pay later for economy and premium economy.
Previously it used to say not available in your region.
 
 

I notice I can now use Air2Sea to book flights for the cruises in Australia and New Zealand with the option to pay later for economy and premium economy.
Previously it used to say not available in your region.
 
 

I notice I can now use Air2Sea to book flights for the cruises in Australia and New Zealand with the option to pay later for economy and premium economy.
Previously it used to say not available in your region.
 
 

I notice I can now use Air2Sea to book flights for the cruises in Australia and New Zealand with the option to pay later for economy and premium economy.
Previously it used to say not available in your region.
 
 

They still have to purchase their own drinks (or use a voucher) so there is not a significant benefit for the non-pinnacle apart from being able to sit in a lounge that is more exclusive. To me, this seems more onerous on the wait staff who in theory now need to check whether the guest is eligible for a "free" drink. I feel that in practice, the non-pinnacle will also get free drinks.
 

I notice I can now use Air2Sea to book flights for the cruises in Australia and New Zealand with the option to pay later for economy and premium economy.
Previously it used to say not available in your region.
 
 

Brilliance is docking tonight then heading off to Newcastle drydock for repairs.
its a bit rough that everyone have to get off tonight as by the time customs clears the ship and luggage is offloaded it will be after 9pm.
not a great time to be moving around with all your luggage.

The compensation offered is:
 Free internet and 1/2 price drinks. 50% of cruise fare. 50% of cruise fare as FCC. They are also paying upto $ 250 USD for changes to domestic flights or up to $ 250 USD per stateroom for up to 3 nights accommodation.
They will not be arriving back to Sydney until 8pm on Tuesday. 9 
i assume they will be able to stay on the ship that night as it would be difficult to get to accomodation at that time.
 

Same menu every time we have been since 2019.

Set aside the money you would have spent on the drinks package so you can cover the cost at the end of the cruise. In doing so, I anticipate you may have money left over. If you do find you need to chip in a little bit more, then you will know in the future the drinks package is worth it for you.
 

Same menu every time we have been since 2019.

Set aside the money you would have spent on the drinks package so you can cover the cost at the end of the cruise. In doing so, I anticipate you may have money left over. If you do find you need to chip in a little bit more, then you will know in the future the drinks package is worth it for you.
 

The transpacific is still on sale,so it looks like they will fix it locally. Probably dock it in Newcastle or Kembla .

My SIL is on Brilliance and sounds like it has got a propulsion problem or similar. There was an announcement by the captain yesterday about an issue.
The originally itinerary was Lifou, Noumea, Mystery Island, Vila and Luganville but it is now enroute to Sydney arriving 25th March.
Originally it was due back 30th 

 

Lisa is saying it appears the ship is running on one engine as the wake trail behind the ship is only on one side.

I am also curious, if Royal cuts a cruise short do you still get the full allocation of C&A points or only points for the days onboard?

Lisa is saying it appears the ship is running on one engine as the wake trail behind the ship is only on one side.

Lisa is saying it appears the ship is running on one engine as the wake trail behind the ship is only on one side.

My SIL is on Brilliance and sounds like it has got a propulsion problem or similar. There was an announcement by the captain yesterday about an issue.
The originally itinerary was Lifou, Noumea, Mystery Island, Vila and Luganville but it is now enroute to Sydney arriving 25th March.
Originally it was due back 30th