Rhapsody of the Seas review

I was really luck enough to get onboard the Rhapsody the Seas for a few hours whilst she was in Auckland at the end of January. She's a really great ship with a lot of facilities for the whole family to enjoy such a rock climbing wall at the aft of the ship & 2 good sized swimming pools. You have a choice of an outdoor pool for those sun filled days or an inside pool with a retracting roof which would be perfect for the... not-so sunny days!!

Some furniture throughout the ship at some of the bars/lounges I thought needed to have a bit of a 'spruce up' but apart from that I still thought she was a fantastic ship!

All of the cabins were occupied so I wasn't able to see any of accommodations onboard however from what was said by the Royal Caribbean representative that was showing us around all of the cabins are slowly undergoing a soft refurbishment with flat screens, new linen etc. ..

I hope one day I'll be even luckier to cruise onboard the Rhapsody of the Seas...

Carnival Spirit down under in 2012

Yes that's right - another ship is being brought down to Sydney, Australia!

Carnival Cruise Lines has announced that they will be bringing down their ship the "Carnival Spirit" to cruise from out of Sydney from October 2012. The ship will accommodate 2,667 passengers, it's 88,500 tonnes & being 53 metres above the waterline it won't fit under the Sydney harbour bridge therefore cruising from Circular Quay Overseas passenger terminal.

The Carnival Spirit will be great for families with 4 pools, 4 spa pools, a 22 metre corkscrew waterslide, mini golf, jogging track, sports court, a 2 level dining room, 16 bars and lounges, a 3 level theatre, kids clubs PLUS much more!!

It's expected that the Carnival Spirit cruises from Sydney will become available to book from the middle of this year so keep an eye out on our websites

Kiwi Cruise Sale Finder (www.cruisesalefinder.co.nz)
& Aussie Cruise Sale Finder (www.cruisesalefinder.com.au)

Facebook!

We've now launched our facebook, go check it out by clicking on this link - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cruise-Sale-Finder/114407511910885

If you "Like" our page - you'll be informed of all of our great SPECIALS!!

Want to get married onboard a P&O Cruise?

Good news - P&O are now offering the chance to get married onboard any of their P&O ships (Pacific Jewel, Pacific Dawn, Pacific Sun and soon, the Pacific Pearl)!!

They will allow wedding ceremonies in several of their home ports - Sydney, Brisbane, Newcastle, Fremantle and Auckland in port on embarkation day only, and will be performed by a celebrant. All the traditional touches, from the music and cake to the photographer and flowers, will be taken care of to make your day that little bit more special! A host of optional extras are also available, allowing the bride and groom to tailor their wedding into their perfect day.

Only one wedding will be held per cruise to ensure an exclusive occasion, so it’s important to book early!!

All guests who attend the wedding will need to be booked on the cruise!

Ceremonies at Sea packages are available to book IMMEDIATELY so please contact us for further details (availability and costings)!

Do I need a passport?

Yes you & everyone else including children will need a passport for a cruise.

If your cruise is going to ANY international port in the itinerary then you will need to present a valid passport upon checking in for your cruise. Passports for all cruises must have at least 6months validity still left on it by the time you return home from your cruise - failure could deny you getting onboard your cruise.

The only exception to this rule is for an Aussie Resident travelling on one of the Tropical Queensland Cruises (via the Whitsundays, Cairns, Port Douglas etc) or any other domestic cruise when you may check-in with either a drivers license or another government issued form of ID.

Tipping!

Why do I need to pay for these? but why not?


I'm sure you like to know & be rewarded in some way or another of a job well done, right? it's exactly what tipping onboard a cruise ship is all about - it's the traditional way of saying 'Thank you' to the crew onboard for the excellent service you'll be receiving. Tipping can also be known as a Service Charges or Gratuities.


Some cruise lines will charge this to your onboard account on a daily basis, others require these to be prepaid before you leave home & then on the more luxury end of the spectrum then you don't need to pay for these at all & sometimes on others they're not even expected. Although tipping is voluntary, at your own discretion, each cruise line will have a recommended amount - this can vary anywhere between A$7.50 to $15.00 per person per day. You can have this adjusted or removed (if you would like to tip someone directly or not at all) if you don't think that the crew reach your expectations or you might not be able to afford the entire amount.


Personally, I pay for my tipping/gratuities as I believe that it's not too much to ask for what I get in return.


The service onboard any of the cruises is exceptional without a doubt - they will go the extra mile for you & they become your shipboard family by the time you get off your cruise. Look after them, and they will help make your cruise a very memorable experience!


Ask us if you're not too sure what your cruise lines tipping policy is!

Can I bring alcohol onboard?

Your questions about the alcohol allowances are answered for you below!!

All of the different cruise lines have their own policy in regards to this & I've tried my best below to cover it off for you. Even though you hear stories about people bringing alcohol onboard via their luggage, it's in your own best interest to keep to the regulations they put into place. Some cruise lines (if not all of them) reserve the right to remove it from your luggage & will not be returned to you.
*Remember that when you confirm your booking with us and the cruise line that you are also accepting their terms & conditions which will include their specific alcohol policy.


P&O (South Pacific) Cruises from Australia & NZ - They don't allow you to bring onboard any of your own alcohol for your own personal consumption. At each of the different ports in your itinerary & even onboard at the duty free shops you may purchase alcohol/tobacco however it must be surrendered. All of your luggage will be x-rayed when coming on and off the ship.

Princess Cruises - One bottle of wine or champagne is allowed to come onboard with you to celebrate - a corkage fee will apply. You must be over the age of 21 years of age for all cruises except for the Sea Princess, Sun Princess or Dawn Princess where the age restrictions is 18 years. Any other alcohol brought onboard will need to be surrendered & given back to you the night prior to disembarkation.

P&O Cruises International - "We have recently updated our policy on the responsible serving of alcohol and we reserve the right to confiscate alcohol at the gangway should the need arise. It is not our intention to invoke this policy as a matter of course and we will implement it only on occasions where we consider it is likely that the health, comfort, safety and enjoyment of passengers may otherwise be compromised." - P&O Cruises.com website

Royal Caribbean Cruises - Again, exactly the same policy as P&O Cruises (above). Alcoholic beverages seized on embarkation day found in any luggage will not be returned.

Celebrity Cruises - On embarkation day only they will allow you to bring onboard 2 bottles of wine per stateroom with you. There are corkage fees that need to be paid.

MSC Cruises - Passengers are not permitted to bring onboard any alcohol for any reason.

Cunard Cruises - You are allowed to bring on 1 bottle of wine or champagne to celebrate special occasions. If consumed in any of the dining rooms/alternative restaurants there is a USD$15 corkage fee.

Holland America - "Except for wine and champagne, alcoholic beverages purchased in the vessel's shops or otherwise brought on the ship cannot be consumed on the ship. Bottles and other containers will be collected for safekeeping and delivered to your stateroom on the last day of the voyage.A corkage fee of US$15.00 applies to wine and champagne brought to the restaurants or bars for consumption." - Holland America.com website