Inaugural AFF Cruise 25 - 29 Jan 2018

[straitman]

I hope you don't make too much noise. We are next door in D201

The party is at your place!

 

[Tazza_0712]

I'm usually happy with cruise ship buffets. Could you give more details about why you weren't happy with the buffets on the Golden and Diamond Princesses?

It'd be a very interesting insurance policy if it just paid out $100 per port for a missed port without you needing to demonstrate some kind of financial loss, eg loss of pre-booked rental car at that port. Insurers are not renowned for compensating people for disappointment!

I got an email about onboard dining options today. Does anyone think we should pre-book anything in particular for our group? Has anyone been on Golden Princess* before and can comment on the specialty dining options?

*or whatever ship we are going on, I get them mixed up

I can recommend Sabatinis on Golden - if you enjoy Italian food. The steak house is also pleasant, but I found Sabatinis to be the better of the two.

 

[straitman]

I can recommend Sabatinis on Golden - if you enjoy Italian food. The steak house is also pleasant, but I found Sabatinis to be the better of the two.

We like steak and sea food so prefer the Crown Grill to Sabatinis.

 

[Major]

We like steak and sea food so prefer the Crown Grill to Sabatinis.

That would certainly be our preference as well

 

[serfty]

Lucky it's not the "Sea Princess": 200 hit by gastro on Sea Princess cruise ship docking in Brisbane

 

[straitman]

Lucky it's not the "Sea Princess": 200 hit by gastro on Sea Princess cruise ship docking in Brisbane

Can’t blame the ships. It only takes one ‘unclean’ person to set it off.
On Ovation of the Seas we had a person who was sick with gastro but didn’t go to medical for 12 days. A very good chance they spread the whole 200 cases.

 

[sinophile888]

We are on the same deck, also starboard, but aft.

 

[JessicaTam]

Ms N and I are in E231.

Emeralds are better than Dolphins, yes?

 

[Anna]

Can’t blame the ships.

Actually when I got sick on Celebrity in 2012, I am d*** sure it was the ship's poor defrosting and insufficient cooking of burger meat that caused it. The ship's doctor pretty much confirmed it to me that all the sick pax had eaten burgers onboard 2 days previously.

It's much better PR for the cruise lines to say it's all down to poor pax hygiene, and yes that definitely helps to spread it, but I am sure that the cruise lines are not always entirely blameless.

 

[Anna]

I'm in E631.

Boarding pass and luggage tags printed!

 

[Major]

Actually when I got sick on Celebrity in 2012, I am d*** sure it was the ship's poor defrosting and insufficient cooking of burger meat that caused it. The ship's doctor pretty much confirmed it to me that all the sick pax had eaten burgers onboard 2 days previously.

It's much better PR for the cruise lines to say it's all down to poor pax hygiene, and yes that definitely helps to spread it, but I am sure that the cruise lines are not always entirely blameless.

I am always amazed when ordering a burger in US establishments, they always ask "how would you like it cooked". They must think it's an eye fillet or other premium cut of meat.
My reply is always the same, "It's only mince meat so just make sure it's cooked all through"

If it was a premium cut I would order it medium rare

 

[Pushka]

Actually when I got sick on Celebrity in 2012, I am d*** sure it was the ship's poor defrosting and insufficient cooking of burger meat that caused it. The ship's doctor pretty much confirmed it to me that all the sick pax had eaten burgers onboard 2 days previously.

It's much better PR for the cruise lines to say it's all down to poor pax hygiene, and yes that definitely helps to spread it, but I am sure that the cruise lines are not always entirely blameless.

We were on Equinox in 2015 and multiple cruises in a row had Noro alerts. Our cruise had a deep sanitisation just prior to boarding and no self service for over a week. It occurred to me there was a crew member who kept sharing it - possibly in the food area - for multiple cruises ‘all in a row’ to be affected.

Caribe for love_the_life and I and quite aft from memory.

Are we meeting somewhere for sail away? Out of Adelaide the port side takes in a part of the beachside. I’ve not gone in a westerly direction (previously east to Mel) before so it might track along the beachside for a bit.

 

[love_the_life]

I am always amazed when ordering a burger in US establishments, they always ask "how would you like it cooked". They must think it's an eye fillet or other premium cut of meat.
My reply is always the same, "It's only mince meat so just make sure it's cooked all through"

If it was a premium cut I would order it medium rare

It's not so much that it is 'only mince' that means it should be cooked all through. The act of mincing the meat creates a lot more surface area to pick up bacteria so it needs to be cooked right through to kill off these. I would never eat rare mince.

 

[straitman]

Ms N and I are in E231.

Emeralds are better than Dolphins, yes?

I don't think so.

Dolphins swim much better than Emeralds and also look down on them.

 

[Anna]

I did the galley tour on Infinity and they repeated a number of times that all the meat was from the US, brought onboard frozen and defrosted as required. They said it like that meant that everyone could be sure the meat was going to be great because it was American. Hmm. That said, apart from the dodgy burger, I liked the food on Celebrity.

There were no port details available this morning on the Princess website for Adelaide, so I haven't been able to work out my movements on boarding day yet.

 

[Pushka]

I think that any kind of processing of proteins (Ay have been watching those cooking shows ) introduces the chances of contamination and ultimately food poisoning. One of our well known private hospitals was giving people food poisoning a few months ago, and Health SA came in to investigate. Turns out that a Food mincer (industry style) could not be disassembled routinely for cleaning. They took it apart and found so many fuglies inside and was the cause.

MrP got extremely ill in the Maldives where tuna had been processed (minced) and reformed to make a fish. I dont eat seafood but he did and boom crash within 12 hours.

 

[straitman]

There were no port details available this morning on the Princess website for Adelaide, so I haven't been able to work out my movements on boarding day yet.

From a third party site.

Adelaide Cruises 2018-2025 | Best Fares + Ship Webcams | Cruises from Adelaide

I trust everyone has looked at their boarding times. From the Princess site just in case:

PROGRESSIVE CRUISE CHECK-IN INFORMATION

To help facilitate a smooth start to your voyage we have implemented a progressive cruise check-in schedule. Please arrive at the check-in time listed below. If you have purchased a Princess Cruise Plus Package/Transfer, your check-in time will be provided at your hotel or the airport. Guests travelling on shared transport or arriving as a group will be checked in together. Priority check-in will be available to guests with a Preferred Boarding Pass within the allocated check-in times. Boarding will commence shortly after check-in. Please do not arrive prior to the start of cruise check-in as your cabin will not be ready. Once onboard, enjoy a meal at Horizon Court which remains open throughout the day to serve you.

1:00 PM - Dolphin & Sun - Cabins begin with D & S
2:00 PM - Baja, Fiesta & Plaza Decks - Cabins begin with B, F & P
3:00 PM - Aloha & Lido Decks - Cabins begin with A & L
4:00 PM - Caribe & Emerald Decks - Cabins begin with C & E

 

[Pushka]

From a third party site.

Adelaide Cruises 2018-2025 | Best Fares + Ship Webcams | Cruises from Adelaide

I trust everyone has looked at their boarding times. From the Princess site just in case:

PROGRESSIVE CRUISE CHECK-IN INFORMATION

To help facilitate a smooth start to your voyage we have implemented a progressive cruise check-in schedule. Please arrive at the check-in time listed below. If you have purchased a Princess Cruise Plus Package/Transfer, your check-in time will be provided at your hotel or the airport. Guests travelling on shared transport or arriving as a group will be checked in together. Priority check-in will be available to guests with a Preferred Boarding Pass within the allocated check-in times. Boarding will commence shortly after check-in. Please do not arrive prior to the start of cruise check-in as your cabin will not be ready. Once onboard, enjoy a meal at Horizon Court which remains open throughout the day to serve you.

1:00 PM - Dolphin & Sun - Cabins begin with D & S
2:00 PM - Baja, Fiesta & Plaza Decks - Cabins begin with B, F & P
3:00 PM - Aloha & Lido Decks - Cabins begin with A & L
4:00 PM - Caribe & Emerald Decks - Cabins begin with C & E

Yes, received similar for last year. And pretty much ignored in Singapore.
Does platinum override these times?

 

[straitman]

Yes, received similar for last year. And pretty much ignored in Singapore.
Does platinum override these times?

I don't think so as it says 'Priority check-in will be available to guests with a Preferred Boarding Pass within the allocated check-in times.'
It does however say 'Guests travelling on shared transport or arriving as a group will be checked in together.' and we have 1pm checkin so if we arrive (almost) together we are OK.

 

[Pushka]

I don't think so as it says 'Priority check-in will be available to guests with a Preferred Boarding Pass within the allocated check-in times.'
It does however say 'Guests travelling on shared transport or arriving as a group will be checked in together.' and we have 1pm checkin so if we arrive (almost) together we are OK.

Ah, there is a plan. 4pm is just a smidge too late for us but one of us is Platinum and it ain't me . Arriving at airport around 12.30ish and coffee/Uber to the Port (around 40 minutes away)