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Embarkation. We really expected to do a lot very slow movement toward our dream holiday. As it turned out we had barely stepped onto Station Pier (Melbourne) and we were relieved of our luggage by Princess staff. We would say it took no longer than 30 minutes from arriving to boarding. Not bad when you consider there were 2000 of us. Extremely well organized and welcoming.
Stateroom. Small, but had everything we needed. Beautiful king size bed and heaps of draws and wardrobe space. Considering we only slept,showered and dressed there it was more than adequate. The only negative comment is that when we turned off the lights at night it was BLACK. Next time we will book an Ocean View room.
Stateroom Steward. Someone had told us that the staff make you feel as though you are the most important passenger on board. That turned out to be absolutely correct. Our girl couldn't do enough for us and did things straightaway, regardless of how busy she was. First Class.
Dining. We were designated the Marquis room and 1st sitting. The menu gave us many options. The courses were small but after the meals we had during the day it was more than enough. The food was great. We had most of our breakfasts and lunches in the Horizon Court. We didn't know you could do eggs so many different ways.The variety was endless. The view from there was a bonus.
Entertainment. The comedians were well past their prime, but still came out with a few rippers. The live shows in the princess theatre were excellent and short of snow skiing and iceskating, there wasn't anything that we couldn't do. Being a Melbourne based cruise I was disappointed there wasn't more local content shown on the television. I missed seeing my favorite football team on two occasions. The audience with the Captain was very informative and entertaining.The pianists and small ensembles playing during the trip only added to the already relaxing ambience. There was even a jigsaw that most people had a go at.You would be hard to please if you weren't entertained.
Pursers desk. Very helpful and friendly, well staffed so there was very little waiting.
It's worthwhile mentioning that you may wish to wait in the queue on arrival if you wish to change the nominated $10 a day each. The $10 tip is automatic and will be deducted unless you change it. You don't have to pay it, but we thought it was wiser to pay something as well as give a little extra to people of our choice.
Shore tours. The tours organized by the Princess Lines are quite expensive, but worth it as everything is included and the ship will wait for you if you are late. After being on one tour we thought we would find our own way at the other ports. Usually there were private tour guides at the wharf/port waiting for any interested passengers. We said what we wanted to see, and bargained for a good price. We recommend www.elitelimousines.co.nz. We had a full day in a comfortable van and were taken to 'secret' spots the big tour buses weren't able to go to.
Coffee Card. On arrival I purchased a coffee card at a reduced rate which cost me $28 plus GST and entitled me to 15 beautiful cappuccinos. If you are a coke or soft-drink lover you can buy a container ('bottomless') for around $65 and keep refilling that the entire time.
Disembarkation. As embarkation, very well organized. We were all put in color coded groups and gathered in various lounges around the ship. Each group was given a time to leave the ship. It was so well run that they ran ahead of time. Our luggage which was picked up from outside our room the night before had the same color and was very easy to collect. We decided we like embarking more. A wonderful trip on a wonderful boat.
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