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How safe is Cruising?

2012-01-25T16:45:00.018+13:00

Well since the terrible disaster of the Costa Concordia I think a lot of people are asking this question. After any disaster it is just human nature to ask just how safe is flying, trains, even bungee jumping ( also latest happening with the tourist in Africa).

I did some research on the safety aspects of cruising and found out the following:

Cruise ships are like hotels, just a lot more safe and secure. It is basically a enclosed secured environment. There are heaps of security and cameras onboard.
In foreign Countries where you have never been before it is much safer to be on a cruise coming into Port and not just on your own and not knowing where it is alright to go or not (safety in numbers).

Some information taken directly from the International Council of Cruise Lines

The safest way to Travel -- Cruise Ship Security:

"A cruise ship is comparable to a secure building with a 24-hour security guard. Since vessels operate in a controlled environment, access can be strictly enforced. Every person on board, from passengers to crew members, is placed on an official manifest and may embark or disembark only after passing through strict security. Operating within a strict legal framework, both federal and state authorities have the right to investigate."
"The cruise industry is committed to providing a secure and safe environment for its passengers and crew. We will continue to work with all appropriate federal and state agencies to ensure the security of all passengers, crew and vessels."

Sections of the treaty -- The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)

(Taken directly from Wikipedia:)

Surveying the various types of ships and certifying that they meet the requirements of the convention.
The subdivision of passenger ships into watertight compartments so that after damage to its hull, a vessel will remain afloat and stable.
Fire safety provisions for all ships with detailed measures for passenger ships, cargo ships and tankers.
Life-saving appliances and arrangements, including requirements for life boats, rescue boats and life jackets according to type of ship.

The Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) requires passenger and cargo ships on international voyages to carry radio equipment, including satellite Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) and Search and Rescue Transponders (SARTs).
Requires every shipowner and any person or company that has assumed responsibility for a ship to comply with the International Safety Management Code (ISM).
Requirements relating to organisations responsible for carrying out surveys and inspections, enhanced surveys, the ship identification number scheme, and operational requirements.

The only place anyone is 100% safe is in the grave, we cannot let this change our minds about cruising because what is living if we continuously worrying about what might or never even happen.

What is the Promo code on our website

2012-01-18T14:31:00.005+13:00

When Cruisesalefinder are running promotions which include any further discounts we will provide you with a Promo code. The promo code will be sent in our weekly Newsletters, so if you are not signed up to this, then please have a look at our website at http://www.cruisesalefinder.com.au/win for Australian residents or http://www.cruisesalefinder.co.nz/win for NZ residents and sign up to receive any extra specials.

Otherwise just submit your enquiry as is, and leave the promo code box blank.

There are no promo codes running at the moment, however we do have our Australia Cruise Sale Week on at the moment, so book now to get your onboard credit and reduced deposit for selected cruises.

Fun Facts for some of the South Pacific Ports

2012-01-11T10:11:00.003+13:00

Champagne Bay - Copyright Jason Meaden Flickr

Champagne Bay- was voted by P&O Cruises passenger survey as one of the top Ports visited.

Santo- If you love diving this is a definitely one to visit. Santo is home to one of the worlds largest. most intact and accessible shipwreck. The shipwreck is the President Coolidge and weighed 22.000 tons.

Mystery Island- The community at Mystery Island have just introduced a New Shore Tour which is run by them. They run a shore tour to the near by Island of Aneityum, be sure to look into it and support the local Community.

Pentecost- If you looking for adventure look no further. Pentecost is famous for its land divers which were the original bungee jumpers. The cruises are timed so you are there and can watch them from a safe distance.

Wala- The Islands adjacent to Wala are home to 30 indigenous languages which is spoken in just a small area of 2.000 square kilometres.

Top Deals this week

2011-12-08T12:36:00.002+13:00

Pacific Pearl departing from Auckland on the 12 January for 8 nights to the South Pacific. All child space still currently available. Twin cabins are pricing from $1187 per person for an Oceanview Cabin category G. Plus as a bonus you will receive AU$100 onboard credit per cabin. Book now as space filling up super fast. There are no triple cabins or Inside cabins available, however there are still twin oceanview cabins available.

Next cruise is onboard the Pacific Pearl for 3 nights. If you have not cruised before this would be a fantastic cruise to go on so you can have a feel what cruising is all about! The cruise departs from Auckland on the 26 January for 3 nights. Twin cabins price from $494.00 per person for a Obstructed View cabin category H.

There is also a fantastic cruise onboard the Sea Princess for 9 nights. The cruise departs from Auckland on the 28 January and cruises to Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Sydney. Twin Inside cabins start from $1286.00 per person.

Please note all our pricing is available on our website, we also having pricing for triple and quad cabins. The pricing above is subject to availability at the time of booking. The prices quoted above are in New Zealand Dollars, we also have pricing available in AUD on our AU website.

Grab a deal now before it sells out!

Wait listed for a Cruise?

2011-10-27T15:06:00.003+13:00

You could either be wait listed for a certain category or type cabin and if there is no child or teen space available.

Each cruise line has limited space onboard the ship for children as the kids club facilities can cater for a limited number of children, and any child booked onto a cruise has access to the kids club. If kids space is not available you would go on a wait list for a space if it could become available. However there is no guarantee a space will open up. "Wait List" means that all available space is presently taken. If a space becomes available we will let you know.

Suggestions are that if you are on a wait list for a cruise during the School Holidays and you have tried to book quite late, there is not much chance of the wait list becoming available and it would be advisable to have a look at another cruise.

If a certain category/cabin (Inside, Oceanview, Balcony or Suite) type is not available we will send you an alternative offer, you can in the mean time confirm on the alternative option and we can keep you on the wait list for the category/type cabin you prefer. If the category /cabin type becomes available we can change it over and advise the fare difference to be paid.

There are always other options available and if you need some assistance please let one of our friendly Consultants know and we will gladly assist you with arranging your Cruise Holiday.

Worried about Sea Sickness....?

2011-10-20T15:46:00.003+13:00

The best position to be onboard a ship is lower deck and Mid ship. This is definitely the most recommended cabins as there is less movement therefore less chance of getting sea sickness.

However do not let this defer you from booking a cruise with Cruise Republic. Most of the time you wont even get sea sick as there are plenty of precautions and preventative measurements you can take before and when you are onboard the cruise.

First of all try and confirm a Mid ship cabin, if not the second option is towards the aft (back of the ship). Second start taking sea sickness tablets at least 2 or 3 days before your cruise such as Sea Legs. Sea Legs are completely natural and will settle you down before you go on your fabulous cruise holiday you have booked with Cruise Republic. Thirdly there are wrist bands you can purchase before you go on the cruise and you can where them onboard the ship. These honestly do help as Sam one of our other wonderful Cruise Consultants swears by them as she occasionally will feel a little sea sick from time to time.

Last of all, if none of the above work like the Doctors says have the injection! You can have the injection onboard, make sure you have International Travel Insurance as these injections can be quite pricey ( round $150 each). They are definitely worth it though because they do work and in no time you will be sipping cocktails and singing karaoke at one of the bars on the ship like there is no tomorrow.

So all aboard and looking forward to booking a cruise holiday for you!

Family of 5 or more

2011-10-12T17:05:00.003+13:00

Cruising is terrific for families travelling together. However there are some basics you need to know before you decide which cruise will suit your family best.

On the P&O ships the maximum in a cabin is 4 people, if you are travelling with a family of 5 or more you will need to book 2 cabins. P&O do not have interconnecting cabins and the best we can allocate is cabins close to one another.

Another option would be to book Royal Caribbean, they have Family Oceanview Staterooms and Suites which can accommodate up to 7 people comfortably. Royal Caribbean cruise ships also have interconnecting staterooms which is great if you would like some more privacy or time away from your teens, while they keep themselves busy with all the activities available onboard.

SilverSeas Expedition cruising

2011-06-10T10:13:00.001+12:00

The Silver Explorer (Formerly the Prince Albert has had a major change over due to the SilverSeas expansion in growth. They are currently New Zealand and Australia's second biggest Market. A little bit of a history lesson for you all this morning, basically expedition cruising started back in the 1960's, it has changed alot since then as during that time they did not have the technology or the experience we have these days. You can now travel in absolute luxurious comfort and see remote parts of the world, and come back in one piece not missing a toe or a finger from frost bite, or being eating by a polar bear.

Expedition cruising isn't just about seeing the Arctic or the Polar regions but traveling to the most exciting places all over the world most people would only dream about visiting.

The expedition cruising is focused on the destination, this is their priority and it is not built around a program. Where does the name come from "Silver Explorer", well in 1980's there was a ship called the Little Red explorer that unfortunately went down, and the owner of that ship is now the Director of SilverSeas, for him calling it the Silver Explorer was a little bit of nostalgia for him.

You cannot compare the Silver Explorer to any other ship that is currently doing Expedition cruising. The other ships are older ships that were converted from fishing trawlers and the accommodation is basic and you will need to share. The food is also basic and so is the service,plus there are no stabilizers on the ship! Imagine that when you pass through the Pacific passage from South America to the Arctic!

Now with the Silver Explorer there are no charges for your drinks, all the Suites get there own personal Butler. Gourmet meals by Relaix and Chateaux, professional staff onboard, fares include gratuities, complimentary fine wine, spirits, champagne, soft drinks and the list goes on and on and on.....

The atmosphere onboard the ship is casual, don't let the formalities put you off from this luxury product at all. When they do have formal nights onboard it would be a good idea for the men to take a jacket with and the ladies a dress would be absolutely perfect.

Now back to the staff onboard the Silver Explorer, they have a maximum of 130 passengers onboard ( the ship was initially built to accommodate 280 passengers), 121 are crew members and 13 expedition crew which includes 7 or 8 lecture staff . When you cruise to the Arctic or Antarctica they will have 4 gunmen, yes 4 gunmen that are on Polar Bear patrol!!! Arghhhhh

Did you know that there are currently only 25 000 wild Polar Bears left in the World, and 3000 of them are in the Arctic. And do you know the difference between Arctic and Antarctica, well the Arctic is and Ocean and Antarctica is a continent/ land covered by snow. The Arctic has all the predators which are the Arctic Fox and the Polar Bears to name a few.

OK back to the Silver Explorer, it was converted in 2007 and it cost 32 million dollars, it was built in Finland and refitted in 2008. It just recently came out of dry dock and is on its way to complete an Expedition in Europe. With the refitting they reduced ship capacity, added more suites (65 in total), and 18 or more of the suites are larger than 400 sq feet. Plus now there is 24 hours service and full butler service.

The shore excursions are included in the fare costs except for the Arctic. And all of them are designed exclusively and are very unique. For example when you cruise the the West of Africa one of the shore excursions for last year was visiting a soccer match in Sierra Leone and the players were amputees from the genocide.

The West of Africa is a new itinerary for the SilverSeas and selling very fast,. It is already on waitlist for next year

It is usually 10-15 nights October each year, all excursions are included (worth $1000.00) examples are, snorkeling, dessert dune safaris etc. Silverseas will not cruise the East of Africa because as some of you know there are pirates and it is unsafe to cruise those waters.

2012 has limited capacity and over 50% is sold out It is a good idea to book early as the deposits are refundable.

With the Arctic and Antarctica Expedition they run end November to beginning March. They will not cancel landings if the weather is not good, unless it is not safe.The average temperature in the Arctic is 0 degrees with wind chill. The end of the cruising season will have less ice and less snow. They offer a classic 10 day direct cruise to the Peninsula via South Georgia or even better a 17 day cruise via the Falklands.

Silverseas now also offer charter flights from Oslo, as the cruises depart from Longyearbyen and Tromso which are very difficult to try arrange flights to.

With the Arctic Expedition you will sail as far as 82 degrees North, the furthermost North is at 90 degrees so you are pretty much at the end of the World.

With the Arctic cruising there is no connection to the outside world for pretty much 70% of the cruise. But do not stress as they have meridian phones onboard in case someone gets eaten by a Polar Bear!

SilverSeas do not operate repositioning cruises and sails as an empty ship.

Other places they cruise too are:

South and Central America, Britain and Europe including the Norway and Iceland and West Africa ( which is a cultural experience and not a wildlife experience).

Well that's all, finally. Hope you enjoyed reading my report and lets get selling Silverseas.

Its a Perfect cocktail of True Expedition and True Luxury!!

Bon Voyage

Article from Cruise Passenger " Cruise ships safe from tsunami"

2011-03-16T15:32:00.002+13:00

UPDATE: Helicopter crew members on board the fleet of US aircraft carriers off the coast of Japan have been exposed to the equivalent of a month’s worth of radiation after coming within the danger zone of one of the country’s damaged nuclear reactors, reports KCAUTV.

Ships sailing nearby confirm safety of passengers following the Pacific-wide tsunami alert.

All cruise ships sailing in the Pacific have confirmed the safety of their passengers and reported little impact from the tsunami, triggered after the major earthquake off the coast of Japan’s Honshu island on Friday.

Both Azamara Quest and Queen Mary 2 were in Japanese waters when the earthquake hit. QM2 was scheduled to call at Nagasaki, more than 1000 kilometres from the quake’s hardest hit areas, on March 12, however QM2instead sailed for its next call – Xingang in China – where it will arrive today.

Meanwhile, Azamara Quest was docked in Nagasaki at the time but departed on Friday as scheduled. She sailed to nearby Fukuoka, which is also on the north shore of the southern Japanese island Kyūshū, and is currently en route to Busan in South Korea where she is expected to arrive at 7.00pm tonight.

“No Royal Caribbean, Celebrity or Azamara ships have been directly affected by the earthquake, or by the subsequent tsunamis,” said Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez in a statement.

The reason for this is because being out to sea when a tsunami strikes is probably the safest place to be. When an earthquake causes the ocean to “ripple” away from its epicentre, the rolling waves flow out at high speed but do not break – somewhat comparable to a sudden rise in tide. It is not until the ripples comes up against the land that the water doubles up causing devastating damage to all in its path.

Across the Pacific in Hawaii, Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Pride of America left the port of Nawiliwili, Kauai to sail at sea when news of the earthquake reached the island nation. She then returned to shore once the threat had passed.

We’ll keep you updated with news as events unfold.

Most of all, our thoughts are with the Japanese people as they come to terms with this natural disaster.

Promo code on our website

2011-01-04T11:08:00.002+13:00

For any new bookings made with us in 2011 you will receive a $25.00 voucher. You will need to insert the PROMO CODE CFS25 into the booking page when you are sending us an enquiry and it will automatically be applied.

This offer is for new bookings only and only one coupon per booking.

Pacific Pearl arrived

2010-12-22T10:33:00.014+13:00

On Saturday the 18th December the Pearl was welcomed to Auckland "Land of the White Cloud" by representatives of a Maori tribe. They paddled across the Auckland Harbor with Pearls godmother Olympic medalist Barbara Kendall who was wearing a traditional feather cloak.

I was very fortunate to experience the ship first hand and spent 2 amazing nights cruising out to Sea on the Pacific Pearl. Photos and more info still to come.

To celebrate the Pacific Pearls official naming ceremony P&O organized a extra special show on Tuesday the 21 December-"Pacific Pearl Family Christmas Festival" which was open to all public.

They had a spectacular fireworks show, guest appearances from Stan Walker and Dane Rumble, large Ferris wheel, circus and street performers. The naming ceremony was projected on the side of the Pearl with celebrations and cracking of champagne bottles-simply outstanding!

During the event, a family cruise prize was raffled and the proceeds given to the children of the miners who lost their lives in the Pike River Mine Tragedy. A second cruise was also auctioned off at the VIP function onboard with the proceeds also going to the miners children.

MSC Mediterranean special

2010-11-12T16:47:00.003+13:00

Book a MSC Poesia 8 night Mediterranean cruise departing March-May 2011 and you will receive a FREE beverage package from MSC!

To view our prices and make a booking check out our website at http://www.cruisesalefinder.com.au/results.html for the 8 night Mediterranean Cruises

The Beverage Package Includes as per MSC:

Free beverage Package includes:
service in Main restaurant for lunch and Dinner:
House brand wine (possible selection between 2 white and 2 red) served by bottle,
mineral water served by bottle, draft beer, soft drink from the fountain (or in
can where fountain is not available).
service at Main restaurant self-service buffet for lunch and Dinner:
Same wine selection as in restaurant, served by the glass, mineral water
served by the bottle, draft beer, soft drink from the fountain (or in a can where
fountain is not available).

Revitalised Radiance of the Seas coming soon to Australia

2010-11-12T09:42:00.001+13:00

Peter McCormack the National Sales Manager for Royal Caribbean stated below:

Radiance of the Seas revitalised for her Australian debut

Radiance of the Seas will soon be Australia’s newest and largest superliner with major enhancements scheduled prior to her much anticipated Australian debut in October 2011.

The revitalisation will include the creation of four new specialty restaurants, a new Diamond Lounge for Crown & Anchor members, enhanced kid’s club facilities, Wi-Fi access throughout the ship and interactive flat screen televisions in all cabins.

In addition to Radiance of the Seas, there are major enhancements planned for four other Royal Caribbean ships in 2011 – Splendour of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas. They are part of Royal Caribbean’s ‘Royal Advantage’ initiative which demonstrates the cruise line’s commitment to provide guests with the industry’s most innovative and contemporary cruise ships.

Click here for further information on Radiance of the Seas enhancements.

Cant wait!!!!

Re: Onboard Activities

2010-09-29T15:30:00.003+13:00

Onboard all the Pacific Ships there is loads to keep you busy onboard, you can do as much or as little as you want!

The info below copied from the P&O website has so much information regarding everything you can do onboard:

Enjoy your holiday your way. Simply laze on a deck chair by one of our pools. Relax in our whirlpool spa, or be pampered with a rejuvenating, soothing massage. Discover the Picasso in you at an art or craft class. Enjoy a workout at the gym, jogging track or feel your pulses racing at the first ever Bootcamp at Sea.

Pop your nose into a wine appreciation seminar or learn how to make a perfect latte from our baristas. Star in a karaoke session or feel the beat at a dance class. Trivia, bingo, deck sports, art auctions, yoga classes – it's all here to create your best holiday ever.

Hyper Active

Table tennis anyone?
Take a jog on our special track
Workout at our Fitness Centre, have fun in a fitness class^ or join our Bootcamp at Sea^
Enjoy a dance lesson
Try your hand at deck quoits
Learn new skills at our Pacific Cirque™ classes‡

Get Creative

Finally, you have time for an art or craft class^
Attend a wine lecture or a coffee appreciation seminar‡
Take on Donna Summer at karaoke
Art auctions* for the connoisseur or novice

Enjoy yourself

Restore mind body and spirit at the Aqua Health, Spa & Fitness or Lotus Spa™ and Salon*
Chill at our child-free haven, The Oasis*
Splash out in our pools or simply relax on deck soaking in the sun
Relax in our whirlpool spa, sauna or steam room
Pick up a bargain with duty and tax-free shopping†
Escape to the serenity of our comprehensive library
Play cards, chess or borrow a board game

Feeling social

Join in a trivia quiz
Try your luck at bingo*
Stay in touch at the Internet café*
Live music and dancing

Logging into your Cruise Personaliser-having difficulty?

2010-08-25T16:24:00.004+12:00

You could be logging onto the incorrect one.
Here are some tips to help you through.

If we have booked your cruise sailing on P&O New Zealand, Australia and South Pacific (Pacific Sun, Pacific Dawn, Pacific Jewel or the Pacific Pearl. ) you will need to click on the Terms and Conditions on the top page before entering your Cruise Personaliser.

Please note that the bottom page is for Cruise Personaliser for World Voyages, European & Mediterranean and Caribbean cruises ( they include cruises on the Oriana, Arcadia, Oceana, Artemis and the Aurora.)
Your main page where you will be entering in your first name , surname and the booking reference we provided you with P&O, should bring up a picture of a cruise ship.

If it brings up a picture with a lady with a sun hat sunbathing you are on the P&O UK Cruise Personaliser and not the New Zealand or Australia one.

If you prefer, you may provide the information required offline on the Pre-Cruise Information Form or by contacting P&O Data Administration team on AU 13 24 94 or NZ 0800 780 716.

Continuation Port Noumea

2010-06-08T16:55:00.012+12:00

Just arrived in Noumea and have disembarked from the Pacific Sun. I have already pre booked and confirmed my shore excursions with P&O. I definitely recommend this, you never know if you book with other Tour Operator and something goes wrong and you running late. At least when you book with P&O they will notify the ship and they will wait for you. All other shore excursions Tour Operators if you late and the ship is due to leave, it will leave without you!

Definitely pre reserve your excursions on your Cruise Personaliser as soon as you can before you go on the cruise. All the popular ones book out extremely fast and they are definitely worth it as they are "hassle free", you definitely do not want any unexpected headaches on your holiday, so let P&O take care of you!

The Shore excursion I chose is Countryside, City and Aquarium. We all climbed onboard a shuttle bus and were taken though the city, our driver was really nice and he gave us some extra info about the history of the city. I know a lot of people think once you have seen one aquarium you have seen them all as they are similar. However it all depends on your preferences, I love anything to do with animals and sea creatures so Im all go when it comes to Zoos and Aquariams. There was some interesting ones I hadn't seen before though like the Albino Stingray, so was well worth it.

Plus the beach that is right across the road from the Aquarium is lovely, you get to spend some time there, not enough to swim though.

You also get taken up to the top of the City where you can see spectacular views of Noumea and its surrounds. I recommend taking something with you to quench your thirst as on this shore excursion drinks are not supplied. On the way back I asked to get dropped off just down the road from the ship so I could do some shopping. There are quite a few little boutique like shops to have a look at. They are priced in the local Islands currency French Pacific Francs however they do also take Australian dollars, and there are ATM's which you can withdraw cash. There is also a craft market very close to where the ship docks where you can buy local souvenirs.

Tips for Cruising

2010-06-03T14:04:00.001+12:00

Great Tip I found for considering cruising to USA

Cruise around the USD
Okay, so you may not consider yourself a "cruise person". But if you're a traveller who's keen to save some cash, kick back and relax, then you might want to reconsider. And if you really had your heart set on Hawaii— take a cruise around the island state, but book here in NZ so you're paid up in our dollars. It's a great way to get your aloha on without spending a dollar on the ground.

Visiting Turkey on your Cruise?

2010-06-03T13:28:00.008+12:00

If you traveling on an Australian or New Zealand passport do you need a Visa for Turkey

As long as the cruise does not begin or end in Turkey you will not need a visa to visit the port in Ephesus-If you are entering Turkey on a cruise ship and are only visiting for a day (or overnighting on board ship in a Turkish port), you do not need to obtain a visa.

For all other Passports please contact your Local Embassy for details.