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Pit Stop Travel Blog 8

REVIEW - EMIRATES PREMIUM ECONOMY, BUSINESS CLASS AND FANTASTIC LOUNGE ALTERNATIVES

The final major international automotive aftermarket trade show of the year is Automechanika Dubai, where almost 3,000 exhibitors from 60 countries met up with some 70,000 visitors from 100 countries to view, learn and discuss the latest in automotive components, repair tools and equipment and much more from December 9-11 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

In attending this major industry event for the first time, I sought to organise travel that would be comfortable while fitting into the budget allocated by my client. As this travel budget would not cover Business Class on a quality airline, some re-engineering would be required to make it work and fit into a budget of under $7K.

As I was not interested in anything other than direct flights, I was keen to sample Emirates’ Premium Economy given the many positive reviews of it written across many travel features I had seen. So the booking initially was for both legs from Melbourne and Dubai to be in that class of travel and on the A380 for the extra space and comfort that this massive Airbus Super-Jumbo offers.

So the return Premium Economy booking was made directly with Emirates at the cost of $5,126, which is at the higher end of this type of booking for the Middle East, but also the only direct flight offering to Dubai. One thing that was immediately disappointing was that no lounge access is offered with this fare, but in Emirates’ infinite wisdom, access could indeed be purchased - just for the departure leg, for $265. Of course, that was simply not going to happen, not with the excellent syndicated / non-airline paid lounge options that Melbourne airport (and many other major airports around the world) offers.

Online check-in was so easy with dedicated lanes, one of the fastest I have experienced, but note the strict carry-on bag requirements, mine came in just over 10kg, which meant having to check it in and a long wait at Dubai airport upon arrival. As I was standing there waiting, I had to try and remember how long it has been since I waited for luggage on a carousel as it had been several years. And as I thought, it is still as shitful as ever - no matter how many years go by, this is a process that just never improves.

After some web searching of the lounges available, clearly the best option was Melbourne Airport’s The House Lounge, in its superb Level 2 location directly overlooking a number of international airline gates, taxi-ways and the East - West runway which was in action on my date of departure. As far as Av-Geek aircraft viewing goes, this was superb. And at $32 per hour (I paid for two hours) it was amazing value for a good meal and snack buffet along with superb wines, cocktails, coffee and service. It is such a shame that this lounge is shortly moving downstairs to make room for the new Singapore Airlines Business Class lounge, as it is truly an outstanding location. I will definitely use it again regardless of where it is for the total comfort and value for money that it provides. A lot better than paying Emirates almost $300 for the privilege…

Onboard and thankfully with a half capacity Premium Economy cabin there was a heap of room to spread out and feel totally comfortable in the airy and spacious frontal main deck. I had an aisle seat alongside an empty seat, which is always a bonus. The leather seats feel so comfortable and really make a difference to your comfort. While the recline could be better, it was enough to stretch out and get some six hours sleep out of the 13 hour and 40 minute  journey. Dinner and breakfast service was excellent with good crew service throughout as you would expect from Emirates.

It is a shame that free Wifi, even to a limited amount, was not included in the Premium Economy fare, but I only wanted it to make sure that I didn’t miss the final Formula One round of the season, the three-way Championship decider at Abu Dhabi that was starting about one hour after take off. As Emirates has always led the field when it comes to inflight entertainment, their Sport24 Extra channel was broadcasting the race live, so I didn’t miss a thing. As for all of the other entertainment on offer through the Emirates ICE viewing and audio platform, it is by far and away the most comprehensive of any airline.

After a hectic five days in Dubai, online check-in for my return flight offered a Business Class upgrade for $1.5K and as this still fitted into my travel budget, I took up the offer for an extremely comfortable flight home. I don’t know what it is about Emirates and lounge access, but even with the Business Class upgrade, lounge access was NOT included. Bizarre just doesn’t cut it with this silly exclusion - truly made no sense at all. It is like saying “Pay extra to fly business, but we don’t want you in our lounges”. (Please fix this second class citizen situation Emirates, it is very poor form, especially when you are trying to gain new business class passengers like me who normally fly other airlines).

This took my total travel cost to $6.7K, still well within budget. So without lounge access, and in trying to find a paid lounge option, of which there are several at Dubai Airport, I headed to Concourse A and found a fantastic Italian restaurant called Bottega Prosecco Bar. It was extraordinary, the wines, food selection and ambiance provided a quiet, lovely piece of Italy where I decided I would gladly spend my time, enjoy a lovely meal and review my notes for my post Automechanika Dubai media coverage. And with three large glass wines, some wonderful Bruschetta and a Fettucine Bolognese accompanied by a fantastic bread selection and San Pellegrino mineral water, still cost significantly less than paying to sit in an Emirates lounge, so I was very pleased with this discovery.

The flight home in Emirates Business Class was brilliant – so quiet and wonderful with excellent inflight service, superb entertainment and plenty of space and comfort to sleep. Seat mattress and duvet were superb for comfort and the Bvlgari amenity kit is one of the very best that I have seen or used on board a flight. Food selection, service and attention to detail was excellent from very pleasant and well-versed career cabin crew.

The rear of cabin bar is a cool addition, although surprisingly, not many passengers used it during the flight. It is a great place to take a colleague or friend to have a drink and have a proper face to face discussion, although the wandering past of people going to and from the rear toilets (and expelling gasses while waiting to use them) does create a new meaning to “basking in the ambiance” of the inflight bar experience. There was an excellent drink / cocktail selection and superb bartender service available no matter when you visit the bar. 

After more than 25 years in the sky, you can’t fault Emirates. This airline has been pivotal in re-defining long haul inflight comfort and service. But the Emirates of the past (I have flown with them several times) who would do whatever they could to earn new business customers, has long gone, which is a real shame.

Travel ratings out of 10:

Emirates Premium Economy                                  8 

Emirates Business Class                                           9

The House Lounge (Melbourne Airport)           10

Bottega Prosecco Bar (Dubai Airport)                10

I look forward to sharing more business and leisure travel experiences, news and tips with you again very soon - in the meantime.....


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MSC CRUISES GROWS F1 INVOLVEMENT WITH THREE 2026 GRAND PRIX TITLE SPONSORSHIPS AND AN EXTENSION OF THEIR F1 PARTNERSHIP TO 2030

Following on from the global cruise company’s highly successful Formula One sponsorship and its partnership with the Alpine Formula One Team, MSC Cruises has announced it will be the proud title sponsor of three 2026 Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix races next year.

FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES GRAN PREMIO DE BARCELONA-CATALUNYA (SPAIN) 2026,

FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX 2026

& FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES GRANDE PRÊMIO DE SÃO PAULO (BRAZIL) 2026

Earlier this year, Formula 1 and The Cruise Division of MSC Group, made up of MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys, announced a multi-year extension of their global partnership through to 2030, further strengthening the cruise company’s collaboration with the world’s most prestigious, popular and technologically advanced category of motorsport.

The three newly announced title sponsorships are in addition to existing trackside branding and hospitality activations that have been part of this highly successful global partnership. Race branding from both brands in MSC Group’s Cruise Division, with MSC Cruises and sister brand Explora Journeys will also feature across different Grands Prix races throughout the 2026 season.

Of course, Explora Journeys also offers an exclusive Monaco harbour based package, the only cruise ship docked so close to the action at the world’s most exclusive motor race. You can find out more about this here - Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco.

SPAIN – FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES GRAN PREMIO DE BARCELONA-CATALUNYA 2026

Held from June 12–14, the MSC CRUISES BARCELONA-CATALUNYA GRAND PRIX 2026 brings the thrill of Formula 1 to the Mediterranean coast. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is renowned for its mix of high speed straights and technical corners, making it a true test for both the car and driver. Recently renovated, the circuit now offers a world-class hospitality experience. Just minutes from vibrant Barcelona, fans can enjoy an electrifying weekend filled with a unique mix of culture, gastronomy, and leisure.

USA –  FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX 2026

Taking place from October 23–25, the FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX 2026  at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, is one of the most modern and fan-centric venues in Formula 1. Known for its dramatic elevation changes, and expansive entertainment zones, it has become a favourite among fans and drivers alike. With a capacity of approximately 150,000, it delivers a festival-like experience that blends motorsport with music, culture, and Texan hospitality.

BRAZIL – FORMULA 1MSC CRUISES GRANDE PRÊMIO DE SÃO PAULO 2026

Voted Best Race of 2024 by F1 fans, the FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES GRANDE PRÊMIO DE SÃO PAULO 2026 is one of the most beloved events on the Formula 1® calendar. Held from November 6–8 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, also known as Interlagos, the race is famous for its carnival-like atmosphere, passionate fans, and unpredictable weather.

There is no doubt that the marketing platform that Formula One provides to MSC Cruises has delivered the MSC and Explora brands unprecedented global market exposure, hence the expansion of their already prominent involvement. We are yet to find out if more cruises will be linked to Grand Prix events in 2026. A message here to the MSC team, this would be a most welcome and very profitable idea, particularly at places like Barcelona,  Abu Dhabi and Melbourne, whose Grands Prix circuits are located close to their major ports.

Add to this the company’s global brand exposure and event experience based leverage with the Alpine F1 Team and you know that they have clearly out marketed their competitors throughout 2025 and will be lifting the marketing benchmark even further in 2026.

I look forward to sharing more business and leisure travel experiences, news and tips with you again very soon - in the meantime.....


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TAKING PREMIUM AIR TRAVEL TO THE PEOPLE

Cathay Pacific has recently completed a fully interactive product activation at Australia’s largest fashion specialised shopping centre.

The primary objective was to showcase the highly respected Hong Kong based airline’s new Premium Economy and Aria Suite Business Class seating now available on flights to and from Australia.

Each visitor was given their own Boarding Pass on entry to this easily accessible ground floor level activation site, with some passes providing visitors with instant prizes. All visitor names were placed into the random draw to win a Business Class trip for two to Hong Kong across the well organised three day event.

It was clear to see during this activation that for many, this would have been their first experience of sitting in a fully functional Business Class seat, in this case the very private and spacious new Aria Suite, that includes a huge 60cm 4K multi-media screen, wireless phone charging, Bluetooth headphone connectivity, laptop and document storage areas and a fully flat, super-comfortable 198cm reclining chair, large slide out desk /dining table, with a cocoon styled wall across the rear and sides with a sliding door to provide the complete private mini-suite environment.

The new Cathay Pacific Aria Suite Business Class seat is more than a step ahead of the airline’s past Business Class offerings, it represents their commitment to offering a highly competitive, and arguably a superior premium cabin offering in comparison with their rising competitors from within the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

Also on interactive display at Chadstone was Cathay Pacific’s new Premium Economy class seat, which also takes some significant steps forward in design, privacy and comfort. Most notably the curve around headrest complete with contour-fitted private lighting along with superb lumbar and underleg support designed to provide an upward cradle effect to provide more comfort. Each Premium Economy seat also includes a large 40cm 4K multimedia screen and all charging connections. Sampling these seats at the Chadstone Shopping Centre display proved to be very popular with visitors, planting the seed for their next holiday or business travel airline choice.

Cathay Pacific flight crew members were on hand to answer questions throughout the three day event, while senior company executives attended the media launch, outlining the airline’s long term commitment to Australian business and leisure travellers with the launch of this new premium cabin seating. The new premium seating is now available on their Boeing 777-300 ER Australian flights to Melbourne and Sydney, with more re-fitted aircraft to follow from there. It is also important to note that selected Cathay Pacific flights from Hong Kong to London, Beijing and Vancouver are also among the first to include these new levels of premium cabin comfort.

This Melbourne based activation was a clever way to give the travelling public an easy and fun way to sample Cathay Pacific’s new premium cabin seating, experiencing the feeling of modern day Business Class and Premium Economy travel ahead of booking their next business trip or vacation.

Well done to Cathay Pacific for taking their Premium cabin experience to the people in such a pleasant, welcoming and interactive manner. Let’s see if the competition tries to follow your lead...

FOUR BUSINESS CLASSES AND TWO RIDES ON THE QUEEN OF THE SKIES

In always seeking to make my business trips more of an experience along with providing the ability to compare Business Class service and comfort levels for this Pit Stop Travel Blog, a great opportunity was provided with my recent trip from Melbourne to Bologna, Italy for the 30^th Anniversary of the Autopromotec Trade Fair, held from May 21-25.

One of Europe’s and the world’s leading automotive aftermarket trade fair events, Autopromotec is held in the wonderful Italian region of Emilia Romagna, noted for its world famous gastronomic delights along with its equally renowned Motor Valley, which is the home of the world’s most desired sports car brands including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagonda and Maserati to mention a few, along with many world leading automotive aftermarket performance and general component manufacturing companies.

In organising my travel from Australia for this major international trade show, I was keen to fulfil a number of objectives. Firstly, to travel with more than one leading international airline’s business class and secondly to travel on the majestic Queen of the Skies, the Boeing 747 one more time. As Lufthansa is continuing to fly their fleet of meticulously maintained 747-400 and 747-800 Series aircraft, this would be my choice and through an excellent flight package deal found using Expedia, I was able to organise the following complete Business Class flight schedule, all under $AUD 8K including taxes and fees, which also represented extraordinary value.

The mixture of Business Class flights went like this, with connection times of no more than two hours for all flights - most within one hour for the entire itinerary:

Melbourne to Singapore on the ageing but comfortable Qantas Airbus A330 / Singapore to Frankfurt on an also ageing but magnificent Lufthansa 747-400 / Frankfurt to Bologna on the Lufthansa Group owned Italian regional European airline, Air Dolomiti (Embraer 195), Rome to Frankfurt on a Lufthansa Airbus A321 Neo / Frankfurt to Singapore on another magnificent Lufthansa 747-400  and Singapore to Melbourne with Singapore Airlines (Airbus A350-900 NEO).

My Qantas flight 37 from Melbourne to Singapore was a late afternoon flight and window seat 1K was comfortable, even with the bulkhead in front. Service was attentive and all went well, so aside from being served frozen fruit… (When asked if I didn’t like it I told the attendant it was still frozen, received a funny look and then she walked away with it never to be seen again). On the whole though, a very comfortable flight with excellent inflight entertainment choices and service. Even though this Airbus was getting very long in the tooth – just like the rest of the QF international and domestic fleet, there was no compromise on seat comfort and overall service levels.

No time for the lounging around at the magnificent Singapore Changi Airport with a touch over an hour to get to Terminal 4 and my long awaited return to flying on the best aircraft ever built, the magnificent Boeing 747. This was the much adored plane that took me all over the world during my motor racing journalism years spanning the late 80s, extending through the 90’s and into the early 2000’s. My first family trip to Europe in a 747 was at the age of 11 back in 1979, which I still remember very well. I have nothing but total admiration for this plane which was much more than a mode of fast transportation. The Boeing 747 truly brought the world together like never before, making global air travel more affordable, accessible, comfortable and enjoyable.

Lufthansa Business Class really is a step above most when it comes to service. Seated right at the nose at what would have been the First Class section in years gone by and with a bar located at the centre of the aisle, this was a return to stylish, old world flying. While this was an ageing 747-400 with two seats per row, the spacing to the next seats in front left more than enough room for your fellow passenger to walk around should the need arise. The food choices, wines and attentive service were all truly remarkable and the lie flat bed enabled excellent sleep on this 13 hour run to Frankfurt. A useful amenity kit with slippers, eye mask, facial spray, lip balm and moisturisers were also supplied along with a smartly presented quilt and mattress set.

Another impressive factor was he number of mature career flight attendants that were onboard. Something you don’t see with most carriers these days. These are people who have made it their lifetime career to provide excellent customer service in the sky, like the middle aged Purser who not only introduced herself at the start of the flight but who came to check if all was OK, was conversational during the flight and checked on things such as transfer information and so forth towards the end of the flight.

Another short transfer time saw me head to meet my Air Dolomiti flight from Frankfurt to Bologna on their Embraer 191, which is basically an extended private jet in its design. Comfortable leather seats with tables separating the middle seats formed their Business Class set-up. A nice morning snack and lovely espresso coffee served by an attentive crew made this scenic flight into northern Italy a pleasure and a lovely way to end my long journey from Melbourne. As a Lufthansa owned subsidiary, Air Dolomiti brings a quality to regional European flying that is setting the standard for short haul, full service European carriers, which was a welcome surprise given my many not so enjoyable experiences with others over the years.

Using Frankfurt as my main European hub was also a smart move, with early morning arrival times ensuring swift movement through border controls and to other terminals with minimal, crazy tourist caused chaos. There were a couple of long walks between terminals on this trip, so allowing over one hour between connections was a good move as was I travelling only with hand luggage, these being two of my golden international business travel rules.

While it can be cumbersome, with good quality hand baggage and careful packing, you are never subjected to baggage delays or worse still, lost luggage, which for a short business trip can be disastrous. You also always need more than one hour between flights to allow for time to clear customs or transfer formalities and the like. I find the sweet spot for international flight transfer timing is around 1.5 to 2 hours.

I took the super comfortable Freccia Rossa high speed train from Bologna to Rome (1.5 hours) to visit relatives for a few days. The Italian countryside views and free of charge super-fast wifi accessible music, TV and movies on offer were truly impressive. Therefore my return journey was from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, which has improved a great deal since the last time I was there several years ago.

As Lufthansa is a Star Alliance member along with Italy’s relatively new national airline, ITA Airways, I gained access to the ITA Hangar Business Lounge at Fiumicino Airport and it was truly remarkable. As always in Italy, an excellent selection of food, wonderful bar service with professional / career (there’s that word again) bar tenders and baristas at work and superbly comfortable seating that was much more comfy than it looked (very similar to the new un-reclinable Finnair Business Class sofa style seating). This is the kind of lounge that you don’t mind being stuck in for a while. Separate work spaces, quiet areas and a wonderful overall ambience made this a highly pleasurable lounge to spend some time in.

My Lufthansa Airbus A321 NEO flight from Rome to Frankfurt at 6pm was magical in its views of the Italian Alps before crossing into Germany for our evening landing. Excellent Business Class comfort with superb inflight service started my long trip home extremely well. No lie flat seats on this one but as the flight was just under two hours this wasn’t a problem. Also, the stunning views were too good to waste by sleeping during this lovely  cross-European sunset flight.

A fast changeover period of one hour saw me ready to board my second Queen of the Skies flight onboard another Lufthansa 747-400, this time in the Upper Deck, which was a favourite spot of mine for many years. Even when travelling in Economy Class back in my F1 and IndyCar journalist days flying with British Airways, United Airlines and Air New Zealand, the best kept secret of international travel back in the 80s and 90s was being able to sit in the 747 upper deck on a cheap economy ticket! I also flew in the 747 Upper Deck with Air France and Qantas in Business Class in the early 2000’s – both truly extraordinary experiences given how quiet and private-jet like the 747 Upper Deck really is.

It was no different in 2025 with Lufthansa, wonderfully quiet and while still on an older aircraft, it was outstandingly comfortable, with excellent inflight entertainment and superb service making the long trip to Singapore all the better. A fantastic dinner, some great wine and a long, super quiet and comfortable sleep on the well designed, older specification lie flat bed made complete with seat cover, pyjama top and light but very warm quilt and pillow.

Again, not the newest business class seat in the sky, but an extremely good one that promotes a comfortable sleep, regardless of your height and size. Luckily for me, Germans are well known for their height and solid build, so you can rest assured of total comfort in their Business Class seating spacing, footwell space and seat width.

I was seated next to a fellow Australian, who also happened to be a young Qantas First Officer, who selected this Lufthansa flight just to experience the 747 Upper Deck Business Class for himself, given that so few airlines are still flying these legendary jumbo-jets. He was also very impressed with this ride and my upper deck stories of years gone by – like the one where I travelled with British Airways in the upper deck with the British Lions Rugby Team back in the mid-90’s. I was one of three non-muscle and tattoo clad, no-necked and fiercely aggressive looking Rugby players in the entire upper deck cabin.

This flight saw the Captain step out of the flight deck just before take-off to personally warn the team that this is always a quiet and comfortable cabin to be shared with three other passengers (being us) and if there were any shenanigans or drunken behaviour he would not hesitate to land the plane wherever they were and have the team kicked off and arrested. Thankfully his warning worked, and it turned out to be a very quiet and pleasant flight!

A slightly under two hour transfer period in Singapore saw me visit SIA’s beautiful Business Class lounge where after a short wait I had an amazing rain shower, with a full clothing change (thanks hand baggage!) shave and total refresh, before partaking of some wonderful Asian cuisine and checking some emails before the last leg home.

My final leg of this whirlwind trip to Europe and back was on one of the most admired airlines of the Asian / Oceania region, Singapore Airlines and their new Airbus A350 NEO. I had yet to travel on this highly vaunted Airbus variant, my only other Singapore Airlines Business Class experience was on their A380 many years before - which was very impressive, so I was eager to compare sitting at the front in this one.

Super-comfortable single window lie flat seat, excellent dining and service, all the hallmarks of this great airline were still in abundance, although rather bizarrely there was no amenity kit provided at the start of the flight and I had to ask for slippers which were gladly provided later into the flight.

This busy night flight that saw more great sleep and a good selection of onboard entertainment that saw me arrive back in Melbourne in great shape and completing this almost 30 hour door to door journey in comfort and style along with excellent value for money.

While my highlight of my business air travel schedule on this occasion was to travel on the Boeing 747 again – and this was achieved twice, I did hope to be on Lufthansa’s 747 - 800 Series, the final iteration of the model made by the American manufacturer. In fact  this aircraft model was listed on my Expedia Itinerary as the aircraft for both of my 747 flights, but they were both actually on the older but meticulously presented and maintained 747-400 series variants, which were still great but lacked more modern USB connectivity. Gives me another reason to travel on Lufthansa’s 747’s again in the near future.

So along with travelling on four premium quality carriers’ Business Classes at under $8K, I also gained enough Miles and More points on this trip alone to reach their Frequent Flier (Silver) status, enabling lounge access and a host of other booking, boarding and points redemption advantages across all Star Alliance carriers for 12 months.

SAME TRIP BUSINESS CLASS RATINGS OUT OF 10

QANTAS - 7

LUFTHANSA - 9

AIR DOLOMITI - 8

SINGAPORE AIRLINES - 8

Pit Stop Travel Blog 5 - May 2025

I OVERLANDED IT TO THE ADELAIDE MOTORSPORT FESTIVAL

A retro-trip in so many ways for this lifelong motorsport fan

Back in the mid 80’s a teenaged motor racing fan and his parents boarded The Overland, booked in the classic train’s comfy sleeper cabins, to visit the first World Championship Formula One Grand Prix in Adelaide.

This was a very exciting time and the overnight trip from Melbourne’s Spencer Street Station (as it was known back then) on The Overland was the start of a weekend of great fun. The classic diesel locomotive powered train was packed full of like-minded motor racing fans, their partners and friends, all excited for the weekend that lied ahead, starting with this fun rail journey.

This trip became an annual ritual, leaving on the Thursday night and returning on the Monday. Everyone would leave their cabin doors open as friendly strangers would drop by, armed with bottles of wine or beer, cheese boards and snacks, chatting and laughing away as The mighty Overland powered its way forward on its relaxed 828 kilometre sleepover trip to Adelaide.





After an unbroken 119 year run, sadly overnighters on The Overland came to an end in 2006. But this classic Aussie rail journey has survived and continues to thrive as a comfortable daylight service between the two cities to this day, popular amongst locals and international tourists alike.

Fast forward to 2025 and four decades after my first trip on The Overland, now as a 30 year plus veteran of the Australian motorsport media corps, it was time to retrace my love for rail travel with a visit to the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, held annually in March. This is a very special and relatively new revival event that celebrates the cars and stars that competed in or had some involvement with the 11 fantastic years of the Adelaide Grand Prix held from 1985 to 1995. 

Conducted on the original Victoria Park section of the Adelaide Grand Prix track, (the only part of the original Grand Prix circuit layout that was not formed from the city’s streets), this event is two days of non-stop track activity by what are now multi-million dollar valued and meticulously maintained former Formula One machines, joined by classic international Touring Cars, GT Sportscars, racing motorcycles, high performance cars, V8 Supercars and just about everything above and inbetween, including some of the world’s most exclusive sportscars.

Off the track there are special appearances by current and past Formula One champions and motor racing stars who featured prominently during the Adelaide Grand Prix years, conducting interviews along with meets and greets with fans. This year’s festival saw 1996 Formula One World Champion Damon Hill take part along with Australian ex F1 driver David Brabham, former Ferrari F1 star Stefan Johansson, Adelaide Grand Prix winner Thierry Boutsen, Aussie 1980 World Champion Alan Jones and many other stars of other motor racing categories of the era, along with more modern racing heroes such as 2019 and 2020 Formula One World Championship runner-up from Finland, Valtteri Bottas, who has made Adelaide his second home in recent years.









Travelling to this popular Adelaide event on The Overland brought back so many memories for me. While it was in the daytime, the stops along the way reminded me of the fun trips we made across the two states in decades gone by, the ambience, sounds, gentle and sometimes more harsh bumps and rocking motions of the trip were all the same - all part of the unique charm of this Australian rail trip. 

I spoiled myself with the excellent leg room and super comfortable single window seat offered with their Red Premium option ($325), that included excellent and attentive host service, commentary about each stop on the journey, along with good quality breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea meals served with genuine smiles and enthusiasm for this famed and more than century old rail journey.

The Red Premium seating comprised of two carriages fitted with single and double window seats, with all seats able to swivel around for groups travelling together.

The Overland leaves Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station at 8:05am on Mondays and Fridays, vice versa from the Adelaide Parklands Terminal / Keswick Station on Sundays and Thursdays. The train travels from Melbourne to Geelong, Ararat, Stawell, Horsham, Dimboola, Nhill, then onto Bordertown, Murray Bridge and through the wonderfully scenic Adelaide Hills into the Parklands Terminal.

My trip took just on nine hours and I thoroughly enoyed being able to stretch out and relax throughout the journey alongside my huge window showcasing beautiful Aussie farmland and small town scenery all of the way. There were even some crazily enthusiastic train-spotters taking photos as we powered away from some of the stations or at rural highway crossings.





Red Premium passengers can avail themselves of Barista made coffee from the dining carriage at any time along with making in seat or at bar wine and beer purchases. The dining carriage offered a vast array of delicious snacks and the choice and quality of the included Red Premium guest meals was better than I thought it would be.

The main passenger cabin, known as Red Standard ($245), offers recliner chair comfort and dining carriage access in a two by two seat configuration. The Dining carriage is fitted with work stations for laptop use but sadly the train was not equipped with Wifi internet access. Having said that, mobile phone data was fairly strong throughout my day long journey.

Watching the countryside roll by, doing some reading, getting some work done and arriving fresh and totally relaxed for the weekend ahead best sums up the trip. Travelling on The Overland is such a change from the madness of my usual madly overcrowded airport transits and Sardine-tin-spec flights. Sure you don’t get there anywhere nearly as quickly, but every now and then it is really nice to get out of the office or workplace and slow it all right down.

For this motor racing nut, the trip on The Overland revived a heap of fantastic memories of my youth, so many flashbacks that continued across the next two days with the jam packed schedule of events that took place at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival.

The Adelaide Motorsport Festival is held one week before the Melbourne Grand Prix (usually in March) heralding the start of our international motor racing year. It provides great access to the stars and cars of the Adelaide Grand Prix era with a host of excellent grand stage interviews, spectator viewing areas and corporate hospitality suites for those who want to take their experience to the next level of luxury and culinary excellence.






No matter what the reason may be for your visit to Adelaide, such as the Fringe Festival, the Adelaide 500 Grand Final Supercar races, the countless arts events held in Australia’s most lovable little city or just to see the place, you won’t regret getting there on The Overland, particularly in Red Premium class. (You can even take 60kg of luggage!). Just keep in mind that it is a classic train and our railway tracks are not of the same standard as those found in Europe and other countries around the world. 

To find out more about The Overland and a number of other superb Australian rail journeys, visit Journey Beyond, who also operate The Ghan, Indian Pacific and Great Southern train travel and holiday package experiences across the country (that I am yet to experience but can’t wait to do so) visit - www.journeybeyondrail.com.au

After more than 30 years covering Formula One and visiting many races around the world, I am constantly asked which Formula One event is the best. For me, no Grand Prix is better than the Monaco Grand Prix. Sure it is diffcult to get around, madly over-crowded and hard to get a good track view while also being super expensive, but it is also the last bastion of pure tradition left in the global phenomenon that Formula One has now become. The tight and extremely dangerous street circuit around the world's most exclusive principality has been for the most part unchanged since 1929!

My dream and that of many traditional Formula One fans is to experience this amazing race while staying at one of the superyachts moored at Monaco Harbour's historic Port Hercule over the biggest weekend in global motorsport. This is no longer impossible or completely out of reach thanks to Formula One sponsor and global cruise specialists, MSC Cruises and their luxury lifestyle ocean travel division, Explora Journeys.

They have just announced that EXPLORA II, the latest addition to the company's ultra-elegant Explora fleet, will be offering exclusive three night (23-26 May 2025), and four night (22-26 May 2025) stays during the 2025 Formula One Tag Heuer Monaco Grand Prix.

As the ONLY luxury ship docked in Monaco’s iconic Port Hercule (see location image below), EXPLORA II is positioned to provide an unmatched experience in the heart of the action throughout this incredible race weekend.

Designed for guests seeking an elegant and totally immersive Grand Prix experience, EXPLORA II offers sophisticated suite-only accommodations, exceptional culinary offerings and world-class hospitality. Guests will be able to enjoy spectacular views of Monaco, along with bespoke events and parties aboard this ultra-luxury ship, making it the ultimate base for one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. It is the one time that a fan can truly experience what it is like to be a part of the Monaco Grand Prix elite.

Such an incredible opportunity has only become possible due to the MSC Cruises sponsorship deal with Formula One, which will include several outstanding Grand Prix linked ultra-luxury stays on board its magnificent ships at several destinations all over the world in 2025 and beyond.

According to Formula One President and CEO, Stefano Domenicali, "The arrival of EXPLORA II to the Monaco Grand Prix will offer fans a truly unique and luxury experience that will make this iconic event even more special."

With the introduction of shorter stay options, guests will have the opportunity to experience this once in a lifetime event in uncompromising comfort and style. Whether enjoying the thrill of the race, exclusive onboard entertainment, or the refined ambiance of the ship, EXPLORA II serves as the perfect Monegasque home-away-from-home for Formula 1 fans and luxury travellers alike.  (Three night packages start at $A12,800 per person for two people or more / or $A22,815 for a solo traveller)

For more information visit the Explora Journeys website www.explorajourneys.com.

FORMULA ONE BASED MARKETING WORKS FOR MSC CRUISES - NOW THEY SPONSOR A TEAM

If the unmissable signage at Grands Prix all over the world wasn't enought to promote Geneva based mega cruise line MSC Cruises, now they are sponsoring a team as well.

MSC Cruises is joining forces with the BWT Alpine Formula One Team as a Premium Partner for 2025 and beyond. The timing is particularly good for Australian customers as the 2025 season commenced in Melbourne with Aussie rookie Jack Doohan (son of MotoGP superstar Mick Doohan) making his F1 debut in March.

A Global Partner of Formula One, MSC Cruises now further expand their already unmissable branding in the pinnacle of global motorsport by teaming up with this team. MSC Cruises will feature prominently on the 2025 car, the A525, which was unveiled at the F175 Launch at the O2 Arena in London on February 18. 

The connection between Formula One, the BWT Alpine Formula One Team and MSC Cruises has the extremely strong common link of delivering premium experiences across a highly visible worldwide marketing platform. This marketing strategy makes a lot of sense as it is difficult to find marketing platforms that link to the once in a lifetime, premium quality, unforgettable experience spectrum.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman MSC Cruises: “Formula 1® continues to grow in popularity around the world and as a Global Partner we have achieved exceptional results, so it is only natural for us to further develop our presence at the world-class races by joining forces with a team. We are proud to announce our collaboration with BWT Alpine Formula One Team with a strong heritage and legacy and our shared values of innovation and team spirit will make for the perfect partnership.”

MSC Cruises is on a big winning marketing strategy here, let's hope the team can improve their performance accordingly. It has been a very lean few years for Alpine in F1.

I look forward to sharing more business and leisure travel experiences, news and tips with you again very soon - in the meantime.....



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WONDER OF THE WESTERN MED

Review - 7 Night Western Mediterranean Cruise – Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas

We are a family of four, with two teenaged children and while Dad (that’s me) is a big fan of cruising, it took some convincing to get the whole family to agree - you know the usual excuses, “It’s a floating disease”, “I’m going to get seasick” etc, but that all that quickly changed once we stepped aboard this truly incredible Royal Caribbean mega-ship.

Just looking up from sea level when walking towards the “Vonderrr” as the Italian port staff happily referred to it, the sheer size and dimensions of the ship are truly beyond belief. Having booked a balcony suite for the family we were able to check in early, so after a speedy check in process our luggage was taken and next to be seen at our suite, leaving us to get to know our massive floating home for the next week through to the 8pm departure time.

Once onboard, the sheer size and design of this incredible ocean liner is even more breathtaking. The kids immediately loved it and were eager to follow the “Get to know your ship” maps to get around this massive 18 deck super liner.

We were blessed with a cruise that wasn’t completely full, with an excellent mix of nationalities and ages and thankfully it wasn’t full of Octogenarians. The Wonder had an energetic vibe about it from the moment we stepped on board, the staff were eager to assist and our fellow travellers seemed equally excited about our experience that was just beginning.

We travelled from Rome overnight to historic Naples, then one full sea day heading to beautiful Barcelona. We were blessed with excellent weather on our cruise, so our single “at sea” day was a water slide, pool, spa, fun, food, drink and relaxation day. None of us were disappointed. My teenage daughter particularly loved “The World’s Sexiest Man” competition complete with unfit, middle-aged competitors and some over-excited female judges picked from the passengers. The outdoor theatre was superb complete with an impressive water show, high diving and amazing acrobatics. The ice skating theatre show performance was also incredible given that our trip was this show’s premiere performance.

We barely felt any lateral movement on this massive ship throughout the journey, in fact all vibrations or noise was minimal at best and the only sounds at night were of the ship gently sifting through gentle waves from our suite balcony - it was magical. We were located on a high level deck at the centre of the ship which also ensures a smoother ride and less noise from any entertainment areas located below us.

After a great day in Barcelona it was a visit to beautiful Palma de Mallorca, which proved to be one of the absolute gems of the entire cruise. Porto Cristo (the home of multiple Grand Slam tennis champion Rafael Nadal) was truly magnificent.

Then we sailed to Provence, Marsailles (France), another incredibly beautiful and historic city, venturing onto La Spezia in Italy (the selection of day tours from there was vast, we opted for the Portofino / Santa Margherita tour and were not disappointed). Then it was back to Rome and our magnificent cruise came to an end all too soon.

The ground tour options were very easy to book on board the ship, the tour operators were excellent and the level of service throughout the cruise and all associated with it was truly next level. The focus on hand hygiene was everywhere on the ship with abundant hand wash basins located at the entrances of restaurants and throughout the decks. Our suite was always kept spotless as was the entire ship.

Cruising is still without any doubt the most cost-effective way to luxuriously visit a number of European countries and cities, without worrying about carting heavy luggage around. The only downside is that your time in each port is limited mainly to one day - but you can always return to the places you liked the most after discovering them on your cruise.

There is nothing to fault about this magnificent ship in my opinion, there is truly something for everyone, catering for all ages and cuisines. There are so many areas to walk through, so many places to relax, so many dining options and helpful staff wherever you look. At its busiest, the staff ratio is still one for every three guests. Booking a balcony suite is expensive, but well worth it when you calculate flights / ground transport, accommodation and meals for all the places we visited on this cruise.

TIPS TO FOLLOW FROM MY CRUISING EXPERIENCE

Starting your cruise from Rome sounds all romantic and stuff, but the Port of Civitavecchia is more than a 75 minute drive from Rome City and there is nothing appealing about the place at all. For day trippers into Rome, you spend more time getting to and from the port than you will exploring this wonderful city. I don’t recommend embarking on your trip from Rome if you are able to choose your departure port.

The best European ports for easy transit / walking distance from the city to the port and hassle-free boarding of your ship from my experience (particularly when you have a lot of luggage) are Barcelona (Spain), Valetta (Malta) and Marseilles (France). You are literally in the middle of town or very close to it from the moment you step off the ship at these ports. 

Buying a drinks package makes sense if you and your partner / family drink wine with dinner and enjoy social drinking. If you don’t drink much then don’t waste the money. The same applies to coffee packages, my suite had an excellent coffee machine in it so I didn’t really get a lot of value from the coffee package. The soft drink package for the kids is only good value if the kids drink a lot of the stuff (which our kids do not). It is bizarre that you can get loads of free food everywhere but at most outlets, soft drinks required a package deal or came at extra cost.

If you are travelling with the family, purchase one (or two - one per parent) Wifi internet packages and don’t waste additional Wifi costs for the kids as these packages are expensive. Assuming that at least one parent will be with the children on the ship most of the time, hotspot your Wifi internet access for them. Worked perfectly for us and we could easily control how much screen time they had. Enable Wifi phone calling when on the ship for your calls home for free calls as well. The Wifi worked superbly on the Wonder of the Seas throughout our cruise as did the satellite TV that enabled my son to watch AFL finals live in the middle of the Mediterranean.

Make sure you try some of the wonderful specialty restaurants on board. While they do cost extra, they provide an amazing experience, superb cuisine and excellent, highly attentive service. The A La Carte breakfasts and dinners in the main dining room (free of cost) were outstanding as were the international buffet options offered.

While more expensive, try to book a stateroom with a balcony. The fresh air makes a massive difference, sitting on your balcony at night gazing at the stars or being out there as the massive ship cruises into a new city each morning is truly fantastic. Try to always book a high deck level suite or stateroom towards the centre of the ship if possible. Always note that massive ships like Wonder of the Seas have staterooms with balconies that are inside the ship overlooking one of the many neighbourhoods. These are nice but can tend to be noisy due to the people moving around below.

Check that the ports you are visiting all have direct cruise liner port access, so you are not spending hours transferring onto tender boats to get to your latest destination. This is particularly the case when there are vast numbers of older guests on board. None of the stops on our Western European cruise required embarking or disembarking from tender boats - thank goodness, as this tends to be an incredibly slow and annoying process from past experiences.

FOR THE STATS GEEKS (Like me)

Wonder of the Seas made its maiden voyage in March 2022 after being built at the Chantiers De L’Atlantique Shipyard in St Nazaire, France. It weighs 236,857 gross tons and is 64 metres wide and 362 metres long. It has a total of 18 decks, 16 of which are guest decks, serviced by 24 elevators. The ship is powered by four 7,500 horsepower bow thrusters, giving it a total power output of 30,000 horsepower and a cruising speed of 22 knots / 40 kph. (It has now been surpassed by Royal Caribbean’s even bigger Icon of the Seas which made its maiden voyage in 2024).

The Wonder can comfortably accommodate 6,988 guests at total capacity, with 2,300 crew members from all over the world to take care of them. It features a total of eight separately themed neigbourhoods that truly make it a floating village.

There are nine quality complimentary restaurants on board and thirteen excellent speciality restaurants (that cost extra but are well worth it for a special treat or occasion during your cruise). There are 11 bars catering to all tastes from sports to karaoke, Mexican and space age robotics (Bionic Bar).

There is a large and well equipped area devoted to kids and teens, including a social club / disco and arcade games, while for the smaller kids there is a Carousel and lots of ice cream and fun stuff in a dedicated young family neigbourhood.

There’s also a full basketball court / sports court, ice skating, mini golf, lazer tag, thrilling zip flier experience across the top of the ship, three fantastic water slides, rock climbing wall, Flow-Rider (surf simulator) and a jogging track.

Other outstanding amenities onboard Wonder of the Seas include the outdoor aquatheatre, card room, casino royale, conference centre, music hall, outdoor movie screen, several pools accompanied by indoor and outdoor whirlpools / jacuzzis, royal theatre, health spa and fitness centre, solarium, Studio B nightclub and Spotlight Karaoke.

I look forward to sharing more business and leisure travel experiences, news and tips with you again very soon - in the meantime.....


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So I went on a massive search for alternatives and found two excellent options after many hours spent mixing and matching flights and times across various airline and travel websites. Skyscanner uncovered a Japan Air Lines Business Class fare from Melbourne (return) at less than $7K with two stops, (Nagoya and Seattle) making it a significantly longer trip but a very comfortable one at that. If not for the flight dates and times not being convenient for my specific working obligations, I would have jumped at it.

I have regularly flown Jetstar Business Class (or Star Class as they used to call it) for my many working visits to the Singapore Grand Prix, so I have some experience with the comfort, service and excellent value that this budget airline provides at the front of the plane. Sure you don't have a lie-flat seat, but everything else is more than OK and very comfortable.  The fact that it is a relatively small business class cabin in their 787 Dreamliner ensures excellent in flight service and attention to detail.

So I thought about combining Jetstar Business to Honolulu and then taking another airline for the relatively short hop across to Las Vegas from there. With the help of Webjet and their excellent mix and match system of flight searching, I found a combo that saw me travel from Melbourne direct to Honolulu in Jetstar Business Class, arriving in the early morning (6am). There were some expensive flights to connect through to Las Vegas within a couple of hours of my arrival, but having happily flown with Hawaiian Airlines before, I note that they offered a well priced, Premium Economy (Economy Comfort as they call it) overnight flight to Las Vegas. That gave me 17 hours in Honolulu, so I booked a Waikiki beachside hotel on a day rate and after a lovely breakfast and shower, managed to get some work done and then head straight to Waikiki beach in the afternoon for a swim in the warm Pacific Ocean followed by a lovely late beachside lunch and a walk through town.

 

At 11:25pm that night, sunned, swimmed, refreshed and well fed, I slept almost the whole five hours to Las Vegas, arriving in the morning ready to get into my work. As a regular visitor to Las Vegas, I can't begin to tell you the difference that it makes arriving in the early morning compared to afternoon or evenings when it all gets totally insane with the number of tourist flights constantly arriving. It just means organising an early check in time with your hotel and as the they are very experienced in dealing with all manner of requirements and have an abundance of rooms, this isn't usually a problem - it certainly wasn't for me.

Aside from the massive cost saving, the two big advantages of my outward trip:

1. Completing my customs formalities in Hawaii, early in the morning with no huge lines - a vast difference to the complete disaster that always awaits you at Los Angeles (never, ever fails to frustrate)

2. Arriving in Las Vegas (or wherever you are going) as a domestic passenger - straight out the doors with your carry on bags. (I only travel with carry on luggage to avoid loss / delays in collection and it ensures that I don't over-pack which is something I used to always do before becoming a carry-on convert. I just pack a fold up extra bag in case I it is needed - it isn't as big a drama if baggage is delayed on the way home).

The best is yet to come with this flight combination - the return leg was another overnight flight giving me another full day in Vegas of leisure and shopping time, leaving at 1:15am and arriving at 6:00am local time. This linked in beautifully with the 8:00am Jetstar flight direct to Melbourne.




My total travel cost, INCLUDING a day rate through to 8pm at the four star Waikiki Holiday Inn, was $A6K. (Flights $A5.8K, Accom $A200). I had a one thousand dollar each way bid for First Class upgrades for each of the Hawaiian Airlines flights, which didn't come through, but even if they had (which I always strongly recommend putting reasonable bids in for upgrades - I have had many come good over the years) the total cost would still have been ALMOST HALF of what Qantas, Delta and United wanted.

It has been announced that Jetstar wont be offering the Melbourne and Sydney Honolulu direct flights much longer, handing them over to mothership Qantas from April 30, 2025. So I suppose this may be  goodbye to great value Business Class flying to the United States ... or maybe not should other options become available.

This trip was a classic case of sourcing excellent value for money, while also making what would have been another mundane business trip much more of a fun experience with a relaxing day in one of the world's best seaside locations. It also provided an extra day for shopping and sight seeing in Vegas after the trade shows without the cost of another hotel night thanks to the overnight departing flight. These flights are not only lower in cost, but they ensure you don't waste valuable days in the air as well.