Please Help -- cruise timing and stops

Hi. We know very little about Australia. We plan to cruise in mid-December. Three families, one with a small baby.

1. How's weather and the water in mid-december? Is it good time to cruise?

2. Burnie vs. Hobart, which stop is better?

3. How is Norwegian Cruise? We have been taking tons of Celebrity and RCI. We don't know what to expect on NCL. How would you compare NCL and Costa, from 1-10?

Thanks so much.

Hi. We know very little about Australia. We plan to cruise in mid-December. Three families, one with a small baby.

 

1. How's weather and the water in mid-december? Is it good time to cruise?

 

2. Burnie vs. Hobart, which stop is better?

 

3. How is Norwegian Cruise? We have been taking tons of Celebrity and RCI. We don't know what to expect on NCL. How would you compare NCL and Costa, from 1-10?

 

Thanks so much.

1. It will be hot.

2. For me Hobart wins hands down, unless you are going to do a tour to the West Foast or Cradle Mt, but both take a bit of travel time.

3. Haven't been with NCL or Costa so hard to say.

It will be school holidays so more kids on board.

Having done Celebrity, RCCL, NCL, Princess, and Star Clippers, I would rank NCL in between Celebrity and RCCL. Specifically in this order: Star Clippers>Celebrity>Princess>NCL>RCCL.

I used to live in Australia and it's really hot in December. If your cruise goes to the Great Barrier Reef area (Far North Queensland), you'll encounter high humidity, precipitation and the chance of cyclones (hurricanes) in December. Mid-December is also the beginning of school holidays for summer, so you can expect a lot of people in all the ports you visit.