Downunder41

We are going to on the Baroness Oct 8 th Amsterdam to Basel. First river cruise for us. We have done two Gate 1 land tours in Thailand & Vietnam. Didn't hesitate to book this cruise based on land tours.

Hi, we are Chris and Julie. We are also the 8 October Amsterdam to Basel. We are doing the land only and have arranged our own flights and accommodation. We arrive Amsterdam on morning to the 6th so have a couple of days to recover from the 22 hour flight.

We will disembarking from a cruise at Yokohama at 9.30am and am looking for information on how long it takes to clear immigration and customs there as we need to book ongoing travel.

We have heard it could take up to two hours could this be true?:(

Although everyone's entitled to their opinions, yours is an odd view and the above is particularly misleading. Qantas is in a strong cash position and nowhere near going "belly up."

 

What can be said is that Air NZ are currently more profitable than Qantas, which is a turnaround for both over the past couple of years.

 

However, that profitability has come out of passenger comfort. For example, they are flying their 777-300 in a configuration as low cost carriers do, rather than full service i.e. by squeezing an extra seat in every row. The standard config is 3-3-3 (9 abreast), whereas Air NZ configure it in 3-4-3 (10 abreast). As you can imagine, that is a good way to increase revenue and profits. Comfort not so much.

 

To squeeze the extra seat in, they have had to shrink the seat width, making them 17" wide. Full service seating (e.g. Singapore, Virgin, Malaysian) is 18.5-19". That's a 2" or 5cm difference, think about the difference that will make on a 13 hour flight.

 

To make matters worse, the slimmer seats don't make up for that extra squeezed into each row, they also slice a chunk off of the aisles.

 

To see the practical effect, here's the standard config:

http://www.seatmaestro.com/images/comments/1322404.jpg

 

And here's an AirNZ plane: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Air_New_Zealand_Pacific_Economy_777-300ER_cabin.jpg

 

Looks at the man in the aisle in this picture, he only fits with his hands raised, and he is normal weight wise. Compare that, to the standard, much wider seats, and a much wider aisle. Which even then is still a squeeze.

 

In addition to this, Air NZ operate a 32" pitch, which is near the bottom.

 

Is it any wonder profits are up?

 

As for Qantas, they don't operate 777s. However, A 747 in a 10 abreast layout is similar to a 777 in a 9 abreast layout. And their A380 is easily the nicest of the three.

I'm with BIG M. on this. QANTAS is hamstrung by legislation limiting overseas ownership but is still strong.

Although I haven't flown ANZ for some time, DW and I flew BNE to SIN and Narita to Sydney on QANTAS B747 economy last Feb and had an excellent trip both times.

We are planning for next year. Between cruises we have 5 days and would like to visit the Great Barrier Reef. Any suggestions on how we could do this from Sydney? Thanks for your help.

Five days is plenty of time. You will loose a most of a day each way with the transfer and flight times but remaining the three days is OK for sightseeing and visits to the reef. Look for a flights/hotel package that includes transfers.:)

I'm definitely going to check out the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. The Irwin Zoo would be great, but I'm wondering if it's too much (9 hours!) for us. I use a cane when walking for any distance, and DH has back problems that can be aggravated by too much walking :(.

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If you have mobility problems then Lone Pine is the one for you. Australia (Steve Irwin) Zoo is quite large and the walking is flat but it can be a tiring day. Hope you enjoy your stay.

Of course it can be done.

Try skypac.com.au.

Around AUD 4000.- per hour for a small jet for up to 7 passengers.

Free pickup from the ship!

Of course anything is possible if you have the money. In fact it can be done and I ruled it out without research. A quick look at a Sydney/Uluru one night package is available for approx AUD 1400pp (subject to season).

As Baggywinkle99 says it is up to you.

Thanks, Chris! We'll be flying in from Sydney after a few days there. The only thing we have planned for Brisbane is a day trip to the zoo. Would there be local shop's and restaurant's within walking distance of the hotel?

 

We like to just experience a "new to us" place.

Plenty of places to eat. You will be very close (walking distance) to the Brisbane CBD where you will be able to shop. If going to Australia Zoo it will be a full day. Whilst in Sydney go to Taronga Zoo overlooking the harbour and a nice ferry ride from Circular Quay, it is very nice.

There is a train at Brisbane domestic terminal which will bring you into the city. Closest rail station to the hotel is Roma Street.

Hi, Has anyone done the the ships overnight excursion from Sydney to Uluru? There seems to be a lot of travelling involved but is the end result worth it? Have you a rough idea of the cost involved? Any further information or tips would be appreciated.

Sorry but cannot be done as an overnight. It is in the middle of the country and you have to fly in and out. It is 2800 km from Sydney.

Greetings

The hotel is close to the city centre just a short walk away, about 500 metres. I haven't stayed there so unable to give a critique. It is close to bus and rail. The nearest rail station is Roma Street. Museum and Art Gallery and Museum of Modern Art are just the other side of the river. You will need to catch a cab from the cruise terminal if carrying luggage. Go for a ride on the City Cat ferry up and down the Brisbane River, again the ferry wharf is not far from the hotel. Visit South Bank Gardens also on the other side of the river. There are some other nice gardens quite close. If you are up to it there is the Treasury Casino.

If you want any specific info just ask and I will try and oblige.:D

Chris