ELJCruiser

Hi all, thanks so much for taking the time to provide your feedbacks and guidance. I really appreciate it. Weather-wise and sea-sickness wise, looks like the Great Barrier Reef is a better itinerary for me. I am excited to book. Just one more quick question, since neither my husband and I are divers, would it be a "waste" so-to-speak for us to go to GBR since we won't be able to take part in diving to see the natural wonder of the reef?

My husband and I are thinking about doing an Australia cruise in Oct/Nov next year. We have never been to Australia, and are newbies to Australian cruises. Actually, we are more or less cruise newbies, period! We had only done two Alaskan cruises in the last 15 years or so (on Celebrity and Holland America). We have done some research, and looks like either Celebrity or Princess Cruise offers itinerary that may be options. For Celebrity, it will be their Edge, 11 nights to the Great Barrier Reef (Willis Island, Port Douglas, Airlie Beach, Brisbane, back to Sydney). For Princess, it will be the Crown Princess (Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, Melbourne, Hobart, Port Arthur, back to Sydney). They are both around 11 days, with departure in late Oct (Oct 21 or Oct 24). We are looking to book one of the suites. We have several questions: 1. Would you suggest Celebrity or Princess? Which cruise line is better? 2. Which is a better itinerary? Great Barrier Reef or Southern Australia? 3. Is end of Oct/ Nov a good time for these cruises? we have the options to go in Feb/March. My husband prefers cooler weather if that makes a difference, but would we be able to swim in end of Oct? 4. I tend to get motion sickness quite easily. Do you think the sea for these itineraries maybe a bit tough in the Oct/Nov timeframe? Any advice, suggestions, pointers would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.