cassamanda

I have been looking at doing a New Zealand cruise. Problem is that almost all of the New Zealand cruises that I have found leave from and return to a port in Australia. I am trying to figure out the logic of this or why the cruise companies do this. Leaving from and returning to Australia means that you waste 5 days as sea days that could be spent seeing places in New Zealand.

 

Does anyone have any idea why this is done.

 

DON

Love those sea days just to relax and perhaps meet up with others. Would not be a very social cruise if all days were port days. Besides it's actually only 4 sea days plus 1 day cruising and sightseeing the fiords which can't really be done any other way.

There are not that many port options in Australia alone so the addition of NZ ports makes for a more interesting itinerary combo.

Anyway, isn't NZ an extra state of Australia?:D:rolleyes: But shhh don't mention this to the Kiwis:eek:

Hugh

What is the health form?? We have our Setsail paperwork and green custom forms but no mention of health forms from our TA. How do we get them so we can be prepared on the day?

Gbenjo's mates hand them to you at he line up outside the terminal:)

Unless you plan to do a fair bit of travelling on the ferries, point to point tickets are probably the best bet.

It will be around $17 return (you need to buy 2 singles as return must be on the same day) for your mountains trip. Trolley bus in the mountains is $25 for the day.

 

I would look at any of the hotels around central. My favourite is actually Meriton Campbell.

Agree with the above. Some hotels near central are Mercure Broadway (also known as Mercure Central) on Lee St, has a good buffet breakfast and Rendesvouz Studio on Quay St. These are easily got to from the ramp leading back down to the left on the street side of Platform 1. Meriton on Campbell is also good value in the opposite direction heading a short distance uptown.

Hugh

Have not stayed there and unlikely to do so. Location is ok as it is fairly central but don't expect any views. Mid distance between Wynyard and Townhall stations, close to Darling Harbour area and QVB just up the road.

Seems to be an Asian operated boutique establishment with Asian decor ( just going off web site). Reading trip advisor comments also seem to confirm this by the grammar used.

If the price is right for a modest hotel then go for it. Hopefully someone on cc has stayed there and will respond with some authority about the hotel as most of us are only guessing.

You can also get good rates on "mystery" hotels off some of the popular booking sites.

Hugh

Will skype work?

Rccl do not like you using Skype as it places too big a demand on the network which is terribly slow as it is.

Do an Australian cruise. Smoking not allowed in the Casino or any other indoor location under Australian law. All ships on Australian itineraries have to obey this law, even repositioning cruises.

After my cruise to Australia my flight to the US does not leave until the next day. This means I need to stay at a hotel overnight. Do I need a Visa? If so what kind and how much will it cost?

You were very wise to ask this question. You might like to post the responses on your roll call for the cruise.

Very few North Americans realise that they need a Travel Authority to visit Australia by cruise ship, and, like you, think a visa of some sort is required only if staying overnight or longer once they get here.

Many also don't realise that this is an electronic form of visa and that you don't actually get a physical piece of paper. The application process can easily be done online as suggested by others. Your TA can also do this but will probably charge a fee. Your TA should have advised you about getting an ETA when you booked.

The ship booked trains only go as far as Puckerangi. The privately booked trains usually go to Middlemarch and pass the ship train at Puckerangi.

There is a pub and a couple of shops and bakery at Middlemarch where you can get some lunch. The train stops there for an hour before returning to Dunedin

 

John

Hi John, not quite true as it depends entirely on the timetable put out by Taieri. Sometimes both trains only go as far as Puckerangi. This happened on our trip last year.

The timetable itinerary is not put out especially for cruise ships. The only deviation is when a ship is in, one train will start and finish at Port Chalmers. If there are 2 ships in port then private bookings can't be made as both trains will be booked by the ships.

NancyIL. I think Di just made a typo.

Hugh

We just walk out with our bags and turn left away from taxi and they are there. The chase you. I think our driver was Indonesian. Really nice and polite. Cash only. And when we docked we called his mobile and her was there. To easy.

FYI this is called touting and is highly illegal. There are regular announcements at the arrivals hall of all terminals warning you of this practice. These people are taking work from the legitimate operators and probably are not insured or even licensed.

There is a transport desk at each terminal where you can book your shuttle if you have not prearranged this with a private operator such as Town Cars.

Hugh

Hi All,

I definetly booked on the day I arrived and I am fairly sure it was with the skybus service , it was all organised through the travel concierge desk where you collect your luggage. I'm fairly sure it was the skybus, as I remember being suprised at the time that the sky bus service in sydney was not wheelchair accessable, and that they used smaller shuttles, compared to the large coach bus used in melbourne that is wheelchair accessable.

Hope that helps.

cheers maree

Unfortunately Sydney does not have that same service that Melbourne has. It was tried for 12 months a few years back but was a dismal failure. The other complication is that Sydney international and domestic are physically separated whereas in Melbourne everything is next door to each other.

This is a link to the airport train city map. You do not change trains to Circular Quay.

http://www.airportlink.com.au/sydney-city-map.php

Barry, I will be catching a flight on Friday. If I get the chance I'll duck down to the concierge and find out who they are using at Virgin/Jetstar.

I was looking at the picture of the aft of the ship - it appears that all of the balconies above you can look right down onto your balcony, and that even the Windjammer outside deck can look down onto the deck 10 balconies.

 

Is that correct?

Well not quite. You can only really see the bit near the railing.

The only thing with aft balcony sliding doors is - pleasssse lock the handle down if you are going to leave the door open for fresh air. Otherwise the blasted thing is going to slide back and forward making very loud slamming sounds as it hits the stops due to the rocking motion of the ship. This is very annoying to your neighbour. Side cabins don't suffer from this to any great extent.

Thank you so much for the additional information. We will seriously consider Tundra Rose cottages once we have narrowed down our basic itinerary.

Thank you for posting such a great story of your travels in pictures.

We will be doing 8 days pre cruise in Alaska on our own end August 2014 before SB on Radiance from Seward followed by 7 days in Vancouver & the Rockies before continuing on to Hawaii.

We also plan to visit Matanuska and stay overnight at Tundra Rose Cottages. What was your impression of this lodging, anything we should know about?

What was the accommodation like in Anchorage at Ship Creek? Were the rooms airconditioned?

You were upgraded in Seward. What room type did you originally book and would that have been adequate? Did you check out any other lodgings in Seward? B&Bs, Windsong Lodge etc.

We are considering the MM 7.5 hr as it has discount vouchers. How does this tour compare with the 9 hour Northwestern by Kenai Tours?

Sorry about all the questions but we are coming from Australia and really need to check out all options as it is unlikely that we could do this trip again.

Hugh

What a great opportunity for history buffs as well as those just interested in Australia's convict background. Not to be missed is the Separate Prison. Check out the Port Arthur site for prices, attractions etc.

I believe that you can only book thru the 2014 season right now. So if you are looking for next summer, then yes, definitely book now!

 

If you are looking for 2015 you'll have to wait until next March 2014 until the schedules come out.

You can keep a track of the deployment schedules here

http://www.creative.rccl.com/e-lite/RCI/2013/Deployment/13032797-2014-15_Deployment/

Hugh

We took the private tour option too last year!

Just be aware that the ship's train tour passengers board their train at the wharf whereas the private tour people have to take the free shuttle bus into Dunedin to the station where you give your name, they find your ticket then you pay.

We then had to wait for the ship's train to pass us before our second train could leave the station. They apparantly received a free lunch which was no more than sandwiches and a plastic cup of wine if I remember correctly.

We just bought something on the train or you could wait until you reached the top of the gorge (where the train stopped for about 45 minutes) and purchase lunch at the local pub.

The scenery and landscape was just magnificent so I'm sure you'll really enjoy your trip.

There wasn't enough time to do any sight-seeing in Dunedin because by the time we arrived back at the station it was time to find our shuttle bus back to the Port.

You'll love the architecture of the station and other buildings in Dunedin.

We also did this trip privately at a much cheaper price. We took the shuttle booked through the train company and then did a 1 hour town tour at the end that brought us right back to the gangway. So the only advantage of the ship tour was that it departed from the ship and provided a plastic lunch at twice the price.

The ship's train has priority on the line and the railway has to maintain a 20 minute separation. Unless there is a major, major problem there is no way this private tour will bring you back late - it is a scheduled service.

The extra time in Dunedin can easily be spent if the train does not go all the way to Middlemarch as you get back at about 1pm.

Hugh

I booked mostly private tours for our upcoming Australia/NZ cruise in January, as well as ship tours in Sydney (Blue Mountains on the day we sail) and Bay of Islands (Waitangi Treaty Grounds & Pioneer Settlement). We will have a DIY day in Wellington. I could've booked both shore excursions independently, but preferred the timing of the ship's tours.

Very wise decision as this tour typically returns at 6.30pm right on departure time. Have had personal experience with this. The basic minimum Blue Mountains tour takes 9 hours not counting traffic delays. A private excursion on sailing day would have to be cut to the bare bones in order to be back on time.

Just started reading your fantastic blog. Just the info I needed on Anchorage area. I am torn between going further north to Denali or do something similar to what you did visiting Matanuska etc before taking the train south and spending 2-3 days around Seward.

We could of course take the easy way out and book a cruise tour starting from Anchorage that goes to Denali and then back to Seward. Have plenty of time though - Aug 2014.

Hugh

You need to be aware that Picton is a closed secure working port. Meaning you are forced to take a shuttle bus into town if you are doing your own thing. Only some private operators have a pass to enter onto the dock.

Shuttle buses and tour buses are placed right next to the gangway.

Absolute invaluable information to help us plan for August next year - thank you so much.

BTW those reserved seats in the theatre become available to anyone once the show starts.

Have enjoyed your commentary & Pics - well done. We love Radiance (and also Rhapsody). Can't wait to be aboard again in November.

Interesting that your M&M was in the Q & C. We recommended that venue after our debacle in the Colony Club on our recent positioning cruise from Sydney to Honolulu. There was absolutely no mingling and the CD (BB) commandeered the entire meeting with over the top detailed explanation of the cruise itinerary and a lengthy raffle draw. We had lots of roll call tour announcements to make that just did not happen.

Hugh

Rita's imo is a bit of wasted space and very cold as it is open at the rear to Deck 11 and the main entrance is from the back of the Windjammer. So every time the door is opened you get a nice blast of wind. OK in the tropics but not pleasant in cold climates.

However, the Margarita's are fantastic and they have a happy hour every day. Best thing is you don't have to eat there to enjoy the Margarita.:D

I have bought several books and saw something in the Frommer's Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call that sounded interesting. It's in the Radiance of the Seas section when describing the ship it says "If you tire of the ocean views, you can gaze into the atrium, eight decks below, from a portholelike window in the floor of the Crown and Anchor Lounge." Have you seen this and if so did you get pics of it. It just sounds odd so I was just wondering lol.

I do have a photo looking up to the C&A lounge from Deck 4 to Deck 12 and I also lay across the glass "porthole" and took a photo looking down.:eek: Unfortunately my photobucket account is playing up and it can't find my files on the hard drive.