Antonintassie

Hi

I live in Tasmania ,Port Arthur is an easy drive from Hobart but you will use the full port day .

Napier is a fantastic step back into art deco history .

Looking the itinerary I would have to reverse my original call ,and go with Azamara .

Just be aware the Tasman Sea and Bass Strait can be hit and miss with sea conditions .

I have had crossing when it has been like glass and others where I have been walking on the bulkheads .

Thank you, Antonintassie, Ellbon, and cruzluvers for your help and insights. :)

 

I am very excited about finally seeing Australia and New Zealand!

 

Robin, regarding the ports...these are the ones that both cruises include: Sydney, Hobart, Milford Sound (cruising), Dunedin/Port Chalmers, Akaroa, Napier, Tauranga, and Auckland. I do realize that the actual docking locations might be different, based on the size differences of the ships.

 

Azamara includes Melbourne and Port Arthur; Celebrity does not.

Celebrity includes Wellington; Azamara does not.

 

Azamara includes overnights in Sydney, Hobart, and Napier.

 

Azamara is 15 nights; Celebrity is 12 nights. (Very large price difference, as you would expect.) We're looking at standard veranda cabins on Azamara. We are looking at Aquaclass on Celebrity.

 

Thanks.

I would vote for Celebrity ( Solstice I assume) bigger but still manageable ,The seas around the East Coast of Australia and in particular NZ can be rough in December /Jan.

As an aside we actually had a suite booked for Australia / NZ and cancelled because of the extended sea days .In fact despite living in Australia we have never taken a cruise in the region because of the extended time at sea and the weather is never that great in Dec /Jan particularly in Northern Australian waters.

I am extremely doubtful that a ship at 4200 passengers is sustainable in our region with the limited port options available.

It seems the "cruise to nowhere" is the preferred options of a number of cruise lines as the ship itself is promoted as the attraction.

Having cruised on the Royal Princess the sheer volume of passengers make port visits extremely clunky and it was not a pleasant experience.

I had an interesting conversation with a TA a few days ago ,and The Ovation of the Seas cruises in Australian / Pacific waters has been very hard to sell after the initial rush ( to big is the most common comment) .

I would appear that Carnival Corporation put their hand up for this build without really having a home for the ship and I will be very surprised if it lasts more than a couple of years in Oceania

How is Turkey anymore of a risk than any European destination at the moment ?

I remember being in London when the IRA was active and had just left NYC when 9/11 took place ,used sensible precautions and was aware but it did not stop me enjoying great cities including Istanbul .You can minimise risk you can not eliminate it. If you are scared of the big wide world don't go out in it.

I will never step foot on a cruise ship that goes to Bali .There seems to be a total disconnect with cruise ship operators and the vast majority of passengers expressing a dislike in relation to this port stop.

Hi

Float plane is one of the quickest options and not to expensive it puts you right in Victoria harbour and you can catch a taxi or do a local tour.

Who cares you would have to pay me to go to the place

Hi

I think it is more about the itinerary than the ship and our first Azamara cruise will be HK to Singapore in December ,our son who is now 18 never had expectations about fellow passengers ( we have met some great people of all ages) and we always enjoy our family holidays weather on a skiing trip ,a cruise or a city stay.

I travel to the UAE for work ,one word of advice it will be very hot in May so pace yourself and try and do outdoor activity earlier in the day or in the evening .It is a fantastic part of the world and if you get the chance to go to Petra it is worth the drive .

As Phil mentioned shipping has in the past been the attention of some unwanted attention . This seems to have dropped away to nothing in the last 24 to 36 months .I suspect that other than an increased speed and some lighting changes and some very low key security personnel you will not notice any difference.

Many Thanks Alfredo1

This is precisely what we had in mind for our day

Thank You

We thought we would catch the shuttle to town and hire a taxi for Hoi An and China Beach .

I am assuming this is a feasible option based on the limited information I could find on-line .

Hi

That is correct a copy of your prescription ,drugs in original packaging and a Dr note are all handy precautions .

I have been through and stayed in the UAE many times and have never been asked but it is prudent practice. I tend to travel with this stuff anyway in case I lose prescriptions and need to obtain fresh supplies whilst travelling.

The UAE is a fantastic destination it is very urban ,welcoming and fantastically clean and efficient one of my family's favourite places .

Hi

I was hoping for some recent updates from those who have done HK to SNG

I understand that Azamara docks at Tien Sa Port for Danang.

Does Azamara provide a shuttle service for this stop and is there a charge ?

What is the drop-off pickup location in Danang ?

Kind Regards

Anthony

I agree landing would be part of the appeal ,flights are regular to South America for sure ,i was just thinking it would be great to have other departure options rather than just Argentina.

We would love to sail to Antarctica but South America is a huge hassle and expensive to access from Australia .

It would be great if a cruise operator looked at options from NZ or Tasmania or Capetown as an option.

The improved reliability factor sounds hopeful as I work whilst cruising and need email The speed is not super critical as it is simple text and PDF documents most of which I can compile before logging in and sending but it is a hassle when you get a disconnect half way through the process .

yes is the simple answer but use the usual measures against petty theft you would use worldwide

Van Diemen's Land Company the property is Highfield House

I would also raise my hand ( or glass) to a wider included beer selection even one of the other international larger name brands .Perhaps it could be a regional choice.

Thank You Phil

For the guidance I have requested the advance party ( wife and son) to take time out from HK retail therapy to amber down to the ship and get settled in so my afternoon is clear .

We are very much looking forward to this cruise as we deferred it a couple of years ago.

Kind Regards

Anthony

Thanks Phil

No worries as I work when I travel and generally fill boarding day up with meetings prior to embarking it makes life a little simpler but I will revert to the old fall back ,a written request emailed prior to arriving.

Good Morning

Our first Azamara cruise is a Club World Owners suite ,will we have a pre cruise email from our butler prior to boarding as we normally receive from our concierge when we sail suites with Celebrity?

We normally use this opportunity to make a couple of requests pre boarding as we tend to be some of the last passengers to embark as a rule.

Kind Regards

Anthony

Hi

I remember as a teenager seeing the masts of the Russian cruise ship Mikhail Lemontov

sticking out the harbour after striking a rock in this area.

It is rather treacherous at times with strong currents ,winds and nasty rocks .If they got away with a scrap it was a blessing.

Top Job Andy we have our first Azamara cruise booked in an owners suite and we are very low maintenance " I like my coffee hot and my beer cold " every product rollout is going to have a few bumps but as an ex army guy anything that does not involve eating from a tin or sleeping on the ground is good with me .I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.

As a traveller who takes the very occasional cruise ,I would have to support the observation that the cruise industry is in danger of pricing itself out of the market .I do not mind spending money to enhance the travel experience .We generally fly first or business class and stay 5 star .

My next cruise equates to 1.8k per day divided by 3 so $590.00 AUD per person per day which "if the experience delivers" I can live with but if it does not I suspect our family and cruising may have reached a point were other options become more viable.

The cruise industry is seen as being a "safe secure option" in a volatile world and IMHO is playing this for all it is worth .No problem with that everyone has to run a commercial business and make a profit .However the cruise industry needs to be aware that not everyone who takes a cruise will do it exclusively if the $ value is not delivered .