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New Zealand or Celebrity Great Barrier Reef Cruise?


jabrown40
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I can’t do both. I’m not retired, and this will be a special trip for my 60th birthday. Celebrity has a 12 night cruise, leaving from Sydney. Travels up the coast, to Newcastle, Airle beach, Yorkeys knob, port Douglas, Brisbane. They also have a 13 day New Zealand, leaving from Sydney. I wouldn’t be able to take much more time off. I just don’t know enough to know what’s better to see. I don’t want to snorkel more than one day. My husband cannot walk long distances, no hiking thru rainforests! Bth have about 4 or 5 Sea days, but the New Zealand one also has the sounds. I’m so torn, can anyone shed some light on the two trips? This may be a once in a lifetime trip ( unless I win the lottery .....)

 

 

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We just did the NZ Christmas cruise and bumped into people in Brisbane who were wrapping up the Great Barrier Reef cruise a couple weeks later. They did not seem very pleased with that itinerary. Thought there were too many sea days. We liked the NZ itinerary, but having done a land tour there previously, a cruise ship is not the best way to see NZ. The fjords were definitely beautiful though - we had also done that previously and was nice to get a different perspective. If you do the reef cruise there will be many families and kids at peak holiday times. NZ being cooler weather was that was not an issue.

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We are looking at a cruise that begins in Sydney, goes to Tasmania for the day, and then heads to New Zealand for a total of 10 nights. The schedule allows us to fly into Sidney with 4 extra days there, and an overnight in Auckland at the end before flying home. At this time in my life, it’s probably what works the best for us. Although I would love the great barrier reef, my husband just is not into snorkeling, and I also thought there would be too much time at sea, or beaches.

 

 

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We are looking at a cruise that begins in Sydney, goes to Tasmania for the day, and then heads to New Zealand for a total of 10 nights. The schedule allows us to fly into Sidney with 4 extra days there, and an overnight in Auckland at the end before flying home. At this time in my life, it’s probably what works the best for us. Although I would love the great barrier reef, my husband just is not into snorkeling, and I also thought there would be too much time at sea, or beaches.

 

 

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The NZ one would be my pick.

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  • 2 weeks later...
The NZ one would be my pick.
Overall, I agree with Mr Gut. Go with NZ.

 

Large cruise ships are not the best way to see the GBR and with mobility issues the tender ports are not the best.

 

On the other hand getting into the sounds can be a little hit and miss due to weather and visibility. And those ports in the sounds are really just sea days.

 

I'm sure you will enjoy yourself whatever your decision. Both are extremely beautiful parts of the world!

 

Cheers

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What time of year? I cruised up the east coast then around to Darwin and off to Singapore and have done NZ twice and will be going again in January. The cruise up the east coast and the Reef was amazing. I loved the views from the ship, you sail so close to lots of island. I love NZ too. I accept that you don't see a lot of NZ on a cruise ship (we are doing a couple of weeks on land as well next time) but what you see is great and sailing in and out of the ports is lovely. The sounds are extraordinary. So if it isn't in high summer, I would say both would be great trips.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have done both. Going north around the GBR is going to be extremely hot and quite frankly apart from a day's snorkling on the GBR I was disappointed in the itinerary. If you go out to the reef from Airlie Beach you have to take the ships excursion and unless you are overnighting in Cairns at Yorkeys knob you cant get out to the reef, time doesn't allow for it.

The highlight of the NZ cruise has to be the transit through the Sounds in Fiordland. This is sight to behold and worth the trip on its own. One normally arrives in Milford Sound around day break and leaves Dusky Sound around 5 pm in the afternoon. An absolute magnificent day.

My choice do the NZ cruise

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