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circumnavigating Australia - good or bad experience?


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I am looking to cruise around Australia next year (your summer months) and was wondering if anyone has done this cruise before and what your take on the different ports were. Interesting or not so much. I'm hoping to be on the Sea Princess and have not sailed on her before. If anyone has, could they give me their take on the ship. Have just been on the Sun Princess and found it a bit tired, although she is due to go into dry dock soon for a refurb. Any insight into a sail around the continent would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Barb

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I am looking to cruise around Australia next year (your summer months) and was wondering if anyone has done this cruise before and what your take on the different ports were. Interesting or not so much. I'm hoping to be on the Sea Princess and have not sailed on her before. If anyone has, could they give me their take on the ship. Have just been on the Sun Princess and found it a bit tired, although she is due to go into dry dock soon for a refurb. Any insight into a sail around the continent would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Barb

 

 

We did it Oct-Nov 2014 on Diamond, loved it. Our Ports were Port Douglas, at the time I thought a bit overrun with the number off the ship.

 

Darwin, a very interesting albeit hot port.

 

Bali, between Vulcano ash and bush fires stayed on the ship.

 

Geraldton very interesting.

 

Fremantle for Perth, we spent an interesting day in Freo rather than going into Perth.

 

Adelaide, I love this city, but our son lived there for five years so know it very well anyway.

 

Melbourne, another great City with lots to see and do.

 

Our cruise then went over and did the South Island of NZ.

 

THERE are generally a lot of sea days, we had a few blocks of three, so you need to decide how you feel about that.

 

I haven’t yet sailed on Sea, but have taken the plunge and booked 35 days in her next year.

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I did a repositioning cruise Sydney to Singapore. Sydney always amazing. Brisbane a loverly city, Airlie beach beautiful, cairns great little town & great excursions, Darwin full of surprises. Kamodo island Indonesia - beautiful to look at but didn't get off the ship. Bali an experience. Singapore one of my favourite places in the world.

 

 

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Did circumnavigation on Sun Princess in 2008, her first season out here. Quite a good trip but we missed Geraldton, Exmouth and Cooktown because of seas to rough to tender. Broome has probably improved by now re transport infrastructure, but back then, if you did not do a Princess shorex you did not get off the ship, Princess had every bus from miles around prebooked. Suffice to say some cranky pax, such is life.

We did the town and Cable Beach shorex, I thought Broome a bit overrated, you need to be there for a few days to get the feel of it, like any other town.:cool: We did not go to Bali, having been there since, we did not miss much, not my cup of tea...markets, temples, humidity and too many people on motor bikes.

 

10 years ago Sun Princess was in quite good condition, these days a little old, time to get rid of these 'Sun Class' vessels.:eek:

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Did circumnavigation on Sun Princess in 2008, her first season out here. Quite a good trip but we missed Geraldton, Exmouth and Cooktown because of seas to rough to tender. Broome has probably improved by now re transport infrastructure, but back then, if you did not do a Princess shorex you did not get off the ship, Princess had every bus from miles around prebooked. Suffice to say some cranky pax, such is life.

We did the town and Cable Beach shorex, I thought Broome a bit overrated, you need to be there for a few days to get the feel of it, like any other town.:cool: We did not go to Bali, having been there since, we did not miss much, not my cup of tea...markets, temples, humidity and too many people on motor bikes.

 

10 years ago Sun Princess was in quite good condition, these days a little old, time to get rid of these 'Sun Class' vessels.:eek:

Quite a bit has changed since 2008. We have done the circumnavigation a couple of times. Princess has deleted Cooktown from their itineraries for several years because it often had to be missed because of high winds. They don't include Exmouth. There isn't much there anyway unless you want to snorkel or dive on Ningaloo reef. Broome - for several years there has been a free shuttle into town. From there people can go on pubic transport or book as tour. Lately, Princess has been going to Alotau (Papua New Guinea) instead of Bali. Alotau is interesting - it was the site of the Battle of Milne Bay in WWII. It is a totally different experience compared with Bali or with Aust ports.

 

Other ports: Darwin - a lot to see including saltwater crocodiles. There is a lot of interesting history here.

Fremantle (Perth) - a lot to see, both in Fremantle and in Perth.

Geraldton (it may or may not be included). Don't miss the memorial to the sinking of HMAS Sydney. Also the museum with original artifacts from the wreck of the Batavia.

Port Douglas - trips to Kuranda on the Skyrail and also to the Barrier Reef or to the World Heritage-listed Daintree rainforest.

Airlie Beach - not a lot in town. Great trip to the outer reef, but it is not cheap.

Adelaide - lovely city. It is known as the City of Churches.

Melbourne - once again, a tremendous amount to see within the central city alone. More further out.

Brisbane - beautiful trip on the river on the CityCat. Southbank (a park) is beautiful.

Sydney - heaps to see.

 

If you have time, you could combine the cruise with a flying (literally flying) trip to the Centre to see Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the amazing countryside in the outback.

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We’ve cruised circumnavigation or part thereof 5x.

Looks like there are very few options in 2019, Sea Princess looks like it. Cunard usually do shorter length legs as well.

We have cruised SYD-FRE, FRE-SYD, both over the top end and FRE-MEL around the bottom. Once we got off Radiance in Fremantle, spent a few days in Perth then got on Volendam to finish the cruise to Melbourne. We mainly did this because at the time it was one of the few cruises that stopped at Kangaroo Island.

Just love cruising through the Whitsundays and following the coast up to and around Cape York and Torres Islands.

Some memorable moments ashore -

Whitsundays (Airlie Beach) - trip to Whitehaven Beach and ocean rafting

Cairns - Skyway to Eumundi and train back

Darwin - Litchfield Nat. Park, Adelaide River jumping crocs and Military museum

Geraldton - hired a taxi to see HMAS Sydney memorial, beaches and general tour.

Fremantle - Kings Park, Perth

Margaret River - what else but a winery tour! The caves are ok as well.

Albany - ANZAC centre, caught mini bus tour from town centre, very moving and beautiful place

Kangaroo Island - beaching it with the seals, terrific.

You could always fly and cruise if there is somewhere that you want to cruise or take shorter legs as well.

Enjoy it all.

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This time last year we were on 29N circumnavigation on Sun Princess roundtrip Sydney - Hobart, Burnie, Melb, Adelaide, Albany, Margaret River, Freo, Broome (missed),Darwin, Cairns, Alotau[PNG], Bris.

 

Great itinerary & certainly one crossed off 'the list'.

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This time last year we were on 29N circumnavigation on Sun Princess roundtrip Sydney - Hobart, Burnie, Melb, Adelaide, Albany, Margaret River, Freo, Broome (missed),Darwin, Cairns, Alotau[PNG], Bris.

 

Great itinerary & certainly one crossed off 'the list'.

 

It was the first cruise on our bucket list.

 

I crossed it off my list after we did it in 2015 but have sort of put it back on, with a few different ports than last time.

 

Enjoyed it that much.

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I am looking to cruise around Australia next year (your summer months) and was wondering if anyone has done this cruise before and what your take on the different ports were. Interesting or not so much. I'm hoping to be on the Sea Princess and have not sailed on her before. If anyone has, could they give me their take on the ship. Have just been on the Sun Princess and found it a bit tired, although she is due to go into dry dock soon for a refurb. Any insight into a sail around the continent would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Barb

 

 

Which Ports are you doing, may enable us to tell you even more.

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I am looking to cruise around Australia next year (your summer months) and was wondering if anyone has done this cruise before and what your take on the different ports were. Interesting or not so much. I'm hoping to be on the Sea Princess and have not sailed on her before. If anyone has, could they give me their take on the ship. Have just been on the Sun Princess and found it a bit tired, although she is due to go into dry dock soon for a refurb. Any insight into a sail around the continent would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Barb

 

You will find the Sea Princess to be exactly the same as the Sun Princess. They are identical sister ships. I personally would not select either ship for a round Australia cruise as I do not think they are suitable ships for such a long voyage.

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You will find the Sea Princess to be exactly the same as the Sun Princess. They are identical sister ships. I personally would not select either ship for a round Australia cruise as I do not think they are suitable ships for such a long voyage.

 

'

It depends on so many thing s On a smaller ship you know people and staff earlier and the tenders are not so protracted We did the Pacific Circle 96 days on Sun and had the best time ever Love the sun class

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  • 2 weeks later...

We have just disembarked Radiance 33 days circumnavigation Australia and it was a wonderful cruise. Ports were terrific, even if there was a bit of whinging about Port Hedland, which was essentially a refuelling stop only. Weather was superb and seas very well behaved. Top end included Bali and bottom end included south island of NZ. Initially when asked why RCI was pulling out of this very popular cruise the captain was very vague and said blame Miami. Then on the 2nd last day he announced that Radiance would be again going this cruise in 2020. We would thoroughly recommend this cruise, perfect blend of sea and port days.

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We have just disembarked Radiance 33 days circumnavigation Australia and it was a wonderful cruise. Ports were terrific, even if there was a bit of whinging about Port Hedland, which was essentially a refuelling stop only. Weather was superb and seas very well behaved. Top end included Bali and bottom end included south island of NZ. Initially when asked why RCI was pulling out of this very popular cruise the captain was very vague and said blame Miami. Then on the 2nd last day he announced that Radiance would be again going this cruise in 2020. We would thoroughly recommend this cruise, perfect blend of sea and port days.

I am not surprised that people were not happy visiting Port Hedland. It is an industrial city. The only thing (in my opinion) worth doing is to take a tour through the enormous complex where the trains of ore are unloaded. Maybe RCI wanted a port in that part of Australia and their ships are too big to get into Broome. The Sun class Princess ships can only get in within a couple of hours of high tide.

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