Help with Australia/NewZealand Cruise

[judyfssw]

We would like to go on this Celebrity cruise on the Century in January, 2012. My bil does NOT like cruising but is willing to consider going on this cruise with us if we can get a lot of info.

1) Has anyone been on this cruise in January in the past and what were the seas like?

2) How was the weather at this time of the year?

3) If you went early, was it costly to rent hotels (my husband is handicapped and uses a wheelchair and scooter) and transportation?

 

Any and all information, either pro or con, is appreciated.

 

Thank you.

[Dowunder]

It looks like you are cruising from Australia to NZ. This is of course our summer with the temps. on the East Coast usually in the low to mid 30s . In Melbourne it is 30 Celsius today. It really is an ideal time to be in Australia, but I would advise you to book hotels early as it is also the big Australian holiday season and Aussies are on the move. Having said that there are good hotel deals to be had in the major cities i.e Sydney and Melbourne and probably Auckland with all hotels and transportation catering for your husband's needs. The trans Tasman crossing should be smooth, but it is always a hard one to predict.

Oprah Winfrey was in Australia recently and made 4 TV shows that should be on in the US this month. Her team saw more in 7 days than most Aussies see in a lifetime (and there is a lot to see here) so watch out for those. Australia is a modern sophisticated country with one of the best economies in the world, so I am sure you both would have a GREAT time Down Under.

[gururob22]

Hi Judy,

Seas in this region are always unpredictable,although it should be manageable. (Southern oceans can be VERY rough at times)

January is the peak of summer in this region & hotels in both Australia & New Zealand will be at premium rates so book early! All major hotels are wheel chair friendly.

Australia can be quite hot (above 30-35deg C) & New Zealand, although sunny will be more temperate but still expect high 20's to low 30's deg C.

Not sure which port you are departing from (Sydney?) but there is lots to see & do here & you definitely should plan on at least 5-7 days here pre- cruise.

Welcome to Australia & enjoy your experience !

[Karynanne]

We cruised on Mercury 3 years ago in Feb./Mar. The weather was beautiful, but the Tasman Sea on our particular cruise was quite rough. I still feel out of all our cruises, the Australia-New Zealand-So. Pacific-Hawaii cruise was my all-time favorite.

[The_Big_M]

The seas on the land part of the voyage will be lovely; however, it is the crossing between AU-NZ that /may/ be rough. There's no way to say - one trip can be bumpy, and the next can be smooth as silk. It's not typically wild, but it can be choppy at that time. That's a two day stretch, so the only thing to be aware of in that respect.

 

The weather's been covered. Regarding bookings it depends when you go in Jan. If it's around New Year then prices will be higher as so many visit Sydney in particular for New Year's Eve. However, particularly towards the end of Jan, prices moderate rapidly and both this year and last year I've seen $99 specials at good hotels though you'd have to keep your eyes out for those. Transport isn't cheap here, but it's not especially seasonally expensive either; it's the same any time of year (unless you mean flights, in which case domestic flights normally aren't on the best specials in January - there's a lot of domestic travel then).

[HokiePoq]

We cruised Sydney to Auckland in January, 2009. The Millie was beautiful and the service and food were great. The weather was wonderful and the seas calm. However, a week after we returned the temperatures soared and fires began in Australia. So the weather is a gamble any time you go anywhere.

When we booked the cruise, we were to go to Hobart, Tasmania. They changed that to Newcastle, a completely unsatisfactory substitute. The Aussies onboard were not happy about that, either.

If Celebrity has not changed the excursion policy and docking places, I would also consider other cruise lines. We had a big problem with the excursions not being as advertised by Celebrity and Celebrity accepting no responsibility for that. I don't know the current docking locations but when we went, we would be a long distance from the sights you wanted to see. We'd see Holland America ships docked much, much closer than we were. Much of the time was spent riding on buses. Our worst problem was with the overnight Milford Sound trip which was very expensive and not at all as advertised.

[giraffelt]

We, like HokiePoq, were on the Millennium in January 2009 - might have been the same sailing. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and felt it was the best of all our cruises (~ 20).

We flew over from Canada about a week ahead of time and spent time in Cairns and Sydney. Overnighting on board in Sydney harbour with a view of the Opera House is a memory never to be forgotten. We also stayed on in Auckland for a couple of days and toured Coromandel Peninsula - fantastic scenery.

The people in Australia and New Zealand were very friendly and helpful every where we went.

We (6 people in our 60's) arranged private tours for every stop with the exception of Philips Island and Trans Alpine train ride - train schedules didn't allow us to do it ourselves. Private tours were less costly than ship excursions and will allow you to address the mobility issues.

The weather was great the whole trip. It rained the day we cruised the Sounds of NZ South Island and when we were in Wellington. The rain just made the Sounds that much more interesting with all the waterfalls and in wellington we had planned to spend a lot of time in the museum anyway which as museums go is one of the better ones we have seen.

The seas were very calm. But as stated on other postings, weather and seas are always a gamble everywhere.

Entertainment on board was interesting because they brought on local talent giving a different cultural feel than NA entertainment.

Convince your husband to "go down under". He will thank you.

 

Larry

[judyfssw]

Thank you all for your comments. I really appreciate it and now am looking forward to it.

Again, thanks.

[HokiePoq]

We might have been on the same one with the great weather! I think you've found the way to go. If I ever sail with Celebrity again, I will arrange private tours as you did. That was the issue with us (not the Millie or its service which was great) and complaints all the way to corporate accepted no responsibility. All they'd had to do was issue a relatively small credit on a future cruise and I'd have been a repeat customer.

 

 

We, like HokiePoq, were on the Millennium in January 2009 - might have been the same sailing. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and felt it was the best of all our cruises (~ 20).

We flew over from Canada about a week ahead of time and spent time in Cairns and Sydney. Overnighting on board in Sydney harbour with a view of the Opera House is a memory never to be forgotten. We also stayed on in Auckland for a couple of days and toured Coromandel Peninsula - fantastic scenery.

The people in Australia and New Zealand were very friendly and helpful every where we went.

We (6 people in our 60's) arranged private tours for every stop with the exception of Philips Island and Trans Alpine train ride - train schedules didn't allow us to do it ourselves. Private tours were less costly than ship excursions and will allow you to address the mobility issues.

The weather was great the whole trip. It rained the day we cruised the Sounds of NZ South Island and when we were in Wellington. The rain just made the Sounds that much more interesting with all the waterfalls and in wellington we had planned to spend a lot of time in the museum anyway which as museums go is one of the better ones we have seen.

The seas were very calm. But as stated on other postings, weather and seas are always a gamble everywhere.

Entertainment on board was interesting because they brought on local talent giving a different cultural feel than NA entertainment.

Convince your husband to "go down under". He will thank you.

 

Larry

[Ella618]

Hi Larry - Do you have any recommendations for private tours in NZ? We're taking the Celebrity Century from Auckland December 12, 2011, and would appreciate the recommendations. (The bus warning was much appreciated!)

[wineluvr]

We sailed from Sydney to Auckland the first week of January two years ago and had the smoothest seas. The captain said the Tasman Sea was the smoothest he'd seen in 20 years. It was like glass, as were doubtful & dusky sound. We consider ourselves very fortunate, as I've heard many stories about the notoriously rough seas in this part of the world. So the answer is that the seas and weather are unpredictable.

[giraffelt]

Hi Larry - Do you have any recommendations for private tours in NZ? We're taking the Celebrity Century from Auckland December 12, 2011, and would appreciate the recommendations. (The bus warning was much appreciated!)

 

Ella618,

 

sorry for the delay in getting back to you but I had to go into the computer files to reference our itinerary from that trip to refresh my memory. Below is a short snapshot of what we did going from Sydney to Auckland:

- spent a couple of days in Cairns (kuranda village and great barrier reef snorkeling - used QuickSilver)

- Sydney 4 days - did our own sightseeing using public transit and walking

- Philip Island - used X's excursion but basically its just a bus ride to the shore to watch the penguins come up from the ocean; could have taken a taxi

- Melbourne - we did our own thing using public transit

- Hobart - used Tasmanian National Tours (Port Arthur, Tasmaninan Devil Park (up close and personal with kangaroos - awesome), Richmond and tour of Hobart

- dunedin - used Elm Tours; great guide. had a fantastic time going to a secluded beach to sea penguins and sea lions up close

- christchurch - trans alpine tour - used X's excursion because of train schedule

- Wellington - did our own thing, just used X's shuttle to get from the port to downtown; Te Papa Museum is not to be missed

- taurago - used Elite Adventures to see Rotorua/Te Puia; fantastic natural sights (geysurs and hot sulphur/mud baths), Maori culture

- Auckland - used Bush and Beach for a 12 hour tour (just my wife and I) to Coromandel Peninsula; by far the best tour we have ever had anywhere in the world

 

If you want more details post a message with an email address.

 

If you spend some time hanging out at CC Ports : Aus and NZ you will pick up lots of information.

 

Regards

 

Larry

[MVPinBoynton]

We did a NZ/Australia cruise a few years ago with Princess in February. It was an absolutely wonderful cruise. The Tasman sea was quite calm for our sailing, but the next one was rough. It is all luck of the draw.

 

Celebrity stops at most of the same ports, so if you want to see the private excursions we took, you can see lots of photos from them on our website www.thepreismans.com.

[Ella618]

Thank you Larry and Mike! You've given me much to read and I may be in touch again as I research our options. (Mike: You have an amazing web site - love it! Thanks for sharing.)

[happy cruzer]

Did anyone use Celebrity's air?

 

I'm looking at a cruise that starts in Auckland, I'm wondering is an overnight usually included somewhere if your starting your trip from the middle of the US. How do they handle that in the booking the process? Do you know ahead of time if there will be an overnight and any additional charges?

 

Thanks.

[Dowunder]

Not Celebrity but QE2 and QM both arrived in Sydney Harbour at 6.30 this am. What a sight!

[happy cruzer]

Sounds Lovely!

 

PS I know I have an extra night in Auckland so disregard my previous question.

 

Cheers.