Brisbane or Melbourne for a cruise

[chatty409]

I am trying to decide which cruise to take towards the end of January. There is one leaving from Brisbane, one from Melbourne and one from Sydney. We want to spend some time before and after seeing some of the Australian sights. Taking into consideration the best sights and the best weather which one would you think would be the best to take?

Thanks for your info.

[Keith1010]

In this order my recommendations are Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

 

They are all wonderful but if I was spending a few days for a pre cruise it would be Sydney.

 

Keith

[bobhsv]

I agree with Keith. Sailing out of Sydney is acclaimed as one of the best harbours in the world.

Jen

[room010]

Do you have a specific cruise in mind? If it's departing Oz and heading for NZ and/or the south Pacific then Sydney is probably the best departure port. It beats the others hands down for scenary alone (much as it pains me to say so!). If you are more interested in seeing the Great Barrier Reef then think about Brisbane, although you will still need to fly north to Cairns. Melbourne can offer great dining, shopping and culture. Just bear in mind that Australia is a BIG country and it will be impossible to see everything during one trip so make a Must See list and then work out the logistics.

 

You could also consider doing a 'round Australia' trip which would include all of those cities, plus a few more. Ask your TA about options on cruiselines who offer this itinerary including Princess and P&O.

[kuldalai]

The original poster does not show your Country of residence, but assuming you are from the USA :

 

- That time of the year is Summer in Australia, and especially hot and HUMID in Brisbane and Queensland .

 

- If coming from the USA you can fly with Qantas direct from Los Angeles DAILY to both Sydney or Melbourne . You can also fly with Qantas now from New York DAILY to Sydney (via LAX), or 4 times Weekly from Dallas Fort Worth to Sydney via Brisbane. (Note no return Brisbane - Dallas Fort Worth flight is available.)

 

- An option you might consider is fly to Auckland (New Zealand) then board DIAMOND PRINCESS that offers a NZ cruise then via Tasmania and Melbourne and ends up in Sydney . Then fly out of Sydney .

Several departure dates available .

 

http://www.princess.com/find/itineraryDetails.do?voyageCode=M201&tourCode=&date=&noOfPax=2&resType=C&definition_name=&airCity=&air=&bID=PCPB&itinPort=&tourIds=

 

You can fly DAILY with Air New Zealand or Qantas from Los Angeles to Auckland, and returning DAILY from Sydney with several airlines to several US gateways .

[erewhon]

Air New Zealand also has direct flights from San Francisco to Auckland, and Vancouver to Auckland.

[room010]

Unless I'm reading the OP's post incorrectly, they are asking which of the 3 cities is the best from which to explore Australia, not what US flights are available?

[kuldalai]

The flight information is given BECAUSE if the original enquiry is from the USA then the flight availability from the nearest USA gateway to the three Australian cities of Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane would have a significant influence on choosing which Australian port or Auckland (NZ) to cruise from .

[Keith1010]

Might be a good idea to let the original poster come back with followup questions.

 

Keith