Aus/Nz cruise now or later?

[adverb]

My friend and I are trying to plan cruise for this year. We both want to go to Australia, but since we are late in the season the majority of stuff is in March. Would this be a good time to go? We were looking at RCL and would either do roundtrip Sydney or Sydney to Perth. we would stay a couple days in Sydney beforehand. I'm open to other stuff to do in OZ as well while we are there.

 

The other option is To skip Australia and do another itinerary. We were also looking at Hawaii and Panama Canal. I know there are cruises that go from Australia to Hawaii, but they looked pretty pricey.

 

We'd like to stick with RCL for now for whichever cruise we pick.

[MMDown Under]

My friend and I are trying to plan cruise for this year. We both want to go to Australia, but since we are late in the season the majority of stuff is in March. Would this be a good time to go? We were looking at RCL and would either do roundtrip Sydney or Sydney to Perth. we would stay a couple days in Sydney beforehand. I'm open to other stuff to do in OZ as well while we are there.

 

The other option is To skip Australia and do another itinerary. We were also looking at Hawaii and Panama Canal. I know there are cruises that go from Australia to Hawaii, but they looked pretty pricey.

 

We'd like to stick with RCL for now for whichever cruise we pick.

 

If you choose to cruise in Australia in March, I suggest you don't cruise north because that is our cyclone season.

 

Sydney to Perth would be a better choice, if it is the southern route, with land content at each end.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Have you checked out the airfare to Australia? That could be the decider for you as late bookings are usually at top dollar.

Other than that Feb/March/April is an ideal time to cruise .

 

 

 

[avalon007]

We cruised out of Sydney in March 2012 & there was a cyclone about but the Radiance captain did a great job of restructuring the ports so we had no rough seas or nasty weather & still went to all ports on the itinerary.

 

But chances are you won't even see a cyclone.:)

 

We are cruising in March this year in the South Pacific again.

 

Being in Australia in March is a good time of year for many reasons. It is the start of our Autumn season so most places Sydney & south are still warm enough to enjoy but not as hot as the middle of Summer.

 

If staying in Sydney for a few days, apart from seeing the usual highlights of the Opera House, old Sydney area known as The Rocks & the Harbour Bridge, you should try to do a day trip west to the Scenic Blue Mountains, visit Taronga Zoo to see native wildlife, or maybe a day trip North the Hunter Valley Wine district if that appeals.

 

We did the cruise Hawaii to Sydney last year as well as a 10 day Hawaii cruise B2B & both were great.

 

The repositioning cruise scan be pricey because there are only 2 a year on 2 ships (4 cruises in total) with that itinerary so they sell out fast & don't discount as readily.

 

But I know Royal are having a Summer Sale at the moment on the Australian website with 16 night Sydney to Hawaii on Rhapsody from $1417 inside cabin.

 

But if you have to restrict yourself too much due to price, better to do a cheaper cruise this year & plan for the Australian one the next year so you can do it justice are my thoughts.

 

You don't want to come all this way then miss out on doing things.

 

Hope that's helpful.:)

[aussielozzie18]

March is a good time to visit. Generally good weather. Not school holidays, so Sydney tourist sites won,t be busy.

[goodycruising]

We did Perth to Sydney via NZ in March 2 years ago and the weather was very pleasant and mild for most of the trip and we took way too much warm gear. I think only around the Sounds was actually cooler. Getting on at Perth it was 38c so it can still be hot in Aus also in March.

 

Also NZ is not as cold as people seem to think. The snow fields get a lot of publicity, but we have found it lovely mid 20's celsius most times for coastal towns when we have been there at different times of year.

 

Sometimes if a trip looks a bit more expensive it can be that you are getting nicer port locations. Don't get too twisted by other trips being cheaper, sometimes you need to do the trip you want and if you just do a trip as it is cheaper then you may not get the value for your dollars.

[OzKiwiJJ]

March is the best time of year to visit NZ however you have to be prepared for all weathers. It shouldn't be very cold but it could be cool around Milford Sound. I usually take layers - mostly tshirts, with a long sleeve tshirt or two to wear over them, a light jumper, a light polar fleece and a serious rain jacket with hood. That way you can layer up as much as needed. I used that method in Europe as well and it served me very well even on a Rhine cruise at the end of September which was much colder than I expected.

[30thbirthdaygirls]

March is a perfect time to travel, it's not in the middle of our scorching hot summer and has only just started to cool down. I've lived in the northern part of Australia for many years, so I know what I am talking about when it comes to cyclones, you'd have to be pretty darn unlucky to experience a cyclone in March as it's right on the tail end of the season. Also if you travel in March it is not our school holidays so you will avoid the extra local crowds that flock to popular tourist spots and less children on board. My friend and I are travelling in March for these above reasons. If you travel around Tasmania and South aus it may be cooler but the scenery is beautiful, the qld cruise to whitsundays and cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef should be on your list of must sees and you'll definitely be able to work on your tans but with lesser humidity which is a big plus. I've lived in many parts of Australia and have been in the tourism industry before so feel free to ask me any questions. People have already mentioned the Sydney attractions. Oh and you'll be able to cuddle a koala and pat a kangaroo in most of the big tourist spots there are so many Aussie wildlife parks and zoos everywhere.

 

 

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[30thbirthdaygirls]

March is a perfect time to travel, it's not in the middle of our scorching hot summer and has only just started to cool down. I've lived in the northern part of Australia for many years, so I know what I am talking about when it comes to cyclones, you'd have to be pretty darn unlucky to experience a cyclone in March as it's right on the tail end of the season. Also if you travel in March it is not our school holidays so you will avoid the extra local crowds that flock to popular tourist spots and less children on board. My friend and I are travelling in March for these above reasons. If you travel around Tasmania and South aus it may be cooler but the scenery is beautiful, the qld cruise to whitsundays and cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef should be on your list of must sees and you'll definitely be able to work on your tans but with lesser humidity which is a big plus. I've lived in many parts of Australia and have been in the tourism industry before so feel free to ask me any questions. People have already mentioned the Sydney attractions. Oh and you'll be able to cuddle a koala and pat a kangaroo in most of the big tourist spots there are so many Aussie wildlife parks and zoos everywhere.

 

 

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[2910car]

Good to know that March is the best travel season. We will be arriving in Cairns on February 28 then on to Ayers Rock and Alice Springs on March 3 and 4 then on to Sydney on March 5 and board the Celebrity Solstice on March 10 for Melbourne and around New Zealand.

 

I am a little worried about extreme heat in Ayers Rock (and maybe Cairns?) We are from Florida so not unaccustomed to hot weather but we are not usually out in the hot sun sightseeing in Florida. Can you ease my mind and tell me the heat will be okay. I know the experience will be well worth it.

 

Thank you.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Cairns is coastal so shouldn't be too hot, current temps are around 30C / 86F. It still might be a bit rainy in Cairns when you arrive so may be very humid.

 

Alice Springs is currently showing temps in the mid-high 30Cs - say 95 -100 F. Not sure how much this will drop in the next month. Humidity should be a lot lower.

 

Carry lots of water, wear a shady hat, and try to duck into air-conditioned places at regular intervals to cool off. You should be OK.

 

You can check current temps here http://www.bom.gov.au/index.php?ref=hdr. If you look under "observations" you can see what the relative humidity is. Cairns is in QLD and Alice Springs is NT. Note: in the observations you have to scroll down a long way to see Alice Springs.

[OzKiwiJJ]

By the way, I survived sightseeing in the hot Florida sun a few years ago ;)

[aussielozzie18]

Good to know that March is the best travel season. We will be arriving in Cairns on February 28 then on to Ayers Rock and Alice Springs on March 3 and 4 then on to Sydney on March 5 and board the Celebrity Solstice on March 10 for Melbourne and around New Zealand.

 

I am a little worried about extreme heat in Ayers Rock (and maybe Cairns?) We are from Florida so not unaccustomed to hot weather but we are not usually out in the hot sun sightseeing in Florida. Can you ease my mind and tell me the heat will be okay. I know the experience will be well worth it.

 

Thank you.

 

I believe the flies at Ayers Rocks are pretty annoying in summer. Might be good idea to invest in a hat with a net as soon as you land.

[30thbirthdaygirls]

I think it won't be too hot, warm yes but not too uncomfortable. The upside you'll be able to pack lighter pieces of clothing. Sydney and NZ I would still pack a cardigan for night time as I will drop a bit, no need for heavy stuff.

 

 

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[OzKiwiJJ]

NZ can be very variable all year round so I would recommend having some warmer layers.

 

Some years ago we were touring the South Island. We started in Christchurch. One evening we were sitting outside for dinner on a lovely warm evening (mid-20Cs) just wearing short-sleeved tops. The next day we woke up to freezing rain and the temperature didn't go above 8C all day. Luckily we were prepared for all weathers.

 

Edit: this was in early March.

Edited February 7, 2014 by OzKiwiJJ