Fly in on the day? Or stay the previous night in SYD?

[MicCanberra]

I agree Mic that is totally unfair.

When tiger were flying to Canberra my friends and I scored flights for $15 each way from Melbourne. Had a great weekend in your city.

Thanks to cheap flights we have been able to do a lot of travelling, perth for $48 each way, Darwin $49, cairns $25 all opportunities that the average mum, dad, and 3 of 4 kids possibly wouldn't be able to do without those cheap flights. Of course if the airline lets you down that's another story, especially if you have accommodation etc booked.

 

Yes, we had some good prices and some good trips out of tiger but that feeling and good sentiment was eroded quick smart with what they did.

[tillydog]

Nickycat, after you have stayed there can you please come back here and tell us what its really like ?, thanks.

 

We stayed at the Rocks YHA the night before our very first cruise in November 2011. We had a private room with ensuite bathroom overlooking Circular Quay. The room was basic as you'd expect but it was comfy. We did however move the bed to the window so we could get some breeze - dont worry, we moved it back in the morning before we left.

The cafe down at reception was great, they also sell those individual cereal packets for those who havent got food with them.

If you want to eat out, there are a heap of places nearby. Being a YHA, they also have the kitchens should you want to cook your own meals.

The only negative is the location, but that's more for folk with mobility issues/wheelchair users (I fall into that catagory) as you have to go the long way up/down. There are stairs that lead up the shorter way!

On Embarkation day, we checked out of the YHA and managed to get a wheelchair taxi from outside the Shangri-La Hotel which is nextdoor. (the nightmare of getting 2 suitcases, 2 pieces of hand luggage and an occupied wheelchair up to the hostel the day before was still fresh in mind!! So a taxi was much easier.)

 

hth :)

[The_Big_M]

Tiger had pulled out of Canberra (years ago now) and left us high and dry with no alternate flights later or the next day. No option but to fly Virgin or Qantas. The tickets were sale prices and therefore they claimed could not be refunded and only credited back.:(

 

That's a ridiculous excuse. Would have been worth a complaint to Fair Trading if the amount was worth it. If not, continue with the avoidance as you have.:D

[MicCanberra]

That's a ridiculous excuse. Would have been worth a complaint to Fair Trading if the amount was worth it. If not, continue with the avoidance as you have.:D

 

For $30 (2x $15) you sort of say 'It was too good to be true". Avoidance is a lot easier to do as they do not fly out of Canberra (the reason they cancelled in the first place).

Edited January 29, 2015 by MicCanberra

[LuckiePuris]

I have just booked the Harbour Rocks Hotel which looks to be a boutique style property just a short walk from the overseas passenger terminal. They also have a great little restaurant for breakfast, nice and easy on embarkation day! Just a heads up if anyone is searching for property ideas in walking distance.

[the_bings]

We've booked the Travelodge Wynyard, it's 800m from the OPT and apparently about 10 mins walk.

Our cruise leaves on a Sunday, so finding a reasonably priced room close to Circular Quay was a bit of a challenge... We didn't want to spend over $350 for a room we would check in to after 9pm Saturday night (our flight arrives at 8:20pm) and check out again at 11am the next morning to go to the port.. So after a scour of some travel compare websites the Travelodge at $209 for a Queen room was the best deal in the best location.

It won't be 5*, but hopefully clean & convenient.

[MicCanberra]

We've booked the Travelodge Wynyard, it's 800m from the OPT and apparently about 10 mins walk.

Our cruise leaves on a Sunday, so finding a reasonably priced room close to Circular Quay was a bit of a challenge... We didn't want to spend over $350 for a room we would check in to after 9pm Saturday night (our flight arrives at 8:20pm) and check out again at 11am the next morning to go to the port.. So after a scour of some travel compare websites the Travelodge at $209 for a Queen room was the best deal in the best location.

It won't be 5*, but hopefully clean & convenient.

 

The travel lodge is a fine hotel, it is right next tho Wynyard station so you could always catch the train from the airport to there if your luggage is manageable. You could also catch the train from Wynyard to Circular Quay if the weather is not so great for walking. It is all down hill to the Quay from the hotel though.:D

[GUT2407]

I have just booked the Harbour Rocks Hotel which looks to be a boutique style property just a short walk from the overseas passenger terminal. They also have a great little restaurant for breakfast, nice and easy on embarkation day! Just a heads up if anyone is searching for property ideas in walking distance.

 

 

It's a nice hotel.

[GUT2407]

We've booked the Travelodge Wynyard, it's 800m from the OPT and apparently about 10 mins walk.

Our cruise leaves on a Sunday, so finding a reasonably priced room close to Circular Quay was a bit of a challenge... We didn't want to spend over $350 for a room we would check in to after 9pm Saturday night (our flight arrives at 8:20pm) and check out again at 11am the next morning to go to the port.. So after a scour of some travel compare websites the Travelodge at $209 for a Queen room was the best deal in the best location.

It won't be 5*, but hopefully clean & convenient.

 

 

My darling does some consulting work for a Govt department and that's where they've put her up for the last year or so, though this month it's somewhere else so I'll report back, if I remember in a fortnight what this one is like.

 

The one warning re Travelodge is that can charge wildly different tariffs, I've spoken to people who paid about $200 a night difference on the same night

[MicCanberra]

My darling does some consulting work for a Govt department and that's where they've put her up for the last year or so, though this month it's somewhere else so I'll report back, if I remember in a fortnight what this one is like.

 

The one warning re Travelodge is that can charge wildly different tariffs, I've spoken to people who paid about $200 a night difference on the same night

 

Price differences can happen in any hotel, especially if they offer early bird or last minute deals. It is all about supply and demand. We have stayed there for $116 last year and it included breaky, but we could only do it for that price with 2 days notice and could only stay for 1 night.:D

[LuckiePuris]

Price differences can happen in any hotel, especially if they offer early bird or last minute deals. It is all about supply and demand. We have stayed there for $116 last year and it included breaky, but we could only do it for that price with 2 days notice and could only stay for 1 night.:D

 

Exactly, same thing with flight prices.

[GUT2407]

Price differences can happen in any hotel, especially if they offer early bird or last minute deals. It is all about supply and demand. We have stayed there for $116 last year and it included breaky, but we could only do it for that price with 2 days notice and could only stay for 1 night.:D

 

 

The night the "Sun Princess" was delayed due to man overboard my F-in-law was charged $400, no breakfast and minimum spends on the restaurant, but I guess last minute demand went through the roof that night.

[MicCanberra]

That is price gouging due to the demand. Unethical IMO.:(

[GUT2407]

That is price gouging due to the demand. Unethical IMO.:(

 

 

To be totally fair airlines and cruise lines do the same thing and there were also a couple of big events on in Sydney that night, but considering we have stayed there for $99.00 it was big BIG jump and then the situation with the restaurant made it even worse.

[The_Big_M]

To be totally fair airlines and cruise lines do the same thing and there were also a couple of big events on in Sydney that night, but considering we have stayed there for $99.00 it was big BIG jump and then the situation with the restaurant made it even worse.

 

The difference between booking in advance, and on a special, compared to (close to) rack rate. If you check out hotel rack rates, you'll often see them as ridiculously high prices that you haven't heard anybody pay. (Because they normally get a deal in advance of some form).

 

A bit like buying last minute from the airlines, even Tiger is pricey at full price!

[GUT2407]

The difference between booking in advance, and on a special, compared to (close to) rack rate. If you check out hotel rack rates, you'll often see them as ridiculously high prices that you haven't heard anybody pay. (Because they normally get a deal in advance of some form).

 

A bit like buying last minute from the airlines, even Tiger is pricey at full price!

 

 

We were a walk in, and yep I know all about rack rates I used to manage a hotel, our rack was about $200 or normal nightly was $65 [this was back in the mid 80s]

[MicCanberra]

To be totally fair airlines and cruise lines do the same thing and there were also a couple of big events on in Sydney that night, but considering we have stayed there for $99.00 it was big BIG jump and then the situation with the restaurant made it even worse.

 

yes, they do it is all supply and demand, still don't like price gouging though.:(