Booking Ahead

[graynz]

Being new, I don't know if this is a question that I'll find an answer to here - but here goes anyway.

We're booked for this year, but planning already for a long trip in 2016 with a voyage home by ship. It means picking up a ship in autumn 2016, somewhere just north of the equator (Asia, South America, US - whatever) and heading back to Oceania (NZ/Australia).

We can't seem to find companies advertising voyages for that time.

Is there a place where you can learn of upcoming schedules? Even rumours of likely itineraries? This is not actually that far off.

Any help/suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

You should talk to a travel agent in your area who also specializes in cruises.

[Essiesmom]

The ships that travel from the northern hemisphere to OZ/NZ in the fall are those that regularly sail downunder in your summer, repositioning from their (our) summer itineraries in Alaska. Not all cruise lines have their fall 2016 itineraries out yet. Celebrity Solstice leaves Vancouver, BC for Hawaii on 9 Sept, and continues through Tahiti to Sydney, arriving 8 Oct. Carnival Legend leaves Vancouver on Sept. 13 for Hawaii, and continues on to Sydney, arriving Oct. 11. Granted, that is pretty far above the equator, but it is what it is. I found these voyages by going to http://www.cruisetimetables.com and putting in west coast US and Canada ports and choosing Sept. as start time. You could continue the search by plugging in departure ports in Asia. Cruises that long as not regularly scheduled for many reasons. Usually they are repositioning cruises, or segments of a world cruise. EM

[John Bull]

I think that the likeliest options will be one-off itineraries - as Essiesmom's post they'll be seasonal re-positioning cruises, or world cruise sectors (yes, world cruises are sold in sectors & probably at least half the folk on a "world cruise" aren't on the ship for the whole circumnavigation). Or "grand voyages" such as those of the one-ship UK cruise line Voyages of Discovery - their ship sails the oceans like a tramp, and people book for two weeks or four weeks or six weeks, or 6 months even.

 

But these are quite difficult to track down, that's where a cruise specialist travel agent is worth their crust.

 

JB :)

Edited May 17, 2015 by John Bull

[graynz]

Thank you so much. That's great information. :)