Sailaway from Sydney

[ozscot01]

I have one of those questions that has no right or wrong answer so I'd really like to hear the views of experienced cruisers.

We are on our first ever cruise from Sydney in early December and I'm in a bit of a quandary. I am intrigued by the idea of "Sailaway" and would love to be on deck for the departure. However, we leave port at 6pm and I have no idea what we might see on the way to the open water and how long that might take.

So my question; is it worth it to forego MDR on the first night to be on deck, or should were really be at the dining room to stake a claim on a table? We do have Anytime Dining so that may influence your answers.

I'm open to all opinions so have at me :)

[Team Alpha]

There's no need to 'stake a claim' at the MDR at any time. We've only done a couple of cruises but have had anytime dining on both occasions - it works for us. We eat late and like the flexibility of it. At worst you might have to wait at the bar for 10-15 mins until a table becomes available.

 

Leaving Sydney is spectacular and it only happens once on the cruise... so you don't want to miss it. It will be daylight when you depart. I'm not sure of the actual sailing time from the OPT to the heads but it might be one to one and half hours. So you can enjoy the spectacular sailaway on deck with a drink in hand and once its over head to the MDR for dinner. You can do both as long as you don't mind eating at 8pm or later.

[kezcountry]

I had a similar query. We are going in January to NZ and wondered the same thing. Advice we were given by fellow cruisers were that because we have set dinner time for 6 pm we could have our main meal so we don't lose our table in restaurant skip entrée and head up for sailaway party for 7 pm onwards and then go back to buffet restaurant for dessert later. The atmosphere of Sailaway is spectacular so I wouldn't suggest you miss it.

[happysnapper]

If you have never sailed out of Sydney, especially of an evening, forget the dining room, it will be there for the rest of the cruise. The sailaway out of Sydney it is a most spectacular sight and not to be missed, food can wait. Also I would head to the bow/stern of the ship and look back at the bridge and opera house. Just wonderful. The only other sailaway in the world, in my humble opinion, to come anywhere near it would be Venice.

Edited October 12, 2015 by happysnapper

[happysnapper]

I had a similar query. We are going in January to NZ and wondered the same thing. Advice we were given by fellow cruisers were that because we have set dinner time for 6 pm we could have our main meal so we don't lose our table in restaurant skip entrée and head up for sailaway party for 7 pm onwards and then go back to buffet restaurant for dessert later. The atmosphere of Sailaway is spectacular so I wouldn't suggest you miss it.

 

See my previous post. If you are concerned about your 6pm time slot, and to be polite, just let the restaurant know you won't be there the 1st night and eat in the buffet.

[goodycruising]

If there is one night I would give a miss for My Time Dining it would be the first night. It is always more hectic due to all the newness, and while they do their best, it is logical that they would have to explain more to each table. I compare it to going to the Windjammer the first lunch, and then never going again because it is way too busy. (Which friends of ours have said). You can confirm a booking time if you want the next day, but if you want the best experience from MTD you will go when it suits you, and if it really is too long a wait, then try the buffet/Windjhammer. We have never had to wait more than a few minutes, for tables from 2 people to 7 people.

 

It amazes me that people turn their nose up at the buffet, and then proceed to tell me they have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same table for two in the main dining room at the same time each day. (Yes, another friend said this recently!) I can sit at the same table for two at home every day 3 times a day!

 

Explore the options and relax a little. It is supposed to be a holiday! You don't have to explain your actions to anyone. you don't have to mark your table like it is musical chairs and you will miss out!

 

The chances you would go hungry are extremely slim :) The chances of you going to the MDR and then getting away on time to see the sailaway are much higher. Sydney is a beautiful port. Get out there and enjoy one of the most beautiful sailaways in the world (yep, friends have agreed on that!)

Edited October 12, 2015 by goodycruising

[GUT2407]

If you have never sailed out of Sydney, especially of an evening, forget the dining room, it will be there for the rest of the cruise. The sailaway out of Sydney it is a most spectacular sight and not to be missed, food can wait. Also I would head to the bow/stern of the ship and look back at the bridge and opera house. Just wonderful. The only other sailaway in the world, in my humble opinion, to come anywhere near it would be Venice.

 

Pretty darn special if you ask me.

[Adidas4fun]

Squeriously? Forget the MDR, you need to be up top. And once you clear the heads stop and sit at the bar at the stern, drink another bubbles and watch the heads fade away. It is a wonderful time and the MDR will be there every other night.

[whimsy7]

we always enjoy the sail away from Sydney.

the views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge when you are on the water are fantastic.

we also have anytime dining so we have pre-booked our dinner in the MDR for 7.30 pm. in this way, we can be on deck for the 6.00 pm sail away.

[Beanb41]

Sydney harbour is one of the great harbours in the world for sailaway. It is even better at night. My suggestion is choose buffet for dinner that night or a late dinner. One should be clear of most of the scenic views about 30 minutes after the ship has turned into the stream heading towards the heads. It could take upwards of 30 minutes to back out of Circular Quay.

[aussie girl2]

Well the pro's of making sail away your priority:

 

Sydney is up there with Venice and New York as one of most beautiful ports in the world. Why would you forsake one of the highlights of the cruise?

 

MDR can be very busy on first night and some people would actually avoid it for that reason.

 

You will have multiple opportunities on the rest of the cruise to attend the MDR many times so what are you really missing?

 

As others have posted, it may not be a case of one-or-the-other and there may be opportunities to dine later after sail away. Before you know it you will be out of the harbour to sea any how.

 

I guess it depends on your priorities and hope it works out for you either way!

[shrekaus]

We have booked a cruise out of Sydney, paid airfares and accommodation purely to have the experience of sailing out of Sydney Harbour, can't wait for it. We have fixed dining at 8.30 but even if we hadn't we wouldn't pass up the opportunity of sailaway on deck.

Our only other cruise was out of Brisbane - nothing spectacular about that once you are under the gateway bridge, hence flying to Sydney.

We go a good deal on the cruise but for the price of air/accommodation could have had 3 sail out of Brisbane. :)

[Kauaijim]

I assume the same can be said about sailing into Sydney harbor? We arrive about noon for an overnight on SB in feb.

[Melba51]

I've only ever sailed into Sydney in the early morning and it's definitely worth getting up for. I love the view of Sydney from outside the heads at dawn. So special...

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I assume the same can be said about sailing into Sydney harbor? We arrive about noon for an overnight on SB in feb.

 

A noon arrival will be brilliant. Usually the ships sail in about 5 am .

[Rosee]

Not only would I not miss 'sailaway' out of Sydney Harbour, but I organise my MDR dinners so as not to miss all 'sailaway's out of most ports we visit. As some other poster said, "you can have dinner in MDR anytime....even better if it is 'anytime dining'!

It upsets me when the cruise line departs ports at the set dinner time of 6pm, when we usually eat (at home), so I rearrange my eating times on the ship to allow for sailaway viewing. Just let the dining room staff know of your intentions so that they can use your table for someone else if you are not coming. They will appreciate it too!

I live in Sydney, and have sailed out of (and into) Sydney Harbour 7 times (so far), and was on deck by choice every single time! Better at the back of the ship too!

Have arrived back in Harbour at all various times, dawn, mid morning, night, they all have their special memories. It is a special place.

So definitely be up on deck for 'sailaway' and re-entry too......you won't regret it, I'm sure of that!

 

Rosee

[ozscot01]

Thanks everyone. Pretty clear that "sail away" is not to be missed. That suits me fine, I can send the teens to Johnny Rockets so they don't "die of hunger" :)

[Newby58]

We also do not want to miss our Sydney sailaway which for us is 1830hrs. Would you risk a quick MTD reservation for 3 at 1730hrs?

[GUT2407]

I assume the same can be said about sailing into Sydney harbor? We arrive about noon for an overnight on SB in feb.

 

Both are brilliant, never sailed in at Noon, bt out with the sun setting is special.

[GUT2407]

We also do not want to miss our Sydney sailaway which for us is 1830hrs. Would you risk a quick MTD reservation for 3 at 1730hrs?

 

Nope.

 

If sail away is 4:00 a tad early, but you will get to see a lot of it, may miss passing through the heads.

[Tredebo]

Sail away is not to be missed from Sydney! As others have said, let the MDR staff know you won't be there first night and get yourself out on deck. The best part is leaving the wharf, passing the Opera House and up Middle Harbour. Turning to slip through The Heads to open water and looking back to see the sun starting to drop over Sydney is nothing short of spectacular.

 

A word on coming back into Sydney on return, as daylight saving is applicable, that 5:00 am entry into the harbour is really 4:00 am so it is pre dawn and still dark. Having said that, gliding into a sleeping Sydney Harbour is worth getting up for.

[Pushka]

Sailaway out of Sydney is memorable. Eating isnt.

[Scanorama]

We also do not want to miss our Sydney sailaway which for us is 1830hrs. Would you risk a quick MTD reservation for 3 at 1730hrs?

I think the time is a bit tight - why rush dinner when you are supposed to be on holiday and relax? I would eat at the buffet that evening so that you don't need to rush about for the sail away.

[crochetcruise]

Not only would I not miss 'sailaway' out of Sydney Harbour, but I organise my MDR dinners so as not to miss all 'sailaway's out of most ports we visit. As some other poster said, "you can have dinner in MDR anytime....even better if it is 'anytime dining'!

It upsets me when the cruise line departs ports at the set dinner time of 6pm, when we usually eat (at home), so I rearrange my eating times on the ship to allow for sailaway viewing. Just let the dining room staff know of your intentions so that they can use your table for someone else if you are not coming. They will appreciate it too!

I live in Sydney, and have sailed out of (and into) Sydney Harbour 7 times (so far), and was on deck by choice every single time! Better at the back of the ship too!

Have arrived back in Harbour at all various times, dawn, mid morning, night, they all have their special memories. It is a special place.

So definitely be up on deck for 'sailaway' and re-entry too......you won't regret it, I'm sure of that!

 

Rosee

 

Please, how long does it take to depart from Sydney Harbour and sail through the Heads? A friend and I are sailing November 11, 2016 and we'd like to grab something to eat after we cast off from the Overseas Passenger Terminal and be on deck as we're passing through the Heads to get some photos if possible. I'm physically disabled and on a walking frame so would prefer the Crown Grill or the MDR, Horizon Court, from the photos I've seen, would be challenging for me.

 

Thanks for your help, we're both Newbie Cruisers. I'm in F315, the Disabled Accessible Window Suite, and he's in an Inside Stateroom on Plaza Deck. He's a former Work colleague who's grandmother lives a couple of units down from me-and she thinks it's wonderful we're sailing together.

[Pushka]

You would be through the heads in around 60 minutes - quicker if berthed at Circular Quays.