Australia/NZ cruises with 4 sea days: Azamara or Celebrity?

[newcruisermom]

Hi,

We are planning a February 2017 cruise to Australia and New Zealand, and we have it narrowed down to the Azamara Journey and the Celebrity Solstice. We LOVE Azamara (4 out of our 6 total cruises) but have never sailed Celebrity.

 

The reasons I am considering Celebrity: lower price; 4 sea days. We have never been on a cruise with that many sea days and are thinking that Celebrity would have more activities and evening entertainment.

 

On the other hand, we love the great docking locations, the Sunset Bar, and general "feel" of Azamara. Azamazing, indeed!

 

This will be our longest, farthest, and most expensive vacation to date...so I want to be sure I make a good decision.

 

Thanks in advance,

Mary

[Antonintassie]

I would vote for Celebrity ( Solstice I assume) bigger but still manageable ,The seas around the East Coast of Australia and in particular NZ can be rough in December /Jan.

As an aside we actually had a suite booked for Australia / NZ and cancelled because of the extended sea days .In fact despite living in Australia we have never taken a cruise in the region because of the extended time at sea and the weather is never that great in Dec /Jan particularly in Northern Australian waters.

[ellbon]

I would vote for Celebrity ( Solstice I assume) bigger but still manageable ,The seas around the East Coast of Australia and in particular NZ can be rough in December /Jan.

As an aside we actually had a suite booked for Australia / NZ and cancelled because of the extended sea days .In fact despite living in Australia we have never taken a cruise in the region because of the extended time at sea and the weather is never that great in Dec /Jan particularly in Northern Australian waters.

 

[outside the Tasman Sea I was fine. Just did 7 weeks on AZ and two crossings of the sea.. more or less i read and slept one day and the other was up and about.. personally i take the wonderful crew over the large Soltice which i have sailed on. plus being summer over all i had great sunny sea days and times at the beach.. Azamara gives you better docking, longer time in ports and better service.

it would help to know the ports on both ships as some of us could help more than others as far as ports go.. this would include overnights too.

[cruzluvers]

We love Azamara and have done 5 cruises with them. We recently did a 35 night cruise around New Zealand and Australia on Celebrity Solstice and couldn't have been more pleased. The itinerary, the ship and staff couldn't have been better.

[newcruisermom]

Thank you, Antonintassie, Ellbon, and cruzluvers for your help and insights. :)

 

I am very excited about finally seeing Australia and New Zealand!

 

Robin, regarding the ports...these are the ones that both cruises include: Sydney, Hobart, Milford Sound (cruising), Dunedin/Port Chalmers, Akaroa, Napier, Tauranga, and Auckland. I do realize that the actual docking locations might be different, based on the size differences of the ships.

 

Azamara includes Melbourne and Port Arthur; Celebrity does not.

Celebrity includes Wellington; Azamara does not.

 

Azamara includes overnights in Sydney, Hobart, and Napier.

 

Azamara is 15 nights; Celebrity is 12 nights. (Very large price difference, as you would expect.) We're looking at standard veranda cabins on Azamara. We are looking at Aquaclass on Celebrity.

 

Thanks.

[upwarduk]

---despite living in Australia we have never taken a cruise in the region because of the extended time at sea and the weather is never that great in Dec /Jan particularly in Northern Australian waters.

 

We were on the Tasman Sea in January 2008 and it was like a Mill pond.

[ellbon]

Thank you, Antonintassie, Ellbon, and cruzluvers for your help and insights. :)

 

I am very excited about finally seeing Australia and New Zealand!

 

Robin, regarding the ports...these are the ones that both cruises include: Sydney, Hobart, Milford Sound (cruising), Dunedin/Port Chalmers, Akaroa, Napier, Tauranga, and Auckland. I do realize that the actual docking locations might be different, based on the size differences of the ships.

 

I just did all these ports. sydney-= non stop action-more time the better. Hobart- i did dinner out the first night. .second day my main goal was MONA Museum and then shop some. Dundedin - not much in port Chalmers but did the train one time and the other a private tour including a wonderful castle home.. grounds lovely. Akaroa- tender port- went to Christchurch on the worse private tour ever- then walekd around town .second time i did the jet boat on my own, lunch pout.. really good wine store/hosue/gardens. can walk from were tender is.. loved sititng pout there and bringing wine back on ship.Tauranga-hike and beach-second time lunch and massage. Auckland- well, i bungy jump again big city you need a plan.

 

Azamara includes Melbourne and Port Arthur; Celebrity does not.

Celebrity includes Wellington; Azamara does not.

 

loved Wellington. wish you could do both. but i rather see Port Arthur. AZ we tendered and I learned alter the ship paid for all 600 and something passangers to enjoy the prison and grounds. .then we sail to Hobart where we overnighted. Melborne lovely place but I could skip it for any other port. i did the great Ocean Road on a tour. neither ship goes there

 

Azamara includes overnights in Sydney, Hobart, and Napier.

 

overnight in Napier-that is new.. good places to eat there after sightseeing. .we did not overnight - more like 1 to 7

 

Azamara is 15 nights; Celebrity is 12 nights. (Very large price difference, as you would expect.) We're looking at standard veranda cabins on Azamara. We are looking at Aquaclass on Celebrity.

 

Thanks.

 

please remember that AZ only 175 sq feet compared to `194 sq feet in cabin. .but AZ has the special evening.. I di 2 out of 4 this winter. .did the ones with live music. even with the price difference i would pick AZ and enoy the over nights and alter stays in port.

 

i ddi 4 cruises with two in NZ. .i never did the same thing twice but go buy wine. also AZ still lets you bring on all the wine in all the ports.

 

how else can I help you?

[margbem]

I would do a land trip in New Zealand. You see so much more.

[Antonintassie]

Hi

 

I live in Tasmania ,Port Arthur is an easy drive from Hobart but you will use the full port day .

 

Napier is a fantastic step back into art deco history .

 

Looking the itinerary I would have to reverse my original call ,and go with Azamara .

 

Just be aware the Tasman Sea and Bass Strait can be hit and miss with sea conditions .

 

I have had crossing when it has been like glass and others where I have been walking on the bulkheads .

 

Thank you, Antonintassie, Ellbon, and cruzluvers for your help and insights. :)

 

I am very excited about finally seeing Australia and New Zealand!

 

Robin, regarding the ports...these are the ones that both cruises include: Sydney, Hobart, Milford Sound (cruising), Dunedin/Port Chalmers, Akaroa, Napier, Tauranga, and Auckland. I do realize that the actual docking locations might be different, based on the size differences of the ships.

 

Azamara includes Melbourne and Port Arthur; Celebrity does not.

Celebrity includes Wellington; Azamara does not.

 

Azamara includes overnights in Sydney, Hobart, and Napier.

 

Azamara is 15 nights; Celebrity is 12 nights. (Very large price difference, as you would expect.) We're looking at standard veranda cabins on Azamara. We are looking at Aquaclass on Celebrity.

 

Thanks.

[ellbon]

Hi

 

I live in Tasmania ,Port Arthur is an easy drive from Hobart but you will use the full port day .

 

it might be easy but it is 3 hours RT. And if a ship in port 7 or 8 hours not enough time.. took me a good 3 plus hours to enjoy the prison and i skipped the museum

 

Napier is a fantastic step back into art deco history .

 

one reason i just walked around the second time. but also a good starting point for wineries.

 

Looking the itinerary I would have to reverse my original call ,and go with Azamara .

:)

 

Just be aware the Tasman Sea and Bass Strait can be hit and miss with sea conditions .

 

I have had crossing when it has been like glass and others where I have been walking on the bulkheads .

 

I took pills and ginger.. did not miss a meal but was glad iwas mid ship sleeping. .but i did go to a lecture i wanted to see. i have been on Celebrity and I would still do AZ over them there.

[newcruisermom]

Thanks for your input on the itineraries. Lots to think about. I'll admit that I had not really considered the sea conditions/weather/roughness. Thanks for bringing that aspect to my attention. We never worried about seasickness until our last cruise, when my husband had terrible seasickness one sea day on the Mediterranean. (It was rough seas, and many passengers felt sick that day.)

[ellbon]

Thanks for your input on the itineraries. Lots to think about. I'll admit that I had not really considered the sea conditions/weather/roughness. Thanks for bringing that aspect to my attention. We never worried about seasickness until our last cruise, when my husband had terrible seasickness one sea day on the Mediterranean. (It was rough seas, and many passengers felt sick that day.)

 

the motion really gets to me. .not only am i going back to AU but i am in a spa cabin.. figure if i am going to be in bed i am going for comfort. of the 2 sea days crossing i seem to adjust. .never missed dinner and stood in the show room getting my award. .so it is all l

doable.

[nyfeds]

We took a land tour through many parts of New Zealand a few years ago with Tauck. Loved it. We found a great itinerary cruising with Azmara, Sydney to Auckland, February 2018 and booked it. The itinerary covers Sydney, which we have not yet visited, as well as New Zealand ports which were not included in our land tour, with the exception of Auckland. We've never been on Azmara and are eager to give them a try. We've cruised Celebrity twice. The first cruise with them was great with no issues whatsoever. The second was great insofar as the itinerary (Norwegian Fjords), with the exception of some food quality and dining service issues. Time for a change for us to Azmara, with that said.

Edited April 4, 2016 by nyfeds

[newcruisermom]

Thank you for all you input and help. What a generous group! I am putting together all my information and will let you know what I decide.

[upwarduk]

I think you should go for a mid ship cabin if your husband suffered sea sickness in the Med last year, whichever ship you choose.

[maryann ns]

You miss some of the best part of New Zealand on a cruise: some examples - Queenstown and area (stunning scenery), Wanaka and Mount Cook are also stunning. Milford Sound cruise ship tours to not go all the way to the end of the fjord.

[ellbon]

You miss some of the best part of New Zealand on a cruise: some examples - Queenstown and area (stunning scenery), Wanaka and Mount Cook are also stunning. Milford Sound cruise ship tours to not go all the way to the end of the fjord.

 

not totally true. .AZ has an over night that includes a few high lights of Queenstown, Arrowtown and it is by bus. .meals and wines.. the people who did it loved it. too much bus for me so i skipped it.

[MissyMom]

We went to Australia and new Zealand on the celebrity ship they just sold. It stopped in port for only 6 hours some days after 2 or 3 sea days. We wished we had read the schedule better before spending soooo many sea days and sooo few land hours. Felt it was truly a penny wise and pound foolish decision.

[upwarduk]

We went to Australia and New Zealand on the Celebrity ship they just sold.

 

Confused

Do you mean you sailed on Mercury?

We did in 2008.

I wasn't aware that Celebrity had sold any of their ships more recently.

Edited April 7, 2016 by upwarduk

[bob278]

Confused

Do you mean you sailed on Mercury?

We did in 2008.

I wasn't aware that Celebrity had sold any of their ships more recently.

The Century was sold in April, 2014. We had planned on being on the last two voyages, Singapore-Dubal and Dubai-Rome but when Celebrity changed who they sold it to, the last voyage was a return back to Singapore. It is now sailing under a partnership with Celebrity and a Chinese company. We switched over and sailed on the Quest from Singapore-Dubai and Dubai-Istanbul. Didn't even have to change our flights to Singapore.

[upwarduk]

The Century was sold in April, 2014. We had planned on being on the last two voyages, Singapore-Dubal and Dubai-Rome but when Celebrity changed who they sold it to, the last voyage was a return back to Singapore. It is now sailing under a partnership with Celebrity and a Chinese company. We switched over and sailed on the Quest from Singapore-Dubai and Dubai-Istanbul. Didn't even have to change our flights to Singapore.

 

Of course Bob, how quickly I forget. We too were booked on Century's last sailing, Dubai- Rome.

Edited April 7, 2016 by upwarduk

[MissyMom]

We went to Australia and new Zealand on the celebrity ship they just sold. It stopped in port for only 6 hours some days after 2 or 3 sea days. We wished we had read the schedule better before spending soooo many sea days and sooo few land hours. Felt it was truly a penny wise and pound foolish decision.

 

Sorry, it was a Princess (former Renaissance) ship.

But the issue is still the land vs sea time if you travel a long distance ... and the total experience. When all 4 of us got lamb chops (our favorite) we had difficulty cutting them. The maitre d told us we needed to go to the specialty restaurants for good lamb chops!

We went on Princess because our friends wanted to spend less and get some free Internet time with their tier level. I'd rather take less trips with better food and overnight or longer stops to have time to see the ports we might not visit again.

[onthebalcony]

We were on the Celebrity Solstice in Dec and had 4 sea days from Sydney to Auckland. 1 sea day after Sydney, 2 days after Melbourne and 1 day between Wellington and Tauranga. Not sure where Azamara goes! Great cruise!! We loved New Zealand. If you are able, take the mail run tour in Akaroa! Amazing and fun to see parts of NZ no one else saw!! Only 8 in the van.