Can't find a single cruise :(. Help me find a cruise.

[uvasag]

Just a thought, uvasag. What are you expecting from a coastal cruise of Australia? The typical Top End cruise has lots of sea days, but doesn't visit that many ports. They usually visit Brisbane, the Cairns / Port Douglas region (Yorkey's Knob is part of that) for the Great Barrier Reef, Darwin, Broome, an overseas port in Indonesia or Papua New Guinea, and maybe Geraldton. And they do scenic cruising along the spectacular Kimberley Coast. If you're wanting to see Australia in more depth you really need to do some land travel before or after the cruise.

 

Also there aren't usually many children on those cruises as, being our winter there are only short school holidays during that period.

 

My main interest is wild life and marine life. When I first started my quest, I wanted to see Whales. I was told whales can be seen in May - Aug. which is Australian winter so good for whale watching but not so good for anything else. I then changed my plans to experience something unique to Australia so the great barrier reef and the beautiful rugged Kimberley in the months of Feb. and Mar. I'm still a beginner and I guess not a quick learner because I'm still going back and forth.

 

Also, another valid suggestion was to not do cruise and just do a land tour. Granted that it would give us the mobility and a better Australian experience but with 2 kids a cruise is just more practical. I don't have to pack every 2 days and the kids would get bored on long drives from one place to another.

 

Maybe, I should wait till my kids are older before making this trip ? Thanks to everybody for their help so far.

[MMDown Under]

My main interest is wild life and marine life. When I first started my quest, I wanted to see Whales. I was told whales can be seen in May - Aug. which is Australian winter so good for whale watching but not so good for anything else. I then changed my plans to experience something unique to Australia so the great barrier reef and the beautiful rugged Kimberley in the months of Feb. and Mar. I'm still a beginner and I guess not a quick learner because I'm still going back and forth.

 

Also, another valid suggestion was to not do cruise and just do a land tour. Granted that it would give us the mobility and a better Australian experience but with 2 kids a cruise is just more practical. I don't have to pack every 2 days and the kids would get bored on long drives from one place to another.

 

Maybe, I should wait till my kids are older before making this trip ? Thanks to everybody for their help so far.

 

I wouldn't wait until your boys are older, as 10 and 12 is the perfect age for your sons to travel and discover the world.

 

As you are interested in wild life and marine life, you might like to consider combining a short east coast cruise, combined with land travel, such as Heron Island, which is a coral island on the southern GBR.

 

http://www.heronisland.com/?gclid=CjwKEAjwjca5BRCAyaPGi6_h8m8SJADryPLhzRaOo5izS0UDGI1o6bdYKEd1JHB_PTZ0hitm84bTjxoCIVXw_wcB

[peter.kath@hotmail.com]

I agree my daughter is 15 has Cerebral Palsy and is unable to walk and has been on 11 cruises. She just Ioves it. she has got to see and do so many different things. Last year we did Singapore to Sydney and the highlight for her was feeding a crocodile in Darwin.

By cruising you get the opportunity to get a taste for different ports to see where you might like to return. We would like to explore more of Asia and are checking out itinerarys at the moment.

[uvasag]

So here is my dilemma. Top end cruise are better in Aus. Winter but then no kids on ship for my boys to keep company. Australian summer is cyclone season and too hot and humid.

[sonia2509]

So here is my dilemma. Top end cruise are better in Aus. Winter but then no kids on ship for my boys to keep company. Australian summer is cyclone season and too hot and humid.

 

 

Not all of Australian summer is cyclone season and too hot and humid. If you leave from Sydney and go down to New Zealand and southern Australia the summer is nice. It is only the top end and Darwin and parts of Western Australia that are hot

 

 

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[Cabansail]

We went over the top in Nov/Dec and it was fine. It was hot in Port Hedland and quite humid in Darwin but generally it was OK. The longer cruises do attract an older crowd I hear, so that will be an issue anyway. Cyclones are a factor but as long as you are aware of that and prepared that it could affect you it should be OK.

[peter.kath@hotmail.com]

Just been looking again 2/3/17 Singapore to Brisbane. Suite with balcony $2327 Pacific Dawn Bali Komodo Dilli Darwin Cairns Whitsundays.

 

When picking a cruise I firstly choose where I want to go and then how much is it going to cost. As far as weather goes you cannot predict it. In March this year we went to Tonga Fiji and Vanuatu, Cyclone Windsor went to each of them and back and we did not have any rough weather. We went to Darwin in September and it was very humid.

Our next cruise will be our 2nd time cruising to Papua New Guinea in February so another hot one.

I would not be concerned about company for your children. I have always met heaps of grandparents taking there grandchildren for cruises.

[OzKiwiJJ]

My main interest is wild life and marine life. When I first started my quest, I wanted to see Whales. I was told whales can be seen in May - Aug. which is Australian winter so good for whale watching but not so good for anything else. I then changed my plans to experience something unique to Australia so the great barrier reef and the beautiful rugged Kimberley in the months of Feb. and Mar. I'm still a beginner and I guess not a quick learner because I'm still going back and forth.

 

 

Realistically, you don't see much of any of those things on a cruise.

 

We did see one whale on our Top End cruise last year.

 

You could do an excursion to the Great Barrier Reef if the ship stops at Cairns / Yorkey's Knob / Port Douglas - I can't comment how good those excursions are but I think they are usually from a large catamaran with 200-300 people onboard. The scenic cruising of the Kimberley is interesting but you don't get close enough to see more than just the rugged coastline.

 

I would suggest flying in to NZ in February or March with the aim of doing a cruise from Auckland to Sydney. Several ports on the NZ itineraries will allow you to see wildlife.

 

While you are in Auckland do a day trip to Tiritiri Matangi Island. http://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/

 

If your cruise goes to the Bay of Islands you should be able to go on a day trip that will include dolphin watching, perhaps even swimming with dolphins.

 

Akaroa is the home of the tiny Hector's Dolphin, only found in NZ waters, and there are excursion available to swim with them.

 

Dunedin is home to a very fine albatross sanctuary, and a yellow-eyed penguin sanctuary where you will probably also see seals snoozing while sheep graze around them.

 

Dolphins are also commonly seen in Milford Sound, as are seals.

 

If you are lucky you may also see whales off the coast of New Zealand.

 

Once you reach Sydney you could spend a few days there, and visit either the Taronga Zoo or Featherdale Wildlife Park http://www.featherdale.com.au/ to see some of our native animals.

 

Then I would suggest flying up to Cairns for a few days. We prefer to stay in Port Douglas, an hour by shuttle bus from Cairns. From Port Douglas you can do a trip to the outer reef with Wavelength http://www.wavelength.com.au/, which I highly recommend. Also interesting is the Low Isles, which is much closer to Port Douglas. There are two companies that do trips there http://sailawayportdouglas.com/ or http://wavedancerlowisles.com/sailing-the-great-barrier-reef/ (I think we did it with Sailaway). It's good to do both the outer reef and the Low Isles as that gives you variety for snorkelling.

 

From Port Douglas you can also do a Daintree Forest day trip where you'll usually see a crocodile or two. There is also a crocodile park between Cairns and Port Douglas.

 

The Kimberley is harder to do as it is right across the other side of Australia. A good five hour flight from Sydney. The best way to see it is on a small boat cruise. There appear to be a number of companies operating cruises in this area, but I don't know much about them.

 

Hope this helps.

[GUT2407]

Some great suggestions from OzKiwi

[uvasag]

Realistically, you don't see much of any of those things on a cruise.

 

We did see one whale on our Top End cruise last year.

 

You could do an excursion to the Great Barrier Reef if the ship stops at Cairns / Yorkey's Knob / Port Douglas - I can't comment how good those excursions are but I think they are usually from a large catamaran with 200-300 people onboard. The scenic cruising of the Kimberley is interesting but you don't get close enough to see more than just the rugged coastline.

 

I would suggest flying in to NZ in February or March with the aim of doing a cruise from Auckland to Sydney. Several ports on the NZ itineraries will allow you to see wildlife.

 

While you are in Auckland do a day trip to Tiritiri Matangi Island. http://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/

 

If your cruise goes to the Bay of Islands you should be able to go on a day trip that will include dolphin watching, perhaps even swimming with dolphins.

 

Akaroa is the home of the tiny Hector's Dolphin, only found in NZ waters, and there are excursion available to swim with them.

 

Dunedin is home to a very fine albatross sanctuary, and a yellow-eyed penguin sanctuary where you will probably also see seals snoozing while sheep graze around them.

 

Dolphins are also commonly seen in Milford Sound, as are seals.

 

If you are lucky you may also see whales off the coast of New Zealand.

 

Once you reach Sydney you could spend a few days there, and visit either the Taronga Zoo or Featherdale Wildlife Park http://www.featherdale.com.au/ to see some of our native animals.

 

Then I would suggest flying up to Cairns for a few days. We prefer to stay in Port Douglas, an hour by shuttle bus from Cairns. From Port Douglas you can do a trip to the outer reef with Wavelength http://www.wavelength.com.au/, which I highly recommend. Also interesting is the Low Isles, which is much closer to Port Douglas. There are two companies that do trips there http://sailawayportdouglas.com/ or http://wavedancerlowisles.com/sailing-the-great-barrier-reef/ (I think we did it with Sailaway). It's good to do both the outer reef and the Low Isles as that gives you variety for snorkelling.

 

From Port Douglas you can also do a Daintree Forest day trip where you'll usually see a crocodile or two. There is also a crocodile park between Cairns and Port Douglas.

 

The Kimberley is harder to do as it is right across the other side of Australia. A good five hour flight from Sydney. The best way to see it is on a small boat cruise. There appear to be a number of companies operating cruises in this area, but I don't know much about them.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Thank you so much. You literally read my mind. Will look into what you are suggesting.

[ISLABONITA]

 

As you are interested in wild life and marine life, you might like to consider combining a short east coast cruise, combined with land travel, such as Heron Island, which is a coral island on the southern GBR.

 

http://www.heronisland.com/?gclid=CjwKEAjwjca5BRCAyaPGi6_h8m8SJADryPLhzRaOo5izS0UDGI1o6bdYKEd1JHB_PTZ0hitm84bTjxoCIVXw_wcB

 

Just found this thread and wanted to know which cruise lines are you suggesting for an east coast cruise? also what time of year?

I would be flying in from the US.

I like this idea of staying a few days snorkeling and enjoying marine life.

thanks

Edited June 5, 2016 by ISLABONITA

[mrs and mrs]

Wouldnt worry about not being a quick learner,i think i have just figured out the map.Pretty nifty it is to.:)

[uvasag]

Wouldnt worry about not being a quick learner,i think i have just figured out the map.Pretty nifty it is to.:)

 

Thank you. That makes me feel better :)

[cassamanda]

Just found this thread and wanted to know which cruise lines are you suggesting for an east coast cruise? also what time of year?

I would be flying in from the US.

I like this idea of staying a few days snorkeling and enjoying marine life.

thanks

 

All the major players sail the Australian east coast. Try Princess Australia, P&O Australia, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity. Believe NCL coming down under next year also.