Encore March 11th 2019 complimentary shuttle list?

[Accessor]

We are on 16 day Encore Auckland to Sydney cruise and wanted to find out which stops offer complimentary shuttles to town. After calling my TA he said they don't provide any complimentary shuttles (which I thought was incorrect). Next I called Seabourn directly,  they stated we don't provide shuttles unless it's over 15 min walk from the port to the city center, and won't tell you which ports have them b/c we can cancel them anytime and don't want to disappoint anyone.

 

Stops I was unsure of any shuttle service provided and/or needed info on:

1. Port Chalmers
2. Oban
3. Melbourne
4. Phillip Island
5. Eden

 

First timers on Seabourn and traveling to NZ and Australia. Thank you for the feedback.

Mark

[SKP946]

In Melbourne there is an excellent Light Rail (Tram) service about 100 meters walk from the ship that takes you into the city.

 

hthttps://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/events/public-transport-during-the-2018-2019-cruise-ship-season/#stationpiertocity

tps://static.ptv.vic.gov.au/Images/maps/1536731814/PTVH2971-A-Cruise-Ship-Season-2018_A4_Factsheet_v2_FA_WEB.pdf

 

The Phillip Island stop is probably mainly for the evening Penguin Parade, (probably best to book Seabourn Tours there)

 

Eden is fairly compact and walkable

[java spot]

Hi Mark - I will be on this cruise as well. I cruised NZ/Aus last year though many different ports. Just off the top of my head...Port Chalmers I would definitely guess there is a shuttle into the town of Dunedin.  It's a bit of a hike and also a beautiful drive into the town.  Melbourne- I checked on the city's port schedule and although someone on our roll call had stated we are docked at the grain terminal location that does not seem to be the case. According to the dock schedules, we are pretty close to town. Oban, Phillip Island and Eden are tender ports. I don't get the impression there's a town to shuttle to, though there are excursions which go to Merimbula at Eden.  Hope this helps. 

[SKP946]

Accessor, as a first timer on Seabourn do you have a Referral Coupon (it gives you a $400 on board credit)

(see top of page)

[SKP946]

4 minutes ago, java spot said:

Hi Mark - I will be on this cruise as well. I cruised NZ/Aus last year though many different ports. Just off the top of my head...Port Chalmers I would definitely guess there is a shuttle into the town of Dunedin.  It's a bit of a hike and also a beautiful drive into the town.  Melbourne- I checked on the city's port schedule and although someone on our roll call had stated we are docked at the grain terminal location that does not seem to be the case. According to the dock schedules, we are pretty close to town. Oban, Phillip Island and Eden are tender ports. I don't get the impression there's a town to shuttle to, though there are excursions which go to Merimbula at Eden.  Hope this helps. 

 

java spot. Melbourne is definitely Station Pier, Port Melbourne http://www.vicports.vic.gov.au/cruise-shipping/Pages/cruise-ship-schedule-2.aspx

[MightyQuinn]

12 minutes ago, java spot said:

...Melbourne- I checked on the city's port schedule and although someone on our roll call had stated we are docked at the grain terminal location that does not seem to be the case...

 

Hi Java Spot.  That was me!   However, I posted on the RC that we're scheduled to dock at the so-called Grain Terminal in Brisbane, not Melbourne.  It's 25 km from the CBD. 

[java spot]

Oh man, MightyQuinn, thanks for correcting me.  And that is where I saw on a cruise ship port schedule that it will be docked closer to town. We docked at the "Grain Terminal" last year because we had to skip Mooloolaba due to seas.  And that is a haul from DT Brisbane. 

[MightyQuinn]

Fantastic Java Spot.  Looks like we're now docked at Brisbane Cruise Terminal next to Portside Wharf rather than the Grain Terminal.   "Always subject to change" worked in our favour!

[Accessor]

1 hour ago, SKP946 said:

Accessor, as a first timer on Seabourn do you have a Referral Coupon (it gives you a $400 on board credit)

(see top of page)

Yes, thanks already have our OBC for 1st timers...

 

Thank you everyone that replied~  A forum thread for port shuttle lists on Seabourn would be beneficial . Oceania's forum has one which we use frequently. Really surprised by the inaccurate responses from my TA and the lack of an official list from Seabourn.

 

 

[SKP946]

6 hours ago, Accessor said:

Yes, thanks already have our OBC for 1st timers...

 

Thank you everyone that replied~  A forum thread for port shuttle lists on Seabourn would be beneficial . Oceania's forum has one which we use frequently. Really surprised by the inaccurate responses from my TA and the lack of an official list from Seabourn.

 

 

 

Accessor I really think that you are stressing unnecessarily over the shuttle service. 

I’ve always found that Seabourn has at least half hourly shuttles running in ports where there is any more than a short walk into town. The only (very rare) time this has not been the case is where the local taxi union has forbidden the use of buses.

You receive the shuttle in the Herald the night prior to each port.

[LittleRedJohn]

We did this cruise a few years ago and most things turned out alright. You have to hang loose. We tended to have shuttles in the places where we needed them. They refuse to tell you about the shuttles beforehand, I guess to give themselves wiggle room and not to upset the taxi lobby in each city that has one. In Melbourne, we found that we could walk to the end of the pier and the hop-on, hop-off bus stopped right there. That's a great way to see the city, and to get into the city. But Seabourn never told us about the bus. Their shore excursion desk is sadly lacking. In Spain this past year, they told us a shuttle took us to the town center. In fact, we were more than  a mile from the center. They could have changed the bus route, but for some reason did not. The information about where the ship docks is also lacking. Supposedly, that can be changed at the last minute by the port. Whether that's true or not, I wouldn't bet money on a specific docking location. LittleRedJohn

[OceanPatter]

Like the OP, we're on this cruise, as well as first timers on Seabourn. Our roll call has been very quiet, so it's nice to post here as well. We usually don't take the ship's excursions, but will probably do so in the following ports:

 

- Dunedin: Taieri Gorge train ride, since it seems we can only book this through Seabourn (occurs on a Sunday)

- Milford Sound: Zodiac cruise

- Victoria: Penguin parade

 

Would appreciate anyone's suggestions for Tauranga, Nelson, Wellington, and Christchurch. Thank you!