Ruby Princess South Pacific Cruise Jan 2020

[Bunchie9]

Hi, I’m a first time cruiser and just booked a Princess Cruise on the Ruby Princess for mid January 2020 departing Sydney. My husband and two daughters 8, 12 are going. I was just wondering if there will be enough to do on board to keep my daughters entertained. I choose it as the dates suited us and I liked that we were seeing 7 ports, including Fiji and it is 14nights. Other South Pacific cruises were shorter with less ports. Also has anyone has done that cruise itinerary in January? Thank you! 

[John Bull]

We did a 14  night Princess Sydney-Fiji-Sydney cruise (4 stops in Fiji) in January about 4 years back.

Except it didn't go to Fiji 

Due to a cyclone hovering somewhere near Fiji our dream cruise ended up being a mix of endless Vanuatu and New Caledonia ports much like the cobbling-together of two 7-day cruises.

We love snorkelling, but not practically every day  - and that's pretty-well all there was at all bar two of the ports, Port Vila and Noumea. 

Very pleasant cruise, beautiful weather and enough to keep us occupied on sea days.

But we travel for the destinations, and we'd have been much better off by adding 14 days to our Aussie road-trip.

Luck of the draw.

 

Earlier this year we did another road-trip in Aus - Cairns to Brisbane. 

But got trapped by the floods in in Townsville for several days. Eventually got out, but only northwards. So back to Cairns & flew to Brisbane for our flight to Christchurch.

More of the luck of the draw.

Came to the conclusion that the southern hemisphere doesn't like us.

But you should be OK - we promise we won't be going that way in 2020. 

 

In New Zealand South Island we did a road-trip around the mountains & lakes & fjords.

Brilliant.

Including a local cruise in Milford Sound.  The sides of the Sound are super-steep and super-deep - big cruise ships go right into the fjord. And into Doubtful and Dusky.

Worth considering a NZ cruise?

 

JB 

 

[Heidi13]

Many years ago, I completed the entire Aussie Cruising season on Oriana out of Sydney. Most cruises were 14 days and all went to Suva and some also went to Lautoka. As with any ocean passage, the weather/seas is hit & miss. Some cruises were mostly smooth sailing, others had 25-30 kt winds, but don't recall any significant storms.

 

Ruby Princess is a Super Grand class vessel, which has an additional deck of cabins (500 pax) over the original grand class. Some areas of the ship tend to get a little crowded.

 

For kids they have fairly extensive kids clubs for various ages.

 

We are in Suva on 24th January 2020, bound for NZ, Australia and eventually to London. Have no concerns with transitting the S/Pacific at this time of year.

[Bunchie9]

Thanks! I know it is cyclone season in Fiji that time of year, but a good friend has only ever cruised the South Pacific in January and luckily has never had a problem with the weather. She persuaded me to give cruising a go, and recommended Princess for the standard of service and food.

I mainly chose the cruise for the ports, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. My daughters love swimming and snorkeling. Royal Carribeen Voyager had a simular cruise but I was worried we would be overrun with kids being school holidays!

Thanks for all your advice.

[Bunchie9]

5 hours ago, John Bull said:

We did a 14  night Princess Sydney-Fiji-Sydney cruise (4 stops in Fiji) in January about 4 years back.

Except it didn't go to Fiji 

Due to a cyclone hovering somewhere near Fiji our dream cruise ended up being a mix of endless Vanuatu and New Caledonia ports much like the cobbling-together of two 7-day cruises.

We love snorkelling, but not practically every day  - and that's pretty-well all there was at all bar two of the ports, Port Vila and Noumea. 

Very pleasant cruise, beautiful weather and enough to keep us occupied on sea days.

But we travel for the destinations, and we'd have been much better off by adding 14 days to our Aussie road-trip.

Luck of the draw.

 

Earlier this year we did another road-trip in Aus - Cairns to Brisbane. 

But got trapped by the floods in in Townsville for several days. Eventually got out, but only northwards. So back to Cairns & flew to Brisbane for our flight to Christchurch.

More of the luck of the draw.

Came to the conclusion that the southern hemisphere doesn't like us.

But you should be OK - we promise we won't be going that way in 2020. 

 

In New Zealand South Island we did a road-trip around the mountains & lakes & fjords.

Brilliant.

Including a local cruise in Milford Sound.  The sides of the Sound are super-steep and super-deep - big cruise ships go right into the fjord. And into Doubtful and Dusky.

Worth considering a NZ cruise?

 

JB 

 

I’ll apologise for the Australian weather, it is crazy and can change from day to day. We’ve just been having lovely Summer like 28 deg C weather this Easter weekend (its the middle of our Autumn here) and now has dropped to 18deg this morning. I can never work it out! We can have a 20 deg rainy summer day and the next day be gorgeous 32! Best time to travel is our early Autumn around March/April still warm and sunny or September/ October. Summers can be a bit crazy. Fiji is lovely over our Winter May to August. 

My friend did a lovely Majestic Princess 14n cruise out of Sydney around New Zealand just this past January and loved it , but her younger 11 year old thought it was better suited for older teenagers/ adults. I thought the South Pacific might keep my girls 8, 12 busy! We do like to keep busy that’s why cruising appealed to me. I get a bit bored at beach resorts/ hotels.