Australia/NewZealand Cruise Help

[Cruisegirl6]

We are considering an austrailian/New Zealand cruise, has anybody done this, if so, can you give me any advice as to which cruise is best and why?  What are the must sees and do's?

1-  

15 NIGHT

NEW ZEALAND CRUISE

LEAVING FROM:Sydney, Australia onboard Ovation of the Seas

VISITING:Sydney | Cruising | Hobart | Cruising | Milford Sound (Cruising) | Doubtful Sound | Dusky Sound |Dunedin | Christchurch | Picton | Wellington |Cruising | Tauranga | Auckland | Cruising | Sydney

 

2-

16 NIGHT

TOP END CRUISE

LEAVING FROM:Sydney, Australia onboard Serenade of the Seas

VISITING:Sydney | Newcastle | Cruising | Airlie Beach |Cairns (Yorkeys Knob) | Cruising | Darwin | Cruising| Bali (Benoa) | Cruising | Port Hedland | Cruising |Geraldton | Perth (Fremantle)

 

 

[bonsai3s]

Disclosure: I'll have to decline to answer your question because we have good Aussie and Kiwi friends. 😅

 

We've done the New Zealand cruise twice and loved it both times.  We haven't done the Serenade's "Top End" sailing but we have been to most of those port...and also love them.

I noticed that you're from Fl....just a friendly reminder that the Ovation is roundtrip Sydney, perhaps cheaper airfare, compared to the Serenade...which ends in Perth...that could be two very expensive one-way tickets.

Happy Sailing!😎

 

[Cruisegirl6]

Good point thank you.

[xpcdoojk]

Just based on where you are going to be most of the time... Ovation versus Serenade.  NO contest.  Ovation.  If you are less than 60 and active the Serenade will never top the Ovation.  The upside to Serenade in this case is the GBR, and that is if you are a scuba diver, and they have lots of oppurtunity to dive on the Great Barrier Reef then that is a reason to take the cruise, otherwise, the Ovation hands down.  I would imagine that fewer kids will be on the Serenade, I imagine the airfare to Perth is way more expensive.  

 

Have fun whatever you decide.

 

jc

[KesTag]

Look at the ship and see which is more suited to you.

If you decide on Ovation to New Zealand, you could still incorporate more of Australia as a land based portion of a holiday.  As you are starting and finishing in Sydney, take a few days to explore the areas Sydney and beyond. 

 

Enjoy!

[tomatosauce]

I would go the Ovation and New Zealand. The ship is amazing and designed for cold weather and the scenery is amazing especially Milford Sound (photo one) but you can get some amazing photos just seeing the ship coming in to dock.

[xpcdoojk]

We had much better weather in south NZ than you. 😉

 

I, agree, Australia is best seen by going where you want and planes within Australia are reasonable and very easy.  We have gone to Heron Island twice, and that is a couple of big planes and a helicopter or a sea plane trip.  Snorkeling or scuba diving on the GBR is a bucket list item.

 

jc

[GUT2407]

It’s hard, we are doing NZ in about 12 weeks on Radiance and are also booked on the top end cruise (actually the full circumnavigation), both are great but we have done both before with other lines.

 

Umm if you have the t8me look at the Circumnavigation it will give you the lot.

[The_Big_M]

Regarding flights there shouldn't be much difference in cost. You'll likely be able to get a flight into Sydney/out of Perth for not much more than simple return to Sydney. Worst case, you could buy a return to Sydney, plus a one way from Perth to Sydney, which will give you more time for extra time in both cities.

 

Don't book them as two one way flights though as that will cost a lot more.

[GUT2407]

The itinerary on the circumnavigation is

 

Sydney, Australia 

Newcastle, Australia 

Airlie Beach, Queensland 

Cairns (Yorkeys Knob), Australia 

Darwin, Australia 

Bali (Benoa), Indonesia 

Port Hedland, Australia 

Geraldton, Australia 

Perth (Fremantle), Australia 

 

 

The top end cruise you mention ends, or stay on for

 

Esperance, Australia 

Adelaide, Australia 

Melbourne, Australia 

Milford Sound (Cruising) | Doubtful Sound | Dusky Sound 

Dunedin, New Zealand 

Christchurch, New Zealand 

Picton, New Zealand 

Napier, New Zealand 

Wellington, New Zealand 

Sydney, Australia

[dani negreanu]

We've done the 1st itinerary with Radiance. The main reason -- Milford Sound.

Were very lucky with the weather, the cruise before us had to skip it due to bad weather.

Imagine coming all the way from Israel for MS, and not being able to see it.... Like Moses and the Promised Land....

We added 4 days in Sydney before the cruise. It was an amazing trip.

With Ovation it will be even better.

I can highly recommend Holiday Inn Old Sydney, just opposite the pier -- excellent location and service.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

On 9/26/2019 at 10:16 PM, tomatosauce said:

I would go the Ovation and New Zealand. The ship is amazing and designed for cold weather and the scenery is amazing especially Milford Sound (photo one) but you can get some amazing photos just seeing the ship coming in to dock.

Totally agree.  We did ours on Ovation last December - 4 days in Sydney followed by 10 days on Ovation to and around ports in New Zealand. Bucket list trip!

 

4500 photos later...we still can't do the experience justice - phenomenal.