A cruise line to cruise around Australia and around NZ

[MMDown Under]

It seems to me now would be a good time to start planning an Australian and NZ cruise line to cruise around Australia and around NZ.  What do you think?

Another option would be a cruise/ferry line to cruise around Australia and around NZ.

Hawaii has a popular cruise around its islands.

 

Now is a buyers market for medium sized older ships, which would be suitable for accessing most  Australian and NZ Ports.

Aussies and Kiwis are great travellers, who have developed a love of cruising.

However, many are now wary of long haul flights and would prefer to cruise locally, with access to Australian/NZ medical coverage.

Travel insurance is likely to be more expensive and difficult to get until a vaccine is discovered for Coronavirus.  

Edited June 28, 2020 by MMDown Under

[By The Bay]

8 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

It seems to me now would be a good time to start planning an Australian and NZ cruise line to cruise around Australia and around NZ.  What do you think?

Another option would be a cruise/ferry line to cruise around Australia and around NZ.

Hawaii has a popular cruise around its islands.

 

Now is a buyers market for medium sized older ships, which would be suitable for accessing most  Australian and NZ Ports.

Are you suggesting someone start up a A&NZ cruise line using one of the many ships up for sale?

[GUT2407]

I’d love the option of getting on, for me Sydney of Newcastle, and then getting off where ever I want, then a few weeks later doing the next leg, so something like the Spirit of Tasmania, basic cabin, buffet, cars, used to be, circumnavigating the country on a continuous loop would be great,

[MMDown Under]

2 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

Are you suggesting someone start up a A&NZ cruise line using one of the many ships up for sale?

Yes.  Australia is an island.  With Qantas mothballing A380s for three years and possibly reducing local flights, we have to think outside the box.

[MMDown Under]

3 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

I’d love the option of getting on, for me Sydney of Newcastle, and then getting off where ever I want, then a few weeks later doing the next leg, so something like the Spirit of Tasmania, basic cabin, buffet, cars, used to be, circumnavigating the country on a continuous loop would be great,

I would love it also.  Australia is a big country with many new places to discover.  

[By The Bay]

18 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Yes.  Australia is an island.  With Qantas mothballing A380s for three years and possibly reducing local flights, we have to think outside the box.

Does you thinking extend to a mostly A&NZ crew?

[Russell21]

It would be a great idea but it would be just the same as any other holiday in Australia, only the overseas tourists could afford it.

 

[GUT2407]

25 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I would love it also.  Australia is a big country with many new places to discover.  

I luck enough to have seen a lot of our great country, but would like yo do more, unfortunately health prohibits flying and makes long drives problematic, so to be able to jump on a ship, sail to say Darwin, spend a few weeks doing short trips in the NT then board again and onto Broome , repeat to Perth, would e very appealing but then a world cruise on similar terms would also be attractive

[MMDown Under]

30 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

Does you thinking extend to a mostly A&NZ crew?

Would be great to have a mostly A&NZ crew, however it might not be feasible due to skills needed.  I'd love to see some aboriginal crew and staff.  Government might be interested in helping with training, in these times of increasing unemployment.  

[MMDown Under]

25 minutes ago, Russell21 said:

It would be a great idea but it would be just the same as any other holiday in Australia, only the overseas tourists could afford it.

 

I don't think a cruise would be the same as any other holiday in Australia.  With our weak currency and the cost of international flights, local cruising may become more affordable to Australians.  Some passengers may be prepared to pay more for the convenience of local cruising.  I pay more to cruise on small ships, rather than large ships.

[By The Bay]

2 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Would be great to have a mostly A&NZ crew, however it might not be feasible due to skills needed.  I'd love to see some aboriginal crew and staff.  Government might be interested in helping with training, in these times of increasing unemployment.  

I am surprised to see we still have the Australian Maritime College. Would ANL be our last locally owned shipping company?

[MMDown Under]

8 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

I am surprised to see we still have the Australian Maritime College. Would ANL be our last locally owned shipping company?

1956-98.

Wikipedia

[Kiwi Kruzer]

The wage bill and  GST , are just a few of the reasons it would not work . It has been tried before in association with NCL, Norwegian Capricorn , but the fares were expensive
. The Indian Pacific and Ghan are kept running by overseas patrons for whom the fares are considered reasonable, on a world wide comparison , but you only   have to read this board to gauge the resistance to the high prices that need to be charged to keep the service running .

[OzKiwiJJ]

We already have an Australian cruise line, albeit a very small (and expensive) one - Coral Expeditions.

[OzKiwiJJ]

https://www.coralexpeditions.com

 

They mostly operate out of Cairns for the GBR, and Darwin/Broome for the Kimberly Coast.

 

 

[getting older slowly]

19 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

. The Indian Pacific and Ghan are kept running by overseas patrons for whom the fares are considered reasonable, on a world wide comparison , but you only   have to read this board to gauge the resistance to the high prices that need to be charged to keep the service running .

I totally agreed  the prices for the train is dear compared to cruising on the IP gold class is $400-470 per head per night and platinum $650-760    and it hasn't gone up much

we did it almost 20 years ago  in then 1st class deluxe ( deluxe was a cabin double the size of a standard 1st class cabin) at $630 per head per night

 

Cheers Don

[OzKiwiJJ]

In theory the concept of Round Australia and Round NZ cruises is great but apart from the cost issues there are some other considerations.

 

Round Australia takes approximately 28 days. So one ship could only do one cruise a month, but each cruise would probably consist of several sectors. Unfortunately it probably wouldn't be able to operate all year round due to winter sea conditions in the south, but could do Top End cruises during that time.

 

NZ also has winter sea condition issues so Round NZ cruises could probably only operate for six months or so. Another issue is that NZ has very few viable ports on the west coast but the cruises could be done as a figure of eight to give a better mix of ports and sea days.

 

I'd certainly love to see affordable cruises like these. The Princess ones are very popular. I was hoping to be on one of those in September, on Sapphire Princess, but I don't expect it to happen.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

The cruise round Hawaii is a 7 day cruise around a fairly compact area .Initially it was considered expensive, but has now been accepted as a great way to see the Hawaiian Islands .Its almost like a regular bus service that leaves Honolulu every Saturday ...pre Covid.  

[MMDown Under]

31 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

In theory the concept of Round Australia and Round NZ cruises is great but apart from the cost issues there are some other considerations.

 

Round Australia takes approximately 28 days. So one ship could only do one cruise a month, but each cruise would probably consist of several sectors. Unfortunately it probably wouldn't be able to operate all year round due to winter sea conditions in the south, but could do Top End cruises during that time.

 

NZ also has winter sea condition issues so Round NZ cruises could probably only operate for six months or so. Another issue is that NZ has very few viable ports on the west coast but the cruises could be done as a figure of eight to give a better mix of ports and sea days.

 

I'd certainly love to see affordable cruises like these. The Princess ones are very popular. I was hoping to be on one of those in September, on Sapphire Princess, but I don't expect it to happen.

Would cruising to some of the South Sea Islands or PNG be a possibility during off season weather conditions in Australia/NZ?

[MMDown Under]

28 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

The cruise round Hawaii is a 7 day cruise around a fairly compact area .Initially it was considered expensive, but has now been accepted as a great way to see the Hawaiian Islands .Its almost like a regular bus service that leaves Honolulu every Saturday ...pre Covid.  

When I visited a number of Hawaiian islands, I was surprised to see passengers doing water activities off the ship.  In Hawaii, which has the most beautiful places to visit!

[MMDown Under]

48 minutes ago, getting older slowly said:

I totally agreed  the prices for the train is dear compared to cruising on the IP gold class is $400-470 per head per night and platinum $650-760    and it hasn't gone up much

we did it almost 20 years ago  in then 1st class deluxe ( deluxe was a cabin double the size of a standard 1st class cabin) at $630 per head per night

 

Cheers Don

My trip on the Indian Pacific from Perth to Sydney was one of my favourite travel experiences.  

I later tried to replicate it on VIA Rail from Toronto to Vancouver, but it was a disappointing experience.  (We were shunted off to the side for freight trains, as well as having spectacular views blocked by freight trains.  Then our scheduled time in beautiful Jasper was shortened because of the time spent shunted off to the side.)  

[MMDown Under]

57 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

https://www.coralexpeditions.com

 

They mostly operate out of Cairns for the GBR, and Darwin/Broome for the Kimberly Coast.

 

 

Yes, plus they do lots of interesting cruises to Micronesia and PNG, Tasmania, West Coast WA, etc.  i dream of their cruise from Fremantle to Broome.  

[Kiwi Kruzer]

11 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

When I visited a number of Hawaiian islands, I was surprised to see passengers doing water activities off the ship.  In Hawaii, which has the most beautiful places to visit!

That’s the beauty of such a cruise . They have a regular run and visit each port on the same day each week , which means tour and activity operators can offer a wide range of activities .

[MMDown Under]

I was fortunate to travel on the inaugural cruise by Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas from Honolulu to Sydney.  I realise now it was possibly a charter because the cruise was full of Aussies and a Kiwi couple.  I've never had more fun on a cruise.  Aussies/Kiwis know how to enjoy themselves.  

I hate to think my cruising days are over, but I know I won't be flying long haul overseas to cruise anymore.

Edited June 28, 2020 by MMDown Under

[MMDown Under]

4 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

That’s the beauty of such a cruise . They have a regular run and visit each port on the same day each week , which means tour and activity operators can offer a wide range of activities .

Yes, I understand that.  I also understand that a lot of the passengers don't live on the Coast and on the water, so enjoy the variety of water activities.  However, I can never spend enough time in Hawaii despite spending a minimum of three days in each place.