Americans Taking an Australian Cruise

[jslev9]

Hi there,

 

My wife and I have had our honeymoon cruise cancelled for a second time due to COVID-19. Due to the cheap fares and number of airline frequent flyer miles we have, we're debating using our money towards a Carnival cruise in September 2022 (we were originally going to do a European cruise but Carnival doesn't have a similar itinerary that we can rebook on). The cruise we're looking at now is a seven day sailing on the Carnival Spirit that departs from Brisbane and goes to the Great Barrier Reef (Airlie Beach, Cairns, and Port Douglas) -- we'd also spend four days in Sydney before the cruise to adjust to the time change and do some sightseeing.

 

I haven't seen a lot of reviews of Australian cruises so I'm hoping someone here might weigh in on whether or not this would be a good sailing for a couple taking a (delayed) honeymoon. Penny for your thoughts?

 

Thanks!

[jslev9]

Hi there,

 

My wife and I have had our honeymoon cruise cancelled for a second time due to COVID-19. Due to the cheap fares and number of airline frequent flyer miles we have, we're debating using our money towards a cruise in September 2022 (we were originally booked on a European cruise but Carnival doesn't have a similar itinerary that we want to rebook on). The cruise we're looking at now is a seven day sailing on the Carnival Spirit that departs from Brisbane and goes to the Great Barrier Reef (Airlie Beach, Cairns, and Port Douglas) -- we'd also spend four days in Sydney before the cruise to adjust to the time change and do some sightseeing.

 

I haven't seen a lot of reviews of Australian cruises so I'm hoping someone here might weigh in on whether or not this would be a good sailing for a couple taking a (delayed) honeymoon. Penny for your thoughts?

 

Thanks!

[By The Bay]

September is a great time of the year to visit the GBR as it is before the cyclone season. Let's hope international travel is open by then. The cruise lines will be in trouble if it isn't.😉

[getting older slowly]

Great idea for cruise.........

 

But I wouldn't be booking yet... as our Government is saying at the moment, that international borders will be closed until 2022...

 

But it is only January... for all of us it is a wait and see....

 

Even local cruising is very much in the air and doubt our Nov 2021 will go ahead

 

Cheers Don

[jslev9]

Thanks for the quick replies! We're hoping September 2022 will be OK...our initial cruise was bought with gift cards so we have nothing to lose by booking now. The worst that happens is it gets cancelled and we get another credit -- no different that having credit like we have now.

[Aus Traveller]

I think you will be quite safe booking for September, 2022. As others have said, September is a great time to cruise to North Queensland and the GBR. If the reef is the main attraction for you, I suggest booking a ship's tour to the reef from Airlie Beach (with the timing it has to be one through the ship's shore ex dept), and a tour to the reef from Port Douglas. You can do that one as a private excursion to save some money. Look on line at a company called Reef Sprinter. They do small group jet boat excursions to the Outer Reef from Port Douglas.

[GUT2407]

September 22, if we aren’t sailing by then I think the cruise industry will be dead, but will Americans be allowed into Australia will be a different question unless they get Covid under control.
 

so make sure you are covered by insurance or refund policies if not.

 

Sept isn’t a bad time to do that region.

[GUT2407]

Looks like you have posted this twice.

[HaveWeMetYet]

3 hours ago, jslev9 said:

 

Hi there,

 

My wife and I have had our honeymoon cruise cancelled for a second time due to COVID-19. Due to the cheap fares and number of airline frequent flyer miles we have, we're debating using our money towards a cruise in September 2022 (we were originally booked on a European cruise but Carnival doesn't have a similar itinerary that we want to rebook on). The cruise we're looking at now is a seven day sailing on the Carnival Spirit that departs from Brisbane and goes to the Great Barrier Reef (Airlie Beach, Cairns, and Port Douglas) -- we'd also spend four days in Sydney before the cruise to adjust to the time change and do some sightseeing.

 

I haven't seen a lot of reviews of Australian cruises so I'm hoping someone here might weigh in on whether or not this would be a good sailing for a couple taking a (delayed) honeymoon. Penny for your thoughts?

 

Thanks!

I would do a 9 day cruise to the South Pacific islands. Look for the cruises that departs Brisbane and goes out to Noumea and nearby islands. However, I would not book anything just yet. Too many unknowns about which ships and itineraries will actually be in place in SEPT. 2022.

There may be better cruise selections out of Sydney than Brisbane also. If you can, consider an 11 day cruise out of Sydney and skip traveling to Brisbane.

The islands out there are for beach days and snorkeling. There are few services but you will save on tour costs. So something to consider.

[Aus Traveller]

16 minutes ago, HaveWeMetYet said:

I would do a 9 day cruise to the South Pacific islands. Look for the cruises that departs Brisbane and goes out to Noumea and nearby islands. However, I would not book anything just yet. Too many unknowns about which ships and itineraries will actually be in place in SEPT. 2022.

There may be better cruise selections out of Sydney than Brisbane also. If you can, consider an 11 day cruise out of Sydney and skip traveling to Brisbane.

The islands out there are for beach days and snorkeling. There are few services but you will save on tour costs. So something to consider.

However, the OP might be particularly interested in going to the Great Barrier Reef, not just snorkeling.

[lissie]

4 hours ago, jslev9 said:

Thanks for the quick replies! We're hoping September 2022 will be OK...our initial cruise was bought with gift cards so we have nothing to lose by booking now. The worst that happens is it gets cancelled and we get another credit -- no different that having credit like we have now.

I don't think there's a down side to booking then - I have a cruise booked in the US for Jul 22 - using very similar reasoning 🙂

 

I wouldn't be booking anything else yet - unless you can find refundable airfares (v. unlikely). Personally if I was coming from so far I'd be looking for a cruise that  goes out of Sydney - its  one of the worlds best (if not they best) natural harbours and cruising out of there is spectacular - Brisbane - not so much. 

[lissie]

46 minutes ago, HaveWeMetYet said:

I would do a 9 day cruise to the South Pacific islands. Look for the cruises that departs Brisbane and goes out to Noumea and nearby islands. However, I would not book anything just yet. Too many unknowns about which ships and itineraries will actually be in place in SEPT. 2022.

There may be better cruise selections out of Sydney than Brisbane also. If you can, consider an 11 day cruise out of Sydney and skip traveling to Brisbane.

The islands out there are for beach days and snorkeling. There are few services but you will save on tour costs. So something to consider.

 I wouldn't recommend the Pacfic Isl to an American who if he wants a beach  has  the whole of the Caribbean to choose from! 

 

I'd agree about sailing out of Sydney - but I'd assume he wants a queensland itinerary 

[lyndarra]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

However, the OP might be particularly interested in going to the Great Barrier Reef, not just snorkeling.

I believe the GBR  ex Cairns or Airlie Beach is very popular with honeymooners.

Fly into Sydney. Get over jet the lag (which, I've found, is quicker when flying east to west). Sight see for as many days as you can spare, then fly to Brisbane.

In short what you have proposed is to me, a nice way to honeymoon.

There is a similar itinerary Ex Sydney but more sea days which could mean fewer days in Sydney.

https://www.carnival.com.au/cruise-search/#?currency=aud&datFrom=092022&dest=ng,nz,o,u,x&dur=d2&layout=grid&locality=7&numAdults=2&pageNumber=1&pageSize=8&port=syd&showBest=true&sort=fromprice&useSuggestions=true

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by lyndarra

[SinbadThePorter]

I think that's a fine itinerary for a honeymoon. If you want to see the reef up close, book ship tours in Airlie Beach, Cairns and/or Port Douglas as the local tours won't be matching the ship's schedule. Cairns and Port Douglas also have some land tours to Cape Tribulation which are worth doing.

 

When in Sydney, try to stay near Circular Quay where the ferries are. It's a much nicer way to get around than by taxi and you see a lot more of the harbour.

Edited January 27, 2021 by SinbadThePorter

[OzKiwiJJ]

 I also recommend doing the slightly longer cruise from Sydney rather than flying to Brisbane after your Sydney sightseeing, especially if the cruise has a port stop at Brisbane. Much easier, and Sydney is a beautiful harbour to start your cruise from.

[MicCanberra]

I think it is a great time of the year to see Australia with weather in both Sydney and Queensland being pleasant in September, not too hot, not too cold. The itinerary is popular and the ports are great points for he GBR and areas in the Daintree Rainforest, Kuranda and such.

[MicCanberra]

I think it is a great time of the year to see Australia with weather in both Sydney and Queensland being pleasant in September, not too hot, not too cold. The itinerary is popular and the ports are great points for he GBR and areas in the Daintree Rainforest, Kuranda and such.

 

[windsor26]

I have booked three (yes 3)  10 day cruises from Sydney this year doing the itinerary you mention (all a little different) and as we have done these cruises several times in the past this must tell you they are worth doing   Have  a great honeymoon even if it has been delayed