Princess Round Australia 2023 Insights Requested

[RosieCanberra]

On 2/23/2021 at 2:41 PM, capriccio said:

I checked but unfortunately there are no New Zealand cruises round trip Sydney on any line where the timing matches up very well so that trip would involve planes and cars. 

 

 

 

Not all lines have released 2023 NZ itineraries as yet so you may find something that works.

For Sydney, there is so much to see and do, especially around Circular Quay. Walk around the Opera House and into the Botanic Gardens. Catch a ferry to Manly and follow the crowds along the Corso to the beach. Lots of cafes, restaurants, pubs and shopping, and wonderful views of the Bridge and Opera House from the ferry. You can buy Taronga Zoo tickets with your ferry ticket from Circular Quay, Taronga has the best views of any zoo. 

[lyndarra]

9 hours ago, capriccio said:

An additional request: please provide reading (non-fiction and fiction), viewing (documentaries, TV, movies), and listening (podcasts) recommendations.  We have lots of time to get to know Australia before we arrive.   Thanks!

 

Book

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/deep-time-dreaming-review-billy-griffiths-on-exploration-of-the-distant-past-20180307-h0x5q8.html

 

Movies

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dog_(film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallipoli_(1981_film)

[joejoe 59]

On 2/23/2021 at 2:16 PM, Aus Traveller said:

I suggest you consider what I have written and research on the internet. Then you can come back with some specific questions.

Aus traveller,  I'm an Aussie & I've saved your information for when we get to do the round oz trip.

Thank you🙂

[Aus Traveller]

8 minutes ago, joejoe 59 said:

Aus traveller,  I'm an Aussie & I've saved your information for when we get to do the round oz trip.

Thank you🙂

I am glad you found my comments interesting. Before your trip, you can ask more specific questions.

[ekka49]

On 2/24/2021 at 11:53 AM, MMDown Under said:

In addition to the popular waterfront Mawsons Hut Museum, Hobart is a paradise for Aussies interested in Antartica. 

• Tas. Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) top floor features Antarctica.
• Aust. Antarctic Division Visitor Centre

Thank you for that information.

[bvm49]

On 2/23/2021 at 2:08 PM, Aus Traveller said:

I recommend arriving a few days before the cruise so you can explore Sydney and the surrounding area. Ports of call -

Hobart - If someone in your group feels confident to drive, you could visit Port Arthur but it is a fairly long trip. Maybe it is of more significance to Aussies rather than international visitors. Another option is to go to the top of Mt Wellington if the weather is fine. A trip to a nearby town (Richmond) is also worthwhile. If your time in port is long enough, you could take the day trip from Hobart to Bruny Island by coach and boat, but you would have to check the times.

Burnie - I recommend visiting Cradle Mountain. This could be done as a self-drive, but might be better done on a Princess tour if they offer it.

Kangaroo Island - tour to see koalas and other wildlife, particularly seals.

Adelaide - The railway station is right beside the cruise terminal. You can go into Adelaide on the train and just wander. However, because this will be your first visit to Adelaide, maybe it would be better to take a tour, either with Princess or an independent one. There are some great wine areas near Adelaide (the Barossa and Clare valleys).

Albany - either self-drive or take tours (independent or with Princess). What to see - I usually recommend the ANZAC centre but this would have more significance to Aussies than international visitors. It commemorates the WWI fleets of troops that went to Gallipoli and other WWI battlefields. There is a short simple tour that operates from the centre of Albany right where the free shuttle bus lets passengers off (only about 2km from the ship). Other attraction in the area is Whaleworld. This sounds awful, but it is a former whaling station that if set up for tourists.

Margaret River (Busselton). Although Busselton is a rather nice tiny town (good place to buy a few bottles of wine), I feel Margaret River is massively over-rated - just my opinion.

Perth - gorgeous city. You could fill in a few days here if you had the time available. You don't have that amount of time so you will have to decide what appeals to you. What to do - visit Rottnest Is (see quokkas up close. They are the cutest animals in the world!), wine cruises up the Swan river, tour the Fremantle gaol, explore the centre of Perth (Swan Bells carillon, historic sights). In Fremantle, explore the Shipwreck Museum and the Batavia Museum - both great and fairly close to the ship. A free bus runs around Fremantle and stops at these sights.

Geraldton - don't pay for a ship's tour here. Take the tourist bus ($5 last time I was there) and get off at the HMAS Sydney memorial (Gorgeous and very moving), St Francis Xavier Cathedral (superb) and the Batavia Museum (great. Different stuff from that shown in Fremantle). I suggest you read about the HMAS Sydney sinking in November 1941 (amazing story) and the atrocity following the wreck of the Batavia (almost unbelievable story).

Broome - Take a tour either with the ship or take the free shuttle to the visitor centre and buy a tour there. People ride camels on the beach at sunset. The beach is stunning. In town, you will see wall to wall pearl shops that I feel are very over-priced.

Kimberley Coast - scenic viewing from the deck. The Kimberley is fantastic, but you only see a tiny bit of it from a ship.

Kuri bay - I don't know.

Darwin - Either drive, take a ship's tour or buy one from the visitor centre. You can take the shuttle bus (charge applies) or walk (a short distance and level walking if you get directions on how to find the lift (elevator). In town you can go to a tourist facility to get close to saltwater (estuarine) crocodiles. The Museum of the Northern Territory is good (and free). Don't bother with Fanny Bay gaol there isn't much to see there. If you walk around town, don't miss seeing Parliament House and going inside. Take the free tour if it is available. Darwin was bombed 64 times during WWII so you will see some reminders in various parts of town. It was also destroyed by a cyclone in 1974.

Cairns - Maybe take a tour to the barrier reef (if you snorkel). If you don't like that, there isn't much point. Another option is the train and gondola over the rainforest (called Skyrail) to Kuranda.

Willis Is - It is just a weather station. The ship stop, everyone gawks from the deck and the captain usually has a chat with staff on the island. The chat is broadcast on the open decks.

Brisbane - Lone Pine (koalas) in the city, Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin's zoo) and hour or so north of the city. You would need to self drive or take a tour to Aust Zoo.

 

Please ask any questions you like and I am sure someone here will be able to answer them.

Aus Traveller: We're also Aussies and appreciate this information. We've saved it for Oct 2022 Coral Princess Round Australia cruise, which we intend to book on Tuesday.

Brian

[OzKiwiJJ]

Thanks from us also, Aus Traveller, we're booked for March 2022, although we've done the Top End and a number of other ports before it's always good to get other ideas..

Edited February 28, 2021 by OzKiwiJJ

[bvm49]

3 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Thanks from us also, Aus Traveller, we're booked for March 2022, although we've done the Top End before.

OzKiwiJJ: I looked at this March 2022 cruise but it seems to be unavailable on the Princess web-site. Do you know if it is sold out?

Brian

[OzKiwiJJ]

12 minutes ago, bvm49 said:

OzKiwiJJ: I looked at this March 2022 cruise but it seems to be unavailable on the Princess web-site. Do you know if it is sold out?

Brian

I'm fairly sure it's sold out, Brian, at least the Sydney departure. It sold out within days of the release.

[bvm49]

58 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I'm fairly sure it's sold out, Brian, at least the Sydney departure. It sold out within days of the release.

Yes, it always seems a popular cruise. As Princess charges a higher fare per day, I've avoided it in the past. But now with Covid, it seems the safest long cruise going! Also we can do Brisbane to Brisbane with the one in Oct 2022.

Brian

[Lauren Spray]

We are on the same cruise as Carpriccio.  I enjoy reading about places we plan to visit.  Thank you so much for all the information!

 

Edited March 10, 2021 by Lauren Spray