Australia/New Zealand or Mediterranean?

[Kodiak99]

Just seeking opinions from others. We have done several Caribbean cruises and are booked for the Panama Canal next April. Would others recommend Australia or the Mediterranean for our next cruise? Both would be new to us. Just wondering what others think. Thanks

[Sailing12Away]

I think the first question is where are you located? Huge difference in trip experiences and length of total trip when you're talking about 2 places that are nearly the complete opposite side of the world from each other. Australia/NZ is high on our bucket list - but we need to give ourselves a full 3 weeks to do it right due to the 20+ hours in the air alone to get there. Europe... we can be there in 7 hrs, so no biggie - can head there this weekend if I found a cheap flight and was bored.

 

Also a huge factor is timing - when are you looking to sail? Again, complete opposite ends of the world, so when one is in winter the other is in summer. Plus Australia/NZ is just barely coming out of hiding... we've tried planning trips there 2 years in a row and they keep being cancelled.

 

So unless you're looking at late 2023 or 2024, I think you're gambling a bit with Australia/NZ right now.

[casofilia]

 @Sailing12Away

 

... we need to give ourselves a full 3 weeks to do it right ...

 

In three weeks you wouldn't even be able to do a "Round Australia" cruise which is just a taster anyway never mind get to New Zealand.

 

A 12 day cruise Sidney-Auckland-Sydney barely looks at Australia though you do get to see a few ports in New Zealand.

 

If you want to do Australia and New Zealand properly start with 3 weeks in New Zealand; MINIMUM; and then 3 weeks to do the East Coast of Australia; MINIMUM; followed by 6 weeks to do the rest of Australia; minimum.

 

What you are saying would be like me saying we are doing the States properly in 6 weeks!!!   One daughter and husband were there for three month and TOUCHED every contiguous state and even they said they could have spent 3 more months.

 

@Kodiak99

 

Come Down Under and do a couple of cruises, Round Australia on Princess and then Sidney-Auckland-Sydney to get an idea of what this part of the world is like then return for a decent look for 3 months.

Edited June 14, 2022 by casofilia

[LGW59]

7 minutes ago, casofilia said:

 @Sailing12Away

 

... we need to give ourselves a full 3 weeks to do it right ...

 

In three weeks you wouldn't even be able to do a "Round Australia" cruise which is just a taster anyway never mind get to New Zealand.

 

A 12 day cruise Sidney-Auckland-Sydney barely looks at Australia though you do get to see a few ports in New Zealand.

 

If you want to do Australia and New Zealand properly start with 3 weeks in New Zealand; MINIMUM; and then 3 weeks to do the East Coast of Australia; MINIMUM; followed by 6 weeks to do the rest of Australia; minimum.

 

What you are saying would be like me saying we are doing the States properly in 6 weeks!!!   One daughter and husband were there for three month and TOUCHED every contiguous state and even they said they could have spent 3 more months.

 

@Kodiak99

 

Come Down Under and do a couple of cruises, Round Australia on Princess and then Sidney-Auckland-Sydney to get an idea of what this part of the world is like then return for a decent look for 3 months.

Oh please 

[complawyer]

yeah, but who has that kind of time? to answer kodiak, with all the different ports and countries available, i would take the Mediterranean hands down. we took a b2b from venice a few years back, saw, dubrovnik, santorini, mykonos, and other ports. amazing!

[casofilia]

@complawyer

 

... who has that kind of time ...

 

We do as we are retired and, looking at those doing two 19 day B2B cruises (Jade Athens-Dubai-Cape Town) at the same time as we are, there are a lot who do.

Edited June 14, 2022 by casofilia

[LNielsen]

We’ve done both.  Australia  and New Zealand once, they are beautiful.  The Mediterranean has our hearts, we’ve done it twice with an upcoming 30 day cruise for our next visit.  The history and architecture, for us, cannot be rivaled, not to mention the beauty of it all.   

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by LNielsen

[grozzy1]

A couple of things to consider

Currently NCL only cruises Australia  New Zealand  during our summer. So if you don't have time available that season choose Mediterranean.

Mediterranean cruises are mostly port days while down under you will have more sea days crossing the Tasman and south from Sydney. Your preference may be one or the other.

[Markanddonna]

I've sailed the Med several times and took a 23 day transpacific to Australia and New Zealand. Hands down, I would sail to the Med for your first big cruise outside of the Caribbean and Panama. I didn't expect places like Spain and Portugal to be appealing but was pleasantly surprised. We've been on northern, Med. and cruises around Turkey and Israel. I wouldn't go in the summer though. Think shoulder season because of the heat, expense, and crowds. Their "rainy seasons" are much ado about nothing if you live in many parts of the USA.

Edited June 14, 2022 by Markanddonna

[The Shrike]

Personally I would do Australia/New Zealand first.  Why?  Because the older I get the less comfortable I am on a 17.5 hour flight, which is how long our flight from Houston to Sydney was in January 2019.  Eight hours to Europe is pretty easy in comparison.

[complawyer]

well, caso darling, we're also retired, but given a choice, i'm going to the Med. 

[LGW59]

Just now, complawyer said:

well, caso darling, we're also retired, but given a choice, i'm going to the Med. 

always a hands down for us

[complawyer]

im sure that australia and new zealand are picturesque and beautiful, but i dont believe there is anything inthe world, that can match the history, architecture, and culture of any european city.

 

just imagine strolling through rome, the leaning tower of Pisa in florence, cruising down the seine, or the vuew from the Eiffel tower, walking through Pompeii, standing in st mark's square in venice, or being in the vatican.

dont even get me started on sangrada familia in barcelona or the wailing wall in jerusalem.

 

there is absolutely NO! comparison

[alibubba]

We have loved every cruise in Europe.  Hoped to go to Australia/New Zealand this year and after trying to get  everything in to get the temporary visas just for New Zealand,, which we could never get accepted--picture too blurry, too close up, too many pixels, etc, even after trying a professional photographer, we decided it wasn't worth the hassle.  Nothing needed in the med.  Also, what others have mentioned-the time in an airplane.  We've been to Australia before and the air time is horrible.Would only do that in shorter stages at our age now.

[The Shrike]

1 hour ago, complawyer said:

im sure that australia and new zealand are picturesque and beautiful, but i dont believe there is anything inthe world, that can match the history, architecture, and culture of any european city.

 

just imagine strolling through rome, the leaning tower of Pisa in florence, cruising down the seine, or the vuew from the Eiffel tower, walking through Pompeii, standing in st mark's square in venice, or being in the vatican.

dont even get me started on sangrada familia in barcelona or the wailing wall in jerusalem.

 

there is absolutely NO! comparison

I'll take the breathtaking beauty and serenity of the New Zealand fjords over any city anywhere on the planet.

[IrieBajan54]

I've only done one Australia-New Zealand cruise and was hoping to go back when COVID disrupted everything. The long flight did not bother me one bit. It was nice flying on a different airline: Qantas. Would love to do an around Australia cruise but NCL doesn't. I too am retired and don't like port intensive cruises so haven't done the Med. However, since I have done several transatlantics, I have been to some of the popular sites in Spain, Italy and France.

 

Whatever you choose, the other can be next on your bucket list.

[Travelling2Some]

We've done both and loved both but I would definitely choose Europe first if you have done neither.

[LNielsen]

9 hours ago, The Shrike said:

I'll take the breathtaking beauty and serenity of the New Zealand fjords over any city anywhere on the planet.

They ARE fabulous.  Have you been to/through the Norwegian Fjords?  Stunningly beautiful.  

[Sailing12Away]

23 hours ago, casofilia said:

 @Sailing12Away

 

... we need to give ourselves a full 3 weeks to do it right ...

 

In three weeks you wouldn't even be able to do a "Round Australia" cruise which is just a taster anyway never mind get to New Zealand.

 

A 12 day cruise Sidney-Auckland-Sydney barely looks at Australia though you do get to see a few ports in New Zealand.

 

If you want to do Australia and New Zealand properly start with 3 weeks in New Zealand; MINIMUM; and then 3 weeks to do the East Coast of Australia; MINIMUM; followed by 6 weeks to do the rest of Australia; minimum.

 

What you are saying would be like me saying we are doing the States properly in 6 weeks!!!   One daughter and husband were there for three month and TOUCHED every contiguous state and even they said they could have spent 3 more months.

 

@Kodiak99

 

Come Down Under and do a couple of cruises, Round Australia on Princess and then Sidney-Auckland-Sydney to get an idea of what this part of the world is like then return for a decent look for 3 months.

At no point did I say that by spending 3 weeks I would have seen every nook & cranny that is to be found in both countries. Australia is roughly the same size as the US, so I equate it to visiting 3 major cities in a weeks time, and spending 10 days driving both North & South island. A real feel for everything it has to offer - not at all, but a good taste of the places most important for me to see before they no longer exist. 

 

I'm about 20+ years from retirement age, so that's out of the question. And in the states when we say we only get 3 weeks' vacation, it's 3 work weeks (15 days off) - not 21 days off. So for me to devote 21 total days to just one single vacation, that is a LOT of time for me even if it's a waste to you. 

 

Time away from my dog, and finding a sitter willing to take her for 21 days. Assuming my job would allow me to take all that time off in a row. Assuming hubby's job also lets him do the same. Etc, etc.

 

If I stuck with your logic of having to devote 6+ weeks at once I would never get there. Or by the time I got there the great barrier reef would no longer exist. I'll take my taste of the land down under over nothing for 20+ years any day of the week.

[The Shrike]

1 hour ago, LNielsen said:

They ARE fabulous.  Have you been to/through the Norwegian Fjords?  Stunningly beautiful.  

We're doing the Norwegian Fjords on Viking in Feb 2024.  We're really looking forward to it.

[LNielsen]

Enjoy 😊