Hal Or Silversea Australia Nz

[Acrusa]

This will be our first time in this area.Last year we did the Silverwind Cape Town to the Mauritius,great cruise loved the Silversea line.We also have been on HAL several times and find it very good.That being said,Silversea cruise in Feb 2007 is almost the same as HAL except,they go to Eden,Newcastle then Sydney.HAL does Sydney,Melbourne,and Burnie,Tasmania.NZ is excatly the same.WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE IF IT WAS YOUR FIRST TIME.

THanks

[stebul]

Newcastle would best be a port call for the Hunter Valley wineries or bush walks (I've been to Newcastle and its dominant highlight is a giant steel mill, but I've heard it has since shut down).

 

Melbourne is a very well laid out city with trams (street cars) running from the pier into the city then out to any place you would want to go. It is clean and cosmopolitan, with many alleys filled with people and cafes. I would recommend seeing it. There are many other options.

 

Burnie is an opportunity to see the Tasmanian country side. I highly recommend a visit to the Wing's Farm Animal Reserve. It is a privately operated wildlife rescue facility where you can see wildlife up close, including Tasmania Devils and Wombats. It is family operated, and the pride they have in their work is contagious. Many passengers from our HAL cruise last month went there with the ship or by taxi, and all thought it was a great highlight. The Tasmania countryside is beautiful.

 

I would go with Melbourne and Tasmania if itinerary is your primary consideration. If you have time before or after the cruise, you could fly to Cairns from Sydney to see the Barrier Reef for several days. That way you would get the best of both.

[Aussie Gal]

Acrusa,

 

The Silverseas cruise is not letting you see the diversity of Australian life.

 

Newcastle is a big city north of Sydney but it is not like a capital city and I think you would miss out on seeing one of the loveliest cities in the world - Melbourne.

 

It is a garden city, with trams and great public transport. It is clean, safe and easy to get around and it is a complete contrast to Sydney which is also a wonderful city. Newcastle cannot in anyway compare to Melbourne as it is an industrial city.

 

Eden is a very small fishing village on our east coast halfway between Melbourne and Sydney and I am not sure what Silverseas would offer for excursions as it is more of a holiday destination as it is close to Merimbula which has lovely beaches.

 

Burnie is also a small town but it is close to Cradle Mountain and the wilderness of Tasmania which is a wonderful destination. You must have a visit to Tasmania as it is such a lovely State, with little traffic and fantastic scenery.

 

I know Silverseas is a smaller ship and very intimate and luxurious but HAL is also a good product and we have enjoyed every cruise we have done with her.

 

If I had the choice, I would go for the itinerary over the ship.

 

Jennie

[Acrusa]

Thank you both for your input.We are taking the HAL cruise.We will be spending 4 full days in Sydney,and we would like to take a day trip to the Blue Mountains,Any recomendations for this trip?We will be staying at either the Shagri-La or the park Hyatt Sydney which ever one has an Oprea House view avalaible.We figured that the hotel can arrange a tour to the blue mountains for the day.

[stebul]

Great choice! We were on the Feb 4 2006 HAL Statendam cruise, and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it. Each of the ports is special.

 

The hotel can arrange a tour for you, but I highly recommend Getabout4WD for a tour to the Blue Mountains.

http://www.getabout.com.au/

 

They operate mid-sized SUVs with at most 4 customers (rather than a small bus or a 20 passenger "SUV"). We were picked up from out hotel about 7:15AM and returned about 6:30PM. Our tour operated with just the two of us since there were no additional customers that day. They will customize the trip to your interests, and each guide has different favorite sights he or she will slip in. We expressed an interest in Aboriginal archeology, so our guide, John, made several extra stops to show us sharpening grooves and carvings. We also saw the main sights such as Three Sisters and rode the steepest railway and the sceniscender. We also saw some off the beaten path sites such as the first wagon road across the plateau.

 

The cost was AUD$225 per person. Small bus tours (up to 20 people) were about AUD$180 per person. For us, it was well worth the difference as we thoroughly enjoyed talking with John about life in Australia.

[Acrusa]

That was the next thing we where checking out,the Blue Mountain tour.THanks.Also we booked the cruise from Sydney to Auckland on the Statendam,but we could not get a port side verandah suite had to book starboard,was there a big differnce on the cruise?

[stebul]

No real difference on port or starboard for this cruise, both sides are equally interesting. On our cruise, port side had a nice view of the Opera House during embarkation in Sydney but starboard had a better view of the harbor during debarkation in Auckland. In between things are happening on both sides of the ship. You are lucky to have a veranda, as this is a popular cruise and Statendam only has about 1 1/4 floors of non-suite verandah staterooms.

[Acrusa]

Thank you so much.You have been a big help for us, both on this thread and HALS.Another suggestions will be appreciated.Thanks Alan