Best time for NZ/Aus. cruise?

[Robin7]

What is the best time for a New Zealand/Australia cruise? Our choices are 2008--January, February, and November. Any opinions on when the 'best' time is?

 

Thanks in advance. We hope to book soon.

 

Robin

[Aussie Gal]

Personally I would choose February. The reason being it will be the warmest time in New Zealand and the weather is very settled and hot here in Australia.

 

Jennie

[ArizonaRalphie]

either the week before or the week after us.

[SheilaNC]

LOL, so do tell us when you are sailing, ArizonaRalphie :)

[ArizonaRalphie]

We would be sailing 2-14-09 which makes 02-02-08 or 02=25-08 prime sailing itineraries. Works like that on most fishing trips I go on. The boats limit out the day before and day after ours and are back by noon. We, on the other hand will sit out there until 2 or 3 o'clock waiting to land our 6th fish.

[Robin7]

I was mostly concerned about crossing the Tasman Sea from New Zealand to Australia. I've heard it can be rough so I wondered if it was better in the summer or in the spring or if it's just the luck of whatever kind of weather is happening when you cross. My DH (thrillseeker!) would LOVE it if we had rough seas. I'd need a valium or six. Heh.:D

 

Seriously, we'd like to wait until November because then we wouldn't have to cancel our currently booked partial transit of the Panama Canal (Nov. 23rd) but we're going with other family members who may want to go in Jan/Feb. We're just waiting for them to get off the Regal Princess to make a decision. They're currently trying to out run Flossie, having left Maui for Los Angeles on Friday night.:eek:

 

Robin

[Aussie Gal]

I wouldn't be trying to guess what the Tasman Sea is going to serve up. It depends entirely on weather patterns and it is just the luck of the draw.

 

November is a funny time of the year and I would say that it could be more risky then than in February. We went to Vanuatu and New Caledonia in January this year and we had rough weather all the way to Vanuatu.

 

If you are worried about the seas then book a cabin in the middle of the ship and low down or make sure you go prepared with plenty of seasick remedies.

 

Jennie

[chumley]

We are thinking of booking a xmas cruise in Australia/New Zealand in 2008. Is the weather then pretty good usually? We would have to go then due to kids holiday break.

Thanks for the help.

Leslie

[Aquarians]

Kia ora tatou,

As an NZer living in Rotorua. the North Island's premier tourist spot (and a must see) I would recommend later in January or February, rather than before the new year. The weather is generally more settled with temperatures in the twenties (celsius). In this part of the world January is school holiday time so things can get rather busy then.

We're off down to Wellington (our Capital) shortly but will be happy to answer any queries when we return early next month.

Ka kite ano

Aquarians

Last three cruises in Mediterranean (2005,6,7)

Baltic coming up next year!

[mipps]

February

:)

[Robin7]

If you are worried about the seas then book a cabin in the middle of the ship and low down or make sure you go prepared with plenty of seasick remedies.

 

I'm not worried about seasickness so much as being scared to death! I'm seriously the biggest chicken EVER. I always take along Dramamine and last summer discovered non-drowsy Dramamine which worked like a charm on two small-boat excursions during our Alaska cruise.

 

My DH just found out that the company is sending us to Hawaii in February, so it's looking like our Aus/NZ cruise will have to be in November. At least I won't be so darn hot then. I really suffer from the heat--like NOW. We've had day after day in the high 90s, low 100s (35-38 C) here in the Western US. I'm ready to move to Antarctica with the penguins!

 

Thanks for all the advice!

 

Robin

[Aquarians]

I'm not worried about seasickness so much as being scared to death! I'm seriously the biggest chicken EVER. I always take along Dramamine and last summer discovered non-drowsy Dramamine which worked like a charm on two small-boat excursions during our Alaska cruise.

 

My DH just found out that the company is sending us to Hawaii in February, so it's looking like our Aus/NZ cruise will have to be in November. At least I won't be so darn hot then. I really suffer from the heat--like NOW. We've had day after day in the high 90s, low 100s (35-38 C) here in the Western US. I'm ready to move to Antarctica with the penguins!

 

Thanks for all the advice!

Kia ora Robin,

In NZ we rarely get temperatures into the mid thirties, cetainly not in the ports you are likely to visit. If you think of February as being = to a North Amarican August you will get the idea. In the thermal area of Rotorua where we live (Tauranga is the nearest port) the temperature will probably be in the mid to high twenties. Further south, especially in the beautiful fiordland area it is normaly cooler with rain sometimes being a problem. We shifted from Whangarei in the north (near the Bay of Islands) where we had banana palms growing in the garden, to Dunedin in the south where there was snow on the hills! This was in January. At that time of the year the Tasman sea shouldn't be too bad. Apart from Tasmania, in Australia, the rest of Australia should be warmer. Hope this helps

Aquarians

[Kathie44]

Aquarians, glad to see you recommend late Jan. into Feb. as that is when we are going. We are booked on the Mercury 14-night. We'll be arriving in Sydney Jan. 19, boarding the ship Jan. 20 and sailing Jan. 21. We arrive in Aukland Feb. 3 and stay for two extra days, arriving home on the 5th.

I know the Tasman Sea can be rough, but will have Bonine and wrist bands handy. Only one day in 7 cruises have I felt queasy (DH, never) and that probably would have subsided right away had I stopped reading sooner. We seldom feel any movement.

We enjoy winter cruises, but have been only to the Carib. and Mexico so far.

We are excited about this cruise, but not about the loooong flights to and from. Oh, well--I'm sure we'll survive and have a fabulous time.

 

1/02 Explorer E. Carib.

1/03 Explorer W. Carib.

8/03 Summit Alaska cruise/tour

2/04 Adventure S. Carib. Queasy the first (sea) day

2/05 Galaxy Panama Canal

6/06 Jewel Brit. Isles/Nor. Fjords + 3 nights in London

1/07 Mercury Mexican Riviera

1/08 Mercury Aust/NZ

[Aquarians]

Aquarians, glad to see you recommend late Jan. into Feb. as that is when we are going. We are booked on the Mercury 14-night. We'll be arriving in Sydney Jan. 19, boarding the ship Jan. 20 and sailing Jan. 21. We arrive in Aukland Feb. 3 and stay for two extra days, arriving home on the 5th.

I know the Tasman Sea can be rough, but will have Bonine and wrist bands handy. Only one day in 7 cruises have I felt queasy (DH, never) and that probably would have subsided right away had I stopped reading sooner. We seldom feel any movement.

We enjoy winter cruises, but have been only to the Carib. and Mexico so far.

We are excited about this cruise, but not about the loooong flights to and from. Oh, well--I'm sure we'll survive and have a fabulous time.

 

1/02 Explorer E. Carib.

1/03 Explorer W. Carib.

8/03 Summit Alaska cruise/tour

2/04 Adventure S. Carib. Queasy the first (sea) day

2/05 Galaxy Panama Canal

6/06 Jewel Brit. Isles/Nor. Fjords + 3 nights in London

1/07 Mercury Mexican Riviera

1/08 Mercury Aust/NZ

 

Kia ora, (= greetings)

While we can't be sure of the weather, the time of your cruise should mean good weather. Whenever we travel to the northern hemisphere from here it involves lng hours in the air. This means over 24 hours in the air. My suggestion to you would be to try and fly with as few stopovers as possible. Eg. Our last cruises have been from Rome so we organized it to fly via Hongkong in one case & Bangkok on the other occasions. With only the one stopover it means less wear & tear on the body & nerves and less chance of luggage going astray. Which ports do you call at?

Ka kite ano(=see you again/soon)

Aquarians

[Aussie Gal]

The same goes for us. We will be flying to Dublin in two weeks time and it will be taking 31 and a 1/2 hours from when we leave home until we touch down in Dublin. We are not having a stopover on the way over as we find it is a waste of time as most flights to Europe leave some time in the middle of the night from Asia. It is different on our way back home, we will spend 4 days in Singapore, adjusting our time clocks and enjoying that city. We always have a day flight home from there and as there is only 2 hours difference we are fine next day.

 

We just grin and bear the travelling as there is no alternative if we want to go to Europe or the U.S. When people complain about an 8 hour flight, I just cannot understand what they are on about!

 

Jennie

[mochuck]

We just grin and bear the travelling as there is no alternative if we want to go to Europe or the U.S. When people complain about an 8 hour flight, I just cannot understand what they are on about!

 

Jennie

 

Too bloody right!;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

[Kathie44]

Aquarians, our flights are from Dayton OH to Chicago to San Francisco, where we change to a larger plane but the flight # stays the same. San Fran to Sydney. Coming home is Quantas from Aukland to LAX to Cincinnati to Dayton. We were able to get a Custom air package from Celeb. which enables us to fly from Dayton (15 min from our house) instead of from Columbus or Cincy (1 1/2 hrs away). I don't mind the two stopovers since we will have the convenience of leaving from here. Our son can drive us and pick us up.

Our itinerary is:

Jan. 19--Arrive in Syd. 8:50 AM Staying at the Hilton one night

20 --Board ship

21--Set sail

22--Sea day

23--Melbourne

24--Sea day

25--Hobart, Tasmania

26--Sea Day

27--Sea Day

28--Cruising Milford, Dusky and Doubtful Sounds

29--Dunedin, NZ

30--Christchurch

31--Wellington

Feb. 1--Cruising Volcanic White Island

2--Tauranga

3--Aukland

Staying 2 extra days in Aukland at Crowne Plaza, leaving evening of

2/5.

My TA has done a land vacation in Aust/NZ and says this is an awesome itin.

I can see light at the end of the tunnel now and am getting more and more excited. :) We have a lively roll call on CC and can't wait to meet everyone. Two of the couples we met on our Mercury MR cruise last Jan are also on this cruise.

[Globaliser]

We just grin and bear the travelling as there is no alternative if we want to go to Europe or the U.S. When people complain about an 8 hour flight, I just cannot understand what they are on about!

Exactly! As far as I am concerned, London to Sydney is two sleeps, interrupted by a brief stroll, a hot shower and a cool drink. So I usually arrive in Sydney more rested than when I got on in London (almost always frazzled and exhausted from work).

 

The shorter 12-hour flights to Hong Kong are what I do for weekends away. ;)

[Robin7]

The shorter 12-hour flights to Hong Kong are what I do for weekends away. ;)

 

That made me laugh out loud. :D Thanks. I needed that today.

 

In January we flew from our home here in the Rocky Mountains to Seoul, South Korea. One stop in Los Angeles. The fourteen from LA to Seoul seemed soooooooooooooooo long. It might have helped if it hadn't smelled of stinky feet the entire time. Oh, it was malodorous!:eek:

 

Looking foward to flying 'down South'. WAAAAAAAY South. Heh.

 

Robin

[Aquarians]

Aquarians, our flights are from Dayton OH to Chicago to San Francisco, where we change to a larger plane but the flight # stays the same. San Fran to Sydney. Coming home is Quantas from Aukland to LAX to Cincinnati to Dayton. We were able to get a Custom air package from Celeb. which enables us to fly from Dayton (15 min from our house) instead of from Columbus or Cincy (1 1/2 hrs away). I don't mind the two stopovers since we will have the convenience of leaving from here. Our son can drive us and pick us up.

Our itinerary is:

Jan. 19--Arrive in Syd. 8:50 AM Staying at the Hilton one night

20 --Board ship

21--Set sail

22--Sea day

23--Melbourne

24--Sea day

25--Hobart, Tasmania

26--Sea Day

27--Sea Day

28--Cruising Milford, Dusky and Doubtful Sounds

29--Dunedin, NZ

30--Christchurch

31--Wellington

Feb. 1--Cruising Volcanic White Island

2--Tauranga

3--Aukland

Staying 2 extra days in Aukland at Crowne Plaza, leaving evening of

2/5.

My TA has done a land vacation in Aust/NZ and says this is an awesome itin.

I can see light at the end of the tunnel now and am getting more and more excited. :) We have a lively roll call on CC and can't wait to meet everyone. Two of the couples we met on our Mercury MR cruise last Jan are also on this cruise.

 

Kia ora korua,

Looks a great itinery. We have been to all the paces you sail to except for Hobart, and lived in Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland. Tauranga is less than an hours drive from Rotorua, where we now live. Rotorua's hot pools, geysers etc are all a must see. The Rohe (Maori word = region) is the Maori heart of Aotearoa NZ and its' unique culture. The fiords are in an isoated, sparsely populated part of he South Island and are another 'must see'. Please let us know if there is anything you would like to know on the NZ part of your cruise.

Ka kite ano

Mike & Anne

[mochuck]

Exactly! As far as I am concerned, London to Sydney is two sleeps, interrupted by a brief stroll, a hot shower and a cool drink. So I usually arrive in Sydney more rested than when I got on in London (almost always frazzled and exhausted from work).

 

The shorter 12-hour flights to Hong Kong are what I do for weekends away. ;)

 

You obviously sleep better on planes than I do. Even flying business class with sleeping tablets I feel like a zombie when I arrive. Although arriving in the evening is much more preferable.

[Aussie Gal]

We always stay awake from Melbourne to Singapore as we leave here around 4pm. Then we usually have a couple of hours wait at Changi until we board our next plane to Europe. That is hard, as it is past midnight Melb time. We usually walk around the airport in Singapore. We prefer to do this as othewise you tend to sleep in the lounges.

 

Then when we board our flight we put on our eye shades and go to sleep. We omit the dinner that is served at such a ridiculous time and usually we get around 8 hours sleep which is good for a 12-13 hour flight.

 

Returning from Europe to Singapore is a lot harder as the flights leave around lunchtime. I never sleep on this leg as it really is a day flight for us, even though we arrive into Singapore 6am, it is just on midnight Europe time. We always stop here for a few days and that first day is the hardest, keeping awake all day until we have an early dinner and go to bed.

 

Flying is not easy especially on the long trips to the other side of the world. It doesn't matter whether you are in 1st, Business or Economy it is still a drag.

 

Jennie

[mochuck]

I always have trouble sleeping on the plane but put me on the ferry to work especially with a book and I'm in the Land of Nod in 10 minutes.:D

[Globaliser]

Returning from Europe to Singapore is a lot harder as the flights leave around lunchtime. I never sleep on this leg as it really is a day flight for us, even though we arrive into Singapore 6am, it is just on midnight Europe time.

Why don't you get a night flight home? Most flights from London to Australia leave London in the late evening. I hate the day flights with a passion. I'm prepared to pay a significant premium to avoid them.

[Aussie Gal]

Globiliser,

 

As we always break our flights in Singapore and use Singapore Airlines, we find their flights leave around 1pm from Europe. We try to avoid Heathrow if we can and usually fly out from one of the European cities eg. Paris, Rome, Athens etc. This year we will be flying out of Milan and spending 4 days in Singapore. We like the day flight from Singapore that leaves around 10am and arrives into Melbourne at 7pm. That way our body clock is more or less back to normal.

 

Jennie