Would you recommend Australia? Help please.

[bandit0000]

Hi,

 

I have spotted a good offer for Sun Princess in April next year for 2wks around Australia.

Ports are, Sydney, Whitsunday Islands, Yorkeys Knob, Willis Island, Port Douglas, Cookstown, Townsville & Brisbane.

 

Firstly are these good ports to visit, any idea what to expect weather wise in April & for anyone who has been would you say it is worth the almighty flight?

 

Thankyou for any help you can give.

Lisa:)

[susie2shoes]

Hi,

 

I have spotted a good offer for Sun Princess in April next year for 2wks around Australia.

Ports are, Sydney, Whitsunday Islands, Yorkeys Knob, Willis Island, Port Douglas, Cookstown, Townsville & Brisbane.

 

Firstly are these good ports to visit, any idea what to expect weather wise in April & for anyone who has been would you say it is worth the almighty flight?

 

Thankyou for any help you can give.

Lisa:)

 

Lisa,

It is hard to answer you. What are you looking for? Yes it is a long way to Australia but you will see things you will not see anywhere else in the world. I've been to some of the places on this cruise and yes they are all very interesting and as an Australian I would happily visit them all again. I would suggest you come several days earlier to get over jet lag. We are doing a med cruise next April and I always allow 3-4 days o get used to a different timezone and hemisphere. April is a great time to visit Australia. The weather is warm, not too hot, especially in Queensland.

[bandit0000]

Hi Susie,

 

Thankyou for your reply.

We have always wanted to go to Aus and I particularly like this cruise because it is just doing Aus as a lot of other cruises take in NZ as well. We would only be arriving 1 day prior to the cruise with 2 days at the end (I have found some very reasonably priced flights, but for this configuration only).

I am glad it will be warm, in the 20's do you think?

Just got to talk myself into the flight now:D

Lisa

[susie2shoes]

Hi Susie,

 

Thankyou for your reply.

We have always wanted to go to Aus and I particularly like this cruise because it is just doing Aus as a lot of other cruises take in NZ as well. We would only be arriving 1 day prior to the cruise with 2 days at the end (I have found some very reasonably priced flights, but for this configuration only).

I am glad it will be warm, in the 20's do you think?

Just got to talk myself into the flight now:D

Lisa

 

Hi again Lisa,

I checked the weather. The average for Sydney in April is 23 and for Brisbane it is 27. The further north you go it will be even warmer. There is so much to see in Queensland I don't think you will be disappointed - the rain forest, the Great Barrier Reef and the wildlife. The warm weather would be a bonus. You will love sailing out of Sydney Harbour. It is something to see. We were just in Sydney 2 weeks ago, and we took a ferry to Manly and I was impressed and I have lived in Australia all my life! We also took a tour of the Opera House. Well worth the money. Lots of people were climbing the Harbour Bridge, which may interest you. Sydney is very easy to get around.

I know how you feel about the flight! It just about kills me to sit for so long on the leg from London/Frankfurt to Singapore. I have found a cruise for 2009 that leaves from Sydney to Honolulu which is very appealing for that reason.

[Jane110]

Hi,

 

I have spotted a good offer for Sun Princess in April next year for 2wks around Australia.

Ports are, Sydney, Whitsunday Islands, Yorkeys Knob, Willis Island, Port Douglas, Cookstown, Townsville & Brisbane.

 

Firstly are these good ports to visit, any idea what to expect weather wise in April & for anyone who has been would you say it is worth the almighty flight?

 

Thankyou for any help you can give.

Lisa:)

 

 

I'm not familiar with Yorkeys Knob, but have been to every other place on the list.

 

If you feel that that the travel to Australia is an "almighty flight" that you're only going to do once in a life time, then I think that unless you're planning on flying in a week before to see some other things, and your ship is going to overnight in a couple of ports (especially Port Doulgas) then it's just a tease and you'll come home knowing the ship better than Australia.

 

One day for Cookstown and Townsville and Willis Island is enough. But you're not getting to Melbourne or Tasmania or Adelaide or Kangaroo Island?

 

Think of it this way, if someone from Australia were coming to the US for their one and only trip ever to America and they told you they were cruising and spending one day each in NYC, Cape Cod, Martha's Vinyard, Portland Maine, Charleston NC and they were not going to see Boston, San Francisco or Florida, would you say that they were getting a great US itinerary?

 

I know this is a cruise board and I've been on quite a few cruises to many parts of the world and loved them, but Australia, never by cruiseship because every itinerary we've ever looked at is too much of a tease. I don't know if the itineray's have changed - the last time I looked was 5 years ago, but I think that to make it a meaningful cruise worth the almighty flight, cruiselines should stay in many of the ports overnight so that you can really experience the place. Or, if for you cruising is the only way you want to see a place, then you should spend a few days to a week either pre/post cruise to at least feel like you've seen the country.

 

Just an opinion from someone who's visited Australia 6 times.........

[NYLady]

I'm planning a trip to Australia for 2010 but I'm starting to plan now, hoping I can find a combination of tours, both cruises and land packages, to maximize my sightseeing while I'm "down under".

 

I see cruises that encircle the continent...cruises that include Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand...cruises that start in Singapore and go down the east coast of Australia but stop at Sydney...but in nearly every case, there is only one day in Sydney.

 

I'm trying to come up with a package that will include Singapore ...encircle the continent...include New Zealand...and spend more than one day in Sydney. I suppose I will end up duplicating some stops, but that should be good...and I may need a land package to include Alice Springs and Ayers Rock...I figure it will take me a good year to come up with a plan.

 

Have any of you tried to do something like this? Got any good combinations to try? or ideas for me?

[kaseyoz]

I agree with jane , it is a long way to come just for a cruise.

 

bear in mind also that willis island is not actually a stop. It is just a place they anchor at so they can say they are "out of australia' and sell duty free.It is a tiny speck of a place and you cannot get off the ship

[SelectSys]

Australia is one of my all time favorite holiday destinations. I would definately book something before or after my cruise to look around more.

[NYLady]

Maybe I should forget Singapore and do that on another trip. I could get independent air to and from Sydney...spend some time in Sydney...get a land package around Australia starting and ending in Sydney...then book a cruise to see New Zealand that starts and ends in Sydney (although I don't think I've seen one like that yet).

 

Does that sound reasonable?

[susie2shoes]

Lisa,

It may seem a long way to come for a cruise and only see a small part of Australia, but Australians do it all the time. For example, I've flown to Paris for a week, Africa for a week and are flying to Rome next year for a 12 day cruise. I'm not expecting to see all of Europe in 12 days - just a small part of Italy, Greece, Turkey and Egypt. I guess you need to decide how much you want to see, will you be coming down under again, the cost of getting from one city to another and how easy it is for you to get around. If this is your only trip to Australia, then maybe a land trip to the capital cities may be better. You may be happy only seeing Sydney and Queensland on a cruise this time and returning to Australia at a later date to see more of it. Lots of choices for you to make. Hope this helps.

[kaseyoz]

the cruises from sydney to NZ are typically 12 days so if you want to return also that is a 24 day staying at the same ports on your return.It may be better to fly back. Better still fly back to cairns and travel around queensland for a while then visit ayres rock

[baggirl0609]

I'm planning a trip to Australia for 2010 but I'm starting to plan now, hoping I can find a combination of tours, both cruises and land packages, to maximize my sightseeing while I'm "down under".

 

I see cruises that encircle the continent...cruises that include Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand...cruises that start in Singapore and go down the east coast of Australia but stop at Sydney...but in nearly every case, there is only one day in Sydney.

 

I'm trying to come up with a package that will include Singapore ...encircle the continent...include New Zealand...and spend more than one day in Sydney. I suppose I will end up duplicating some stops, but that should be good...and I may need a land package to include Alice Springs and Ayers Rock...I figure it will take me a good year to come up with a plan.

 

Have any of you tried to do something like this? Got any good combinations to try? or ideas for me?

 

Through Princess,we are doing a land tour that includes a day or so in Sydney, Ayers Rock, Darwin, Kakadu Nat'l park, Cairnes( Great Barrier Reef) and then a 14 day cruise from Sydney to Auckland.

The tour is called "Ultimate Australia Tour".

It is a lot crammed into the land days but we want to see as much as possible!( Lots of flying also)

[NYLady]

That sounds very interesting. So far,the cruises I have been able to find, on my own, have indicated "no excursions" which didn't really make sense. Once you get on the cruise are there any excursions? Perhaps they set it up as a "before cruise", "during cruise" and "after cruise" timepoints.

I've been searching all afternoon and I'm not coming up with any land packages I like either...I'm sure I'm going to set up some part of this on my own, although I'd rather not.

One thing I would like to do is have a chance to get accustomed to the time change before starting a tour. Some of the packages I found have you diving the Great Barrier Reef the morning after arriving in Australia...definitely not what I'd like to do...I'm still looking but I'm going to check out the Princess tour you describe. Thank you.

[baggirl0609]

That sounds very interesting. So far,the cruises I have been able to find, on my own, have indicated "no excursions" which didn't really make sense. Once you get on the cruise are there any excursions? Perhaps they set it up as a "before cruise", "during cruise" and "after cruise" timepoints.

I've been searching all afternoon and I'm not coming up with any land packages I like either...I'm sure I'm going to set up some part of this on my own, although I'd rather not.

One thing I would like to do is have a chance to get accustomed to the time change before starting a tour. Some of the packages I found have you diving the Great Barrier Reef the morning after arriving in Australia...definitely not what I'd like to do...I'm still looking but I'm going to check out the Princess tour you describe. Thank you.

 

If you have the Princess Book that has the tours for Australia, New Zealand and Asia...The tour I am talking about is shown on Page31. It is called "Ultimate Australia".

There are a number of them that are interesting but we see the most on this tour.We are actually coming into Australia about 5 or 6 days before the land tour begins and hope to be "Un Jet lagged".

We are going to Kangaroo Island for 3 days and will spend the rest of the time in and around Sydneybefore the land tour begins.

[bandit0000]

I'm not familiar with Yorkeys Knob, but have been to every other place on the list.

 

If you feel that that the travel to Australia is an "almighty flight" that you're only going to do once in a life time, then I think that unless you're planning on flying in a week before to see some other things, and your ship is going to overnight in a couple of ports (especially Port Doulgas) then it's just a tease and you'll come home knowing the ship better than Australia.

 

One day for Cookstown and Townsville and Willis Island is enough. But you're not getting to Melbourne or Tasmania or Adelaide or Kangaroo Island?

 

Think of it this way, if someone from Australia were coming to the US for their one and only trip ever to America and they told you they were cruising and spending one day each in NYC, Cape Cod, Martha's Vinyard, Portland Maine, Charleston NC and they were not going to see Boston, San Francisco or Florida, would you say that they were getting a great US itinerary?

 

I know this is a cruise board and I've been on quite a few cruises to many parts of the world and loved them, but Australia, never by cruiseship because every itinerary we've ever looked at is too much of a tease. I don't know if the itineray's have changed - the last time I looked was 5 years ago, but I think that to make it a meaningful cruise worth the almighty flight, cruiselines should stay in many of the ports overnight so that you can really experience the place. Or, if for you cruising is the only way you want to see a place, then you should spend a few days to a week either pre/post cruise to at least feel like you've seen the country.

 

Just an opinion from someone who's visited Australia 6 times.........

 

Thank you very much for all of your imput. This post has been most helpful & made me realise that I would be better off doing a land based vacation, or a combination of the 2 (which I do not have time for next year).

I think I need to look into it a little more as it is probably my one & only visit to Aus.

Thankyou all, very helpful.

Kind regards.

Lisa:)

[2manyplaces]

Australia is definitely a place where a land-based trip is far better than a cruise. Most travelers only see part of the east coast of Australia. We have been to Australia/New Zealand three times for three weeks each, and some of our favorite places are in the far north of Australia (Darwin, Kakadu), the west coast (Perth) and the south (Tasmania, Kangaroo Island). If you are only going to Austalia once in your life, do lots of research, stay as long as you can in each place and go as many places as possible. It is very easy to get around in Australia and New Zealand, tourism is their #1 industry, and the people are extremely fun and friendly. If you want to cruise, take a small ship cruise to the Whitsundays and Barrier Reef. We took one where there were only 3 other Americans on board--almost everyone else was from Australia and New Zealand. What a great experience!

[NYLady]

If you have the Princess Book that has the tours for Australia, New Zealand and Asia...The tour I am talking about is shown on Page31. It is called "Ultimate Australia".

There are a number of them that are interesting but we see the most on this tour.We are actually coming into Australia about 5 or 6 days before the land tour begins and hope to be "Un Jet lagged".

We are going to Kangaroo Island for 3 days and will spend the rest of the time in and around Sydneybefore the land tour begins.

 

I sent for Princess catalogs but I haven't gotten them yet. I will be sure to check Page 31...sounds great!

[Good-Time]

I sent for Princess catalogs but I haven't gotten them yet. I will be sure to check Page 31...sounds great!

 

 

 

Why wait, try Princess web page and download their brochure link below

 

http://www.princess.com/downloads/

 

Good-time

[tomtal]

We will be going to NZ and OZ in a couple of weeks. We have booked our own air travel with stopovers on the way from London. Will arrive in Sydney and transit on to Auckland where we will spend a few days. From there we have taken a Holland American cruise which has a very good itinerary around both North and South Islands in NZ and visits Tasmania, Melbourne and Sydney. It is 14 days. We will then spend, in total, 6 days in Sydney, 4 days in Cairns (to visit the GBR etc) and a day in Ayres Rock. Flights back from Sydney. This is a big tour but it is doubtful whether we will ever be able to come back and we thought if we did a land tour - which would probably be just as long - we would not be able to see NZ as well. Of course, we will only see small parts of two great countries and our plans may have been different if we could see ourselves going back again in the future.

[SailingVol]

YOU NEED TO SEE OZ there is no other place like in to the world. I had my ups and downs in the country while I lived there but I have never seen such a beautiful country in my life. If you decide to cruise, you should probably stay awhile before/after you cruise. Flights are cheap within the country so you can move about easily. Also, the trains and WONDERFUL and BEAUTIFUL sights. Need to see: blue mountains, daintree, GBR (go on a small boat!!), ayres rock (over night) , three sisters, ocean road, opera house (obviously) just to name a few.

have a great trip!