triplem67

On 6/1/2024 at 6:51 AM, hmcrn said:

There are several of us who want to go out to the sanctuary but not at the ships price of 350 US per person.   @triplem67 - would love to know the shuttle bus company?   you could let me know a contact or a site i would gladly contact them.  (Also on the Edge, but in March of 2025). 

 

Hi there @hmcrn and @Madson16
I will reach out again to the Shuttle contact used on my Edge cruise this year.  They've been going through some restructuring after merging another business into theirs and they've been focused on that.  

If they can't commit, I'll go back through my research and see if I can find another Shuttle company for you.  Keep nudging me now and then.  I have a pet sitting business and have a busy schedule from mid-June to early July with Winter School holidays here in Brisbane 👍

9 hours ago, Princess Cruises Fann said:

https://www.travelgossip.co.uk/product-news/grand-princess-to-homeport-in-san-juan-for-winter-2025-6/
 

Wonder what Princess will do with the Grand cruises that are currently scheduled for Australia and New Zealand during that time and still show as available as booking on the Princess Cruises website?

@Princess Cruises Fann  I'm booked on a Grand Princess cruise out of Brisbane on 8th December 2025, so I'll be keeping an eye on my email to see what I hear from Princess Cruises.  
I assume there will be another ship added in place of Grand Princess 🤷‍♀️

🤨 Well I guess I'll be hearing from Princess as I have Mum & I booked on Grand Princess sailing to Tasmania from Brisbane on 8th December 2025.

On 4/24/2024 at 9:14 AM, possum52 said:

Sorry, it is so far out for you but really where would you expect the ship to dock? The bigger the ships get, the further out from river cities the ports have to be. The cruise ports for London are Dover (77 miles/125km and Southampton (79 miles/128km). The distance from Brisbane CBD shuttle drop off is 15.4 miles/24.8km to the BICT. 

thanks Leigh @possum52
I was going to say it's better than docking across the River at the Grain Terminal, but I think you covered it perfectly.  👍

On 4/27/2024 at 5:36 AM, Madson16 said:

Hi Mel 

we are a party of 4 who have booked Skyrail March 2025 arriving at Yorkeys knob on Celebrity edge just looking at booking transportation to Skyrail if you have any contacts that would be really useful 

Hey there @Madson16
Sorry I haven't responded sooner.... unless I get tagged I don't see the messages unless I log in to have a read of what people are asking.  

I can email you the details of the Private car company I used.  I'll find the costing for our group back in March and have them ready to send to you.  It won't be as cheap as maybe a Taxi or Rideshare, but the plus side was reliability.  They were there to pick us up and take us to Skyrail and they were waiting for us as booked when we got back.  

You may also want to check out the Skyrail website.  I believe their bus connection improved for Cruise Ship passengers, but it was only happening just as we went in early March.  So it wasn't an option for us initially as we arranged our transport was in advance.  

Email me at triplem67 @ gmail.com (take out the spaces).  👍

4 hours ago, Madson16 said:

Hi Mel 

 

Thank you for getting back to me we would be very interested in your Uber contact or any other contacts you have for our stop in Brisbane 27th March 2025 we are on the Celebrity Edge Great Barrier Reef cruise. We have now booked our Lone pine tickets and just need to arrange transportation to and from so it will be good if we can arrange transportation beforehand it will tick another thing off our list planning this adventure 🛳️🛳️😊

We did note your comment about the Mirramar cruise and realised we would probably not have enough time

 

Kind regards

 

Mark

Thanks Mark @Madson16

I'll follow up with Tim my Uber Driver friend this weekend.  I have also reached out to the Shuttle Bus company to see if they are available to do a shuttle like they did for my Celebrity Edge shore day in Brisbane back on 5th March.  

I'll get back to you once I have info.  👍

2 hours ago, mauimary said:

Thank you Triplem67. I actually did look at your Roll Call for the Feb 25 Edge. It was quite helpful and you were very helpful. There was lots of info on it.  At that time j was looking to get from Arlie Beach to the Whitsunday’s  on Celebrity tight schedule and following your  roll call on how you tried to get it all to come together. 

@mauimary Try Red Cat Adventures for a non-ship Airlie Beach excursion to Whitehaven Beach.  If you've been reading our Roll Call from Edge GBR 25Feb, you'll know that Red Cat came to the party at the last minute for our Cruise, but as far as I know they pulled it off.  I think they had capacity for 38 people on their boat.  

The guy at Red Cat was Luke and he can be found by searching Luke Red Cat on that other social media platform that is not allowed to mentioned here at CC.  😉

On 3/23/2024 at 5:53 AM, Carolina Cruisr said:

I am looking for an Uber contact to take 2 people from the cruise port (Crown Princess Nov 21, 2024) to Lone Pine. If you could provide a name and contact I would appreciate it.

Hello @Carolina Cruisr

It was me that had the Brisbane Uber driver contact.  I'm catching up on posts as I'm not here as often now the my cruise is over.  😢

I am Brisbane based and happy to answer questions.  I'm still waiting to hear back from my Uber driver contact but know he was selling his house and moving so he's probably pre-occupied with that.  I'll follow up with him in the next couple of weeks.  

I also have a local Shuttle Bus company contact.  If you think there's more people in your cruise group that also might like to self-organise a Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary trip, this could be a good option.  The company offered a return shuttle for my cruise group in early March.  They offered a set price (in Aussie dollars) to be picked up from and return to Brisbane Cruise Terminal.  

I can help connect you with them if think this might be a good option.  

As you are visiting Brisbane on a WEEKDAY, please caution anyone who might be talking about booking the Mirramar Brisbane River Lone Pine Cruise for that day.  It's very tricky to get from the Brisbane ICT to the Mirramar departure point in Brisbane on a weekday morning through peak hour traffic. If your ship "arrival time" is 8am, getting to Mirramar Wharf for 9am is pretty much not possible.  

Let me know if you have any questions.  

On 3/26/2024 at 11:19 PM, Madson16 said:

Hi we are a party of 4 sailing into Brisbane 27th March 2025 and would like to visit Lone pine koala sanctuary making our own way there and back would be very interested in any contacts for taxi/shuttle that could be pre booked before we go . Any help would be greatly appreciated 

 

Mark

Hi Mark @Madson16
I'm catching up on posts as I'm not here as often now the my cruise is over.  😢

I am Brisbane based and happy to answer questions.  I'm still waiting to hear back from my Uber driver contact but know he was selling his house and moving so he's probably pre-occupied with that.  I'll follow up with him in the next couple of weeks.  

I also have a local Shuttle Bus company contact.  If you think there's more people in your cruise group that also might like to self-organise a Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary trip, this could be a good option.  The company offered a return shuttle for my cruise group in early March.  They offered a set price (in Aussie dollars) to be picked up from and return to Brisbane Cruise Terminal.  

I can help connect you with them if think this might be a good option.  

As you are visiting Brisbane on a WEEKDAY, please caution anyone who might be talking about booking the Mirramar Brisbane River Lone Pine Cruise for that day.  It's very tricky to get from the Brisbane ICT to the Mirramar departure point in Brisbane on a weekday morning through peak hour traffic. If your ship "arrival time" is 8am, getting to Mirramar Wharf for 9am is pretty much not possible.  

Let me know if you have any questions.  

On 4/10/2024 at 2:35 AM, mauimary said:

Does anyone know if there is a shuttle from Yorkeys Knob to Cairns? We will be overnight on Celebrity so it makes my options easier.  Where is the drop off?  I’m looking at some independent excursions. 

Hi there @mauimary
I did the Celebrity GBR itinerary in late Feb / early March at Yorkey's Knob.  There was a Shuttle bus provided and I think it was free, but some people weren't happy with the service. 

The challenge was/is that there is a shortage of buses in the area post-COVID.  So on the first day of our Yorkey's overnight stop, many people were caught short when they had lined up for the shuttle bus in mid-afternoon to return to Yorkey's... but then the buses arrived, dropped off and left without taking anyone back to Yorkey's.  The problem was that the buses have long-standing bookings for the after school pick ups in the area and had to leave to meet that commitment.  

For some passengers who had been waiting in line for some time... this REALLY upset them... and I get it. January is wet season and this year it was a REALLY WET season.   There was also false gossip spread in our cruise group about Celebrity being "too cheap" and not paying to dock at the Cruise Terminal in Cairns.  If you're on Celebrity Edge, she's too big to dock so tendering at Yorkey's is the only option. I personally know the Marine Pilot we used on our cruise and chatted to him onboard about it.  The person who spread the "I spoke to someone in the know who told me blah blah" was total BS 😑🤦‍♀️ 

So you just need to be careful in planning what you're doing on those two days in Cairns.  I'm happy to answer questions and I can also ask others from my cruise how they arranged things.  You can also check the Roll call for the Celebrity Edge 25th Feb GBR Cruise for lots of great info.  

Let me know if you need any information.  

On 4/10/2024 at 12:19 AM, Jaymom said:

We have already booked this for our January cruise. Going up Skyrail and train down. We have two days in port, so no worries about missing the ship. Can I get more info on your private transport? What is the cost for a car? Do you contact her once you get a tender? We don’t have priority but are early risers so will be in line as early as possible for tickets. I

Hey there @Jaymom
I can get all this info to you and share how it worked for us on the day. Send me an email at triplem67 @ gmail.com (take out the spaces) and I'll send you all the info and the contact details for the Transport I used.  

We started with a large-ish group and booked an 11-seat mini bus which was cheaper, but the group grew and we ended up adding another THREE private cars.  The service was excellent and I would definitely recommend them. 

I'm happy to share our experiences from the day.  😃👍

On 3/23/2024 at 5:53 AM, Carolina Cruisr said:

I am looking for an Uber contact to take 2 people from the cruise port (Crown Princess Nov 21, 2024) to Lone Pine. If you could provide a name and contact I would appreciate it.

Hello Pat @Carolina Cruisr
I've only just seen your message.  I'll check with Tim today and let you know.  

I also have a local Shuttle Bus company contact.  If you think there's more people in your cruise group that also might like to self-organise a Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary trip, this could be a good option.  The company offered a return shuttle for my cruise group earlier this month.  They offered a set price (in Aussie dollars) to be picked up from and return to Brisbane Cruise Terminal.  

@Andyroo75 Brisbane local here. No buses unfortunately. Taxi or ride share only. There’s also some private shuttles that offer tranfers.

On 1/17/2024 at 3:34 PM, possum52 said:

The road to Port Douglas which is currently closed is how you would get to the Daintree. I believe you can go inland which is a 3+ hour trip. At this time the road is expected to open by the end of this month and Kuranda Railway is due to open around the 12th February. In saying that there is always the possibility of more damage if another cyclone hits the region. There is one possibly forming in the Coral Sea at the moment but it is not known where and when it will make landfall. 

We got the news over the weekend Leigh @possum52  Kuranda Scenic Railway is now out until 1st May at this stage.  😔  

Skyrail is running and available up and back.  All of the private bookings on my Edge Cruise for 29th February or 1st March are getting the official emails now.  

I also chatted to my private transport company today.  Port Douglas road has reopened today... but now they have no water.  😑

Please let this new cyclone stay south of Cairns and Port Douglas.  These poor people need a break.  🤞🤞

On 1/14/2024 at 8:16 AM, possum52 said:

I would suggest in NZ Whittakers chocolate. Whittakers is the best NZ chocolate, it comes in many different flavours, some quite unusual. Also if you have the chance to buy an ice cream cone in NZ, try Hokey Pokey flavour - vanilla with honeycomb toffee pieces in it.

OMG!... Yes Leigh @possum52 you are spot on!  The Hokey Pokey ice cream is divine 😍😋

Hey Laurie @cookiersmom
If you love Pearls, you might also consider the world renowned Paspaley Pearls.  They originate from Broome Western Australia but they have boutiques around the country.  Their flagship boutique is in Sydney CBD.  

This website will show you their collections.  Their products are very high end and they have a stunning array of designs in their collections. The USD exchange rate will work in your favour.   

www.paspaley.com

If you scroll to the bottom of their website, there is a link for "Boutiques" which will give you the locations.  

See you soon 😃
 

1 hour ago, cargig21 said:

Thank you this is really great & helpful advice. I will put the feelers out on the Roll Call & see if anyone else is planning to do their own trip to the Skyrail & see if they would like to share some transportation. I would feel much happier knowing that if you miss your booked gondola for whatever reason, they will fit you into one of the next few rather than having to wait around for a train that could still be unreliable - I had no idea about the slippery tracks thing! Thank you so much 🙏🏼

@cargig21 You're welcome.  I didn't know about the slippery tracks either but doing this journey in wet season, I think it's good to know about the potential for problems / delays.  

Let me know if you need a great contact for private transport.  My contact Nicky, has been amazing to work with.  We have a large group and booked out her entire fleet on the day.  She has an 11 Seater mini bus, as well as vehicles that can seat 4 and up to 6 people comfortably.  

2 hours ago, cargig21 said:

I'm just looking at booking tickets for the scenic railway up, Skyrail back for our cruise in March/April. The departures in the morning say 8.49am or 9.49am - is that the train departure time or the bus from the Smithfield terminus to the train? We dock at 8am & it's a tender port so would it be cutting it too fine to do the 8.49am departure? Would this then get us up there for 10.30am? The last departure down on the Skyrail is showing as 1.14pm so if we ended up taking the 9.49am up, would this give us enough time up there before coming back? Really not sure what to do?!

Hello @cargig21
Can I make a suggestion for you to consider?  This comes from a lot of personal research I've done for my own privately arranged Kuranda excursion in late February (also arriving into Yorkey's Knob by a tender).  

Consider switching to Skyrail up and Scenic Train back if that combination is available. I was told by a friend that on her excursion, she did train up and they had issues with the train losing traction due to wet slippery conditions.  The staff were constantly having to stop and put sand on the tracks so the train could get traction.  My friend had booked the 9:30am train that was due to arrive at 11:25am but the trip up took much longer than usual.  Once they arrived in Kuranda, they had very little time and had to go back as they had booked the 2:00pm train back.  Keep in mind that Wet Season runs from November to May.  

By taking Skyrail up to Kuranda first, it gives you flexibility that if the the Tender situation from your Ship has you running late, you will not miss the Skyrail.  There are Gondolas leaving every 30 seconds.  You may just have to wait for some free space to board a Gondola in between other bookings.  When you book Skyrail, the departure windows are spaced 15 minutes apart and it's okay if you miss your booked time.    March April is low season so it won't be that busy and they can easily slot you in once you arrive.  This was the advice I was given directly from Skyrail staff.  

Then, you can book the the Scenic train back (if seats are available on your date).  There is a 2pm Train departure arriving Freshwater Station 3:32pm or Cairns 3:55pm.  Or a 3:30pm Train departure arriving Freshwater Station 5:02pm or Cairns 5:35pm.

You will need to line all this up with your Cruise Ship Tender arrival and departure times.  On my cruise we have an overnight stop in Cairns (anchored off Yorkey's Knob) and I have planned to do Kuranda on Day 1 so we're not racing to get back to ship before it departs.  I have also arranges private transport for our group so we're not stressing about catching taxi's or Uber which can be hard to come by at Yorkey's Knob.

* Note that it should affect you with March / April but the Scenic Railway is currently closed until 11th February while track and bridge damage is repaired after the Cyclone that hit in mid-December *

I happy to answer any questions you might have.  

@sandinmyshoes  As a Queenslander (and Brisbane local) who is sailing on Celebrity Edge to the Great Barrier in Feb / Mar next year... here is my bit of advice for you to consider.  

If choosing to go with a cruise taking in the Great Barrier Reef ports, there will be a lot Tendering as these locations don't have anywhere to dock the large ships.  If you are Tendering and want to experience the Great Barrier Reef or somewhere like Whitehaven Beach, seriously look at the Ship-arranged excursions in stops such as Airlie Beach and Cairns (could be listed as Yorkey's Knob if you are tendering).  With ship arranged Reef excursions they will be expensive but they will pick you up directly from the ship and return you direct which will save time, and also guarantee that the ship waits if the tour is late getting back.  

You MIGHT be able to book Reef tours cheaper yourself, BUT the tendering process largely eliminates a lot of tour providers because you won't arrive onshore in time, or the tour gets back too late and you would miss the last Tender back to the ship.  

You've found the right place to ask for advice as there are so many great people here who can help.  

If it's at all possible and you'll only get down here once... Can you do both?  The New Zealand destinations (especially the Fjords) are spectacular and Picton is another favourite of mine. 

9 hours ago, Kozimoto1209 said:

Oh nice! We will be going to The man From Snowy River….very excited to see it.

@Kozimoto1209 Oh wow!  That will be amazing.  I think that is still one of my favourite soundtracks (and movies) of all time.  

7 hours ago, kwokpot said:

I just came back from disembarking a cruise at Brisbane on another cruiseline. A few things I can recommend. City Hall has an interesting art museum inside and it's free. The building is itself is beautiful. The Botanical Garden is in the city center and is a wonderful place for a walk and it's also free. It will seem you're away in a remote tropical island in the middle of the city! There's a municipal ferry system that runs a free leg called Brisbane City Hopper. It makes about 6 stops and you get to view the city from the river. Google it and it's another great thing to do that's free. Brisbane Queen Street Mall is the main shopping street and it resembles  a pedestrian only shopping street in Europe. Tons of stores from inexpensive to the top luxury brands. It's where all of Brisbane will be located. 

You won't need any Australian $/cash. Everything can be done with credit cards or Apple Pay/Google Pay (both are actually called Wallet). Use the tap feature with your CC and you won't need to sign any receipts. This applies works wide.

Some photos of Brissy. 

@kwokpot  Thank you so much.  Those are great tips and your photos of my beautiful home town Brissy are beautiful.  I hope you had an amazing cruise and enjoyed your time in Brisbane.  

1 minute ago, Wineaux007 said:

They had four large cats.  No problem getting people off the ship.  Just get your tender tickets when they begin giving them out.  Only problem with Yorkey's Knob was space for busses to park to pick up ship excursion tours.  Only about 4-5 spaces, so people were crowded around the pier area.  They had to wait for one bus to fill for another one to take its place.  If you have a private tour waiting, you shouldn't have any issue.

 

 

@Wineaux007 Thanks so much for taking time to provide these updates.  They are very much appreciated.  Enjoy your journey up to Darwin and beyond 🥂

1 hour ago, Wineaux007 said:

Just an FYI for those following this thread, we tendered in Airlie Beach at Shute Harbor.  The ship (or whoever) provided free 10-15 min shuttle to/from Airlie Beach.

@Wineaux007 Thank you for this information.  I've been watching Solstice off and on all day on the Marine Traffic website.  They've been using a big Passenger Catamaran for the tendering by the looks of it.  

I'd love to get some information from you after tomorrow's events tendering into Yorkey's Knob.  There's a group of us who have self organised our Kuranda excursion.  So would love to know how the Tender process worked for independent passengers with non-ship excursions.  

Enjoy your sail away through the Whitsunday Islands.  🍹
 

21 minutes ago, Wineaux007 said:

There were 4 of us together so we took an Uber.  We took the River City Cruise w/lunch, and Uber cost $28 (USD)(44 AUD) to the River City Cruise dock.   Cruised down the river and stopped for lunch at Breakfast Creek Hotel.  What a great place for lunch.  Best steak in town and a great place to drink beer.  After lunch and a few brews, Uber back to the ship cost $20 (USD)(32 AUD).  Cheaper than $80 for the 4 of us and not crammed on a 50 pax bus.  There were also lots of taxis at the terminal.

 

P.S. No visit to Brisbane should be without a visit to Breakfast Creek.  It's a truly amazing place with great food & beer and atmosphere.

I totally agree! The Brekkie Creek Hotel is a Brisbane institution 💖😍 The best steaks in Brissy. 😋
 

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. 💖

6 minutes ago, cruisinsusin said:

Hi- it was before 8 am but not sure of the exact time

Thank you!