Flipper133

Hi,

 

DH and I are going on a "Top End" cruise on Solstice next February. We leave from Fremantle and thence cruise to Port Headland. I have to say that Port Headland looks like a desert in the middle of nowhere, and DH has looked at maps but we just don't know about sightseeing, what's to see in the area.:(

 

Could you please tell me if there is anything to see at Port Headland, and how you booked a private car and driver in Benoa. (That's the next port of call). Can you also please tell me how much it cost?

 

We then go on to Darwin, (LOVE DARWIN), Cairns, Brisbane, Newcastle and finally, Sydney.

 

ps The photo sure gives us an idea of how far it is in the tender....

 

Now all we need to do is think about getting from Nambucca Heads, (half way between Brissie and Sydney) and then getting to Fremantle! Easy! (HELP). :confused:

 

Would appreciate any help that can be given.

Hello Ratacake

We have done the top end cruise twice. 1st time we "pushed the boat out" and took a mini suite at the aft of Sun Princess...absolutely fabulous as we sailed from Sydney, then on to Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns, Cooktown, Darwin, Broome, Exmouth, Geraldton and finally Freo.

2nd trip was last Feb/Mar on Solstice...virtually same as your cruise. We did a deal with Celebrity and not only got a Concierge class cabin on the hump for a fabulous price, we also managed to get them to provide the air from Bne to Perth.

I know many commented on why "Port Hedland"...but in truth many of us don't really know a lot about the WA coastal areas and so I am glad we went there.

For Bali, where we stayed overnight, I organised day trips via an Oz coy based in Perth called: http://www.balisuccesstours.com.au/bali/Home.htm . Fantastic service and the prices were right....actual cost depends on your tour. We were delayed getting ashore on first day, due to Indonesian Immigration "regulations" ;), but our tour guide was there waiting for us no problems

We also like Darwin, and this time we took a tour around all the Japanese invasion sites..very interesting. Previous trip I hired Darrell in Darwin...who operates a hire car business and we had a personalised 2 hour tour for 4 of us for $100.

We were somewhere off Arnhem Land, when the captain announced that we were changing course so we could meet up with a rescue helicopter. Apparently one of the crew had suffered a heart attack and had to be taken to hospital. A fascinating diversion for the passengers for what was a very serious event. This however meant we were late getting into Cairns, and I was grateful we had changed our booking here to a ships tour going out to green island. Although a little rushed it all worked out well.

You will thoroughly enjoy your top end cruise - especially on Solstice...she is a magnificent ship - we are sailing again on her in December doing the NZ cruise.

Cheers

Hi Melkaracam

 

Have you joined the Roll Call for the Dec 9 cruise yet?

 

Lots of people there to chat with and exchange tips and ideas

 

cheers

Aaaaah Stupid me...of course you are there.... saw you on the spreadsheet :o

Thank you for sharing your trip.

 

I am sailing on Solstice 9th December 2014 with 14 family members.

 

She looks a very beautiful ship! I am waiting patiently for December:D

Hi Melkaracam

Have you joined the Roll Call for the Dec 9 cruise yet?

Lots of people there to chat with and exchange tips and ideas

cheers

Pretty important to check that you don't mix up your "O"s with your "U"s. :o

Otherwise it could end up being a very "entertaining" game :p

Celebrity have some good deals along with the "Pick Your Perk" promo going at the moment. We cruised on the Relection last year which is a sister ship to the Solstice and it was great. I am looking to book either the late November or early December NZ cruise on the Solstice right now and would recommend Celebrity. I would prefer the Dec 9 cruise that returns from Auckland as it calls into Hobart on the return to Sydney while the outbound calls at Melbourne.

Hi Woodyren

I agree the Celebrity deals for Solstice have been great. We are booked on the Dec 9th sailing and got a 1A balcony cabin on the hump for 2 adults and 2 children for $4k (Kids sail free). This included all contributions to staff wages (tips) and all Govt. and port charges. We picked the Classic Beverage Pac as our "perk" and managed to snare some great airfares from Bne to Auk on an Emirates Airbus A380 for about $750 for the 4 of us. Compared with a Syd/Syd cruise on a Sun class ship I'm about $3k in front.

Unfortunately, I and some others from the Roll Call, noticed that just last week the cruise prices went up about $600pp :eek:. This was on top of an increase in Port charges that were imposed in March.

If you move quickly you might find an agent that can still swing the lower fares for you, but that might be at the expense of not getting the PYP. (Some agents have a "group" allocation, but these are often exempted by Celebrity from some of the promos)

Best of luck

cheers

Sadly, I will be getting off the Century on the 22nd. :)

 

Excuse my ignorance as I know nothing about Sydney, but will the Century go under the bridge as it comes into Port? Also, will the ship put me in a position to take some good pics of the Opera House as I leave and return?

Hi Oskar

The Century is scheduled to dock at the OPT for all its cruises so it will not pass under the bridge. Its actually a bit smaller tonnage wise than the Sun Class Princess ships and they all go to White Bay when in town...and to get to that area they pass under the bridge. Not sure why the Century therefore docks at the OPT...might have something to do with height of the superstructure.

The OPT is in a magnificent position, right besides the approaches to the bridge and directly across from the Opera House. You will have plenty of fantastic photo opportunities from up on deck....especially on sailaway. Arrival will be early morning so it will be up to you whether to get up for it... unless of course you have a balcony on the Port Side.

cheers

Just noticed that the Radiance and the Solstice are both in Sydney on the same day in January 2015 so excuse my ignorance but where do they both berth?

Hi Chester

What date are you referring to? :confused: :confused:

I checked the Sydney Port Authority web site and cannot find any date in Jan-Mar 2015 where there is a conflict for the OPT for any ship. Certainly I cannot see where Radiance and Solstice are in town the same day.

There is an issue for Solstice in December. She arrives in Sydney on the 21st (sadly I will be disembarking from her) and will be staying overnight. The schedule also has Celebrity Century coming in on Dec22 and so Solstice will be "punted off" to the Athol Buoy. Not sure if passengers will be all that excited about that.

cheers

Planning a cruise for February 2016...what are some of the favorite itinerary stops/cruising that I should look for? Open to all suggestions...

Without doubt my favorite Oz cruise is the "Northern Explorer". We have done this twice, and you really get to see some of the divergence of the Aussie landscape. Actual ports of call will depend on the cruise line, but this is where we went:

1. Sun Princess: Departed Sydney (one of the worlds best sailaway experiences) and visited Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns, Cooktown (no ships visit there nowadays); Darwin, Broome (Camel ride on Cable beach); Exmouth; Geraldton and finally Fremantle (Perth).

2. Celebrity Solstice: Departed Fremantle and visited Port Hedland, Bali (many cruises go there nowadays) Darwin; Cairns; Brisbane and then Sydney.

There are a number of cruise lines that do this sort of itinerary, and some also combine it with a visit to New Zealand.

Its all a matter of time and dollars...but whatever you choose I am sure you will greatly enjoy.

Feb/March is also a good time.

cheers

Looks like Les is keeping ahead of things.

This was just reported on ABC News:

A tsunami warning has been issued for Chile, Peru and Ecuador after a major magnitude 8.0 earthquake stuck off the coast of Chile.

:eek:

Most car rental companies offer insurance to cover the excess (usually $4,000 or $6,000) that you would have to pay if you have a crash. Any damage exceeding that is covered by the car hire company anyway. I suggest you check your travel insurance policy to see if it is included. There is no point in paying extra for something that is included in your travel insurance anyway.

All too true....MV Hire in NZ can be a bit of a nightmare...esp. with deposits and insurance. A point worth noting is that even if you have excess cover in your travel insurance (and most policies have this) with many of the hire coys (esp 2nd tier) you will still have to pay up to $4000 upfront and then you have to claim on your insurance. This has the potential to cause a cash flow issue for some.

I believe that places like Avis are a little more reasonable with this..but worth checking.

cheers

We are booked on Solstice for a cruise Auk - Syd in December. Grandson has now decide he would like to join us...making our party 4 pax. We had already booked a Cat 1A cabin on the hump which accommodates 4 persons, but I note that it has a trundle bed that comes out from under the Sofa for use by the 4th passenger.

Some other 4 berth cabins have a Pullman style bed that comes down from the ceiling... and I fancy such an arrangement would be a whole lot more convenient. Only ones available are Cat 1B, which have smaller balconies than the 1As

Has anyone had experience with style of bedding arrangements? The kids are 9 and 11 and are used to sleepovers at Nannas... but I do wonder about keeping the floorspace clutter to a minimum.

I have asked my TA for a view, but I very much welcome any advice from these boards.

cheers

I always take a small stapler so that I can use it to attach the cruise labels after I have collected our luggage from the flight carousel.

Many times I have made it available to others who wondered how they would attache their tags.

Perhaps things are different in the states

cheers

Wasn't going to do anything until next year, but came across a NZ cruise on Celebrity Solstice that I could not pass up.

12 nights ex Auckland to Sydney in a Verandah cabin (1A on the hump) - with free passage for up to 2 extra pax (viz kids).

This deal can be combined with their Pick your Perk deal. Booked 2 adults plus granddaughter + free Classic Beverage pac (worth $88/day) for $4k. This includes all taxes and pre paid Crew Wages Supplement (tips)

This cruise is during the two weeks leading up to Christmas so is basically in School Holidays. Also sourced some great airfares .. so absolutely no brainer

Might also take Grandson if his parents stop procrastinating :confused:

cheers

Hmm ... not sure I would class Brisbane's Portside Cruise Terminal as being excellent. Adequate maybe, but a dull and boring trek from the checking-in desks to the actual ship. And just one elevator to cope with around 2000 embarking/disembarking is a joke! Just ask guest lecturer Terry Brown who I saw a couple of years ago cursing as he struggled down the stairs with his luggage :-(

 

Dennis

By comparison I would consider Brisbane Portside as good as, if not better, than Sydney's OPT and (now redundant) Darling Habour; Fremantle Dock and Port Melbourne.

Ok, I accept the lift situation could be a bit better, but generally the setup works well. The proximity of the Portside retail sector and the availability of local parking are the big plusses. You and your friends can park, you can register for your cruise and then you can all enjoy some bon-voyage cheers at any of the fine establishments in the precinct. Can't do that at the other ports.

Pity about the Grain Wharf however. Somewhat of a disgrace.:(

cheers

Here is a slightly different perspective on dining.

We are relatively experienced cruisers, but our last cruise was the first for us with our granddaughter...8yo. We just did a quicky to Tasmania on CS.

When we first started cruising we initially went for Anytime, as it appealed for its flexibility. Nowadays however we prefer the "reliablity" and certainty associated with Fixed dining and for us late sitting works fine. We found that our cruising days were less subject to the normal time regulations of home....and this particularly applied to meal times. Late breakfasts and lunches were normal and afternoon "tea" was commonplace. This meant that our evening meal was best appreciated at a later time.

We wondered how this would apply to our granddaughter, but it turned out really well...after all she did discover the pizza place for her afternoon snacks, so a 6pm dinner would have been wasted on her.

Another point. On ships like Celebrity Solstice and Carnival Spirit they put the Anytime diners on the upper level of the main dining room. This means that if there is something "going on" during the evening (which there always was on the Spirit) it is not always easy to see from the upper level, esp. if you are seated away from the railing. We really enjoyed "showtime" from our table on the lower level.

cheers

It seems that Celebrity Solstice is in Port Chalmers today. Must have done a fast crossing from Melbourne, where she was only the other day, and missed the fjords.

Thanks for the responses so far. I should have mentioned that we are only travelling domestically - just a quick trip up to a Brisbane. There's a Jetstar flight at 10.55am, the next one isn't until 5ish. Of course, there are plenty of Virgin and Qantas flights during the day, but they are more expensive flights. I suppose we will just pay the extra money and get on one of those flights at around lunchtime.

 

 

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We are contemplating this cruise on Solstice....great deals presently on offer. I have also been looking at flights on dis-embarkation day (Dec 21) to Brisbane and if we decide to do this cruise I will be booking a flight with Qantas which flies hourly to Bne for a Red e Deal price of $145.

The Jetstar flight at 10.55 should be no problems, but best starter price is $122 and starter plus is $144. For me, I would prefer Qantas (or Virgin) to Jetstar anyday :(

We recently disembarked from Carnival Spirit at about 7.30. We hired an Avis car at 8am and drove around the eastern suburbs and then dropped our friends off at Cronulla. Still had plenty of time to get to airport for a noon flight. (and the car hire was not that much more than a cab !)

cheers

We disembarked from the CS yesterday after our short cruise to Tasmania.

As I said in an earlier post, we have used Anytime Dining and Fixed dining on a number of previous cruises, and this time we picked the late (???) fixed sitting of 7.45pm and it worked really well for us. Reasons were:

1. We had the same table and wait staff every evening. We were a group of 5 and the table was set up just for us. The waiters and bar staff were great, especially for our 8yo granddaughter who loved all the attention.

2. Time of day for eating is irrelevant. Breakfast and lunch were when we wanted (not when we would normally eat at home). Afternoon snacks (esp. pizza) were commonplace (GD had a "crush" on Raj at the Pizza place). Dining for dinner at 7.45 never seemed late. We were always finished in time for the 9.30pm show.

3. The entertainment by the wait staff was sensational...and as I suspected was best appreciated by being seated in the lower level. Those in YTD on the upper level could not see what was going on unless they had a table besides the railing.

I really think the enthusiasm to pick up YTD can be a little illogical. I understand that people think that 7.45 is too late and that 6.oopm is too early ...but that is landside timing...on a cruise its all different.

My thoughts, but based on some experience.

cheers

I have just checked and it seems that nowadays there is a charge... modest but not free... although probably negotiable

cheers

This time last year I was on Celebrity Solstice. For our stop at Brisbane I had offered to some on our Roll Call to show them around. I was planning on hiring a people mover.... but it all got a bit overwhelming, and Flippers Brisbane Tour ended up with 35 people in a chartered Bne. Council Bus. I am certainly not planning on making a career of being a tour guide.:p

I mention this here because one of the main features of my tour was a visit to Lone Pine. Although I live in Brisbane, I still needed to do plenty of research. I can only say that the place seemed to very much meet everyone's expectations...even though it rained heavily for a time.

The place is affordable, compact yet well laid out, professionally developed and very accessible. It is possible to get there easily by bus, taxi or the ferry.

I would definitely recommend Lone Pine to any visitor, especially those from o/seas seeking to "cuddle" a koala.

cheers

I believe one of the large Car Parking companies located at Portside runs a free shuttle to the F1 Grain Terminal for pax that park their car with them.

.

 

I discovered the ship is on a world cruise from Genoa to Marseilles, for 111 days from 22/12 - 12/4.

 

She will be in Sydney for 3 days.

 

The Artania will be at Wharf 4 White Bay as from this Monday (17th)

I thought White City was a tennis complex at Rushcutters Bay:D

Or am I just showing my age:confused:

Just got back today on the Radiance.....had early walk off and booked Town cars to pick us up at 7.30.

 

Arrived at the domestic airport in 30 minutes.

 

Would highly recommed them....$49.

 

 

 

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Towncars usually have G6e Ford sedans. This one has me stumped. :confused:

What is HC 1997...looks a bit Asian, except for size.

Yep, you old "wallopper"...

Have a great time. Don't forget your Lowes suit:D

cheers