bronte2

Princess do have some cruises incorporating Hawaii and the South Pacific depending when you wish to go.

As an example there is a cruise in October this year leaving and returning to LA which visits Hawaii, Western Samoa, American Samoa, Bora Bora, Papeete and Moorea in French Polynesia

There are also a couple of cruises from Hawaii to Papeete as well as some that end in Sydney but I'm not sure if you want to travel this far.

Good luck - I hope you find something that suits you.

I agree with NorthernAurora. Every cruise we have done which involves entering an Australian port, Immigration has always been conducted on board the ship just prior to arriving in the first Australian port.

Once you have collected your bags you will need to go through Quarantine at the port. You should get your declaration card on board the ship. Quarantine is very strict here so make sure you fill out the card carefully and either don't take any food ashore or if you do, make sure you declare it. Usually you can pass through quarantine quickly especially if you have nothing to declare but sometimes it can slow down due to sheer numbers of passengers.

I hope you have a great cruise and enjoy your stay in Sydney. We lived there until 2 years ago.:)

You might be interested in going to Crocasaurus Cove which is about a block away from the Mall. A couple of visits ago, we stumbled across it so wandered in, I think it was about $25 each. There are lots of crocodiles including some very large ones. We watched a couple getting lowered into the cage of death and the very large croc who was just floating more or less inert on the surface, showed no interest in the couple whatsoever. Then the keeper tapped him on the tail and in a slit second he had spun 180 degrees with jaws gaping. It was so sudden we nearly had heart attacks :eek: But it sure proved how quickly crocs can move. Scary stuff.

There is also a large aquarium with some interesting specimens.

This is just a suggestion as the city centre is quite small so if you don't have anything else planned it's worth a look and being in the city centre itself makes it easy to get to.

The port is almost in the city centre so there should be no problem with your wife's friend finding it. There are restaurants, shops, parklands and a wave pool. There is also a lift which takes you to street level and from there it's a short walk into the city.

If in doubt, your wife could arrange to meet her friend in the mall as the street from the port basically heads straight to the mall.

Just be aware, that on one occasion we had to dock on the opposite side of the harbour at an industrial port as there was already a ship at the cruise terminal. Not sure how this came about as we were scheduled to dock at the cruise terminal.

There were shuttles into the city from the industrial terminal as it was a long way out :eek:

Out of 4 visits on a variety of ships this has only happened once so I doubt that it will happen to you.

We landed in Zurich in mid-December and it had recently snowed. It was like being in a fairytale especially in the old town where we were staying. However we were told that it was a bit unusual to have snow that early so it's probably not a good bet for a guaranteed white Christmas.

The Christmas markets in Europe are just beautiful too and well worth a wander around.

We haven't been in Norway in winter but I think Austria might be worth a thought for a white Christmas and probably a bit less expensive than Norway.

We too are thinking about going. :D

Hi all, we are doing world cruise 2016, is the sail time through the Suez Canal arranged so that it's during day time. From the last post worried that it may be hit and miss. It's a big part of what we have always wanted to do, sail both canals, would be terribly disappointed if we miss a day light cruise through the Suez. Any info appreciated.

Regards R, a couple of kiwis.

 

 

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Judging by some of the blogs of the current WC, the transit of the Suez was delayed by several hours so a lot of the transit was in the dark. It looks as though the first part was in light/dusk.

Here are the links to some of the blogs (hopefully), with thanks to Packetau :)

http://100daysonboard.blogspot.com.au

http://2015cruisenfly.blogspot.co.nz/

http://andyandjudi.com/

We were also able to have the Yellow Fever shots even though we were over 60 and over 70 at the time.

We did go to a specialist travel medicine clinic who were authorised to provide the YF vaccinations. A doctor gave us the jab after reviewing our medical history.

Obviously your personal medical situation would influence whether or not it is advisable to have the vaccination but it might be worth checking with a specialist travel medicine clinic. Just a thought. :)

There are two cruise terminals in Hong Kong and both are on the Kowloon side.

One is the Ocean Terminal and this is right in Kowloon itself and next to the Star Ferry terminal.

The other, as mentioned above is Kai Tak which is the old airport. It is further away from the shops in Kowloon but taxis are very cheap and the trip probably takes about 10 minutes. We were boarding there so I don't know if there was a shuttle available or not. It almost takes longer to exit the terminal area due to the road winding round and round than it takes to get into Kowloon. :D

Obviously the Ocean terminal is more convenient but Kai Tak while further, is still reasonably convenient. If you do take a cab be aware that they only take cash and you will need $HK. We had no problems with any drivers we encountered and taxis are metered.

As you can see from the replies Mlbcruiser you may experience everything from great weather to the possibility of a cyclone.

The chances are though, that you will have mostly fine weather with the occasional heavy shower.

Just to put it in perspective, we have sailed to/from Asia and Sydney/Brisbane 4 times in March and the seas have been like a mill pond each time. The only rain we have seen strangely enough has been out of 3 visits to Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays, it has been rained out twice. This time, we got lucky with sunny skies :) We also fortunately missed the effects of the cyclone this year so there is an element of luck involved if there is bad weather involved.

We have also sailed across the Pacific from North America and another time from South America, both times in February and apart from the odd shower experienced no bad weather. Our other sailings out into the South Pacific have been on local cruises from Sydney and we haven't had inclement weather either.

There are heaps of cruises from Australian ports from around September to April each year and very few run into foul weather but as others have mentioned, it can and does happen.

We have been fortunate and perhaps our luck is about to run out :eek: as being affected by a cyclone would certainly put a dampener on your enjoyment.

I really hope you experience sunny skies and smooth seas if you visit this part of the world.

We visited The Seychelles, Mauritius and La Reunion in April 2014 while on a cruise from Sydney to Cape Town.

I'm sure you will probably receive lots of information on The Seychelles and Mauritius so I will concentrate on La Reunion as this was one of the highlights of our cruise.

This is one port where to make the most of the visit it's best to do a ship's tour.

Prior to our cruise I had tried to arrange a private tour but couldn't get a reply to queries. I found out later that other passengers also had this problem. I had also read that taxis were very expensive.

As a result, we booked a ship's tour to Piton de Fournaise. As it turned out, we were very glad we had as on arrival at the port there were no taxis to be seen and the only other option was a shuttle into St Denis.

We had a wonderful tour and the scenery en route to the volcano and the area surrounding Piton de Fournaise was amazing.

Perhaps you will be able to find a private tour operator who can arrange a tour for you but if not make sure you visit the volcano area. While I can't comment on tours run by Costa, everyone on our ship's tour were very happy with our day.

We have cruised in this area quite a lot but mainly in January and February.

Bear in mind this is the 'rainy and cyclone season' and Vanuatu experienced a devastating cyclone this year on March 15. This was reported as the worst ever cyclone experienced in this area.

However, we have never experienced any rain in Noumea and we have been there several times and only intermittent showers elsewhere (albeit heavy showers).

As you realise, there is no guarantee with the weather but if a cyclone is forecast the Captain will obviously take steps to avoid the area so this could mean a missed port or two. Chances are you won't encounter bad weather at all.

I hope you have a great cruise. :)

When we buy $US, we always ensure we get a stack of $1notes which makes tipping for room service a breeze. Admittedly, we have had to buy $US anyway as we weren't on locally based cruises but somehow a $US1 seems more valuable than a AU$1 coin. (Well, I know it is, :D but even when there was parity it just seemed 'better'). Maybe, it's just me, but I feel more comfortable tipping in USD.

However, with a ship that's based in Aus for several months where the crew is constantly coming and going from Aus ports, then they may well appreciate AUD. I guess there is no real right or wrong and at the end of the day a tip will be appreciated regardless.

Not sure if this is still the reason or not, but we were due to call there on the QM2 earlier in the year but due to dredging not being completed we were not able to call. Kota Kinabalu was substituted more or less at the last minute.

Perhaps there is an ongoing issue with dredging of the channel. Of course, there may be a completely different reason.

For cruisers who are not mobility challenged the Bronte to Bondi coastal walk or vice versa is very worthwhile.

There are lovely views along the cliff path of the coast and beaches and you can have lunch or a coffee at one of the many cafes at either end of the walk. During the whale migration season (approx June to August) you also often see them close to the coast and from time to time they also drop in close to the beach at Bondi.

At Bronte Beach you can have a dip in the safe ocean pool to cool off. It's a lovely pool for a nice relaxing swim.

The bus to Bondi leaves from the eastern side of Circular Quay which will take you all the way to the beach via Bondi Junction. If you walk from Bondi to Bronte the bus back to Bondi Junction #378 leaves from opposite the cafes at Bronte Beach. You then need to catch the train from Bondi Junction back to the city. Hop off at Martin Place and wander down to the Quay.

Of course you can also catch a cab if you wish. If you want to do this both ways, it's best to head to Bronte first and walk to Bondi as it's easier to hail a cab in Bondi when you want to return to the city.

I used to live in the area and I used to walk the coastal path 3 or 4 times a week and I never tired of the views. Just beautiful!

If you really like the look of the Maldives, don't cruise to them.

 

There's no point doing a drive-by and stopping there for only one day. The majority of port calls in the Maldives are in Male, which is (frankly) a dump compared to the stunning islands in the archipelago. On the majority of cruises which call in the Maldives, you simply won't get to see what's attracting you.

 

If you really want to be on the water and don't want to book a fixed resort for a week or two, there are some intra-archipelago cruises, including some which are basically on liveaboard dive boats. You will probably need to contact a specialist travel agent to get decent advice on how to do this, or to find a specialist tour operator.

There are also boats dedicated to surfers. The two private trips I have been on have been aboard small surf boats - 8 passengers and we travelled around atolls well out of Male. There are now a lot more upmarket vessels which cater for surfers and non-surfers alike compared to when I went 10 years ago :eek:

There is a company in Noosa, Australia who runs these trips but I don't think I can mention them unless requested but they were great.

I found spending a few days in a resort was not for me as it was too restrictive but it seems to suit others so each to their own.

I have been to the Maldives 3 times, twice privately and last year on a cruise ship.

We called there on the Ocean Princess (30,000 tonnes) last April and of course it was a tender port as are lots of ports around the world. The ship's tenders will drop you at a pier in Male. You definitely need to go on a tour to another atoll as there is not a lot to see in Male the capital as it's tiny and you won't find what you are looking for there.

A lot of tours (both private and ship's tours) go to Kuda Bandos which has a resort where you can buy drinks, snorkel etc or you can go to a deserted atoll and lie in the sun and snorkel. You usually get to the latter by a very, very fast speedboat which takes about 45 minutes so it's quite a way out of Male. However I'm not sure if all ships offer this tour or not and as it's a considerable distance from the port, I would think twice about trying to get there privately.

Sun Princess is calling at Male as part of her Indian Ocean cruise and she is around 77,000 tonnes. I'm not sure what segments are available as this is a 46 night cruise from Perth in Western Australia leaving in January 2016.

Other lines do call here from time to time so you don't need to locate an expedition ship but bear in mind on a cruise ship the call is only for 1 day so you may not see the Maldives that you see in the travel brochures. You will certainly see beautiful turquoise water and if you go on a tour to an atoll either with or without a resort, you will most likely have the opportunity to snorkel but it might not come up to your expectations - then again it just might :D

Make sure you do plenty of research before making a decision.

I hope you have a wonderful time when you get there!

You could also choose a balcony in the sections either forward or aft of the life boat area (in that part of the ship that protrudes each side of the lifeboats). These balconies look straight down on the water and we have had one in the forward section on D deck and on our last 51 day cruise we had one aft of the lifeboats on C deck. We really loved this area. It was quiet and we didn't think there was any more movement here than elsewhere (and we travelled from Southampton to Sydney via Cape Horn so experienced varying ocean conditions :D). The view down to the water was unobstructed by lifeboats.

We wouldn't hesitate to book a cabin in this area again on Arcadia so check it out.

He was on Ocean Princess last year when we cruised from Sydney to Cape Town between March and May 2014. That's not exactly the 'latest' but the best I could do. :D

Who has seen the princess video on face book announcing 2017 cruising from here right around South America...... 84 nights...... Think I found our next cruise lol

That cruise sounds truly amazing.

We have cruised from Southampton to Sydney via South America and just loved the cruise. The Chilean Fjords are just stunning so we would love to do the trip again. We were tempted to do a similar trip in January 2016 but the itinerary was pretty much the same as we did in 2013 on Arcadia so this one on Sea Princess would seem to fit the bill. :)

Ocean Princess is doing a circumnavigation of South America next year just before she goes off to Oceania, but it's Fort Lauderdale return - what a shame it couldn't have been Sydney return as she is just a lovely ship.

Thanks for bringing the video to our attention Joanne. Will now check it out and start dreaming :D

We travelled on the Hong Kong to Brisbane segment on QM2 and were told that only 200 or so were doing the full WC.

I have no way of knowing if this was correct as we heard it from a fellow passenger.

Hi All,

 

I have searched back over 2 years and see no thread titles that include excursion ideas for Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Island or Thursday Island. They do seem small and possibly easy to walk around. Do any of you have suggestions of things to do or see and not miss during short visits to these islands?

 

Thanks

Hamilton Island - as mentioned previously, this is a tourist type island. It is a tender port (or it was when we were there a couple of years ago). You can hire golf buggies to ride around in or spend the time lazing on the beach. You can walk to the beach but it isn't a flat walk so not for the mobility challenged.

Whitsunday Is. - We have called here several times on cruise ships of varying sizes the most recently was 3 weeks ago. Usually where the ships anchor is off a town called Airlie Beach. This is a small tourist town but it is the launching spot for tours to Whitehaven Beach or the Great Barrier Reef. I think it gets a bit confusing when the itinerary states Whitsunday Is when the port is actually Airlie Beach. When we were there a couple of weeks ago the ship's literature kept referring to Whitsunday Is when clearly the call was at Airlie Beach. Whitehaven Beach is on Whitsunday Is but the ship doesn't call there. In fact, you have to do a tour with either the ship or a private operator to get there.

So the bottom line is, if the ship is calling at Airlie Beach, you can walk around the town which won't take long or you will need to do a tour.

On your particular cruise, looking at the itinerary posted here, it looks as though the tours to Whitsunday Is/Whitehaven Beach might be launched from Hamilton Is rather than Airlie Beach though?

Thursday Is - like others we have sailed past here several times but never been ashore. The island is quite hilly and certainly not a place you could walk around unless you like strenuous hiking. I don't know what the tourist infrastructure would be like as even though we have been on a couple of small ships we have never called here.

Unlike Hamilton Is and Airlie Beach, Thursday Is is not a mainstream tourist destination so i would check with the cruise company and find out what they are offering in the way of tours for this stop.

Just be aware, that these destinations will be quite hot so be prepared with hats and plenty of sunscreen.

I hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise.

We recently stayed at the Hyatt Regency and caught a taxi to embark QM2 at Kai Tak. We also caught a taxi from the airport to the Hyatt.

We had two large suitecases and when travelling from the airport the driver tied the boot down with an octopus strap and even though the ride was quite a distance we had no problems at all.

On the way from the Hyatt to the cruise terminal the driver didn't need to do this and these same bags fitted into the trunk. As others have mentioned, you will need HKD and they don't accept credit cards. The taxis are metered and very cheap. On the way to Kai Tak we had travelled kilometres before the metre moved on from the $2HK flag fall. We thought the driver had forgotten to turn the metre on. :D

The Hyatt does have a limo service so if you are concerned then perhaps check it out with them. BTW the Hyatt has a small shopping mall underneath with a good supermarket on the lower level should you need anything. I was able to pay for my purchases with my debit card that I use here at home. Bonus.

We had a stop there last May and we were told that all the guides and buses used for tours had to be brought in from other areas and had to spend the night prior to the tour in East London. This might just mean though, that there weren't enough local people to cater for the ship.

However, we were there on a Sunday and the small town was closed down but there was a shuttle service to a pleasant mall nearby. Normally we wouldn't favour a mall over a tour, but as we hadn't booked anything, there wasn't much choice. The port is only small and I don't recall seeing any taxis either.

Hopefully, someone else can offer you some assistance.

Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

Thanks Gae for your great review. We board QM2 in 13 days and also have a sheltered balcony. We were wondering what furniture was on the balcony.

 

Cheers,

 

Janet

We had a sheltered balcony on deck 6. The balconies are quite deep and pretty private. The furniture was a small white painted metal table and 2 white mesh deck chairs that had adjustable backs. If you accidentally bump the table it makes an awful racket as it scrapes on the floor :eek: As the balconies are so sheltered any noise does tend to echo around.

There is also a ledge half way down that is handy for putting drinks, cameras or whatever on.

Have a great cruise.

We sailed on the Hong Kong to Brisbane segment and I agree pretty much with what Gaechann has written.

We found the layout of the ship confusing as well especially where there were little half sets of stairs.

The buffet was a really strange layout. It was very long so you had to walk through several sections and some of these sections just had seating but no food. It was also surrounded by the promenade deck so you couldn't look out to the ocean so it seemed dark and dingy and had lots of little corners. We didn't like it at all so we ate lunch either in Sir Samuel's cafe, the Golden Lion or up at the Boardwalk Cafe on deck 12.

The other thing we noticed was that the only tables and chairs outside were those for smokers. Also these were the only outdoor areas in the shade. There were a few tables and chairs outside the Boardwalk Cafe on deck 12 with umbrellas but if it was windy then they weren't put up so it was baking hot. The cafe was only open between noon and 3.30 on sea days.

If you were in to sunbathing then there were plenty of sun loungers especially on deck 12 but on the Promenade Deck - packed.

For those interested in laundries, they were free, as were the sachets of detergent. The machines were very new and in good condition but of course at times the laundry was very busy especially between Darwin and Brisbane!

There is also a Bridge observation area. You can go to a small area on sea days where there is a window into the bridge so you can stand there and watch everything that is going on. It's like being on the bridge but with no sound.

The crew were fantastic though, probably some of the best we have come across in all our cruises with various lines. We never came across one that was aloof or surly.

We came across a number of regular Cunard cruisers, both Aussies and Brits who without exception preferred Queen Victoria. The fact that QM2 was built as an ocean liner for crossing the North Atlantic rather than cruising, has influenced the design (think the sheltered balconies on decks 4,5,& 6 where you have to stand at the rail to see the water).

We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise and we are glad we experienced QM2 but we wouldn't rush back to go on her again. We decided that we wouldn't like to do a long cruise on her whereas we have done two 51 day cruises with other lines and didn't want to get off either ship.

For anyone interested in sailing on QM2, I would definitely say go and do it and experience her for yourself.