Rencruzr
-
Posts
147 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by Rencruzr
-
-
You may find my review of the Ovation of Seas here useful:
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2484221&highlight=ovation (read from Post #50 onwards cos I had to repost all my photos due to Photobucket's image hosting policy change in Jun 2017.)
It's for a Singapore-based cruise in March 2017, but many of the observations about the facilities and activities are valid for an Australian-based cruise too.
The first review was virtually take up about how fast they replied to emails, I mean really!!!
My best advice is to do from an Aussie port out of school holidays
Sent from my iPad using Forums
-
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-1...vealed/8940824
Interesting that half the things we discussed have borne true.
Mic it may be true to the ABC which has proved itself many times to be far left wing and anti development BUT it is dependent on design.
Unfortunetaly the mayor has been to proud to fully embrace the design Glenn who runs the offshore Gold Coast cruise ship terminal and who has studied the design for over 12 years.
ANY cruise ship can cause damage in freakish storms, ie pasha bulka in Newcastle, but if you know anything about the cruise ship industry they study weather patterns well in advance and avoid trouble areas and skip stops.
I watched 4 corners last night and it was very anti development. Yes some of the council voting procedures are not the best but development MADE the Gold Coast so why do left wing greenys go to live there and complain about development? Go live in a forest for god sake.
There are 2 undeniable facts:
1. The cruise ship industry and market is increasing exponentially in Australia
2. The Gold Coast is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, tourist spots in Australia
Not mixing the 2 is not only dumb but head in the sand stuff
-
We went on an 8 night Hobart and Adelaide cruise earlier this year, after reading all these bad review we wondered what to expect. All I have to say is don't always trust what you read we had a fantastic time on a beautiful new ship!!! We went outside of school holidays and to stops more older people would like so there were not as many kids as normal and there was an older crowd on board.
What I loved the most was the beautiful front solarium area up the front where you could relax watching the front ship view ahead whilst protected with glass covering. The indoor pool and outdoor pool and spas were also very nice. Two70 at the back of the ship was also spectacular with views outside the back of the ship with nice ambience and a place to relax.
We mainly ate at the buffet and thought the food was very nice. I mean I really don't know what people expect other than to whinge for the sake of it.
Most of the bad reviews have been from Asian ports with the bad behaviour of certain Asian groups. Simple answer, do an Aussie Ovation cruise.
Just do it you will love it, forget the whiners !
Sent from my iPad using Forums
-
What are the cruise dates? Sounds fantastic and a great deal
Sent from my iPhone using Forums
My cruise is departing 30th July (this month) for a 11 night cruise so not long now!!
The ship is Norwegian Spirit and I think theres still great deals on this ship to be found so look up the deals on it:cool:
-
Which airport are you arriving into in London? There's a variety of airlines serving the short hop market in Europe but they all tend to use different airports in London. There is a website that can advise you when to buy tickets for the main budget airlines, airhint. Ryanair and easyJet are the two main budget airlines in Europe.
Im actually now spending 3 nights in Berlin and flying London to Berlin British Airways which isn't the cheapest but the most convenient and then Berlin to Rome with Ryanair which is a great deal:)
-
thanks guys that confirms it to me that it is too far for a cruise day exscursion. There is a day tour to Krka national park from Split but to me it looks like you spend the entire day at the falls just to swim and I think that would be a bit boring for a whole day so I am doing a day tour so I booked a day tour to Omis and Cetina River which sounds beautiful as well.
-
Hi, I am going on an Adriatic Cruise in a few weeks time and it is stopping at Split and Dubrovnick but I was saddened when I search not to see any of their tours going to Plitvice Lakes, which from the pictures I have seen looks one of the most beautiful natural things I have seen.
I read online that you can get there from Zagreb that has a regular bus that takes 2 hours to get there. Then I looked on google maps and to me it seems just as close to Split as Zagreb. Is there a reason the cruise companies don't organise day tours there or is it just too far??
-
Which cruise line?
Norwegian! Travelling on Norwegian Spirit from Rome 30th July
Not sure if they have any of the no single supplement window cabins left
-
Very excited to get what is to me a good cruise deal for a solo. 11 Night European cruise Travelling from Rome to Dubrovnik, Venice, Koper, Split, Corfu, Olympia and Valetta. Norwegian Spirit in a guaranteed ocean view room for $1500 US which equates to $1900 Australian Dollars for me, taxes included. Ill post deal below if anyone is interested and it is still going. Also got a great airfare to London from Australia, just have to get a cheap fair London to Rome.
Sorry this software won't allow me to show the site i got it from, stupid thing
-
Fantastic, further progress, see link below...... I do hope the minority of whingers and complainers do not do a cruise that stops at the Gold Coast out of principle, Thank goodness the majority who want progress are for it. If we listened to the continual nay sayers things like the Harbour Bridge or Opera House would never have been built.
-
Beautiful design, can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
I suggest you think with common sense.
Your first statement was he's entitled to his opinion. So what part of that statement entitles you to have a go at him for sharing it?
As for the rest of the comment about taxes, posting on a forum is nothing to do with whether something will be built or not - at taxpayer expense. Even taxpayers don't get a vote on whether infrastructure will be built, so that's completely irrelevant.
Big M I'm sure people from Guatemala or Scotland may have an opinion on a GC cruise port too and of course their entitled to their opinion, but do we in Australia take heed of their opinion for our major infrastructure projects, NO. I suggest if that's not common sense to you you may need to put your thinking cap on and think about it.
I pay $40,000 a yer tax for many years, have visited the Gold Coast many times spending tens of thousands of dollars in their Local economy. So if you think non paying taxpayers, non voting non residents decisions are more important on major infrastructure prohects than Australians then there's no way nice to say this but
your brain is ifrelevent
-
No for two reasons.
One - the Busselton pier currently cannot take cruise ships, so replicating this wouldn't work.
Two - Busselton is in a bay that is sheltered on three sides by land but mainly from any weather coming from the south, which is where the strongest and harshest wind/weather comes from.
Now we have non qualified engineers saying no to oceanographers? I'm sorry but it CAN work and it has at Costa Maya and as I've said before the plan developed by the offshore GC terminal Facebook page has been endorsed by experts. Please don't listen to armchair critics.
If the conditions are too rough you simply build a protective barrier that stops the waves.
See design at the following page which would work perfectly well
-
He's entitled to comment just as you are.
One could make the same argument against you - if you're from Newcastle why would you care about a proposed QLD port I don't know...
He could have just as much an interest as you. After all cruises go to other countries - and it's closer to go from here to NZ than it is to the other side of WA!
He's entitled to his opinion but one would think people living in a country are more entitled to an opinion what happens in that country than non residents. Does he pay this country's taxes or do I? I also holiday regularly on the Gold Goast. So think with common sense.
-
Good news with common sense prevailing and a major obstacle has been passed with the Federal Government giving the go ahead for the GC terminal, see article I link below.
Let's hope the vocal minority greenies who oppose everything will not take any cruises that will stop at the new GC cruise port otherwise they would be very hypocritical.
The sooner it is built the better, let's get this baby going now !!!
-
The GC Terminal would involve the construction of rock walls 1km from the beach into open ocean. This has never been done, for the very good reason that it is a stupid idea. There are no offshore cruise terminals in unprotected waters.
The closest you can come up with was Costa Maya in Mexico, which is a smaller structure protected by offshore reefs and islands. It is not in open ocean.
Is it the intention to rebuild the structure every time a cyclonic storm passes by?
This is a silly idea even before we get to the problems surrounding sand migration up the coast.
Sinbad instead of being the typical anti progress negative greenie keyboard warrior why don't you educate yourself on the facts rather than what you think is the case.
It does not have to be a rock wall it can be on piers, as long as where the ships are have barriers that stop rough waves, the jetty out does not have to be rocks so your wrong on first count.
Second of all Glen who I have previously indicated runs the prob GC port Facebook group has consulted with engineers and cruise companies for years and all agree with the right design it's very feasible. What exactly your qualifications to comment??
A well constructed jetty can be rebuilt if a once in a 100 year cyclone came. My goodness let's not build anything a cyclone may demolish it!! That's how stupid that argument is. In any case with hundreds of milllions generated in tourism the costs of any repairs is minuscule.
If we listened to people like you in the past there would be no opera house, no harbour bridge and no snowy hydro electric scheme, they all had naysayers
-
I agree, Brisbane needs a port with better facilities that can cater for the bigger ships (that cannot get under the bridge) and the Gold coast just isn't a viable option.[/quote
thats not entirely true Mic there are offshore cruise ship terminals. True the ocean around the GC can be rough, but rock walls go into very rough ocean and they survive so why can't a well designed offshore terminal. The GC mayor has a not so good one in the design works, I think a guy Glenn who runs the GC offshore facebook page has a much better design after studying it for years and consulting with cruise companies. Pity the GC mayor is so arrogant and won't listen to him. His design can be seen at:
-
I do not think it should have a cruise terminal. It is too close to Brisbane to be of any use and I have no desire to see many Australian cities by cruise ship. I would rather sail to international places. To me the Gold Coast for beaches is kind of nothing there to impress compared to being on a cruise ship. Why pay to go on a cruise ship and lay on a beach on the Gold Coast when you can fly there cheaper from anywhere in Australia and stay in a resort. Going to the Pacific Islands it totally different as they encompass many places that are unique and kind of still pristine with no modern buildings in sight.
The only reason I can see Gold Coast deserving of a cruise terminal is if it were to replace Brisbane as the main turnaround port.
I think you answered your own question, because your used to the sights in your own state and Australia generally your sick of it, so therefore go overseas and see new sites. I remember speaking to a couple on a cruise to NZ who live in the Alaska area where all the ships go and to them its nothing they are just used to it. The point is you need to look at it from a new tourists eyes and to them the GC is an exciting beachside resort area with beautiful weather and sights.
The point is not to get on a ship to go to the gold coast, the days of catching a cruise ship as a mode of transport to a location went 50 years ago didn't it. Of course the GC would be a stop on a multi cruise stop either going around Australia or the ones that go up to Brisbane and/or cairns and other islands, and in that vein it would be a perfect addition to those itineraries, which, lets face it can be a bit limited and need new and exciting stops. I know id rather an around Australia cruise with an itinerary of Sydney - Newcastle - Gold Coast - Brisbane- Cairns - Darwin - Kimberleys stop somewhere- Fremantle
-
A big yes from me (not sure on the plan though). Gold Coast always looks better on the itinerary than Brisbane- and I live in Brisbane. I think there is room enough for terminals in Brisbane and GC. As seen with Royal Carribean this week, we don't have enough room now with the growing market
exactly I totally agree, why people, such as the Qld premier, continually seem to think you can only have one terminal at Brisbane is ridiculous. Brisbane is a beautiful city but its a city, its not a fun holiday destination. Both stops would compliment each other and would be a huge draw card. The cruise companies know this and they would LOVE a gold coast terminal built. Sydney and Newcastle have terminals, with Newcastle announcing a new multi million dollar terminal in the making, so what exactly is the issue? Its a non issue really.
-
In a way , you are defeating your own argument. Why would the cruise lines want to take people somewhere where they could spend all that money on the things you say?
They want passengers to spend all their money on board.
The Gold Coast is a holiday destination in itself and the operators there have to discount like mad to get people to go there. I dont think they would like the competition from a cruise ship. They need every dollar they can get to survive.
Kiwi Kruzer (if your Kiwi why you would care about a proposed Australian port I don't know) for you to say im defeating my own argument is almost comical and the reasons you give are ridiculous and absurd.
You could say that ALL cruise ports have attractions and activities that people could "spend all their money", thats just a ridiculous argument. Anything the Gold Coast has cruise companies stops at glamorous destinations the world over that has those things and more, from sunny beaches of the Caribbean, to theme parks of Florida to Casinos in such places as Monaco. Cruise companies make their money mostly when the passengers are ONBOARD with drinks and gambling and other on board activities, they also make their money offshore by offering exscursions on land. Cruise ships stop at ports all over the world that are holiday destinations in themselves, to think thats all they can be is a very narrow view of the market and proven wrong in many instances where cruising has gone to.
So why would cruise companies take passengers to the Gold Coast, well you better ask them because they have said time and time again they would stop in a heart beat if there was a cruise terminal there. Its not rocket science, beautiful weather, beaches, trips to rainforest, casino, shopping, in fact it would have one of the most cruiser friendly list of things to see and do in Australia, stopping there is a no brainer, and not stopping their is just crazy.
-
I agree with the comments that the Gold Coast would be a great stop for a cruise. However, I do not think it is feasible to build a terminal and that is the only way it can work.
I am doubtful that a terminal could be built because
(1) the Pacific Ocean can become very rough and the Gold Coast is totally open to the swells. There are no protecting reefs or islands off the coast.
(2) The ocean along the coast is not terribly deep and any cruise ship facility would probably require constant dredging so it could continue to operate.
(3) Any structure built out into the ocean would alter the currents and movement of sand up and down the coast causing problems elsewhere.
Just imagine - say a 1km long jetty was built out into the ocean. When a big swell builds up in the ocean, how can a cruise ship safely tie up to that jetty?
I think it is a 'pipe dream', a nice one, but a pipe dream.
All your concerns are valid concerns but it has been done before in Mexico (Costa Maya Mexico, look it up on google images) and I believe Glen who runs the offshore gold coast cruise ship facebook page, and been researching the subject for years, has the perfect design to work on the Gold Coast. Its up to you all who want more exciting stops in our waters and one of our biggest tourists tops to grow the cruising industry to support it. With all this constant nay saying it will never get done and people, like me, bored of our local stops will cruise elsewhere in the world. Id go on a cruise to stop on the GC but Brisbane doesn't appeal to me much.
-
No No No. the proposal is for a mega pier which would necessitate transport options for the older cruisers. It would also desecrate a protected part of the Gold Coast. Only an hour from Brisbane, build it there,
How would it desecrate anything its a pier out into the ocean?? The transport options have already been discussed and options such as shuttle carts have already been proposed, I highly doubt older cruisers would have to walk.
Its already being built in Brisbane. Because there is a cruise port in Sydney does that mean they don't need one in Newcastle and Wollongong? RCI are bringing out Itineraries for Syd to Newcastle, Wollongong and Hobart, so what is so unusual about Brisbane, Gold coast, it is normal for world cruising, look at Mediterannean cruises, its cruise over night and port each day.
Look around, ask your neighbours, kids, or grandkids, anyone, hey do you want to go to Brisbane? or do you want all the fun of beaches, theme parks, casino and shops of the Gold Coast.... then come back let me know the results..... I know what I would chose.
-
I think before a cruise terminal is built on the Gold Coast, and the new Brisbane terminal will assist in locating cruise passengers to the GC, the Queensland Government should look at improving the facilities in cairns for the larger ships. The tendering at Yorkeys Knob is an absolute joke.
As long as there is a viable / suitable rail link from the Brisbane cruise terminal then the GC will be adequately serviced from there. Currently on big ships because they have to berth at the grain terminal which has no public transport the only way of getting to the GC is via an expensive ships excursion
Id have to say no don't agree at all, theres no way people want to get on a train or bus and travel over an hour to get to the Gold Coast and what happens to people who want to check out both Brisbane and the Gold coast? Shouldn't they be given the option of stopping at both? The new RCI intineraries will include a 6 night Hobart cruise stopping at Newcastle, Wollongong and Hobart, meaning it will head north to Newcastle then south again past Sydney to Wollongong before heading to Hobart. How much does this tell you that close ports work and people want to see that variety of ports and stop in a variety of ports and I think the Gold Coast would be one of the most stunning ports in the world to stop at!!!
Re Cairns, it already has a port, the GC has none at all so a start on one is important straight away. I think international people would be scratching their head thinking why has a country got a huge tourist destination with an ocean next to it and a booming cruise industry with no stop there, its utter madness.
-
I assume numerous surveys have been done asking cruiseship passengers their thoughts.
Both those from Australia and overseas.
I'd be keen to see the questions and responses.
Personally, I really enjoy my cruise visits to Brisbane, but I have little interest in the GC.
Why are passenger cruise ship surveys have to be done, the Gold Coast is hands down already the number one family friendly and fun tourist destination and cruise companys have already indicated they would stop there in a heart beat if it was built.
What you personally enjoy is neither here nor there, its the what the majority of people want to do and what people like, and people like the Gold Coast. World's best beaches, rainforest in the background, stunning skyline, river, theme parks, always beautiful weather, recent refurbishment of Pacific Square to world class shopping centre, the attractions suit a lot of people. What does the brisbane offer but for some bus tours to lookouts over the city that retirees may potter on and like? Brisbane is just another city, boring.
Gold Coast cruise ship terminal, yes or no?
in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
Posted
Mick I know you are probably the most prolific poster on the whole of the Australian posts so you have strong opinions on lots of things BUT i will have to strongly disagree with your opinion here.
Glenn has already outlined his 12 years studying the issue and giving you examples of projects that HAVE worked in similar rough type seas, so whether you think it would work or not is sheer conjecture and opinion, not validated by evidence.
Secondly if you think billions of dollars in tourist revenue is not worth public money spent, then exactly what is worth public money spent? Its madness, look at how many billions the industry injects into Sydney, how many hundreds of thousands of tourists would be getting off and spending at tourist attractions, food eateries, tourism operators etc. Those whining about public money clearly can't see the big picture.
Cruises that go around Australia are starting to call at Newcastle now, how much more is the Gold Coast a tourist dream if they could stop there, cruising into the iconic high rise area. I say bring it on and bring it on now and invest as much public money as required, due to EVIDENCE, not opinion or conjecture.