Port Chalmers - Dunedin Princess Shuttle price

Hi - Visiting Dunedin on Golden Princess in October and wonder if anyone knows a recent price for the ship shuttle. Have searched but cant find anything -one post (not Princess) said they charged $15 but it was not clear if that was US or NZ or if it was for the return or each way. Another said $20 again no detail.

I know there is a local bus and might do that even though it is not direct..

Hi - Visiting Dunedin on Golden Princess in October and wonder if anyone knows a recent price for the ship shuttle. Have searched but cant find anything -one post (not Princess) said they charged $15 but it was not clear if that was US or NZ or if it was for the return or each way. Another said $20 again no detail.

I know there is a local bus and might do that even though it is not direct..

We walked into town and we’re going to catch a local bus, a shuttle pulled in and charged us way less than Princess had quoted, oh and it was Aus$ if we booked onboard.

Hi - Visiting Dunedin on Golden Princess in October and wonder if anyone knows a recent price for the ship shuttle. Have searched but cant find anything -one post (not Princess) said they charged $15 but it was not clear if that was US or NZ or if it was for the return or each way. Another said $20 again no detail.

I know there is a local bus and might do that even though it is not direct..

Check the local bus timetable....you could end up waiting over an hour for one , and then when it does come along gets full to overflowing and has to leave people behind. Its geared for the locals , not to shift 2,000 passengers at the same time. There will be plenty of shuttles lined up and waiting , and as said above , others touting for your business.

In Feb this year $15 NZ return $10 NZ one way......

Also another idea Mini bus ( taxi ) $60 NZ oneway for 10 people so $6 each

We were on the golden and the diamond was in port at same time and did the $15 return dropped us in the middle of the octagon in town.

Cheers Don

PS payed in cash direct to bus people once off the ship

Check the local bus timetable....you could end up waiting over an hour for one , and then when it does come along gets full to overflowing and has to leave people behind. Its geared for the locals , not to shift 2,000 passengers at the same time. There will be plenty of shuttles lined up and waiting , and as said above , others touting for your business.

Last February I was on the Diamond Princess with the Ovation of the Seas alongside in Port Chalmers. There were tourists everywhere, the shuttle buses were full. Ovation had gotten in an hour ahead of us and this caused a huge backlog. I gave up waiting on the ship for a shuttle to Dunedin and got onto the small bus that took you to the Ovation side of the port from where you could walk into town, as you weren't allowed to walk off from the Diamond side. I finally got off the ship about 11am. I'd probably still be waiting for a shuttle if I hadn't.

I went to the nearest bus stop in the main street and 20 minutes later a local bus arrived. It was not too full, no one was standing. Cost $6, although you will need NZ currency.

Luckily for me I got back to Port Chalmers on the Seasider Scenic Rail trip which starts in Dunedin station and will drop you off in Port Chalmers on the way back. Others who tried to get back on shuttles waited up to 2 hours in Dunedin for their ride.

My experience is that it is the shuttles that fail under stress, not the local bus.

The local bus is scheduled to operate on that route regardless, however there are probably only a certain number of shuttle buses available to the cruise lines or port authority (not sure who operates it) and it's a fairly long run into Dunedin city. Any holdups in traffic and the buses won't get back as quickly as expected to pick up more passengers. Then it snowballs.

I would opt for the ship's transfers, just make sure you get on one by the designated departure time from Dunedin.

We planned on using the local bus, so we could have a look around Port Chalmers before heading into Dun Eating.

Straight to Speight's for me.

Thanks for the replies :)

"Its worse than that Jim" the day we are there the 18th Oct

the Majestic is there as well!!!!!!! another 3000 people!!!!!

I think Princess do it on purpose - they have bought /reserved the entire Gorge Train Trip. We were not wanting to do it but it looks like it is 3 0r 4 times the normal price.

EDIT guess its pointless booking the HOHO - guess it will have a queue of a 1000!!! ????

EDIT2

:eek: say 2000 pax 50 per bus 40 bus loads

if there are 8 shuttles 30 min round trip? 5 trips= 150 min - 2.5 hours to get everyone in.

Hope my maths/thinking is all wrong or its another day on the ship!!

We always use Good Company tours as all their tours are so much cheaper than booking through the ship.. If your only after a transfer into Dunedin.They offer a transfer service to and from the port plus a 2 hour tour and free time in Dunedin

https://www.goodcompanytours.co.nz/cruise-ship-shore

These ports do not have the transport infrastructure to support such large ships. Similar issues in North Europe recently on Sapphire/Royal Princesses, the shuttle bus system crashed. We took Princess shorex so were ok.

Good idea to check how many ships are going to be in port, and size of ships.

Thanks for the replies :)

 

 

"Its worse than that Jim" the day we are there the 18th Oct

the Majestic is there as well!!!!!!! another 3000 people!!!!!

We will be on the Majestic Princess then :), will get a photo of the Golden Princess and wave to you if you leave first!

Don't forget to keep a lookout for albatross on the headland on the way out. Binoculars will give you a close up view of these beautiful birds.

The bus is good goes the same route as the shuttles ask the tourist helpers in the departure shed for time table only 100 mtr walk to bus stop cost nz6$ it’s never full plenty of room on bus drop off is central in town Aussie