Australia/New Zealand Cruisetour -Jan 2012

[Beaky103]

My wife and I are most keen to take one of the above tours next January for family reasons. However, the price being quoted on the Princess website which includes flights, the cruise and the tour is above our budget at UKP £9,500. We've only done a couple of Princess cruises so don't yet fully understand how these things work. Are we likely to get a better deal if we leave booking for a while or would we better off anyway going through an agent? Thanks.

[Topaz2]

Not sure exactly which cruises you are looking at, but we did a Sun Princess 13 night one exactly 12 months ago, in and out of Sydney around North and South islands (Princess price inc flights well over 3k each with no stopover)). I costed out flights on the internet, then saw our very friendly and highly experienced man at Thomas Cooks for his assistance. He put together a brilliant package for us flying Emirates via Bangkok where we stayed one night in a 5 star hotel, and getting to Sydney about 30 hours ahead of cruise departure, stopping one night in a hotel almost under the Bridge! The added benefit being we started from and returned to our local airport Birmingham rather than Heathrow. The price, including a taxi pick up and return at Bangkok airport, came in at just under 5k for the two of us in a balcony cabin!

[Beaky103]

Thanks for your help. I suspect the significant difference between our two costs is that ours includes a five-day tour before the cruise starts which takes in Ayers Rock, Alice Springs and Cairns. It's itinerary M202 if you have a 2011/2012 Exotic Cruises Brochure. The cost of the cruise and tour alone, without flights, on the Princess website is UKP £5,600 for the two of us.

[Topaz2]

That makes sense. Princess seem to charge an exorbitant price for their direct flights compared with scheduled costs which can be flexible. Our return flights from Birmingham to Sydney on February 1st 2010, plus two overnight stays in hotels and transfers in Bangkok, cost just under £1200 each. So if you could do something similar there is a big saving to be made, AND a more restful outward journey. We came back all in one go via Dubai, but you could add a night en route if you wanted. Oh, and we were upgraded to Business Class from Bangkok to Sydney, which was fabulous, though not of course guaranteed!!

[macca46]

My wife and I are most keen to take one of the above tours next January for family reasons. However, the price being quoted on the Princess website which includes flights, the cruise and the tour is above our budget at UKP £9,500. We've only done a couple of Princess cruises so don't yet fully understand how these things work. Are we likely to get a better deal if we leave booking for a while or would we better off anyway going through an agent? Thanks.

 

Hi,

If you booked the cruise only part of your holiday through a local agent you are looking at between $1,450 and $1,650 each Au dollars for NZ next January.

This is the starting price and may be an inside cabin, that would be around 1,100-1,200 Pounds each I guess on the Diamond Princess.

Send me a message if you need more local information.

[cornish1]

We book a cruise provisionally with Princess when on board and then take it back to our travel agent who gives us their discount. They can often book flights for less than what Princess quote. We have just returned from cruising on the Diamond Princess from Auckland to Sydney. We flew with Emirates. We took a day tour to Tauranga with Archers Tours. Jim Archer also does tours to suit your requests around New Zealand and his knowledge of the area is superb.

[MMDown Under]

Thanks for your help. I suspect the significant difference between our two costs is that ours includes a five-day tour before the cruise starts which takes in Ayers Rock, Alice Springs and Cairns. It's itinerary M202 if you have a 2011/2012 Exotic Cruises Brochure. The cost of the cruise and tour alone, without flights, on the Princess website is UKP £5,600 for the two of us.

 

Unfortunately, January, being mid-summer, is not the best time of year to visit Ayres Rock, Alice Springs and Cairns (Heat, humidity, flies and cyclone season). You might like to consider adding land content in Sydney prior to your cruise. You could consider using Sydney as a base for day trips and enjoy the Sydney Festival, which is on in January.