does cyclone season deter people from taking a cruise from perth to singapore in late

[beita123]

what would happen to pur silver shadow departing perth feb 23, going to geraldton, exmouth, komodo island, bali....etc...in case a cyclone was brrewing in north WA in its path to indonesia!? just curious....wpuld they ride it out or would they go somewhere else? if so, where?

[mrscrab]

Yes it is the season for cyclones so if there is one in the area ships generally go a long way out to sea to ride out the storm.. It is a hit and miss situation and would depend entirely on the Captain and advice received from the Met Office.

[Keith1010]

We will be in Perth a few days earlier in February of 2012 on our way to Singapore on a different luxury line. We have also sailed near this area in other years. Sure, just like sailing in the Atlantic during the Hurricane Season there is the threat of a cyclone. They captain would take the ship to another location to get out of the eye of the storm as they would do with a hurricane.

 

This will not deter our plans.

 

Keith

[mrscrab]

Funnily enough we booked this cruise today. We have always felt safe on Silversea and as all passengers know the Captain has the final say. When you look at the map of Australia there isn't another port off the WA coast we could divert to. So hopefully we won't have to "hang onto our hats!" but who knows!

[oregon50]

Does the captain have the final say?

[beita123]

Finally someone on oir cruise. Are you from WA?

[mrscrab]

Yes, we can get to the ship in about 20 mins, just so convenient with no long haul flights and no dreaded jet lag. Look forward to seeing you on board. Best part is that we know we don't need any warm clothes but we shall pack our own umberella's as it could rain anytime from Exmouth North to Singapore.

[beita123]

How incredibly convenient! We are flying from San Salvador to San Francisco, spending the night there and the following day flying Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong to SIN...spending the night in Sin...and then flying Quantas the next day boud for Perth. Long flight but well worth it! My parents, my husband and I are staying at the Intercontinental hotel. How far are we going to be from Freo? Should we hire a car or take the train? How convenient is the train? Does it stop right outside the Port? What about land excursions in Geraldton and Exmouth? I heard the Whale- Shark season starts in March....I wonder if we are going to be too early. Being from WA, we would love to hear your recommendations as in what to do in these two ports.

[mrscrab]

It will take approximately 30 mins to get from your hotel to the ship in Fremantle. Probably better to take a cab as you will have your luggage to contend with, allow about $AUD45 for the fare.

Probably the best tour out of Geraldton would be to Greenhough, its a historic town south of Geraldton. The trees have all blown to an angle because of the winds. They then take you to the Hampton Arms, a very early pub in the area.

 

Exmouth, I have wondered why they are calling in there, a tiny town that was once a US Navy Communications Base. Ningaloo Reef is a good hour south, just a tiny spot on the map and because of the heat its not the tourist season. We think we may stay on board. It depends if Silversea run a shuttle into town, its also a Sunday so most places will be closed. They have excellent seafood caught right in the Gulf and the POTSHOT Inn serve a wonderful seafood platter.

I'm not sure about the whale sharks if they are around we may even see them from the deck of the ship.

[beita123]

Thank you so much for your king recommendations. We cant wait! see you onboard!

[beita123]

mrscrab: We are so looking foward to our next Silversea cruise. Thank you very much for your help. We have done all the mayor cruise lines but only Crystal and Seabourn in the luxury line cruises Is Silversea as formal as Seabourn? How many formal nights do you predict? Another silly question......I heard Perth airport is known for turbulence do to the coastal winds and the proximity of the mountain range. How true in your opinion is this? Yes, I am a nervous flyer.......Why do you think our Silver Shadow is so short of roll call responses? Do you think its because Perth is such an isolated city? or maybe because it is too soon? I wonder if we are going to be alone in this cruise ship!

[beita123]

Can you believe we are going to have the honor of hearing the British Airways captain that went through the ashes of an Indonesian volcano back on the 80s? wow....what at treat! what do you think aobut our speaket?

[mrscrab]

I have also heard of the "wind factor" at Perth airport but never experienced it after probably 1000's of landings. We have hills but no mountains so I wouldn't get too concerned. Maybe you are reading a "scary" tourist book - next chapter they may mention snakes and spiders!! don't get alarmed we really are civilised people.

Silversea almost always have guest speakers who make the voyage interesting, guess it depends on your interests.

 

There are a lot of Australians on this voyage, maybe they don't know about Cruise Critic.

[atraveldeal]

Perth can be a windy city but I have never had any flight landing issues. However, Perth airport is not as efficient as it should be, customs and immigration can be slow and they are strict on what you can bring in. FYI http://www.customs.gov.au has a link let you know what is ok and what is not. Since Austalia is an island they strict in order to keep problems at bay. Sailed on Silverseas and found it very formal on formal nights and still pretty dressy on nights that were considered non formal nights particularly the ladies but that was a few years ago and don't know if it is anymore relaxed today. Finally do not worry about cyclones Captains know what to do.

[beita123]

Thank you so much for your input. I do kind of worry about cyclone season in WA since there is nowhere else to go to our west. Being fron Central America and having cruised all over the world except WA in cyclone season, we have always have our plan B in case of an alternate cruise route. Indeed in the caribbean it is pretty easy for a captain to find another port of call. We love making our private shore excursion arrangements in advamce with local guides if possible. In this case though, there is one path north from Perth to Singapore. Maybe we get lucky and end up in Tasmania and Kangaroo island because of multiple cyclones in WA.....:).

 

As far as the formal nights........not too fond of them! I cant wait to play trivia though...even though we are only in our 40s, we so much enjoyed learning from everybody else onboard in our las Seabourn cruise! I hope Silversea has trivia too!

[Bradtez]

 

Exmouth, I have wondered why they are calling in there, a tiny town that was once a US Navy Communications Base.

 

This communications base is still in operation today, but run by Boeing Australia, not the US Navy.:)

 

Beita, do not worry about what you have read regarding the high winds at Perth Airport, i have done over 3000 hours of flying here and have very rarely had any problems here with cross winds or updrafts.

 

Have a wonderful cruise:)

[beita123]

good to hear.....sometimes i wonder why i worry so much....us human beings want to have it all under control! we agonize over the negative instead of the positive......i guess all of humanity is going through an existential crisis.....thank god for looking up to a wonderfull experience in Silverseas! the truth is....we always take chances......the bliss is the journey....not the destination.....cant wait for great service, great food....and interesting people! that is what we are all about!