2015 Fly to Australia, Cruise NZ and to Hawaii. Ideas?

[HaulAwayJoe]

We are planning travel from Arizona to Australia and New Zealand in 2015. Our plan is to fly over, cruise Australia and New Zealand, cruise back to Hawaii, then fly home. We have narrowed it down to four potential itineraries. Our big concerns are price of course, but also ports and weather, along with traveling so many days. Any pros, cons, or suggestions would be appreciated, especially related to the flight to Australia. Please forgive the long post.

 

Plan 8: 60 nights total all on RCCL Radiance. Fly to Perth. 3/14 17 night AU & NZ: Perth (Fremantle), Australia; Esperance, Australia; Adelaide, Australia; Melbourne, Australia; Milford Sound, New Zealand; Doubtful Sound, New Zealand; Dusky Sound, New Zealand; Dunedin, New Zealand; Akaroa, New Zealand; Wellington, New Zealand; Picton, New Zealand; Sydney, Australia

 

3/31 12 night South Pacific: Sydney, Australia; Isle of Pines, New Caledonia; Vila, Vanuatu; Champagne Bay, Vanuatu; Luganville, Vanuatu; Mystery Island, Vanuatu; Lifou, Loyalty Island; Noumea, New Caledonia; Sydney, Australia

 

4/12 7 night South Pacific: Sydney, Australia; Noumea, New Caledonia; Isle of Pines, New Caledonia; Sydney, Australia

 

4/19 18 night Transpacific: Sydney, Australia; Picton, New Zealand; Wellington, New Zealand; International Dateline; Papeete, Tahiti French Polynesia; Moorea, French Polynesia; Bora Bora, French Polynesia; Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii

 

Plan 8A: The same except replace the 4/12 7 night South Pacific cruise with travel to Tasmania.

 

Plan 9: 43 nights total. Same first cruise on Radiance, stay three nights in Sydney, then sail to Hawaii on Celebrity Solstice.

 

4/3 18 nights: Sydney,

 

• Bay Of Islands, New Zealand
  
• Auckland, New Zealand
  
• International Dateline
  
• Papeete, Tahiti French Poly
  
• Moorea, French Polynesia
  
• Bora Bora, French Polynesia
  
• Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
  
• Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
  

Plan 10: 42 nights total. 3/18 14 nights on Sea Princess: Brisbane, Australia | Auckland, New Zealand | Tauranga, New Zealand | Napier, New Zealand | Wellington, New Zealand | Akaroa, New Zealand | Dunedin (Port Chalmers), New Zealand | Fiordland National Park, New Zealand | Brisbane, Australia

 

4/15 2 Days Sea Princess, Brisbane to Sydney.

 

Two nights Sydney, then sail to Honolulu on Radiance as above.

 

Thanks!!!

[kaseyoz]

Such a personal thing. But my thoughts only.

I love the Sth pacific but if you have cruised Caribbean etc I would say give this part of your trip away and do the tassie cruise.

 

I would probably also leave the Perth part out too... Lots of extra flying for a couple of ports. Maybe think about spending longer in sydney ( fly there first) then catch a flight to Melbourne and area for a few days.

There is quite a bit to see in Melbourne maybe hire a car and do the seven apostles drive.

 

Definitely do the nz cruise.

 

Maybe plan 732......😜😀😀

I am sure others will give you their thoughts but that is mine.

[pacificlover]

The REAL South Pacific I think is experienced in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Completely different to the islands of the Caribbean. If you are doing this trip to experience different cultures, then include at least the first of your choices. I would drop the second in preference to spending more time in Sydney if this is your first trip "down under". The laid back lifestyle of the South Pacific is so different to St Thomas, St Maarten etc. No hassling to buy, natural beauty as opposed to man made resort style structures. My experience anyway.

 

PS: I'm looking at the Celebrity Solstice myself if I can find a cruise buddy. Have done the trip before on Century and loved it

[Sparky74]

Such a personal thing.

 

I agree.

 

Personally, I'd lean towards plan 8A as it gives you a little break from the ship as well as getting to explore Tassie while still having the benefit of B2B on the ship. It would almost be like taking a vacation from your vacation. By the end Radiance would feel like home. Of course, I'm bias (but aren't we all?). I'm a RCI fan and love the Radiance.

 

We sailed Hawaii to Sydney in September on Radiance of the Seas.

We flew to Hawaii with JetStar. They are a budget airline and you have to pay for all the extras like luggage, meal, entertainment, etc. But we found the flight quite comfortable and had no complaints about the service. Even with the extras it worked out cheapest option.

 

I'm sure you'll enjoy whatever you plan to do.

[Royalty X]

Such a personal thing. But my thoughts only.

I love the Sth pacific but if you have cruised Caribbean etc I would say give this part of your trip away and do the tassie cruise.

 

I would probably also leave the Perth part out too... Lots of extra flying for a couple of ports. Maybe think about spending longer in sydney ( fly there first) then catch a flight to Melbourne and area for a few days.

There is quite a bit to see in Melbourne maybe hire a car and do the seven apostles drive.

 

Definitely do the nz cruise.

 

Maybe plan 732......

I am sure others will give you their thoughts but that is mine.

Perth is one of the most beautiful cities in Australia. I would say it's worth the extra couple of hours flying.

[kaseyoz]

Perth is one of the most beautiful cities in Australia. I would say it's worth the extra couple of hours flying.

I agree it is beautiful but it is not just the extra flight time but the extra cruise time which 'I ' feel us better spent elsewhere.

 

Like I said , all personal and there will be many different opinions, just giving mine so op can make his choice.

[cassamanda]

Plan 8A but stay in and around Sydney.

Tasmania will be shoulder season in April. Pity that Radiance doesn't include Tasmania on the 1st cruise - it used to.

The Perth to Sydney cruise is a good choice. Temps will be getting cooler as you travel East to NZ.

 

No point doing the South Pacific cruise twice. The 12 nighter is excellent as it includes Champagne Bay (not to be missed - but get on the first tender as everyone will get off the ship there). These ports are all good for swimming/snorkelling with temps in the 90s.

 

The Transpacific is also outstanding on Radiance. When in Picton, do a winery tour with lunch. Bora bora was our favourite port with lots of options. We did the lagoon cruise with lunch with Patrick - excellent.

 

We have done all the above 3 cruises and enjoyed each one.

 

Suggest you break your flight with a stopover in either Honolulu or or perhaps NZ or even Brisbane before continuing to Perth. It is a 5 hour flight from East Coast to West coast Austalia.

 

Hugh

[HaulAwayJoe]

Thanks for so many great ideas and additional items to consider. Not doing one long flight could open a number of possibilities and we could move Tasmania first before the cruises. I also greatly appreciate all the other comments. I have sailed on Radiance and her sister Brilliance, both very nice ships.

 

Has anyone sailed on Celebrity Solstice to or from Australia?

 

I'm still open to additional comments and ideas. Thanks!

[rugbypopsie]

I did Celebrity Solstice to NZ from Sydney in November last year, magnificent ship and wonderful scenery. Haven't got time to check itineraries this morning I should be packing but Hawaiian Airlines is the best option for flights through Hawaii. Make sure you have a few days in Sydney, Tasmania is very interesting, NZ is wonderful. If you can allow time for a flight to Central Australia from Sydney two nights is enough for you to see our real outback...Perth is nice but I would choose Central Australia in preference.

 

Sue

[HaulAwayJoe]

Re: If you can allow time for a flight to Central Australia from Sydney two nights is enough for you to see our real outback...Perth is nice but I would choose Central Australia in preference.

 

Sue,

 

Central Australia has not been considered in our planning. One of our plans has 3 nights in Sydney so something like this would be possible. Do you know if there are guided tours you would recommend? If not, could you suggest some specific destinations?

[HaulAwayJoe]

Searching for more options, I found P&O Cruises. The ship Pacific Jewel does a 5 night cruise to Tasmania. It is round trip from Brisbane. Ports are: Melbourne, Burnie, Port Arthur, Hobart, Hobart, Melbourne. I think this would fit in with out plans except we would have to get to Perth, Sydney, or Brisbane to continue our travels.

 

Any information on P&O Cruises and/or Pacific Jewel?

 

Any travel tips from Melbourne to Perth (next day so fly), Sydney (also next day), or Brisbane (5 days to get there).

 

Thanks again!

[Jacs]

P&O is Australia is somewhat of a budget cruise line, if you are used to cruising on RCI and Celebrity it may be a bit of a step down. It is also tailored to suit the Australian market so you may find it a quite different cruise experience with less bells and whistles than you are used to. If you want to see Tassie I'd fly down and rent a car to explore, don't get caught up with to finding a cruise solution as Australia is best seen from land anyway.

 

I've also noticed you haven't included the GBR or the red center, such unique parks of the world and shouldn't be missed if you've come all this way. I wouldn't do the 2nd South Pacific cruise, and use that time to do either Tassie or do 2 nights Uluru and 5 nights Cairns.

 

I did the solstice cruise in the opposite direction last October, it was a great cruise and wonderful ports, Bora Bora and Moorea were amazing.

[Bodogbodog]

Plan 8

Greart thread!

I must have missed it but what are Plans 1-7?

 

Can't add any specific suggestions on cruises but it would be a great trip, we're sorting of doing a similar thing in reverse in Oct/Nov this year - San Diego to Sydney on B2B Crystal cruises - love those sea days!

How come you wouldn't just cruise right through to the West Coast of the US? - why get off in Hawaii?

[eel]

We are doing something similar this year. Cruising around Australia and New Zealand on Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas. Then spending 23 days touring Eastern Australia on land. Then cruising Sydney to Vancouver on Celebrity Solstice.

 

Funny thing is we are also from AZ (Tucson). We fly to Sydney on Feb. 10 and fly home from Vancouver on May 8. This is coming up really soon!

 

If you want to chat about what we have planned, feel free to drop me an email at eel1957 at yahoo dot com. This is not my regular email address but I will respond back from my regular email. Just please post here and let me know if you send me an email.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[cassamanda]

Searching for more options, I found P&O Cruises. The ship Pacific Jewel does a 5 night cruise to Tasmania. It is round trip from Brisbane. Ports are: Melbourne, Burnie, Port Arthur, Hobart, Hobart, Melbourne. I think this would fit in with out plans except we would have to get to Perth, Sydney, or Brisbane to continue our travels.

 

Any information on P&O Cruises and/or Pacific Jewel?

 

Any travel tips from Melbourne to Perth (next day so fly), Sydney (also next day), or Brisbane (5 days to get there).

 

Thanks again!

 

Very easy to fly from Melbourne and Sydney, several direct flights per day. Checkout Qantas and Virgin for specials.

If you fly from Brisbane then I would definitely go via Central Australia (either Alice Springs or Ularu which is Eyres Rock). Prices there are not cheap though. Just like us visiting Alaska in summer.:eek:

 

The P&O cruise could be a bit of a booze cruise but it might educate you in Australia's partying culture:) but it is a good itinerary.

 

Suggest you look up some of the many threads created by Terry (TLCOHIO) who is about to sail on the Soltice.

Edited January 10, 2014 by cassamanda

[HaulAwayJoe]

Greart thread!

I must have missed it but what are Plans 1-7?

 

Can't add any specific suggestions on cruises but it would be a great trip, we're sorting of doing a similar thing in reverse in Oct/Nov this year - San Diego to Sydney on B2B Crystal cruises - love those sea days!

How come you wouldn't just cruise right through to the West Coast of the US? - why get off in Hawaii?

 

Re: Plans 1 to 7

When I started planning I just started numbering the plans. Several were to fly both ways and some turned out to just not cover what we would like to do. So I didn't include plans that had already been eliminated.

 

Re: Cruising to West Coast

We have to fly home from somewhere and this seemed like a good way to reduce time and expense.

[LadyDiMD55]

Hi! So glad I found this thread! I am in the planning stages of doing the 18

Night AU/NZ/TP cruise in April 2015. I did a NZ TP on

Mercury in their inaugural season, and swore to return.

I would like to see some on AU before the cruise, as I missed AU entirely on my

last visit! I will be traveling solo, and definitely want to visit Brisbane. I can't take an indefinite time off from work and want to make the best of my time while there! I value any input and suggestions !

 

Di

[Cruise_me_Crazy]

I am from Tassie. Definitely fly & drive if u are comfortable doing so. Lovely little island and no hassles banging about on roads etc. no big confusing intersections or motor barns etc. major highway has dual lanes in some places but mainly single lanes so not a stressful process!

 

But my opinion is really limited to the most cruise days is the best choice ;) :D

[rugbypopsie]

Just back from a weekend cruise to get a sea fix. Not sure about your question in response to my last post re Central Australia in preference to Perth. Don't leave yourself short of days in Sydney lots to see and do in a wonderful city. Re Central Australia you can fly direct to the Rock from Sydney and have a couple of days there..tours easily arranged through the hotel.."Sails" is good. Make sure you do the "Sounds of Silence" dinner in the desert!

 

Sue

[AussieVisi2r]

Hi,

Great plan.

 

I've done NZ, Perth-Sydney, Top End, South Pacific and Syd-Hawaii. All with RCCL.

All these trips are great. NZ being my favourite.

IMO....Definitely only do one South Pacific trip.

Its a pity you cannot do the Top End cruise as well - Plan13???.

Quiet a few people in 2013 did Vancouver- Hawaii- Sydney -South Pacific- Top End-Perth -Sydney.

It was awesome. Quiet a few hopped off for a few days and explored Sydney.

Tassie is awesome - but quiet similar to the South of NZ.

 

Maybe you could do the Top End, get off in Perth, Fly back via Uluru (The Centre) and even Cairns then meet the ship in Sydney for the rest. I think there is a cruise tour from Perth to the Centre. Then you would only miss Esperance (stunning) , and Melbourne and Adelaide - both lovely cities but would still get the other NZ places on the NZ trip and the Sydney -Hawaii.

 

Radiance is a brilliant ship. I'm guessing your Diamond (Plus) (Looking at your number of cruises)and Radiance has brilliant CL and DL.

 

So much to think about!!!! But it is half the joy of travelling.

 

Raina

[HaulAwayJoe]

Thanks for the continuing help in planning. If we can fit Tassie in, then driving it ourselves will be considered. Which cities/sights would be top on your list to see (late February or early March)? Motor Barn?

 

Radiance actually does a top end cruise just before the AU/NZ cruise we are considering. So that is a great possibility if time and $ permit.

 

If we are in Sydney and have 3 days between cruises, what would be a good way to add in a Great Barrier Reef Snorkel (beginning of April)? What would be a good port for this if we also do the top end cruise (early March)?

 

Perth to Sydney then NZ, are there really great places to snorkel? Is a shorty wet suit needed?

 

Thanks!

[eel]

Thanks for the continuing help in planning. If we can fit Tassie in, then driving it ourselves will be considered. Which cities/sights would be top on your list to see (late February or early March)? Motor Barn?

 

Radiance actually does a top end cruise just before the AU/NZ cruise we are considering. So that is a great possibility if time and $ permit.

 

If we are in Sydney and have 3 days between cruises, what would be a good way to add in a Great Barrier Reef Snorkel (beginning of April)? What would be a good port for this if we also do the top end cruise (early March)?

 

Perth to Sydney then NZ, are there really great places to snorkel? Is a shorty wet suit needed?

 

Thanks!

 

Three days is not enough time to get to the GBR for snorkeling. I think you would need to fly to Cairns (2400 km) to do the reef. I think 3 days in Cairns minimum would be good. You also want at least 3 days in Sydney at least at some point during the trip.

 

Coral Princess offers a really nice "cruise" to the GBR with a lot of snorkeling available. Something to consider. Kind of expensive but the reviews are really good.

 

For Tassie we are doing Port Arthur, Bonorang Wildlife Park, Freycinet National Park, Launceston and Cradle Mountain.

Edited January 14, 2014 by eel