Garden Island Information Request

[alibabacruisers]

Hi all, for our cruise on QE next year, I checked the Sydney port website and saw that it said QE (Passenger Processing) would be docking at White Bay. I decided to email the port website to get the scoop. A very nice gentleman answered my inquiry by saying that QE will be docking overnight March 2015 at Garden Island. Passengers boarding in Sydney will be processed at WBT and then Cunard will transport passengers and luggage to GI. I remember back in 2010, I think it was, we were in Sydney and saw that QM2 was docked there so knew that occasionally a cruiseship could dock there.

 

My question for all of you is..do you know if there is actually a ferry that regularly goes there? How close is public transport? What else is in the immediate area of interest? Any information will be appreciated!

[dancinman66]

Garden island access is off a ferry they put on not via the pure due to security restrictions

White bay I believe has ferry access

But only heard of it as I normally go from opt

 

 

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[gbenjo]

Hi all, for our cruise on QE next year, I checked the Sydney port website and saw that it said QE (Passenger Processing) would be docking at White Bay. I decided to email the port website to get the scoop. A very nice gentleman answered my inquiry by saying that QE will be docking overnight March 2015 at Garden Island. Passengers boarding in Sydney will be processed at WBT and then Cunard will transport passengers and luggage to GI. I remember back in 2010, I think it was, we were in Sydney and saw that QM2 was docked there so knew that occasionally a cruiseship could dock there.

 

My question for all of you is..do you know if there is actually a ferry that regularly goes there? How close is public transport? What else is in the immediate area of interest? Any information will be appreciated!

 

There are no regular ferry services to Garden Island, it is after all a naval base and not a public area. There is a bus stop just outside the entrance gate of Garden Island in Cowper Wharf roadway which I would presume has buses which would take you up to Kings Cross ( if your that way inclined:D) but you could then get a bus into the city proper from there. Cunard may have some sort of courtesy bus operating into the city, as they will have coaches ferrying passengers from White Bay and they pretty much have to pass through the city on the way. Not a whole lot of much else of real interest around the immediate area although the Botanic Gardens are not that far away.

[gbenjo]

Garden island access is off a ferry they put on not via the pure due to security restrictions

White bay I believe has ferry access

But only heard of it as I normally go from opt

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

There is no ferry access to White Bay.... Oh that there were!

[alibabacruisers]

There are no regular ferry services to Garden Island, it is after all a naval base and not a public area. There is a bus stop just outside the entrance gate of Garden Island in Cowper Wharf roadway which I would presume has buses which would take you up to Kings Cross ( if your that way inclined:D) but you could then get a bus into the city proper from there. Cunard may have some sort of courtesy bus operating into the city, as they will have coaches ferrying passengers from White Bay and they pretty much have to pass through the city on the way. Not a whole lot of much else of real interest around the immediate area although the Botanic Gardens are not that far away.

 

Another person has said that there was a ferry to GI because of a Naval Museum and that you take the Watsons Bay ferry? But the thread she linked to was from 2011. That would be great if there was a ferry. I also read in earlier threads where people were discussing how GI used to only allow 3 ships (QM2, Radiance and one other) to dock, but obviously that has changed if they are allowing QE to dock there next March. I just hope they straighten things out for the better soon.

 

Thanks for your info gbenjo!

[dancinman66]

There is no ferry access to White Bay.... Oh that there were!

 

 

Thanks for that as I could never find one

I suspect that Cunard will run a ferry to tender you to the ship from the quay as normally have or may run one actually from white bay

 

It is not a good place to be berthed as is not much better than on Sybil bouy

 

 

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[Kiwi Kruzer]

When we boarded QM2 at Garden Island , Cunard had the following as their procedure. It may very well change , but they will advise well in advance.

White Terminal was not constructed at that time so we reported to a very large and glamorous marquee at Glebe island, (next door to White Bay). From there , everyone was processed through Customs and Immigration and then directed onto private catamarans that were specially chartered , and ferried to the ship at GI. Upon boarding we were directed to the Ballroom and the cruise cards were issued there . Once all the processing was complete and we had our cruise cards, we were passengers in Transit and could come and go from the ship as we pleased, by checking through security with our cruise card.

 

However Cunard choose to organise the embarkation , I am sure you will be well looked after, as is the Cunard way.

 

Have a great cruise.:)

 

 

 

[By The Bay]

My question for all of you is..do you know if there is actually a ferry that regularly goes there? How close is public transport? What else is in the immediate area of interest? Any information will be appreciated!

Yes the ferry does stop at Garden Island, but.:confused:

 

From RAN Heritage web site, see: http://www.navy.gov.au/history/museums/ran-heritage-centre

 

"The RAN Heritage Centre is located within the Public Access Precinct on the northern end of Garden Island.

 

In collaboration with Sydney Ferries Corporation, pedestrian visitors to the RAN Heritage Centre arrive by Sydney Ferry using the Circular Quay to Watson’s Bay route. The ferries will stop at the Garden Island Wharf during RAN Heritage Centre opening hours only. All pedestrian visitors are to depart the Public Access Precinct by the last ferry each day.

 

The RAN Heritage Centre is open from 9:30am to 3:30pm daily except for Australia Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day."

 

I don't know if you will be allowed to access the QE from the Public Access Precinct.:confused:

[alibabacruisers]

When we boarded QM2 at Garden Island , Cunard had the following as their procedure. It may very well change , but they will advise well in advance.

White Terminal was not constructed at that time so we reported to a very large and glamorous marquee at Glebe island, (next door to White Bay). From there , everyone was processed through Customs and Immigration and then directed onto private catamarans that were specially chartered , and ferried to the ship at GI. Upon boarding we were directed to the Ballroom and the cruise cards were issued there . Once all the processing was complete and we had our cruise cards, we were passengers in Transit and could come and go from the ship as we pleased, by checking through security with our cruise card.

 

However Cunard choose to organise the embarkation , I am sure you will be well looked after, as is the Cunard way.

 

Have a great cruise.:)

 

 

 

Thanks for your experience David. I am just glad that we will already be on QE prior to Sydney. According to the Sydney port website guy, the ship will be at GI so we won't have to add WBT to our mix.:o

[alibabacruisers]

Thanks for the info Bay. It will be interesting, with that in mind, to see how they deal with that.

Edited July 31, 2014 by alibabacruisers

[The_Big_M]

Yes the ferry does stop at Garden Island, but.:confused:

 

From RAN Heritage web site, see: http://www.navy.gov.au/history/museums/ran-heritage-centre

 

"The RAN Heritage Centre is located within the Public Access Precinct on the northern end of Garden Island.

 

In collaboration with Sydney Ferries Corporation, pedestrian visitors to the RAN Heritage Centre arrive by Sydney Ferry using the Circular Quay to Watson’s Bay route. The ferries will stop at the Garden Island Wharf during RAN Heritage Centre opening hours only. All pedestrian visitors are to depart the Public Access Precinct by the last ferry each day.

 

The RAN Heritage Centre is open from 9:30am to 3:30pm daily except for Australia Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day."

 

I don't know if you will be allowed to access the QE from the Public Access Precinct.:confused:

 

I was going to say the same. I doubt you can access the QE or vice versa as both ends around the ferry terminal are gated. They can have staff monitoring them though, as it's possible the QE/cat will use the same ferry wharf, and then you proceed to the QE, in which case you could!

 

But as a QE passenger there, you'd only need to rely on the QE facilities, so not need to worry about that.