Will it happen

[Brisbane41]

Probably a future protection plan for when ships become too many and too big for Sydney, particularly the ones that cant fit under the harbour bridge.

 

Newcastle has several issues as a port of embarkation. There is no reliable train service in the state of NSW that can get you anywhere in a reasonable amount of time. Australia in general has the worst public transport system that makes us look third world.

 

Example. I recently went on holidays in Japan and used the Shinkansen to get around. Those trains are up to 400m long, consist of 16 carriages and can travel at greater speeds than 300km/h. A Shinkansen leaves Tokyo for places like Hiroshima roughly every 5 minutes. They are always on time and never late. If a Shinkansen is late it makes national headlines.

 

Why would someone in Sydney waste almost 3 hours of their time on a useless train with no luggage compartments that stops at every single station on the central coast before eventually getting to Newcastle at ridiculously slow speeds that average less than 80km/h. Pitiful and sad in my opinion.

 

Not only Japan has good rail but also Europe and I also have good memories of trains in England.

 

Until Australia has the population to pay for a decent public transport system, our country is not going to develop and rely on cities other than our major capitals. Newcastle will never be a cruise ship hub in my lifetime.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Brisbane41

[annenic]

Nope.

 

They do it on day's the Fort is open.

 

Far from every day.

 

Actually it is pretty close to every day. Fort Scratchily is open 6 days a week. Closed on Tuesdays.

[GUT2407]

Probably a future protection plan for when ships become too many and too big for Sydney, particularly the ones that cant fit under the harbour bridge.

 

Newcastle has several issues as a port of embarkation. There is no reliable train service in the state of NSW that can get you anywhere in a reasonable amount of time. Australia in general has the worst public transport system that makes us look third world.

 

Example. I recently went on holidays in Japan and used the Shinkansen to get around. Those trains are up to 400m long, consist of 16 carriages and can travel at greater speeds than 300km/h. A Shinkansen leaves Tokyo for places like Hiroshima roughly every 5 minutes. They are always on time and never late. If a Shinkansen is late it makes national headlines.

 

Not only Japan has good rail but also Europe and I also have good memories of trains in England.

 

Until Australia has the population to pay for a decent public transport system, our country is not going to develop and rely on cities other than our major capitals. Newcastle will never be a cruise ship hub in my lifetime.

 

The big problem though is that current estimates are that within about 5 years 85% or more of ships won't fit under the Bridge, so they have to do something.

 

The options at he moment seem to be

 

Botany

The gong

Or newie.

[GUT2407]

And or more ships out of Bris, Melb, Perth etc.

 

Newcatle needs it to attract more ships as par of he itinerary, even if they don't use it as a base.

 

And if it can be used for conferences, shows etc ven better (but I dont ink those things fit with Dykes Point location.

[GUT2407]

Actually it is pretty close to every day. Fort Scratchily is open 6 days a week. Closed on Tuesdays.

 

Um. Sometimes.

 

Also re the gun, when I was here helping wife with an school excursion, they didn't fire it at all, council won't pay and he Rt can't always afford to, same reason if here short a volunteer it may not open either.

[By The Bay]

Probably a future protection plan for when ships become too many and too big for Sydney, particularly the ones that cant fit under the harbour bridge.

 

Newcastle has several issues as a port of embarkation. There is no reliable train service in the state of NSW that can get you anywhere in a reasonable amount of time. Australia in general has the worst public transport system that makes us look third world.

 

Example. I recently went on holidays in Japan and used the Shinkansen to get around. Those trains are up to 400m long, consist of 16 carriages and can travel at greater speeds than 300km/h. A Shinkansen leaves Tokyo for places like Hiroshima roughly every 5 minutes. They are always on time and never late. If a Shinkansen is late it makes national headlines.

 

Why would someone in Sydney waste almost 3 hours of their time on a useless train with no luggage compartments that stops at every single station on the central coast before eventually getting to Newcastle at ridiculously slow speeds that average less than 80km/h. Pitiful and sad in my opinion.

 

Not only Japan has good rail but also Europe and I also have good memories of trains in England.

 

Until Australia has the population to pay for a decent public transport system, our country is not going to develop and rely on cities other than our major capitals. Newcastle will never be a cruise ship hub in my lifetime.

There is always the airport, which is less than 30 minutes to the proposed cruise terminal. Direct flights to Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and a few regional towns in NSW.:)

[Docker123]

A quick look at flights shows about 3 Jetstar and 1 Virgin direct from Melbourne. Some arrive 2pm or later, so too late.

 

Indirect flights of 4-5 hours.

 

Not an attractive proposition (Jetstar or the long flights).

[GUT2407]

A quick look at flights shows about 3 Jetstar and 1 Virgin direct from Melbourne. Some arrive 2pm or later, so too late.

 

Indirect flights of 4-5 hours.

 

Not an attractive proposition (Jetstar or the long flights).

 

 

Do you think if there was demand, created by a cruise terminal, the airlines wouldn't increase flights

[By The Bay]

A quick look at flights shows about 3 Jetstar and 1 Virgin direct from Melbourne. Some arrive 2pm or later, so too late.

 

Indirect flights of 4-5 hours.

 

Not an attractive proposition (Jetstar or the long flights).

Plenty of Hotels, including one at the Airport, for an overnight stay prior to cruising.;)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Do you think if there was demand, created by a cruise terminal, the airlines wouldn't increase flights

 

They would probably work in with the airline and and put on a charter type flight.....one check in and flight met by bus to transfer passengers and luggage direct to the gangway.:)

[MicCanberra]

The direct flights to and from Canberra are very, very expensive. If they put on more flights that may lower the price slightly but I doubt it.

[The_Big_M]

Probably a future protection plan for when ships become too many and too big for Sydney, particularly the ones that cant fit under the harbour bridge.

 

Newcastle has several issues as a port of embarkation. There is no reliable train service in the state of NSW that can get you anywhere in a reasonable amount of time. Australia in general has the worst public transport system that makes us look third world.

 

Example. I recently went on holidays in Japan and used the Shinkansen to get around. Those trains are up to 400m long, consist of 16 carriages and can travel at greater speeds than 300km/h. A Shinkansen leaves Tokyo for places like Hiroshima roughly every 5 minutes. They are always on time and never late. If a Shinkansen is late it makes national headlines.

 

Why would someone in Sydney waste almost 3 hours of their time on a useless train with no luggage compartments that stops at every single station on the central coast before eventually getting to Newcastle at ridiculously slow speeds that average less than 80km/h. Pitiful and sad in my opinion.

 

Not only Japan has good rail but also Europe and I also have good memories of trains in England.

 

Until Australia has the population to pay for a decent public transport system, our country is not going to develop and rely on cities other than our major capitals. Newcastle will never be a cruise ship hub in my lifetime.

 

Good point.

 

It doesn't help either when certain governments remove existing rail infrastructure to main terminals.

[The_Big_M]

Do you think if there was demand, created by a cruise terminal, the airlines wouldn't increase flights

 

Cruise ships work to irregular schedules, and aren't that large in capacity to sustain multiple regular flights from different hubs for say one or two additional services a week, when there already is existing capacity.

 

And Newcastle isn't ever going to be a replacement for Sydney, just an overflow.

[The_Big_M]

P&O tried cruises originating from Newcastle for a while, but I think they had trouble filling the ship. We got some great deals. :) We paid $395 for a 7-day cruise. Good for us, but not for P&O.:)

 

Yes, they tried, but there wasn't enough local populace to support it, and it wasn't popular to go on to as an alternative destination.

 

If it had a star ship of its own there, maybe, but then it's not ideally located to handle a larger cruise ship, and would need serious incentives to encourage an operator to base there over a tier 1 destination.

[Kruzein]

It would be good if it happened, There is definitely a market it just needs a very good brainstorming proposal to sell it as a package so people don't have to organise it themselves..

 

There is plenty to offer in the area and people from up here have to either shuttle it down to Sydney or catch the train and it's a good scenic ride.

 

I am a bit biased though being from here. :)