Cruising in May?

[California Traveler]

Hello - we are planning a retirement cruise in May 2017 around Australia with Princess. We picked May because my husband wants to go on the Rodney Fox cage expedition to see the sharks. His website indicated it was a good time to see the females. So we want to cruise in mid April or early May to correspond with his dream. I am confused as the seasons and weather.

 

Help!

 

CT

Edited January 5, 2016 by California Traveler

[CruiserBruce]

As Australia is the size of the continental US, there will be different weather in different locations, as you can imagine there is in the US in November. Some Google searches for weather data for some the cities would be beneficial.

[lilly4350]

Hello - we are planning a retirement cruise in May 2017 around Australia with Princess. We picked May because my husband wants to go on the Rodney Fox cage expedition to see the sharks. His website indicated it was a good time to see the females. So we want to cruise in mid April or early May to correspond with his dream. I am confused as the seasons and weather.

 

Help!

 

CT

 

May is late autumn in Australia. Is your cruise a circumnavigation around Australia? Or a cruise from Sydney around New Zealand. In Australia the southern cities (eg Sydney, Melbourne) it could be getting quite cool. Places like Darwin will still be warm, possibly even hot. If your cruise is around New Zealand, it could vary from cool to very cold. May is a pretty good time to cruise - there would be almost no chance of cyclones (hurricanes).

[Kiwi Kruzer]

If your cruise is a circumnavigation of Australia I don't see how you could fit this tour in with a one day stop in Adelaide.

You could...leave the ship and travel to Port Lincoln for a couple of days , then fly on to Fremantle to rejoin the ship....or

fly to Port Lincoln as a pre/post cruise stay.

 

 

[California Traveler]

I apologize for not being more specific - we are planning a 12 day on the gold coast and Barrier Reefs. RT from Sydney.

 

CT

[Wastegirl]

You have me more than a little confused. There is no Princess Australian circumnavigation that I can see in May 2017, the closest match is a Sydney to Fremantle Top End Cruise starting in April and continuing into May - is this your cruise? Also if you are spending time around Brisbane and the Gold Coast on top of your cruise, none of these destinations takes you anywhere near Port Lincoln in South Australia.

 

You will need to fly into Adelaide first, then catch a flight on one of our smaller local airlines over to Port Lincoln. Depending on what city you fly in from to get to Adelaide would be anything from a 3 to 4 hour flight, then another hour to get to Port Lincoln. You would need a minimum of 2 or 3 days to do your tour, also from what I know of the Rodney Fox tours they are a minimum of 2 nights anyway.

 

Weather in May in Adelaide, Autumn, cool but usually sunny - can be cold at night. Port Lincoln can be even cooler.

[California Traveler]

You have me more than a little confused. There is no Princess Australian circumnavigation that I can see in May 2017, the closest match is a Sydney to Fremantle Top End Cruise starting in April and continuing into May - is this your cruise? Also if you are spending time around Brisbane and the Gold Coast on top of your cruise, none of these destinations takes you anywhere near Port Lincoln in South Australia.

 

You will need to fly into Adelaide first, then catch a flight on one of our smaller local airlines over to Port Lincoln. Depending on what city you fly in from to get to Adelaide would be anything from a 3 to 4 hour flight, then another hour to get to Port Lincoln. You would need a minimum of 2 or 3 days to do your tour, also from what I know of the Rodney Fox tours they are a minimum of 2 nights anyway.

 

Weather in May in Adelaide, Autumn, cool but usually sunny - can be cold at night. Port Lincoln can be even cooler.

 

Thank you for your response - we are thinking about doing the Rodney Fox before our cruise, hubby wants to take the three day tour. Our cruise choices are:

 

12 night Celebrity RT from Sydney to the Barrier Reef and back (my choice).

17 day Sea Princess Northern Australia Explorer - ending in Fremantle. This way we can see more of the Country.

 

We do understand it isn't easy to travel to Port Lincoln - we do not have a urgency to get back home, so we have no problem exploring more of Australia before we leave.

Edited January 7, 2016 by California Traveler

[Wastegirl]

That makes sense now. Weather in northern Australia at that time of year will be very pleasant as it is heading into the 'dry' season so while still warm to very warm the humidity will be less. Once you get below Sydney the weather cools down the further south you get, but equally we can still get some warm sunny days. You will get away with summer clothes and a light cardigan or jacket in the north but will need to carry something a bit warmer for the south, especially if you are out on the ocean in a small boat.

 

You are out of the cyclone (hurricane) season in the north, but in the south it is heading towards winter storms and rougher seas.

[California Traveler]

Thank you Elise for your valuable information about your country.

 

Is it ok if I send you a pm asking questions about your 2015 Celebrity Solstice cruise, I don't want to hijack this thread with my personal questions. I am very sure we will choose the 12 night Great Barrier Reef Cruise.

 

CT

[CruiserBruce]

Thank you Elise for your valuable information about your country.

 

Is it ok if I send you a pm asking questions about your 2015 Celebrity Solstice cruise, I don't want to hijack this thread with my personal questions. I am very sure we will choose the 12 night Great Barrier Reef Cruise.

 

CT

 

There isn't a PM feature on Cruise Critic.

[Wastegirl]

You can use this thread, I don't think it will be too busy.

[JacintaH]

Be aware if you want to get out to the actual reef I'd recommend booking a ships tour and booking it as soon as possible [if they open shore tours for booking prior to sailing, not sure on Celeb]. All shore tours to the reef were sold out before we had even set sail on my Barrier Reef cruise last month.

 

Yes you can book a ships tour pre embarkation on Celebrity.

 

In May the weather is very pleasant in Far North Qld but by then the winds will have picked up making travel on a small boat a bit bumpy. The smaller the boat the bumpier and more uncomfortable it will be.

[California Traveler]

It will be nice doing the reef cruise then, not too humid. Be aware if you want to get out to the actual reef I'd recommend booking a ships tour and booking it as soon as possible [if they open shore tours for booking prior to sailing, not sure on Celeb]. All shore tours to the reef were sold out before we had even set sail on my Barrier Reef cruise last month.

 

What ports do you have? If you are stopping in Port Douglas, there is a tour company that speed boats out to the reef very quickly with snorkelling, with a few departures during the day. Some of the bigger boats that go out there can take over 2 hours each way and are very long cumbersome trips. Reef Sprinter is their name.

 

Highly recommend a day trip out to Hamilton Island from Airlie Beach if you stop there. It was only about $25pp more expensive booking ships tour than it would have been to do it ourselves, and when you're heading that far afield it's good to have the security of a ships tour.

 

This is our itinerary:

 

Sydney/Newcastle/Airline Beach/Cairns-2days/Port Douglas/Willis Island- cruising/Brisbane/Sydney.

 

If the cruise is scheduled in April 2018 - hubby will do the Rodney Fox tour afterwards.

 

We usually support the local tours with smaller groups rather than taking the larger ship tours. It has always worked out for us even in Greece. Never had issues missing the ship.