Odyssey down under

[markham]

This post is about our overnight in Sydney at our berth next to White Bay Cruise Terminal. And about the careless and thoughtless "management" of our needs relating to getting passengers into Sydney itself.

 

We arrived yesterday at Sydney with a glorious sail-in at roughly 11:00 am past Sydney Harbour Bridge where a Carnival ship was berthed. We wound our way to this "facility" and docked one berth removed from the terminal and behind a Princess ship.

 

We had NO information about the bus shuttle service apart from a one liner in the Herald about being shuttled to Darling Harbour. Without any representive on the pier and/or at the bus we joined the shuttle bus for a 15 minute drive to a parking bay, under a highway, and next to the Darling Aquarium. No taxis there and so a slog up some stairs and across a road to upper Sydney (as distinct from the Circular Quay where Carnival was docked and we were docked on the inaugural world cruise).

How callous and uncaring for the elderly and infirm of our number!

 

But we did have a brochure delivered the previous night in our cabins about

Sydney sights and amenities including the Capt Cook AUD 10 ferry from Circular Quay to White Bay. And so we did our touring, reached the ferry port and then were told that it doesn't run past 14:00 that day, a Friday. Well, it was 14:20 and so we taxied back to the ship - rather than walk back to Darling Harbour in the 20 + minutes it would take.

 

Anyway, that evening we shuttled again to Darling Harbour for a meal in nearby Chinatown. But no Seabourn shuttlebus appeared in the 30 minutes we waited for it and so we taxied back to the ship, this time with anxious and delayed crew.

 

Today, Saturday, we were smart enough to avoid the Seabourn shuttles and we took the Capt Cook water service both ways. At Circular Key today are Azamara Quest and Le Soleal. The passengers we spoke to at the former said when they were last on Azamara and at White Bay Cruise Terminal they were GIVEN free passage by Azamara to Circular Quay on Capt Cook boats. How smart, effective and respectful of their guests is that?!? And they had printed schedules for the service on their ship. Seabourn did not, nor did Seabourn even bother posting Seabourn signs our first day in port on its shuttles. Why even the Princess ship's shuttles that day had signs and an escort to guide passengers to/from Darling Harbour.

 

Which makes my assessment of Azamara a grade A, Princess a C (for doing its best even though Darling was involved) and Seabourn F for not even showing up at the exam.

 

I don't know what else to say. Except to wonder how Seabourn's Destination Services (or whoever) is going to apologise etc. Oh, and the there is the matter of Seabourn Encore on 2 February, 2017 and its maiden call to Sydney in its inaugural season docking - get this - at White Bay and not at Circular Key. I mean really... if Carnival, Azamara and Le Soleal can pay for and arrange birthing there, why not Seabourn?!

 

Happy sailing!

[oregon50]

From high atop the Intercontinental the past four days, it's fun to watch the traffic and which ships get the prime parking spots. Surprising, to say the least.

Edited February 13, 2016 by oregon50

[Kevnzworld]

Re: Markham's interesting post.

The concierge staff doesn't really know what's going on with the ports and shuttles much of the time. They refer to their computer and print out whatever's there.

Cruise lines like Celebrity have a dedicated destinations desk. The staff does nothing else.

This is a serious weakness in what otherwise is an exceptional cruise line. I would try Azamara if the ships weren't so old.....

[DCCruiser57]

Markham - we are on the Whisper World cruise. Silverseas printed a shuttle bus schedule for us and dropped us off at the iMax theater in Darling Harbour. Very efficient. We are overnight and were wondering what was the name of the Chinese restaurant in Chinatown?

 

Thx

[Jay23]

I am in the UK watching the Harbour web cam as I have friends boarding Odyssey today and sailing to LA. Did I see O leave. I did not!! I watched from 7am UK time till 8.30am UK time and although two ships that were docked in Circular Quay left their mooring and sailed away, there was no sign of Odyssey sailing under the Bridge.:mad:

 

What happened? Was she very early leaving, or very late or does it take a very long time for her to make the trip from White Bay. Obviously her mooring was a bit out of the way. I'd love to know.

 

PS Odyssey was due to leave White Bay at 6.30pm Aus time .... 7.30am UK time.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Jay23

[markham]

Jay123,

 

We backed out of White Bay just after the emergency drill, spun around and were probably under the bridge before 18:30. The journey to the bridge was probably 20 minutes. At Circular Quai there was only Le Soleal as Azamara Quest was already gone.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Happy sailing!

[Emperor Norton]

Re: The rodent - old Tom & Jerry joke about Tom cofusing an escaped boxing Kangaroo for Jerry.;)

 

Supposedly Circular quay goes to the biggest ships coming in as this will burn the least fuel getting people from A to B as they're already in the center of town. Hence why when the carnival ship was in Seabourn/Princess were at Whites wharf (next day was Seabourn and SilverSea). While the 2nd day Azmara and Ponant had Circular.

 

Disembarkation wasn't so hot. I don't recall there being notice until the morning of that we would have to shuttle to the combined cruise terminal. I doubt anyone missed hired cars and the like but it was an extra level of annoyance.

 

Local temps however were HOT.

[Jay23]

It was obviously a matter of timing!! There was a very short gap in our watching when we came downstairs for breakfast, bringing the lap top obviously, but not watching it every second. :mad:

I went back to "previous" pictures on the web cam later and lo and behold there was Azamara Quest leaving and shortly after Odyssey came sailing by. :(

 

I realise we did not see Azamara leave, only La Soleal.

 

Thank you for your prompt reply. Amazing, 12,000 miles away.!!!

 

I will be reading the report of this cruise with great interest. Our friends will not be doing any internet-ing so you and the Emperor will keep me up to date with all the happenings. J.

[MrsWaldo]

The White Bay Terminal here is an absolute disaster. There is no power source for ships out at White Bay so the smaller ones are sent there to reduce the effect of emissions on a residential area (source is verbal via a Port Authority person) as well as noise from passengers and traffic issues.

 

Link to one of the many articles:

http://www.altmedia.net.au/the-sulphur-is-down-but-its-all-engines-blazing-at-white-bay-cruise-terminal/109989

 

Sydney Ports decide who goes where, and over the summer there have been a few cruises out at Athol Buoy so Sydney becomes a tender port. The ferry at White bay only started in Nov 2015 and they don't have a standard timetable. Captain Cook comes up with it as they see fit. They don't generally run after 2pm any day.... they will extend service based on demand for port days. The area itslef is just not set up to cater for in transit or sight seeing passengers.

[BrisbaneGran]

of course MANY of the BIG ships cant fit under the Bridge, so they have to get the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay. Azamara Quest was docked before Odyssey, so there wouldn't have been room for her, there was just enough room for the smaller Le Soleal.

[BrisbaneGran]

Seabourn should be organising a shuttle bus to Balmain East Ferry stop, then people could get anywhere they want easily......

[lincslady]

It seems that both Seabourn and Silversea had problems with shuttles (see SS WC thread), although probably they had no choice but to dock in the distant dock.

 

However, perhaps the Sydney city authorities should think about offering free or cheap to cruise lines shuttle buses for all the passengers from various ships - the city would benefit financially from passengers being able to shop and eat etc. ashore, and Sydney would have a better image than has been left recently with people spending one or two days there.

 

A shame, because it is a wonderful city to spend a few days in.

[Joc123]

Forget Sydney, come to Adelaide - it's much nicer LOL

[ab21au]

Looking at Marine Traffic, the Odyssey is going to dock at Portside here in Brisbane and not Fishermans Island (thankfully). Port side in Brisbane is not as convenient to the city as Circulay Quay in Sydney but much better than FI.

 

It is beautiful weather today but very hot 33 C.

[Kauaijim]

It was only a mild pain being in white bay and after just leaving the park hyatt for homeward flights the big ships at circular qui put the equivalent of a small town in the neighborhood daily . Add the tourists for Chinese new years and white bay for the short stop was not bad. Ill wait till home to read what others wrote of the trip but it was to us ,great fun well done almost all the time and the crew and staff were great . Tom Keller eh but lots of other options. we had only one side trip that was not as advertised. All in a better us of funds than watching it disappear in the market.

[JHSkier]

Which port are you hoping for Markham?

 

Honestly have not been paying attention to these boards in quite awhile, but this is funny. If you have met the person Mr. L is referring to, his in-person personality, manners, etc. are not like his on-line persona and it is no wonder Markham, Julie, and others who were on-board did not meet him.

 

But as usual he has no problem with posting pictures of others without obtaining their permission. Notice he never shows pictures of himself.

[BrisbaneGran]

there are heaps of photos and stories about the current Odyssey cruise on social media....the face one....either on Seabourn Sailors or Grannys Travels

[Emperor Norton]

Whats worse, Whites Bay or Tendering like the Serenity had to?:eek:

[Jay23]

There are just too many cruise ships for too few berths. I agree, tendering would have been a pain.

 

We have been in Sydney on two occasions tying up in Circular Quay. At the time I had no idea there was anywhere else to be! Marvellous experience.

 

Hope all is going well for everyone on Odyssey. J

[sassycruiseher]

Does anyone remember the guest chef's name?

[Emperor Norton]

I want to say he was Amit Bhaiya.