Fall/Winter 2018 Princess Ships Australian Cruise Schedule Information!

[ccrain]

While detailing the new Diamond Princess itineraries for a not-to-be-named website and spreadsheet, I came across some really interesting port schedules in Australia with some really interesting ship names and dates. So looking at Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin and Hobart port schedules it appears that the Diamond, Emerald, Golden and Sapphire end up in Australia in Fall/Winter (northern hemisphere) 2018.

 

In fact, if the port schedules are right, the Emerald and Golden will do a trans-pacific to Australia from the end of the Alaska season with the following dates:

 

Emerald - In Seattle on 9/23/18 - In Sydney on 10/22/18

 

Golden - In LA on 9/23/18 - In Sydney on 10/10/18

 

These would be great transpacifics, but I wonder who would do the Fall 2018 28 day Tahiti roundtrip? Only the Grand, Ruby and Star are left on the West Coast. (Personally, I would suspect the Ruby since the last several years have all been on Super-Grands.)

 

Both the Golden and the Emerald wander in and out of Sydney on extended trips with very few stops in Hobart or Melbourne or Darwin, so I suspect a lot of New Zealand type round trips there. They stay in the area until the April 2019 time frame. The Golden is never shown as going back to Australia to 2021 - the end of the port schedules I looked at. The Emerald goes back to Sydney in November of 2019.

 

The Sapphire ends her official schedule in Singapore on 11/28/18 having come from Southampton via the Suez Canal, but according to the Sydney port schedule, she ends up in Sydney on 12/3/18 and then homeports in Melbourne until mid-2019. I cannot find where she goes after that, but she is never seen on any Australian port schedule up to 2021.

 

The Diamond leaves Tokyo on 12/6/18 and is scheduled to be in Sydney on the 14th of December. It doesn't look like she homeports in Sydney, but shows up in Adelaide, Hobart until April of 2019, not returning to Melbourne until October 6, 2019. So she probably transitioned back to Japan based cruises over the summer time.

 

The real interesting part is that the Sun and the Sea are heavy into Sydney, Darwin, Melbourne, Burney, Adelaide and Hobart until April/May 2019. Then they simply drop off the port schedules. I wonder if we're looking at another transfer to P&O for the final two ships of the Sun Class. But that will leave huge gaps in the Princess presence in Australia. And I don't see any ships filling those gaps - even though the Emerald and Diamond have port stops scheduled out to April 2021 on the Sydney and Darwin port schedules.

 

Interesting times.

 

With Princess getting new Royal class ships in 2019, 2020 and 2022 - some of those are going to have to go to the West Coast - putting at least some more Grand or SuperGrands in Australia...

 

Let the speculation begin!

[ccrain]

One thing I forgot to mention. Port schedules out to 2021 are probably pure speculation to begin with, so I would not put a lot of credence in them, but port schedules do provide indications of at least the current thinking process of Princess management!

[casofilia]

I would just like to see the "Round Australia" cruises for late 2018 and early 2019 be released soon.

[SeaDog-46]

Hi ccrain - from Sapphire 21st Oct 2018 rollcall.

 

Sapphire P cannot get to the Sydney schedule date - 3rd Dec. from Singapore.

This maybe from earlier planning - but dates in Melbourne via Fremantle look good for her in Australia 2018/19 summer.

This may effect Diamonds usual relocations Australia / Japan.

Sun & Sea often do long voyages over southern winter usually doing an over 100 day world cruise from Sydney, a Cherry Blossom to Japan & a 35 day Tahiti / Hawaii from Sydney.

If Sun & Sea also go to P&O there may not be any permanent Australian Princess ships.

 

Sydney port schedule is often amended at later dates due to congestion.

[By The Bay]

What is happening with the Sun Princess after she sails from Fremantle to Singapore, departing 13 May 2018? It appears that Australia will not have a Princess ship until Sea Princess returns from her RTW on the 20 Sep 2018. :mad:

[cruisequeen4ever]

Interesting, can't wait for the official release! Thank you for the info.

 

 

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[ccrain]

What is happening with the Sun Princess after she sails from Fremantle to Singapore, departing 13 May 2018? It appears that Australia will not have a Princess ship until Sea Princess returns from her RTW on the 20 Sep 2018. :mad:

 

The Sun Princess shows up on the Darwin port schedule on 9/2/2018. Then Burnie and Hobart on 10/23/2018, then starts doing a lot of Sydney round trips from 11/20/18 to April 2019, then disappears off the port schedules completely.

[ccrain]

Hi ccrain - from Sapphire 21st Oct 2018 rollcall.

 

Sapphire P cannot get to the Sydney schedule date - 3rd Dec. from Singapore.

This maybe from earlier planning - but dates in Melbourne via Fremantle look good for her in Australia 2018/19 summer.

This may effect Diamonds usual relocations Australia / Japan.

Sun & Sea often do long voyages over southern winter usually doing an over 100 day world cruise from Sydney, a Cherry Blossom to Japan & a 35 day Tahiti / Hawaii from Sydney.

If Sun & Sea also go to P&O there may not be any permanent Australian Princess ships.

 

Sydney port schedule is often amended at later dates due to congestion.

 

I looked at the current Diamond 2017 schedule and she goes from Singapore to Sydney in 12 days with stops in Bali and Darwin, so no way could the Sapphire get from SIN to SYD in 7 days, even with no stops.

 

So the next date on the port schedules for the Sapphire is Melbourne on the 4th of December, again no way, but Melbourne pops up on the 17th of December, so she could easily get from SIN to MEL by then.

[shipfriend_max]

That sounds interesting, also very interesting to know which ship should sail South America/Cape Horn than.

 

According to the Hawaii schedules, Ruby should sail some Hawaii in 2018/19, don't know whether it's the long 28 day Pacific run or just the 15 nighters Star and Grand doing in recent seasons.

or Ruby sails Hawaii/West Coast/Tahiti in fall and spring, and between that, she's sailing South America.

 

I am sure Crown will be based at Florida for Caribbean again, same as Caribbean (here I mean the ship :D).

 

If Sapphire sails out of Singapore in winter 2018/19 again, than IMHO Emerald, Diamond, Golden and maybe Star leave as options for Australia.

Seeing Transpacifics again between Australia and West Coast USA would be great... :D

[shipfriend_max]

Further: The Sydney cruise port schedule is more unreliable the farer the dates are in advance, I can say from experiences.

 

IMHO Emerald couldn't be an option for Australie, have a look here at Cruise schedule Los Angeles, where she is finally listed the 4th of Dec 2018, obviously her dep. date down to South America.

If she departed to Australia, than she would arrive at Christmas there at the earliest.

 

Ruby is also listed at Los Angeles throughout winter 2018/19, obviously for Hawaii and West Coast departures, see the port schedules of Hawaii.

 

For Australia the options in 2018/19 could be IMHO Sapphire (after repo to Singapore) or Diamond, Golden, alongside with smaller older ships.

Diamond is due to sail Japan up to Dec 2018, either she is taking over the Southeast Asian cruises from Singapore, or sailing to Australia after her Japan deployment - which would be a long way down...

[ccrain]

Further: The Sydney cruise port schedule is more unreliable the farer the dates are in advance, I can say from experiences.

 

IMHO Emerald couldn't be an option for Australie, have a look here at Cruise schedule Los Angeles, where she is finally listed the 4th of Dec 2018, obviously her dep. date down to South America.

If she departed to Australia, than she would arrive at Christmas there at the earliest.

 

Ruby is also listed at Los Angeles throughout winter 2018/19, obviously for Hawaii and West Coast departures, see the port schedules of Hawaii.

 

For Australia the options in 2018/19 could be IMHO Sapphire (after repo to Singapore) or Diamond, Golden, alongside with smaller older ships.

Diamond is due to sail Japan up to Dec 2018, either she is taking over the Southeast Asian cruises from Singapore, or sailing to Australia after her Japan deployment - which would be a long way down...

 

You are correct. The Emerald is definitely double booked in both Sydney and LA. I would tend to agree with you that the Emerald would be doing SA given this schedule, but it does look like the Golden will depart LA in September 2018 in a transpacific down under...

 

Looks like either the Ruby or the Emerald is a candidate for the Tahiti run out of LA. Although there was some rumor on a thread last year that Princess was thinking about cancelling that run - don't know why - it fills up every year and doesn't get too steep a discounts and without weekly turnarounds, definitely reduces port labor costs...

[shipfriend_max]

You are correct. The Emerald is definitely double booked in both Sydney and LA. I would tend to agree with you that the Emerald would be doing SA given this schedule, but it does look like the Golden will depart LA in September 2018 in a transpacific down under...

 

Looks like either the Ruby or the Emerald is a candidate for the Tahiti run out of LA. [...]

 

 

Often such port schedules are a little contradictive and not 100% reliable.

 

When consulting the port calls of Emerald Princess in LA in fall 2018, there's a larger gap, so she seems to be the candidate for the longer Tahiti cruise.

 

You are right, Golden Princess however seems to offer a Transpacific run from US West Coast to Australia (either Melbourne or Sydney).

 

I tried to figure out the deployment patterns for 2018/19:

-Regal: 7 night Caribbean FLL

-Royal: 10 night Caribbean FLL

-Ruby: 7 - 15 night West Coast, Mexico, Hawaii LAX

-Emerald: 3-17 night Mexico, West Coast, South America LAX, Valparaiso, B. Aires

-Crown: 6-8 night Caribbean FLL

-Caribbean: 10-14 night Caribbean FLL

-Sapphire: Australia from Sydney/Auckland

-Diamond: Asia from Singapore

-Star: see Ruby

-Golden: Australia from Melbourne

-Grand: see Ruby/Star from SFO

-Island/Coral: Panama Canal/C. America LAX, FLL

-Sea, Sun: Asia and Australia, longer runs

-Pacific: World cruise

[Geoffa30]

Interesting.

 

Does anyone know when the official information will be released? We're hoping to go to Asia in November 2018. Assume these itineraries will be released at the same time? Any info would be appreciated :D

[ccrain]

Interesting.

 

Does anyone know when the official information will be released? We're hoping to go to Asia in November 2018. Assume these itineraries will be released at the same time? Any info would be appreciated :D

 

Itinerary releases are staggered. I would expect the 2018/2019 cruise schedule to start releasing in a few months.

 

2017/2018 Alaska came out in December 2016

 

2017/2018 Europe released in December 2016

 

2017/2018 Asia was released in May 2016

 

2017/2018 Exotics, typically released last, were released in July 2016.

 

So by July of this year, everything for 2017/2018 should be released.

[casofilia]

Itinerary releases are staggered. I would expect the 2018/2019 cruise schedule to start releasing in a few months.

 

2017/2018 Alaska came out in December 2016

 

2017/2018 Europe released in December 2016

 

2017/2018 Asia was released in May 2016

 

2017/2018 Exotics, typically released last, were released in July 2016.

 

So by July of this year, everything for 2017/2018 should be released.

 

 

I presume that was a typo; 2018/19

[sewgood]

On the Princess web site cruises for the Diamond have been released up to December 2018 and she will be in Japan for their winter and stay until December. I assume you can book these cruises through Princess.

[ccrain]

I presume that was a typo; 2018/19

 

Yep. it was a typo.

[shipfriend_max]

Interesting.

 

Does anyone know when the official information will be released? We're hoping to go to Asia in November 2018. Assume these itineraries will be released at the same time? Any info would be appreciated :D

 

 

As far as I remember, the 2018/18 deployment for winter was open for booking by May 2016, so I expect the same for winter 18/19.

[81Dropbear]

I've booked Sapphire ex Southampton round trip Baltics in Sept 2018, so I'll be a bit miffed if she ends up in Sydney that week :-P

 

 

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[joybook]

Yes that would be interesting but I suppose you could end up in worse places than Sydney!!!!!!

[ccrain]

I've booked Sapphire ex Southampton round trip Baltics in Sept 2018, so I'll be a bit miffed if she ends up in Sydney that week :-P

 

 

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Those are on the official schedule. She doesn't leave the UK for Singapore until the 21st of October...so you are good to go...

[joankiara]

I've booked Sapphire ex Southampton round trip Baltics in Sept 2018, so I'll be a bit miffed if she ends up in Sydney that week :

 

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Well we are booked on the Sapphire Singapore/Southampton leg next March 2018 arriving in the UK early May.