Austrailia Cruise Questions

[jinteso]

There is a 9 day Australia cruise from 14 - 23 December 17. Does anyone know if they do this cruise every year? If so, is it always about the same time? When do you think that they would release the dates for the 2018 cruise?

[www3traveler]

The Australian and New Zealand cruises are new to Norwegian only beginning this Fall. The Jewel does not have a schedule yet posted beyond March of 2018.

[kjquilts]

On June 7, 2016 NCL issued a Corporate Press Release announcing the Jewel would call Australia home in fall of 2017. There were some other ship itinerary changes announced in same press release. Here is link to entire corporate press release schedule. You can use the archives to see the actual press release.

 

https://www.ncl.com/press-releases/2017

 

On August 3, 2015 NCL issued a Corporate Press Release titled Global Deployment Expansion Announcement for the fall/winter 2016 season announcing among many other new itineraries that the Star would be doing a 12 day Australia New Zealand cruise followed by a 19 day cruise from Auckland to Singapore. Both cruises were in February 2017.

 

There is no way to be sure when the fall winter 2018/2019 schedule will be released but based on last two years experience I'm keeping my eyes open. We're booked on back to back 11 night New Zealand and 8 night Queensland cruises round trip out of Sydney in March of 2018 on Radiance of the Seas. We're platinum plus with Norwegian so would rather sail with them but will have to compare pricing and itineraries when NCL schedule is released.

[jinteso]

Thank you! That helps me plan a lot.

[4774Papa]

Also, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have cruises out of Sydney.

[casofilia]

NCL had the Star in the Australian/New Zealand area over the southern summer 2016/7; this did not go well due to the problems with the Star's azipods.

For the southern summer of 2017/8 the Jewel is leaving Vancouver in October to travel to Sydney arriving early in December. It stays in Australia/New Zealand waters till February 2018 when it goes from Sydney to Tokyo where it arrives early in April. There are a couple of cruises in Asia after that and then no one seems to know where it is to go.

Similarly no one knows if NCL intends to base a boat in the Australian/New Zealand area for the southern summer or 2018/9. It may well depend on the bottom line from the 2017/8 season.

[Ronin23]

Sydney is suffering from severe congestion so as such NCL is struggling to get any slots for the 2018/19 seasn. If they come back at all, it may be only a very limited season for this reason.

 

The Overseas Passenger Terminal can only take one ship a day and most ships are not able to go under the bridge to White Bay Terminal. NCL are on record for saying that they will only come back if they can home port out of Sydney.

 

 

NCL are late to the game here, Carnival and RCCL all have multiple ships here over the season so that puts enormous pressure on the limited facilities.

[Nelsj099]

After reading this I am glad I am booked for a Christmas cruise this year!

[casofilia]

NCL are late to the game here, Carnival and RCCL all have multiple ships here over the season so that puts enormous pressure on the limited facilities.

 

As does Princess

[Ronin23]

NCL are late to the game here, Carnival and RCCL all have multiple ships here over the season so that puts enormous pressure on the limited facilities.

 

As does Princess

 

Princess is part of Carnival.

[Mr&MrsCookie]

Sydney is suffering from severe congestion so as such NCL is struggling to get any slots for the 2018/19 seasn. If they come back at all, it may be only a very limited season for this reason.

 

The Overseas Passenger Terminal can only take one ship a day and most ships are not able to go under the bridge to White Bay Terminal. NCL are on record for saying that they will only come back if they can home port out of Sydney.

 

 

NCL are late to the game here, Carnival and RCCL all have multiple ships here over the season so that puts enormous pressure on the limited facilities.

 

They are all booked in at the OPT for a full season over 18/19 - not sure how 'fixed' they are but you can get a guess on what some of the itineraries might be. I'd attach them here but work computer isn't letting me..

 

When I emailed NCL about when the 18/19 itineraries would be released, they replied with either Sept or October this year.

[GUT2407]

This is the first season, we pulled the trigger on this cruise, an interesting and somewhat unusual itinerary.

 

Pity they dropped Geelong