Circumnavigating Australia on the Sea Princess

[Ken the cruiser]

We're hoping to circumnavigate Australia sometime in the Fall of 2019 and noticed Princess does it in Sep 2018 on the Sea Princess. We haven't sailed on the Sea Princess before and were wondering about the current quality of the ship. Anyone know if she's scheduled to go into dry dock anytime soon or has she completed one recently?

 

Also, for those that have done the circumnavigation before, how was it? Were there professional lecturers and/or naturalists onboard giving lectures as well as a bunch of other things to do on sea days?

 

We did a 12 day Australia - NZ cruise on the Diamond Princess a couple of winters ago and had a great time. However, if we're going to make that flight again to Sydney, we want to make sure we book a long cruise this time! Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

[gooch47]

I can't comment on the Sea Princess or current activities, but we count our Circumnavigation cruise as the best cruise we ever took.

[casofilia]

Ask again later as this year's March cruise hasn't started yet. It finishes late April.

[AF-1]

So is this a cruise that Princess offers that goes around Australia and hits the major cities?

[casofilia]

So is this a cruise that Princess offers that goes around Australia and hits the major cities?

 

Yes: Look at:-

https://www.princess.com/find/cruiseDetails.do?voyageCode=C810A

[Ken the cruiser]

So is this a cruise that Princess offers that goes around Australia and hits the major cities?

Here's a link to the Sep 2018 cruise we're looking at for Sep 2019 - https://www.princess.com/find/cruiseDetails.do?voyageCode=C819

[1965]

Does it include, or perhaps have an excursion to, Komodo Island?

[Ken the cruiser]

Does it include, or perhaps have an excursion to, Komodo Island?

You bring up a very good point as it doesn't appear to. We had been looking at HAL and Oceania circumnavigation cruises for 2019, both of which normally go to Komodo Island, Kangaroo Island and some other cool places, but both lines have decided to skip doing their circumnavigation cruises in 2019. That's why we're taking a second look at the Princess one. Maybe they will add those two ports on their Sept 2019 cruise. One can hope anyway.

[BJS]

She was just in dry dock.

 

We sailed on her in 2005. She is very different than the Diamond Princess.

 

Here is a you tube video:

Sea Princess Full Tour - First Look Following Major 2017 Refurbishment

 

[Ken the cruiser]

She was just in dry dock.

 

We sailed on her in 2005. She is very different than the Diamond Princess.

 

Here is a you tube video:

Sea Princess Full Tour - First Look Following Major 2017 Refurbishment

 

What a beautiful ship! Thanks for sharing. Maybe Komodo and Kangaroo Islands aren't so important if we have a chance to sail around Australia on this beautiful ship!

[casofilia]

The Round Australia is just that with a visit to PNG to make it "legal"

[OzKiwiJJ]

I haven't done the full circumnavigation, but I have done the Top End part, and also another cruise that went up the east coast and across to Darwin. Both times there was a commentary as the ship passed through the Torres Strait, and I think there may have been one during the scenic cruising off the Kimberley Coast of WA but we weren't near enough to a speaker to hear it.

[Ken the cruiser]

Thanks! We're hoping they will also have some lectures on sea days on their circumnavigation cruises.

[Aus Traveller]

The Round Australia is just that with a visit to PNG to make it "legal"

The international port is included so the cruise is categorized as 'international'. Therefore GST (tax) does not apply to the cruise fare and items can be sold duty free on board.

 

To my knowledge, Princess has never included Kangaroo Island or Komodo island on its around Australia itinerary. They used to go to Bali of Lombok (Indonesia), but lately have replaced that with Alotau in Papua New Guinea. There isn't much to see in Alotau, but its WWII history is fascinating.

 

Princess usually has what they call Enrichment Lecturers on longer cruises in addition to a Destination lecturer. Enrichment Lecturers present talks on history, astronomy and science, and other general topics. If these talks are important to you, it might be a good idea to let Princess know.

[Ken the cruiser]

The international port is included so the cruise is categorized as 'international'. Therefore GST (tax) does not apply to the cruise fare and items can be sold duty free on board.

 

To my knowledge, Princess has never included Kangaroo Island or Komodo island on its around Australia itinerary. They used to go to Bali of Lombok (Indonesia), but lately have replaced that with Alotau in Papua New Guinea. There isn't much to see in Alotau, but its WWII history is fascinating.

 

Princess usually has what they call Enrichment Lecturers on longer cruises in addition to a Destination lecturer. Enrichment Lecturers present talks on history, astronomy and science, and other general topics. If these talks are important to you, it might be a good idea to let Princess know.

Thanks for your insight! We will definitely let Princess know we enjoy lectures and interactive game shows when we fill out the after-cruise surveys on our next Princess cruise around the UK!

[casofilia]

Enrichment Lecturers present talks on history, astronomy and science, and other general topics.

 

We have had them a number of times on both Princess and NCL. They vary from brilliant to b.....y awful!! Here's hoping for a good one on our round Australia at the end of 2018.

[OnVacation11]

Enrichment Lecturers present talks on history, astronomy and science, and other general topics.

 

We have had them a number of times on both Princess and NCL. They vary from brilliant to b.....y awful!! Here's hoping for a good one on our round Australia at the end of 2018.

I hope you have a better topic than the one we had on the Christmas cruise last year ... ‘Mass murders and serial killers”. What a cheerful topic for the holidays :o.

[Ken the cruiser]

I hope you have a better topic than the one we had on the Christmas cruise last year ... ‘Mass murders and serial killers”. What a cheerful topic for the holidays :o.

Hopefully a bunch of folks told Princess how stupid that was and walked out of the theater.

[casofilia]

Going from Honolulu to Sydney on the NCL Jewel the lecture the first sea day was Pearl Harbor: Fact, Myth,Truth, and Deception. As you can imagine the theater was "packed". People started walking out quite soon after it had started and by the end there were lots less present. There were lots of murmurs about the lecturer and I, among others, certainly passed on my feelings to the HD. Later on the cruise I went in to the theater to see how many were there, very sparse audiences. What a waste.

[HJH]

We did the circumnavigation on the Sun this past October 8 - November 5.

Great cruise, but lots of sea days due to the distance between ports. There were lecturers and activities to fill the time. Wonderful way to totally see Australia from the sea. No Komodo Island.

[Ken the cruiser]

We did the circumnavigation on the Sun this past October 8 - November 5.

Great cruise, but lots of sea days due to the distance between ports. There were lecturers and activities to fill the time. Wonderful way to totally see Australia from the sea. No Komodo Island.

Thanks! That's what we were hoping to hear. We love sea days if there are a variety of things to do. From what I can tell from the deck plans since the Sun and Sea are pretty much the same, the Sun has an outside promenade deck you can walk laps on. Is that true?

[AF-1]

Thanks for posting the link to the cruise. That would be an awesome way to see entire continent; if you have the time off from work or retired. Have a great day

[HJH]

Yes, both the Sea and Sun have full Promenade Decks that are one level for walking. Three laps to mile. Unfortunately, too many walkers refuse to follow the directional arrows (left turns) and it can get interesting in the very narrow corridor at the bow with people meeting head on.

[Ken the cruiser]

Yes, both the Sea and Sun have full Promenade Decks that are one level for walking. Three laps to mile. Unfortunately, too many walkers refuse to follow the directional arrows (left turns) and it can get interesting in the very narrow corridor at the bow with people meeting head on.

I've always wanted to stop and ask someone why they are walking in the opposite direction when there are so many people walking in the same direction as the arrow points. I can understand passing them one time, but after the 3rd lap you would think they would get with the "flow". But, hey, we're all on vacation and if that works for them, that's OK with us. We'll just have to keep alert on those narrow turns.

[casofilia]

Two reasons.

Walking opposite to everyone else allows you to say "Hello" and pass pleasant comments.

It is like a very big roundabout, in some countries you drive round it clockwise and in others anticlockwise, some people walk the direction they drive.