Fiji on Majestic or New Zealand on Ruby

[themob]

I am trying to decide on cruise next January between FiJi and New Zealand.

Please anyone who has been  on both what is your opinion on each cruise?

I plan on spending a week in Sydney ,any suggestions on where to stay in Sydney,is Bondi Beach a good location? 

[Steelers36]

21 minutes ago, themob said:

I am trying to decide on cruise next January between FiJi and New Zealand.

Please anyone who has been  on both what is your opinion on each cruise?

I plan on spending a week in Sydney ,any suggestions on where to stay in Sydney,is Bondi Beach a good location? 

I cannot tell you which cruise to take.  Go with where you want to go (itinerary) first.  As for Sydney, I would stay in the CBD area (postal zone 2000).  You can walk to many sites, restaurants and not that far from the cruise terminal.  Unless you plan to be on the beach all the time, I'd just take the transit out there to see it one day.  I would recommend getting an OPAL transit card and you use it for ferries, trams, buses, etc.  Great system.  Since you are staying for a week, consider renting a condo apartment and you have kitchen facilities as well.

[Aus Traveller]

In January Fiji will be very hot with a likelihood of rain - even for a period every day and there is also the possibility of a cyclone. If that occurs in an area that would impact the cruise, the itinerary would be changed. January (mid-summer) is a superb time to go to NZ. It's the peak cruise season. Temperatures are likely to be moderate. It never gets really hot in NZ.

[SinbadThePorter]

9 hours ago, themob said:

I am trying to decide on cruise next January between FiJi and New Zealand.

Please anyone who has been  on both what is your opinion on each cruise?

I plan on spending a week in Sydney ,any suggestions on where to stay in Sydney,is Bondi Beach a good location? 

 

NZ by a mile. If you haven't seen NZ, you need to see it.

 

Try to stay within walking distance of Circular Quay. It's the hub for seeing both the city and the harbour. Also for boarding the cruise. It will be expensive, but the favourable USD/AUD exchange rate should cushion that blow. While in Oz/NZ you don't need to tip, so you also save money there.

[GUT2407]

I’d go NZ personally.

[Astro Flyer]

Based on having cruised to both destinations, NZ would easily be my choice over Fiji.

 

While the Royal & Regal are two of my favorite ships, the changes made to the Majestic for the Asian market put that ship low on my list & I would prefer the Ruby.

[possum52]

I would also choose the NZ cruise. It has already been mentioned that it is cyclone season at that time so unless you really want to spend time on beaches or do tours in hot, humid weather, NZ is the better choice. 

Hotel - I would choose an apartment for your stay in Sydney and closer to the city area the better. 

 

Enjoy your time down under.

 

Leigh

[GUT2407]

In my opinion Bondi is too far out of town, to stay, worth a visit but you can do that by train as a half or full day trip.

 

For a week look at serviced appartments, you’ll have a laundry and kitchenette, which I think is always nice on longer stays so you can prepare a few meals for yourself, even just cereal and toast for breakfast, a sandwich or something if you don’t want to go out. Personally eating three meals a day out can be bothersome and expensive. Even just having a full size fridge on hand is nice.

 

Be aware that Sydney Is not a cheap place to visit.

Edited May 25, 2019 by GUT2407

[OzKiwiJJ]

NZ, for all the reasons mentioned above plus, personally, I think Majestic is too big for a South Pacific / Fiji cruise.

 

I also second the comments about staying in the CBD rather than Bondi Beach. Public transport to and from Bondi is a pain and there isn't as much choice in accommodation there. If the Circular Quay / Rocks area (nearest the cruise terminal) is too expensive look for something near Central Station. That way you can catch a train to Circular Quay, or Town Hall for the main shopping area, or Wynyard for the Barangaroo restaurant precinct. Actually there might even be good accommodation around Barangaroo, and the Wynyard Walk is an easy way to get to Wynyard Station.

[themob]

Thanks to all.I have been researching ABNB in Sydney.I was leaning towards NZ and with your comments and now am convinced NZ it is

[GUT2407]

13 hours ago, themob said:

Thanks to all.I have been researching ABNB in Sydney.I was leaning towards NZ and with your comments and now am convinced NZ it is

Air BnB is always an alternative and may work for Bondi, but I still think you’ll sped a lot of travel time. Mrs G and I ave stayed in a few Quest properties, serviced appartments, and can only say positives about them Meriton also have some nice properties.

[elliair]

On 5/24/2019 at 1:33 PM, themob said:

I am trying to decide on cruise next January between FiJi and New Zealand.

Please anyone who has been  on both what is your opinion on each cruise?

I plan on spending a week in Sydney ,any suggestions on where to stay in Sydney,is Bondi Beach a good location? 

We did the Fiji Cruise on the Sun Princess in January 2019.  We stayed in Sydney for 4 days at the Holiday Inn which is very near to where you board the ship.  It's close to ferries which we took to the zoo.  It's close to the wharf area with nice restaurants.  We basically walked every where we could walk.  We would never do the Fiji Island cruise again.  Our first stop was Mystery Island, and it's a mystery to me why we even stopped there.  We were not impressed at all with the islands we visited.  DH and I agree if we want to see an Island, we'll go to Hawaii.  Only thing there is to do on the Fiji Islands we visited, was snorkel.  So, if you're into that Fiji is your place to go.  Frankly, we wished we would have gone to New Zealand.  What's stopping us is the long flight which was grueling.  Our next cruise is to Hawaii, we're waiting a few months to book another one, the flight did us in.

[Hlitner]

We have traveled to over 100 countries and if we had to leave the USA for any reason, New Zealand is where we would live.  Specifically on South Island near Queenstown.  Ironically that is one place you will not visit when on a cruise.

 

Between Fiji and NZ it is no contest......NZ.

 

Hank

[GUT2407]

3 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We have traveled to over 100 countries and if we had to leave the USA for any reason, New Zealand is where we would live.  Specifically on South Island near Queenstown.  Ironically that is one place you will not visit when on a cruise.

 

Between Fiji and NZ it is no contest......NZ.

 

Hank

Im an Aussie, and can’t imagine living anywhere else, but if I had too it would also be Kiwiland.

[possum52]

4 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

Im an Aussie, and can’t imagine living anywhere else, but if I had too it would also be Kiwiland.

Me too!

 

Leigh