Update on Newcastle departures of Dream Cruises

[CruiseCriticAUeditor]

https://www.cruisecritic.com.au/news/4314/&cache=disable/

Edited August 5, 2019 by CruiseCriticAUeditor

[GUT2407]

Not really surprised at this.

[MicCanberra]

Thought they would have had those details worked out well in advance of advertising.

[GUT2407]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Thought they would have had those details worked out well in advance of advertising.

Probably promised we would have our terminal by then. And of course now many are wondering if we will ever get one.

[MicCanberra]

Cannot believe they can't organise biosecurity for the port. Not enough money going into the department perhaps.

[banzaii]

It's pretty clesr that NSW Gov do not value the cruise industry and now the Feds are following suit.  Surely bio-security can be made portable if they really wanted to.

[MicCanberra]

I am thinking it may be more to what ships some polies want going out of that port than the ability of a department to man a port. Port Kembla seemed to manage with NCL embarking and debarking there.

[The_Big_M]

The length of time it takes to get approvals - in both the government and private sector - means things like this happen. You have to proceed with work on proviso basis as approvals often only come through shortly before they're needed.

 

Disappointing that the government has let it come to this after giving intent though. They should work to come up with a solution, but it's a skill often lacking in both spheres, not just government at the moment. Too much concern about controls rather than outcomes.

[MicCanberra]

It is very disappointing in any case.

[GUT2407]

10 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

It is very disappointing in any case.

Not really, because it makes it easier for me NOT to book it.

[MicCanberra]

Disappointing for me, that money may have been useful elsewhere if Newcastle was unviable.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

The other cruise lines will be watching and crossing Newcastle calls off the list . It’s a signal that they are not welcome .

[MicCanberra]

3 hours ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

The other cruise lines will be watching and crossing Newcastle calls off the list . It’s a signal that they are not welcome .

I don't think cruise ships visiting is off the table just the embarkation and debarkation. It must be the luggage and not the passengers that breaks Biosecurity laws.

[Aus Traveller]

Several years ago we embarked in Newcastle on a P&O cruise. They operated out of Newcastle for a fairly short time, but must have had trouble selling the cabins. We got a seven night cruise for a ridiculous price - only a few hundred dollars. Check-in was carried out in a big white tent, similar to the one they had at Barangaroo for years.

[GUT2407]

8 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Several years ago we embarked in Newcastle on a P&O cruise. They operated out of Newcastle for a fairly short time, but must have had trouble selling the cabins. We got a seven night cruise for a ridiculous price - only a few hundred dollars. Check-in was carried out in a big white tent, similar to the one they had at Barangaroo for years.

Pacific Jewel 

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, GUT2407 said:

Pacific Jewel 

Yeah! Our least favourite P&O ship

[MicCanberra]

I wasn't a fan of the Pacific Pearl

[Aus Traveller]

20 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

I wasn't a fan of the Pacific Pearl

We much preferred the Pearl to the Jewel.

[GUT2407]

Not a fan of any P&O ship I’ve been on.

[The_Big_M]

Ergh, Pacific Sun.

[Aus Traveller]

8 hours ago, The_Big_M said:

Ergh, Pacific Sun.

We enjoyed many cruises on the Pacific Sun. The first was in her earlier incarnation as a Carnival ship, the Jubilee.

 

Probably out of all the many cruise ships we have been on, our least favourites would be the Pacific Jewel and a Russian ship, the Rus in 1993.