Roxydog15 Posted January 11, 2021 #1 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Hi all, seeking your experienced opinions. If B2Bs are still not allowed by Feb 2022, but the original itinerary of 11 days per cruise is allowed, which country would you choose to sail to? Assuming we, or anyone, would want to fly that far (from U.S.) if only one cruise were possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruise kitty Posted January 11, 2021 #2 Share Posted January 11, 2021 New Zealand, all day long :) One of the most beautiful places on earth my opinion, plus the people, the culture, perfect mix of natural beauty plus great museums, bars, restaurants. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnocket Posted January 11, 2021 #3 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Just my 2 cents (and worth every penny you paid)..... I think New Zealand really lends itself better to a land vacation. I'd cruise Australia and then, funds/time allowing, fly to New Zealand for a driving excursion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare lyndarra Posted January 11, 2021 #4 Share Posted January 11, 2021 (edited) If cruising Australia, I would recommend 1/2 circumnavigation cruise however that usually requires about 16 days. Australia is the size of lower 48 and a land tour would be the better way, say, by RV up or down the east coast. New Zealand being comparatively compact choose land or cruise - preferably land. So far, I've done two land tours totalling about 20 days and planning another when borders re-open. I've cruised New Zealand about five times and always found something new to see. Most NZ cruises start/finish Auckland or Sydney. If time allows fly to Sydney, 10 day cruise Sydney/New Zealand. After that a land tour of North or South island (or both). Return to US. If in your shoes I would do NZ if you only have 11 days. Save Australia for when you have more time. And hope our borders are open to international visitors by Feb 2022. Edited January 11, 2021 by lyndarra 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMLAalum Posted January 11, 2021 #5 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Perhaps not a fair comparison since we spent 10 days on New Zealand's North Island prior to boarding the Solstice in Auckland for a 14 night cruise that stopped in 5 ports in that country and 3 in Australia, but I would return to NZ over Australia in a heartbeat! On the cruise, we opted for the pricey overnight/overland excursion from Dunedin with a return to the ship via boat in Milford Sound, one of that country's scenic fjords that was well worth it despite the downpour in Queenstown. Our land trip included the Coromandel Peninsula, Rotorua and the Waitomo region, where we stayed at a mountaintop b&b with its very own glowworm cavern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxydog15 Posted January 11, 2021 Author #6 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Wow, looks like I have some thinking to do. But others, please keep your opinions coming.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mom says Posted January 11, 2021 #7 Share Posted January 11, 2021 New Zealand in a heartbeat, although I agree that a land tour is vastly superior. We had a 3 week driving trip and felt like we had barely scratched the surface and still had to skip places that were on our must do list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare lyndarra Posted January 11, 2021 #8 Share Posted January 11, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, TMLAalum said: Perhaps not a fair comparison since we spent 10 days on New Zealand's North Island prior to boarding the Solstice in Auckland for a 14 night cruise that stopped in 5 ports in that country and 3 in Australia, but I would return to NZ over Australia in a heartbeat! On the cruise, we opted for the pricey overnight/overland excursion from Dunedin with a return to the ship via boat in Milford Sound, one of that country's scenic fjords that was well worth it despite the downpour in Queenstown. Our land trip included the Coromandel Peninsula, Rotorua and the Waitomo region, where we stayed at a mountaintop b&b with its very own glowworm cavern. It's not surprising you got rain in Milford Sound, it is the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand averaging 182 days rain a year. And, it the best time to experience Milford Sound in its primeval glory. I've been there when sunny and been there when raining. I highly recommend the overland trip to/from Dunedin. Edited January 11, 2021 by lyndarra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mahdnc Posted January 11, 2021 #9 Share Posted January 11, 2021 We have done New Zealand and Australia on 2 separate Celebrity cruises during the past 3 years. If I had to choose one, I would choose New Zealand. However if you have your heart set for warm weather, beaches, and/or snorkeling/diving, then Australia (Great Barrier Reef itinerary) is the way to go. That is why my wife would choose Australia. There are other considerations, but that is what comes to my mind first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxydog15 Posted January 12, 2021 Author #10 Share Posted January 12, 2021 oh boy, this is going to be hard. I really hope B2Bs are routine by Feb22 and no choice necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreaminofcruisin Posted January 12, 2021 #11 Share Posted January 12, 2021 We left from Sydney from our New Zealand cruise. We got there about 4 days prior to the cruise, explored Sydney and took the train to the Blue Mountains one day where we did some hiking (in the rain unfortunately 😒). Then we took the cruise around New Zealand and stayed an extra day in Sydney where we took a public bus to Bondi Beach and did the Bondi to Coogee walk. You can find a lot to do in / around Sydney that doesn't have to be a cruise. LOVED it all!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvlandandsea Posted January 12, 2021 #12 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Auckland to Sydney with the overland excursion. 100% worth it. We spent a few days prior and 4 nights in Sydney. Our excursions were mostly with the Maori community. New Zealand is beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radarcruiser Posted January 12, 2021 #13 Share Posted January 12, 2021 New Zealand all day long and twice on Sunday! Make sure to do the fjords on the South Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zitsky Posted January 12, 2021 #14 Share Posted January 12, 2021 New Zealand is fantastic. I've driven around north and south island but would still do a cruise. In fact I looked at one Auckland-Sydney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUT2407 Posted January 12, 2021 #15 Share Posted January 12, 2021 If I understand you correctly you were looking at 22+ days down under??? So here’s what I’d consider, Fly to Auckland spend, say three days doing a bit of touring, do your cruise to Sydney, Spend a week or so touring around NSW, (Blue Mts, Hunter Valley, down to Canberra) fly home. Of course you could always do it in reverse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodtime Cruizin Posted January 12, 2021 #16 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Best time/month to go to NZ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanger727 Posted January 12, 2021 #17 Share Posted January 12, 2021 I vote for New Zealand. Australia is great but New Zealand has the most beautiful landscape of any country I've been to so far. I haven't cruised there but suspect you can see more of it by cruise than you can Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUBaylor1 Posted January 12, 2021 #18 Share Posted January 12, 2021 7 minutes ago, Goodtime Cruizin said: Best time/month to go to NZ? We prefer cruising the "shoulder" months to avoid the high tourist season. For our Australia/New Zealand cruise in 2019, we arrived in New Zealand around the middle of November for two weeks of touring South Island before departing on our 2 December 2019 cruise from Auckland. Had great weather except for one day of A.M. showers on the cruise and one day of P.M. showers on our land tour (thankfully we were in our rental car driving from Wanaka to Fox Glacier that day). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxydog15 Posted January 12, 2021 Author #19 Share Posted January 12, 2021 oh my. Well we are currently booked leaving 2/8/22 Sydney then B2B on 2/19/22 ending in Auckland. The Great Barrier Reef cruise is even the only one available with any line that i can find at this point. So really hoping all will go as planned. Was hoping to see GBR. So if can't do that, might cancel the whole thing and try again for 2023 or late 2022, possibly November '22. But can also tour around NSW at least as suggested alternative itinerary with NZ. oh sigh* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUT2407 Posted January 12, 2021 #20 Share Posted January 12, 2021 1 hour ago, Roxydog15 said: oh my. Well we are currently booked leaving 2/8/22 Sydney then B2B on 2/19/22 ending in Auckland. The Great Barrier Reef cruise is even the only one available with any line that i can find at this point. So really hoping all will go as planned. Was hoping to see GBR. So if can't do that, might cancel the whole thing and try again for 2023 or late 2022, possibly November '22. But can also tour around NSW at least as suggested alternative itinerary with NZ. oh sigh* February is damn hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4774Papa Posted January 12, 2021 #21 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Tough choice, but I would pick Australia. Australia is much, much larger and takes more time to see the key places, but it comes first in my heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zitsky Posted January 12, 2021 #22 Share Posted January 12, 2021 10 hours ago, GUT2407 said: February is damn hot. So would you suggest Oct/Nov/Mar/April maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvlandandsea Posted January 12, 2021 #23 Share Posted January 12, 2021 We arrived in Auckland March 19 for 3 nights, 12 night cruise, 4 nights in Sydney post cruise. Wonderful weather. I must say that our overland tour where we met the ship in the Milford Sound kept us from the cruising in the 2 southern sounds where they mostly experienced rain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxydog15 Posted January 12, 2021 Author #24 Share Posted January 12, 2021 So GUT2407, just how hot? In Denver it generally is mid 90s to 100 degrees F July thru Aug. Humidity of about 20-40%. Just did the Caribbean Feb 2020. That didn't seem too bad really. How would you say Australia compares to that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxydog15 Posted January 12, 2021 Author #25 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Plus I was trying to avoid cyclone season which a little bit of researching seemed to suggest that season is a little stronger/likely starting in March-ish. I would rather have hot (I think) than rain often. ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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