Best time of the year to cruise Australia....

[tomb73]

So, my wife and I have been considering a cruise/trip to Australia for a long time.   Sadly the Covid thing has complicated issues, but we are still hoping to do something for our 50th anniversary trip in 2025.     So, what is the 'best' time/season to do a cruise (we are looking at the around Australia one on Princess)?   We have a great cruise guy, and I think we are planning far enough out, just trying to understand the considerations.    We're retired, so don't have any issues related to school timing....    In fact would be OK going at the 'worst' time from a tourist perspective to reduce crowding and pricing.   Just trying to understand what the options are....   Thanks for any suggestions in advance...

[SinbadThePorter]

Princess ships arrive in Australian waters around October and mostly depart the next April for Alaska or East Asia. The cruise season covers spring to autumn. The exception is that Princess will run a World Cruise and a round Pacific cruise in winter.

 

Early in the cruise season the southern regions will tend to be cooler and the seas rougher. The northern regions are always warm, but they have a wet season roughly from December to April.

 

So if you are traveling in the South you might favour cruises December or later. In the North it probably doesn't matter.

 

The local summer school holidays run from the middle of December to late January.

 

My favourite time for cruising is February/March.

[Elorac123]

2023 has the round Oz in March and 2024 in Feb but I have seen it in October other years so;2025 is anyones guess at the moment.

Feb can be humid and is also cyclone “season”.

October would be my choice if it were available and in fact if I’m still around and Princess is still alive and kicking I will probably do that one.

Cheers Carole

[OzKiwiJJ]

Typically Princess operates the Round Australia cruise twice a year, usually in Feb/Mar and October. There are pluses and minuses to each, and it also depends which way round they go.

 

In Feb/Mar it will still be quite hot and humid across the top of Australia so an itinerary that goes clockwise is preferable. Anticlockwise there could be a risk of having to dodge a cyclone up north but the southern crossing should still be quite good.

 

In October an anticlockwise itinerary is preferable as it won't be quite as hot up north and the southern weather and sea patterns should be stabilising by the time the ship gets down that way.

 

Be aware these cruises sell out very quickly so you need to be ready to book as soon as booking open for your preferred dates. Normally Princess releases new itineraries twice a year, about 18 months in advance but the Feb 2024 one was released in early December so things have changed a bit. 

[Ozwoody]

I'm with Elorac123, best time would be the September-October period.

Weather is pretty settled, not to hot in the north, starting to get warmer in the south, and people are still at work and school, and as Princess tends to be the older generation cruise line choice, not a rowdy  bunch normally. well not until happy hour at least.

 

But unfortunately most round aussie cruises seem to be in the autumn period, but still not a bad time to go.

Chose the right round Oz cruise and you can get our eight state NZ included.🤭

 

Regards John

[Port Power]

October would be my preference too, into early November. It then depends on your choice of cruise and land content.  Second best is mid February to mid March.The latter period is likely to be consistently warmer, but Oct/Nov is usually mild and comfortable for travel.

[MMDown Under]

I wonder if cruise lines will take this opportunity to rethink their Australian cruise itineraries.  Across the top, to and fro, would be great.  

[lyndarra]

I would imagine that the cruise lines would, for the comfort of passengers, take into account the time of year when going the northern route. I've done a few circumnavs and would go anytime as I don't mind the tropical heat in the north or the dryer heat heat of the north west.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

I wonder if cruise lines will take this opportunity to rethink their Australian cruise itineraries.  Across the top, to and fro, would be great.  

Princess used to do that a few years ago. We did Perth to Sydney on Dawn Princess in 2015.

[NSWP]

September/October best months climate wise in Eastern Australia.  Saying that it is a pleasant 24C in Batemans Bay today.  But then 2 days ago it was 31C.

Edited January 4, 2022 by NSWP

[Hogbay]

Your dollar is buying Au $1.39 so cost would not be a consideration , look when Princess is sailing as they do plan on things like weather. 🙃🇦🇺

[GUT2407]

Really depends on the direction, Clockwise Feb/Mar anti-clockwise Oct/Nov

[ekka49]

You need to book on the day the cruise is released.

Very popular and sell out within the first couple of days.

[GUT2407]

Even though I’d been to every Port before our Circumnavigation was the best cruise I have done. 

[MMDown Under]

38 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Even though I’d been to every Port before our Circumnavigation was the best cruise I have done. 

Why?  Because it was a long cruise, as you'd been to every port?  Fellow passengers?  I loved the world cruise where an Aussie group took their own deck chairs.  Seems forever ago. 

 

[GUT2407]

3 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Why?  Because it was a long cruise, as you'd been to every port?  Fellow passengers?  I loved the world cruise where an Aussie group took their own deck chairs.  Seems forever ago. 

 

I think it was just a chance to just relax, a few groups of three sea days (not everyone’s cup of tea)  the opportunity to get to know passengers and crew better than on a two week cruise (this was 35 days) and probably that we had both been burning the candle at both ends and the middle, so just chilling with Mrs G was enough of itself.

 

A few years prior I couldn’t have imagined enjoying a 35 night cruise, but really loved this one.

[MMDown Under]

12 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

I think it was just a chance to just relax, a few groups of three sea days (not everyone’s cup of tea)  the opportunity to get to know passengers and crew better than on a two week cruise (this was 35 days) and probably that we had both been burning the candle at both ends and the middle, so just chilling with Mrs G was enough of itself.

 

A few years prior I couldn’t have imagined enjoying a 35 night cruise, but really loved this one.

My favourite cruises were long world cruises from Australia to UK and return, but I hadn't been to any of the ports before so it was a big adventure.  If I did an around Australia cruise I'd want to spend longer in port. 

[GUT2407]

On 1/4/2022 at 7:49 PM, MMDown Under said:

My favourite cruises were long world cruises from Australia to UK and return, but I hadn't been to any of the ports before so it was a big adventure.  If I did an around Australia cruise I'd want to spend longer in port. 

Definitely a down side to cruising is the limited time in port. Mrs G had never been to WA before and really felt it, whereas I had been to all (maybe not Geraldton come to think of it) and was happy to just have the day to show here some of the highlights (to me anyway).

[MMDown Under]

13 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

Definitely a down side to cruising is the limited time in port. Mrs G had never been to WA before and really felt it, whereas I had been to all (maybe not Geraldton come to think of it) and was happy to just have the day to show here some of the highlights (to me anyway).

My favourite long trip was an around Australia trip on business class frequent flyer points. We could stay as long as we liked at each stopover.  30,000 points those were the days.

I think cruise lines should do more cruises with overnight stopovers.  Small cruise ships often do, and they are highlights to me.  

[NSWP]

On 1/4/2022 at 7:49 PM, MMDown Under said:

My favourite cruises were long world cruises from Australia to UK and return, but I hadn't been to any of the ports before so it was a big adventure.  If I did an around Australia cruise I'd want to spend longer in port. 

Agree they were the best.

[getting older slowly]

Best Time to cruise in Australia...... when there is cruise ships here.........

 

one day.... but don't hold your breath.....

 

Don

[MicCanberra]

I too vote for October over February  but if it is March then equal.

[dillpickle48]

Having twice cruised Australia circumnavigation in October, I would definitely recommend an October cruise. The weather conditions on the two cruises were dramatically different. You can never predict what the weather will do.

[NSWP]

21 hours ago, getting older slowly said:

Best Time to cruise in Australia...... when there is cruise ships here.........

 

one day.... but don't hold your breath.....

 

Don

Perhaps 2025 Don ?

Edited January 7, 2022 by NSWP

[MelbTone]

On 1/6/2022 at 9:10 AM, MMDown Under said:

I think cruise lines should do more cruises with overnight stopovers.  

Certainly when you're docked at a port near the city. I guess it also comes down to port capacity. Two years ago I was on the QE Mel-Adelaide-Kangaroo Island-Hobart-Mel cruise when they announced that because of bushfires KI would be replaced by a sea day. My initial reaction was to ask why they hadn't given us an overnight in Adelaide or Hobart, but on checking another ship was taking our berth in Adl and one was preceding us in Hobart so not possible. When the Spirit of Tasmania moves out from Station Pier there's scope to give Melbourne a dedicated cruise terminal and encourage overnights with consequent benefit to the economy. But whether anyone in power has the vision to do this is another matter.