Advice needed: Land Tour Australia

[Worldtraveler 4727]

@skynight Thank you for this information. I will pass it on to the tour group member. I am hoping this tour with Princess in AU is as wonderful as theirs in Alaska was. 

 

I understand, however, that your tour was not with Bob Wood Tours? They are definitely located in AU with no location in the US. Only way to contact them is by phone, email or FB. But they do not respond or only refer us back to Princess. 

[Steelers36]

11 minutes ago, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

 

Thanks for the info. I gave it a try. 

16 hours later and counting, my CC friend @compozer still has still not received an email (she looked in "junk" too).🫤

@compozer could check their profile and review what email address they are using for Cruise Critic.  Also, within the member profile area, this page (see below) has settings and perhaps they aren't set to receive notices?

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/notifications/options/

 

Edited September 2, 2023 by Steelers36

[skynight]

All the airline flights were in coach. I did not see any upgrades in our group of 39. We had plenty of clothing and supplies for our 8 day tour, 6 days on the road with the 1st & 2nd evening in Sydney, packed into our 22 inch suitcases and daypacks. 

[Worldtraveler 4727]

I will pass that on to Composer.

 

Edited September 2, 2023 by Worldtraveler 4727
addition

[Worldtraveler 4727]

1 minute ago, skynight said:

All the airline flights were in coach. I did not see any upgrades in our group of 39. We had plenty of clothing and supplies for our 8 day tour, 6 days on the road with the 1st & 2nd evening in Sydney, packed into our 22 inch suitcases and daypacks. 

 

Yes, I assumed all flights would be in coach, just wondering if there was an opportunity or way to upgrade. One member of our group would really appreciate an aisle seat or more "comfort seating."

 

According to the info we do have from Princess Cruises Fann and our itinerary, we are planning on one large suitcase to be checked and one carry on for the flights. 

[NavyVeteran]

41 minutes ago, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

The only reason why we have chosen to do this land tour and cruise with Princess is because they did a FABULOUS job with the one we took with them (land and sea) in Alaska. 

I don't think your experience with Princess in Alaska is relevant to a cruise tour in Australia. In Alaska, Princess runs their tours and has been doing it for years. Princess owns their own lodges and their own rail cars. In Australia, Princess contracts the tour to a third party. 

[BabySarge]

Just a thought but if Bob Woods is an Australian Tour Company you may want to pop over to the Australia page/forum here on CC and see if anyone there can help you out with info or contacting them.  Also they may be able to help with some of the questions about the airlines, hotels, and use of your Visa.  In our recent travels we were surprised to find that some countries were no longer accepting Visa but Master Card was now preferred.

 

Uluru is awesome!!

[Worldtraveler 4727]

2 minutes ago, BabySarge said:

Just a thought but if Bob Woods is an Australian Tour Company you may want to pop over to the Australia page/forum here on CC and see if anyone there can help you out with info or contacting them.  Also they may be able to help with some of the questions about the airlines, hotels, and use of your Visa.  In our recent travels we were surprised to find that some countries were no longer accepting Visa but Master Card was now preferred.

 

Uluru is awesome!!

 

Thanks. I've been doing that for months as well.

[compozer]

On 9/2/2023 at 8:14 AM, Steelers36 said:

@compozer could check their profile and review what email address they are using for Cruise Critic.  Also, within the member profile area, this page (see below) has settings and perhaps they aren't set to receive notices?

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/notifications/options/

 

No email in my inbox or in spam and I did check my profile.  I checked my profile and everything in settings is set to receive notices.  🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[Princess Cruises Fann]

On 9/2/2023 at 8:12 AM, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

@Princess Cruises Fann Another member of our group has asked me to ask you the following question (besides the 8 we posted above)

 

#9: Are seats on flights pre-assigned? (She has physical issues and needs an aisle seat), and is there an opportunity to upgrade to a better seat with more room/comfort once we arrive at the airport or with the tour director before flights? (Again, Bob Wood Travel will not answer any of our questions, and Princess reps know nothing beyond what we already have in hand.)

 

Again--thanks for your time!

The guides had tickets for the whole group. They did make sure that we sat by our traveling partner. 
 

There were probably about 40 of us on the land tour so if somehow you or your traveling partner didn’t get an aisle seat, you could probably have one of your new “friends” give you theirs.

 

We did have someone that had limited mobility and the guides did make sure they got a seat and assistance on and off the plane accordingly. For some of the airports that were small once you got off the plane you had to walk a distance to get to the terminal. 

[Worldtraveler 4727]

20 minutes ago, Princess Cruises Fann said:

The guides had tickets for the whole group. They did make sure that we sat by our traveling partner. 
 

There were probably about 40 of us on the land tour so if somehow you or your traveling partner didn’t get an aisle seat, you could probably have one of your new “friends” give you theirs.

 

We did have someone that had limited mobility and the guides did make sure they got a seat and assistance on and off the plane accordingly. For some of the airports that were small once you got off the plane you had to walk a distance to get to the terminal. 

 

Thanks @Princess Cruises Fann so much for the information! I will pass it along!
**Did you happen to see the other questions directed to you above on page 1,

Posts #15 & #17 in this thread we were hoping you'd have time to answer?

Thank you!

Edited September 3, 2023 by Worldtraveler 4727

[compozer]

19 minutes ago, Princess Cruises Fann said:

The guides had tickets for the whole group. They did make sure that we sat by our traveling partner. 
 

 

Thanks for the help.    
 

Where you able to upgrade to first or at least comfort seats?

 

did Bob Woods ever send you any emails or contact you in any way?

[Steelers36]

50 minutes ago, compozer said:

Thanks for the help.    
 

Where you able to upgrade to first or at least comfort seats?

 

did Bob Woods ever send you any emails or contact you in any way?

I am assuming Qantas is the carrier.  On the route between Alice Springs and Uluru, the planes are small and best you could likely do is an exit row for leg room. You can check out aircraft used on the routes you are flying on their website.

 

 

[NavyVeteran]

On 9/2/2023 at 7:12 AM, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

@Princess Cruises Fann Another member of our group has asked me to ask you the following question (besides the 8 we posted above)

 

#9: Are seats on flights pre-assigned? (She has physical issues and needs an aisle seat), and is there an opportunity to upgrade to a better seat with more room/comfort once we arrive at the airport or with the tour director before flights? (Again, Bob Wood Travel will not answer any of our questions, and Princess reps know nothing beyond what we already have in hand.)

 

Again--thanks for your time!

 

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

I am assuming Qantas is the carrier.  On the route between Alice Springs and Uluru, the planes are small and best you could likely do is an exit row for leg room. You can check out aircraft used on the routes you are flying on their website.

An exit row seat would probably not be an option for the person mentioned in the earlier post. Depending on her physical condition, she probably doesn't qualify for an exit row. However, the tour guide should be able to give her an aisle seat if she needs one because of a disability.

[Steelers36]

16 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

 

An exit row seat would probably not be an option for the person mentioned in the earlier post. Depending on her physical condition, she probably doesn't qualify for an exit row. However, the tour guide should be able to give her an aisle seat if she needs one because of a disability.

You are right of course, but I was not responding about the guest with disability.

[Princess Cruises Fann]

On 9/1/2023 at 2:51 PM, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

 

Thank you, Princess Cruises Fann, for your willingness to answer some questions for us!!

 

Some background information---From Princess website: Land Tours/Australia:
For domestic Qantas flights within Australia, you are allowed to check one piece of luggage per person, not to exceed 50 lbs per bag. One piece of carry-on baggage is allowed, not to exceed 15 lbs.

Hand-Carry Tote/Backpack
    •    You'll want this bag with you every step of the way, so include only the essentials.
    •    Items to pack in this bag include travel documents, photo ID, important medication, toiletries, camera, insect repellent, and any extra layers of clothing such as jackets or hats.
    •    Your hand-carry tote bag should be a size that is comfortable to carry and should be able to be stowed under your seat. We recommend soft-sided tote bags or backpacks no larger than 17" x 14" x 4" with a zip enclosure.
    •    Wheeled carry on cases that are used to carry-on luggage on airlines are too large and are not suitable as hand-carried luggage on motorcoaches in Australia.

 

Question #1: Is it TRUE that wheeled carry on cases CANNOT be used on the motor coaches?? Did anyone have one? Did everyone in the tour group have a soft carryon with no wheels and took the soft packs on to the motorcoach with them?

Suitcases with wheels were fine. They were stored underneath the bus since they wouldn't fit in the space above the seats.

 

Also From the Princess Land Tour Itinerary:

"All Princess cruisetours include our hassle-free luggage handling service every step of the way. During the land portion or your vacation, your luggage will be transported via motorcoach or by truck and delivered to your hotel room."

 

Question #2: Does our large piece of luggage that we can take along REALLY travel by motorcoach to the various hotels?? Wouldn't that take DAYS to get from one place in Australia to another??

No, you get one checked bag and one carry on bag for each of the flights between destinations. 

 

Question #3: Are you allowed to take a personal item like a purse IN ADDITION to the carry on bag, or must it be A PART OF the carry on and counted in the 15# max weight? (and I am assuming that my husband's CPAP case will be accepted separately and not counted as part of the #15 carry on requirement.....)

Yes, one personal item that fit under the seat in front of you was permitted along with a carry on suitcase that had to fit above. 

Question #4: We are arriving to Sydney two days before the land tour, and I am trying to organize tours seeing the Opera House etc. Can you tell me about the "Welcome Reception?" For example, WHEN the WELCOME RECEPTION happens at the hotel the first day when everyone arrives at the assigned hotel in Sydney? Is it during the evening and meal is provided? Or is it just a few moments in the afternoon and very informal?

The welcome reception was an opportunity to have the guides introduce themselves to the whole group, provide an overview of the land tour itinerary, answer any questions, and to subdivide the larger group into two smaller groups for ease of conducting tours and for the bussing. The large group traveled together on the planes and did all the same things, but having two guides each with a group made it a smaller group experience.

The Welcome Reception only had non-alcoholic drinks and not any food. It only lasted about 45 minutes.

 

Question #5: Can you tell me about the "Sydney City Tour"? I believe it is by motorcoach and about 4 hours long. What time of day did you have this tour? Were there stops along the way?

The Sydney City Tour consisted of both motor coach and some walking. We took the busses to a point where you could get great photos of the Sydney Bridge and the Opera House in the background, the busses drove through the city and the guides pointed out the highlights, and then we did a tour of the Sydney Opera House. There was some free time built in to get souvenirs.

Question #6: Is it necessary to request non-smoking rooms in the hotels? Princess info said you have to call and request this and it cannot be guaranteed. Was there an issue with this at all?

This wasn't an issue as I think all rooms were non-smoking. 

 

Question #7: Did you take a ferry ride through Sydney Harbor? If so, do you have any advice or recommendations?

We did a ferry ride of the Sydney Harbor during our free time to Bondi Beach. It was not part of the organized tour, but our guide came with us and showed us some highlights and food recommendations and they we took the return ferry on our own. It was minimal out of pocket expense.

 

Thank you for your time, Princess Cruises Fann!

Sincerely,

Kathy

 

 

 

 

 

[Princess Cruises Fann]

On 9/3/2023 at 2:16 PM, Steelers36 said:

I am assuming Qantas is the carrier.  On the route between Alice Springs and Uluru, the planes are small and best you could likely do is an exit row for leg room. You can check out aircraft used on the routes you are flying on their website.

 

 

Qantas was the carrier for all legs of the of the ground itinerary. The one exception was we flew JetStar between Cairns and our return back to Sydney. Not sure why we did that other than the timing of the flight options may have worked better than what Qantas was offering on that day. 

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Thanks so much Princess Cruises Fann!

 

: I really don’t want to bother to  get any Australian Dollars. I always manage to have leftover Euros, British Pounds, Mexican Pesos, etc. 😵‍💫

Is it realistic to expect to be able to just use my VISA?

 

Qantas’ weight limit is 50# for the checked bag. I have read that Jetstar’s weight limit is 44#. I know you had one flight on Jetstar. Was the weight limit 44#?

 

Thank you!

[Princess Cruises Fann]

4 minutes ago, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

Thanks so much Princess Cruises Fann!

 

: I really don’t want to bother to  get any Australian Dollars. I always manage to have leftover Euros, British Pounds, Mexican Pesos, etc. 😵‍💫

Is it realistic to expect to be able to just use my VISA?

 

Qantas’ weight limit is 50# for the checked bag. I have read that Jetstar’s weight limit is 44#. I know you had one flight on Jetstar. Was the weight limit 44#?

 

Thank you!

You won't really need Australian dollars. Every place took a credit card and a lot of places did not accept cash.

 

I don't remember that being an issue. My wife's checked bag was always close to the 50# limit and it wasn't a problem for that JetStar flight. 

[Worldtraveler 4727]

Thank you. Your time and advice is greatly appreciated.

[Princess Cruises Fann]

1 minute ago, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

Thank you. Your time and advice is greatly appreciated.

You're welcome. Happy to answer any other questions that come up. 

[Worldtraveler 4727]

So kind of you! 😀

We leave October 22. We might have a few more questions before then.

Thank you!!

[compozer]

On 9/5/2023 at 11:48 AM, Princess Cruises Fann said:

You're welcome. Happy to answer any other questions that come up. 

Thanks again for taking the time to answer questions.      

1.   Did the Bob Woods group ever contact you prior to getting to Australia?

2.   Did you order your medallion and did you receive it prior to leaving?   When we did our Alaskan land/cruise last year, our's did not arrive before we left?   

 

Thanks

[Princess Cruises Fann]

3 hours ago, compozer said:

Thanks again for taking the time to answer questions.      

1.   Did the Bob Woods group ever contact you prior to getting to Australia?

2.   Did you order your medallion and did you receive it prior to leaving?   When we did our Alaskan land/cruise last year, our's did not arrive before we left?   

 

Thanks

1. No, we were never contacted by the Bob Woods group before our land tour.

2. We did get our medallion shipped to us and it arrived before we left for Australia. 

[compozer]

Princess Cruisers Fann,

 From our itinerary: 

Sydney Sightseeing tour From the white sands of Bondi Beach and Watson's Bay to Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, this tour will familiarize you with the sights and sounds of beautiful Sydney. View the legendary Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.   Tour duration is approximately 4 hours.

 

Did this include a tour of the Opera House?    Not sure what "view" means.  Do they just drive past?

We reserved our own tour but don't need to go twice.                 Thanks.