NZ'rs - Your Opinions, please.

[mlymd]

Rosemary,

I also booked a full day tour in Auckland for Jan 31,2005. I don't know if you are a wine drinker but we just love wine and this tour will take us sightseeing in the AM and to 3 or 4 different wineries in the PM. If you are interested, I will get you the info.

Marcy

[rockgarden]

Just got my lowest fare yet. Try airfare.com - consolidator.

San Francisco to Sydney - via United (same flight as Princess seems to put most on from here) direct flight.

Aukland (United) back to Sydney - approx. 4-1/2 hr wait - then via United back to San Francisco.

Total of $1673.00 each.

Am now wondering if I should wait a bit longer and see what happens.

rosemary

[mlymd]

Carol,

We leave Lax at 10:50 PM on United flight #839. Is that the same flight as yours?

Marcy

[rockgarden]

Not the same flight. Ours is direct on the way with the stopoff in Sydney on the way back. At least it will be a different stopoff than LAX - not my favorite place to stop and Sydney should have a great Duty Free area - I hope.

Besides that, we wouldn't see you as we are on the Jan.18 sailing. Too bad.

Not going to do the wineries as we have seen enough of them in California plus a few other places. Blue Mountain tour so far, ramble around Sydney - go gambling in Sky Casino, look at shops - would like to see homes, etc., so might look up that sort of tour.

Let's know what is happening to you. Don't just disappear. Am going to do some research on other stops from now on. Will let you know what I find out.

Rosemary

[rockgarden]

Sorry - am now answering for others - going a bit bonkers here. Have been imprisoned in this house for hours because the wall was coming away from the ceiling in our bedroom. Anyhow, it is now fixed unless, of course, there is an earthquake and then the whole thing will come tumbling down.

Rosemary

[mlymd]

Rosemary,

I leave for Sydney on Jan 14 and arrive on Jan 16. Staying ther for 2 nights and, Yes, I am on the Jan 18 sailing. We are talking about the Sapphire Princess, right? It sounds like we will get to meet each other. I am going to start to research all the ports we will sail to. I'll let you know what I find out. We would like to take some tours on our own but am afraid if we get delayed we may miss the ship. At least when you take a Princess tour you are guaranteed they will wait for you. I'm getting so excited just talking about it!!

Marcy

[rockgarden]

Marcy

I feel the same way. The only place I have checked out so far (and not that much) is Melbourne. There are tours that last 8 and 9-1/2 hours advertised and as we are only dock for 10 hours, it is too big a risk to take. I am wondering about who and what will be on the dock as there always seems to be a lot of tour companies around in other places. In the meantime, shall keep researching for shorter tours. Again, we could, I suppose, rent a car and just travel around ourselves - always much faster than a large bus and probably a lot cheaper.

Will let you know.

Rosemary

Yes, we shall have to meet.

[estebofarr]

Marcy, I hope you post here any info you find about the tours. The air the consolidator had us on was through Chicago and I didn't think that was the best thing for that time of the year. Would love to save some money on the air and hotels. With us two and our friends any saving amounts to quite a few dollars.

 

It is exciting to plan on visiting such exotic places. Can we fit it all in? So far, we are arriving in Auckland on Jan 28 and leaving Sydney on Feb 15. I can't wait. wish we could meet you all.

 

Janis

[mlymd]

Hi Janis,

If you read the previous posts I wrote, you will find the web site for the tour of the Blue Mountains in Sydney. A really great deal. If you are interested, I have also booked a tour in Auckland for sightseeing and 4 wineries. Also a full day tour at a great price. If you would like info on that please let me know. As for hotels, we are booked at the Sky City in Auckland and in Sydney, the Holiday Inn in Darling Harbour. Both have great deals. If you are interested, I will give you all the info. Any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. This will be our 10th Princess Cruise and have already booked our 11th to the Caribbean and out 12th to Hawaii.

Marcy

[wildspirit]

For any of you that have frequent flyer miles that are partnered with Hawaiian Air you might want to check flights through them. We had tried for months to find availability and then I checked with Hawaiian air and it was basically open availability.They only recently started flights to Sydney so I assume that is the reason. Hope this helps someone.

[estebofarr]

I will try looking on their website and see if we can use them.

 

I don't think we're too interested in a winery at this time. We took a tour when we were in Santiago but, thanks.

[Bev]

Hi Mlymd and others with tour information

 

DH and I became the successful bidders at SkyAuction last night for a World Discovery cruise to New Zealand at the end of February. I would really appreciate it you'd email me at (bevsb NOSPAM rogers.com - replace NO SPAM with @) with any of the information you've been able to find about tours in New Zealand. DH is a train nut and makes his own wine so tours involving trains and visits to wineries would be great!

 

Thanks so much!

Bev

[2dogcarol]

Marcy,

Yes, we are on Flight 839 but my information shows it leaves at 10:30pm and arrives in Sydney at 8:am. We'll have to meet before we board the plane. Carol

[estebofarr]

We got our air today on United for $1606. I hope that is a good price. Now we might need some help finding hotels in Auckland and Sydney. Any suggestions?

[mlymd]

Bev,

The web site for the wine tour in Auckland is http://www.winetrailtours.co.nz/

They have several different tours available. We choose the Wine and Waterfalls tour. Hope it works for you.

 

Carol,

I will check with United about the flight times from LA. We purchased the tickets back in March and I have not checked to see if there have been any changes in the times. It sounds like there has been. I can't believe we are on the same flight and the same cruise. That's great!

 

Marcy

[estebofarr]

Wish we were joining you, but couldn't work it in our schedules. :( Its nice to have some friends already on board. We did this for our last big cruise and met the greatest people. There doesn't seem to be anyone on our cruise. I responded to a thread weeks ago and then nothing. And its disappeared by now. Maybe I should start a new one.

We are holding reservations in the hotel that the ship uses but after getting the flights, I'm too exhausted to think about it right now.

[Bev]

Hi Marcy

 

Thanks so much for sharing the link to the wine tours - DH is interested already. Hope you'll post a review when you return.

 

Bev

[mlymd]

Carol,

I checked my flight with United (#839) and you are right. It does leave LAX at 10:30. We will have to make arrangement to meet at the airport.

Marcy

 

Bev,

I'm glad I could help with your wine tour. Any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Marcy

[2dogcarol]

Hi Marcy,

My mother and I met two of our CC friends before our flight left for South America. Two women travelling together on an international flight are very easy to spot. We visited with this couple many times during the trip. Looking forward to meeting you and your DH.

 

Carol

[Bev]

Hi Marcy

 

Do you have tour information for other New Zealand ports too?

 

Bev

[mlymd]

Hi Bev,

I am working on tours for the ports we will be visiting in New Zealand. I will post here so soon as I have all the info I am looking for.

Marcy

[Johanna7]

Hello Rosemary, Carol & Marcy:

 

We will also be on the Jan 18 to 30 cruise with you. We have a 6 day cruise tour prior. I believe we would have to leave here Jan. 10 but now I want to stay a couple of days ahead in the same hotel in Sydney the tour is on. The TA here in Toronto is checking on it for me and will let me know in a day or two. If we do not use the Princess Hotels in Sydney (or book it direct or Travelocity) we have to pay air deviation.

 

In Auckland we want to stay an extra couple of days, otherwise we will only see the place between the pier and airport. The hotels Princess uses are very expensive and the price the other person quoted is correct.

 

As for the airfare, I have checked around the internet and the Princess comes out ahead. We leave from Toronto and of course lose a day on the way to Sydney which we get back between Auckland and home.

 

As for renting a car in Auckland, we could but they drive on the left side of the road. I do know someone who lives an hour out of Auckland and would like to visit her.

 

The 6 day cruise tour is very active with 3 flights and therefore, we want to get to Sydney the few days early in order to get over the jetlag. We are much further away than most of you.

 

We have never been to Australia or New Zealand so it will be a new experience and we don't mind being away from home in January, one of the coldest months of the year with plenty of snow.

 

We hope to see you on the ship.

 

Johanna

[Bev]

Hi Marcy

 

That would be great. I really appreciate your help.

 

Bev

[2dogcarol]

Hi Johanna,

 

Welcome to our little group. My mother tells me we have a thread going under roll call but I can never seem to find it. Which hotels are Princess using in Sydney? We are booked for two nights at the Westin.

 

Carol

[Johanna7]

Hi Carol:

 

The hotel we are in for the cruise tour (and hope to have 2 days ahead as well) is:

 

Hotel Rydges Jamison, Sydney on Jamison blvd.

 

There is a thread on the roll call but you sometimes have to scroll down several pages. We had a great and active one before the new boards came on board. Finally, I started a new one as it disappeared in cyberspace.

 

Johanna