Circumnavigating Australia worthwhile?

[Iowa cruiser]

In November 2007 and March 2008 the Sun Princess will sail around Australia counterclockwise from Sydney, stopping at a dozen ports along the way.

 

Is this a worthwhile itinerary, or are the ports far from the interesting sights (necessitating ship tours, shuttle buses, or private transport)? Are land tours with airpasses a better option for this country?

 

Is the weather reasonable in spring/fall along the top of the continent, or is it still very very hot?

 

Finally, is the Sun Princess enjoyable for budget (aka inside cabin) passengers? The cabins are known to be small (145 sq ft) and the ship (built more than ten years ago) has a reputation for being crowded.

 

I could not find reviews of this itinerary on the net.

 

Thanks for your help,

Iowa cruiser

[mydream]

Australia is a big country. I doubt you would fly to all these places even if you had the time. Many of the ports are the capital cities of the states.ie Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin, Perth, Brisbane and as such all have many attractions. Broome is very mutlicultural and the centre of the pearl industry. I think it all depends if you would like a long sea voyage around the biggest island in the world.

Weather in November would be very warm in "the top end". 1st December is the start of summer in Australia. Hope this is a little help.

[jane02]

That would be a wonderful cruise. IMHO Broome has the best best beach in the world.

Jane;)

[Aussie Gal]

Iowa Cruiser,

 

It is a wonderful cruise with so much diversity. You are visiting all the capital cities in Australia and each is so different from the other plus you are going to see the Great Barrier Reef, a chance to visit Kakadu National Park which is a World Heritage area, the Kimberley Area of Australia and cruise across the Great Australian Bight. It is a fantastic itinerary and they have added the bigger ship this year because each time the Pacific Princess has done this cruise, the cabins were put on waitlist at least a year before the cruise.

 

We have friends who did this cruise in November on the Pacific Princess and they absolutely adored the trip. They do love the smaller Pacific Princess and Tahitian Princess so cannot help you with any knowledge of the Sun Princess as that is going to be a first for down here.

 

If you can spare the time and are interested in seeing a little of our country, then go ahead and book it.

 

Jennie