Booked 2006 Australia/New Zealand!

[localady]

Just a quick note to let folks know that HAL has opened the bookings for the 2006 Australia/New Zealand cruises. We were able to book the cabin we wanted for the Oct. 27 Auckland to Sydney cruise this morning!:) I know it's not as exciting as the document dance, but wooooo hoooo anyway!!!!!:D

[jasl]

Congrats Sher.... who knows we may just join you ...... will take a look and be in touch. Since we are neighbours on the Veentastic voyage, we can start planning the side trips way in advance!!

[xpcdoojk]

thanks for posting this information!


jc

[localady]

Congrats Sher.... who knows we may just join you ...... will take a look and be in touch. Since we are neighbours on the Veentastic voyage, we can start planning the side trips way in advance!!

You know we would love to have you and Bob join us!:D Would make the trip even better! Amazingly, the Mariner price at this point is less than our 14 day Prinsendam Baltic trip this year.:cool:

[Bill S]

Congratulations, localady! That is great news and a great itinerary. We would love to visit NZ and Australia but DW dreads flying long distances over water. I'll have to work on her or find a good tranquilizer!

[localady]

BillS-
Don't tell her she has to fly over the Atlantic to get to Amsterdam!:eek:
Would love to have you all join us!! Maybe you could get her some valium to make the flight more tolerable. Or even better, take the cruise from Los Angeles and then you only have to fly back!:D

[RuthC]

What a wonderful trip! I all excited for you.

Congratulations on taking the first step toward some fabulous memories.

[cruisinjudy]

We may join you. That is on our list of what to do next! We will book something for sure when we are on Ryndam in March.

[localady]

Cruisin Judy-

That would be great! We will meet you and DH on the Veendam this November. It would be great to have a group from CC! I think the itinerary is fantastic!:cool:

[localady]

What a wonderful trip! I all excited for you.

Congratulations on taking the first step toward some fabulous memories.

RuthC- Have you done this itinerary before? Sure would be fun to have you join us too!:) We could celebrate with Volcano Cake or convince them to make us a Chocolate Tulip!:D

[aussie jb]

the Australia/NZ itinerary is a great one with some terrific ports of call (I'd love to be a tourist in my own city, there's so much to see) If I were to have a lottery win I'd book as well.
Don't be too concerned about the flight over, it's only about 14 hours from L.A to Auckland, and because most of the flight is actually overnight, you tend not to notice the big pond below :)

[localady]

Thanks for the information Aussie jb!:)

My DH has made the trip before and has told me he wants to hear no whining about the flight!:eek: ;) The Statendam's new Australia/NZ itineraries looks great, and we'd sure love any recommendations as to "Not to be missed" sights!
Thanks in advance.:cool:

[Aussie Gal]

Localady,

Congratulations. It is wonderful to think that so many of my C.C. friends will at long last be visiting our homeland and our cousin country N.Z. If there is anything you want to ask please go ahead. As aussiejb has mentioned, the itinerary is great and you will not only be seeing Sydney but you will also be visiting my wonderful home - Melbourne.

Jennie

[RuthC]

Sher, the furthest West (East?) I've ever gotten is Fiji, so no, this would be a new itinerary for me.
I'd love to take it, and have some openings in the travel plans for '06, and I'd really really really love to join you, but I hate the idea of flying for that long.

Tell ya what: I will consider it. Between the two of us they could never refuse to make the chocolate tulips! We can sweet-talk with the best of 'em! :D

[trvlnliz]

Count us in! :D I think this is a fabulous itinerary. We've never been to Aust. or NZ and are looking forward to it. What kind of weather should we expect?? We are taking our 1st HAL cruise in September on the Prisendam. How would you rate the Statendam compared to the Prisendam? We booked an A Catagory cabin, what cabins are your favorites, for the ones who have cruised on the Statendam?

[dakrewser]

Sher, the furthest West (East?) I've ever gotten is Fiji, so no, this would be a new itinerary for me.
I'd love to take it, and have some openings in the travel plans for '06, and I'd really really really love to join you, but I hate the idea of flying for that long.



If you take the repo from San Diego to Auckland, then stay on for the trip to Sydney - that saves about 9 hours of flying! :)

[aussie jb]

The weather? now thats an interesting question....we abide by the 4 seasons in one day rule :) Seriously, being mid Spring you should get milder weather maybe in the mid 50's to 70's, but certainly don't discount rain. Australia will be switching across to daylight sayings time on that last weekend in October, but I think NZ switches times a week or 2 before us.
All in all, a pretty good time to be travelling

[Aussie Gal]

trvlnliz,

I have been on both the Prinsendam and the Maasdam which is the sister ship to the Statendam. Out of the two ships, I do prefer the Maasdam even though we had a great cruise on the Prinsendam. The Prinsendam is a smaller ship with only 800 passengers which is a huge advantage but it is a much older ship than the Maasdam and therefore does not have the extras that the newer ship provides, such as an escalator, more elevators etc,. a longer promenade deck and a two tier dining room.

An A cabin on the Statendam is a lovely verandah cabin. We had a mini suite on the Prinsendam and that is a much larger cabin than an A on the Statendam. Probably an A on the Prinsendam would be very similar.

With regard to weather. If you are coming in October, the weather can be quite unstable. As Aussie jb has mentioned, it is mid spring and therefore will be windy and we can have four seasons in the one day here in Melbourne. Sydney is much more settled and will be warm and probably sunny. If you can remember back to the Olympics, Sydney had beautiful weather and they were held in September. We have our Melbourne Cup in early November (the first Tuesday) and we have had very hot, hot, warm and very cold weather for that day over the years so it is the luck of the draw.

I cannot speak for N.Z. but that is a cooler country so I would pack clothes for temperatures ranging from 14C (58F up to 80F) and bring a light weight waterproof jacket which keeps out the cold winds (just in case) and the rain. I hope this helps.

Jennie

[localady]

Count us in! :D I think this is a fabulous itinerary. We've never been to Aust. or NZ and are looking forward to it. What kind of weather should we expect?? We are taking our 1st HAL cruise in September on the Prisendam. How would you rate the Statendam compared to the Prisendam? We booked an A Catagory cabin, what cabins are your favorites, for the ones who have cruised on the Statendam?

trvlnliz-

We have been on the Statendam while it was in Alaska in 2002. Although my personal favs are the Amsterdam and the Ryndam, we enjoyed the crew on the Statendam very much!:D We are thrilled about the itinerary. Which dates are you looking at?

RuthC-
Dawrewser has a great idea! "If you take the repo from San Diego to Auckland, then stay on for the trip to Sydney - that saves about 9 hours of flying! :)" It would be a fabulous cruise IMHO! Hoping you consider it!!:D

[cruisinjudy]

Hey, I like the idea of doing both those cruises! Hubby has been wanting to do another B2B, but then there is this tiny little problem of money and then also paying for the pets to be cared for, for all of those days, well, one can dream.

[localady]

Aussie Gal- Thanks for confirming my plan for packing! Simular to the clothes I packed for South America!:cool:

Judy- We like the trip all the way from the West Coast, but I think my sons would protest loudly!:rolleyes: So for now it's a quick trip "across the drink" and hopefully a side trip to Cairns to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef!:)

[Aussie Gal]

I love the itinerary from San Francisco to Auckland and would dearly love to do that leg. Perhaps HAL will repeat that leg in 2007, if so we will be on it. It is a very reasonable cruise for 24 days.

Jennie

[robynp]

I love the itinerary from San Francisco to Auckland and would dearly love to do that leg. Perhaps HAL will repeat that leg in 2007, if so we will be on it. It is a very reasonable cruise for 24 days.

Jennie

And I could join you too Jennie - I have a LARGE birthday in 2007 :eek: - need to do something spectacular for that ;)

[trvlnliz]

Aussie Gal and Aussie jd, thank you for allthe information on the weather and the ship.
Localady, we are looking at the Oct. 27 cruise, same as you.

[Aussie Gal]

Robyn,

That would be fun. It is a great itinerary going to Hawaii and then on to Christmas Island before Samoa and Tonga plus all those lovely sea days across the Pacific! I am definitely keeping it in mind.

Jennie

[localady]

Aussie Gal and Aussie jd, thank you for allthe information on the weather and the ship.
Localady, we are looking at the Oct. 27 cruise, same as you.

Trvlnliz-
Great to hear! :D
Please let us know what you decide.:cool:

[kryos]

Sher, the furthest West (East?) I've ever gotten is Fiji, so no, this would be a new itinerary for me.
I'd love to take it, and have some openings in the travel plans for '06, and I'd really really really love to join you, but I hate the idea of flying for that long.

Let me ask you all a question: How do you deal with long airplane flights? I find that as I get older, I have a more and more difficult time getting comfortable. This is not a fear issue ... rather, it's a comfort issue. I can't seem to find a comfortable position no matter what I do, and it seems the flight will never end. I'm sure this is a psychological problem ... as I am fine was I get off the plane, and have no trouble whatsoever sleeping on the ship. Is this a case where tranquilizers would help?

I'd love to do an itinerary such as Austrailia/New Zealand someday, but since I'm having problems even with Philadelphia to Fort Lauderdale, and am dreading the flight to Los Angeles for my next cruise, it doesn't appear I will ever be able to get there. :(

Any suggestions?

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Aussie Gal]

kyros,

I think you just have to try and put the thought of the long flight at the back of your mind. As I have mentioned before, we fly to Europe each year - this year will be our 12th - and we are also flying non stop to New York from Singapore which is an 18 hour flight, the longest in the world - and yet we keep on coming back for more. When you live in a country far away from everywhere else, you have to weigh up whether you want to travel to far off places or not.

Those that are not keen on flying or are scared do not leave our shores. Those that want adventure do and they find it is worth every minute on those planes. All Australians and New Zealanders have to spend at least 18-36 hours to be able to get to Europe, the U.S.A. or South America. Before air travel became popular it used to take six weeks to get to Great Britain, which was a holiday in itself but too long to be away if you had a job.

We read, watch the movies and sleep and time does go by. I know it can be boring but I always have the thought at the back of my mind that we are embarking on another adventure and seeing new places and are going to meet new people.

Travel also makes one appreciate what we have here at home and how lucky we are.:) :o

Jennie

[lipoppop]

Just a quick note to let folks know that HAL has opened the bookings for the 2006 Australia/New Zealand cruises. We were able to book the cabin we wanted for the Oct. 27 Auckland to Sydney cruise this morning!:) I know it's not as exciting as the document dance, but wooooo hoooo anyway!!!!!:D


Add to the wonderful itinerary the time you will spend with the Aussis and Kiwis, the most friendly and hospital people in the world.

:)


oops don't want to start a fight

[aussie jb]

It's not the flight over that you have to worry about...that's exciting, it's the boring flight back that's annoying when you know you have to go back to work in a couple of days.

[ROSEBERRY]

Robynp, so sorry to hear the sad news about your retirement cruise:(
but as you say the compensation is good and you have the time now for more cruises;) Dennis and I are all set for the Syd - Bangkok cruise on the Sapphire Princess leaving Sydney six weeks tomorrow:eek: Have you seen our thread?
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=2827766#post2827766
Please email me at cruiser157@hotmail.com
Kathy.

[RuthC]

Let me ask you all a question: How do you deal with long airplane flights? Any suggestions?
That cruise that took me to Fiji was a round-trip cruise from LA. Even better---First Class air was complementary for those taking the full voyage. :) That introduced me to the joys of the front of the plane. ;)
Been sitting there ever since when the flight is going to be a long one. :D

The seat turns into an "almost" bed---about the position of a recliner in full-out position. Wider, more cushion in the seat, add a blanket and pillow: Very comfortable!

[localady]

That introduced me to the joys of the front of the plane. ;)
Been sitting there ever since when the flight is going to be a long one.

The seat turns into an "almost" bed---about the position of a recliner in full-out position. Wider, more cushion in the seat, add a blanket and pillow: Very comfortable!


Ruth C-
You surely could deal with that one way! We'll be sure you have chocolate for the entire trip... ;) :) We will have to look to upgrading also, thanks for selling me too! :cool:

[Aussie Gal]

aussie jb,

We always upgrade the long sector on the flight home and have a stopover in Singapore or Hong Kong which makes it bearable.

Also I always have another cruise booked or a holiday planned so coming home is not so bad. I always appreciate what we have here and how lucky we are after an overseas trip. Whereabouts in Melbourne do you live?

Ruth,

Singapore Airlines have those beds in Business Class and they are good, though I find I cannot roll over and have to sleep on my back which is not the best.:(

Jennie

[aussie jb]

Jennie, flying actually doesn't worry me, I love it no matter how long the flight is - it's the going back to work, although I did tell the boss last time (when she asked how it was to be back) "I'm only here to save for the next one" We don't like going for just a couple of weeks, so the next one will be done when I take Long Service Leave and we plan on being in Alaska for at least 4 weeks, then maybe a southbound cruise, then on to Canada again.
BTW - I'm in the northern subs, out Greensborough/Bundoora way

Debbie

[Aussie Gal]

Debbie,

I retired in September after fifteen years, so I received my long service leave then. We were away for 4 weeks in October but this year in July we will be gone over 5 weeks and then in January we will be away over 6 and a half weeks. It just seems to be getting longer and longer. ;) ;)

We live in the Mt. Waverley area. The weather has certainly been great this week for the Australian Open. :)

Jennie

[aussie jb]

But not so good for my Australia Day BBQ on Wednesday - 37 degrees!! Thank heavens for shady gum trees :)

[Bill S]

We are seriously considering this cruise! The fares are really good, IMO. My DW just needs to find a way to be legally unconscious for most of the flight over!

Seriously, for a long flight like this we have self-inflating travel neck pillows, noise cancelling headsets and a couple of Simply Sleep tablets, each. The noise cancelling headsets are great for sleeping or for watching in-flight movies or the ubiquitous mp3 player!

[localady]

We are seriously considering this cruise! The fares are really good, IMO. My DW just needs to find a way to be legally unconscious for most of the flight over!

Seriously, for a long flight like this we have self-inflating travel neck pillows, noise cancelling headsets and a couple of Simply Sleep tablets, each. The noise cancelling headsets are great for sleeping or for watching in-flight movies or the ubiquitous mp3 player!

Wooooo hooooooo!! Great to hear!:cool:

[Bill S]

OK, we couldn't resist the itinerary, ship and fares! So, today I booked this NZ/Australia cruise! Got the cabin we wanted and 6:15 dinner seating (wasn't a problem at this early date)! DW has 18 months to figure out a way to be comatose for 12 of the 14 hours of the flight down to Auckland and the flight home from Sydney.

Now, who else is going to sign on for this great voyage????

[xpcdoojk]

Congratulations.

I am still waiting for X and Princess to announce before I lock in.

jc

[localady]

Wooo Hooo!:D
Watch out Down Under!:eek:
Congrats Bill! Gonna be a great cruise!:cool:

[trvlnliz]

localady: We had a change in plans and booked this cruise for the Feb. 18th sailing. I just couldn't wait till October!! :eek:

[localady]

Great to hear Liz!:D Sorry you won't be with us, but you will be able to give us the scoop when you return in March!

[Bill S]

Liz: wonderful for you! I look forward to your report as well!

[Bill S]

Wow-I just checked the HAL web site for this cruise, and 4 cabin categories are already showing "closed": the 2-least expensive inside cabin categories; one outside category; and Cat BC Verandah cabins! Possibly these are blocked cabins, but with 21 months to go, that is still interesting!

[localady]

BillS-

I noticed that too! It may be for this cruise they are offering none of those cabins. I noticed that as of the first day it opened for bookings and assumed they just elected to remove those categories for this cruise. But you know where assuming gets us!:p :)

[Aussie Gal]

I may be completely wrong but I am wondering if these particular cabins are for the local HAL marketing agent who will be selling them to Australians and New Zealanders. We are always offered cruises when the ships are here in our waters and there are always certain cabin categoraries available.

Jennie

[localady]

Aussie Gal-
I can imagine that even if you are a "local", that some of the fjord cruising/viewing is a real treat!:D I am not too sure how accessible some of the fjords are that we day cruise through. Part of the fun is learning about the countries you visit, I've alot to learn about both NZ and Australia!:cool:

[Aussie Gal]

Localady,

Yes I would also like to see the fjords down on the South Island. We hope to do that area one day and also have thought about walking the Milford Track. I think on the cruise you do see these beautiful fjords. Often though the weather is not good (rainy and misty) and I believe it can affect the visibility.

Jennie

[kirkc]

We booked side by side suites with friends this week for this trip. Now the word has gotten out and there are 11 of us going. Not bad considering that we still have 21 months for more recruits!

[trvlnliz]

Anyone who plans on going on the Feb 18th sailing should be aware that the weekend the cruise ends in Sydney (March 4, 2006) it is the Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade and Party.........it is a month long event of shows, art, parties and the like... - this is a huge international event that attracts visitors from around the world - an it also means that is a period of extremely high demand for Hotel rooms - many hotels have only limited availability for the Mardi Gras week-end.
I found this out when I started looking for a hotel for a couple of days before we fly home. I am now thinking of going on the Feb 4th cruise since it seems Sydney will be quite busy the weekend we planned on being there.
Thank goodness this cruise is a year away and we can adjust our plans. ;)

[localady]

We booked side by side suites with friends this week for this trip. Now the word has gotten out and there are 11 of us going. Not bad considering that we still have 21 months for more recruits!

Great to hear KirkC! Which dates have you all chosen??
I see you and I are neighbors in this gray valley:cool:

[kirkc]

We will be on 10/27/06....AKL to SYD.

[localady]

Excellent!:)

Seems there will be a good size group of CC'ers in the 10/27/06 cruise!:cool:

[Bill S]

kirk: WAY TO GO! Glad to have you all with us! Getting off to a great start 21 months out!