Why doesn't Australia have a Royal Caribbean ship all year?

There are so many fabulous places en route to see between Perth and Sydney, it seems such a shame to only stop at five Australian ports. I don't know how feasible tenders are but favourite places include Broome, Darwin, Tiwi Islands, Coburg Peninsula, Thursday Island, Punsand Bay, Lizard Island, Cooktown, Port Douglas, Cairns (GBR), Townsville (Magnetic Island), Great Keppel Island, Fraser Island, Mooloolaba, and Moreton Island, etc. We are really blessed in the North.

Also those places would be great to see.

We did the last rhapsody cruise from Sydney to Singapore. Loved that it went to Brisbane, Airlie beach, cairns, Darwin, Komodo island, Bali and Singapore. Wish it had stopped in Malaysia. We then had a couple of nights in Singapore and flew home.

I really don't mind cruises that start in one port and end in another. Gives you a chance to add in a land part to your holiday.

On the rhapsody cruise a travel agent offer this as a part sector. Those whom left the cruise early went and did the Ghan train.

Also those places would be great to see.

 

We did the last rhapsody cruise from Sydney to Singapore. Loved that it went to Brisbane, Airlie beach, cairns, Darwin, Komodo island, Bali and Singapore. Wish it had stopped in Malaysia. We then had a couple of nights in Singapore and flew home.

 

I really don't mind cruises that start in one port and end in another. Gives you a chance to add in a land part to your holiday.

 

On the rhapsody cruise a travel agent offer this as a part sector. Those whom left the cruise early went and did the Ghan train.

Yes, there are lots of possibilities. I also enjoy one way cruises with land content at each end. When we cruised from Singapore to Sydney, I was amazed at the beautiful coastal scenery along the Eastern States.

We loved the Sydney to Hong Kong cruise we did last year, and are doing Sydney to Yokohama next year.

Going up the coast past Cairns and through the Torres Strait was gorgeous. The shipping channel is so close to the coast there. And those areas north of Port Douglas are so remote from the rest of Australia.

I think Sydney or Brisbane to Darwin and back again, with different ports each way, would work. Each pair of cruises could be sold as one way cruises, with Ghan options, or as a return cruise. Ten days each way, say, with five port stops.

My dad is doing Cunard San Francisco to Sydney next year. That has some amazing ports of call plus lots of days at sea. This is on February and is about 22 days. I would have been interested in going if it wasn't Cunard or if it departed Honolulu to Sydney.

Airlie beach is meant to be having a really hard time recovering from the cyclone. I am pleased to see cruise ships are going there in the next season which will help business financially and the town to rebuild.

Could cruise ships tender into Hamilton island? This is also a very beautiful place with great day trips to the reef and other islands

As long as there is a wharf where they can dock the tenders, and as long as they can do a deal with the local authorities then I imagine cruise ships could tender almost anywhere.

But I think there would be problems with the very large ships, like Ovation. Too many passengers in a small port can make the port visit less than pleasant, not to mention the sheer logistics of taking that many passengers ashore in tenders.

As long as there is a wharf where they can dock the tenders, and as long as they can do a deal with the local authorities then I imagine cruise ships could tender almost anywhere.

 

But I think there would be problems with the very large ships, like Ovation. Too many passengers in a small port can make the port visit less than pleasant, not to mention the sheer logistics of taking that many passengers ashore in tenders.

Ports really need to update their facilities to take the larger ships, This sounds expensive but in reality they do not need docking facilities but a good wharf facility. If the wharf can take multiple tenders (more than two) at a time, then even the larger ships like the ovation can tender. (weather permitting).

Good wharf facilities do make a difference for the tender operations but nothing can solve the problem of 5000 passengers descending on a tiny port and swamping the place. I've seen what Akaroa gets like with less than 3000 passengers. Imagine 5000 passengers at Hamilton Island, for example, or Cooktown - 200 visitors at once make Cooktown look crowded. I've only been to the smaller South Pacific ports on the smaller ships - Sun Princess, Carnival Legend, Rhapsody of the Seas - and I'm not sure I'd want to go to those places on bigger ships. At one port we had the "pleasure" of people putting their towels almost on top of ours so they could fit five people in a spot that was barely big enough for two. :rolleyes:

Good wharf facilities do make a difference for the tender operations but nothing can solve the problem of 5000 passengers descending on a tiny port and swamping the place. I've seen what Akaroa gets like with less than 3000 passengers. Imagine 5000 passengers at Hamilton Island, for example, or Cooktown - 200 visitors at once make Cooktown look crowded. I've only been to the smaller South Pacific ports on the smaller ships - Sun Princess, Carnival Legend, Rhapsody of the Seas - and I'm not sure I'd want to go to those places on bigger ships. At one port we had the "pleasure" of people putting their towels almost on top of ours so they could fit five people in a spot that was barely big enough for two. :rolleyes:

A good dock for the ship wouldn't fix that issue though.

A good dock for the ship wouldn't fix that issue though.

No, that's why I don't think the really big ships are good for our region. The cruise lines will bring them here because it's cheaper to operate one big ship than two smaller ships but whether those big ships will work in tiny ports is a different matter.

No, that's why I don't think the really big ships are good for our region. The cruise lines will bring them here because it's cheaper to operate one big ship than two smaller ships but whether those big ships will work in tiny ports is a different matter.

Yes, the town and it's surrounds infrastructure need to be able to cope as well.

No, that's why I don't think the really big ships are good for our region. The cruise lines will bring them here because it's cheaper to operate one big ship than two smaller ships but whether those big ships will work in tiny ports is a different matter.

Most of the cruise lines are American and follow the American philosophy of "bigger is better".

I think the big boats would be the last ones we'd see down under Apr-Sep as they can fill them more easily elsewhere at that time of the year

Correct. They send them down here for our summer then off they go again. If they also used one of the smaller ships here, like they used to, then that ship could stay year round. That's what Princess does.

Rhapsody of the Seas is ideal for this region and many people have fond memories of her. Even me, and RCI isn't my favourite cruise line.

Correct. They send them down here for our summer then off they go again. If they also used one of the smaller ships here, like they used to, then that ship could stay year round. That's what Princess does.

 

Rhapsody of the Seas is ideal for this region and many people have fond memories of her. Even me, and RCI isn't my favourite cruise line.

What ship does Princess leave all year round?

Certainly not the Sea Princess or the Sun Princess.

Sun Princess was usually around all winter unless she was doing a long itinerary, as was Dawn before they handed her on to P&O. Sea always does the world cruise but I think that should count as being Australian year round as that world cruise is the only one that starts and ends in Australia. Golden took the place of Dawn this year but is doing the Circle Pacific run, again starting and ending in Australia.

Next year could be a problem though. There's bugger all out of the East Coast in that winter, until Majestic comes down from China. Sun is over in Fremantle for a bit then disappears up to Asia, and Sea is doing the world cruise as usual. :(

Those cruises may start their long trips (world or pacific circle) in Australia but they are still away for most of winter. What people (some/most) want are ships to compete with P&O and do those one week or two week itineraries around to warmer climates, Northern Australia and the Pacific islands.

Yes, and until Princess handed Dawn over to P&O they had that. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next year or so. Maybe Carnival Corp is hoping all the Princess regulars will cruise on P&O or Carnival over our winter, or that they'll travel overseas to cruise on Princess elsewhere. Princess/CCL might be in for a shock! :eek:

My personal preference is smaller ships year round. I cannot stand summer or tropical stickiness so winter trips are what I love. And the seas can be the rougher the better ! Flat is boring!!

My personal preference is smaller ships year round. I cannot stand summer or tropical stickiness so winter trips are what I love. And the seas can be the rougher the better ! Flat is boring!!

Most people would disagree but with that. However, I do agree with the North of Australia having the high heat and humidity in summer and it makes sense to visit in winter.