Asia & Australia 2007/2008 Bookings open 15 August

The 2007 / 2008 Australia and Asia booking on Nautica will be going on sale 15 August. Details are now on the Oceania web site.

Cheers,

Deb

Cruise Vacations

Woopee--got our stateroom for the February 8, 2008 Sydney to Bangkok trip. Neat, huh.

Color DW and I in Cabin 7034! I started a roll call several weeks ago - hopefully we'll get a good response.

Mike

So where is the roll call?

Yippee.. 6091 for

Jan. 24 Auckland to Sydney and Feb.8 Sydney to Bangkok..guess will get the ships gold card too.:D lol

Just got our confirmation this afternoon. We are confirmed in 8026 for both the 1/24 from Auckland and the 2/8 to Bangkok. Just in reading some of the posts so far, we are going to have one of the greatest groups of cruisers, yet!!

Just so happy to be seeing so many of you again.....

Dick & Vivian :D

Wow - we feel left out with all you guys doing B2B cruises. We are only on the January 24th cruise from Auckland.

Peter and Sherry

Don't feel left out Peter & Sherry. We, too, are "only" on the Jan 24. But, wow, won't it be great?

Stan & Marilyn

One way for us on the 24th as well! Spindrift - can't believe we are missing you by one cruise length. Hi to Bill.

Diane & Bob

Oh wow, Queen of DaNile - I can't believe we are missing you all as well. Wish we could do the B2B, but we have a number of other trips booked in 2007 and just couldn't do it. These trips will fill fast, I am sure.

FYI, January 24th is 50% sold out..

Stu and I will be on January 24 and February 08..

Jan

*****

I went to the Oceania web site and looked at the itineraries for the Sydney to Auckland cruise and the one from Auckland to Sydney. I was surprised to see they were not the same. For example, one goes to Milford Sound and one does not. This was a highlight of our visit to NZ 20+ years ago and should not be missed. Do you suppose it is just a mistake on the part of the person who posted the info on the web site?

I have written to ask..

Jan

http://www.*****

Hi everyone - here in Oz the fares for the Aus/New Zealand cruises will not be released for another 3-4 weeks - so my TA has wait listed us for the Sydney/Auckland cruise - hopefully all you lot haven't booked out the cruise and there will be a cabin or two left for us Aussies....

Cheers

Vicki

I have written to ask..Jan

Jan

Did they anwer yet? We are on the same cruise and really were looking forward to going to Milford Sound.

Yes they did answer yesterday,

"They are slightly different having to do with tides and with the time of day or night the ship sails by certain places."

So I guess we will not be going ..I did ask to check again to see if it could be changed..

Jan

*****

That's too bad. The place is almost a symbol of NZ. When we went we drove in during July. We hit a big snow storm going over the mountain getting there. We were the only tourists to get through that day, so we had the entire hotel to ourselves for one night. The place is unbelievably beautiful!

What? That is ridiculous:eek:

Yes, having been there Jan 95 on Pacific Princess, I would consider Milford Sound to be a true highlight of an Australia/New Zealand cruise.

Which of the trips is scheduled to skip it?

Does not make sense to me. The Celebrity Mercury has essentially the same itinerary and it hits Milford both ways of their trip. We need a better explanation than the tides!!!

We're locked in to a Holland American Auckland to Sydney cruise in late December of this year (we booked it long before we learned of Oceania's offering). The Statendam stops for an hour in Milford Sound, in order to accommodate passengers who desire to do a 2-day overland tour to through Milford Sound to the next port of call, Dunedin. Although rather pricey, we may opt to do this tour. I include it here since if there is enough demand, Oceania might consider changing their itinerary to include Milford Sound. The details from HAL's web site are quoted below:

QUOTE

Milford Sound to Dunedin Overland Tour-Double

DURATION: 2 days/1 night

PRICE: $729 per person

Travel from Milford Sound to Dunedin, taking in breathtaking scenery and enjoying a unique glimpse at the New Zealand way of life. The locals love Queenstown, situated on the shores of lovely Lake Wakatipu.

Day 1

Upon disembarkation at Milford Sound, you will board a chartered motor coach and drive south from Milford Sound, passing through the magnificent Fiordland National Park. Weather permitting, photographic stops will be made to see the Chasm and the Mirror Lakes. Pass through the legendary Homer Tunnel and south along the forest-clad Eglington Valley to Te Anau where lunch will be taken at a local hotel. Depart for Queenstown crossing the North Southland Plains to Kingston, then continuing along the eastern shoreline of Lake Wakatipu to Frankton. In Queenstown, you will take a breathtaking gondola ride up to Bobs Peak for spectacular views across Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu to the Remarkables mountain range. Then, check into your centrally-located hotel for the night. In the early evening, walk down to the steamer wharf and board the 1913 historic steamship TSS Earnslaw for a cruise across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Sheep Station. Here, you will dine carvery-style in the Colonel's House, which is splendidly sited overlooking the lake. A glass of New Zealand wine or beer will accompany the meal. After dinner, there will be a short farm tour. You will see a sheepdog demonstration and a sheep being shorn before you return on the TSS Earnslaw to Queenstown. On arrival at the steamer wharf, stroll back to your hotel.

Day 2

After breakfast, depart Queenstown for Dunedin. En route, you will visit Arrowtown, a beautifully-preserved gold mining village retaining much of its 19th-century character. You will have a chance to do some shopping and to walk around its quaint, tree-lined streets. Continue on through the picturesque Kawarau Gorge with a stop at the Old Kawarau Bridge, where you may see a bungy jumper leaping from the bridge. Opened in 1987, this was the first commercial bungy jumping operation in the world. Continue to Alexandra, where you'll cross the Clutha River. Lunch will be served at a former stagecoach inn. After lunch, you'll continue to Dunedin, passing through the sheep farming districts of Lawrence and Milton. In Dunedin, a brief sightseeing tour will introduce you to the city known as "the Edinburgh of the South." Dunedin has a large number of fine stone buildings such as the Railway Station, Law Courts and the Otago Museum. Arrive at Port Chalmers where you will re-join the ship.

NOTES:

Milford Sound is a drop-off point only for guests participating in the Milford Sound to Dunedin Overnight Adventure. No other shore excursions will be offered and no other landings or disembarkations will be allowed.

This tour includes a meal--lunch on daytime tours, or dinner on evening tours.

UNQUOTE

Mike

Yes they did answer yesterday,

"They are slightly different having to do with tides and with the time of day or night the ship sails by certain places."

So I guess we will not be going ..I did ask to check again to see if it could be changed..

Jan

*****

Jan,

You would do us all a favor if you would again check with the "powers-that-be" and see if someone misunderstood. If anyone looks at HAL's Statendam schedules, note that they call in to view the fjords of Milford on ALL cruises, both TO and FROM Auckland. Why Oceania would say that they will NOT call in at Milford (sailing FROM Auckland) due to "tides and the time of day and other things" just doesn't make any sense....

Dick :confused:

I sent an email already Dick as soon as I read your email!

Jan

*****

Yes, having been there Jan 95 on Pacific Princess, I would consider Milford Sound to be a true highlight of an Australia/New Zealand cruise.

 

Which of the trips is scheduled to skip it?

Auckland to Sydney, I believe.

I called the Oceania 800 # today to see what was still available for the 1/9/08 Sydney to Auckland cruise. All OS and PH1 cabins are booked and PH 2 and PH 3 are availabhle on a 'guarantee' basis only. Didn't ask about other catagories. I guess that means they will tell you which actual cabin you get later on.

For what its worth the I called customer service at Oceania today with regard to the Milford Sound issue. The person I spoke with said they had received several other calls today and assured me both trips were identical and that the itinerary on the web site was incorrect. with respect to not cruising the fiords of Milford Sound on the January 24th cruise.