How many pre/post-cruise days in Sydney/Auckland?

Booked on a 2015 cruise from Sydney, ending in Auckland. Never been to Sydney (or Auckland) before and not likely to return. Flight to Sydney arrives early morning. How many pre-cruise days would you allow for Sydney sightseeing? I assume we will use the first day to recover from the trans-pacific trip. We're thinking the day of arrival + 3 or day of arrival + 2.

At the end of the cruise in Auckland, we thought one or two additional days would be about right.

Thoughts appreciated.

Booked on a 2015 cruise from Sydney, ending in Auckland. Never been to Sydney (or Auckland) before and not likely to return. Flight to Sydney arrives early morning. How many pre-cruise days would you allow for Sydney sightseeing? I assume we will use the first day to recover from the trans-pacific trip. We're thinking the day of arrival + 3 or day of arrival + 2.

At the end of the cruise in Auckland, we thought one or two additional days would be about right.

Thoughts appreciated.

I would say 3 on the pre and 2 on the post!!

Although longer would be good..lots to see in both places

Jancruz1

I would say 3 days on both ends and more if you can manage. There is too much to see and do in 3 short days in each city.

Personally, I would allow for a couple of days at one of the islands on the Great Barrier Reef as well as three days proper in Sydney. You are flying a long way and the Reef is truly one of the wonders of the world and should not be missed. On the other end I'd say two days are plenty in Auckland itself but again, I'd add a couple of days in Queenstown which has spectacular scenery and some of the best lodges anywhere.

I would say 3 on the pre and 2 on the post!!

Although longer would be good..lots to see in both places

Jancruz1

Agree with you, but it may depend if the ship overnights in either port. Then you would get an extra night that you would not have to pay extra for. But 3 and 2 or 3 and 3 would be great. In Sydney try to find a hotel as close as you can to the quay, as some of the hotels are a major climb from the water, ie the Shangri-La Hotel is a major climb. Very steep streets. It was beautiful but would never stay there again because of the location.

it may depend if the ship overnights in either port.

Marina does not overnight at Sydney or Auckland during our cruise. Obviously, plenty of sightseeing time at the many ports, but we are on our own in Sydney and Auckland as to sightseeing and time spent decisions. Asking now because it's time to make (our own--frequent flyer mile) flight reservations.

We flew straight to Queenstown upon arrival in Auckland. Then we spent 11 days driving back to Auckland. Saw Regatta along the way!

Then we had 3 days in Sydney at the end. Turns out we now have a son in law from Sydney and will likely go back. We have family there now!

Our cruise came south to Sydney along the coast from Cairns. Loved it. The barrier reef is not to be missed.

Enjoy!

Mo

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Best hotel in Sydney The Park Hyatt Sydney.Stayed 4 days after renovation 2011.Stayed at the Auckland HILTON got off ship walked to the hotel it's next to the pier.

I have done this several times with Regent and here is my take

First...fly business class or first class.........coach will tear you up bad for 2 to 3 days after you arrive....First time I went it was coach... then used FF miles for business..... IN truth you step off the plane spry if in business or first, having had a 9 to 10 hour sleep and great food !! It is 15 hours non stop.

What is cool is to get a right side window because the plane arrives normally a bit early and they have to orbit the Sydney harbor several times.... from a low altitude

OK, I spent 4 days, and picked the Marriott hotel on the Quay... perfect location Walk to the Quay and get a 4 day transit pass, good for 4 days of unlimited bus and ferrys + a half day sightseeing tour by buss and a half day boat tour of the harbor ( which is HUGE).

Took in Aquaium and some of the outlying places the ferry goes....many are an hours ride one way

I think the pass cost about $40pp !! If your nature oriented take the train to Katoomba about 60 miles out of town and home to the 7 sisters an Australia grand canyon. All in 4 days including your arrival day

Food in Australia is obscene priced as are clothes due to high pay and even higher taxes. Service in a restaurants will be slow and uncaring for the most part... Lots of little places along the quay

Auckland I would allow also 4 days. Not much in town but a drive to Waiatomo region is the center for fantastic karst , that is good for 2 days everything from cave tubing, tours, and out of the city. Too there is Hobbit country.. before a drive back to the airport.

IN New Zealand the main things to do is see the country side west and south of Aukland. You will have seen Rotaroua as a port.....It is touted as a NZ Yellowstone...it is far from it. Every hot pool or spring has a huge wall around it and bleacher sets that you have to PAy $$$$ to see some hokey shows.... not at all like a NP.... I was very disappointed. totally commercial and honkey tonk.....

Booked on a 2015 cruise from Sydney, ending in Auckland. Never been to Sydney (or Auckland) before and not likely to return. Flight to Sydney arrives early morning. How many pre-cruise days would you allow for Sydney sightseeing? I assume we will use the first day to recover from the trans-pacific trip. We're thinking the day of arrival + 3 or day of arrival + 2.

At the end of the cruise in Auckland, we thought one or two additional days would be about right.

Thoughts appreciated.

Go to Marina roll calls, find your cruise and join the roll call. It's a very active roll call even this far out. You'll get an idea as to what your fellow cruisers are doing and what private tours have been arranged.

Best regards,

Maria & David

Best hotel in Sydney The Park Hyatt Sydney.Stayed 4 days after renovation 2011.Stayed at the Auckland HILTON got off ship walked to the hotel it's next to the pier.

Would have stayed at the Park Hyatt but it was twice as much as any other hotel. Probably great if you can spend the money. Have not stayed in Auckland. We were at the Four Seasons about 10 years ago and it was very good. Sorry we did not stay there in Feb.

IFirst...fly business class or first class

On the same wavelength (as Van Morrison would say).

What is cool is to get a right side window because the plane arrives normally a bit early and they have to orbit the Sydney harbor several times.... from a low altitude

Right side as you are sitting and looking forward, or right side as if you are the captain looking at the passengers?

On the same wavelength (as Van Morrison would say).

Sure would love to know some tricks for getting these business or first class tickets with FF miles. AA is the only option I have and it doesn't seem to matter if you have a million miles the flights just aren't available. On the other hand if you buy them the cheapest I can get for first or business, not the full fare but the ones with restrictions are over 12k each. That's around $25,000 for tickets for the 2 of us. That's not happening.

I've looked at multi city bookings and can get some legs first or business, but not the whole flight.

I was able to get Business Class to Melbourne and Home from Sydney using my AMEX Miles via Delta but flying code share on VAustralia. First choice of flights.

OK first the right side facing forward The captain spot is called left seat, FO is right seat.....pilot lingo

you can get full fare business rt to Sydney on UAL for $ 7124pp or 175,000 un restricted.

How to get them? well you only have to get them 1 way for ff and ther other revenue SO that whacks it to $3562pp !

Now I assume there are 2 of you. Today each goes and signs up for a AA or UAL card ( steer clear of Delta more miles less seats UAL will be the best)

Now each of you gets their explorer cc. that's 30k +5= 35,000 if you put each othes name on eachothre card. Wait 60 to 90 days ... get another each another 35K your now up to 70K.

repeat the process 2 more times... your now at 140,000 miles each.

Now charge everything on the cards paying it off at the end of each mo.

Totally quit paying cash.... You do not do business with anyone who does not take your CC !!! NONE .

Charge your one way fare 3552 itiwill get yoy double miles 7124 miles each SO your at 147,100.

Charge your cruise say 20,000 Split cards so each gets 10,000. Now your at 157,000 miles Figure in a year using the card for everything you spend a total of 40,000 on beans bacon, gas, insurance,tax payments medical, etc. Your normal budget. giving each of you 20,000 miles AND 177,125.... your in free

Go look at " the points guy" web site. I have no trouble maintaining 400 to 500K milles and my wife 300,K....... So can you if you start now and play the game.....

Ohmark if you use FF and get code share AA flight which will be QF flights they fly the A380 from LAX and you can do economy for the 14 hours, but if you have the points either premium or business will make life easier. My suggestion is 3/4 days in Sydney, but as others have suggested you may want to think about visiting one of the GBR Islands while you are here. My suggestion for hotels will depend on your price point. I am frequently in Sydney for work and have tried most of the hotels excluding Park Hyatt just far too expensive, but looks wonderful. If people think Sydney is hilly, Auckland is just crazy, never seen hills like it. I live in Melbourne but love love Sydney, it is just one of the most beautiful cities. Cafe Sydney is a must, views and great food, Shangrila La has great views as well a must visit at night.

Go and buy a full fare $3800 pp business fare from LAX to SYD on UA.

You can take 1/2 of the air credit and it can get you a cheap flight from MO or even a Amtrak bedroom..

This is a 15 hour flight if all goes well and one of the longest and most uncomfortable possible because it is over night. You will be fresh and arriving rested for the cruise..

Now on the return, you take the O air. It will be on Air NZ usually and and only 12 hours... BUT they offer special "Upgrades to a premium Economy which are the best coach seats in the air. and any discomfort at the end is more tolerable as you have enjoyed your cruise and the worst part of the trip.

A problem with Quantas is that from Auckland... they fly you back to Sydney 3 hours and then put you on the 15 hour Sydney to LAX. That, counting connection time will stretch your return flight just to LAX to 20 some hours rather than 12.

Yep Hawaiidan you are correct sorry I forgot about the return leg from AKL, yes ANZ premium product a good compromise, but would still aim for the QF leg to SYD over UA any day, but that is just personal preference.

OP,

Australia and New Zealand are 2 of the most wonderful places to visit in the world. Since you say you probably won't return, could you possibly extend your vacation for 2-3 weeks?

You could hook up with a land tour or rent a car and see Sydney and go to Blue Mountains, Brisbane, Cairns and the Reef, Darwin and Kakadu (think Everglades) Alice Springs then go to Uluru (Ayers Rock), Adelaide (we took the Ghan from Alice Springs to Adelaide...awesome) Melbourne and Ocean Road.

Then hop on over to Tasmania and see Hobart area and drive to the Penal Colony and then fly to New Zealand and sail Milford Sound, see Queenstown area, and Auckland area. We flew into and also loved Christchurch but they had a devastating earthquake and fires.

If this is a once in lifetime trip, then stay and see Australia and New Zealand. You'll be glad you did! I'd go back in a heartbeat if i had a private jet and pilot on call!

I find it interesting that a lot of people who post here just assume that everyone can afford to fly first/business class. If we were not willing to fly economy, we would not be going. Frankly, I would rather go than stay home.

Can we "afford" it? We could, but are still saving for retirement. No gold plated pensions for us. And, we would like to be able to travel in retirement as well. So we will continue to book economy flights and look for deals on longer trips as opposed to being pampered for a few hours on a plane.

We do quite well after long flights. DH gets the window seat and sleeps almost the entire flight. On recent trips I have actually been able to nap a bit. Not a problem.

We are flying business class to DRC this summer to visit our daughter. It was a Christmas gift from her and I am looking forward to it, knowing that my next flight will be at the back of the plane.

Mo

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Absolutely loved Sydney and would allow 3 or 4 days for sure. Went to a Sunday performance of the best of the opera which was fabulous. Found some wonderful restaurants, The Owl House and the Sardine Room. Stayed at the Sydeny Boulevard Hotel which had a hop on hop off stop right in front. Loved it. Didn't much care for Aukland but the Bay of Islands is worth a stop.

Potterhill-

Like your husband, mine can also fall asleep on planes, whereas I must feel it is my solemn obligation to help the pilot by remaining awake!! Even wine with dinner doesn't help....sigh.

I hate flying; it doesn't matter whether it is 1st, business, economy+, or steerage it is all pretty bad, but then perhaps if I could sleep it wouldn't matter where my seat was!!

Potterhill-

 

Like your husband, mine can also fall asleep on planes, whereas I must feel it is my solemn obligation to help the pilot by remaining awake!! Even wine with dinner doesn't help....sigh.

 

I hate flying; it doesn't matter whether it is 1st, business, economy+, or steerage it is all pretty bad, but then perhaps if I could sleep it wouldn't matter where my seat was!!

Good news bad news

Good first..........if you take O's air credit it will be $1200pp. Now Qantas is having a fare sale on lie flat Business seats RT to Sydney for $3680.... So that's a net of $2480. RT Business from LAX. By taking the air credit you also save $175 pp deviation fee so you can tour around as earily or lat s you want with out spending $1 ..... So $now reduced to $2305 rt All you have to do is get to LAX and do a one way from Auckland back to sydney.

This is a fare sale going on NOW till April 2.... and is selling out fast... Again this is for a full flat bed !!!! ROUND TRIP

Bad News..... If you have never flown 15+ hours in anything without a break and in coach... unless your dead or or in a coma you will not get much sleep sitting up..even with drugs! after 8 hrs they wear off and you are only 1/2 way there... The last 7 hours will be....well...holy hell, as others on coach begin to all feel it at the same times. Total strangers will come up to you and ask you to kill them as they can not take any more. !

This is a flight where you need a bed....or pay a terrible price...

Picture this.... Your flying to LA to NY... and just as you arrive in the NY area the pilot says woops I for got I left my wallet in LA and we are turning around and flying back to LA... then when you get to LA and almost ready to land , he says OH, silly me I have my wallet...and heads back with outstopping to NY..... THAT is what a 1 way LA to Sydney is like..

Like potterhill, we fly in coach, and it is not an unbearable burden. We take about 4 international trips a year, and it works for us. I have flown long haul flights in coach from the US to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, India, and a few other far away places, and have arrived on the other side with my sanity, and rested and well enough to enjoy the day. I am able to sleep in and out during the flight, relax, movie binge, read a bit. Hubby can usually get a pretty good sleep in, and enjoy some movies.

For us, each journey starts the moment our first flight takes off, and we enjoy the entire experience, even finding fun in the quirky airline meals. We always marvel at our good fortune to be going on a particular trip and savor every minute.

Sure, we have enjoyed the occasional Business/First Class flight, and they were very nice experiences, but it isn't a large factor for us. Of course, YMMV, as we all have different tolerances.