Round Australia cruises

We are looking at doing an around Australia cruise in 2018. It looks like Princess and HAL offer itineraries we like. Which would you recommend or is there another line? We have only cruised Carnival to date, and are very new to cruising anywhere! We would have our 13 year old with us. Thanks in advance.

You could also have a look at RCI (Royal Caribbean) and see what they are offering although I don't think they have released their 2018 itineraries yet. You may have to book 2 consecutive (back to back aka B2B) cruises ie Sydney to Perth and them Perth to Sydney or vice versa.

I would think there probably wouldn't be too many kids and teens on an around Australia cruise but you might find RCI to be more family orientated than Princess or HAL which seem to have a reputation for catering for a slightly older demographic. Not that I've cruised with either of those lines yet. I'm sure someone with personal experience will be quick to correct me if I'm wrong!:cool:

We did one Oct/Nov with Princess and loved it. But Princess is our first choice.

We also looked at one with Celebrity that was really two cruises, Aukland to Perth (across the bottom) and then Perth to Syd across the top. Celebrity is now our fall back if we can't get what we want with Princess the two lines are pretty similar.

Cunard also offer one some years.

Definitely wouldn't recommend Holland America. Royal Caribbean would be a much better option.

Different cruise lines aim at different demographics. Royal aim at families, with a variety of activities that would appeal to teenagers. Princess aim at the baby boomer generation. Holland America aim at the baby boomers' parents.

Princess are very good and I would recommend them if you were travelling without children (even teenagers). I wouldn't recommend Holland America to anyone under the age of 80.

Definitely wouldn't recommend Holland America. Royal Caribbean would be a much better option.

 

Different cruise lines aim at different demographics. Royal aim at families, with a variety of activities that would appeal to teenagers. Princess aim at the baby boomer generation. Holland America aim at the baby boomers' parents.

 

Princess are very good and I would recommend them if you were travelling without children (even teenagers). I wouldn't recommend Holland America to anyone under the age of 80.

Last I looked the closest RCCI offered to a circumnavigation was the same (or similar as Celebrity) Sydney to Perth and Perth to Aukland (or around the other way).

We've cruised Sydney to Fremantle x 3, Fremantle to Sydney x 1 via Bali on Radiance and Fremantle to Melbourne via Albany and Kangaroo Is. on Volendam (HAL).

We have cruised on these mainly because we have been able to get great prices. Much cheaper than Princess. Although we have cruised many times on Princess and enjoyed our cruises. Although we doubt we would go on Sun or Sea Princess again.

Check out Celebrity Solstice which is one of the nicest ships in Aus.

On HAL it was a very elderly age group, nothing wrong with the cruise but just a little dull. We went to some great ports like Albany and Kangaroo Is.

Princess are probably a little better age wise but we have enjoyed the larger Princess ship, Diamond Princess, much more than the others.

RCI tend to be 50-65 mostly but there are always some younger families.

We like October - November to go as the seas have been mostly very calm, very early wet season so the humidity is not so bad and sunny days (mostly).

Our highlight is always cruising through the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait islands. Love it.

We go on these cruises not for the destinations so much as the relaxation. But half the fun is choosing your cruise to suit your family and whatever you choose - enjoy.

Has Princess released its 2018 programme??

Thanks all. Looks like we can cross Holland off the list! I will add Royal Caribbean.

Great idea about joining the cruises, we will look at that. Which leads me to think we can also do a few smaller cruises with parts (Queensland, Tasmania etc) which might be easier to fit in largely school holidays. We were hoping for something around the October NSW school holidays (my son gets three weeks) so we would have only a few days out of school but I guess I can't get them to schedule their cruises to suit me!

...I guess I can't get them to schedule their cruises to suit me!

No, they don't consult me either! Shame, that. :rolleyes:

...Great idea about joining the cruises, we will look at that. Which leads me to think we can also do a few smaller cruises with parts (Queensland, Tasmania etc) which might be easier to fit in largely school holidays...

Is there any particular reason why you need to do the circumnavigation all at once? I think you said that you've only been on one cruise so far. That being the case, spending 3-4 weeks on a ship might be overload. It might be nicer and better value for money to do a few cruises, say, 6 months apart.

Just my 2 cents worth!

Solid idea Sparky74, thanks. I think that may be the way to go.

Irrespective of which cruise line you choose try and avoid the months November to March inclusive, stinking hot and humid in Queensland, even hotter and drier in Northern Territory and Western Australia. Then that is also the cyclone season in Northern waters .

Go for Australian circumnavigations outside the above periods.

Unfortuantely many US based cruise lines still persist in scheduling Australian circum navigations in those hot cyclonic months . The planners are based in offices in Miami blissfully unaware of the seasonal climatic realities of Australia.

Our Circumnav included South Isle NZ and was Oct/Nov and went anti clockwise which meant we were in the hot bits Oct and the cold bits Nov. Worked pretty well.

We have done the Top End twice and seriously thinking of doing it again,

First time was on Sun Princess and we pushed th boat out and splurged on a mini suite overlooking the wake. Fantastic

Second time was on Celebrity Solstice. Fantastic Ship and I highly recommend her.

Apart from the ships themselves the main differences were in the itinerary.

Sun P is smaller and can visit ports such as Cooktown (sadly no longer) and particularly Broome (Camel riding on Cable Beach ... wow).

Solstice can't do Broome but goes to Pt Hedland (???) and Bali (corrupt officials spoil the experience)

About 17 days is enough in my opinion ... and both times we went in Feb/March without any weather issues.

I highly recommend this cruise ... best value is Solstice, but best itinerary is Princess,

Cheers

Unfortuantely many US based cruise lines still persist in scheduling Australian circum navigations in those hot cyclonic months . The planners are based in offices in Miami blissfully unaware of the seasonal climatic realities of Australia.

See, if the cruise lines would just consult ME before planning their schedules...

Thanks to some good advice from my good friends here on cc, we recently booked Sun Princess 'Around Australia' 29N departing Sydney 7-Mar 2017.

We think the timing is pretty good as the itinerary is clockwise, so going down south first & so it will be late Mar/early Apr when we are in the tropics. It is also good timing as it will include our 35th wedding anniversary.

We chose it principally for the itinerary, including some ports that are not possible with other ships.

Oh, and also DW's sister and BIL are joining us :)

Thanks to some good advice from my good friends here on cc, we recently booked Sun Princess 'Around Australia' 29N departing Sydney 7-Mar 2017.

 

We think the timing is pretty good as the itinerary is clockwise, so going down south first & so it will be late Mar/early Apr when we are in the tropics. It is also good timing as it will include our 35th wedding anniversary.

 

We chose it principally for the itinerary, including some ports that are not possible with other ships.

 

Oh, and also DW's sister and BIL are joining us :)

We are also booked on this cruise. We are doing a 13-day cruise to New Zealand first, then a few days in Sydney before the 29-day Australia cruise. Have you joined the roll call? Someone started one but it isn't exactly for our cruise. They join in Perth so the date is March 9th, I think.:confused:

Happy anniversary Mr Walker! It was recently our 35th anniversary and we both forgot until the next day! Looking forward to hearing what you thought when you return.

Thanks to some good advice from my good friends here on cc, we recently booked Sun Princess 'Around Australia' 29N departing Sydney 7-Mar 2017.

 

We think the timing is pretty good as the itinerary is clockwise, so going down south first & so it will be late Mar/early Apr when we are in the tropics. It is also good timing as it will include our 35th wedding anniversary.

 

We chose it principally for the itinerary, including some ports that are not possible with other ships.

 

Oh, and also DW's sister and BIL are joining us :)

I agree March Clockwise is the way Oct Anti clockwise.

Congratulations on the anniversary we hit 35 this August.

Happy anniversary Mr Walker! It was recently our 35th anniversary and we both forgot until the next day! Looking forward to hearing what you thought when you return.

Sounds like something we'd do. We've forgotten more than one anniversary.

But for Gut every day is a day to Celebrate that mrs Gut fell for him.

Now Mrs Gut she just tries to forget that she was so stupid.

Did Australia circumnavigation in 2008 on Sun Princess, her first season out here. Enjoyed it but missed 3 ports because of unable to tender - rough seas, Geraldton, Exmouth, Cooktown.

Some ports not a lot of transport infrastructure as ship contracts most of the buses etc, so recommend ship's shorex. Broome was one place, only a dozen cabs available and Princess had every bus in town, quite a few pax were unable to get off the ship at the wharf, no transport, but that was 8 years ago, things might have improved.

Did Australia circumnavigation in 2008 on Sun Princess, her first season out here. Enjoyed it but missed 3 ports because of unable to tender - rough seas, Geraldton, Exmouth, Cooktown.

 

Some ports not a lot of transport infrastructure as ship contracts most of the buses etc, so recommend ship's shorex. Broome was one place, only a dozen cabs available and Princess had every bus in town, quite a few pax were unable to get off the ship at the wharf, no transport, but that was 8 years ago, things might have improved.

Broome was good last year. You don't need to do a shorex. Princess ran a shuttle bus from the wharf to the town - I think it was actually free. And the bus service to Cable Beach was reasonable, and good value. But yes, every bus and mini bus (other than the town loop buses) were pressed into service.

Geraldton also operated a HoHo bus, $5, and it took you up to the memorial then back through the town.

There were buses in Darwin that went to Parap Markets (we were there on a Saturday) but they were few and far between, and quite expensive. It didn't cost us much more for taxis each way, and we asked one taxi driver to take the scenic route so we could see a bit of Darwin.

We are also booked on this cruise. We are doing a 13-day cruise to New Zealand first, then a few days in Sydney before the 29-day Australia cruise. Have you joined the roll call? Someone started one but it isn't exactly for our cruise. They join in Perth so the date is March 9th, I think.:confused:

Yes saw that roll-call for the 2nd half cruise & I posted there. We will be well bedded-in by the time the others board in Freo on 19th. Maybe we should start a roll-call for the full trip??

Oh, and I just realised I am going a bit crazy - this cruise will actually be for our 36th Anniversary. Got confused about our upcoming Explorer OTS 13N for the 35th :eek:

I agree RCI or Carnival for a teenager (mined loved it). Princess not great for kids (not personal experience, but told by sad friends).

Something to consider is the Kimberley Cruising. It seems only the smaller ships go right into the harbour for a good look. That leaves you with Sun or Sea Princess. We went there in Nov last year going anticlockwise and it was a real highlight, exceptional colours, incredible scenery.

Steve.