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"torn between 2" ....thanks for all inputs


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Happy New year everyone

this is Belgium calling

 

hope someone can help me make our decision :

will cruise from Sydney to New Zealand next year (2019)

cruise has been booked ( from March 8 till March 21 Ovation / Seas RCI )

as we live in Belgium and flying to Sydney will be a long long long ...:eek: one

we would like to add another cruise

at this time we have 2 options ( one has been booked but can be changed )

first option

fly to Sydney and board the Explorer / Seas which goes to South Pacific and Fiji

( has been booked but can be changed at this moment )

itinerary is 23594_160718135638793.jpg

after this one we have 7 days we can spend in Sydney ( or near )

then board the ovation of the Seas for New Zealand

 

if we do this combination we will fly to Singapore acclimate and fly to Sydney.

after New Zealand we will do probably the same.

 

or

 

we do New Zealand first with the Ovation ( so from March 8 till March 21 )

have 8 days we can spend near or in Sydney

and sail to Singapore with the Explorer/ Seas

10183_171113073402443.jpg

 

and fly home directly after this cruise without having a stop )

 

I am trying to compare both cruises and figure out that they have both their values ( ship is the same for both cruises that is ok for us )

 

option one : islands we will probably never visit again in our lives ( Vanuatu / Fiji .... ) we love to snorkel we love nature and adore wildlife

 

option two : would make flying a lot more comfortable as we only have to take

one flight back to Amsterdam and we also get the chance of visit the North of Australia in case we come back we can take time to visit south. ( snorkel the Great Barrier reef and visit some cool cities )

 

I hope to get as much as your thoughts as I can, need to decide quickly as prices are changing and need to consider booking flights.

 

thanks from the other side of the ocean

from grey grey"I do miss the sun Belgium"

Frieda

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I prefer option 1, see the islands as a once in a lifetime thing. Sounds like you might come back and could see northern Australia then. I think you see more variety with Australia/NZ and Islands option. there is some really lovely snorkelling to be done on the islands. there is on the GB reef too but I don't think a day long stop is the best way to see that part of australia.

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I like option 2.

 

I have done the cruise from Sydney to Singapore and it is one of my favourites.

 

The Australian Coast is beautiful.

 

Any chance that you could do 3 cruises? At that time of year you maybe able to get a bargain cruise.

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To me it really depends if you will ever find yourself back in Australia again. If not go for option 3 - all of these.

 

If snorkelling is a true passion then definately option 1 as the south pacific offers more than the Asian itinerary.

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If you want to do the cruise to the Pacific Islands, could you do that after the NZ cruise? NZ gets very cold, so it is better to go there as close to summer as you can. Conversely, the islands are hot and humid in the summer, so a cruise there is better a little bit later in the summer. There are plenty of cruises going to the islands and it is easy to get a good deal out of school holidays as your cruise would be.:) Whatever you choose, have a great time.

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A very hard decision! I love the pacific islands but would ideally have picked a cruise that visited Isle of Pines, Mare and and maybe Santo for good snorkeling rather than going to Fiji. If those stops were an option then pacific would win hands down. There are some other cruises leaving that month. Would you consider Carnival Legend 25 March Sydney, Noumea, Mare, Isle Of Pines, Sydney? We've done this exact cruise and it was so good for snorkeling. Gives you 4 days in Sydney between cruises to look around.

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Personally I think I would recommend the first option as you will get to do your snorkelling at all the islands

 

Cruise Schedule: Sydney, Australia (15 Feb d1845); Newcastle, Australia (16 Feb 0800-1700); Lifou, New Caledonia (19 Feb 0800-1700); Suva, Fiji (21 Feb 0800-1700); Lautoka, Fiji (22 Feb 0800-1700); Vila, Vanuatu (24 Feb 0800-1700); Mystery Island, Vanuatu (25 Feb 0800-1700); Noumea, New Caledonia (26 Feb 0800-1700); Sydney, Australia (01 Mar a0630).

 

where as the second one gets you the Great Barrier Reef at both Airlie Beach and out of Cairns, possibly Darwin as well.

 

Cruise Schedule: Sydney, Australia (29 Mar d1700); Brisbane, Australia (31 Mar 0800-1700); Airlie Beach, Australia (02 Apr 0700-1800); Yorky's, Australia (04 Apr 0700-1800); Darwin, Australia (07 Apr 1000(+1)1600); Singapore (13 Apr a0800)

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to all of you, thank you so much for your answers and tips.

 

if we could do them all 3 I would, but, I still work and I guess my boss will never let me go for more then 2 months ( I still need to tell him that I will be gone for more than 6 weeks )

changing the NZ cruise is not an option, I had it booked in the very beginning when it came out and had a really good deal on this one.

we originally booked Australia top end and bottom end for 2019 ( bottom end was going to NZ ) but RCI changed the itinerary ( no more top and bottom ) and we needed to change our both cruises.

Wagtail : I will take a look at the carnival cruise you mentioned

 

we do adore snorkeling are very experienced ( have done diving many years ago ) so that is why we choose the islands when we needed to change our cruise but ..... if we think about the flights pffffff ( and no we cannot afford business class :) )

so we saw a flight directly ( from Amsterdam which is easy to do for us ) to Singapore and back and if I could add a one way flight from Singapore to Sydney ( Scoot ) we would not have a tremendous jet lag while coming back (which we will be having anyway)

also the cruise to Singapore is relaxing ( we also like sea days )

but .... not sure if we make it again to those islands ( or similar Islands ) and yes we probably cruise again from Singapore now that I know there is a direct flight from Holland

we also do not mind sailing Carnival / NCL or even Celebrity

but searching the internet this would be the only 2 options I have adding to my NZ cruise

 

I will smile to my boss a little more often ..... (husband would not like that )

Edited by fvandewouwer
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The OP's NZ cruise ends on 21st March, 2019. There are a few Pacific island cruises that would fit in after that:

25th March, Carnival Legend 8 nights

27th March, Carnival Spirit 11 nights

4th April, Radiance of the Seas, 10 nights ) These two probably leave too much spare time after the NZ cruise ends.

5th April, 2019 , Pacific Explorer, 8 nights )

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it would be wonderful if we could do the NZ cruise

add a Pacific Island cruise from Sydney

and do the cruise from Sydney to Singapore

 

so we have time from March 21 to March 29

 

May I ask of anyone can take a look if there are cruises to the best snorkel islands between this time frame

the website I use from Belgium does not give me all options

( I never had the Carnival Pacific cruise )

 

thanks

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yes I am leaning to this cruise but I would love to see at least a few of those Islands

we love nature and adore snorkeling so if we could match a cruise in between

that would be the max :)

 

Sounds like you are leaning towards the 2nd option, this itinerary will allow you two chances to get to the GBR, so and have the better flights. Perhaps you should go with that one.
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thank you ( I really cannot find them in my system )

anything from March 21 to March 29 ? that would be awesome

 

The OP's NZ cruise ends on 21st March, 2019. There are a few Pacific island cruises that would fit in after that:

25th March, Carnival Legend 8 nights

27th March, Carnival Spirit 11 nights

4th April, Radiance of the Seas, 10 nights ) These two probably leave too much spare time after the NZ cruise ends.

5th April, 2019 , Pacific Explorer, 8 nights )

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I found one that goes only to Isle of Pines ( Carnival Spirit feb 27 )

( also Noumea and Lifou ) any good for snorkeling ?

 

A very hard decision! I love the pacific islands but would ideally have picked a cruise that visited Isle of Pines, Mare and and maybe Santo for good snorkeling rather than going to Fiji. If those stops were an option then pacific would win hands down. There are some other cruises leaving that month. Would you consider Carnival Legend 25 March Sydney, Noumea, Mare, Isle Of Pines, Sydney? We've done this exact cruise and it was so good for snorkeling. Gives you 4 days in Sydney between cruises to look around.
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Hi you all, I normally book our cruises with a travelagent in the US not in Europe ( better deal in the US)

but I do check prices on the usual website from Carnival or RCI

I do not see the Pacific cruises from Carnival and when I go to the Australian website I cannot apply my customer number ( to calculate price in AUD ) does this make it impossible for me to book this cruise with my "usual" travel agent ?

Thanks

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Hi you all, I normally book our cruises with a travelagent in the US not in Europe ( better deal in the US)

but I do check prices on the usual website from Carnival or RCI

I do not see the Pacific cruises from Carnival and when I go to the Australian website I cannot apply my customer number ( to calculate price in AUD ) does this make it impossible for me to book this cruise with my "usual" travel agent ?

Thanks

 

Contact your usual US TA to see whether you can book Carnival Pacific cruises through him.

 

I book my cruises through a US TA.

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I thank you again for one last advise

at this point we have

arriving Sydney and board Carnival Spirit on february 27 to visit

Noumea

Lifou

Isle of Pines

arrive back March 7

one night hotel near the cruise terminal ( visit Sydney for a day )

board the Ovation of the Seas on March 8 for NZ

arrive Sydney March 21

.....

leave Sydney to Singapore with the Explorer of the Seas on March 29

fly home

 

we have to decide whether we stay in Australia / Sydney for 8 days and explore the neighbourhood

or we take the cruise on March 22 ( carnival Legend ) to Tasmanië

and visit Port of Arthur and Hobart ( arrive back March 27 so we have 2 days in Sydney before we leave to Singapore )

 

advise on the Tasmanië cruise ( I find so little information ) and suppose we stay

in/around Sydney for 8 days what would you suggest us to do

 

trying to fix this long holiday well before we book it all

 

thanks again

Frieda

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