Help-Princess Air from the U.S. -Sydney to Auckland Cruise

I have booked a cruise on the Diamond Princess for next February 1st from Sydney to Auckland. My home airport will be either Tampa or Orlando.

I'm concerned how Princess will route me from Florida during the snow months of winter. I'm thinking of going the deviation or personal air booking route. From first glance the Princess air price does appear to be fair and it will include transfer in Sydney as I have booked the 3 night Blue Mountain package at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Also on the final day in Auckland do the tours end at the airport?

Any information and advise you can give me would be appreciated.

Ellis

Ellis:

We were on the Sapphire. As for the people on board from Florida, they were routed through to Los Angeles from their airport, then Sydney. Most were on Qantas, some on United.

As for transfers, they can be more nuisance than they are worth sometimes. We had them and went ahead of our cruise tour and Princess changed the order on us so that we were 4 days in Port Douglas at the beginning instead of Sydney. As the cruise tour started 2 days after we arrived, we had a transfer from the Cairns airport to Port Douglas (about 1-1/2 hour drive) and no one picked us up. The people at the airport arranged for us to get transport with another group who was going to Treetops in Port Douglas.

The next day we had a call that they had the wrong day. Personally, I figured they didn't want to send a 20 person bus for only 2 people. Gas is very expensive there - and New Zealand.

If you arrange your own air, you can stay at any hotel in Sydney you want a whole lot cheaper. Best to check into it. Qantas is a great airline and you will know what you are getting. Also, you have to get a visa for Australia and Princess charges $20 US and the airlines usually do it free, if you ask nicely.

If you do go Qantas, they are code sharing with American Airlines and many others; join their frequent flier program, just go on http://www.qantas.com and you will get the information. It is free. As they are in the One World system, you will be able to accumulate miles with British Airways and many others as well.

Qantas is better with food and they have nice overnight kits too.

Good Luck. You will love Australia and New Zealand.

We booked our own air from Tampa via Chicago and LAX. We left early enough to have two nights in Auckland at Langham/Sheraton hotel. Got a shuttle at airport for transfers, cheap. Same in Sydney. Came back via LAX and Denver then Tampa. Paid about $1600 for air on United. No problems with weather either direction. Stayed in Crowne Plaza, Darling Harbor but it was inconvenient as there is construction going on. Should be finished by the time you go. Read Strawberry Blond's review of the Sapphire Jan. 30. 05. she has great ideas about tours, hotels, etc. Good luck.

Thank you for the information, it is appreciated.

Included in our billing from Princess is a $40 charge for visas for the two of us

As we will be flying to Los Angeles from Florida in late January I would like to eliminate changing planes in a winter city, like Chicage.

I have found that if I fly out of Orlando rather than Tampa, I could have direct flights to and from Los Angeles. United has a 5 p.m. flight which would get us into LAX about 3 hours prior to the 10:30 flight to Sydney. On the return, if I stay one night in Los Angeles, we can be on a 8:30 a.m. direct flight to Orlando. The problem is the cost involved for the flights. Using earlier dates in the United system, the cost would be about $2500 p.p. Hopefully if I request deviation from Princess, the cost will be much less, as the charge currently is $1709 from Tampa using the flights they select.

I belong to the frequent flyers clubs of both United and American Air. Air New Zealand is a partner of United and Quantis of American. As I understand it, I would be given mileage credit without having to become a frequent flyer member of Air New Zealand or Quantis.

We will be staying at the Four Seasons hotel in Sydney with the 3 night Blue Mountain package.

Again, thanks for the information.

Ellis

Ellis - just for your information - you can get your visas for free.

We flew via United, called their reservations to check up on visas - no charge. Just give them your passport information and it is arranged.

No confirmation, but later on we did phone again just to make sure that it had been done for both of us.

United plus other airlines have an agreement with Australian airlines that is reciprocal - they get their US visas for free as we do with Australian

Remember when you leave Auckland there is a $25 exit fee - cash - to be paid at the airport.

We did not do anything through Princess. Made our tour arrangements for the Blue Mountains - $82 Aus.dollars - exceptional service. Bid on Priceline.com for our hotel (as was only two of us) five-star - came up with Sydney Harbor Marriott - across the street from Circular Quay where Sapphire docks so you could if you wish walk to the ship.

We did our own transfer service. Just got a cab when we arrived. Quite a line but dozens of cabs so didn't take long. We found it much easier than waiting for 40+ other people to board the Princess bus, loading luggage etc.

From the Marriott it is exceptionally easy to walk to the Opera House, Ferries, the Docks area, and if you have time go to the Pitt St. Arcade(s) to shop. If u r economizing, don't eat around the Circular Quay area. Our hotel had a buffet which, if you have a large appetite, is very good. However, I paid $13 AUD for a bowl of Rice Crispies, DH paid $33 AUD for 2 eggs, bacon, hash browns (looked like McDonalds), toast and I think he had grilled tomatoes also. Next day we ate at a very small cafe just outside the hotel and he had a full English breakfast - 2 fried eggs, french fries or hash browns,

grilled mushrooms, tomatoes, sausage - plus toast and coffee - for $9.80 AUD.

Depends on you - in other places we have just said, "We paid --- for this cruise, so why start economizing now."

We also made our own air arrangements and came out better on that, also.

Rockgarden:

Good information--thank you. Guess we'll just have to budget more just for breakfast. I can imagine what lunches and dinners will cost us.

Living in Florida, we are used to just driving several hours to the pier and going on the ship. The air fare alone on the Australian/New Zealand cruise is more than we pay for a 2 week Caribbean cruise with outside balcony stateroom. Problem is going over and over to the same places.

Ellis

Emeyers -I'm sure you now have sympathy for Aussies who want to cruise in the Caribbean or just about anywhere and get hit with those airfares every time!