Rough Seas for NZ & Australia?

We're looking to take a back to back cruise in December 2018. Sydney to NZ for 14 days and then lower part of Australia for 9 days. Can anyone give me any insight into the "normal" waters that time of year? I understand that sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. Just looking for a general idea of the water that time of year. Thank you!!

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We're looking to take a back to back cruise in December 2018. Sydney to NZ for 14 days and then lower part of Australia for 9 days. Can anyone give me any insight into the "normal" waters that time of year? I understand that sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. Just looking for a general idea of the water that time of year. Thank you!!

 

 

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This is the best time of year to cruise from Aust to NZ (and around NZ) and also around southern Australia. As you say, you are looking for a general idea, but there are no guarantees. :)

The NZ cruise you'll probably have five sea days? (Or thereabouts, two rough three smooth.

Depends what you mean by Southern Australia, if it's Bass Strait it is really anyone's guess.

2014 left Sydney 14 dec, Crossing was rough enough to cancel stage shows.

2016 left Sydney 12 Dec, smooooth as.

My guess.

< 2.5m : smooth.

2.5m - 4.5m : normal.

4.5m - 6.0m : rough.

> 6.0m : unlucky.

If your first / last port of call is upper North Island there is more flexibility for route deviations to avoid.

If first / last port of call is Fiordland heading to Hobart / Melbourne there is less flexibility in this regard,

From my experience if you do experience rough seas they often only last 18 hours or so.

In January this year I did a 14 night NZ cruise round trip from Sydney, followed by an 8 night cruise down south to Hobart, Melbourne and Adelaide.

The seas to NZ South Island (first ports) were smooth, ridiculously smooth. The seas back to Sydney were smooth to moderate.

The seas outside of Sydney for the crossing down to Hobart were rough. We had a lot of movement for a day or so, high winds etc. Hobart to Adelaide was smooth sea, flat as a tack.

The worst of it was outside of Sydney in either direction for a day or two.

I think everyone will agree that the luck of the draw is a big determining factor. Weather is what it is and from one year to the next it can vary so much.

I suggest you take some sea sickness meds with you, assuming you're susceptible to sea sickness as a basis for your question. At any rate, it's a fun ride if you don't get queasy.

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statically you should get at least 1 day of mountainous seas each way

iv done it we didnt get them but was grey so leave your swimsuithome

We're looking to take a back to back cruise in December 2018. Sydney to NZ for 14 days and then lower part of Australia for 9 days. Can anyone give me any insight into the "normal" waters that time of year? I understand that sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. Just looking for a general idea of the water that time of year. Thank you!!

 

 

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Is the 9 dater on Norwegian Jewel?

It will be whatever it will be but it is more inclined to be smoother than other parts of the year.

The first leg of our trip is this:CRUISE PORTS EMBARK Sydney (Australia); Melbourne(Australia); Dunedin (Port Chalmers) (New Zealand); Akaroa (New Zealand); Wellington (New Zealand); Napier(New Zealand); Tauranga (Rotorua) (New Zealand); Auckland (New Zealand); DISEMBARK Sydney (Australia)

The second is this:

CRUISE PORTS EMBARK Sydney (Australia); Eden(Australia); Burnie (Tasmania) (Australia); Melbourne(Australia); Kangaroo Island (Australia); Adelaide(Australia); DISEMBARK Sydney (Australia)

November 30-December 23

Norwegian Jewel

I've never been to that part of the world so any advice would be very welcome.

Thanks!

The crossing from NZ to AU can be rough, often is but quite often isn't too. The first time we did this I was very disappointed because I wanted spectacular seas (of the rough variety) and the gods were not accomodating; we're having another go next January and I'm hoping to get what I want this time.

Ships allow a lot longer for the crossing than they require at normal cruising speed and they keep this time as a margin for being able to slow the ship down to allow a smoother ride if the seas are very rough.

So long as you book a large modern ship (so avoid P&O Australia) the crossing will likely be pretty uneventful.

Beyond that crossing the waters are very likely to be calm.

The first leg of our trip is this:CRUISE PORTSEMBARKSydney (Australia); Melbourne(Australia); Dunedin (Port Chalmers) (New Zealand); Akaroa (New Zealand); Wellington (New Zealand); Napier(New Zealand); Tauranga (Rotorua) (New Zealand); Auckland (New Zealand); DISEMBARKSydney (Australia)

The second is this:

CRUISE PORTSEMBARKSydney (Australia); Eden(Australia); Burnie (Tasmania) (Australia); Melbourne(Australia); Kangaroo Island (Australia); Adelaide(Australia); DISEMBARKSydney (Australia)

November 30-December 23

Norwegian Jewel

I've never been to that part of the world so any advice would be very welcome.

Thanks!

One piece of advice watch out for The Guts on the 2nd leg.

Another enjoy yourself.

The Tasman sea, the bit between Aus and NZ, is reputed to be one of the most unpredictable ocean areas in the world. My source of information is my friend the retired BHP ships 1st engineer.

A December crossing Auckland to Sydney not so good. Hard to predict

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The first leg of our trip is this:CRUISE PORTSEMBARKSydney (Australia); Melbourne(Australia); Dunedin (Port Chalmers) (New Zealand); Akaroa (New Zealand); Wellington (New Zealand); Napier(New Zealand); Tauranga (Rotorua) (New Zealand); Auckland (New Zealand); DISEMBARKSydney (Australia)

The second is this:

CRUISE PORTSEMBARKSydney (Australia); Eden(Australia); Burnie (Tasmania) (Australia); Melbourne(Australia); Kangaroo Island (Australia); Adelaide(Australia); DISEMBARKSydney (Australia)

November 30-December 23

Norwegian Jewel

I've never been to that part of the world so any advice would be very welcome.

Thanks!

Nice itineraries.

The Tasman sea, the bit between Aus and NZ, is reputed to be one of the most unpredictable ocean areas in the world. My source of information is my friend the retired BHP ships 1st engineer.

This is mainly due to the Tasman being a meeting point of the Pacific and the Southern Oceans and having currents of varying temperatures meeting along with varied sea depths in the Bass Strait and the Tasman.