GUT2407 Posted March 12, 2016 #1 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Years ago Princess used to sail to Cooktown every year. I haven't seen a cruise that is Syd to Syd, that goes there n ages, anyone know of any? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruise flotsam Posted March 12, 2016 #2 Share Posted March 12, 2016 I used to live near Cooktown. Often the cruise ships could not tender into Cooktown as it was too windy and therefore unsafe so Cooktown was missed. Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUT2407 Posted March 12, 2016 Author #3 Share Posted March 12, 2016 I used to live near Cooktown. Often the cruise ships could not tender into Cooktown as it was too windy and therefore unsafe so Cooktown was missed. Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app My family were early settlers of Cooktown and would love to get there, can't fly and too far for me to drive. We were booked for there on one Princess cruise way back when but hit the tail end of a Cyclone so had to miss. Where were you near Cooktown? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Kruzer Posted March 12, 2016 #4 Share Posted March 12, 2016 I think it was one of those ports of call that sounded like a good idea at the time........but when the conditions were right and people could get ashore they complained that there was nothing there...:eek: I do remember at that time our TA talking us out a cruise that went there and suggesting another cruise instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OzKiwiJJ Posted March 12, 2016 #5 Share Posted March 12, 2016 It's a very small place but there is quite a bit to see, certainly enough to fill in a day. We drove up there for a few nights on a Cairns / Port Douglas holiday some years ago. There were a couple of interesting museums, I think. We also did a river trip for a couple of hours and saw two decent-sized crocs. A short distance outside of Cooktown is the weird and rather spooky Black Mountain. A visit to the iconic Lion'd Den pub, also a few kms outside of the town, is also worth doing. The latter two would really need to be done as part of an excursion. I don't think there is much of a harbour there so tendering could be a problem. Cooktown got hammered by one of the big cyclones a few years ago also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUT2407 Posted March 12, 2016 Author #6 Share Posted March 12, 2016 It's a very small place but there is quite a bit to see, certainly enough to fill in a day. We drove up there for a few nights on a Cairns / Port Douglas holiday some years ago. There were a couple of interesting museums, I think. We also did a river trip for a couple of hours and saw two decent-sized crocs. A short distance outside of Cooktown is the weird and rather spooky Black Mountain. A visit to the iconic Lion'd Den pub, also a few kms outside of the town, is also worth doing. The latter two would really need to be done as part of an excursion. I don't think there is much of a harbour there so tendering could be a problem. Cooktown got hammered by one of the big cyclones a few years ago also. The museums and river are what I want to see. One of the cyclones that hammered the town stopped us getting in. Someone told me one line still goes there, just can't find who. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Kruzer Posted March 12, 2016 #7 Share Posted March 12, 2016 The museums and river are what I want to see. One of the cyclones that hammered the town stopped us getting in. Someone told me one line still goes there, just can't find who. Pacific Eden and Jewel call there.. Try this link.. https://www.pocruises.co.nz/destinations/australia/australia/cooktown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUT2407 Posted March 12, 2016 Author #8 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Pacific Eden and Jewel call there..Try this link.. https://www.pocruises.co.nz/destinations/australia/australia/cooktown Thanks David, just couldn't find it anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUT2407 Posted March 12, 2016 Author #9 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Looks like everything they're offering is one way. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OzKiwiJJ Posted March 12, 2016 #10 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Gut, if you can't get there on a cruise you might be able to get there by train and car. Check this out https://www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au/RailServices/Pages/spirit-of-queensland.aspx Although the train trip could be a bit rough on your back. Australian railway lines aren't the smoothest in the world. We did that trip by train some years ago, on the old Sunlander, which had pullman-style sleeping cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUT2407 Posted March 12, 2016 Author #11 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Gut, if you can't get there on a cruise you might be able to get there by train and car. Check this out https://www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au/RailServices/Pages/spirit-of-queensland.aspx Although the train trip could be a bit rough on your back. Australian railway lines aren't the smoothest in the world. We did that trip by train some years ago, on the old Sunlander, which had pullman-style sleeping cars. I'm just not sure I could handle that one at the moment, but thanks maybe in a year or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinbadThePorter Posted March 12, 2016 #12 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Looks like everything they're offering is one way. :( There were a couple of Brisbane-Brisbane Queensland Coast cruises to Cairns then Cooktown late last year. By P&O Oz I think. Nothing in the future that I can see though. I like Cooktown. Fantastic river, frontier town, great views from the point. I'd far rather go there than an overpriced tourist trap like Port Douglas, which seems to be where they all go now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUT2407 Posted March 12, 2016 Author #13 Share Posted March 12, 2016 There were a couple of Brisbane-Brisbane Queensland Coast cruises to Cairns then Cooktown late last year. By P&O Oz I think. Nothing in the future that I can see though. I like Cooktown. Fantastic river, frontier town, great views from the point. I'd far rather go there than an overpriced tourist trap like Port Douglas, which seems to be where they all go now. Thanks I'll have to keep a closer ye on P&O ven though I'm not a big fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted March 13, 2016 #14 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Plenty of ways to get there but most if not all involve time and money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSWP Posted March 13, 2016 #15 Share Posted March 13, 2016 (edited) Cooktown was on our Sun Princess circumnavigation itinerary in 2008. Could not get ashore, too rough for tendering. Exmouth and Geraldton the same, disappointing to miss 3 ports. Such is life on the high seas. Edited March 13, 2016 by NSWP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted March 13, 2016 #16 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Cooktown was on our Sun Princess circumnavigation itinerary in 2008. Could not get ashore, too rough for tendering. Exmouth and Geraldton the same, disappointing to miss 3 ports. Such is life on the high seas. Yes, missing ports are just one of the disappointments when cruising although luckily, I like so many of the good things.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinbadThePorter Posted March 13, 2016 #17 Share Posted March 13, 2016 (edited) Thanks I'll have to keep a closer ye on P&O ven though I'm not a big fan. Some more info on cruises to Cooktown. http://www.cairnspost.com.au/business/cooktown-abuzz-about-business-and-tourism-ahead-of-3-cruise-ship-arrivals-in-2016/news-story/b77e1d87b39dfc6b0a9b4e2bff90785e "The town welcomed French-built cruise liner Azamara Quest on January 2, but it is now gearing up for the vessel’s return voyage on February 20 – before MS Insignia and P&O Australia giant *Pacific Eden anchor off the town in May and September." It also looks like those cruises I was talking about from late last year didn't get into port. "We’ve had two ships that couldn’t come ashore because they were washed out over the Christmas period" As an alternative there is also this: http://www.seaswift.com.au/download/cruise/MV-Trinity-Bay-Cruise-Brochure.pdf Not Cooktown, but Cairns to Torres Strait on a commercial vessel. Edited March 13, 2016 by SinbadThePorter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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