Pre-Cruise Tour in Australia with Holland America

[cruisingrammie]

Hey everyone!

We are considering doing a 3 day pre-cruise tour to Sydney and the Blue Mountains with Holland America. Our cruise isn't until January 2018, We have planned to go 3 days early to see Sydney, but we are wondering if any of you previous cruisers with Holland America have done their pre-cruise tour? If so, would you please give us some feedback on your experience?

[BSinPNS]

There are several high quality vendors that offer one day Blue Mountain tours in a mini-van. We used Blue Diamond and were quite pleased. Additionally we got to see Featherdale Wildlife Park and rode the riverboat back to Circular Quay. Picked us up from our hotel. Plus you can probably do much better on hotel arrangements on your own. Good luck and enjoy the wonderful sites.

[RMLincoln]

We spent a week in Sydney, so much to do and see! We went one day to the Blue Mountains - took the train from downtown which was included in our multi-day transit passes. All very easy, got off the train and bought a day tour there at the Tourist Information building just outside the station, lots of options were available, credit cards gladly accepted.

 

The transit passes also included the all the ferries, buses, trams and the local metro (subway) train.

 

Have not used the HAL tour, we're more "do it yourself" type, especially in such a user friendly place as Sydney. But if you prefer escorted tours I'd have no doubt that it's high quality because HAL will hire the local tour companies who have perfected these for tourists.

 

 

Any hotel in Sydney will have tons of brochures advertising tours including the popular Blue Mountains trip. You could easily wait until you are there to see how you feel, what the weather is like, etc.

Love Sydney! Hope you enjoy it fully. m--

[GradUT]

I used to live in Australia and have been to Sydney many, many times. It's very easy to plan a 3-day visit on your own, including a guided tour to the Blue Mountains (or even a self-guided tour by taking the train to Katoomba.)

 

The Australia forum on TripAdvisor is a wealth of information. Start by reading the "Top Questions" available on the full site, but not the mobile site.

[EDLOS]

I used to live in Australia and have been to Sydney many, many times. It's very easy to plan a 3-day visit on your own, including a guided tour to the Blue Mountains (or even a self-guided tour by taking the train to Katoomba.)

 

The Australia forum on TripAdvisor is a wealth of information. Start by reading the "Top Questions" available on the full site, but not the mobile site.[/quote

 

And you will probably do it for about half the price of what HAL will charge you. You have plenty of time to plan as well, get your hotel location where you want it, etc.

[iancal]

We did the same. Sydney is a great city, easy to get around. Lots of day tour options, ferry rides, or do it yourself tours. I hopped on train and went to the Blue Hills. Then took the HOHO.

Maybe not the best but DW was ill and I decided to do it by myself at the last minute.

 

The OP is probably correct. IF you book hotels and a three day tour through HAL you will probably pay double what you should. This has been our experience.

 

Sydney is a very nice city, Australians are very hospitable.

[cruisingrammie]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the responses! DH and I decided to do Sydney on our own! I've been there, but he hasn't yet. We normally do most (if not all) excursions independent of the cruise line (whichever one we happen to be on :)). We've been doing a lot of reading and found a nice but much less expensive hotel in The Rocks area and will take full advantage of the HOHO bus and cruise. Thanks again!