Princess Trans Pacific

[Tedferg]

We were looking at a trans pacific cruise as a bucket list item. Pre Covid19 there were two itineraries starting in Sidney, one ended in Hawaii the other in Seattle. Perhaps a third itinerary starting in New Zealand that was a subset of one from Sidney. The benefit to us was only one long flight to Sidney. There does not seem to be a similar option now. Celebrity and HAL list 'Transpacific' Princess does not have such a category. I would have though this was an attractive itinerary.

[pcur]

17 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

We were looking at a trans pacific cruise as a bucket list item. Pre Covid19 there were two itineraries starting in Sidney, one ended in Hawaii the other in Seattle. Perhaps a third itinerary starting in New Zealand that was a subset of one from Sidney. The benefit to us was only one long flight to Sidney. There does not seem to be a similar option now. Celebrity and HAL list 'Transpacific' Princess does not have such a category. I would have though this was an attractive itinerary.

 

In 2022 many of Princess' longer South Pacific itineraries are starting in Papeete and ending in Sydney.

 

Also, the segment of their World Cruise out of Los Angeles, going to Hawaii, Tahiti, NZ, and probably ending in Sydney is supposed to be available Sept/October this year for booking

 

The best way to find them is search on the longer duration, leaving from Los Angeles and Papeete (listed under Austaralia), and the months of Jan-Mar 2022.  You will see the WC segment itinerary under the 97 day WC .

 

Are you in Sacramento, or one of the burbs?  We are in Elk Grove.

[Tedferg]

Thanks pcur I will narrow my search - any thoughts on best time of year ? We are north of Sacramento 'active living' community.  Also I had not thought of looking at segments of a World Cruise.

Edited August 30, 2020 by Tedferg

[Ombud]

I would love one from my home (SF) to Australia but cannot find it either. Maybe I'm just dense

[casofilia]

Try a search on Sea Princess; there are 41 cruises available.  There are 22 that are more than 16 days.

 

That will give you a start.

[pcur]

1 hour ago, Ombud said:

I would love one from my home (SF) to Australia but cannot find it either. Maybe I'm just dense

 

Look at SF departure port and 9-15 days, no date.  Mexico, Hawaii, Panama Canal

Edited August 30, 2020 by pcur

[pcur]

2 hours ago, Tedferg said:

Thanks pcur I will narrow my search - any thoughts on best time of year ? We are north of Sacramento 'active living' community.  Also I had not thought of looking at segments of a World Cruise.

 

Look at the cruise dates, and then check the monthly averages for Tahiti, NZ, etc.

 

https://weather.com/weather/monthly/l/e9c3b6330b34a1435d042d152f04b91aa2ef3c174cadac7d08a8c2189b76e944

[Ombud]

11 minutes ago, pcur said:

Look at SF departure port and 9-15 days, no date.  Mexico, Hawaii, Panama Canal

Still hoping for a Transpacific like the Transatlantics. Maybe another cruise line

[billco]

We have cruises booked on these:

17 Day | Alaska & North Pacific Crossing
Ship: Sun Princess
Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan
Departure Date: May 02, 2021

 

16 Day | Japan & North Pacific Crossing
Ship: Royal Princess
Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska
Departure Date: Sep 04, 2021

[Tedferg]

1 minute ago, billco said:

We have cruises booked on these:

17 Day | Alaska & North Pacific Crossing
Ship: Sun Princess
Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan
Departure Date: May 02, 2021

 

16 Day | Japan & North Pacific Crossing
Ship: Royal Princess
Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska
Departure Date: Sep 04, 2021

Thanks billco - Sidney is on the bucket list and we would like to add Tahiti etc. DW has resisted Sidney because of long flight, I did it once on a Business trip. Hey maybe time to look at Business Class Air !

[billco]

1 minute ago, Tedferg said:

Thanks billco - Sidney is on the bucket list and we would like to add Tahiti etc. DW has resisted Sidney because of long flight, I did it once on a Business trip. Hey maybe time to look at Business Class Air !

Sorry. We had a cruise booked on the Regal Princess next April from Auckland to Seattle, but it was cancelled. Two years ago we did a round trip of New Zealand followed by a TP from Sidney to Yokohama on The Diamond Princess. Great cruise!

[casofilia]

@Ombud

 

Still hoping for a Transpacific like the Transatlantics. Maybe another cruise line

 

NCL also does one at times but nothing available at present.   The problem, of course, is that Australia and New Zealand will have their borders closed for quite a long time yet.

[Tedferg]

5 minutes ago, billco said:

Sorry. We had a cruise booked on the Regal Princess next April from Auckland to Seattle, but it was cancelled. 

That is the one we looked at except with a start from Sidney.

[casofilia]

@Ombud

 

I know that Celebrity also does a Transpacific as there was a Celebrity ship in Honolulu, when we were departing from there to do an NCL Transpacific, also doing a Transpacific to Auckland and Sydney. 

 

This is all I can find

https://www.celebritycruises.com/itinerary-details/18-night-hawaii-tahiti-and-bora-bora-from-honolulu-oahu-hawaii?packageID=EC18K040&sDT=2021-09-29&cCD=CO

[Hlitner]

We should remember that the entire industry is in turmoil.  When it comes to Transpacifics and anything in Asia, Australia and NZ there is no telling when ports will again welcome cruise ships.    New Zealand is not only closed to all cruise ships but their current Prime Minister has talked about not allowing any cruise ship until there is a vaccine.  As to Australia, they are also closed to cruise ships with no indication when they will again welcome vessels.   We have done several Transpacifics on HAL and that line will resume those cruises once the port restrictions are lifted.  What is interesting about HAL is that they currently have the Noordam scheduled to begin a season of Asian cruise in December (from Singapore) but do not have any transpacific to get that ship to Singapore.  So it is likely they will put the Noordam into warm or cold layup until December.  That particular ship is now cruising off the coast of Sri Lanka (we assume taking some crew members home).

 

Hank

[Ombud]

Thank you @casofilia. I'll look into NCL and Celebrity once this is over. Perhaps I can find a Trans-Pacific ending in SF!! Or a B2B ending here. Flights to Aukland and Australia aren't bad ..... at least they're nonstop 

Edited August 30, 2020 by Ombud

[Mud_Shark]

We were booked on Holland America for a transpacific from seattle to sydney and then on to New Zealand - that went via hawaii, fiji and New Caledonia.  Fantastic itinerary, lots of port stops and good price.  However, it was cancelled by COVID.  The reverse itinerary is still for sail in March April from Sydney, but I have my doubts it will sail either, and the price is up.  

The Fall 2021 itinerary for such a sailing has not been posted, and I think HAL is holding back on the big itineraries until they see how things will fall out.

 

We are loyal Princess cruisers, but HAL had far greater transpacific itineraries this year.  For 2021 we have simplified our cruise plans and will wait a year or two more before looking at something like this again.

 

Don

[Tedferg]

1 hour ago, casofilia said:

@Ombud

 

I know that Celebrity also does a Transpacific as there was a Celebrity ship in Honolulu, when we were departing from there to do an NCL Transpacific, also doing a Transpacific to Auckland and Sydney. 

 

This is all I can find

https://www.celebritycruises.com/itinerary-details/18-night-hawaii-tahiti-and-bora-bora-from-honolulu-oahu-hawaii?packageID=EC18K040&sDT=2021-09-29&cCD=CO

Great itinerary and nice date - thank you !

[Kelownabccan]

We are looking at the Sun Princess to Alaska on May 25th.....the Sun is suppose to come to the West Coast from Australia and Asia at the beginning of May.......wonder if it will ever show up to do the cruise if Asia and Australia are not letting cruises go.....probably not even worry now but nice to think about a cruise to use the FCC up and easy to get to for us.....

[pcur]

3 hours ago, Tedferg said:

Thanks billco - Sidney is on the bucket list and we would like to add Tahiti etc. DW has resisted Sidney because of long flight, I did it once on a Business trip. Hey maybe time to look at Business Class Air !

 

I recommend you break the flight back from Sydney, and it could cost less, too.  We have flown SYD-HNL and stayed in Honolulus for a few days.  Then, flown from there to CA.

 

Look at Jetstar for their business class seats to HNL.   I found HNL - Oakland recently for $500 pp first class on Hawaiian air.

[Waynetor]

Most World Cruse start in Florida early Jan.  If going westbound they will end up doing a LA to Sydney  segment.  This is usually about 28 days.  The 2022 voyages are now available and the 2023  will start to open up late winter/early sprig 2021.

 

We did a Transpacific on the Star Princess (I think it was 2010) The ship had been doing summer cruises to Alaska from San Fran which ended in Sept.  The ship was scheduled to spend the winter dong cruises around the south part of South America but it was too cold there to go there then so it was scheduled  fill in the time in between by doing a 30 day T/P for San Fran to Sydney and 30 days back to LA before starting the winter voyages.  So may want to check what ships do after the Alaska season.

[caribill]

6 hours ago, Mud_Shark said:

 

We are loyal Princess cruisers, but HAL had far greater transpacific itineraries this year.  For 2021 we have simplified our cruise plans and will wait a year or two more before looking at something like this again.

 

 

 

 

Many of the ports on a TP route from Australia to the USA do not have the tourist infrastructure to handle the number of passengers on the size ships Princess would likely use for that itinerary.

 

HAL has, in general, smaller ships that Princess has, the Pacific Princess being an exception.

[2 cruises a year]

9 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We should remember that the entire industry is in turmoil.  When it comes to Transpacifics and anything in Asia, Australia and NZ there is no telling when ports will again welcome cruise ships.    New Zealand is not only closed to all cruise ships but their current Prime Minister has talked about not allowing any cruise ship until there is a vaccine.  As to Australia, they are also closed to cruise ships with no indication when they will again welcome vessels.   We have done several Transpacifics on HAL and that line will resume those cruises once the port restrictions are lifted.  What is interesting about HAL is that they currently have the Noordam scheduled to begin a season of Asian cruise in December (from Singapore) but do not have any transpacific to get that ship to Singapore.  So it is likely they will put the Noordam into warm or cold layup until December.  That particular ship is now cruising off the coast of Sri Lanka (we assume taking some crew members home).

 

Hank

 

This is very true.  What has been may never be again.  That being said, in the past, Princess has had what they called "Circle Pacific" Cruises.  They basically start in the U.S. and circle the Pacific. Hawaii, South Pacific, Australia/New Zealand, Asia, North Pacific crossing back to the States.  There are segments you could hope to look for.  I have been tempted to do the Australia back to the States segment, and now regret that I missed them.  We like to "fly away and cruise home".  Why ruin a nice cruise vacation with a long flight home.

We did a world cruise segment from Sydney back to New York City that you might be able to find again.

They also have done repositioning cruises from Asia back to the States for the Alaska season.  We have taken two of these.  I would do them again!  One from Beijing to Vancouver, and one from Singapore to Vancouver.

When looking for cruises, I also search all cruises, and sort by itinerary.  It is very broad, but you can scroll through pretty quickly looking for something that catches your eye.  For example in your case, you can scroll past a lot of Caribbean cruises quickly.  You could narrow the search a little by selecting 16+ days, but I feel that the broader the search, the better to start with.  You just never know how Princess may title a cruise that interests you.

For now, you might try these ideas, and hope things start improving over time.

Good Luck (to us all).

Edited August 31, 2020 by 2 cruises a year

[jagoffee]

9 hours ago, caribill said:

 

 

Many of the ports on a TP route from Australia to the USA do not have the tourist infrastructure to handle the number of passengers on the size ships Princess would likely use for that itinerary.

 

HAL has, in general, smaller ships that Princess has, the Pacific Princess being an exception.

Does Princess have Transpacific repositioning cruises?  Or doesn’t Princess typically move ships across the Pacific?  I enjoyed a Transpacific repositioning cruise on Celebrity’s Solstice ship from HNL to Sydney.  They have this cruise in reverse as well.  It is a repositioning Cruise, just like the typical TA.
 

I did read that Bora Bora will be limiting the number of total passengers that can stop.  

[Tedferg]

Thanks for all informative responses. The cruise I mentioned was on Pacific Princess. Breaking flight is a good idea.