Le Laperouse - cruise tracking

[onlyslightlymad]

The Ponant ship Le Laperouse is on her way to Auckland.  It's such fun to track her progress even though I am not booked on her.  I look forward to hearing reviews from people who are.

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, onlyslightlymad said:

The Ponant ship Le Laperouse is on her way to Auckland.  It's such fun to track her progress even though I am not booked on her.  I look forward to hearing reviews from people who are.

She will do Kiwis only trips.

[onlyslightlymad]

4 minutes ago, NSWP said:

She will do Kiwis only trips.

Yes I know and jolly expensive too.  Still fun to track her progress though.

[NSWP]

25 minutes ago, onlyslightlymad said:

Yes I know and jolly expensive too.  Still fun to track her progress though.

Yes, $1000 a day job. Must be plenty of well heeled NZ Sheep Farmers booked on Ponant for her NZ trips.

[onlyslightlymad]

More likely to be dairy farmers these days.  

 

[lissie]

Direct competition for Heritage Expeditions - which isn't cheap either. There is quite a strong " support local business" ethos in NZ at the moment so I'll be curious to see how they go. I tried to respond to their FB ads - but the Ponant website doesn't seem to know they are cruising in NZ ! 

[onlyslightlymad]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

Direct competition for Heritage Expeditions - which isn't cheap either. There is quite a strong " support local business" ethos in NZ at the moment so I'll be curious to see how they go. I tried to respond to their FB ads - but the Ponant website doesn't seem to know they are cruising in NZ ! 

I contacted my travel agent and she sent me all the info.  Two cruises in Feb but the March departures are all chartered.  Kiwis only (obv).  Not suitable for me because of price and I have no holidays in Feb but I'm interested to hear about them.  I shall live vicariously through the experiences of others.

[lissie]

2 minutes ago, onlyslightlymad said:

I contacted my travel agent and she sent me all the info.  Two cruises in Feb but the March departures are all chartered.  Kiwis only (obv).  Not suitable for me because of price and I have no holidays in Feb but I'm interested to hear about them.  I shall live vicariously through the experiences of others.

Heritage has  March departures https://www.heritage-expeditions.com/calendar/

[onlyslightlymad]

10 minutes ago, lissie said:

Heritage has  March departures https://www.heritage-expeditions.com/calendar/

I will check them out but I'm heading back to work and no holidays for a while.  All good.  The anticipation is part of the fun.

[onlyslightlymad]

I was supposed to be on a Celebrity cruise now but have moved it to next January.  Out of Sydney up to the islands and back.  I am doubtful that it will go ahead though or, if it does, that our borders will be open to allow me to go to Aus.

[lissie]

15 hours ago, onlyslightlymad said:

I was supposed to be on a Celebrity cruise now but have moved it to next January.  Out of Sydney up to the islands and back.  I am doubtful that it will go ahead though or, if it does, that our borders will be open to allow me to go to Aus.

I expect our borders to at least some of Australia will be open by April 

[onlyslightlymad]

12 minutes ago, lissie said:

I expect our borders to at least some of Australia will be open by April 

I hope you're right Lissie.  I'm a little more sceptical.  Before this can happen the Aussies will need to eliminate community transmission to the satisfaction of our health authorities.  Another problem with the Celebrity cruise we have booked is that it goes to Noumea and French Polynesia are not doing well at the moment.  A cruise that only goes to Australia might be more feasible.  I like the Azamara one that is NZ intensive and Norfolk Island (if Azamara is still a going concern next year).  

[lissie]

11 minutes ago, onlyslightlymad said:

I hope you're right Lissie.  I'm a little more sceptical.  Before this can happen the Aussies will need to eliminate community transmission to the satisfaction of our health authorities.  Another problem with the Celebrity cruise we have booked is that it goes to Noumea and French Polynesia are not doing well at the moment.  A cruise that only goes to Australia might be more feasible.  I like the Azamara one that is NZ intensive and Norfolk Island (if Azamara is still a going concern next year).  

Yes I completely agree re Noumea and French Polynesia - that's far more problematical.  We've just come back from a southern NZ cruise - but that's it really for us for local cruising - I cruise to see distant places - and there's nowhere much I haven't seen in NZ  or Australia. 

 

Maybe a land-based holiday on Hamilton Isl this winter 

[MicCanberra]

I hope it all goes well.