Cruise to Australia .... What Cities Are Must See?

Question

I am planning a cruise to Australia for early next year, like February or March, most likely on a Celebrity or Royal Caribbean ship and I need to know what cities I should definitely include in the visit other than Sydney and what do the other cities that I should see have in the way of attractions?

Also, most of the cruises that I see have more stops in New Zealand than in Australia. Why and what is there to see in New Zealand that results in more stops there than in Australia.?

I don't need any answers or help with the cruise part; have a been on many and know my way around. But I do need help on the tours and attractions part. And I am not interested in you referring me to a web site as I can do that too. I want personal knowledge.

Answer 1

What no travel agent will tell you is that for years Australia & still has is wild fires. Causing water shortages and many other problems. They do not have the people nor is the area the same as our West Coast. These fires have effect many areas there and in some they do not want anyone near them. New Zealand is a beautiful place and many parts alot like Alaska.

Answer 2

Melbourne and Sydney are good. And Queensland has lots of awesome theme parks.

Answer 3

I spent a month in Australia last year and here's what I'd recommend:

Sydney

- Opera House.  Truly one of the great wonders of the modern world.  Book a tour beforehand; getting the cultural and historical perspective is absolutely worth it.  If you can, see a show.

- Harbor-view restaurants.  There are several along the water between the pier and the opera house (which is shaped like a horse-shoe).  They are expensive, but very good.

- Botanical Garden.  Really lovely and calming.  Amazing plants, and an astonishing colony of massive wild bats.

- Sydney Harbor Bridge.  Great just to see. For around $120 you can also climb it.  Not my thing, but very popular.

Melbourne: This is the "second city" of Australia.  Supposedly not to be missed.  Sadly I missed it (was there for work, not vacation).  I'm told it's smaller but more cultured than Sydney.  

Brisbane: It's a cute Victorian city.  There are small-boat river tours that are supposedly good (but not my thing).  Eat some sand crabs at a nice restaurant by the water, they're the local delicacy.  There's a casino.  (*yawn*)  Not a bad place to spend a day, but I wouldn't go out of your way to visit.  

(Note: There's also a cruise ship dry-dock facility in Brisbane, which might interest you, but I doubt they do public tours.)

Cairns: The best place to go for scuba diving, snorkeling and general beach-going.  The beach and the reefs are amazing.

Canberra: It's Australia's capital, but it's really small and doesn't have much going on.  Not worth going out of your way for, and since it's land-locked it would definitely be out of your way.

As for New Zealand, I suspect the reason there are more stops there is because it is so much smaller and easier to get around.  Australia is, after all, the size of Western Europe, so getting to the western cities is not easy, whereas circumnavigating New Zealand is a snap.  Plus New Zealand is stunningly beautiful -- imagine wandering through the scenery from Lord of the Rings.

Have a wonderful trip!   I am very envious!!  =)

p.s. After/during your trip, would you consider sharing your experience with us in an online Cruise Journal?  http://www.cruisesavvy.com/journals  I'm sure many people would love to read your thoughts and see any pictures you'd care to share!

Answer 4

New Zealand is a lot smaller than Australia, and, as you know, cruise ships don't like to spend too much money on fuel, so they prefer to travel relatively small distances, slowly between ports of call.

Cruising between Sydney and Melbourne is two days at sea, Australia is huge and even on a fourteen or sixteen day cruise you might only get four or five ports.

If you plan to see some of the sights and cities of Australia, you should think of adding a week or two vacation pre or post cruise.  

We were on a 3 week vacation, driving and flying, not cruising. Some places we liked.    

Sydney, Ayres Rock, Cairns (great barrier reef) and Melbourne.

Check Google maps for distances and travelling times between cities and sights in Australia.

Remember its bigger than you think.

Answer 5

My cruise only started in Sydney, then went straight to New Zealand. My favorite site to see in Sydney was the opera house and the harbor. They are right next door to each other. New Zealand we had 3 stops. We went on 2 pub tours which as you can imagine were a blast. Everyone was a happy camper on the bus back to port. New Zealand reminded me a lot of California. It was beautiful. After that we headed out to a bunch of islands in the Pacific, so I can't help you more then that. It was a repositioning cruise that ended in LA (29 days). Keep up the cruising tinkertoy. You have a wealth of experience.

Answer 6

Oh my gosh!  Tinkertoy asked a question!  This is... your 4th right?

How about Sydney and Melbourne those sound nice :)  You should see the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Answer 7

Brisbane... make an attempt to get off the beaten path. There is alot to see and I would suggest trying to take in the local scene not the touristy stuff.

hope you have fun..

You are invited to join the hottest cruise group on Yahoo

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cruiseaddi...

Answer 8

You should go to Melbourne, see the MCG, Eureka Skytower - the tallest building in the southern hemisphere or go on one of the Old Melbourne Gaol tours