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#1
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Advice?
My wife and I have just booked our first cruise ever, 14 days
Sydney-Auckland embarking on 18 November 09. We will have whatever is left of the 18th after a flight from the US and the 19th until 1800 to see Sydney. Then to Eden, AUS for ten hours, on to Hobart, a couple of days at sea then seven ports in NZ, culminating in Auckland on 02 Dec. This is our "56th wedding anniversary and what the hell are we saving it for?" adventure. Does anyone who has made a similar cruise have any suggestions on what to skip or not to miss at various ports? There are several excursions listed for each port and at this time we don't have the first clue about what is good and what is a waste of time. We will, however, learn; hopefully starting here. Unlimited shore excursions are included free in our cruise package with Regents but I figure that one per port is most likely all that we can squeeze in if we want to get a little time to wander around and catch some local sights and sounds. Is that a reasonable assumption given 10 hours in each port save one? We are both well into our 70's and reasonably mobile, no walkers or canes, but do like our rest periods. We're not mountain climbers, however. Any suggestions on excursions, what to take or not take, whatever will be most welcome. |
#2
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Advice?
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#3
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Advice?
Thank you, Dillon.
We don't yet have our airline schedule but a bit of online browsing tells me that almost all LAX originating flights arrive SYD in the general neighborhood of 7:00 AM so that's what we are anticipating. If we arrive on the 18th we'll go straight to the ship, any day(s) earlier and we will stay at The Observatory. We live in Copperas Cove, about 80 miles north of you. There is a BoA here so I'll check them out. I was thinking of getting some AU money at LAX but airport exchages are generally some of the least favorable rates around. Right now both the AU and NZ exchange rates look very good, something like 1.45:1 for AU and 1.7:1 for NZ. |
#4
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Advice?
On 4/25/2009 9:13 AM Kenn Smith "tweaked" on too much Starbucks said:
Thank you, Dillon. We don't yet have our airline schedule but a bit of online browsing tells me that almost all LAX originating flights arrive SYD in the general neighborhood of 7:00 AM so that's what we are anticipating. If we arrive on the 18th we'll go straight to the ship, any day(s) earlier and we will stay at The Observatory. We live in Copperas Cove, about 80 miles north of you. There is a BoA here so I'll check them out. I was thinking of getting some AU money at LAX but airport exchages are generally some of the least favorable rates around. Right now both the AU and NZ exchange rates look very good, something like 1.45:1 for AU and 1.7:1 for NZ. From what I understand it's almost an 25 + hour flight from LAX to SYD. You will be frazzled if you opt to go directly from the airport to the ship. Do you really want to spend the first day on the ship totally nakkered (exhausted)? Also, there is not much wiggle room, if something comes up. Make plans to arrive the day before, so you can get some R&R before you cruise. Don't forget you will be crossing the international date line, which can add to the confusion and jet lag. If I figure things correctly, you will arrive 2 days after your departure date. So if you want to arrive on the 18th you need to depart at 7:00 am or earlier on the 16th. If you want to arrive on the 17th so you have time to get over jet lag, you will need to depart at 7:00 am or earlier on the 15th. The lowest fare excluding taxes is $762.00 USD departing on Expedia. I didn't check the return because I couldn't figure out flight times and arrival date/time. I'd opt to depart LAX on the 15th. -- ________ To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address. Brian M. Kochera "The poor dog is the firmest friend, the first to welcome the foremost to defend" - Lord Byron View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951 |
#5
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Advice?
Brian, according to Delta's and Quantas' schedules the actual air time
LAX-SYD is right at 15 hours - still a long time in an aluminum tube. Air New Zealand is longer because they go LAX to Auckland then on to Sydney. Yes, we will be tired puppies when we get to SYD. And you're correct about the two days - leave LAX late Saturday night and arrive Sydney about 8:00 Monday morning. Regents is booking our flights and we most likely will not see our schedule until about mid-August, their website says about 90 days in advance of the cruise for flight schedules, 120 days for booking excursions. We have selected our excursions and I'll try to lock them up the day the cruise is open for booking them, probably mid-July. |
#6
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Advice?
[Default] Thus spake Brian K :
On 4/25/2009 9:13 AM Kenn Smith "tweaked" on too much Starbucks said: Thank you, Dillon. We don't yet have our airline schedule but a bit of online browsing tells me that almost all LAX originating flights arrive SYD in the general neighborhood of 7:00 AM so that's what we are anticipating. If we arrive on the 18th we'll go straight to the ship, any day(s) earlier and we will stay at The Observatory. We live in Copperas Cove, about 80 miles north of you. There is a BoA here so I'll check them out. I was thinking of getting some AU money at LAX but airport exchages are generally some of the least favorable rates around. Right now both the AU and NZ exchange rates look very good, something like 1.45:1 for AU and 1.7:1 for NZ. From what I understand it's almost an 25 + hour flight from LAX to Nope, right at 14 hours. SYD. You will be frazzled if you opt to go directly from the airport to the ship. Do you really want to spend the first day on the ship totally nakkered (exhausted)? Amen to that. Also, there is not much wiggle room, if something comes up. Qantas has an excellent on time record, especially on its LAX-SYD routes. Make plans to arrive the day before, so you can get some R&R before you cruise. Don't forget you will be crossing the international date line, which can add to the confusion and jet lag. If I figure things correctly, you will arrive 2 days after your departure He knows his departure date (the 18th) and worked back from there. I think it's a 5 pm departure out of LAX on the 16th, which means the noonish AUS to LAX flight (gets in a 1pm). 17 hour time differenc, 14 hour flight. So he arrives "31 hours after he left". date. So if you want to arrive on the 18th you need to depart at 7:00 am or earlier on the 16th. If you want to arrive on the 17th so you have time to get over jet lag, you will need to depart at 7:00 am or earlier on the 15th. The lowest fare excluding taxes is $762.00 USD departing on Expedia. I didn't check the return because I couldn't figure out flight times and arrival date/time. I'd opt to depart LAX on the 15th. Yeah, that would get him in the morning of the 17th, which we both agree is the minimum to survive the trip. -- - dillon I am not invalid The RMS Titanic sank on April 15th. US income taxes are due on April 15th. Coincidence? I think not. |
#7
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Advice?
On 4/26/2009 5:12 PM Dillon Pyron "tweaked" on too much Starbucks said:
[Default] Thus spake Brian K : On 4/25/2009 9:13 AM Kenn Smith "tweaked" on too much Starbucks said: Thank you, Dillon. We don't yet have our airline schedule but a bit of online browsing tells me that almost all LAX originating flights arrive SYD in the general neighborhood of 7:00 AM so that's what we are anticipating. If we arrive on the 18th we'll go straight to the ship, any day(s) earlier and we will stay at The Observatory. We live in Copperas Cove, about 80 miles north of you. There is a BoA here so I'll check them out. I was thinking of getting some AU money at LAX but airport exchages are generally some of the least favorable rates around. Right now both the AU and NZ exchange rates look very good, something like 1.45:1 for AU and 1.7:1 for NZ. From what I understand it's almost an 25 + hour flight from LAX to Nope, right at 14 hours. SYD. You will be frazzled if you opt to go directly from the airport to the ship. Do you really want to spend the first day on the ship totally nakkered (exhausted)? Amen to that. Also, there is not much wiggle room, if something comes up. Qantas has an excellent on time record, especially on its LAX-SYD routes. Make plans to arrive the day before, so you can get some R&R before you cruise. Don't forget you will be crossing the international date line, which can add to the confusion and jet lag. If I figure things correctly, you will arrive 2 days after your departure He knows his departure date (the 18th) and worked back from there. I think it's a 5 pm departure out of LAX on the 16th, which means the noonish AUS to LAX flight (gets in a 1pm). 17 hour time differenc, 14 hour flight. So he arrives "31 hours after he left". date. So if you want to arrive on the 18th you need to depart at 7:00 am or earlier on the 16th. If you want to arrive on the 17th so you have time to get over jet lag, you will need to depart at 7:00 am or earlier on the 15th. The lowest fare excluding taxes is $762.00 USD departing on Expedia. I didn't check the return because I couldn't figure out flight times and arrival date/time. I'd opt to depart LAX on the 15th. Yeah, that would get him in the morning of the 17th, which we both agree is the minimum to survive the trip. Dylan you are right about the flight time. The international date line, plus Expedia's arrival time calculator threw me off. Even though the actual flight time may be 14 to 18 hours, it still takes 2 days to get to SYD. Considering the date line, on the return would he arrive two days before he left? Or does it work that way? -- ________ To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address. Brian M. Kochera "The poor dog is the firmest friend, the first to welcome the foremost to defend" - Lord Byron View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951 |
#8
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Advice?
Tentative schedule has us out of AUS to DFW on AA 2:10 PM Nov 14th. AA
to LAX arriving about 6:00 PM, board QA 12 for a 10:40 PM departure, arr SYD 8:15AM Nov 16th. That gives us two nights in The Observatory before boarding the SS Mariner. That should work. The price at the Observatory, even with Virtuoso.com deals, is enough to stand your hair up but, what the hell, we only live once and I don't think we have ever stayed in a 5 star hotel. I like the amenities - we will be met at the airport by a BMW touring car and delivered to the pier by same. I can live with that. |
#9
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Advice?
On 4/27/2009 7:56 PM Kenn Smith "tweaked" on too much Starbucks said:
Tentative schedule has us out of AUS to DFW on AA 2:10 PM Nov 14th. AA to LAX arriving about 6:00 PM, board QA 12 for a 10:40 PM departure, arr SYD 8:15AM Nov 16th. That gives us two nights in The Observatory before boarding the SS Mariner. That should work. The price at the Observatory, even with Virtuoso.com deals, is enough to stand your hair up but, what the hell, we only live once and I don't think we have ever stayed in a 5 star hotel. I like the amenities - we will be met at the airport by a BMW touring car and delivered to the pier by same. I can live with that. That sounds very nice indeed. When you get back home, kindly post a trip report. Is the hotel really a former observatory? Or is it a working observatory where you get pampered while being shown the celestial bodies - uh by the pool Later on you get to look at the stars and planets? Do post a link for The Observatory, so those of us who can't afford to go can turn the appropriate shade of green as a hedge against sunburn at the nude beach in Sandy Hook NJ? -- ________ To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address. Brian M. Kochera "The poor dog is the firmest friend, the first to welcome the foremost to defend" - Lord Byron View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951 |
#10
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Advice?
[Default] Thus spake Brian K :
On 4/26/2009 5:12 PM Dillon Pyron "tweaked" on too much Starbucks said: [Default] Thus spake Brian K : On 4/25/2009 9:13 AM Kenn Smith "tweaked" on too much Starbucks said: Thank you, Dillon. We don't yet have our airline schedule but a bit of online browsing tells me that almost all LAX originating flights arrive SYD in the general neighborhood of 7:00 AM so that's what we are anticipating. If we arrive on the 18th we'll go straight to the ship, any day(s) earlier and we will stay at The Observatory. We live in Copperas Cove, about 80 miles north of you. There is a BoA here so I'll check them out. I was thinking of getting some AU money at LAX but airport exchages are generally some of the least favorable rates around. Right now both the AU and NZ exchange rates look very good, something like 1.45:1 for AU and 1.7:1 for NZ. From what I understand it's almost an 25 + hour flight from LAX to Nope, right at 14 hours. SYD. You will be frazzled if you opt to go directly from the airport to the ship. Do you really want to spend the first day on the ship totally nakkered (exhausted)? Amen to that. Also, there is not much wiggle room, if something comes up. Qantas has an excellent on time record, especially on its LAX-SYD routes. Make plans to arrive the day before, so you can get some R&R before you cruise. Don't forget you will be crossing the international date line, which can add to the confusion and jet lag. If I figure things correctly, you will arrive 2 days after your departure He knows his departure date (the 18th) and worked back from there. I think it's a 5 pm departure out of LAX on the 16th, which means the noonish AUS to LAX flight (gets in a 1pm). 17 hour time differenc, 14 hour flight. So he arrives "31 hours after he left". date. So if you want to arrive on the 18th you need to depart at 7:00 am or earlier on the 16th. If you want to arrive on the 17th so you have time to get over jet lag, you will need to depart at 7:00 am or earlier on the 15th. The lowest fare excluding taxes is $762.00 USD departing on Expedia. I didn't check the return because I couldn't figure out flight times and arrival date/time. I'd opt to depart LAX on the 15th. Yeah, that would get him in the morning of the 17th, which we both agree is the minimum to survive the trip. Dylan you are right about the flight time. The international date line, plus Expedia's arrival time calculator threw me off. Even though the actual flight time may be 14 to 18 hours, it still takes 2 days to get to SYD. Considering the date line, on the return would he arrive two days before he left? Or does it work that way? I left Sydney at 9:30 am on Monday and arrived in LAX at about 1 pm on Monday. Hosed. Lady sitting next to me was trying to cough up a lung. Three days later my doctor stuck a foot long cotton swab up my nose and said (ten minutes later) "you have the flu". -- - dillon I am not invalid The RMS Titanic sank on April 15th. US income taxes are due on April 15th. Coincidence? I think not. |
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