With Reuben Goossens

Cruise’n’Travel Journalist / Cruise Reviewer

& Maritime Historian

 

Please Note: Cruise-Australia is a non-commercial and privately owned cruise site and it is NOT associated with any cruise company or travel agency! Although the author has been in the passenger shipping industry since 1960 and is currently semi-retired, but continues to write cruise and ship reviews and articles in order to better to inform cruise and ship enthusiasts and provide information for those intending a cruise in the future. Please read my statement at the bottom of the page!

 

The Results Are In

--The Best & Worst Cruise Lines of 2009--

Cruise-Australia is happy to present the official results from our 2009 survey, which has been compiled from 32,758 entries received. Our survey instructions were as follows: "According to your cruise experience please list the best Cruise Line according to their Star rating. Please only rate the cruise line within the appropriate rating, and a company you have actually sailed with during 2009. See our extensive list of cruise companies associated with each rating." Enter the “Results page.

Please Note: our Main-Page is located at: Cruise Australia.com.

 

Also: There is a list of Special LINKS at the bottom of the page

  

Site Index

NEWTauck European River Cruises

P&O Cruises Australia -             Australia’s Number ONE Cruise Company!

Pacific Dawn                                 This magnificent 70,000-ton cruise ship departs year round from Brisbane’s Portside Cruise Terminal. She became largest cruise ship ever to be permanently based in Brisbane. When she arrived in Brisbane on December 19, 2009.

Pacific Sun                                          Pacific Sun has a whole new life, having had several refits making her a much better ship, and the author has sampled her after one of these refits and frankly she was “Not bad at all!” Pacific Sun will noe be sailing annually out of Fremantle, Newcastle, Auckland New Zealand as well as Sydney, and later in 2011 she will again operated in tandem with the Pacific Dawn out of Brisbane.

Pacific Sun Reviews                      These two reviews were written by the author and there is another review by frequent cruisers Barry and Jackie Moore. It provides an excellent picture of this superbly rejuvenated cruise ship after her 2008 refit. Western Australia, Newcastle and New Zealand has something to look forward to as she offers a superb value for money cruise combined with some of the finest food and service at sea!

Pacific Jewel                                She has now joined the P&O fleet and commenced cruising out of Sydney whih is her home port. Just by looking at her, you will know that she is the identical sister to the Pacific Dawn. The only major internal differences is that this ship has had been through a number of Carnival companies hands and each have made major changed t her internally, including the tragic removal of the “Dome” which is now a massive money making machine known as the “Lotus Spa,” and fitness centre. But it is the loss of the finest lounge at sea!

Pacific Pearl                                 The new addition to the P&O Australia fleet will  be in 2010, she has visited our shores before as the P&O UK Arcadia, before that she was Princess Cruises’ Star Princess. Before entering service she will be fully refurbished in Singapore and become part of the New Zealand and Australian fleet. She will be P&O Cruises first ship to have an outdoor 7m x 4m “LED Movie Screen” with a super sound system. Pacific Pearl will first commence cruising from Auckland New Zealand in December 2010, before heading for Sydney in March 2011.

P&O/Carnival News Updates        All the latest from Carnival Corporation & plc, which includes; P&O Cruises UK, P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, Cunard Line & Costa Cruises. P&O Australia could teach them a lesson when it comes to food and entertainment!!!

P&O Celebrates 77 Years ...             in December 1932, the elegant three funnelled RMS Strathaird became first cruise ship to undertake a cruise out of Sydney. Now 77 years later, P&O Cruises Australia operates three fine modern ships out of Sydney, Brisbane as well as Fremantle, Newcastle and Auckland with a fourth ship arriving in 2010.

P&O Cruises UK -                            There is no better Cruise Company for a World Cruise by far! Beats Princess & Cunard!!!

MV Aurora                                    Aurora 2006 Cruise Reivew. Having sailed on her maiden world cruise, there is no doubt that Aurora is the perfect cruise ship.

MV Oriana                                            2005 World Cruise review. The author sailed on Oriana for 42 days, from Brisbane Australia to Southampton UK. The review includes 162 photographs of all lounges, facilities and decks spaces. Enjoy! 2008 & 2009 reviews also online.

MV Artemis                                  P&O’s smallest member of the fleet, but a popular one!

Classic International Cruises -   My all time favourite company operating a fine fleet of superb Classic Cruise Chips!

                                                                  This Company is part of my Classic Ocean Voyages Campaign and Promotion!

MV Athena                                   This is Classic International Cruises flagship, which was built in 1948 as the famed Swedish America Line’s Trans-Atlantic Liner MS Stockholm. Today she is a modern cruise ship with her original solid steel hull, but she is more like a brand new ship as she was totally gutted and rebuilt in 1994 and is constantly updated and refitted. She is loved worldwide and now she sails each year out of Australian waters from Fremantle and Adelaide.

MV Funchal                                  This is a very special intimate classic liner that has an atmosphere that is just not found on many other classic ships still sailing today. The main reason for this is that they have been radically rebuilt and although they are technically old ships, but in many cases all that remains is just the hull, for the rest of the ship will be newly built, and thus lacks that superbly classic feel, something that Funchal is famed for! Funchal is fully SOLAS 2010 compliant and will sail on well into the 2sticentury! The author would love to see this wonderful ship back in Australian waters, but for now she continues to sail mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, thus it may be worth heading to Europe and join Funchal for a cruise there!

MV Princess Daphne                   This is a ship that has a close connection with both Australians and New Zealander’s as she came to our waters originally as the famed Port Lines Passenger cargo liner MS Port Sydney. Today, this fine classic liner has become an ultra modern and greatly loved cruise ship in many parts of the world!

MV Arion                                     An intimate yacht-like cruise ship that exudes ambience, charm, grace, and loads of style! Sailing mostly around the Adriatic Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean, visiting Croatia and nearby countries and various Middle East countries including Israel, Egypt, and Lebanon.

Tauck European River Cruises

Tauck River Cruises                            Three award winning Tauck River ships will take you to some treasured cities and towns along Europe’s most fabled inland waterways, and Tauck are famed for being in a class of their own as they are described by leading travel magazines as having that “legendary Tauck Style.” There is no doubt that a Tauck River Cruise will enchant you with intimate portraits of countless Fairytale Castles and a Storybook of Villages. Also visit the: Tauck River Cruises News Updates page.

Holland America Line -                                            My personal favourite Cruise Company in the world!!!

Holland America Line                   Covering a short history of Holland America Line and a looks at several of their superb luxury ships.

HAL -News Updates                          Read Holland America Lines latest news - Commencing May 2010.

MS Nieuw Amsterdam                  This fine new 68,700-ton accommodates just 2,106 passengers providing more space than other ships of her size. This is the ship other companies should look at. One of the finest afloat!!!

MS Rotterdam                              Offering HAL quality and a reputation other cruise lines simply yearn for!

MS Volendam                               The superb MV Volendam and her sister MS Zaandam will be sailing from Australian and New Zealand Ports in 2010 and 2011. She is a fine ship and comes highly recommended!

MS Prinsendam                            The “Elegant World Explorer” and after recent refurbishments she is even better!

Orion Expedition Cruises -         This Company has Won Cruise-Australia’s “Best Cruise Company of 2009”

MV Orion                                     Australia’s own luxury expedition cruise ship. In 2011 the Orion II will join the fleet.

MV Orion II …                                   Online in the near future

Royal Caribbean International - Great value American style cruising!

Royal Caribbean Fleet (RCI)          Currently RCI operates 19 magnificent ships, ranging from 48,563 ton Empress of the Seas to the massive 158,000 ton Freedom of the Seas. RCI’s MV Rhapsody of the Seas operates regularly out of Australian and New Zealand waters.

RCI-MV Rhapsody of the Seas       This 2,435 passenger French built 78,491 ton cruise ship operates out of Sydney during our Summer months and has proven to be reasonably popular. With the massive success of P&O and Princess Cruises, this is Royal Caribbean’s attempt to enter our lucrative market! The only complaint to date is that “she too americanised.”

RCI- Freedom of the Seas            The 158,000 GRT (ton) Royal Caribbean Cruises super cruise ships. Freedom of the Seas, was floated out at “Aker Finnyard” Finland on Friday August 19. She is 339 metres long and 38.6 metres wide and will accommodate 5,740 passengers and crew. This massive ship will be handed over to Royal Caribbean in April 2006. with two further ships in the series are due to be delivered in 2007 and 2008. Thus, as she is now in the water, she officially becomes the largest passenger ship afloat.

RCI – Oasis of the Seas                This is the first of the 220,000–ton Project Genesis ships that set sail mid in 2009, the second in the series, the Allure of the Seas will arrive in 2010. Oasis is the largest passenger ship ever built and she is certainly the most revolutionary ship ever conceived. She accommodates a massive 6,400 passengers in the ultimate of luxury and she has facilities, some of which have never been heard of before on a ship, let alone on a land based resort! This page has many images that will leave you astounded with the grandeur of this ship, or should I say a floating resort, or better still City, for she has two buildings placed lengthwise on top of her hull, one starboard and one portside and there are balconies out to sea and the rest into the interior Boardwalk and Central Park that has real trees. If it sounds all too American for you, well for many Australian’s and New Zealanders it may well be! But, it really is some ship, it’s a BIG Yankee style ship and somewhat gaudy to our taste, but, hey, give it a try! It is just like going to Disneyland!

Celebrity Cruises -                      One of the best luxury cruise Line operating larger cruise ships!

MV Celebrity Solstice                    This is without a doubt the most remarkable and the most advanced modern cruise ship in the world. This is a new class of ship with innovations never seen before, she is certainly not a ship like we used to know, and will not be liked by the genuine ship lovers, for the truth is, she is a massive building, a hotel and a resort that happens to float and take you to places. But, we have to admire the ingenuity that has gone into this massive floating super luxurious hotel! She may not be my kind of ship, but I come from another generation, for those who have discovered the new world of cruising, she will be just “super!” Also visit Celebrity Solstice - Page Two.

Cunard Line -                                      The name says it all, although I hate their exterior design!

MV Queen Mary 2                        The Grand Queen of the Sea – Includes a comprehensive photo album.

MV Queen Elizabeth                     The new Queen Elizabeth is due to set sail

MV Queen Victoria                       She is slightly larger that P&O’s UK Arcadia, but just as ugly looking. She is just another Carnival Vista Class ship just like those of Carnival, Holland America & Costa Cruises. She is unattractive, but very nice inside and makes a good hotel and that is what she is, a hotel, and she is already reputed as a shocker in rough waters!

Seabourn Cruises -                           Luxury yachts that cruise in style and with all the sublime comforts and with class!

Seabourn Yachts                          The intimate and luxurious Cruise Line for those who demand nothing than the best!

PV Ocean Mist Cruises -            This Company is part of my Classic Ocean Voyages Campaign and Promotion!

PV Ocean Mist                                   This is the famed classic Italian liner MS San Giorgio that became the famed expedition cruise ship MV Royal Star and she has now been extensively refitted to be come the Ocean Mist operating Indian Ocean cruises.

Princess Cruises Australia -        

Sun Princess                                Sadly this ship replaced the popular smaller and much better ship, the Pacific Princess. In addition, the service food and overall cruise experience was 100% better, now Princess Cruises Australia has lowered the standard to the point that it has become almost to what I consider it to be a 3 to 3.5 Star product! Woeful!

Dawn Princess                             Dawn Princess did the world cruise in 2009, and the author partook of the full voyage and believe me, she is the wrong ship for such a long voyage. This ship is fine for a week or two, but that is about it! The comments I made with the Sun Princess apply, Australian’s are treated like second class citizens! Read my review via the link below.

Cruise Review                             I sailed on the Dawn Princess’ 106 night around the world cruise – Sydney/Sydney and extended to Brisbane (5 July to 18 October). I am sorry it is not such a great review, although there are some good points, mostly for a good international crew, but certainly no bouquets for Princess Cruises! Having sailed with Princess many times, this cruise has cured me forever and I will now go on other cruise lines, for I found that P&O UK is a far superior world voyage product, and for shorter cruises, P&O Australia, and the delightful MV Athena of Classic International Cruises operating out of Fremantle in the summer are both excellent value for money, thus, I am NOT canning the Carnival product as P&O UK and P&O Australia are both Carnival companies. The 2009 Princess Word Cruises was simply a poor experience for the money I spent spent!

                                                     Comment: Please bring back the Pacific Princess or the Royal Princess and send the aging Sun Princess and the ever breaking down Dawn Princess back to the Americans, but then they won’t have them, for they are far too old and would consider them ready for the breakers! If Princess wants to market a “premier” cruise product to Australian’s then do so, and not sell us cheap rubbish under the “Premier” label! SHAME on Princess!

Special Links

ssMaritime.net                            Featuring the world oldest liner the Doulos built in the USA in 1914 and still sailing the world. This is a 29 web page book covering the ships life from conception to her recent visit to New Zealand and Australia in 2008. The author spent a month onboard and sailed on her.

Cruising News                             The magazine “World Wide Cruising News & Pictorial” is without doubt one of the best cruise magazines available anywhere in the world as I have seen it grow over many years. But you need to subscribe to this full colour quality production that is crammed with information and superb photographs.

Maritime Matters                          Maritime & Cruise News with Peter Knego and martin Cox

Cyber Cruises.com                      News and other cruise related pages

Work on Cruise Ships                    Seeking employment on a Cruise Ship, check these links

Dutch Cruise Site                         Harm Brink of the Netherlands has an excellent cruise site in Dutch and English and has a complete listing of all cruise companies, accompanied by excellent photographs.

Das Ruderhaus                            A site by well-known German cruise enthusiast, Raoul Fiebig. This site has hundreds to photographs taken by Raoul and will not be seen on any other site.

Tutto Crociere                                    An English cruise site by our Italian friend, Stefano Fermi.

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For all cruise enquiries and reservations contact:

Australia’s first fully dedicated cruise agency – Established in 1982

The perfect agency Australia-Wide, Queensland & Northern Territory

Operator of the “Classical Concert Cruise”

& “Drama on the High Seas Cruise”

On Sun or Dawn Princess

Brisbane based The Cruise Specialists was Australia very first fully dedicated Cruise Specialist, and they have been serving the Australian cruise passengers since 1982. The agencies Director Corie Lisignoli looks forward to hearing from you and providing you with the kind of cruise service and experience that you deserve! You will not only receive quality service, but the latest and the best information possible.

Are you a lover of Classical Music and or Drama and Theatre? Then enquire about the annual or bi-annual Classical Concert Cruise and the Drama & Theatre cruises all sailing with Princess Cruises.

For Information and Reservations

Email Corie: info@cruisespecialists.com.au

www.cruisespecialists.com.au

 

Or Phone Corie

--1800 427 847--

Brisbane & International – Phone: +61 7 5546-6798

Fax: + 61 7 5546 6849

 

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Who is the Author of Cruise-Australia & ssMaritime?

Commenced in the Passenger Shipping Industry in May 1960

 

Contact the Author …

When sending an email please name the ship you are requesting information or speaking about!

 

Please Note: Cruise-Australia is a non-commercial and privately owned cruise site. The author has been in the passenger shipping industry since 1960 and is currently semi-retired, but continues to write cruise and ship reviews and articles in order to better to inform cruise and ship enthusiasts and provide information for those intending a cruise in the future.

 

However, if you are interested in a cruise, I am happy to refer you to a dedicated cruise agent in Australia, New Zealand or further afield on my recommended “cruise agents” page, for these are agents that specialise in cruising and they will be able offer excellent service you and the best fares available! Be assured, I do NOT receive any commissions or favours from these agents, and in the vast majority of cases these agents will not even be aware of my, or mu site’s involvement, as I provide the enquirer with the requested information of the agents (in their region) including their contact details. Reuben Goossens. 

 

Return to the - Cruise-Australia.com - INDEX

 

Cruise-Australia.com

& Cruise-Australia.net  

 

Classic Liner enthusiasts visit

ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net

Where the ships of the past make history the 1914 built MV Doulos Story

 

Visit our Classic Ocean Voyages Campaign Feature

 

Photographs on cruise-australia are: 1. By the author. 2. From the author’s private collection. 3. As provided by Shipping Companies and private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors. However, there are photographs provided to me without details provided regarding the photographer concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so kind to make them-selves known to me, that due credit may be given. I know what it is like, I have seen a multitude of my own photographs on other sites, yet they either refuse to give me credit and even refuse to remove them, knowing full well that there is no legal comeback when it comes to the net. However, let us show the charlatans up and do the right thing at all times and give credit where credit is due! Note: I do not credit those who send me photos as they are not the owners of the photographs concerned, unless the image is part of their private collection.

This notice covers all pages, although, I have done my best to ensure that all photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page, that is, when a page is updated!

 

 

 

cruise-australia is owned and © Copyright 2010 - by Reuben Goossens - All Rights Reserved

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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