Celebrity Solstice - Australian Wine Regions from Sydney

Where this cruise calls, day by day

6 ports and 5 sea days over 10 Nights.

1. Day 1

   Sydney

   AustraliaDepart

   Two terminals, and which one you get changes the day completely. The Overseas Passenger Terminal sits on Circular Quay east of the Harbour Bridge, with no air-draft limit and the Opera House directly opposite the gangway. White Bay, out at Rozelle, only takes ships that fit under the bridge, and it has no train, no ferry and no bus at the gate. Berths are assigned by availability, so nobody can promise you one.

   • Sydney Opera House backstage or architectural tour
   • The Bondi to Coogee clifftop walk, or just the Bondi Beach bus
   • BridgeClimb over the Sydney Harbour Bridge
   • Ferry across to Manly or Taronga Zoo for the harbour view back

   Getting ashore

   Docked either at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, five minutes' walk from Circular Quay's trains and ferries, or at White Bay about 6km out, which is taxi or rideshare only - 15-25 minutes to the CBD.

   Best months

   Oct-Apr (southern spring to autumn)

2. Day 2 · At sea

3. Day 3

   Hobart

   AustraliaPort

   Macquarie Wharf drops you a ten-minute walk from Salamanca Place, which makes Hobart one of the easiest port days in Australia. The city sits under kunanyi/Mount Wellington on the Derwent estuary, and it has an unusual amount going on for its size - a serious art museum, colonial sandstone, and the best produce in the country. If your call falls on a Saturday, the market alone justifies the day.

   • Mona, reached by the catamaran up the Derwent from Brooke Street Pier
   • Salamanca Market on Saturday mornings
   • Drive or shuttle to the kunanyi/Mount Wellington summit
   • Port Arthur historic site, about 90 minutes each way

   Getting ashore

   Docked at Macquarie Wharf, within 800m of the CBD and about 15 flat minutes from Salamanca Place - no shuttle needed, which makes this one of the best walk-off ports in Australia.

   Best months

   Dec-Feb (southern summer; Tasmania is cold outside it)

4. Day 4 · At sea

5. Day 5 · At sea

6. Day 6

   Kangaroo Island (Penneshaw)

   AustraliaPort

   Kangaroo Island is the third-largest island in Australia, and that size is the problem on a port day. Tenders land at Penneshaw on the Dudley Peninsula at the eastern end, while the famous wildlife and coastal rock formations are one to two hours' drive west. The 2019-20 bushfires burned close to half the island, and the recovery is visible along the western roads.

   • Seal Bay Conservation Park, where you walk the beach among Australian sea lions
   • Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch in Flinders Chase National Park
   • Little penguin and pelican viewing around Penneshaw and Kingscote
   • Local producers - honey from Ligurian bees, eucalyptus distillery, island gin

   Getting ashore

   Tender in to a purpose-built landing platform at Penneshaw that takes two tenders at once; the village is at the landing, but Seal Bay is about an hour west and Flinders Chase closer to two, so an organised tour is effectively mandatory.

   Best months

   Nov-Mar (southern summer)

7. Day 7

   Adelaide

   AustraliaPort

   Adelaide's cruise berth is at Outer Harbor, about 20km northwest of a city laid out on a grid inside a ring of parkland. The saving grace is the train: the station sits beside the terminal and runs to Adelaide in a little over half an hour. The reason most people come is liquid - three serious wine regions are within an hour's drive.

   • Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale cellar doors
   • Adelaide Central Market
   • Hahndorf, the German settlement in the Adelaide Hills, and Cleland Wildlife Park
   • Glenelg beach, reached by the old tram from the city

   Getting ashore

   Docked at Outer Harbor, roughly 22km out, with a walkway from the terminal straight to Outer Harbor station; the train runs into Adelaide in about an hour, cruise shuttles do it in 30-40 minutes, and Port Adelaide itself is a decent alternative 15 minutes away.

   Best months

   Nov-Mar (southern summer)

8. Day 8 · At sea

9. Day 9

   Melbourne

   AustraliaPort

   Ships berth at Station Pier in Port Melbourne, which is not the city but has a tram stop at the gate - the 109 runs to the CBD in around half an hour. Melbourne rewards wandering more than sightseeing: the good things are in laneways, in coffee shops, and inside a sporting culture that borders on religion. The famous scenic drives are too far for a single port day.

   • Laneway coffee and street art around Hosier Lane and Degraves Street
   • Queen Victoria Market
   • MCG tour and the National Sports Museum
   • Phillip Island penguin parade or a long Great Ocean Road coach day

   Getting ashore

   Docked at Station Pier, about 5km out; the route 109 tram terminates at the landward end of the pier and runs to Collins Street in around 20 minutes, but you need a myki card - this stretch is outside the free tram zone.

   Best months

   Nov-Mar (southern summer)

10. Day 10 · At sea

11. Day 11

    Sydney

    AustraliaArrive

    Two terminals, and which one you get changes the day completely. The Overseas Passenger Terminal sits on Circular Quay east of the Harbour Bridge, with no air-draft limit and the Opera House directly opposite the gangway. White Bay, out at Rozelle, only takes ships that fit under the bridge, and it has no train, no ferry and no bus at the gate. Berths are assigned by availability, so nobody can promise you one.

    • Sydney Opera House backstage or architectural tour
    • The Bondi to Coogee clifftop walk, or just the Bondi Beach bus
    • BridgeClimb over the Sydney Harbour Bridge
    • Ferry across to Manly or Taronga Zoo for the harbour view back

    Getting ashore

    Docked either at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, five minutes' walk from Circular Quay's trains and ferries, or at White Bay about 6km out, which is taxi or rideshare only - 15-25 minutes to the CBD.

    Best months

    Oct-Apr (southern spring to autumn)