I assured him we did not! Its such a tranquil way to start a holiday. Getting onto the ship in Melbourne was like clockwork and we were very impressed by the efficiency. Getting a vehicle across the water involves boarding the Spirit of Tasmania ferry for a trip that could take anywhere between nine and 11 hours depending on the weather. I usually leave my big Manfrotto tripod at home because it is heavy and cumbersome then I spend the rest of the holiday cursing that I cant get the picture I want. {{ getPartialCancellationMessage() }}. Nice! We love this ship and if you are expecting a lovely simple trip there, well refreshed in the morning, with your car ready to go, this is the ONLY way to travel (with a cabin of course). Please try again later. There was an error retrieving our updated time table. Also look out for small-change experiences. So tell me, readers, what item do you wish you could take on holidays but find it to be too much of a nuisance??? Hotel chains rewards programs, perks from your home or vehicle insurer, and membership benefits for organisations like the National Trust might also deliver nice surprises. I truly believe this is the only affordable way for families to see our great island state. Take your car and pack it to the full, even better, pack it to the full coming back because the produce in Tasmania (I believe) is the best in Australia, hands down! {{option.displayText}}s not available with this deal. The kennels are placed around the car decks and you choose which size suits your pet. {{booking.getDisembarkTime(legOfJourney, 'h:mm A')}}, {{ fee.description }}: {{ fee.price | money:false }}. Mr GG and I had established there were four dining choices aboard the Spirit of Tasmania. Please make sure Address 1, Surburb/City, State and Post code are entered correctly. {{IbpCms.accommodationDayTicketsFlavourText}}, {{IbpCms.accommodationPetKennelsFlavourText}}, {{getOptionQuantity(option)}} or fewer {{Utils.pluralize(option.unitText, getOptionQuantity(option))}} available. 30h 19m HBA - PIT. Follow the signs to the Passenger Vehicles entrance and enter via the check in booths. According to Bronwyn Wild, president of Caravanning Tasmania, many operators are still struggling to recover coming out of Covid-19 restrictions and havent experienced the same bounce seen in other caravanning markets. Oops, looks like you haven't told us if you're travelling one way or return. Card payment fees may apply. Come aboard and experience the joys of sailing for yourself. Home The Spirit of Tasmania A Real Travellers Review. The childrens park on the foreshore is fabulous and the public amenities are clean and spacious. {{IbpCms.vehiclesBookMotorhomeAsCarError}}. Sometimes there is a pile up of boarding vehicles, and it can take you half an hour of stop start driving to do the last little bit. On the plus side, the owners are some of the friendliest youll come across and the location is ideal for young families. Alternatively you may request a callback from a member of staff to help you resolve this - we'll call you on the number on file. not me, the car that is! Please try again later. Spirit of Tasmania Information & Details Address Station Pier Waterfront Pl Port Melbourne, VIC Opening Hours See attached schedule for sailing times Phone Number 1800 634 906 Email Address No Email Address Listed Ticket Prices / Admission Adults from: $99 Children from: $39 Car from: $89 Private cabin from: $132 Shared cabin from: $33 2.47K subscribers Are you wondering what it's like to drive your car on-board. Boardwalk in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Arrive {{booking.getArrivalDate(legOfJourney, 'D MMM h:mm A')}}, Your {{legOfJourney.toLowerCase()}} ticket, {{getSailing().origin}} to {{getSailing().destination}}, Your {{LegOfJourney.Return.toLowerCase()}} ticket. Mr GG had already gone for a stroll on the deck so he could capture some images of the sunrise over the ocean. It was smooth and easy to get our car parked in, checked into our cabins and have a good rest before we hop out in our ride. Please contact individual operators for further information. The park comes highly recommended and while the location is beautiful, the park itself is a little haphazard. Oops, please fill in your departure date. There are five vehicle decks so once parked, we recommend that you take note of what deck you are on. Happy sailing! There is also the option to take a day cruise. You will be directed by the helpful crew on where to park. Brett and I were ready to enjoy a romantic four days away without children, and weather permitting we would be going topless! You just need to follow whichever major arterial road that you are travelling on and look for the huge Spirit of Tasmania signs. Recliner chairs are an option but not a good one if you want to sleep. Travelling with your own vehicle means no rental fees mounting day by day. Drive towards the vehicle booth and wait to proceed. And if youre anything like us (and the multitude of people weve spoken to), you will completely underestimate just how many people take driving holidays around Tasmania. {{booking.getArrivalDate(legOfJourney, 'h:mm A')}}, Disembarking from Latest news and updates on the new ships. Starts at 60 is just for over-60s. That rumour about booking months in advance so you dont get stuck on the Apple Isle is true! Looks like you signed up previously. Despite this, summer bookings remain soft across the state, and some urgent intervention needs to occur to give the necessary stimulus for interstate visitation to return. The first commences at 8.00pm and is suitable for families; the second has a 10.00pm start and is aimed at an older audience. Here is a brief video to show you exactly what it's like!You can read all about our trip around Tasmania on our blog at http://letsgomum.com.au**Please consider liking or commenting on this video - we really appreciate it, and it helps us to keep the videos coming! Along the way you'll add passengers, any vehicles and accommodation. *Terms & conditionsVehicle fares from $99 extra each way based on a standard size vehicle for travel in low demand season and accompanied by a passenger. I should be able to guide you in best route and stop for swap over. Your vehicle cannot be accessed during the voyage so please take medication and other personal items with you. By continuing to use our website and / or services, you agree to the updated Privacy Policy and the use of cookies, as well as our Terms and Conditions. We use cookies to improve your website experience, optimise advertisements and offers, and for web analytic purposes. You must agree to the following Terms and Conditions: And if on that first night you really dont feel like cooking, Strait Off The Boat offers some of the best fish + chips weve ever eaten (the grilled gummy and potato cakes were amazing!). Photo: Jason Charles Hill. Yes, you need to arrive earlier than that. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-112481943', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Melbourne for our much anticipated 3 week holiday in Tassie. Skip to main content. Your password needs to be 8-20 characters and may contain letters or numbers. You may take one carry-on bag or suitcase on board and leave the remainder of your luggage in your car. Were sorry that you are no longer travelling with us and would like to understand why. As a member you'll enjoy the following perks: Alternatively you may request a callback from a member of staff to help you resolve this - we'll call you on the number on file. Our family drove to Melbourne from Brisbane and put our caravan onto the Spirit of Tasmania. The caravan length was checked against out booking and within around twenty minutes we were parked. When parking your caravan on the boat engage your caravan hand-brake and make sure all cupboards are secure in your caravan and nothing can move around in the case of big swells. The data comes from the Caravan Industry Association of Australia, which found that although Tasmania is consistently in the top three most desired caravanning destinations in the country, its missing out on the quick recovery everywhere else is now experiencing. If the open roads of Tassie are where youre living for the next few weeks, you may as well go all out, with a fully equipped motorhome or caravan. Drive towards the vehicle booth. You will have plenty of time to get to Deloraine, though you might want to have breakfast in Devonport (lots of choices near the docks). Disclaimer & Disclosure Notice. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Conditions of Carriage, Tasmanian Biosecurity Conditions, Privacy Policy, Spirit of Tasmania's Geelong terminal is located at Spirit of Tasmania Quay in North Shore, approximately 5km from the Geelong CBD. The journey usually takes 9-11 hours depending on the weather but considering boarding closes 45minutes before departure you can expect it to be a good 12-13 hour day. There is no reversing onto or off of The Spirit of Tasmania. Accommodation and Spirit of Tasmania fares fluctuate with demand, so if you want to keep costs down avoid summer and school holidays. These regulations in Tasmania require all vehicles to be free from visible signs of soil and mud, as well as any other biosecurity risks. Theres a few reasons for this, mainly that Tassies grey nomads leave the island for the autumn/winter in search for warmer days and mainlanders are returning home after their summer holiday. Conditions of Carriage, Tasmanian Biosecurity Conditions, Privacy Policy, Your cancellation has been successful. As a thank you to our Loyalty Club Members, you will earn a $100 travel voucher for every 10 completed trips. You can keep track of your trips via your own private member page, update your profile and access exclusive members-only offers. Day sailing is available in peak season and the ship departs Melbourne at 9.00am and arrives in Tasmania at 6.00pm. Bring your own water bottle so theres no need to pay for whats free from a tap. Please try again later. We didnt need a site, we were just looking for somewhere safe to park the van for a few hours before boarding The Spirit. A wake up call came over the speakers at around 5.15am advising everyone needs to off the boat by 5.50am. By continuing to use our website and / or services, you agree to the updated Privacy Policy and the use of cookies, as well as our Terms and Conditions. We found the crew and attendants friendly, efficient and helpful. Thanks for great information, especially the storage area at the C/van Park. The carry-on baggage allowance is one medium bag or suitcase with the maximum dimensions of 66cm x 46.5cm x 27.5cm. I know boarding closes at 6.45. The inside Cabins were nice and neat. We left the caravan park just before 4pm, and arrived at the port in perfect time to join the short queue to board. By clicking join now you accept the terms and conditions of the loyalty program. No fruit or vegetables, fish, honey or firewood can be taken to Tasmania. {{booking.getArrivalDate(legOfJourney, 'dddd D MMMM, YYYY')}} at Please make sure Address 1, Surburb/City, State and Post code are entered correctly. And the best part? The food selection was varied, plentiful and fresh, there was unlimited soft drink and tea & coffee until 9.30pm. As you have booked a return journey with Spirit of Tasmania, you are eligible to join our Sailors Club. Wednesday parma night. Ship Names: Spirit of Tasmania I and II Ship length: 194m Built: 1998 Passenger Capacity: 1400 people Vehicle Capacity: 500 vehicles Sailing Distance: 429km (232 nautical miles) Sailing Time: 9 to 11 hours Ticket Prices I suggest: Book your tickets 4-6 months before you want to visit Tasmania Prices We all deserve to be spoiled on our special dayenjoy a gift on us as a thank you for your continued support. And yes, there is a lift to take you from the car to the main area up top. We didnt have to concern ourselves with the thought of carting luggage on and off planes or checking in baggage. Practising Simplicity (est. Practical way to travel with a packed car ready for driving around Tassie. Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to find out about our special offers, competitions and giveaways. To stay informed about travelling with Spirit of Tasmania sign up below to receive our newsletter. Our family drove to Melbourne from Brisbane and put our caravan onto the Spirit of Tasmania. Getting on board from Devonport seemed to take forever and we were in long queues for a couple of hours. No pesky luggage, taxi or public transport fees to worry about! All I wanted to do was relax on the queen-size bed but hubby had other ideas. $2,708. Overall the ship is very 'ship shape'. Once onboard though it was fun. In the morning I woke up completely refreshed. There are several decks with plenty of lounging areas. Also with two tripods, two camera bags, a big heavy jacket each, computers and electronic devices I think most airlines would have asked us to repack or pay an overweight charge. The waves were perfect! I managed to convince him that our first stop should be at The Spirit Bar. It had been a very hot day in Melbourne and I was parched! How far is the discovery park from the terminal? Well send you regular emails keeping you in the loop of all our special offers, competitions and all things Tasmanian. I'm not even on the boat yet and it's been 1.5 hours in a line. Looking at all ideas for a parkup, just in case we are well ahead of schedule How the rising Cost of Living has impacted our travel costs? We were very impressed with the ease of the whole procedure. I can't help myself. Hopefully at that hour of the morning it shouldn't take us more than hour. Hubby and I toasted the start of our relaxing child free holiday as the Spirit of Tasmania pulled away from its Port Melbourne moorings. When required to return to your vehicle, a terminal announcement will sound advising you of this. To avoid being in a stationary queue would it be reasonable to plan to arrive say 6 to 6.30. It was to be a lovely evening but I will share more about our meal in the restaurant review. As a member you'll enjoy the following perks: Alternatively you may request a callback from a member of staff to help you resolve this - we'll call you on the number on file. We rented two ocean view cabins, both had 2 single beds each. Please ring 1800 634 906 to make this booking. Once on board we made our way to our cabin. Yes, I have sailed on it before. I had even put the picnic rug in the car boot, ready for any impromptu cheese and wine picnics. {{getSelectedSailingProductName(legOfJourney)}} Terms & Conditions, Move {{Utils.convertNameCase(passenger.passengerDetails.firstName)}}, Conditions of Carriage, Tasmanian Biosecurity Conditions, Privacy Policy, Specific needs and assistance requirement form, Departing {{booking.getDepartureDate(legOfJourney, 'dddd D MMMM')}}, {{ getSailingTotalPriceText(legOfJourney) }}, Departing And giveaways do was relax on the queen-size bed but hubby had other.... To receive our newsletter getting onto the ship departs Melbourne at 9.00am and in. 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