Melbourne Arrival - Know Before You Go

Pre-Cruise in Melbourne

As we arrived in Melbourne on Valentine's Day 2020 the sun was just rising.  We were able to watch from the comfort of our seats since our Quantas jet had an exterior camera.  It was  around 10 AM when we landed.   We were in row 87 so it took awhile to deplane.

Passport control Passport control can get busy, so make sure you allow enough time if you are arriving the same day as your cruise (which we strongly advise against).

Incoming passenger card 

On your flight, you’ll receive an incoming passenger card to fill out with your personal details and flight information. You’ll need this for your arrival into Australia. Note that you must use either black or blue pen. 

SmartGate  

Certain travelers can use the arrivals SmartGate. Simply place your passport into the scanning device for your information to be processed. You can then step into the SmartGate and look into the camera so that your face can be matched with your passport. When successfully processed, the gate will open. If you are unsuccessful or require special assistance, there will be officers to help manually process your passport. More information.  

We stopped to use the restrooms and headed to Passport Control.  We didn't get landing cards on the plane, because they ran out, but we were able to use the SmartGate so it didn't take too long to get to baggage claim.

Luggage was starting to come off the conveyor belt by the time we arrived at baggage claim.  There are free trolleys there for you to use.

It's a good thing, since you can see from the picture here that we next got into a very very long line to head to the final checkpoint to clear customs.   In fact, it wound its way through most of the baggage claim area.

Customs and biosecurity

Once you have your bags, the last step before you can exit the airport is passing through customs and biosecurity. Note that you do not need your passport at this point.

SmartGate and incoming passenger card 

Present your SmartGate ticket and incoming passenger card to one of the officers so you can pass through Customs and Border Protection and the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service.

Declaring goods – Remember to declare any necessary items at this point. This includes things like animal or plant goods. More information here.

Leaving the airport  (we opted for Taxi)

Consider how you’re going to leave the airport. There are transportation options to suit all budgets.

Taxi – A taxi to Melbourne City takes approximately 35 minutes and costs around $55–65, though times and fares can vary. Taxis can be caught on the ground floor outside T1, and between T2 and T3. 

SkyBus – The SkyBus operates three services 24/7 to Melbourne City, St Kilda or Frankston. To the city, this journey takes 30–45 minutes. There is a SkyBus booth to assist with tickets and related services on the ground level of T2.

Public transport – Public buses arrive and depart from Melbourne Airport near the At Terminal T4

Car hire – There’s a great selection of rental car companies available at Melbourne Airport. You'll find them located across the forecourt from T2.

Our pre-cruise stay was at Crowne Plaza Melbourne in the Central Business District.  It was 15 minutes away from the airport and 15 minutes away from the cruise terminal.  

We'll talk more about our first day in Melbourne in another post.  For more images, see our Shutterfly Photo Page.
Hopefully, you've followed us live on our social media channels as well.  Don't worry if you didn't, as our anchor post will tie everything together for you.  Just click the image (left) to our diary post.

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Dare to Dream on Symphony of the Seas

We've been cruising for decades and can't recall a more emotional production at sea than Flight Dare to Dream presented on Symphony of the Seas.  What was even more special was that our conference theme was Dare based on our company's motto "Deliver a Remarkable Experience".   Royal Caribbean does just that in this amazing production show.

click to enlarge image

At our opening session, the cast performed two segments from the finale of the show.  In the first segment, they went through history with an in memoriam tribute to those who made contributions to the advancement of flight.   In the second final segment, Orville Wright flies over the audience in a very emotional scene.  Thank you to the cast of Flight for this private performance.

Fabulous Entertainment is a hallmark of Royal Caribbean cruises.  With their own production company, they are in complete control of the performance from inception through the weekly performances on board their ships.   They spare no expense in creating a remarkable experience for their guests.   Performances like Flight Dare to Dream are included in the price of your cruise.   Just imagine what a similar show would cost you and your family on land.   The following video gives you a glimpse of the making of the show and what you can expect on board Symphony of the Seas.

Whatever your travel dreams, we encourage you to Dare to fulfill them.  As professional travel advisors, we can provide you with the knowledge needed to make an informed decision on the right  travel options for you and your companions.   We've gotten lots of updated industry information at our conference, and we'd love to share our personal experiences with you.   We are just a phone call or email away.   Explore our blog and other social media for some inspiration.

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Japan Airlines Singapore to Tokyo

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Heading Home

All cruises come to an end, and so it was time to leave Southeast Asia and return home.  The journey began with a 6 hour flight from Singapore to Tokyo, Japan on Japan Airlines.

After leveling off, the flight attendants served beverages and rice cracker snacks.  Our plane was a Boeing 777, so there was an entertainment system in our seats which offered music, movies, games, and more.

In Flight Service

We were served chicken with rice, noodles, salad, fruit and dessert for lunch.  The flight was smooth and on time.

This was the first time we'd flown Japan Airlines and we were definitely fly them again.

Soon we could see the coastline of Tokyo.  We were able to get some amazing photos from the air (see our album).   There was a bit of snow on the ground, but that didn't cause any delays.

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Related Album:

JAL Singapore - Tokyo

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Back to the Future

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Good Morning from Changi


We checked out of the Crowne Plaza Hotel around 5 AM January 25th and headed to the airport. Back home it was 3 PM on January 24th.  If our flights were on time, we would land in Chicago at 3:10 PM January 25th (5:10 PM Singapore time on January 26th).

Our flight wasn't until 8:20 AM, but we didn't know how long it would take to go through immigration and security. We also wanted to get something to eat before our flight.

Breakfast Choices

As is typical on international flights, we would be served multiple meals on our flight from Singapore to Tokyo.  We did want something light in the meantime, however.   A pastry shop was exactly what we were looking for.   Splitting a Palmier was just right.  It was ironic that we were thousands of miles from home and yet found a pastry which was one of our favorites back home.

There were several other choices including local favorites which you could purchase at Burger King or other locations.  Some of these Asian breakfast items can be seen in this photo.

At Our Gate

The immigration and check-in process went very quickly so early in the morning.  By 5:22 AM we were headed to check our baggage and get our boarding passes.  There wasn't anyone in line, so we were done quickly and on our way.

Less than 30 minutes later, we had already had something to eat and were sitting outside our gate.   The gate doesn't open until about an hour before the flight.

Waiting for our Flight

You might not be able to see from the photo, but the security screening occurs right at the gate.  We'd have another hour before the security and airline personnel arrived and started checking passports and hand bags.

Unlike airports in the states, once you pass through security you are now in a controlled waiting area.   There are rest room facilities there as well as limited charging stations.

We sat near one of the charging stations so that our phones were recharged before boarding the plane.  Boarding for our flight began at 7:50 AM.

Allowing 3 hours at the airport before our flight gave us plenty of time to leisurely have something to eat and get to our gate.  We'd rather be early than rushed and stressed.

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Related Album:

Changi Airport Singapore

Additional photos can be found on our Southeast Asia Shutterfly page

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