Why No New Zealand Only Cruises

I am interested in a cruise that just goes to New Zealand. Just about every cruise that covers New Zealand that I have seen starts and ends in Australia. This means that you waste a bunch of sea days going to and from New Zealand and I consider sea days to be a total waste of time. Also. I have spent almost 3 months on an Australian land tour and if I want to return to Australia, I will do it on a DIY land tour.

Are there any New Zealand cruises that depart from and return to New Zealand only and do not go to other islands or countries?

Does anyone know why most of the cruise lines have these crazy cruise itineraries?

DON

They have them because they're more popular.

Locally there's more traffic from Australia, and internationally, many want to visit Australia as well.

Also, as far as sea days, they help to break up the intense NZ port heavy itinerary and actually give some balance. Many also include visits to the Sounds which also wouldn't be possible otherwise -and are also a popular attraction of their own.

Thus, even though they don't suit you, they're far from "crazy."

If the cruise lines made money on them, they would do them.

If you have spent long periods of time exploring Australia, why not do the same in NZ? We have done extensive touring in both. NZ is very easy to land tour in.

Nothing crazy about any cruise, even if you don't like it!

'Cuase who'd want to go to NZ :p:D

Probably the real answer is simply population 4 million Kiwi's vs 23 Million Aussies guess where they're gonna get the best numbers wanting to board.

'Cause who'd want to go to NZ :p:D

Probably the real answer is simply population 4 million Kiwi's vs 23 Million Aussies guess where they're gonna get the best numbers wanting to board.

My personal opinion as someone who has both cruised and land toured NZ, if it is a 'once only' trip, do a land tour. A lot of the really scenic areas are not easily accessible from the Ports.

Don't get me wrong I thoroughly enjoyed my cruise around New Zealand but that is because I had already done 5 weeks land touring previously. Armed with a hire car and our Lonely Planet guide we saw some truly spectacular spots, especially in the South Island.

As for your original question, as everyone has said, most cruise tourism to New Zealand comes from Australia so it makes sense to start there and I LOVE sea days, gives me a break between port touring. In fact, I have always been curious why people cruise who do not like at least a few sea days as land touring gives you much better coverage when touring unless you are doing small islands (eg the South Pacific).

If you look at Princess they have a few itineraries that are one way Australia to New Zealand and then the NZ ports . So it is possible to fly into Auckland do the NZ ports and end up in Sydney or Melbourne. Or Vice versa start your cruise in Sydney or Melbourne then the NZ ports ending in Auckland.

This means that you waste a bunch of sea days going to and from New Zealand and I consider sea days to be a total waste of time.

DON

Why ? Are you incapable of occupying yourself with the 400 things to do on board or to simply sit and relax and read a book and enjoy the break from daily life ?

As for "crazy" itineraries - I guess the fact that all those multitudes of ships are pretty much sold out every season means only you think they are crazy and everyone else thinks they are normal.

Why ? Are you incapable of occupying yourself with the 400 things to do on board or to simply sit and relax and read a book and enjoy the break from daily life ?

 

.

I travel to see new and interesting places, not to spend time on a ship doing nothing. I essentially regard a ship as a large bus that gets me to places that are difficult to get to by other means. Now my wife would sort of disagree w me although she does not like more than 1 sea day at a time.

We have a friend who just loves sea days. If he could find one, he would probably gladly take a cruise that was 100% sea days. They have taken cruises in the Pacific that were more than 50% sea days. I guess different strokes for different folks.

DON

I would quite happily (if budget permitted) travel constantly round the world with weeks and weeks of sea days in a row.

I travel to see new and interesting places, not to spend time on a ship doing nothing. I essentially regard a ship as a large bus that gets me to places that are difficult to get to by other means. Now my wife would sort of disagree w me although she does not like more than 1 sea day at a time.

 

We have a friend who just loves sea days. If he could find one, he would probably gladly take a cruise that was 100% sea days. They have taken cruises in the Pacific that were more than 50% sea days. I guess different strokes for different folks.

 

DON

You could always treat yourself to an Auckland to Auckland cruise - yes it hit's Aus....yes it has sea days..........but then you could book yourself a land tour of NZ (camperhire or car hire) - then fly home. Suggestion only - absolutely no way out of visiting Aus...or sea days :eek:;):D Or just do a land content of NZ

Hi

There is a Princess cruise Auckland to Auckland on 19th Jan 2016 Golden Princess for 13 days if that interests you.

NZ is beyond beautiful.

Enjoy

Pat

I travel to see new and interesting places, not to spend time on a ship doing nothing. I essentially regard a ship as a large bus that gets me to places that are difficult to get to by other means.

This probably goes a long way towards explaining why you don't like cruise line itineraries in this part of the world.

I travel to see new and interesting places, not to spend time on a ship doing nothing. I essentially regard a ship as a large bus that gets me to places that are difficult to get to by other means.

If so, then it sounds best to go with what you regard them as, instead of the inferior substitute.

There are many coach tours of NZ, which involve no sea days.

I travel to see new and interesting places, not to spend time on a ship doing nothing. I essentially regard a ship as a large bus that gets me to places that are difficult to get to by other means.

DON

Don me old China, there are airports in many places in NZ and flights to them from many other places including the US. So the good news is it aint difficult to get to, there are other means and you dont need to subject yo'self to 3 days on that there bus!

Silversea Discoverer has some New Zealand only cruises. It is an expedition ship, but a very nice one. And all inclusive.

It boils down to supply and demand.

The big ships have many cabins to fill.

The cruises out of Sydney target the Australians. I spoke to some of them during our 2012 sailing. They said that it was rather expensive to fly to NZ do a land tour and then fly back. So taking a cruise was very good value for them.

Another reason - Sydney is much easier (and cheaper) to get to for say people from Asia.

E.g. FlyScoot (a low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines) started flying from Singapore to Sydney (return) in 2012, and the fares were very attractive relative to say Singapore Airlines or Qantas.

So, cruising out of Sydney works for us. Singapore - Sydney is an 8 hour flight.

A lot more expensive to fly to NZ. (Singapore - Auckland, 10 hour flight) No low cost option either.

 

We have a friend who just loves sea days. If he could find one, he would probably gladly take a cruise that was 100% sea days.

 

DON

LOL, that gave me a good chuckle!! Hmm, is that what they call, the 'cruise to nowhere'?? LOL :D:D

LOL, that gave me a good chuckle!! Hmm, is that what they call, the 'cruise to nowhere'?

It boils down to supply and demand.

 

The big ships have many cabins to fill.

 

The cruises out of Sydney target the Australians. I spoke to some of them during our 2012 sailing. They said that it was rather expensive to fly to NZ do a land tour and then fly back. So taking a cruise was very good value for them.

Another reason - Sydney is much easier (and cheaper) to get to for say people from Asia.

 

E.g. FlyScoot (a low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines) started flying from Singapore to Sydney (return) in 2012, and the fares were very attractive relative to say Singapore Airlines or Qantas.

 

So, cruising out of Sydney works for us. Singapore - Sydney is an 8 hour flight.

 

A lot more expensive to fly to NZ. (Singapore - Auckland, 10 hour flight) No low cost option either.

NZ doesn't have a big enough population base to support very many NZ-only cruises so would have to rely on tourists from outside NZ to fill the ships.

As others have said, there is the occasional NZ-only cruise, and some cruises are one way from Australia to NZ or vice-versa.

Check out Wilderness Travel. They have a 20 day circumnavigation cruise of both north and South Island on the Caledonian Sky.

Just returned from an Australia NZ cruise. Too many sea days. I would do a land tour instead of cruise. Not enough to see from ship in NZ.

Just returned from an Australia NZ cruise. Too many sea days. I would do a land tour instead of cruise. Not enough to see from ship in NZ.

For some there's no such thing as "too many sea days", and spending hours in busses or on the road isn't there idea of fun, but to each their own.

BTW if it was too many sea days, why did you book the cruise?

For some there's no such thing as "too many sea days", and spending hours in busses or on the road isn't there idea of fun, but to each their own.

 

BTW if it was too many sea days, why did you book the cruise?

Some excellent questions, particularly as many on this thread have recommended land tours as the far superior way to see New Zealand.