Oceania Cruise- Australia to New Zealand

We are thinking about a Oceania cruise from Sidney, Australia on Feb 23 to Auckland, New Zealand, March 9th. Has anyone been on this cruise? Is this a good time of the year?

We looked at the excursions and they are extremely pricey! Thoughts and suggestions on using local tours. A little concerned about being back in time for departure. Any recommendations? How to contact other tour companies?

The ports are: Sydney, Eden, Geelong, Melbourne and Hobart Australia

Dunedin, Akaroa, Picton, Gisborne, Rotorua, Bay of Island and Auckland New Zealand.

Are any of these ports close enough to walk or take a taxi and make an enjoyable, interesting excursion on our own?

We will be very appreciative of any information

We are also giving some thought to staying a few days in Sidney, Australia before boarding. We would like some suggestions on things do do and where to stay.

Thank you again

Great itinerary and ports and Oceania is a sensational cruise line. Sydney accommodation recommend Metro on Pitt , book direct on line via their website. Recommend you fly ex USA. Air New Zealand ex Lax, Sfo or Dfw to Sydney via Auckland. After cruise Akl to any of three USA ports. DDfw from early. 2016.

Of your ports these ones you can easily self explore Eden, Geelong (my home town), Melbourne. Hobart, Akaroa, Picton, Gisborne, and Auckland. Bay of Islands is usually scenic cruising . Dunedin must do is Trieri Gorge rail as ships excursion. Rotorua you have to doships excursion to get to thermal highlights.

Eden walk, Geelong walk, Melbourne. 109. tram at head of Station Pier to up town, returning 109 Port Melbourne tram from any stop in Collins Street to return to Station Pier . Hobart, walk. Akaroa , walk. Auckland, walk.

Thank you, Kuldalai, for all your much appreciated info.

In your first paragraph, you included Picton and Gisborne as ports easily self explored.

In your second paragraph you didn't include them as walking tours.

And maybe I should also ask which ports would you take the ship's excursions?

Thank you, again

Im sorry rusty on my memory with Picton and Gisborne, but if my memory is correct thre are shuttles and you can self explore. Must do shore excursions. ex. Dunedin as ships excursion ex shipside Trieri Gorge Railway one of worlds great railway trips. Very spectacular engineering and scenery. Lunch served on the train. ex Rotorua ships excursion either. white water rafting or thermal springs at Rotorua.The ship berths miles away from the actual thermal sights at Rotorua.

We are thinking about a Oceania cruise from Sidney, Australia on Feb 23 to Auckland, New Zealand, March 9th. Has anyone been on this cruise? Is this a good time of the year? We looked at the excursions and they are extremely pricey! Thoughts and suggestions on using local tours. A little concerned about being back in time for departure.

The ports are: Sydney, Eden, Geelong, Melbourne and Hobart Australia

Dunedin, Akaroa, Picton, Gisborne, Rotorua, Bay of Island and Auckland New Zealand.

Are any of these ports close enough to walk or take a taxi and make an enjoyable, interesting excursion on our own?

peacefulcrusing: We are also giving some thought to staying a few days in Sidney' date=' Australia before boarding. [/quote']

 

We have been to seven of the ports or areas that you have listed. I have put those in bold for the ones that we did/visited early last year. Have not been, yet, to Eden, Geelong, Melbourne, Picton or Gisborne.

 

First and most important, your "best answer" centers around your exact personal interests and desires. Tell us more!! Be specific!! How much for culture, history, shopping, nature, architecture, wine, wildlife, scenery, etc.? How flexible is your budget? With more money, you can make your logistics better and more efficient to see and do more.

 

As detailed on my live/blog below from last year from when we did much in New Zealand and Australia, we had a day in Auckland when our cruise arrived to complete our 14-day sailing, plus we had two extra days for there. This included a wonderful nearby day-trip to charming and interesting Waiheke Island. Will you have any extra time at the end of your cruise for Auckland?

 

Here are some questions/options to consider:

 

1. Will your cruise offer an overnight excursion that includes scenic and dramatic Queenstown? That could be a great option, if and if.

 

2. Some ports and/or cities are closer for "walking around", but that might not be the "best" option to do for fitting your personal desires/interests. Akaroa is an example of a close, nice, little village, but limited in its options right there. You have to go further, such as through a ship tour, in order to obtain, in my view, the "good stuff" with a rail, mountain park and/or JetBoat adventure.

 

3. Are you considering any other Australia pre-cruise options such as Cairns/Great Barrier Reef and/or Kangaroo Island?

 

On weather, from my checking ahead on weather history, the differences between being there in late Jan. versus late Feb. or early March, are about the same. During this period, there are small differences, but I would not consider them to be major.

 

Yes, Sydney is wonderful and having added time there would be worth it. Seeing both the Opera House and Harbour Bridge up-close and understanding the secrets to their unique design and construction can be very interesting, if that is of value to you.

 

Reactions and added questions?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 117,771 views for this posting.

 

 

Here is an example of the dramatic geyser, water and bubbling rocks/mud as featured at the Te Puia thermal displays. Very interesting and tied to the activities of New Zealand. It is called the "Shakey Isle" because there is lots of steam, hot rocks and superheated water right under the surface of these lands. The biggest at Te Puia is Pohutu Geyser. Pohutu means "Big Splash"!! It erupts 10-25 times a day and shoot up to 98 feet in height.:

 

 

 

At Te Puia near Rotorua in northern New Zealand during the Tauranga port stop, this Maori performance starts its ceremonies outside and then we entered the Wahiao Meeting House. Fortunately (with some skill), I was in a prime front row seat to be able to get great pictures, video, etc. Plus, experience the quality for how these members share these cultural traditions.:

 

 

 

From Port Arthur, the historic Tasmanian penal colony seen during our stop in Hobart, here is just one of the many views for some of the sights there. This gives an overview for a portion of this prison site. This location was nearby to the water area as the prisoners would arrive from England for this “visit”. It took six to nine months to make the journey from England to this distant part of the world.:

 

 

 

From our group's Bay of Islands water fun, we got to do real sailing, including going out into the nearby Pacific Ocean! See the proof and success below. It was both a perfect weather day and such fun sampling this great region of northern NZ. One of the options for those in our Central Ohio group on this custom, private sailing was to help to do as much (or as little as desired) in helping make this sail experience happen. Here you can see Captain Murray guiding the ship from this great vantage point on the back of the Zindabar. Was this exciting and scenic for our group?:

 

 

 

From having our final breakfast on the back of our ship, here is the view of Auckland's historic Ferry Building, plus some other key downtown buildings. This visual gives you a small sample for the architectural variety in this city that has one third of the total NZ population. This docking area is super handy for having quick and easy access to the city. But, this port area can be very, very congested, especially with lots of luggage after such a long, 14-day cruise.:

 

 

 

Here is a picture from our New Zealand South Island JetBoat ride that my wife loved so much. From Akaroa, we did a combination ship excursion that included both the rail trip to the mountains/National Park, plus JetBoat. Notice her hands and those of others in our row super tightly gripping the safety bar? That says so much about the speed and thrills while roaring up and down this amazing stretch of scenic river. We've had lots of great moments on this trip, but one was a unique and special ride in a location that is spectacularly world-class near the NZ Southern Alps. And, perfect weather with good friends adds to the great joy!!:

 

Thank you, Terry in Ohio, for your info and beautiful pictures.

Answers to questions:

1. I looked at the itinery and did not see a mention of Queenstown! Is that in New Zealand?

2. The itineries on Oceania are quite pricey and we want to choose them wisely and also we found out on our last cruise(our first cruise) on Celebrity that we don't enjoy the "herding" of passengers and the huge crowds. That said we certainly want to see as much of the beautiful country as we can. And this cruise is half the size of Celebrity. We do have some limitations as my husband is a terminal cancer patient and not into hiking but is able to walk at a moderate pace. He's not really into small boats and prefers to be in the shade most of the time.(But does wear a hat and lots of sunscreen) But again this is a special trip for us and want to see and do as much as we can

.

We are very intersested in all the things you mentioned except not wine so much. My husband would love a train ride!

3.We are planning on staying a few days in Sydney before boarding and after departing the cruise a week in Onemana, New Zealand with our son.

Thank you so much for your help!

The Queenstown tour that Terry mentions is one you have to leave the ship for, for a couple of days. You get off at Milford Sound and travel overland and meet up with the ship in Dunedin. Not all cruise lines offer it and it is very pricey. You do get to see the interior of the South Island and personally I love Queenstown but have only done it on land trips not cruises.

Dunedin - I can thoroughly recommend the Taeiri Gorge Rail trip. It does not have to be done through the cruise line, and is much cheaper if you do it yourself, check out their website. However we did do it via the cruise line has it was easier. At Akoroa the black cat harbour cruise is good, right at the dock where your tender comes in. The town itself is lovely if you just want to wander about or there were tour operators waiting on shore to tout their tours

Picton, lovely to sail into, but only done it by the ferry. Walkable town but wineries are nearby if you like that. Go onto Viator to check out tours. Gisborne again walkable, not sure of attractions around there

Taurunga (Rotorua) also consider Hobbiton, it is delightful and very pretty. Found it a very interesting tour even for those who are not into Lord of the Rings.

Haven't been to Bay of Islands on a cruise but we popped over to Russell via the ferry which can be done by people on a cruise and found it a lovely spot. Also really enjoyed the Hole in the Rock tour.

Auckland - you can take a harbour tour with Fullers which leave from the dock next to the cruise ship. Again check them out online.

Thank you, Terry in Ohio, for your info and beautiful pictures. Answers to questions:

1. I looked at the itinery and did not see a mention of Queenstown! Is that in New Zealand?

2. The itineries on Oceania are quite pricey and we want to choose them wisely and also we found out on our last cruise (our first cruise) on Celebrity that we don't enjoy the "herding" of passengers and the huge crowds. That said we certainly want to see as much of the beautiful country as we can. And this cruise is half the size of Celebrity. We do have some limitations as my husband is a terminal cancer patient and not into hiking but is able to walk at a moderate pace. He's not really into small boats and prefers to be in the shade most of the time.(But does wear a hat and lots of sunscreen) But again this is a special trip for us and want to see and do as much as we can. We are very intersested in all the things you mentioned except not wine so much. My husband would love a train ride!

3. We are planning on staying a few days in Sydney before boarding and after departing the cruise a week in Onemana, New Zealand with our son.

Thank you so much for your help!

Appreciate so much your highly-detailed follow-up and the added background items. Sorry on your husband health challenges. Very helpful comments from Wastegirl in Australia. Here are some items of added information:

1. Tour costs?: Yes, ship tour costs have gotten more expensive with all cruise lines. They want to offer lower, more attractive "sticker prices" and need to make things with certain of the "extras" such as tours. Part of it is also about Australia and New Zealand where labor, taxes and other costs add up more here.

2. Tour crowding?: In general, from what I have heard, Oceania should try to keep their tour buses not quite as full as might be done with some other, larger, more "mass" lines. Our Aust.-NZ cruise was with Celebrity and some of our excursions were done with the ship. Others were done via private tours we set-up and arranged. it was easier for us as we had a group of us from Central Ohio with seven couple and that things "come together" in an easier way. Ideally, doing a private tour with just the two of you and/or another couple or so would be perfect. BUT, that can be more costly. I would focus FIRST on what you want to do. Then look at your options and how to get it done. Some might cost more than what you want to spend, but this is a special place can provide spectacular memories.

3. Queenstown is in the central heart of New Zealand's super-scenic South Island. It sets on a dramatic lake with tall mountains all around it. Besides the charming town of Queenstown, you will be seeing a wonderful rainforest area, a cute old gold-rush town, a winery, the bridge where bungee jumping got its start, etc., etc., etc. I do not know if Oceania will offer this two-day excursion with an overnight stay in Queenstown. It is worth checking about this potential. It might be costly, but the scenery, sights and experiences were amazing for us and those in our group.

4. Train ride?: Below is a little more on that option and its views. It was a costly option, but it worked out to be well worth it.

Check out my live/blog and let me know on that posting any added questions. Happy to share more.

Tranz Alpine rail trip to the NZ Southern Alps:

Regarded by train lovers to be one of the world's great rail journeys for its scenery, the total journey is 139 miles one-way, taking about four and a half hours. There are 19 tunnels and four viaducts, with the Staircase Viaduct being 240 feet high. It was about a two-hour ride from the Rolleston Station, where we boarded, to Arthur's Pass in the middle of the National Park by that name. It was at that point that we switched back to our bus and the trip to Springfield for lunch and the JetBoat ride. For the others, they headed towards the Homebush Station historic Victorian farm, built by one of the region’s founding families, with its sheep, dogs for herding, etc.

From:

http://www.kiwirailscenic.co.nz/tranzalpine/

you can see a nice video and gain added info on this train, its route, etc.

Arthur's Pass National Park was established in 1929, the first national park in the South Island and the third in New Zealand. Arthur's Pass village and its mountain crossing point are at a height of 3,018 feet above sea level. The eastern side we saw is mostly drier and consists of beech forest and wide riverbeds. The western side contains dense rainforest. Much of this geography was formed by ancient glacial action, forming flat bottomed U-shaped valleys. In the middle is a high range, consisting of large snow covered peaks and scree slopes, as per Wikipedia.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 117,771 views for this posting.

Here is Karen from our Central Ohio group finding a cute Kangaroo for feeding at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary with its location nearby to Hobart. And, surprise!!, this mother has an even more lovable baby in the pouch. This is getting really up close and personal.:

We got great views of the harbor and shoreline areas on a Captain Cook harbor tour in Sydney. We also enjoyed seeing the Rocks historic area with a shopping/market day. This water cruising worked well for seeing the Opera House and Harbour Bridge from different angles, beach scene with its nice bathhouse building, seeing Luna Park on the other side of the Harbour Bridge, etc. It was a fun narration done on this ship, pointing out celebrity homes, learning historic details, etc.:

First is one of my visuals that gives a little sampling for the spectacular Waimakariri River gorge seen from the Tranz Alpine Rail trip. Great "drama" in this aspect of the trip, especially with the blue waters that we would later travel "up-close-and-personal" via a JetBoat trip.:

This second picture gives an idea for the view from the outdoor viewing platform near the front of this train. It had a covered roof but open sides to create an ideal location to take photos from the train. No photo glare from trying to shoot through a window. I spent most the time through the mountains in this location.:

Here is one visual in connection with this steamship sailing leading to the dinner at the sheep station at the other end of this scenic lake from Queenstown during our overnight excursion there. You can see many of old woods with the scenic mountains in the background in this area.:

3. Queenstown is in the central heart of New Zealand's super-scenic South Island. It sets on a dramatic lake with tall mountains all around it. Besides the charming town of Queenstown, you will be seeing a wonderful rainforest area, a cute old gold-rush town, a winery, the bridge where bungee jumping got its start, etc., etc., etc. I do not know if Oceania will offer this two-day excursion with an overnight stay in Queenstown. It is worth checking about this potential. It might be costly, but the scenery, sights and experiences were amazing for us and those in our group.

The two-day ship's excursion usually seems to involve one day of driving from Dunedin to Queenstown, and one day of driving from Queenstown to Milford Sound. In between, you get to graze a few of the bits and pieces very briefly. This is like "If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium", but on steroids. And you miss two days of the cruise that you've already paid for. But it's just a facet of the fact that if you actually want to see New Zealand, don't try to do it on a cruise.

IMHO, Queenstown is better done as a pre-cruise or post-cruise trip. Queenstown and its surrounding areas need about a three- or four-night stay.

The two-day ship's excursion usually seems to involve one day of driving from Dunedin to Queenstown, and one day of driving from Queenstown to Milford Sound. In between, you get to graze a few of the bits and pieces very briefly. This is like "If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium", but on steroids. And you miss two days of the cruise that you've already paid for. But it's just a facet of the fact that if you actually want to see New Zealand, don't try to do it on a cruise.

Appreciate and both agree/disagree with the above posting from our experienced London friend. Ideally, with unlimited time and money, we would have liked to have spent more time in and around Queenstown. We seriously looked at flying down from Auckland to Queenstown, etc. BUT, we also wanted to do during our first time down under some key sites (Great Barrier Reef and Kangaroo Island) in Australia, plus stops in Hawaii on the way down and back, etc., etc. We did not have the time and money to do it "ALL"!!

This two-day, Queenstown overnight excursion worked well given our personal needs and interests. For us and those in our group, it was not as bad as "If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium". Our pace and flow on both days worked well.

Personal choice??!! Like doing a cruise to see New Zealand versus a land tour. Either can work. There are trade-offs and pro/con factors associated with either direction. Each traveler needs to weigh the various aspects and see what best fits their schedules and potentials.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 117,841 views for this posting.

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 184,953 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923