Which cruise to take-Which cities to visit?

Please help me decide on a specific cruise to Australia and New Zealand. I want to see Sydney and Melbourne and Uluru Rock and New Zealand. First, from what coastal city would I travel from to see the Rock? Are there trips from the big cities to the Rock? Are they overnight trips? Second, Some ships in New Zealand go to the South (Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound, Dunedin, Akaroa, Picton and Wellington) and some only go to the North (Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Picton). We do not do water sports but do enjoy beautiful scenery and mountains. I don't know what there is to see in the 2 areas of New Zealand, so if I have to pick the N. or the S., what exactly would I be choosing?

Uluru is pretty much dead center of the country, (think Nebraska in the US)so not aware that any cruise line will do an excursion there...Probably something you would do on your own. Figure one day to fly there, one day there, and one day to fly on to your next destination. The closest port would probably be Melbourne or Adelaide, but in the US, you can see how far Galveston or New Orleans might be from Nebraska, as a comparison.

 

Not seeing the South Island of New Zealand is missing some of the best scenery and mountain terrain New Zealand has, but again, getting to the Queenstown area is more likely a land tour, not a cruise excursion. But some do have some excursions that take you through that area, missing a couple of days on the ship.

 

I would suggest some map research to get an idea how big Australia is, and some ideas on how New Zealand is laid out.

Edited April 29, 2016 by CruiserBruce

Good advice from CruiserBruce--you really need to do some more research, especially on NZ, and look at some maps. (I recommend Lonely Planet guidebooks).

 

As far as Uluru (Ayers Rock) goes, due to the flight times, you will need to spend at least 2 nights there and that will give you enough time to see both Uluru and Kata Tjuta. There are flights to the Ayers Rock Airport (AYQ) from all the major coastal cities in Australia, but I think the only non-stop flights are from Sydney and Cairns.

 

One thing to consider before booking a trip to Uluru is the weather. If you are cruising between December and February, it is going to be beastly hot at Uluru and the flies will be out in full force. That's not saying you should not go, but you should be aware of it and the accommodations you will have to make. (That's the sort of info that you'll find in guidebooks.)

the Rock is smack in the middle. Two nights minimum if you are flying in.

 

If you can only do one Island of NZ personally I'd do South.

 

But think about this one

 

Fly to Aukland, do a cruise Auk to Syd, that will stop at Mekbourne (and if you choose carefully Hobart too).

 

Than a few days in Sydney, fly to the centre, fly to Brisbane (maybe a few days there) fly home.

 

Or in reverse if course.

Ayers Rock is a long way and flight from either Melbourne or Sydney. Australia is a very big country .

 

Do your other Australian touring to the Great Barrier Reef and Central Australia before or after your cruise .

 

From the US you can fly direct into Melbourne or Sydney, suggest allow 2 - 3 days in either or both cities. Princess does 14 day round trip New Zealand cruises from both Melbourne and Sydney, taking in both NZ islands and Milford Sound. South Island has the most scenery and most spectacular ports .

Flying into Melbourne from US you can select Qantas on A-380 or United on the Dreamliner .

First, from what coastal city would I travel from to see the Rock? Are there trips from the big cities to the Rock? Are they overnight trips?

Ayers Rock is a long way and flight from either Melbourne or Sydney. Australia is a very big country.

To put this into context, asking whether you can do an overnight trip to Uluru from a coastal city like Sydney is about the same as asking whether you can do an overnight trip to Des Moines from Miami.

Flying from the USA you will be able to fly direct into Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne or Auckland NZ & all of those cities have cruises departing from them. So depending which city you choose to fly into could help with organising what to do. Uluru is not easy or cheap to get to for just an overnight or two and as such most Australians have never seen it themselves. Sydney would probably offer the most choices of flights. As for NZ, you mentioned you like mountains so in my opinion you would be best to take in a cruise that went to the sounds in the South Island.