Any advantage going from Sydney to Auckland or reverse?

Is cruising from Australia to NZ or the reverse preferable from a scenic point of View?

If one flies from N America to either Sydney or Auckland is travel easier to one or the other?

We are contemplating a back to back cruise from Sydney to Auckland (or the reverse) and have a choice of flying to and cruising from either of these ports and wonder if one is superior to the other?

Def sail out from Sydney. That is not to say that sailing from Auckland is not nice, it is (love all of NZ)....but Sydney is outstanding. You will be far happier seeing Sydney's majestic harbour during sailaway, than you would coming back in early morning. Have sailed many times from Sydney, and never tire of the views. I am positive others will agree.

Although on a gorgeous fine morning Sydney harbour is spectacular. ;)

It would be better to base your decision on the itinerary, and also whether you intend spending time before/after your cruise in each country.

New Zealand looks small but there is a lot to see away from the ports. It's also cooler than Australia so if you wanted to do a land tour you would be better doing it first if you are planning to cruise in our Autumn, or last in our Spring.

Australia is very large, similar to mainland USA. The northern parts of Australia get very hot and wet in our summer months.

It depends on what else you plan to do while down here a day or so in Hawaii each way isn't a bad idea as it's a long flight.

One benefit of Auk to Syd is you finish with a couple of sea days [to recharge] if you have to fly straight home, or even if you then plan to spend a bit of time in Aus.

And sailing into Sydney harbour in the morning is pretty special :D if you want to get up that early. :eek: Or even watching the Opera House and city from your balcony if you berth at the OPT.

There is also a nice Celebrity that goes Auk to Perth.

If one flies from N America to either Sydney or Auckland is travel easier to one or the other?

But the bigger factor will really be what (if anything) you're planning to do in either country before or after the cruise.

Thank you for the responses.

In either case we will sail into and out of the harbour.

The itineraries are the same.

We just returned from a Diamond Princess cruise, Auckland to Sydney. Thus we entered Sydney harbor in the early morning (it was dark). We could see the Opera House because it was so close but could not get a good picture. We did spend an extra few days in Sydney and had the opportunity to take the ferry a couple of times, thus getting the full experience of viewing the Opera House from the harbor entry. Otherwise, I don't think there's much difference in where you start/end.

I would sail from NZ to Australia....that way you are always getting closer to civilisation !:D

I would sail from NZ to Australia....that way you are always getting closer to civilisation !:D

What a good idea...Enjoy Paradise first...:D

It would be better to base your decision on the itinerary, and also whether you intend spending time before/after your cruise in each country. New Zealand looks small but there is a lot to see away from the ports. Australia is very large, similar to mainland USA. The northern parts of Australia get very hot and wet in our summer months.

GUT2407: It depends on what else you plan to do while down here a day or so in Hawaii each way isn't a bad idea as it's a long flight. One benefit of Auk to Syd is you finish with a couple of sea days [to recharge] if you have to fly straight home' date=' or even if you then plan to spend a bit of time in Aus. [/quote']

 

Globaliser: I haven't done a comprehensive count' date=' but from the US there are probably more flights to Sydney than to Auckland. Given that pre-cruise travel is more time-critical than post-cruise travel, this may be a factor for you. But the bigger factor will really be what (if anything) you're planning to [b']do in either country before or after the cruise[/b].

 

Lots of good, smart tips and insights on this thread. I have highlighted a few above. From our experiences with our early 2014 "adventure" in Australia and New Zealand, it is important to think ahead, research, plan and have your schedule match your personal interests/needs.

 

We super loved our "stop-overs" in Hawaii, both going down and coming back. Our time in Cairns/GBR/Rainforest and on Kangaroo Island worked so super well. Both areas are fantastic!! After Sydney, we had choice on cruises of doing Melbourne versus Tasmania. Since we had done lots in Europe with its big cities, museums, etc., we focused on the Tasmania stop/option and enjoyed those extra samples of nature and wildlife there. That worked well.

 

In New Zealand, our ship offered an overnight excursion to Queenstown. That was wonderful to provide a more in-depth look at the interior of the amazing and scenic NZ South Island. We had two extra days in Auckland and that worked out much better than we had expected. Auckland is much more than just another "big city". Great potential in and around there.

 

Your cruising options for these two countries are very important. BUT, think and focus on the BIGGER, OVERALL list of options and potentials. Putting together the "right package" is vital and requires some serious creativity, thought and investment of time, money, etc. AND, these added options might cost more money than just what you had planned for your cruise and airfare. BUT, those "extras" can really be the "frosting on the cake" that makes your trip there so memorable.

 

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 100,429 views for this posting.

We just returned from our Australia/New Zealand cruises and land trip. We had a wonderful time and I did NOT want to come home. We loved both countries. We flew into Sydney 3 days pre-cruise. We were fortunate to be able to experience Australia Day. We then boarded the Celebrity Solstice for a 12 night cruise from Sydney to Auckland. Our ports were Hobart, Dunedin, Akaroa, Wellington, Tauranga (which we missed due to high winds), Bay of Islands, and left the ship in Auckland. We then stayed 2 nights in Auckland, visiting Waiheke Island. Then to Rotorua for 3 nights. We then traveled to Auckland Airport and flew back to Sydney for 3 more nights. We finished our trip with an 11 night trip up the coast of Australia on RC Rhapsody of the Seas.

As many of you know, I spent alot of time on these boards asking for opinions while planning my trip. I want to thank everyone for all the input and let you know it helped so much to get quick answers from experienced people from many of the places we wanted to visit. There are so many things we did not have time to see and do. We did see many places and had such a great trip. We hope to come back again in the future to be able to experience many more places!!

I don't think there is a right way or wrong way to see Australia and New Zealand. There are so many options available. It is just a must do in everyones lifetime!! :D :D

We just returned from our Australia/New Zealand cruises and land trip. We had a wonderful time and I did NOT want to come home. We loved both countries. As many of you know, I spent alot of time on these boards asking for opinions while planning my trip. I want to thank everyone for all the input and let you know it helped so much to get quick answers from experienced people from many of the places we wanted to visit. I don't think there is a right way or wrong way to see Australia and New Zealand. There are so many options available. It is just a must do in everyones lifetime!! :D :D

Glad to hear that things worked well for NE Ohio's Debbie. YES, it is smart to both read lots of background on these CC Boards AND ask lots of good questions. The more you know, the better things will work out.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days, here is the link below to that series of posts on my live/blog. Lots of great visuals from the Amazon and these various Caribbean Islands, etc. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 17,322 views for these postings.

Glad to hear that things worked well for NE Ohio's Debbie. YES, it is smart to both read lots of background on these CC Boards AND ask lots of good questions. The more you know, the better things will work out.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days, here is the link below to that series of posts on my live/blog. Lots of great visuals from the Amazon and these various Caribbean Islands, etc. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 17,322 views for these postings.

HI neighbor Terry. Just wanted to say I told Judy/Eye See tours you said "HI". She also said hi back!

So pleased to hear you enjoyed your travels downunder. :)

We just returned from our Australia/New Zealand cruises and land trip. We had a wonderful time and I did NOT want to come home. We loved both countries. We flew into Sydney 3 days pre-cruise. We were fortunate to be able to experience Australia Day. We then boarded the Celebrity Solstice for a 12 night cruise from Sydney to Auckland. Our ports were Hobart, Dunedin, Akaroa, Wellington, Tauranga (which we missed due to high winds), Bay of Islands, and left the ship in Auckland. We then stayed 2 nights in Auckland, visiting Waiheke Island. Then to Rotorua for 3 nights. We then traveled to Auckland Airport and flew back to Sydney for 3 more nights. We finished our trip with an 11 night trip up the coast of Australia on RC Rhapsody of the Seas.

 

As many of you know, I spent alot of time on these boards asking for opinions while planning my trip. I want to thank everyone for all the input and let you know it helped so much to get quick answers from experienced people from many of the places we wanted to visit. There are so many things we did not have time to see and do. We did see many places and had such a great trip. We hope to come back again in the future to be able to experience many more places!!

 

I don't think there is a right way or wrong way to see Australia and New Zealand. There are so many options available. It is just a must do in everyones lifetime!! :D :D

So glad it all worked out so well for you, but you do know you have barely scratched the surface and will have to come back to see some more. I don't say the rest as that'd take a lifetime or two.