Akaroa Mail Run

Has anyone from a Celebrity Cruise done the Mail Run in Akaroa on their own? If anyone on a Celebrity Cruise has been in Akaroa this year, what time did you dock? Thought it might be interesting to do but I wasn't sure if our ship is going to dock in Akaroa yet. We are supposed to go to Christchurch. This is for next year.

Thank you,

There is no docking in Akaroa.

Akaroa is a tender port , and as such , access will depend on when you can get on a boat to go ashore.

Thanks Kiwi Kruzer,

I didn't realize we would tender there. It will probably take awhile to get off the ship. I guess we will have to wait and see if there is where the Solstice is going to go and what time we are going to arrive.

Thanks Kiwi Kruzer,

I didn't realize we would tender there. It will probably take awhile to get off the ship. I guess we will have to wait and see if there is where the Solstice is going to go and what time we are going to arrive.

Thanks Kiwi Kruzer,

I didn't realize we would tender there. It will probably take awhile to get off the ship. I guess we will have to wait and see if there is where the Solstice is going to go and what time we are going to arrive.

You will definitely go to Akaroa and not Christchurch, as local news has it that the port at Christchurch will not be rebuilt for many years yet.

We were in Akaroa last week and several off our roll call had booked the mail run - only 3 made it on time and that was from the first avail tender after ship tour priorities. Note that the mail run is a set service, so he cannot wait for late comers.

We did book the mail run for next January. Decided to take the chance on catching the early tender. Hope to get off the ship asap.

We did the Mail Run this past February off the Sea Princess. It was wonderful and well worth the money. Reserve it from the webpage supported by the City Tourist Bureau. (akaroa.com) Highly recommended. The predicted docking time was 8:00 AM, and we were on the dock by 8:30, plenty of time for the 9:00 departure. Our mailman/driver waited 10 minutes later, because he had 2 no-shows the day before, and he wanted to make sure that they had not gotten the day confused.

Thank you so much for answering. I booked the mail run and was a little scared we weren't going to make it off the ship in time. Glad the mail man waits a little while. It sounds like it will be a fun experience.

Just another tip: make an effort to be among the first to go ashore. We were on Princess. Most cruise lines take the people on ship's tours first, then the others. We met in the dining room with other independents, and they gave us numbers for the tenders. We were there early enough to #1 and #2, and we were on the second tender.

We are on the Solstice. I am not sure how Celebrity does the tender tickets but we are going to be there very early and hope for the best. Celebrity still hasn't made it official that we are going to Akaroa.

Linda Ward of www.explorecanterbury.co.nz will provide you with an amazing small group tour of the Akaroa peninsula (similiar route to the mail run) but with a cheese factory visit, amazing museum tour, tea on a beach, sheepfarm visit, etc.....you can customize your tour with her....or let her pick the sights.....

Her tour was a top highlight of our Nov 2011 NZ cruise. She is a wonderful hostess!! We highly recommend that one books with her!