Review - Diamond Princess, Auckland to Sydney

Thanks everyone for your input to these boards. It helped tremendously with the planning of our trip. Below is my review, which I'll post to the Members Review section also. It's long, even though I tried not to overly repeat what has been mentioned before... you've been warned!

Jazzmom

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We left San Francisco for Auckland, through LA, on March 31 and arrived early morning April 2. We traveled Qantas, and American for the domestic portion of the trip. This was my second Princess cruise and my husband's first. We have enjoyed crusing with Celebrity in the past. It was raining in Auckland when we arrived, and as we were taken to a hospitality area at the Ellerslie Event Center to await transport to the port for embarkation starting around noon, we opted to take the 3 hour tour that Princess offered which would end at the port. I had hoped to do exploring of Auckland on our own by taking a taxi into the CBD from Ellerslie (about 10-15 minutes away) and using the trams, but because of the rain, which was not clearing, I felt we would see more on the tour. We actually didn't see very much at all because the rain and cloud cover was so heavy the top of the Sky Tower wasn't visible, nor was the city skyline from Mt. Eden. From what we could see, it was a nice harbor side city which we will have to save for exploring next time, but at least we were dry and happily, stumbled on a Glengarry wine shop at Mission Bay to stock up on some wonderful New Zealand wine for the ship.

We did get to the port some time after noon, along with lots of others. It took about an hour to wind through the orderly line to board, as with a full ship, it was to be expected. Once on, we were able to settle in and begin our adventure. As others have reviewed the ship, cabins, dining and entertainment - I'll just mention some things that stood out to us. The practice of passing out hand disinfectant every time we came onto the ship and before every meal was a bit annoying - until I realized how much common touching of hand rails, buffet serving utensils, chairs, tables, doors, etc. took place. I also observed that people's hand washing practice after using the facilities varied, so I then became appreciative of regular and frequent use of the disinfectant. The crew on this ship seemed to always be in a good mood and happy to be there. Especially the cruise director and his staff - Dan and Frankie had a morning TV show on one of the ship channels called the Morning Zoo, that kept us all quite amused. They loved Tim Tam's and self-straining tea bags so much the dock side store in Melbourne sold out! The crew attitude really helped provide a family-like ambiance that made time on the ship feel very comfortable. The balconies on the Caribe deck (10) are 1/2 covered and 1/2 exposed, which made it OK to step outside, regardless of all but the worst weather. The naturalist on board had very interesting talks on the Fiordlands, Maori and Aboriginal culture, which helped provide perspective and appreciation for the native landscape. Theater was small, but the acoustics and sight lines to the stage were very good and seating was very comfortable. Communications and organization of situations requiring passengers participation/cooperation (going ashore, immigration, disembarkation, etc.) was done very well. Clear instructions and crew were always available. A specialty coffee card was available for $24... get 15 for the price of 12. Convenient if you like morning or afternoon espresso drinks. Also, our waiter in the main dining room had a strong pot of coffee waiting for us after dinner every evening, after mentioning that the regular coffee seemed weak. It was appreciated!

We did all of the port stops on our own or with private tours. There were four of us traveling together and enjoyed having maximum flexibility and control of what we wanted to do and see. Overall, we spent less or the same as what Princess would have charged for similar activities.

Tauranga - Arranged a private tour with Mount Classics Tours ( http://www.mctours.co.nz/cruise_ship_tours.html ) . Our guide Reece was very friendly and knowledgeable. His world travels and insight on NZ enhanced our experience greatly. Briefly, our day consisted of driving through Tauranga; admiring the scenery on the way to Rotorua and then on to Wai-O-Tapu, where we saw the geyser and spent a few hours walking all three loops. Fascinating area to explore. We then saw the sights in Rotorua and had lunch at a local pub for great fish and chips. Rainbow Springs was our next stop which allowed us to see some native plants, birds and animals including a kiwi, as well as huge rainbow trout. Walking along a self-guided path using a playback device worked well. They also had a new animal area we walked through which included many emu's, baby lambs and birds. We drove back to Tauranga via an alternate route so we could see more of the beautiful and varied landscape. We enjoyed our time with Reece very much and would highly recommend Mount Classic Tours.

Christchurch - Used Princess shuttle ($5 US/pp each way) to get to Cathedral Square. An open market was in full swing, so we took the time to browse and shop. We walked down the pedestrian mall to the Bridge of Remembrance, then along the Avon River. Very picturesque town and easy to get around. Walking from the square to the Arts Center and botanic gardens is doable, or you can use the tram.

Dunedin - Arranged a private tour with Elm Wildlife Tours ( http://www.elmwildlifetours.co.nz/ ) . Brian was an excellent guide and took us all over the Otago area. As this was a wildlife tour, Brian was extremely knowledgeable in this area, but also took us through Dunedin to view the wonderful stone buildings and as San Francisco natives, we had to go up and down the steepest street in the world to judge for ourselves! We also had time to go to Larnach castle to walk around the grounds and later, indulged in some wonderful Bluff oysters. The highlights of the day were to the Royal Albatross Center where we learned about these incredible birds, but unfortunately it was not windy enough to see any in flight, although we were able to view a 10 week old chick on the hill, waiting to be fed. Leaving the center, we also stopped at the beach below to see a few little blue penguins holed up in their dens - very cute. We then headed along lagoons and four-wheeled through sheep-filled pastures to arrive at Elm's private conservation area on an ocean beach, where we were able to observe NZ fur seals, hooker sea lions, sea birds and the rare yellow-eyed penguin on the grassy hillsides as it was their molting season. We were very close to the animals and were practically alone on the beach with them. We were even lucky enough to see a few penguins coming out of the ocean, even though it wasn't dusk. We had an amazing day and felt so fortunate to experience what we did. Brian and Elm Wildlife Tours were excellent - book them if you get the chance.

Milford Sound - It was clear and beautiful as we entered Dusky Sound. Beautiful green mountains and waterfalls. The weather changed on us for Doubtful Sound..... rainy and gray, but the mountains and waterfalls were still visible and made for a mystical journey. The weather cleared up for Milford Sound and it was clear and bright as we headed in. Waterfalls were flowing freely because of the recent rain. On the way out, the weather changed again and the clouds moved in, so we weren't able to see the top of Miter Peak - but it was beautiful none the less and we were quite comfortable as we viewed Milford from our cabin balcony.

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Continuation from part 1:

And so began crossing the Tasman Sea. It was rough... the crew mentioned it was the roughest crossing they had all season. Some of them weren't looking too well and were to be commended as they had to keep working away. As we were walking down the corridor of our cabin deck, we could hear carts crashing against the inside walls. Plates and platters were sliding in the Horizon court and trays of plastic water glasses flew onto the floor. Shows in the Princess Theater were cancelled because of the movement, as were daytime dance classes. Quite a rolling ride... I'm not usually affected by movement, but wanting to be cautious, I went ahead with the Bonine. I think the gift shop was doing a lively business selling sea bands as witnessed by the many people who had them on their wrists. As sea conditions had not improved, our travel toward Hobart slowed considerably. It was decided on our second sea day outside of the fiordlands that we would bypass Hobart and head straight for Melbourne. We were disappointed to miss Tasmania, but were happy we were going to have extra time in Melbourne and spend the night in port. It was definitely strange sleeping in a non-stop creaking cabin for three nights with the intermittent feeling of an "earthquake" jolting the ship, but for what it's worth, we now have a benchmark on what rough seas can be. I should mention that we had a private tour set up in Hobart with Sefton at Rolls On Tour (http://www.rollsontour.com.au/day_tours.html). He and I communicated extensively on planning the day which I hoped to include Bonorong, the Hobart area and the Tahune forest along with whatever was in-between and was really looking forward to having him show us around. Perhaps he will be able to assist other cruisers.

Melbourne - The seas finally settled down and after four days on board, everyone was anxious to see land and get off the boat! We tied up around 10-10:30 am. We all had to clear immigration first, so that delayed going ashore as we had to wait for our assigned numbers to be called. As mentioned previously, Princess did a good job of outlining the process and gave approximate times when each set of numbers would be called. Timing was better than posted, so we were off the ship and ready to explore a little after noon. Since we missed the wildlife park in Hobart, I was hoping to get to the Healesville Sanctuary. As it turned out, it was about 90 minutes from Melbourne and not feasible for the afternoon. The very friendly advisors at the information desk suggested going to Melbourne Zoo instead. It was only 15 minutes away and very easy to get to via tram. As many have suggested, we purchased a day pass at the store at the end of the pier and made our way to the zoo which had an excellent variety of birds and animals, with a special Australiana area where you can walk through the "bush" with emu, wallaby and kangaroo; see koalas sleeping in their trees, and stroll through an aviary with the most colorful birds and water fowl. Really well done. They also had a nice fairy (blue) penguin exhibit, so we got to see many more of those cuties, which we just had a glimpse of in NZ. Later in the evening, thanks to a hint from Dan and Frankie, we took the tram back out for a walk along the Yarra and the pedestrian promenade by the casino. It was a balmy evening and very pleasant for a stroll - lots of people were out, enjoying the ambiance. Every hour, there is a fire ball display along the river. Eight columns spew synchronized bursts of fire - like a big blow torch - that reflect beautifully on the water. You can actually feel a bit of heat as each burst takes place. What a full day - great to be on land and as many crew as we saw exiting the ship, they were glad for the evening ashore as well. Our "real" day in Melbourne was spent using the free Melbourne Greeter service (http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/info.cfm?top=264&pg=2318) , which I booked before we left home. Our excellent guide, Ken Miller, walked and trammed us through the highlights of the downtown area including Federation Square, the Royal Botanical Gardens, the State Library, the lanes and arcades, historical buildings with their fantastic interiors, Telstra stadium - all the while providing history on the beginnings of Melbourne and insight on life in the city today. We really felt like we got to know Melbourne and were so lucky to have Ken with us.

Sydney - Disembarkation was well organized although we were a bit concerned that it was scheduled from 6:45 to 10 am, and not sure if we would be caught eating breakfast while our tag color was called. We did have a Princess post-cruise package for 3 nights in Sydney and from reading other posts and the schedule, felt it wouldn't be the earliest - but not the latest either. We took a chance thinking we wouldn't be called before 8am, so headed to the dining room at 7am with our overnight bags. We were done in about 30 minutes, just as they called Silver 1.... we were Silver 2. It was 7:45 when they got to us and we were out, found our luggage, on the bus and at the Four Seasons by 8:30 (the hotel was 2 blocks away). We did a lot during our 3 days - we used the red double decker hop on/hop off bus the first day ($30 and includes their "blue" route to Bondi), walked through Paddy's Market (indoor market - crowded, a bit stuffy and somewhat junky, with an occasional gem to be found - lots of clothes, souvenirs, shoes, etc. Interesting if you like that kind of thing - we lasted about 3 aisles), went to the Sydney Aquarium (very impressive, especially the underwater "shark" tank) and did the Bridge Climb (it was great - not scary or too strenuous; very well organized process and procedures, guides were lots of fun, outstanding views). We found a great Japanese noodle bar, Wagamama a few blocks from the Four Seasons for dinner (corner of Bridge and Loftus). The next day we explored the Rocks area. Found La Renaissance bakery on Argyle that had the best French pastries and coffee. The Rocks weekend market was in full swing as well. Much nicer than Paddy's - mostly higher quality products. After lunch, we took the ferry to Manly for views from the harbor and a stroll down the Corso to the beach. We had lucked out with the weather - all of our port stops, except arrival day in Auckland, were sunny and mild. Never too warm - i think the range was in the high 60's/low 70's, so perfect for strolling and sightseeing. We left the city on our last day and took the train to the Blue Mountains, using the Blue Mountain Explorer Link, which City Rail offers as a package including the round trip train ticket to Katoomba and the hop on/off bus to explore the beautiful Blue Mountains area. On weekends, the train only leaves once an hour - so we made the one a little after 8am. We arrived at Katoomba at 10:30 and jumped on the red bus to start our adventure. We did a lot here too - hiked down to the valley floor via the Furber Steps, through rain forest, passing by the Katoomba cascade and other falls. Great views all the way down. Took the world's steepest railway, backwards (!), to get back to the top then proceeded to the Echo Point lookout. We hiked a little more - out to the Three Sisters and some of the cliff walk for more views before heading to the charming town of Leura to browse around that area. Nice to slow down the pace, see some mountains and trees, since all we had seen of Australia thus far was big cities. We were able to catch the train back to Sydney from Leura, so that was a convenient place to end our day in the mountains. We were back in Sydney by 5:30 and after resting a bit, took a taxi to Chinatown for a fabulous meal at Golden Century on Sussex. We've had Chinese food in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York and San Francisco..... Sydney is right up there with the best. Since it was such a pleasant evening, we walked back to the hotel along George Street and were pleasantly surprised that the Queen Victoria Building was open to wander around, even with the stores closed. From the mosaic floors to the ceiling domes and the exhibits in-between, we were very impressed with the way Australians restore, preserve and make use of their historic buildings.

Princess's organization and planning shined through again with getting us to the airport. All weekend long, as people had departures scheduled on different days, the Princess staff at the hotel had kept the procedures updated and posted. People knew what time luggage was to be ready for pick up, time to check out, when and where to meet the bus, and departure time. We got to the airport rather quickly as there was no traffic (Monday was still part of the Easter holiday weekend - Good Friday was a major holiday, so some retail stores and restaurants were closed, but it didn't really interrupt any of our plans). Further airport and airline activities were (thankfully) uneventful, except that part of the airport check-in procedures included security asking whether or not we had any washing detergent or any toiletries in unmarked bottles in our checked luggage. When I responded that I had a small bottle of Woolite, we were pulled aside to have our luggage searched and had to give up the Woolite. We never got a good answer on what the issue was with detergent since it was in our checked luggage, but it wasn't a big deal. After all of the questions at port throughout the cruise, declaring what food, wood, and/or animal products we had, it was kind of funny that they took our soap!

As you can tell by my lengthy write-up, it was a very memorable trip. We would not hesitate for a moment to cruise on Princess or to visit New Zealand or Australia again.

Thanks so much for the terrific review. We have to wait till January 2007 for the same itinerary on the Sapphire. Reading your review made us all the more excited! Our cabin is port side, aft. Will we still get a view of the scenery from our balcony while cruising Fiordland? We will check into some of the links you posted. Thanks again for the information.

Kathy

Hi Kathy,

We were on the port side also (C330)... going through the first 2 fiords is one-way, so you can see scenery from your balcony, but just from one perspective. It was fun to be outside on deck to see both sides with nothing overhead - although we could not hear the naturalist on the outside speakers very well and it can get a little chilly. We went through Milford Sound in the afternoon so it was a very relaxing way to see and hear everything from our stateroom. Milford is a dead end, so you can see both sides from your cabin since the ship has to go out the same way it went in.

Good luck with your planning - it is an awesome trip!

jazzmom

wonderful review. did you book your own air or thru Princess?

Looking for small tour groups for Diamond Princess leaving Aukland February 22, 2013 and disembarking in Sydney March 8, 2013. First time on Cruise Critic:) Marc

Looking for small tour groups for Diamond Princess leaving Aukland February 22, 2013 and disembarking in Sydney March 8, 2013. First time on Cruise Critic:) Marc

Hi there.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

There is a very active Roll Call for your cruise...

click here

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1664585&page=7

If you visit that thread you can chat to folk who will be on the cruise with you and maybe tee up some tours. :):)

Thanks for the review!

They took your detergent because smugglers use that to keep the drug dogs from sniffing the drugs. It messes with the dogs ability to smell the drugs. Thanks for the review though!

Thanks for the review! I am actually considering that same cruise on the same date in 2014! Do you think it would be good for a 3.5 y/o?

The main thing that is turning me off to this ship is the stateroom options. All of the ocean view cabins are 135-155 sf, which doesn't leave room for an extra bed for my daughter. I don't think cramming 3 of us into a queen sized bed would be fun. The next step up is a mini-suite, which nearly triples the cost. So can I ask, which stateroom did you have and do you see any options for fitting 3 people into it?

I just noticed this review was posted in 2006! I don't think the OP will come back and reply!

Yes, this thread is 6 years old. Lots has happened in the meantime including much of central Christchurch being destroyed in the 2011 earthquake. But I'm sure many of OPs comments are still relevant.

Looking for small tour groups for Diamond Princess leaving Aukland February 22, 2013 and disembarking in Sydney March 8, 2013. First time on Cruise Critic:) Marc

Hi Marc, my wife and I might be interested in joining your small tour group, we will be on the same cruise. Do you know what tours? Ed

Anyone have a suggestion for a B&B or motel/hotel in Auckland before the cruise on the Diamond Princess, 02/22/13 Ed

Hi Marc, my wife and I might be interested in joining your small tour group, we will be on the same cruise. Do you know what tours? Ed

Is anyone doing any tours in Sydney after the cruise, Connie and I may want to join you, We are interested in the Blue Mountains, Wine Tours, We will be doing the Harbor Bridge Climb :)

Myself. DH, our daughter and his sister will be traveling to Sydney for the first time for a 13 day NZ cruise, then spend another 9 days sight seeing before reboarding the ROS for the Transpacific and Hawaii back to Vancouver. We leave March 15, 2014. We are getting excited and still have a little over 13 months.

Is anyone doing any tours in Sydney after the cruise, Connie and I may want to join you, We are interested in the Blue Mountains, Wine Tours, We will be doing the Harbor Bridge Climb :)

We're doing Sydney to Auckland the beginning of next month on HAL. We are also doing a Blue Mountain tour that I bought from Groupon Sydney. I would suggest you sign up and have the deals sent to you. We also got a Tall Ship harbor cruise in Sydney that includes dinner, music and an Open Bar.

wow..thanks for retrieving this review..

we were thinking of doing the same tour early next year.. :)