Radiance around New Zealand, cabin question

Hi, we're just about to book a cruise for February 2016 from Sydney to Perth via New Zealand. We're booking a balcony and wondered which side of the ship would give us the best views. Any comments about the cabin position or the cruise in general would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

Hi and welcome to Cruise Critic, fellow wren!

 

Because you will be travelling from North to South around NZ and along the South of Aus, a midship starboard balcony would be best. Or an aft facing cabin with bigger balcony if you don't mind a bit more movement.

 

When you go through the Sounds you will want to be up on deck, because the scenery is all around you.

 

We have done this trip in both directions, it's a great itinerary!

Haven't done NZ by cruise yet however have done Venice etc. on the Brilliance of the Seas and would recommend Cabin 9256 - Aft. It is sometimes referred to as D1 or a D2. Either way -- great views from the balcony.

Thank you both for your kind replies. We have, accordingly, booked a midship starboard cabin (8608) and are looking forward to the trip. We are then going to spend a month in Perth where we have family. Thanks again for your help. Jennywren

Hi Jennywren,

we did the same Australia/NZ cruise as you are booked for but in reverse. This was in November 2013 and we had a great time.

 

Below is the review that I wrote. it is long but very comprehensive and may be of help to you.

Australia and New Zealand – Radiance of the Seas – November 2013

Firstly, let me say that we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and the ports of call. I am a compulsive note taker and, although the information is only from my personal experience, I am recording it in this review in the hope that you may find some of it useful. I will concentrate mainly on the Ports of Call as there are many reviews of Radiance. My intention is to give practical information rather than a blow by blow account of what we did.

 

The Itinerary: Fremantle/Perth, Esperance, Adelaide, Melbourne, Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound, Dunedin, Akaroa, Wellington, Picton, Sydney

 

Background

My husband and I are keen cruisers (32 cruises so far) and we cruise for destination rather than cruise line. We are from the Midlands in the UK and are in our mid 60s. My husband is extremely active whereas I have some mobility problems and can’t walk long distances anymore. This restricts my adventurous nature somewhat.

 

We booked the cruise as a package with a UK travel Agent but added 2 extra nights pre- cruise in Fremantle and 3 nights post- cruise in Sydney.

 

Flights

We flew ‘economy’ with Emirates from Birmingham to Dubai and then onto Perth. The return journey was from Sydney to Dubai and, finally, Birmingham. The flights were on time, the food was quite good and plentiful, the entertainment system is amazing and the seats were relatively comfortable.

I had airport assistance at all the airports and it was always efficient and I was treated with dignity. Dubai airport has a designated handling area for special assistance passengers with toilets, a small duty free shop and a Costa coffee booth. I was taken there and spent an hour before being collected and transported to the flight departure gate.

 

Perth Airport.

• The airport authorities are very strict about the import of certain items into Australia. Our landing card declarations were examined twice and we were questioned about our responses.

• There were plenty of taxis available although the taxi rank is quite a walk from the terminal exit.

• Taxis are metered and our trip to the hotel in Fremantle took about 40 minutes and cost Aus$63.

Fremantle – The Esplanade Hotel

The cruise package included 1 overnight, pre-cruise stay (room only) at the Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle. We extended our stay by 2 nights and were able to retain the same room for the 3 nights by contacting ‘Guest Services’.

The Esplanade Hotel is in a very nice position not far from the town centre. It is a short walk across the park in front of the hotel to the Marina and a 10 minute taxi ride to the cruise terminal.

• Our room was spacious and had a large double bed, a pillow menu, a kettle with tea, coffee and milk, a large fridge, a hair drier, TV, bath with overhead shower, iron and ironing board, safe, toiletries, a balcony with a table and 2 chairs.

• Our room was on the second floor and overlooked the street. We were not disturbed by street noise.

• The hotel has a very nice swimming pool area and buffet restaurant. We thought the cost of meals was expensive but we found most things expensive in Australia!!!!

• The ‘free’ wifi only allowed a few megabytes before a charge was made.

• There are several eating establishments in close proximity to the hotel including a ‘cafe in the park’ directly across the road from the hotel entrance. We ate breakfast there each morning.

• There is a free bus service that runs two loop routes around the town and the bus stop is also directly across the road from the hotel entrance and slightly to the right.

 

Fremantle

Fremantle is the port town for Perth and is situated at the estuary of the Swan River. The town has well preserved Edwardian architecture, a bustling town centre, an attractive Marina and some long sandy beaches.

• The Marina has several eateries of different kinds. The 2 seafood restaurants were particularly popular. Fish and chips cost Aus$14.50 per portion.

• The town centre has a variety of shops, an information centre, public toilets, free wifi hot spots, a ‘local’ market, and some interesting historical sites. The area is flat and is very walkable.

• The 2 free bus routes interchange at the railway station just at the edge of the CBD and are well worth riding to get an overview of the area.

• There are several tourist trips run from the area including the tourist tram which does a guided tour of the town and boat trips along the river to Perth and out to Rottnest Island.

• The boat trips leave from the ‘B Shed’ which is the name of the terminal on the river bank. The terminal building has car parking, a booking office, toilets and a cafe.

 

Perth

We did the ‘Triple Tour’ from Fremantle which we booked on the internet with ‘Fremantle Tram Tours’ at a cost of Aus$78pp. You can book at the Tourist Information Centre too. This tour comprised of the guided ‘historical Tram’ tour of Fremantle, a boat ride along the Swan River from Fremantle to Perth and the HOHO bus in Perth. It did not include return travel from Perth to Fremantle but we got the train for Aus$3.50pp senior rate.

• The tram ride circles the town and stops at the prison, the war memorial, and the dock. You can use it as a HOHO facility. Our driver was very knowledgeable and had lots of amusing anecdotes.

• The tram gets to the dock in time for the boat trip which uses Captain Cook Cruises.

• The boat ride was interesting as we sailed along the river past some very elegant suburbs. Drinks of coffee and tea were included in the price and there was free wine tasting too.

• The trip takes 75 minutes.

• You disembark at Barrack Street Jetty where there are toilets, shops and cafes.

• The HOHO bus leaves from the jetty and takes 2 hours to do the full circuit without getting off. The ticket is valid for 2 days.

• There is a commentary so you learn some of the history of the area and the bus goes out to the suburbs and the casino before returning to the city and the King’s Park Botanical Gardens.

• We got off at the Park and spent 90 minutes there. My DH went off exploring and I spent a pleasant time in the cafe enjoying the view and people watching before visiting the shop.

• We asked to be dropped off near the railway station and the driver was very helpful and told us, not only where to get off but he also gave us directions to the concourse. The station is in the middle of the shopping area so it’s easy to visit the shops and then catch the train which runs every 15 minutes to Fremantle.

 

Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island is a nature reserve, 40 minute fast boat ride across the bay from Fremantle. We decided to spend a day on Rottnest Island because we had heard that it is beautiful and has many species of wild birds. My DH is an avid bird watcher and photographer so this was an obvious trip and we were not disappointed. We had glorious weather........warm and sunny.....with calm seas. The island has beautiful beaches, a small township and lots of wildlife including Quokkas which are a small relative of kangaroos and very cute.

• We booked the trip with ‘Everything Travel Group’. It cost Aus $159pp and included the return ferry from Fremantle to Rottnest, a guided bus tour of the island and lunch at the Lodge.

• I priced the component parts independently and the cost was roughly the same.

• The jetty where you disembark has spaces for other ferry boats that arrive from other areas of the mainland.

• You can hire bicycles on the jetty and this seemed a popular option but you do need to be fairly fit as the island is quite large and hilly in places.

• At the end of the jetty is a Visitors’ Centre with clean toilets and a small cafe. There are volunteer guides that will take you on walks around the Thomson Bay area and knowledgeable and helpful staff in the centre.

• There is a service bus that circumnavigates the island every hour but it has no commentary. It leaves from a stop 400yards (metres) approximately from the Visitors’ Centre.

• There is a small shopping area just behind the Visitors’ Centre with a fairly large supermarket/souvenir shop a ‘Subway’ Cafe, a Pharmacy, a bakery and a couple of other stores.

• Our bus tour lasted 1¾hrs and had a delightful driver who, again, had a great sense of humour and gave a very informative commentary. We had some short stops including 1 at the lighthouse and a couple at beach view points.

• We had chosen to have the buffet lunch option at the Lodge Hotel and paid Aus$35pp extra. Unfortunately, we thought the food was very poor and definitely not worth what we paid. I really wish we had done our own thing and either brought a picnic or bought from the bakery that had some great looking pies and sandwiches........oh well.....you can’t win them all and the other parts of the tour were fine.

 

The cruise

My DH and I chose this cruise as it had an itinerary that allowed us to complete a circumnavigation of Australia that we started in 2011 when we sailed on Sun Princess (yes, sorry folks but we cruise for destination and not cruise line) from Sydney around Northern Australia to Perth. This cruise also gave us the chance to visit New Zealand too.

Transfer and boarding

Our transfer from the hotel to the ship was included in our cruise package. We received a letter at the hotel explaining the procedure and it ran like clockwork. We were allocated a transfer time and the bus arrived on time. It was only a 10 minute drive to the port.

Our cases were whisked away (no time to tip anyone but tips are not expected in Australia, New Zealand and the UK....but that’s another story!) and check-in went very quickly. We left the hotel at 11.45a.m. and we were on board by 12.15p.m. Our cabin was ready at 1.00p.m. so we sat in the atrium lounge until the call came that cabins were open. Our bags arrived around 5.00p.m.

 

 

The Radiance of the Seas

I am not going to give a detailed description of the ship and our time aboard as there are many reviews already that do that. I am, however, going to list some practical information that may answer some questions.

 

Cabin 7092.

• This was a ‘hump’ cabin and had a large balcony with a table and 2 upright chairs.

• It did get windy when the ship was moving but we managed to eat breakfast out there most mornings even though we needed to wrap up in our warm clothes and a blanket I had requested from our steward!

• The cabin is very convenient for the atrium and the lifts (elevators).

• There was some noise from the atrium in the evenings but it didn’t bother us and the entertainment stopped at 11ish.

• The cabin had a double bed, small bedside tables, a dividing curtain, a 2 seater settee, a small coffee table, a fridge which kept things reasonably cool, a good hand held hair drier, an adequate amount of drawer and wardrobe space, a flat screen interactive TV, a safe and air conditioning.

• The bathroom was small with a circular shower and the dreaded curtain. There were 2 bars of soap and a shampoo dispenser in the shower cubicle, Water pressure was good and there was plentiful hot water.

• We asked our room steward for ice to be delivered every evening, 2 extra pillows and a blanket. He dealt with our requests efficiently.

 

My wish list

• Tea and coffee making facilities in the room........UK cruise lines have kettles and tea bags/instant coffee sachets etc. RCI has them on ships sailing out of the UK.

• Passenger Laundrettes.....this is why I would choose Princess, P&O, Fred Olsen etc before RCI.

• Proper shower cubicles with Perspex shower doors.......NCL manage this!

 

Dining

The topic of food can become quite heated as everyone has their own opinion. I can only speak for myself and say that I enjoy many different types and ethnicities of food but I am not a ‘foody’ and realise that cruise food is mass catering.

 

My Time Dining

We always take this option when it is available as we like the flexibility and the opportunity to eat as a couple or with other people as the mood takes us. We also feel 17 nights is a long time to be on the same table with people with whom we may or may not have common interests. We usually ate fairly early (between 5.30 and 6.30) and never had to wait for a table. There was usually a short queue as we were leaving the dining room. We were allocated the same table for 2 for the majority of the nights that we ate in the MDR and were very happy with the servers, Ronald and Pely. The food was fine and we always found something to enjoy.

 

The Speciality Dining Package

I bought this for my husband as a birthday present. I did it pre-cruise, on line, and made a small saving on cost. The down side was that we had to eat at ‘Chops’ on the second day of the cruise. In hindsight, I would have tried to change this once on board as it was our favourite venue of the 4 options and we would have preferred to use our booking on DH’s birthday but....hey ho...you learn from experience.

Again, we ate quite early and the restaurants were virtually empty. We enjoyed the food in all 4 venues but would rate them:

Chops – 5/5 – the steak was absolutely gorgeous.

Giovanni’s - 4/5 – good Italian food

Isuzu – 4/5 – tried several unfamiliar dishes

Samba – 3/4 - for me, the choices of meat came in the wrong order but there was no menu to tell you what was coming so no chance to change things....I’ll know next time.

 

Other Dining options.

The Windjammer Buffet.

This often felt crowded but I think the coolish weather was partly to blame as it was too cold for most people to eat out on the deck seating area.

There was a good variety of food and I particularly appreciated the addition of some UK, Australian and New Zealand specialities to the usual US fare. It was great to have English mustard, brown sauce, nearly proper mint sauce and malt vinegar along with ‘back’ bacon (I wish they would cook it a bit more), baked beans and pies.

 

The Park Cafe.

I had not come across this venue before and really enjoyed the chance to eat there in the warmth of the solarium. I liked the choices of sandwiches and snacks.

 

The Entertainment

As with food, this is a very subjective area so this is very much my own personal opinion. We don’t do a lot of the organised activities but join in a few things.

• We loved the trivia and Quest but were disappointed that the progressive trivia was only 3 games long.

• There were opportunities, on most nights, for ballroom type dancing in both the atrium and the Colony Bar.

• We went to all the shows in the theatre and found the offerings a bit hit and miss. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the production shows but enjoyed most of the individual artists.

• I loved the Argentine Tango show.

 

The Staff

I found the staff members, on the whole, to be pleasant and hard working. My only criticism was that I was not offered assistance in the buffet or Park Cafe, on a regular basis, to carry my plate. I use an arm crutch to help me to balance and it can be awkward to carry anything heavy so some help is much appreciated. On other cruise lines it has always been an automatic politeness.

 

Ports of Call.

Once again, these are only my own personal opinions, but I will try to incorporate practical information too. As I have mobility issues, my DH and I usually do ship’s shore excursions and we sometimes do different ones as he is far more active than me and loves trips that include walking and wildlife areas. On this occasion we also did some private tours in New Zealand. I’m not fond of big cities and prefer to get out of them to see something of the countryside wherever possible as I feel it gives me a better insight into an area........cities can be very ‘samey’.

 

Esperance.

It was a hot, sunny day in Esperance with relatively calm seas for the 15 minute tender ride into port. Esperance is a small town with some nice beaches, a small shopping area, museum and marina.

 

 

 

Our tour: - Information

My DH and I did the ship’s tour - Cape Le Grand National Park tour. I’m glad we did this because it gave us chance to see the rolling countryside and the amazing beaches.

The tour was 4 hours long and we saw:

• Stonehenge - a full size, stone replica of the English original. This was really odd to us ‘pommies’ (UK citizens) having seen the real thing but all credit to the farming family who were creating a tourist attraction from it.

There are refreshments available, toilets and a small shop with local crafts to buy. We were there for about 30 minutes.

• 2 wild kangaroos sheltering from the hot sun in a copse of trees. When they heard the bus they bounded out into the fields and we got a good view of them.

• The National Park has a wild coastline, rugged granite peaks, sweeping landscapes, rocky headlands, turquoise blue water in picture postcard bays rimmed by gleaming white sand beaches. The 2 beaches that we visited were amazing. I have never seen such fine white sand and so many shades of turquoise in the sea.

Both beaches had basic toilet facilities.

• Lucky Bay had a refreshment stall and a ‘pet’ wild kangaroo that posed happily for photos. We had 40 minutes at this beach and some people did have a swim.

When we got back to Esperance the bus stopped in the middle of town to let people off to go shopping

 

General information

• There is a shuttle bus that takes disabled passengers from the tender dock to the tour bus car park – about 500 yards.

• There is a local authority shuttle bus from the car park to the town centre – Aus $5 return.

• The dock is a 20 minute walk from the town centre.

• There is a HOHO bus which runs from the car park to the beaches....I don’t know the cost.

• There is a cafe by the dock.

• There was a very long queue for the tender especially when the tour busses returned. There was very little shelter from the hot sun and virtually no seating.

• There were a lot of very persistent flies.......no wonder some Aussies wear the hats with dangling corks!!!

 

Adelaide

This was the only port where we did our own thing. I had researched the city and looked at the ship’s offerings and decided that there was nothing that we particularly fancied. In the end we opted to get the ship’s shuttle bus into the city centre and then we got the local tram to the seaside resort of Glenelg. In hindsight (oh what a wonderful thing that is) it would have been cheaper to get the train from the port.

Adelaide seemed to be a very nice city - clean and modern with a good variety of shops. Glenelg was a pleasant seaside town with glorious beaches. It was a shame that there was a cold breeze blowing so, despite the clear blue sky and bright sunshine it was a bit chilly for sitting around.

 

General information

• The cruise ship terminal has a selection of gift shops, a very helpful information service, toilets and several volunteer helpers who guided people to the tour busses and the train station.

• The ship’s shuttle was US$12pp each way. There was a discount if you pre-purchased the shuttles in Adelaide, Dunedin and ? (oops...I’ve forgotten the other port – sorry).

• It was a 45 minute ride into the centre. The first shuttle bus should have departed at 7.00a.m but didn’t leave until after 8.00.

• The bus drops off and picks up at the Rundle Mall which is in the city centre. The Mall is a mixture of enclosed shopping arcades and open pedestrian precincts.

• There is an information booth on the main thoroughfare. The trams and city busses stop at the opposite end of the thoroughfare to where the ship’s shuttle drops off.

• The train station at the cruise terminal is 200 yards across the car park.

• There were volunteer helpers on the platform to assist passengers.

• The Aus$9.30 fare gives unlimited access to trains, busses and trams in Adelaide.

• There is a tram stop directly outside the city centre railway station.

• The tram to Glenelg runs approximately every 20 minutes from the bottom of the Rundle Mall on King William Street.

• There is a ticket machine at the tram stop and also on the tram itself. You need the right change in coins. Tickets need to be validated. It cost us Aus$1.30pp (senior rate) for a rover ticket.

• It took 35 minutes to get to Glenelg and it gave us chance to see some lovely suburban areas.

• The tram terminates about 50 yards from the beach in the centre of Glenelg.

• There are lots of cafes and shops. Public toilets are by the Library.

• There is free wifi throughout the Glenelg town centre area.

• We were told that the Botanical Gardens in Adelaide are magnificent, the Zoo is expensive and there is a free shoppers’ bus that runs a circular route through the city centre.

 

Melbourne

General information – dock area

• The cruise terminal is a 30 minute drive from the city centre.

• You can buy local transport tickets in the terminal building.

• The terminal building has small souvenir shop where the goods are very reasonably priced.

• There is a free shuttle bus from the terminal building to the tram stop outside the port. It isn’t a long walk but this is a very helpful option for anyone with mobility issues.

• The tram runs directly into the city centre at 10 minute intervals.

• There is a small supermarket and cafe next to the port tram terminus. It sells stamps and has a post box too.

• Ship’s tours depart from just outside the terminal building.

• There is a nice beach close to the dock.

• There is a shopping area about a 20 minute walk from the port area. Our tour bus dropped some people off there.

 

Our choice in Melbourne was to do the ship’s tour - Dandenongs, Birds & Australian Crafts.

We chose this one because it gave us chance to get out into the hinterland and, as my husband is a keen bird photographer, it offered the opportunity to see some of the native birds in the Dandenong mountain Range. We were quite happy with the tour but felt that 4 hours meant that everything was a bit rushed. The Dandenong Range is beautiful and the hillsides are covered in temperate rain forest vegetation which was very lush and green.

Our itinerary took us through Melbourne city centre and then out to the Sherbrooke Forest where there were a variety of colourful, native birds which make their home among the world’s tallest hardwood trees...DH was in heaven! We had a 30 minute stop at Grants reserve where there was a huge feeding station inhabited by a large number of Rosella Parrots and some other bird species. After that we continued on to the village of Olinda for a 45 minute stop where there were plenty of craft shops and cafes before returning to the dock.

 

Dandenongs tour - Information

• We didn’t see much of Melbourne city centre but it looked clean and modern with large park areas and well kept houses and gardens.

• Grants Bird feeding Station had a large shop with a wide variety of souvenirs but items were expensive. There were toilets and a small cafe.

• The village of Olinda had a variety of shops selling local arts and crafts. There were many Christmas items for sale but this might just be seasonal.....we visited in November. There were cafes and toilets too.

 

New Zealand.

The Sounds.

Oh boy....were we lucky with the weather! Our first encounter with New Zealand was the Fiordland cruising and we woke up to a crystal clear blue sky and brilliant sunshine. It was quite cool and breezy on deck but we couldn’t have wished for better viewing conditions of this spectacular area. We loved the scenery of all 3 Sounds but, to me, Milford Sound was the most spectacular.

• The ship approached the entrance to Milford sound about 06.00 but it was possible to see the coastline from about 05.15 – yes, we were up very early and brought breakfast back to the cabin so we could watch from our balcony.

• The ship sailed slowly into Milford sound and then stopped completely to let the people off who were doing the land tour of the area. They were picked up by a tender type boat.

• The ship did a 360 degree turn so everyone had an opportunity to see the waterfalls, sheer cliff faces, the glorious snow capped mountains and the families of seals before sailing slowly out again.

• Both Doubtful and Dusky Sounds were pretty but the scenery was less dramatic.

 

Independent tours.

We used Viator.com to book some independent tours in New Zealand. We did this because Viator guaranteed that the tour would get us back to the ship on time or they would get us to the next port. I thought their prices were quite reasonable and felt reassured that, should the worst happen, we would be looked after. We were very pleased with the service and quality of the tours.

 

Port Charmers and Dunedin.

The sail-in to Port Charmers was very pretty as it is at the head of a long inlet and the countryside is very reminiscent of the coastline of Scotland with the rolling hills and small villages.

We did a private tour, booked through Viator, which took us from the dock to Dunedin and included the ride on the Taieri Gorge Railway and a tour of Dunedin and its suburbs. This tour was considerably cheaper than a similar one through the ship but it would have been quite easy to get from Port Charmers to Dunedin Railway Station and do the train ride using public transport,

We thought Dunedin had a very ‘Scottish’ feel to it with the architecture and city layout. We both loved the train ride and thought the scenery was, again spectacular. The hill sides were ablaze with bright yellow gorse flowers and it made the whole place shine.

 

General information – Port Charmers dock area

• New Zealand has very strict quarantine laws and no food can be taken off the ship. There were officials with sniffer dogs on the ship by the card scanners. Public announcements informed everyone of the penalty ($400 fine) for ignoring the rules.

• You must have photo ID (passport or driving licence) and this had to be shown before you were allowed back onto the dock side.

• Dunedin City is a 30 minute drive from Port charmers.

• The ship’s shuttle service was US$10pp each way and the busses were at the bottom of the gangway.

• The Local Authority also provided a shuttle service but this was a 300m. walk to the terminal area and cost NZ$10pp each way.

• Taxis were NZ$40 to the town centre.

• Pre booked private tours left from the dock side 150m. from the gangway. Look for the blue ‘Private Tour’ sign along the walkway. There was a volunteer tourist information officer there to help.

• Port Charmers appeared to be a small but pleasant town with a large supermarket 150m from the dock gate on the Dunedin Road.

• The Taieri Gorge Railway train that is chartered for the ship’s tour leaves directly from the ship. This is separate train from the one we got at the station in Dunedin.

• There were tourist information volunteers at the terminal who were extremely helpful.

• There was a free guide book that had maps, information and ‘money off’ coupons.

 

Our tour: - Information

Taieri Gorge Railway Tour and City Sightseeing which was a 7 hour tour. We booked it through ‘Viator’ at a cost of £70pp (US$105 approx).

• We were picked up at 08.45 at the blue sign on the dock. This information should have been made clear to us when we confirmed our booking as we went to the terminal first and then had to walk back but this was the only glitch in the whole day.

• We got to the station at 09.15 which gave us time to get on to the 09.30 train. This was a shorter train than the one run for the ship’s tour and it wasn’t full so there was room to move around.

• There were clean toilets at the station and on the train.

• There is a snack cart on the train and the food and drinks were reasonably priced.

• There was also a souvenir cart with a variety of train souvenirs.

• We had a 30 minute stop at the terminal station called Pukerangi where there was a small craft market and some pleasant scenery.

• The ride was about 3½hrs in total and the scenery was wonderful.

• We waited for about 20 minutes at the station (there is a coffee shop and souvenir shop) before the bus came to take us on the tour of the town and the Otega Peninsula.

• We saw some beautiful countryside, lovely beaches and picturesque homes and gardens.

• We were dropped off at the gangway at 16.45.

• This was a great, hassle free tour.

 

Akaroa and Christchurch.

This was another lovely sail-in and well worth being up early to witness. Radiance was one of two big ships in the Sound that day and the village did struggle a bit to cope with the numbers of people coming ashore.

Akaroa is a small but very picturesque village and is used by the cruise ships since the port of Lyttleton suffered so much damage in the Christchurch earthquake of 2011. Christchurch is a 90 minute drive from Akaroa,

 

General information – Akaroa dock area

• Akaroa is a tender port.

• Independent travellers could get tender tickets from 08.45 in the Cascades Restaurant but there was already a queue at 08.10 when we got there.

• The tender ride was about 20 minutes.

• The jetty has several small stores along its side including a jewellers and a souvenir shop with an information desk.

• The jetty is quite a small wooden affair and it gets congested so ship’s tour tendering was suspended for a while to ease the congestion.

• There were several volunteer tourist information helpers including some, dressed in Victorian costume, who led walks around the town. These delightful people handed out maps and local information leaflets.

• There is a small park area at the end of the jetty where there are a few benches and some public toilets.

• The bus stops for the ship’s tours, independent tours and local public transport are all in this locality so for a short time chaos reigned. Sadly, there were a lot of people who just did not listen to or follow instructions given by the officials!!

• There were boat tours available from the jetty for NZ$72pp.

• There was a free shuttle bus from the end of the pier to the far end of the village which ran a loop all day.

• There were taxis available in the village.

• The village main street is approx 1½km long and there are several shops, cafes and restaurants along its length.

• There is a pleasant beach and park area too with picnic tables.

• The Banks Peninsula where Akaroa is situated is very beautiful with small villages, rolling hills, a craggy coastline and some lovely beaches.

 

Our tour: - Information

Banks Peninsula, Christchurch City Tour and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve.(8hrs)

We booked this tour through Viator at a cost of £67pp (US$100pp approx) and chose it because we felt it gave a good overview of the area. We were very happy with the tour and its content.

• We were picked up at the end of the jetty at 10.30 – right on time.

• There were 17 of us on a mini bus.

• The driver was knowledgeable and helpful.

• The drive round the Banks Peninsula was spectacular....the narrow, winding roads reminded me so much of English country roads.

• It was then a 90 minute drive to Christchurch through quite varied countryside.

• I was shocked at how much work still needs to be done in Christchurch to restore it to normal. The earthquake must have been awful.

• We had a ½hour stop at the Botanical Gardens and museum. It wasn’t nearly enough time but we knew that we were cramming a lot into the 8 hours.

• There were toilets at the museum but a long queue for the ‘ladies’ as usual!

• The museum shop was very nice with lots of choice.

• We then had a ½hour tour of the city and marvelled at the ingenuity and of people under such dreadful circumstances...shops set up in portacabins etc.

• The Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is in a suburb of Christchurch and is a very pleasant place in which to see some of the local wildlife.

• Some of our group had opted to go to the Antarctic Experience instead so they left us at the reserve and travelled there in the coach which then came back for us.

• There is a nice cafe, small shop. Toilets and an outdoor seating area.

• There are paved walkways around the ponds and through the wild areas.

• There was a ½hour guided walk followed by free time.

• We spent about 75 minutes there.

• On the way back to Akaroa we picked up the ‘Arctic Experience’ people who all said that they had had a really interesting time there.

• We were back at the jetty at 16.45 after a good trip.

 

Wellington

The sail-in was less spectacular than our others in New Zealand but that may have been because it was quite misty and overcast. We were docked at a huge industrial port but with a designated cruise terminal.

General information – Wellington dock area

• The terminal building has an information desk, local volunteers to help with directions etc. and internet facilities at NZ$2 per 15 minutes.

• Taxis were available directly outside the terminal.

• Ship’s tours busses were parked directly outside the terminal building.

• Independent tour transport was also just outside the terminal building.

• The city centre is 15 minutes walk from the terminal.

 

Wellington

Wellington is a large city with a number of historic buildings as well as some very picturesque areas.

• Local transport is plentiful and reasonably priced. There is an information desk at the bus station.

• The main library has free wifi.

 

Our tour: - Information

Wellington Shore Excursion: Kapiti Coast Including Nga Manu Wildlife Sanctuary and Battle Hill Park (8hrs)

We booked this tour through Viator at a cost of £115pp (US$173pp approx.) and chose it because we felt it gave a good overview of the area. We were very happy with the tour and its content.

• We were picked up on time right outside the terminal building.

• The transport was a clean and modern mini bus.

• We were the only passengers which made the day very nice as we were able to adapt the tour to our own requirements. We chose to miss out the visit to the chocolate factory and car museum in favour of more time in the wildlife sanctuary and in the countryside.

• The guide/driver, Mike, was very knowledgeable and helpful.

• Our now tailor-made tour included:

• A short tour of Wellington city centre.

• We then visited the town of Otaki to visit the old Rangiatea Historic Church. The historic Maori church was founded in 1847 and has recently been rebuilt after being damaged by fire.

• This was followed by a drive to the Pauatahanui Inlet and through the coastal countryside of the Lower Hutt Valley – very lush scenery with narrow, windy roads.....very English!

• We spent 10 minutes at historic Battle Hill Park, where the Maori and British fought in the 1840s. This is now a working farm. We used the toilet facilities

• Next was the nearby Paekakariki Hill Summit for some truly spectacular panoramic views. From this spectacular vantage point, you can see for miles over to Kapiti Island and the South Island, and along the coast of New Zealand’s North Island.

• We then stopped for light refreshments at Ruth Pretty’s, one of New Zealand’s best-known chefs. Very nice cake and coffee (the cost was included in the tour price).

• The tour then took us to Nga Manu Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary has a lot of bird life, lakes and walkways through a wooded area, a visitors’ centre with a small cafe, souvenir shop and toilets.

• We had a stop for lunch at a very nice beach cafe where we were allocated NZ$30pp to purchase food and drink. This more than covered the cost of our requirements and the food was very good.

• We were back at the ship at 16.30.

 

Picton.

Once again, there was a beautiful sail-in but the dock area is very industrial. Picton is a small but pretty town with a pleasant marina area, plenty of cafes and a small shopping centre.

 

General information – Picton.

• There was a compulsory free shuttle into town for independent travellers.

• We were greeted by local volunteers handing out pretty nosegays of flowers.

• The ship’s tour busses were by the ship.

• The free shuttle bus dropped people off at the promenade area where there was a park with public toilets.

• Taxis were available at the park.

• There were boat tours from the marina.

 

 

Our tour

Our choice in Picton was to do the ship’s tour - Panoramic Blenheim & Scenic Queen Charlotte Sound Cruise (4½ hours). We chose this because we felt it gave us a chance to see quite a bit of the local countryside.

• It was a 30 minute drive through rolling green hills to the small town of Blenheim.

• We had a 30 minute stop at Pollard Park where the spring flowers were gorgeous. There were clean toilets there.

• There was a 45 minute drive through the wine growing area to the settlement of Havelock, located at the head of Pelorus Sound. The countryside was lovely particularly when we got to the area of Momorangi Bay.

• The catamaran was waiting for us to take us through Queen Charlotte Sound. We stopped and saw the crew members feeding the famous ‘Pet Fish in Double Cove’.

• The scenery was truly spectacular.

• The boat ride was 1½ hours long.

• There were seats on the top deck in the open and an inside seating area,

• There was complementary tea and coffee.

• There were toilets.

• We were dropped off at the marina and could have stayed in the town if we wanted to and then caught the shuttle bus back to the ship.

I enjoyed the tour but was disappointed that we didn’t get time to stop in the town of Blenheim as stated in the tour description. I think this tour should have been longer so we could have got out in the towns.

 

Sydney

Sydney is a big, bustling and vibrant city with a lot to do and a lot to offer but we also found it to be a very expensive city. We spent 3 nights post cruise on an independent basis and I booked our hotel, Blue Mountain tour and port to hotel transfer on the internet.

The sail-in was spectacular as you pass the Opera House and dock right beside the Harbour Bridge.

General information – Sidney.

The cruise terminal:

• The terminal building is located at Circular Quay.

• It is a large building with plenty of room for the luggage collection area.

• There were plenty of officials to deal with the arrival procedures

• There were porters to help with baggage.

• Ship’s tour and transfer busses were directly outside the terminal building.

• There were plenty of taxis.

• We had booked a private transfer to our hotel because we weren’t sure how easy it would have been to get a taxi. In hindsight it would have been much cheaper and just as quick to have got an ordinary taxi.

• There are cafes just outside the terminal.

• For people who were not disembarking in Sydney, the terminal is ideally situated to walk to the ferry terminals (for ferries to Manley, Darling Harbour etc), the Opera House, the Botanical Gardens and public transport to the city centre and suburbs.

Sydney

• Transport is plentiful, very efficient and relatively cheap. We are both over 65 and qualify as ‘seniors’. An AUS$2.50pp bus ticket gave us transport on the busses, local trains and ferries for a full day!!! Fabulous value.

• We used our ticket to get the bus to and from our hotel to the city centre, Circular Quay and Darling Harbour. We also used them to do return ferry rides to Manley, Watson’s Bay and Neutral Bay and for the bus from Watson’s Bay to Bondi.......a real bargain.

• The ferries run frequently and there is an information booth at the terminal.

• Busses to most parts of Sydney run from the square by the ferry terminal. There is also a railway station at the terminal.

 

Darling Harbour.

We thought Darling harbour was well worth a visit as it has the aquarium, Maritime Museum, large shopping mall, a huge variety of restaurants, cafes and fast food outlets, a pleasant promenade area, some parkland and the marina.

• You can get boat tours of Sydney harbour from Darling Harbour. These include lunch and dinner cruises. We did the evening dinner cruise on the showboat and enjoyed the meal, the show and the views.

• There is a mini-train that travels length of the harbour promenade (I’m not sure of the cost).

[

B]Manley[/b]

We took the ferry across to Manley and enjoyed the boat ride past the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, pretty suburbs and dramatic cliffs. It was quite choppy for about 10 minutes as we left the sheltered area of Sydney Bay.

We thought the town was very pleasant and the beach was lovely.

• The ferries run every 30 minutes and the ride takes about 25 minutes.

• The ferry has indoor and outdoor seating and toilet facilities.

• The Manley Terminal has cafes, shops, bars, an Aldi supermarket, an information booth and toilets.

• There are bus stops just outside the terminal.

• There are 2 small beaches alongside the terminal but the main beach is a 10 minute stroll through the pedestrian precinct directly opposite the terminal.

• There are shops and cafes in the precinct.

• Manley’s main beach is very wide and long with fine yellow sand.

• There is a wide promenade with seating areas and toilets.

 

Watson’s Bay.

We decided to get the ferry to Watson’s Bay and then the bus to Bondi Beach as we had really enjoyed the ferry ride to Manley the day before. The ride was 20 minutes and took us along the southern edge of Sydney Bay so we saw a different aspect of the Bay area.

• Watson’s Bay has a small jetty with 2 cafes.

• There are 2 very nice beaches and a lovely park area with some cafes, a play area and toilet facilities.

• The town is quite small but has several shops and eating outlets.

• The bus stop for Bondi Beach is at the top of the hill directly in front of the jetty.

• There is a ‘lookout spot’ near the bus stop which gives excellent views of the craggy coastline.

• The bus to Bondi Beach takes about 20 minutes and winds its way through the local suburbs.

 

Bondi Beach

The famous Bondi Beach lived up to expectations with its wide sweep of beautiful fine golden sand, huge waves and ‘surfer dudes’. We walked from the bus stop along the promenade and people watched for a time before having lunch at the ‘Bucket List’ bistro on the sea front. What a shame that the service was so awful....we ordered 2 buckets of chips and waited over an hour before receiving them despite several complaints to the server when we saw people getting food who had ordered after us. I complained to the manager and was told ‘they were busy and the order had got lost in the system.’ When I asked for a refund I was told that I could have a free drink!......not happy.

• Gorgeous beach.

• Free wifi.

• Toilet facilities in several locations.

• Wide promenade.

• Grassy area beside the promenade.

• Some food outlets along the promenade.

• Surf board and deck chair hire.

• Town area was a bit shabby and ‘1960s’.

 

Blue Mountain tour:

As before, we had pre-booked this tour through Viator and it proved to be yet another good day. It cost £67pp (US$100 approx) and was 9 hours. I’m sure we probably could have done the same trip by booking through the hotel concierge.

• We had to walk the 250m to the hotel up the road for the pick –up as they did not do it from our hotel.

• The pick-up was on time at 07.45.

• We were taken to a central hub terminal from which several different tours were leaving.

• There were toilets, a small shop, a drinks vending machine and a booking office at the terminal.

• There were employees directing people to the right coach and collecting tickets.

• The tour operators were either APT or AAT Kings.

• Our coach was modern and clean with a toilet

• The driver/guide was helpful and knowledgeable with a great sense of humour.

• I was surprised that it took 2 hours to get to our first stop in the Blue Mountains but I keep forgetting how huge Australia is.

• The journey was interesting as we saw the suburbs of Sydney and quite a lot of countryside.

Echo Point

• The first stop was Echo Point (40minutes) which overlooked the rocky outcrops and eucalypt forests of the Megalong Valley. From Echo Point we could see right across the valley to the Three Sisters rock formation at Katoomba. It was very spectacular.

• Echo Point has a viewing platform and a shopping centre with souvenir and eating outlets plus an Aboriginal Centre. We saw traditional artworks, watched dance performances, enjoyed an interactive didgeridoo experience, and learnt about contemporary Aboriginal culture firsthand from the local Darug and Gundungurra people. I thought it was very well done and not too commercial.

• The people who had chosen and paid for the ‘lunch option’ were given a menu and asked to decide on our choices. The guide then phoned these through to the restaurant.

• From there we travelled for another 40 minutes to visit Scenic World, where we had a 2hour stop.

Scenic World

• There is a large Visitors’ Centre with food outlets and a huge souvenir shop.

• There are several walks and viewing points so you can get an idea of the vastness of the forest and the ruggedness of the valley cliffs.

• We rode on the world’s steepest railway. Boy...was that a breathtaking (literally) experience! It is a 54 degree incline and the ride lasts 3 minutes. You are strapped in as you would be at a fun fare but it certainly caught me by surprise. It was definitely worth going down as the walk to the cable car for the return journey was beautiful. The forest was cool and peaceful with some lovely spring flowers and we saw a Lyre bird too.

• You can take the cable car or the train up and down the valley or you can mix the two. Our wrist band gave us unlimited rides but as time was restricted most of us just went once each way.

• The cable car gondolas take 30 people at a time.

Leura

• We left Scenic World for a 20 minute drive to the quaint mountain township of Leura, home to cafes, restaurants and the Candy Store with sweets from Australia and around the world. We had 1 hour there.

• We had chosen the lunch option for our tour and were taken to a small restaurant where our meals were ready for us. The food was tasty and plentiful. A drink was included.

• We then had a little time to browse the town's antique stores and boutiques.

• There were plenty of coffee shops and fast food outlets for those who did not purchase the lunch.

• There were public toilets near to the bus drop off point.

Featherdale Wildlife Park

• After a 90 minute drive we arrived at the Featherdale Wildlife Park.

• This has one of Australia's largest private collections of native animals and birds and there were opportunities to get close to the koalas and hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies.

• We had 90 minutes there.

• There was a large shop, a cafe and toilets.

Return to Sydney.

• The coach stopped at one of the ferry ports so the people who had opted for the ferry ride back to Sydney could board the boat.

• We returned to Sydney via the Olympic Park and were dropped off at our pick-up point hotels at 18.00

It was a long day but I’m so glad we did it as we learned a lot about the history of the area and saw some wonderful countryside.

 

Our hotel – the Oaks Goldsbrough Aparthotel, Darling Harbour.

When we visited Sydney in 2011 we stayed at the Sheraton Four Points on Darling Harbour. We were extremely happy with this hotel and would have stayed there again but, despite many web searches over several months, we found the price way above our budget. Our dilemma was to find accommodation near to Darling Harbour that was good quality but within our price range and that was very difficult. I eventually found the Oaks Goldsbrough which seemed to fit our criteria.

When we arrived we found the exterior to be very imposing....it had originally been a wool store in the early 1900s and it had retained its period charm. Unfortunately the reception area was undergoing some refurbishment and it was rather cramped and depressing. The staff members, however, were welcoming and helpful. We were given our keys and proceeded to go up in the lift. It was then, as we walked out of the lift that my heart sank. The corridor was a walkway across a huge atrium area and it looked like the inside of a prison. I was wondering if I had made a terrible mistake. When we opened the door of our studio apartment though, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a large, clean and well furnished room with a good sized en-suite shower room and we had a lovely 3 days there.

Facilities:

• A great location close to the Harbour City shopping Mall on Darling Harbour.

• There is a walkway from floor 2 across the road and light railway line to Darling Harbour and the Mall.

The room contained:

Twin beds

A TV with Freeview and some Fox channels, DVD player and i-pod dock

Dining table and 2 chairs

Wardrobe

Fridge

Electric cooker – 4 rings and an oven

Sink

Dishwasher

Enough cutlery and crockery for 2

Tea, coffee and milk

Kettle and toaster

Cooking pots and utensils

Dish cloth, t-towel and dishwasher soap

Washing machine, tumble drier and soap powder

Iron and ironing board

Shower, toilet and sink

Hairdryer and toiletries

a balcony with a small table and 2 chairs. The down side was that our balcony faced a brick wall but we still enjoyed sitting out on it for breakfast.

• There were some small supermarkets and plenty of dining options within walking distance.

• The bus stop was 100m up the road for the bus to the city centre and Circular Quay.

• The concierge was very helpful when we needed advice about transport and taxis.

• The small problem we had with the washing machine was fixed promptly.

I would happily stay here again.

 

Final thoughts

My husband and I had a wonderful holiday. We met lots of lovely people from all over the world; we saw amazing sights and learned a lot about the areas we visited. Overall, everything went smoothly......yes, there were a few niggles but they were minor and we don’t expect everything to be ‘like home’ (what’s the point of travelling if they are?).

I hope there are a few pieces of information that may help you if you go to any of the places we visited.

Edited January 20, 2015 by soccerref

Thank you so much for such a detailed reply to my query. We will be taking the information that you have provided, with us, and I am sure that it will be immensely helpful, especially in respect of the excursions. We are relatively new to cruising (this will be our third cruise) and your reply will, I am sure, enhance our experience.

 

Thanks again for taking the trouble to reply.

 

Regards

 

Jennywren

Hi again Jennywren,

I'm very glad that you think the information in my review might be useful to you. I record the info that I think will be helpful if I ever return to a port and it tends to be things that are not commonly recorded.

 

I hope you have as lovely a time as we did and that you enjoy your month in Perth with your relatives.

 

Very best wishes

SR.

Dear SR.

 

I am sure we will have a great time and there will be a new addition to the family by the time we get there, so looking forward to seeing our new great niece or nephew.

 

We will definitely be checking out your posts for any future cruises as your information has been so helpful.

 

Kind regards

 

Jennywren

Can anyone tell me appropriate clothing for January in New Zealand? I'm trying to figure out temperature. Online I see that average is between 69-71 F guess that's 20-22 C and trying to get an idea what to pack for my ovation cruise. Would everyone recommend bringing a warmer jacket for land time? Especially if it end up overcast? Thanks for any help.