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Trying to choose between two cruise itineraries to Australia/New Zealand


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I'm trying to choose between two different itineraries of the Australia/New Zealand cruise but not sure which one is better. Which itinerary would you choose and why? It would be great to hear from people that actually cruised in Australia/New Zealand. Thank you!

 

Itinerary 1

Sydney Australia; Hobart (Tasmania), Australia; Fiordland National Park (Scenic Cruising); Dunedin (Port Chalmers), New Zealand; Akaroa, New Zealand; Picton, New Zealand; Napier, New Zealand; Tauranga, New Zealand; Auckland, New Zealand

Itinerary 2

Sydney, Australia; Melbourne, Australia; Milford Sound, New Zealand (cruising); Doubtful Sound, New Zealand (cruising); Dusky Sound, New Zealand (cruising); Dunedin, New Zealand; Akaroa, New Zealand; Wellington, New Zealand; Picton, New Zealand; Sydney, Australia

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# 1 You need to see Melbourne - it has great architecture, super shopping, wonderful people and a totally different experience from Sydney! It would be the difference between Toronto & Vancouver in Canada or NYC & San Francisco in the US. Book an open jaw flight. It's a 4-5 hr flight Syd-Auk.

Of course Tasmania is interesting as well.

Enjoy!

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Assuming same length of cruise and similar costs, I have a slight preference for # 1. I enjoyed Hobart, Tazmania and Taruranga. Melbourne is a very nice city, but its a typical big city.

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I'm trying to choose between two different itineraries of the Australia/New Zealand cruise but not sure which one is better. Which itinerary would you choose and why? It would be great to hear from people that actually cruised in Australia/New Zealand. Thank you!

Itinerary 1: Sydney Australia; Hobart (Tasmania), Australia; Fiordland National Park (Scenic Cruising); Dunedin (Port Chalmers), New Zealand; Akaroa, New Zealand; Picton, New Zealand; Napier, New Zealand; Tauranga, New Zealand; Auckland, New Zealand

Itinerary 2: Sydney, Australia; Melbourne, Australia; Milford Sound, New Zealand (cruising); Doubtful Sound, New Zealand (cruising); Dusky Sound, New Zealand (cruising); Dunedin, New Zealand; Akaroa, New Zealand; Wellington, New Zealand; Picton, New Zealand; Sydney, Australia

 

Great question and choice. Much is going to depend on your personal priorities for cities . . . versus . . . nature/country. Tell us more as to what you seek and most need. Personally, as detailed in my live/blog below, we had already done lots of major cities in Europe, etc. So for our interests, doing Melbourne was not as high of a priority. We did a cruise that featured Tasmania to maximize more of the "nature" and country options.

 

Also, crossing the Tasman Sea both takes time and can be challenging with its weather conditions. Option one allows seeing Auckland, a very interesting city and area, plus needing to require only two days, not four days, with crossings of the Tasman Sea. Also in option one, Napier can be a great and interesting port. See my live/blog for more pictures and details as to why and how.

 

Before boarding you ship in Sydney, you should carefully consider what you might do in Australia PRIOR to your cruise. We did both the Great Barrier Reef area AND Kangaroo Island/Adelaide before our cruise. Both were super wonderful!!! Flying into Australia and our of NZ might cost a little more, but it could very well be worth it. It is a long, long distance to go in getting "down under". Our experience was to MAXIMIZE that experience in these wonderful areas. Need proof and solid evidence?? Below are a few highlight visuals. Many more on my live/blog. Feel free to post any added questions on that thread. I will be happy to follow-up for any added info needs.

 

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 185,587 views for this posting.

 

Here is a picture from our New Zealand South Island JetBoat ride that my wife loved so much. From Akaroa, we did a combination ship excursion that included both the rail trip to the mountains/National Park, plus JetBoat. Notice her hands and those of others in our row super tightly gripping the safety bar? That says so much about the speed and thrills while roaring up and down this amazing stretch of scenic river. We've had lots of great moments on this trip, but one was a unique and special ride in a location that is spectacularly world-class near the NZ Southern Alps. And, perfect weather with good friends adds to the great joy!!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

JetBoatOne1_zpscafe58a3.jpg

 

Here is one of the famed gannets from Cape Kidnappers near Napier along the eastern NZ coast. This is just one small sampling of many large groups of these super cute birds that we saw here as they were nesting.:

NapCapKidGannets14_zps56dac26a.jpg

 

Here is one of my visuals in connection with this steamship sailing leading to the dinner at the sheep station at the other end of this scenic lake near Queenstown. This was during our two-day Solstice excursion to explore so much for the scenic interior of NZ’s South Island. You will see lots of scenic mountains and areas during this sailing that is a key part of this evening fun. And, there was food!! Also on this two-day trip, we did a winery, an old gold-rush town, where bungee jumping started, a rainforest, etc.:

QueentownExcurA24_zps2a4c81d5.jpg

 

At Te Puia near Rotorua in northern New Zealand during the Tauranga port stop, this Maori performance starts its ceremonies outside and then we entered the Wahiao Meeting House. Fortunately (with some skill), I was in a prime front row seat to be able to get great pictures, video, etc. Plus, experience the quality for how these members share these cultural traditions.:

RotMaoriOneA2_zps3517f252.jpg

 

From Port Arthur, the historic Tasmanian penal colony seen during our stop in Hobart, here is just one of the many views for some of the sights there. This gives an overview for a portion of this prison site. This location was nearby to the water area as the prisoners would arrive from England for this “visit”. It took six to nine months to make the journey from England to this distant part of the world.:

TasWildlifeCtr19_zps66bff896.jpg

 

From having our final breakfast on the back of our ship, here is the view of Auckland's historic Ferry Building, plus some other key downtown buildings. This docking area is super handy for having quick and easy access to the city.:

 

AucklandArtOneA27_zps83c1d4c3.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...
Thank you everyone for your feedback! It really helped me to consider different aspects of the itinerary and make a choice!

 

Let us know any additional questions. Don't be shy!! The only bad question is the one you do not ask. Keep planning and researching.

 

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 187,008 views for this posting.

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I'd finish in NZ and then allow another week or so to explore NZ by land at the end of your trip. No offence to members from Melbourne but I wouldn't pick a cruise itinerary just to visit Melbourne. It's a lovely city but not hugely exciting for tourists. Same goes for Auckland, much more exciting to get out into the countryside in NZ. We loved Tongariro National Park and the area around Rotorua and these are easily accessible from Auckland with a car and a few days to spare.

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