Milford Sound Excursion Question

Am I correct that on the Austin-NZ Solstice itinerary you cruise three sounds in one day and Milford is last, so if you get off for the overnight Queensland excursion you have gotten to cruise Dusky Sound? Is the scenery in each of the "sounds" different? Thank you

Obviously not cruising from Austin Texas! Sorry but my iPhone decided to help me out with the auto-correct function

Am I correct that on the Austin-NZ Solstice itinerary you cruise three sounds in one day and Milford is last, so if you get off for the overnight Queensland excursion you have gotten to cruise Dusky Sound? Is the scenery in each of the "sounds" different? Thank you

I also assume you mean Queenstown excursion, not Queensland?? :)

Cruises from Sydney to Auckland go to Milford Sound first, as you go into the Sound and back out the same way, then head further south to Dusky & Doubtful Sounds, entering from the Tasman and exiting into Fouveaux Strait at the bottom of NZ and then continuing around the bottom of NZ and up to Dunedin on the east coast.

So if you're doing the overland tour to Queenstown you'll get off the ship in Milford Sound and miss Dusky & Doubtful sounds.

Milford Sound is the most spectacular. of the three, and the beauty of what you'll see going to Queenstown will more than make up for not seeing Dusky & Doubtful sounds.

 

Cruises from Sydney to Auckland go to Milford Sound first, as you go into the Sound and back out the same way, then head further south to Dusky & Doubtful Sounds, entering from the Tasman and exiting into Fouveaux Strait at the bottom of NZ and then continuing around the bottom of NZ and up to Dunedin on the east coast.

 

So if you're doing the overland tour to Queenstown you'll get off the ship in Milford Sound and miss Dusky & Doubtful sounds.

 

Milford Sound is the most spectacular. of the three, and the beauty of what you'll see going to Queenstown will more than make up for not seeing Dusky & Doubtful sounds.

We sailed in the reverse direction (cruise originated in Auckland) and went through Milford Sound last where the people who had disembarked earlier for the Queenstown tour rejoined the ship. So it appears no matter which direction you sail, you do miss Dusky & Doubtful Sounds if you're on the Queenstown tour. I can't comment on the Queenstown tour, but I can say our day cruising through each of the three sounds was one of the highlights of our 18 days from Auckland to Perth. It helped that we had wonderful, clear and sunny weather.

It's a wonderful voyage - enjoy!

Is the scenery in each of the "sounds" different? Thank you

Agree with skyrules' post above.

In respect of the scenery, being natural formations, each of the sounds is different. However, there are not significant variations such as wildlife or structure that you would miss in the other two, and Milford has the most impressive structure of the three (although it is a 'dead end', unlike the other two which are sailed through.)

Taking that excursion isn't going to have you miss something significantly different, and indeed, give you access to elements that you won't get continuing onboard.

We just did this on RCI, X's mother company. The ship entered the sound, went as far as it could go & let those of us who booked the overnight Queenstown excursion off. We did get to enjoy Milford sound, despite the crews attempt to keep us together in a staging area for boarding the tender.

I give the overnight tour a HUGE thumbs up, We cruised fron Sydney to Perth to NZ & back to Sydney & Queenstoen excursion was the highlight of the trip.

Am I correct that on the Austin-NZ Solstice itinerary you cruise three sounds in one day and Milford is last, so if you get off for the overnight Queensland excursion you have gotten to cruise Dusky Sound? Is the scenery in each of the "sounds" different? Thank you

As detailed below, we got off of the Solstice in February. We did, along with other couples in our travel group from Central Ohio, the two-day, overnight Queenstown excursion. It's a choice, not cheap. There are pro's and con's to consider. As previously noted, Milford Sound is suppose to be the best of the three you will visit. BUT, the biggest roll of the dice is the weather. These fjords can be spectacular, but you can have iffy weather. Maybe great and sunny. Maybe rainy with overcast, etc.

On my live/blog I detail much on ALL that we did on this two-day excursion. WOW!! What a great trip. Loved it ALL so much. Not just charming Queenstown, but seeing a wonderful rainforest area, the charm of the interior of NZ's South Island, a cute old gold-rush town, a winery, the bridge where bungee jumping got its start, etc. On the Queenstown side of the mountains, there are less weather challenges, etc. With our tour, we still got a nice sampling of Dunedin, its very special train station, etc.

Either one can work well. Much depends on what you most like, seek and enjoy most. Added questions? Below are a few visuals to give previews for what you can see in this excellent part of the world. Many, many more on the full live/blog.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and 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 much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 61,512 views for this fun posting.

Going into Milford Sound on the Solstice, there were great view from our balcony on the tenth floor. We did not like the overcast skies and rain, but it added to the “drama” with the huge number of waterfalls in this area. In this picture, my wife is checking out these great sights from our balcony early this morning. It was a rocky crossing of the Tasman Sea.:

Our first stop after getting off of the Solstice and boarding our bus was a major rainforest areas in the Fiordlands National Park. Amazing site and stop!! Yes, there was some rain that morning. But, here are some facts to consider. In the Milford Sound area, they get an average of 23 feet (that's right FEET) of rain each year. At times, it might go as high as 46' yearly. That means most ever day gets some rain as the churning Tasman sea air loaded with moisture hits these South Island mountains. By sharp contrast, just 25 miles away (across the mountains), Queenstown averages only 30 inches of rain annually. Big difference!!:

Here is a view of the main street in Arrowtown with lots of character and charm. Plus, many shops! High-quality ones!! Just the kind that my wife and others love. There were historic places for beers, cheese, etc., too! Not just clothing and jade/jewelry.:

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 during the two-day Solstice excursion. 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!!:

Here is one my pictures from the Kawarau Suspension Bridge and its dramatic gorge nearby to Queenstown. It's a classy bridge design in a setting that is world-class. This bridge is narrow, being built way before cars and trucks had been invented and built.:

Among the highlights in Dunedin was their rail station with its many special design touches. As our guide, John, explained, Dunedin was very rich at the time from its gold and other resources. Why did they make it so fancy? Because they could!! You can see some of the fancy tile work, a stained-glass window, etc., there. They do not build things like this these days. In this below picture, you can see our skilled guide John with some of the folks from our Central Ohio travel group outside in front of this landmark building.:

My DH and i did the hike called the Milford Track into Milford Sound and Mitre Peak. It was wonderful. We also took a boat all around Milford Sound. It is absolutely gorgeous. We spent a few nights at the hotel after the hike which is on the sound. Queenstown was one of our most favorite cities. Very clean and the people are wonderful to talk with. South Island, NZ has such clean air and is one of my most favorite places in the world. I really think you will be surprised at the beauty of the area. It is so beautiful because of the rainfall!