Looking for short cruise options

[Sailing12Away]

Our trip to NZ & Australia has been cancelled 2x now due to Covid, so we're starting over again with our plans for a 2024 adventure. Before anyone says it, yes, we would need many weeks to 'properly' see and do everything, but we're unfortunate to only have ~20 days total due to work and time off restrictions. So based on that, we've abandoned the idea of doing both NZ & Australia together and will have to make it 2 separate trips.

 

The original plan was a 10 day cruise from Auckland to Sydney which hit the key stops we wanted to see (for the most part) and cruised through the sounds. Then spend 2 nights in Sydney, fly up to Port Douglas for 3 nights, then down to Brisbane for 1 night before heading home to the states. 

 

That cruise got Covid cancelled, so we then planned out a self drive from Auckland to Queenstown for about 11 days, and were going to fly over to Sydney for the other half of the trip.

 

Now we're forgetting about trying to squeeze in Australia and just going to focus on New Zealand for now. Still looking to do a self-drive across both islands, but I also want to try and find a way to see the sounds and such. Hoping folks that either live there or who have been there have some ideas and options for us to look into where we could do a short cruise along the coast.

 

The bigger name brand cruise lines all seem to either start or end in Sydney, which for us would be silly since we're short on days and don't want to 'waste' 2 days just sailing to Sydney to fly right home. I looked at P&O, but didn't see anything that was what we're looking for. Essentially it would be perfect to find a short 'cruise to nowhere' that leaves from somewhere near Queenstown. Or a one way from Auckland down to the South island that doesn't transfer all the way over to Australia. Does such a thing exist?

Edited July 5, 2022 by Sailing12Away
I can't spell... d'oh!

[OzKiwiJJ]

There are day and overnight cruises in Milford Sound. You have to either drive there and the scenery is spectacular, or fly in from Queenstown. We did the overnight cruise quite a few years ago through this company. 

https://www.realnz.com/en/destinations/milford-sound/

 

I believe there are some overnight cruises of Doubtful Sound as well but I'm not sure who operates them. They are a bit more complicated as there is no direct road access, you have to cross Lake Manapouri then get the bus over to the departure point.

 

Given your limited timeframe I'd recommend just doing the Milford Sound cruise. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by OzKiwiJJ

[OzKiwiJJ]

Unfortunately I don't think any of the cruise lines do NZ-only itineraries. They either do full round trips from an Australian port, or back to back one way trips.

 

The best time of year to do NZ is February or March. The school holidays are over and generally the weather is more settled.

 

We've done a few NZ cruises on Celebrity Solstice. She's a nice ship for NZ as there is a big lounge forward which is very popular when departing from the various ports. There are also great outdoor areas forward which are very popular when cruising through Fiordland.

[losfp]

If you're short on time, I would honestly just fly to NZ, drive one of the islands and fly home.  There's no cruise that will just do NZ, from what I can tell. If you're driving the south island, it's really easy to book a Milford sound cruise - it'll be a smaller vessel and a day trip, but very worthwhile - it's the best way to see the sounds tbh.

[Ethel6666]

We did the overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound a few years ago. It was lovely, a smaller boat, so offered kayaking, swimming and zodiac style boats to get up close to the water edge. A much more spectacular experience than when we cruised through the sounds on a large cruise ship. The transfers were all organised as part of the trip so it was easy to do. 

[carlandlyn]

So in the 23/24 summer season Princess does some SYD/Auckland runs. Celebrity does SYD/Auck and Auck/SYD in Feb 24. P&O are also doing some Auck/Auck cruises over the summer period.
So there may be some options (and price tags) that fit.
That said, if you have some time and want to see a good slice of the place both losfp and Ethel6666 comments are good, take a slow drive, a couple of day/overnight tours and see the country.

Hope you have fun.

Lynn and Carl

 

[Ozwoody]

On 7/6/2022 at 8:27 AM, OzKiwiJJ said:

There are day and overnight cruises in Milford Sound. You have to either drive there and the scenery is spectacular, or fly in from Queenstown. We did the overnight cruise quite a few years ago through this company. 

https://www.realnz.com/en/destinations/milford-sound/

 

I believe there are some overnight cruises of Doubtful Sound as well but I'm not sure who operates them. They are a bit more complicated as there is no direct road access, you have to cross Lake Manapouri then get the bus over to the departure point.

 

Given your limited timeframe I'd recommend just doing the Milford Sound cruise. 

Actually, there is a train trip to Milford Sound.

And a small boat cruise there as well.

Not sure how it works but on a cruise there, some passage's debarked, and re-joined the cruise in Dunedin I think.

Edited July 7, 2022 by Ozwoody

[Sailing12Away]

On 7/5/2022 at 6:27 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

There are day and overnight cruises in Milford Sound. You have to either drive there and the scenery is spectacular, or fly in from Queenstown. We did the overnight cruise quite a few years ago through this company. 

https://www.realnz.com/en/destinations/milford-sound/

 

Thank you, this was exactly the type of thing we were looking for. If we can't get a larger cruise ship option to work, we wanted to explore a shorter type of trip like this but were struggling to find companies that offered it. 

 

Princess & Celebrity have nice 10 day trips to the Great Barrier Reef for when we return just for Australia, but limited options for a shorter one-way that would take us around NZ. I'll keep looking for other options for a short 1-2 day trip and figure out how to get out there.

[OzKiwiJJ]

19 hours ago, Ozwoody said:

Actually, there is a train trip to Milford Sound.

And a small boat cruise there as well.

Not sure how it works but on a cruise there, some passage's debarked, and re-joined the cruise in Dunedin I think.

That would be interesting considering there is no railway line into Milford Sound. 🤔😁

 

The trip into Milford would be a bus trip, probably from Gore or Invercargill.

 

The cruise ship excursion is by bus, going to Queenstown for the night then through to Milford. Spectacular scenery!

Edited July 8, 2022 by OzKiwiJJ

[Ozwoody]

2 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

That would be interesting considering there is no railway line into Milford Sound. 🤔😁

 

The trip into Milford would be a bus trip, probably from Gore or Invercargill.

 

The cruise ship excursion is by bus, going to Queenstown for the night then through to Milford. Spectacular scenery!

Not sure how it worked, but from what was said, there was a bus trip from the sound, to Queenstown and onto a train station near Clyde I think, then the train to Dunedin, where they returned to the ship.

As I said not sure how it worked only that there was a train trip you could take to get to Milford Sound and a small cruise boat. 

Maybe a NZer could advise if it is a possibility?🤔🙂

 

[Ozwoody]

Not sure but this seems to be what they described but in reverse.

Does it still happen???

 

Queenstown to Dunedin Via the Taieri Gorge Railway

Review of Taieri Gorge Railway Journey from Dunedin

Reviewed March 23, 2010

We took the Track and trail from Queenstown to Dunedin at a cost of $115 per adult for a round a 6 hour trip - 4 hours on the bus and 2 hours on the Taieri Gorge Railway. The return trip from Dunedin to Pukerangi is around $76 on its own - $51 single for around 80KM.

We really enjoyed our coach trip over with an excellent well informed driver from Queenstown to Pukerangi. On boarding the Taieri Gorge Railway at Pukerangi we were allocated a coach to sit in - no set seats. The train was busy but still had empty seats as it's good to swap sides to get the best views.

The scenery is lovely - rolling valleys and blue waters, viaducts and tunnels a plenty. Lots of wide open spaces and the odd lonely house on route.

The staff seem very enthusiastic about their train.

There is a journey map on board which gives you details of the points on the journey to look out for.

There is commentary but with so many windows open it was hard to hear at times. Although no all carriages have air conditioning windows open so get your air there!

There are toilets on board and a small shop selling tourist items and light refreshments.

The train stops several times at calling points to allow for photos.

We really enjoyed this trip - we did it just the one way from Pukerangi to Dunedin and was better than sitting in a bus for another 2 hours. Maybe not as fun if you were doing it as a day return trip from Dunedin? As this would be a 4 hour return trip and seeing the same stuff again as the trains goes to Pukerangi stops and goes back again.

As an enjoyable means of transport, the journey one way was well worth it in our book. Dunedin railway station is well worth time to have a look around and take some more photos.

Take your camera and a picnic to have on board.

Their website has full info of train times and up to date fares as well as route info and tech stuff if you're interested!

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Ozwoody said:

Not sure but this seems to be what they described but in reverse.

Does it still happen???

 

Queenstown to Dunedin Via the Taieri Gorge Railway

Review of Taieri Gorge Railway Journey from Dunedin

Reviewed March 23, 2010

We took the Track and trail from Queenstown to Dunedin at a cost of $115 per adult for a round a 6 hour trip - 4 hours on the bus and 2 hours on the Taieri Gorge Railway. The return trip from Dunedin to Pukerangi is around $76 on its own - $51 single for around 80KM.

We really enjoyed our coach trip over with an excellent well informed driver from Queenstown to Pukerangi. On boarding the Taieri Gorge Railway at Pukerangi we were allocated a coach to sit in - no set seats. The train was busy but still had empty seats as it's good to swap sides to get the best views.

The scenery is lovely - rolling valleys and blue waters, viaducts and tunnels a plenty. Lots of wide open spaces and the odd lonely house on route.

The staff seem very enthusiastic about their train.

There is a journey map on board which gives you details of the points on the journey to look out for.

There is commentary but with so many windows open it was hard to hear at times. Although no all carriages have air conditioning windows open so get your air there!

There are toilets on board and a small shop selling tourist items and light refreshments.

The train stops several times at calling points to allow for photos.

We really enjoyed this trip - we did it just the one way from Pukerangi to Dunedin and was better than sitting in a bus for another 2 hours. Maybe not as fun if you were doing it as a day return trip from Dunedin? As this would be a 4 hour return trip and seeing the same stuff again as the trains goes to Pukerangi stops and goes back again.

As an enjoyable means of transport, the journey one way was well worth it in our book. Dunedin railway station is well worth time to have a look around and take some more photos.

Take your camera and a picnic to have on board.

Their website has full info of train times and up to date fares as well as route info and tech stuff if you're interested!

That would indeed be a very nice way to go from Dunedin to Queenstown. We did the Taieri Gorge return rail trip and I didn't think it was boring. On the way to Pukerangi we just sat back and enjoyed the scenery, and on the way back I took lots of photos.

 

Dunedin to Queenstown by road is also very scenic although the road doesn't go through the gorge. And Queenstown to Milford is just stunning, even when it's pouring with rain. Actually we were very lucky as it bucketed down going to Milford, where we did the overnight cruise. Next morning it was beautiful weather. We got the best of both worlds.

[Ozwoody]

31 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

That would indeed be a very nice way to go from Dunedin to Queenstown. We did the Taieri Gorge return rail trip and I didn't think it was boring. On the way to Pukerangi we just sat back and enjoyed the scenery, and on the way back I took lots of photos.

 

Dunedin to Queenstown by road is also very scenic although the road doesn't go through the gorge. And Queenstown to Milford is just stunning, even when it's pouring with rain. Actually we were very lucky as it bucketed down going to Milford, where we did the overnight cruise. Next morning it was beautiful weather. We got the best of both worlds.

Actually since remembering the group that debarked in the sounds and re-joined the ship in Dunedin, then checking out the above, I'd be really interested to see if something similar is still available, as a possibility for our next NZ cruise.

I recon that would be fantastic side trip.

Think I will look further into it, see what's the practicality.

 

[Sailing12Away]

On 7/8/2022 at 8:12 AM, Ozwoody said:

Actually since remembering the group that debarked in the sounds and re-joined the ship in Dunedin, then checking out the above, I'd be really interested to see if something similar is still available, as a possibility for our next NZ cruise.

I recon that would be fantastic side trip.

Think I will look further into it, see what's the practicality.

 

Please let me know if you find the company that offers that tour. It would be a nice break from driving for 10+ days.

[onlyslightlymad]

On 7/6/2022 at 10:46 AM, OzKiwiJJ said:

Unfortunately I don't think any of the cruise lines do NZ-only itineraries. They either do full round trips from an Australian port, or back to back one way trips.

 

The best time of year to do NZ is February or March. The school holidays are over and generally the weather is more settled.

 

We've done a few NZ cruises on Celebrity Solstice. She's a nice ship for NZ as there is a big lounge forward which is very popular when departing from the various ports. There are also great outdoor areas forward which are very popular when cruising through Fiordland.

Azamara used to do a circumnavigation of NZ which was interesting as it did the West coast as well.  Stopped in New Plymouth as I recall but I can't see it on their website anymore.

[OzKiwiJJ]

8 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

Please let me know if you find the company that offers that tour. It would be a nice break from driving for 10+ days.

I think the one way bus excursions were organised by the cruise lines. 

 

Unfortunately the Taieri Gorge train stopped operating at the start of the pandemic and there seems to be some uncertainty as to whether it will start operating again.

 

Perhaps you should consider a bus tour of the South Island rather than driving yourself. I think there are quite a few options available. 

[Porky55]

On 7/8/2022 at 10:12 PM, Ozwoody said:

Actually since remembering the group that debarked in the sounds and re-joined the ship in Dunedin, then checking out the above, I'd be really interested to see if something similar is still available, as a possibility for our next NZ cruise.

I recon that would be fantastic side trip.

Think I will look further into it, see what's the practicality.

 

At Christmas, off a Majestic cruise, we are booked on a 48hr overnight from Dunedin to Auckland.

https://www.princess.com/cruise-excursions/tauranga-new-zealand-excursions/trilogy-of-the-north-overland-double-occupancy?portCode=TRG&portDate=12292022

 

Looking forward to it immensely - we did the one you are discussing from a Celebrity cruise a few years ago. Debarked onto a small boat at the end of Milford Sound then boarded a bus to Queenstown. While in Queenstown we went on a steam boat tour on Lake Wakatipu to the Walter Peak High Country sheep station for lunch and show, then to Arrowtown next morning- an old gold mining town and on to Dunedin to get back on the cruise. Highly recommend doing these overnighters 👍👍

[MMDown Under]

6 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

At Christmas, off a Majestic cruise, we are booked on a 48hr overnight from Dunedin to Auckland.

https://www.princess.com/cruise-excursions/tauranga-new-zealand-excursions/trilogy-of-the-north-overland-double-occupancy?portCode=TRG&portDate=12292022

 

Looking forward to it immensely - we did the one you are discussing from a Celebrity cruise a few years ago. Debarked onto a small boat at the end of Milford Sound then boarded a bus to Queenstown. While in Queenstown we went on a steam boat tour on Lake Wakatipu to the Walter Peak High Country sheep station for lunch and show, then to Arrowtown next morning- an old gold mining town and on to Dunedin to get back on the cruise. Highly recommend doing these overnighters 👍👍

The attachment doesn't give information on the cruise excursions mentioned.  

[Porky55]

2 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

The attachment doesn't give information on the cruise excursions mentioned.  

Didn’t check that, sorry  and it’s Tauranga to Auckland  😄

 

 

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

Day one

Whether you are a Hobbit fan or not, it's difficult not to lose yourself in the world of Middle Earth when you visit Hobbiton, a short drive after you disembark in Tauranga. It was this piece of land on the Alexander sheep farm in the heart of the Waikato, that location scouts chose to recreate The Shire. While filming is well and truly over, 44 intricate hobbit holes remain and it doesn't take much imagination to conjure up Bilbo Baggins and his fellow characters on their quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain.

From the land of hobbits to the land of geothermal magic, after driving south we will spend the afternoon with a local Maori guide in Te Puia, part of the Te Whakarewarewa geothermal valley just outside of Rotorua. This is the home of Pohutu, the largest active geyser in the Southern Hemisphere. Meaning 'constant splashing' in English, Pohutu lives up to her name erupting once or twice every hour shooting up to 30 metres into the sky. The valley features many other geysers, cauldrons of bubbling mud pools, hot springs and silica formations as well as a kiwi enclosure and the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where craftspeople demonstrate traditional wood, stone and bone carving as well as flax weaving. 

The steam and heat has always been put to good use by Maori and we finish our visit with a traditional hangi, a feast of leaf wrapped meat and vegetables cooked over hot rocks beneath a blanket of soil.  

After lunch, you will have time to refresh at the hotel, 

Early evening, the foodie adventure continues with a gondola ride up to Mt Ngongotaha and a dinner of locally sourced cuisine with magnificent night-time views of Rotorua.

Day Two

From one natural spectacle to another, this morning we journey to Waitomo where in the late 1887 local Maori chief Tane Tinorau and surveyor Fred Mace made the first exploration of glow-worm studded Waitomo Caves. Two years later the caves were opened to tourists and when you visit today chances are you may well be guided by one of the direct descendants of Chief Tinorau. The caves are truly spectacular and offer everything from wheel chair access to boat journeys.

Back above the ground it's time to meet the locals with lunch at a nearby farm. True foodies, your hosts pride themselves on using only organic meat from local farms and produce the accompanying chutneys and sauces from their own fruit trees.

After lunch, we travel north to Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. Spanning two harbours it is known as the city of sails and is also the port where you will reboard your ship for the next adventure!

Special Notes:

Final hotel manifests must be provided well in advance of the tour, therefore we recommend passengers book overland options no later than 30 days prior to your voyage.

The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. The timings and/or flights indicated are approximate. They are given here only for general reference purposes and are subject to change.

Your tour includes:
* Sightseeing and guide services as indicated and admission fees, as shown in the itinerary
* Transfers
* Hotel accommodations and meals as indicated

Your tour does not include:
* All meals not mentioned in itinerary above.
* Beverages at lunch
* All sightseeing not shown in the itinerary or mentioned as optional.
* Items of a personal nature e.g. room service, laundry, phone calls, etc.

Edited July 10, 2022 by Porky55

[MMDown Under]

37 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

Didn’t check that, sorry  and it’s Tauranga to Auckland  😄

 

 

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

Day one

Whether you are a Hobbit fan or not, it's difficult not to lose yourself in the world of Middle Earth when you visit Hobbiton, a short drive after you disembark in Tauranga. It was this piece of land on the Alexander sheep farm in the heart of the Waikato, that location scouts chose to recreate The Shire. While filming is well and truly over, 44 intricate hobbit holes remain and it doesn't take much imagination to conjure up Bilbo Baggins and his fellow characters on their quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain.

From the land of hobbits to the land of geothermal magic, after driving south we will spend the afternoon with a local Maori guide in Te Puia, part of the Te Whakarewarewa geothermal valley just outside of Rotorua. This is the home of Pohutu, the largest active geyser in the Southern Hemisphere. Meaning 'constant splashing' in English, Pohutu lives up to her name erupting once or twice every hour shooting up to 30 metres into the sky. The valley features many other geysers, cauldrons of bubbling mud pools, hot springs and silica formations as well as a kiwi enclosure and the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where craftspeople demonstrate traditional wood, stone and bone carving as well as flax weaving. 

The steam and heat has always been put to good use by Maori and we finish our visit with a traditional hangi, a feast of leaf wrapped meat and vegetables cooked over hot rocks beneath a blanket of soil.  

After lunch, you will have time to refresh at the hotel, 

Early evening, the foodie adventure continues with a gondola ride up to Mt Ngongotaha and a dinner of locally sourced cuisine with magnificent night-time views of Rotorua.

Day Two

From one natural spectacle to another, this morning we journey to Waitomo where in the late 1887 local Maori chief Tane Tinorau and surveyor Fred Mace made the first exploration of glow-worm studded Waitomo Caves. Two years later the caves were opened to tourists and when you visit today chances are you may well be guided by one of the direct descendants of Chief Tinorau. The caves are truly spectacular and offer everything from wheel chair access to boat journeys.

Back above the ground it's time to meet the locals with lunch at a nearby farm. True foodies, your hosts pride themselves on using only organic meat from local farms and produce the accompanying chutneys and sauces from their own fruit trees.

After lunch, we travel north to Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. Spanning two harbours it is known as the city of sails and is also the port where you will reboard your ship for the next adventure!

Special Notes:

Final hotel manifests must be provided well in advance of the tour, therefore we recommend passengers book overland options no later than 30 days prior to your voyage.

The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. The timings and/or flights indicated are approximate. They are given here only for general reference purposes and are subject to change.

Your tour includes:
* Sightseeing and guide services as indicated and admission fees, as shown in the itinerary
* Transfers
* Hotel accommodations and meals as indicated

Your tour does not include:
* All meals not mentioned in itinerary above.
* Beverages at lunch
* All sightseeing not shown in the itinerary or mentioned as optional.
* Items of a personal nature e.g. room service, laundry, phone calls, etc.

Thank you.  Sounds like it will be a wonderful highlight of your cruise!  I often wondered why they didn't do more of these overnight land trips between ports.  

[Ozwoody]

47 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

Looking forward to it immensely - we did the one you are discussing from a Celebrity cruise a few years ago. Debarked onto a small boat at the end of Milford Sound then boarded a bus to Queenstown. While in Queenstown we went on a steam boat tour on Lake Wakatipu to the Walter Peak High Country sheep station for lunch and show, then to Arrowtown next morning- an old gold mining town and on to Dunedin to get back on the cruise. Highly recommend doing these overnighters 👍👍

Do you have any info on who was providing the services to Celebrity (Bus to Queenstown, then onto Arrowtown, then onto Dunedin), any possible contact names or organisations that you were travelling with? Would be greatly appreciated.

 

Would love to be able to replicate it.

 

My e-mail is at the bottom of my signature.😊🤞🙏

[Porky55]

Gosh, I wish 🥺

 

The Celebrity Solstice cruise was in Dec 2015 and didn't take that much notice of who provided what at the time, and the old library is very dusty these days - would take a real search to dig up those memories.

 

Like I said, the little boat at Queenstown was the TSS Earnshaw and the beautiful place we went to for lunch was the Walter Peak Farm. 
 

Im sure if you hit  Tripadvisor or Viator there will be tours available, just like we did from the ship.

 

Photo of the Farm because it was stunning, as was the lunch 😋

 

[Sailing12Away]

So Princess is offering a roundtrip cruise from Auckland, but you 'waste' 2 days sailing to Sydney for the day, and then another 2 days sailing back. At that point I'd rather just find a 1-way from Sydney and have those extra 2 sea days to actually see and do things in Sydney before sailing over to NZ.

[MMDown Under]

3 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

So Princess is offering a roundtrip cruise from Auckland, but you 'waste' 2 days sailing to Sydney for the day, and then another 2 days sailing back. At that point I'd rather just find a 1-way from Sydney and have those extra 2 sea days to actually see and do things in Sydney before sailing over to NZ.

That is the silliest itinerary I have ever seen.  Four days cruising across the ditch from NZ to Sydney and back, with only one day in Sydney with 4 pm early departure.

[lyndarra]

5 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

So Princess is offering a roundtrip cruise from Auckland, but you 'waste' 2 days sailing to Sydney for the day, and then another 2 days sailing back. At that point I'd rather just find a 1-way from Sydney and have those extra 2 sea days to actually see and do things in Sydney before sailing over to NZ.

Both HAL and Celebrity do one way to or from Sydney. These are my two prefered lines.