Australia/New Zealand vs Tahiti/Fiji

[kamfan]

My wife and I are planning a south Pacific cruise in a couple of years. As this will probably be our only trip to this area of the world, we are looking for possibilities. Our choices right now seem to be between Fiji and Tahiti, Vs Australia and New Zealand. I am just wondering if anyone else has addressed this choice in the past. Fiji and Tahiti seems to hold a lot of local charm to me, whereas Australia and New Zealand are going to be more city intensive.

[Aussie Gal]

You are really comparing apples to bananas. The two cruises are just so different. One cruise is showing you a little of two countries including beautiful fjords, wonderful rainforests, unusual animals etc. and some lovely cities.

 

The other cruise is showing you two islands, so different from one another. Fiji is not a pretty island whereas Tahiti is paradise on earth. Fiji has lovely resorts dotted around and once you fly away from the mainland, the islands then are beautiful. The actual mainland's forests etc have been destroyed for the growing of sugar cane. Suva is just a very ordinary town and there is not a huge amount to see.

 

Tahiti has so many beautiful islands and if it were me, I would choose a cruise that went around the islands of Tahiti and perhaps to the Cook Islands. This is a great 10 cruise and gives you a taste of paradise.

 

Whereas if you really want to see Fiji, I would book a trip to one of the resorts and stay there for a week or so and then perhaps fly to Tahiti and pick up the cruise.

 

Jennie

[kamfan]

Thank you very much. This is very much the type of information we are looking for in able to plan this trip. We will probably be looking at about 5 or 6 weeks to do this so I can definately see the posibility of a resort on Tahiti and then a cruise around the islands. And possibly a flight to New Zealand and then onto Australia. Whether we do a second cruise or not, is still to be debated. We have only just discovered the charm of cruising for the first time, and would like to do a bit more, but I can't see myself doing a whole trip like this just cruising as there is just so much to see in this area of the world.

[KiwiIan]

My wife and I are planning a south Pacific cruise in a couple of years. As this will probably be our only trip to this area of the world, we are looking for possibilities. Our choices right now seem to be between Fiji and Tahiti, Vs Australia and New Zealand. I am just wondering if anyone else has addressed this choice in the past. Fiji and Tahiti seems to hold a lot of local charm to me, whereas Australia and New Zealand are going to be more city intensive.

Go for the Aus/NZ option, you wont be disapointed. There is such a range of destinations you will see in a 2 week cruise, HAL and Princess have options plus a few other cruise line. Go to Fiji and stay at a resort for a few weeks after maybe, there are good deals to book a trip from Auckland to the Islands so this could work in well with a cruise which ended in Auckland. You may have to fly back to Auckland after the FIJI trip as the flight might be part of the package but then you could enjoy a few days on a land tour. Of course this option would also be possible if your cruise ended in Australia instead. If you would like any specific info on NZ please advise and we would be pleased to help. Regards Ian [Tauranga]

[MVPinBoynton]

Kamfan,

You have a tough decision. You can check out our website to see reviews from our recent NZ/Australia cruise and last years French Polynesia cruise. Maybe they will help you to see what treats you have to choose from. They are both wonderful cruise destinations. I wouldn't assume that NZ and Aus are primarily city destinations. Most excursions take you away from the lovely cities. If you love diving, snorkeling and other water activities, Tahiti and French Polynesia are awesome. I will say though that as much as I loved French Polynesia, if I had to make a choice of which of these South Pacific destinations I would return to first, New Zealand and Australia would be my first choice. There is so much more variety and types of beauty. The ports in French Polynesia are more similar, drop dead gorgeous tropical paradises. Not a bad thing, but there is lot's more to explore in NZ/Aus.

[Scrumpy]

I would echo advice to stay at a resort in Fiji. We've been twice and have never set foot in Suva. Went into NADI only once to watch a rugby game (safe enough that I hitchhiked alone from our resort - local custom is you pay whoever picks you up the bus fare; the rest of the family took the bus, though). Fiji is a real opportunity to experience a different way of life and I absolutely love it. There is good snorkeling and diving, great food, and a very, very laidback atmosphere. We've discussed trying other islands, but I know that a trip to NZ is no longer complete for me without time relaxing in a hammock by the beach in Fiji.

 

I'm married to a Kiwi and NZ is a beautiful country. Auckland, although a "city", is more like a sprawling harborfront town, IMO. In travelling the north and south island, I cannot recall ever feeling I was in a crowded, busy place (other than on a tour boat in Milford Sound with folks vying for room to take photos). There is something for everyone. You can bungee jump, go climbing/hiking - lots of outdoor activities - and see lots of wildlife. The terrain is incredibly varied - from mountains to rain forests. It is simply a lovely country. As has been said, you can get a great deal to/from Auckland for a resort stay in Fiji. Our relatives get a much better deal than we do coming from the US; I believe you can get packages for as few as five days if time is a consideration. DH's family frequently go to Australia and enjoy it immensely. I'd love to do the NZ/Aus cruise someday myself.

 

Hope you'll post when you've made a decision. Have fun!

[Beehive]

My husband and I are trying to look at the same thing for 2008 and Princess has a new Cruise tour of which 6 days is land in Australia, 7 days on a ship to New Zealand ports and then thru Fiji, Bora Bora, Tahiti, and Hawaii to Los Angeles. The whole thing is 35 days. Might be what you're looking for.

Has anyone done this particular trip yet? Pros and cons needed....

[Aussie Gal]

Beehive,

 

Unfortunately 6 days in Australia is just touching the very tip of the iceberg. I presume they give you a couple of days up in the Barrier Reef, a couple of days at Uluru and two days in Sydney. It is such a tiny glimpse of what our country is all about. It is like us trying to see the States in 6 days, practicially impossible. Also, in those six days you would be wasting quite a lot of time in airports and on planes as the distances are huge here.

 

It sounds a wonderful cruise though, going from either Australia or New Zealand across the Pacific and calling in at those wonderful islands.

 

We are doing a small portion of that itinerary next June, going from Tahiti to Honolulu. We have been to Tahiti before and it is paradise on earth!

 

Jennie

[Beehive]

We were thinking about going to Sydney a few daYS EARLIER than the tour so we could spend more time in Australia....

[Aussie Gal]

Beehive,

 

That is a great idea as you could spend at least a week in Sydney just seeing the sights.

 

Jennie

[SheilaNC]

We're doing B2B cruises on Celebrity Feb-March 2008 starting in Sydney to Auckland then Auckland to Honolulu stopping in Moorea/Bora Bora and Cook Islands. Seems like the best of both worlds and shortens the flight home as well. 29 days all told. Why don't you think about joining us? We already have 2 very active Roll Calls (Feb 17 and March 2)

[MVPinBoynton]

Sheila,

I am so jealous. That sounds like a great cruise. It does shorten that long flight home by quite a bit. I will have to wait till I retire before I can take that much time off. One of these days.

[SheilaNC]

Mike,

I promise to write a good report...but won't promise to meet or exceed your excellent one! We love Australia and, especially NZ, and are so looking forward to returning AND to adding some of the places that we missed before. We are particularly blessed to have such a wonderful group of Cruise Critics cruising with us. With such active Roll Calls, we'll all be friends long before we start out in Sydney!

[MVPinBoynton]

Sheila,

I just checked out your roll call mates. You do have a good sized group. It should make for a much more enjoyable and memorable cruise. Let us know when you do post your report. I will be anxious to hear all about it.

[SheilaNC]

Mike,

Will certainly post when my report is done....long time away but lots of time to plan and dream. Countdown clock is at 1 year 6 months, 6 days....etc. :)

I posted the link to your site on both Roll Calls so you might expect other emails ;)

[DougH]

When my company closed and I was laid off in 2002 I used the time to do my dream trip...Australia/New Zealand. Spent a week in and around Sydney then 16 days on the HAL Prinsendam sailing Sydney-Auckland. Next was a week in Auckland as I was there for the Americas Cup regatta. Even with a full month I didn't get to see anywhere near everything I would have like to. Absolutely wonderul trip and the people in both countries were fantastic.

 

I've also do a Tahiti cruise with several days on Moorea pre cruise and will very nice I would go back to Az or NZ first.

 

have fun choosing

 

Doug

[CAPinBoynton]

IMHO, I would choose New Zealand and Australia over all of French Polynesia. As someone said earlier, it is like comparing apples and oranges. Don't misunderstand, I thoroughly enjoyed our cruise in Fr. Poly. / Marquesas Islands. I agree that it is picture perfect paradise, especially Bora Bora. However, unless you are a water person, you may lack for things to do for any length of time. If you like to dive, snorkle, boat, or just lay on the beautiful beaches, you will love it.

 

On the other hand, New Zealand was my cup of tea. I loved the variety of mountain scenery, the amazing assortment of animal life. As Scrumpy stated, although Auckland is a city, it certainly doesn't feel like one.

 

I must admit, I had a total misconception of what Australia would be like. I was actually prepared to not care for it. I knew it was big, but I was thinking about the size of Texas. (Hey, geography was not my subject! :D) I pictured all of Australia as the Outback -- desert, barren, except of course for the one or two "cities".

 

Needless to say, I was shocked to see a lush, green, and very beautiful country. Sydney is wonderful. We only got a small taste of Australia, but I would love to go back and see the variety offered by other parts of the country.

 

As for people, the Polynesians were very friendly in a shy, innocent sort of way. Kiwis and Aussies were very friendly in an outgoing, hospitable way. We didn't meet a single local grouch on either trip!

[Aussie Gal]

IMHO,

I must admit, I had a total misconception of what Australia would be like. I was actually prepared to not care for it. I knew it was big, but I was thinking about the size of Texas. (Hey, geography was not my subject! :D) I pictured all of Australia as the Outback -- desert, barren, except of course for the one or two "cities".

 

Needless to say, I was shocked to see a lush, green, and very beautiful country. Sydney is wonderful. We only got a small taste of Australia, but I would love to go back and see the variety offered by other parts of the country.

 

As for people, the Polynesians were very friendly in a shy, innocent sort of way. Kiwis and Aussies were very friendly in an outgoing, hospitable way. We didn't meet a single local grouch on either trip!

 

I am glad that you found our country to be so different to what you imagined. Admittedly the outback is not that far away from the coast but we do have areas of greenery and lovely forests and wonderful scenery.

 

New Zealand and Australia are so different from each other and it is good to see a little of each. It is a pity that everyone of you cannot spend more time in both countries as there is so much to see and do.

 

You will have to return and see more of our big country in depth one day. It is doable as we are returning to your country in six weeks time, and it will be the third time in a year that we will have flown across the Pacific and visited the U.S. and this time Canada as well. :)

 

Jennie

[CAPinBoynton]

Jennie,

 

We have visited several countries that we want to return to and visit some day; but so far, there have been only four to which I would like to go and explore in depth for several weeks or even months. Those countries are Italy, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland. So, you may count on us to come your way again; and the next time we'll visit for awhile! ;)

 

I noticed that you are going to Vancouver. Wonderful city. Do be sure to go to the Buchart Gardens in Victoria. You can check it out in our review of our cruise on the Infinity in Sept. '05. Great area. http://www.thepreismans.com