Calling Previous Visitors to New Zealand Ports: Looking for Advice Please

[In Retirement]

1. Am looking at cruises that start at Auckland and end at Sydney, with the logic I could arrive early for a local or regional tour and extend our visit at Sydney to do the same. Anybody have such experiences?

 

2. Looking at size of ships and considering sea/weather conditions: Is ship size a consideration for either port visits or dealing with poor water conditions during the summer (January/March)?

 

3. Comparing two such cruises next year (February 18 2018 Diamond Princess vs. February 15 2018 HA Noordam), both visit Tauranga, Akaroa, Dunedin, Fjordland Park, Hobart and Melbourne on the way to Sydney, but Noordam also visits Napier, Wellington, and Picton. What should I consider in making this decision?

 

4. It appears to me that there is a robust tourism industry in NZ and Australia, both for independent tours and port excursions. Any experiences from Auckland or Sydney? I figure a 3-5 day experience before and after cruise would be ideal. I know that everyone talks about "once in a lifetime" experience, but unlike Europe, Alaska, etc. that we have revisited, we honestly expect this to be our only visit.

 

All observations and advice most appreciated,

DJ:)

[TLCOhio]

1. Am looking at cruises that start at Auckland and end at Sydney, with the logic I could arrive early for a local or regional tour and extend our visit at Sydney to do the same. Anybody have such experiences?

2. Looking at size of ships and considering sea/weather conditions: Is ship size a consideration for either port visits or dealing with poor water conditions during the summer (January/March)?

3. Comparing two such cruises next year (February 18 2018 Diamond Princess vs. February 15 2018 HA Noordam), both visit Tauranga, Akaroa, Dunedin, Fjordland Park, Hobart and Melbourne on the way to Sydney, but Noordam also visits Napier, Wellington, and Picton. What should I consider in making this decision?

4. It appears to me that there is a robust tourism industry in NZ and Australia, both for independent tours and port excursions. Any experiences from Auckland or Sydney? I figure a 3-5 day experience before and after cruise would be ideal. I know that everyone talks about "once in a lifetime" experience, but unlike Europe, Alaska, etc. that we have revisited, we honestly expect this to be our only visit.

All observations and advice most appreciated,DJ

 

Appreciate your many good questions. Not sure as to where you are based or from, assuming from here in U.S., right? YES, I can understand that you might have only this one visit to this part of the world and want to maximize the "down under" experiences. Right?

 

From what you have outlined, the chance to have time in Napier, Wellington and Picton could be a major factor to consider. While we have not been to Picton, we super loved both Napier and Wellington. From my live/blog below, you can see lots of my pictures and travel options to consider.

 

My sense is that these two ship are of a decent size and I doubt that you need look for a large ship, etc. From everything I have heard, Princess and HAL are somewhat similar in certain, general ways. Therefore, pricing and ports would probably be the larger factors to consider.

 

Yes, having two or so days each in Auckland and Sydney can work well. As you noticed on my summary, we did more in Australia prior with our stop before the cruise in the Great Barrier Reef/Rainforest region of their NE area, plus doing super scenic Kangaroo Island near Adelaide. Both of these locations worked amazingly well!!

 

Below are some of my sample pictures. Feel free to post any and all added questions on my live/blog and I will be happy to follow up with more details. Keep researching and asking good questions. Tell us more on your personal interest, travel loves, etc.

 

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 169,903 views for this posting.

 

 

While at Cape Kidnappers near Napier, NZ, we arranged a private, three-course, gourmet lunch at the exclusive resort here that overlooked both the Pacific Ocean and the famed golf course ranked as the 22nd best in the world. Here are members of our 14-person, Central Ohio group enjoying this scenic and dramatic setting and the beautiful weather this day.:

 

 

 

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.:

 

 

 

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.:

 

 

 

This is Old St. Paul's church in Wellington. It is the former cathedral in the Diocese of Wellington for the Anglican Church. As an example of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture, they adapted to colonial conditions and materials. It is at 34 Mulgrave Street, close to the New Zealand Parliament. Its construction was completed in June 1866. After a significant battle to prevent its demolition, Old St. Paul's was purchased by the New Zealand Government in 1967 and restored. Although not a parish church, it remains consecrated and is a popular for weddings, funerals and other services. It is constructed from native NZ timbers. The interior has been likened to the upturned hull of an Elizabethan galleon with its exposed curving trusses and roof sacking. The flags displayed in the nave include the Royal Navy, NZ Merchant Navy and US Marine Corps. Many of our Marines were stationed in Wellington during World War II. My wife is in yellow walking down the center aisle as she absorb the building details. This was a very important and "moving" site to experience. :

 

 

 

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.:

 

 

 

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!!:

 

[lucymorgan]

1. Am looking at cruises that start at Auckland and end at Sydney, with the logic I could arrive early for a local or regional tour and extend our visit at Sydney to do the same. Anybody have such experiences?

 

2. Looking at size of ships and considering sea/weather conditions: Is ship size a consideration for either port visits or dealing with poor water conditions during the summer (January/March)?

 

3. Comparing two such cruises next year (February 18 2018 Diamond Princess vs. February 15 2018 HA Noordam), both visit Tauranga, Akaroa, Dunedin, Fjordland Park, Hobart and Melbourne on the way to Sydney, but Noordam also visits Napier, Wellington, and Picton. What should I consider in making this decision?

 

4. It appears to me that there is a robust tourism industry in NZ and Australia, both for independent tours and port excursions. Any experiences from Auckland or Sydney? I figure a 3-5 day experience before and after cruise would be ideal. I know that everyone talks about "once in a lifetime" experience, but unlike Europe, Alaska, etc. that we have revisited, we honestly expect this to be our only visit.

 

All observations and advice most appreciated,

DJ:)

 

 

1. We are from Oz and I flew across to Auckland with my mum last year for a weekend. I had been there on a cruise ship previously - the ship docks close to the centre of town. For the weekend trip - there is a bus from the airport to the city centre which is much cheaper than taxis which are quite expensive (we caught a taxi from the airport but found out about the bus to get back there). There are ferries from near the cruse ship dock to some of the islands (Devonport is charming). There is also a very reasonably priced citylink bus that travels around the city centre, which may be important as there are quite steep hills to climb. We also caught a hop-on-hop off bus which did a nice tour around the city and we liked the botanic gardens.

We have often travelled to Sydney - there is plenty to do there! Again, catch the ferries - for example to Manly. :)

 

2. We have crossed the tasman sea between Australia and NZ four times - I think the size of ship could be a consideration as the weather can be quite challenging. I don't get seasick but it can get quite 'rocky' at times.

 

3. We loved Napier - it is a small but interesting art deco town. Also enjoyed Picton as it is a gateway to some wonderful wineries. I've been to windy Wellington a number of times for work and it is a fascinating place too - the seat of government and the home of the Te Papa Museum which is the National museum for NZ (free and easy to reach on shuttle from the ships https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/).

 

4. You are correct - there is a lively tourist industry in both cities and with a bit of research it is also easy to navigate the cities on your own.

 

I guess it depends on the things you would like to see. Hope this is helpful :)