Milford Sound on Regent

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I would like to hear anyone's experiences doing the "scenic cruising" of Milford Sound on a Regent ship.  How was it? How much time is actually spent cruising the fjords?

 

It's on our itinerary more than two years from now, and I'm trying to decide whether it would be worth missing, to take a land extension tour from Dunedin.

The ship is scheduled to leave Dunedin at 6 p.m., and then the next day is marked "Cruising the Fjords of Milford Sound", with no times specified. But I'm thinking that the ship has to chug its way overnight around the bottom tip of NZ to get to Milford, so how much actual time would be spent cruising?  Is it a not-to-be-missed experience?  Is the weather often socked in?  (This would be mid-February.)

 

The land extension tour leaves Dunedin and travel west across the mountains, and ends up overnighting in Queenstown.  I believe this area is one of the most dramatically scenic parts of New Zealand.  We meet the ship at Milford Sound near the end of the day, around 5 p.m. 

 

Opinions, experiences?

[Stickman1990]

Not commenting from a Regent perspective but from knowledge of the area and on another luxury line which offers similar options 

 

Upside of the Shorex overnight - you get to experience Queenstown and see some of Milford Sound. Depending on the excursion you may get a ride in a helicopter

 

Downside - you miss the sailing through Dusky and Doubtful Sounds and you may miss time in Dunedin depending on when the travel to Queenstown is scheduled

 

Upside of staying onboard - you get to experience sailing through Dusky, Doubtful and Milford Sounds and enjoy the commentary from the National Park Ranger. That cruising is for the full take so it’s pretty full on in terms of opportunity to enjoy the grandeur and different scenery of Fiordland

 

Downside of staying on Board - you miss Queenstown 

 

The weather and rain in the area can be horrible - it really does rain a lot. We’ve been on cruises which miss the area altogether one December (and missed Dunedin too) so there’s a chance you won’t get to the area at all with either option. That definitely includes Feb as this part of NZ gets pretty heavy rainfall. If you do get to visit you can have two completely different experiences depending on if it’s raining or not. We got wet and the waterfalls were spectacular 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2018 by Stickman1990

[JMARINER]

Depends. Have you done the Fjords in South America? If so, then skip Milford and do the overland. If not, stay on the the ship. 

J

[Stickman1990]

Interesting coincidence that Facebook just alerted me if through a memory reminder - those photos from Milford Sound we’re actually taken on today’s date 4 years ago - spooky huh 🙂

Edited November 21, 2018 by Stickman1990

[poss]

In either case, I'm sure you'll get kick out of being in— Dunedin!

[Stickman1990]

1 hour ago, poss said:

In either case, I'm sure you'll get kick out of being in— Dunedin!

 

Not sure if you’re joking about the southern city or not but there are actually a number of things to do in Dunedin which would keep people occupied for the day including 

 

Taeri Gorge Railway

Larnachs “Castle” & Gardens

Yellow Eyed Penguin Colony 

Worlds Steepest Street

 

I’m sure there are more things than that 

 

I’m just not sure how long someone do an overland to Milford would get in Dunedin

 

The other point I’d like to make is that Fiordland visits take in 3 sounds - Dusky, Doubtful and Milford - you get all 3 on the cruise but not on the overland excursion 

 

Edited November 21, 2018 by Stickman1990

[BBWC]

We did Milford Sound on this year’s world cruise. It was Milford Sound only, did not visit Doubtful or Dusky Sounds (also no commentary from a Park Ranger). You basically go into Milford Sound as far as the ship can go, and then turn around and go back. The overland guests are picked up at the end of the Sound, so you would still be able the see it on the way out (however, the ship moves much faster on the way out). Weather could be anything. This year it was cloudy and drizzly, another time we had bright sunshine. If you have never been to New Zealand, the overland trip would give you some nice scenery.

[Travelcat2]

Milford Sound was a highlight of our New Zealand land vacation.  When the weather is good, it is one of the most beautiful spots that we have visited.

[jollyjoyce]

On a trip to NZ we hired a car drove down to Dunedin and we stayed in Dunedin overnight and drove to Queenstown. As others have said Queenstown is beautiful but it is a long way by road from Dunedin...I know, I drove !!

The journey from Queenstown to Milford Sound is also a long drive. We went by coach and back by small aeroplane. We were lucky as we could only return by plane if the weather was perfect and they did say that the weather can close in quickly. We did the Red Boat cruise on Milford Sound which was good.

I know I am telling this from the perspective of a road trip in a hire car but the distances are quite long to drive even on a coach. New Zealand looks small on a map but driving always takes considerably longer than you imagine.

Dunedin is nice and others have said, quite a few interesting things to see there. It is very Scottish in flavour !!!

Hope this helps.

 

[rcandkc]

On our Sydney to Melbourne trip in January, we were trying to get away from a powerful storm and Milford Sound and the land trip for those who booked it were cancelled.  We still encountered 80 mile a hour winds and 30 foot seas.  So...anything can happen. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

15 hours ago, poss said:

In either case, I'm sure you'll get kick out of being in— Dunedin!

 

Yes, for sure!  Funny story--when we first moved here I went to the library website to find something about a book online.  When I entered my library card number, it bumped me, saying it was invalid.  So I emailed them to ask what was wrong, and discovered I was on the Dunedin, NZ website!  I and the woman who emailed me had a good laugh about that. 

 

They have a very respectable university I believe, and the nearby Otago Peninsula is the scene of Miriam Catton's Booker prize winning novel, The Luminaries.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

4 hours ago, rcandkc said:

On our Sydney to Melbourne trip in January, we were trying to get away from a powerful storm and Milford Sound and the land trip for those who booked it were cancelled.  We still encountered 80 mile a hour winds and 30 foot seas.  So...anything can happen. 

 

Wow, yes of course!  

[Wendy The Wanderer]

5 hours ago, jollyjoyce said:

On a trip to NZ we hired a car drove down to Dunedin and we stayed in Dunedin overnight and drove to Queenstown. As others have said Queenstown is beautiful but it is a long way by road from Dunedin...I know, I drove !!

The journey from Queenstown to Milford Sound is also a long drive. We went by coach and back by small aeroplane. We were lucky as we could only return by plane if the weather was perfect and they did say that the weather can close in quickly. We did the Red Boat cruise on Milford Sound which was good.

I know I am telling this from the perspective of a road trip in a hire car but the distances are quite long to drive even on a coach. New Zealand looks small on a map but driving always takes considerably longer than you imagine.

Dunedin is nice and others have said, quite a few interesting things to see there. It is very Scottish in flavour !!!

Hope this helps.

 

 

Thanks, yes indeed it does! Not surprised that Dunedin has a Scottish flavour, since the word is some variant of the Gaelic for "Edinburgh".  And our Dunedin in Florida also has a distinctly Scottish flavour!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

7 hours ago, BBWC said:

We did Milford Sound on this year’s world cruise. It was Milford Sound only, did not visit Doubtful or Dusky Sounds (also no commentary from a Park Ranger). You basically go into Milford Sound as far as the ship can go, and then turn around and go back. The overland guests are picked up at the end of the Sound, so you would still be able the see it on the way out (however, the ship moves much faster on the way out). Weather could be anything. This year it was cloudy and drizzly, another time we had bright sunshine. If you have never been to New Zealand, the overland trip would give you some nice scenery.

 

Thanks for your perspective--that last sentence is what's enticing me.

 

As it turns out, we can book these extra Overland adventures now, and decide later.  So that's what we're doing--the Dunedin-Milford one, and several others.

[travelwell]

We were committed to not doing the land over trip  but the answers to your post might just change our mind. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

1 hour ago, travelwell said:

We were committed to not doing the land over trip  but the answers to your post might just change our mind. 

 

Well, we figure we can book it now and change our minds later.  It is a difficult one, for sure.

[WesW]

In Janaury 2017 (immediately following kcandrc's cruise that cancelled cruising the Milford Sound) on the Voyager we enjoyed seven NZ ports including cruising the Milford Sound on a gorgeous sunny day.  Please enjoy a few Milford Sound photos below.    Wendy, u may know/recall pcgluada (Paula) who sails both Silversea, Crystal, and Regent.  Originally, we were going to book a 2017 Silversea NZ itinerary and asked Paula to compare the 2017 Voyager Grand Voyage Auckland to Hongkong itinerary to the NZ Silversea voyage offered.  Paula,  strongly endorsed the Regent itinerary because it included cruising the Milford Sound.

 

Finally, we loved (and strongly recommend) the Dunedin Regent Taieri Gorge Railway excursion that Stickman1990 mentioned above.  Tripadvisor summary for this railway adventure:

 

This trip on the Taieri Gorge Railway is an experience perfect for train buffs or anyone looking for an adventure. Board a train that journeys into a wild and gorgeous landscape, traveling through a part of the countryside that's inaccessible by road. Along the way, learn about the railway's construction and other interesting facts from onboard commentary. Plus, there's an exciting option to extend your trip to Middlemarch, a scenic, small town in the Otago countryside.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thanks Wes, welcome home.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

Sailed Milford Sound in 2004. So beautiful, great memories!

Sheila

[Wendy The Wanderer]

12 minutes ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

Sailed Milford Sound in 2004. So beautiful, great memories!

Sheila

 

Thnks Sheila, another data point!  Oh well, I have almost two years to decide, lol!

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

17 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Thnks Sheila, another data point!  Oh well, I have almost two years to decide, lol!

 

We were so lucky. The weather started our very cloudy, with some rain. It quickly stopped and cleared up. The weather changes made the scenery magnificent. So memorable. 

Sheila

[Travelcat2]

On 11/20/2018 at 3:19 PM, Stickman1990 said:

Not commenting from a Regent perspective but from knowledge of the area and on another luxury line which offers similar options 

 

Upside of the Shorex overnight - you get to experience Queenstown and see some of Milford Sound. Depending on the excursion you may get a ride in a helicopter

 

Downside - you miss the sailing through Dusky and Doubtful Sounds and you may miss time in Dunedin depending on when the travel to Queenstown is scheduled

 

Upside of staying onboard - you get to experience sailing through Dusky, Doubtful and Milford Sounds and enjoy the commentary from the National Park Ranger. That cruising is for the full take so it’s pretty full on in terms of opportunity to enjoy the grandeur and different scenery of Fiordland

 

Downside of staying on Board - you miss Queenstown 

 

The weather and rain in the area can be horrible - it really does rain a lot. We’ve been on cruises which miss the area altogether one December (and missed Dunedin too) so there’s a chance you won’t get to the area at all with either option. That definitely includes Feb as this part of NZ gets pretty heavy rainfall. If you do get to visit you can have two completely different experiences depending on if it’s raining or not. We got wet and the waterfalls were spectacular 

 

 

 

Although it was rainy and cloudy, your photos are the best representation of what Milford Sound truly looks like ......... small waterfalls everywhere.  We had not seen anything like that previously.

[MalbecWine]

Stickman, amazing photos.  We were there once and the bow of ship was so close we could feel the spray from the waterfall.  Amazing and beautiful.

Edited November 25, 2018 by MalbecWine

[Floridiana]

Our ship went into the 3 sounds and we had sunny weather only in the Milford Sound. So no experience with the drive, but we drove on the North Island and I can confirm that it takes forever to get from one place to another. Narrow and winding roads. Ours had lots of one way bridges. The scenery is great.

Bring a warm fleece/hoodie just in case for the South Island. My only wool sweaters are from NZ, so is my rain parka.

[jillyf]

There is a thread on Silversea forum - A muse on the Muse - that has a lot of photos on the SS Muse cruise through Milford Sound.