Milford Sound on Regent

[RachelG]

We have been to Milford Sound twice, once on Regent and once on Silversea.  It is very beautiful, but if I have the option of an overland trip then one way on the sound, I would definitely take that.  

[cwn]

Wendy, we were on the Regent 2018 World Cruise also. We stayed on the ship, only because we had previously done the land trip from Dunedin to Queenstown to Milford Sound. It is a beautiful trip across the southern tip of the South Island and Queenstown is not be missed. 

You should treat yourself the view of Milford Sound from the land and the water.  The ship can't get all the way in so you will be transferred to the ship and get great views. You won't miss a thing in the sound doing both. When we did our land trip in 2009, it was a sunny day for part of the time, last year it was overcast and misty, but the sound is beautiful both ways.

 

We keep a daily blog of all our trips. For what did and pictures see:

www.2018worldcruise.blogspot.com   

go to Day 37, Feb 12 for day in Milford Sound

 

www.aroundtheworldin132days.blogspot.com

go to Jan 19 and 20 for our drive into Milford Sound and then Queenstown to Dunedin

[Wendy The Wanderer]

9 hours ago, cwn said:

Wendy, we were on the Regent 2018 World Cruise also. We stayed on the ship, only because we had previously done the land trip from Dunedin to Queenstown to Milford Sound. It is a beautiful trip across the southern tip of the South Island and Queenstown is not be missed. 

You should treat yourself the view of Milford Sound from the land and the water.  The ship can't get all the way in so you will be transferred to the ship and get great views. You won't miss a thing in the sound doing both. When we did our land trip in 2009, it was a sunny day for part of the time, last year it was overcast and misty, but the sound is beautiful both ways.

 

We keep a daily blog of all our trips. For what did and pictures see:

www.2018worldcruise.blogspot.com   

go to Day 37, Feb 12 for day in Milford Sound

 

www.aroundtheworldin132days.blogspot.com

go to Jan 19 and 20 for our drive into Milford Sound and then Queenstown to Dunedin

Thanks, this is great advice, and I will look at your blog!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

13 hours ago, cwn said:

Wendy, we were on the Regent 2018 World Cruise also. We stayed on the ship, only because we had previously done the land trip from Dunedin to Queenstown to Milford Sound. It is a beautiful trip across the southern tip of the South Island and Queenstown is not be missed. 

You should treat yourself the view of Milford Sound from the land and the water.  The ship can't get all the way in so you will be transferred to the ship and get great views. You won't miss a thing in the sound doing both. When we did our land trip in 2009, it was a sunny day for part of the time, last year it was overcast and misty, but the sound is beautiful both ways.

 

 

So your Queenstown trip was private, right?  I'm reading about it now...yes, definitely private.  Sounds heavenly.

 

So am I correct that if you take this overland trip (in our case, Dunedin - Milford), you get on the ship at the wharf, and then see the Sound as the ship goes outbound? This sounds ideal, if the weather cooperates.   Best of both worlds?

 

 

[IndiTravler]

My 2cents

 

Several years ago, We did a 3+ week driving tour of both north and south Islands that included an overnight boat tour on Doubtful Sound, in the pouring rain and two nights in Queenstownand three night stay in Duniden.     Doubtful Sound in the rain and Duniden were highlights.  Queenstown felt like a tourist trap.   Thus, I wouldn’t do the land trip.   

 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

37 minutes ago, IndiTravler said:

My 2cents

 

Several years ago, We did a 3+ week driving tour of both north and south Islands that included an overnight boat tour on Doubtful Sound, in the pouring rain and two nights in Queenstownand three night stay in Duniden.     Doubtful Sound in the rain and Duniden were highlights.  Queenstown felt like a tourist trap.   Thus, I wouldn’t do the land trip.   

 

 

Hmm, another data point, thanks!  I don't much like tourist traps, but I do like scenery.

[IndiTravler]

3 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Hmm, another data point, thanks!  I don't much like tourist traps, but I do like scenery.

 

Glad I could help make the decision harder.  😃

[cwn]

Just now, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

So your Queenstown trip was private, right?  I'm reading about it now...yes, definitely private.  Sounds heavenly.

 

So am I correct that if you take this overland trip (in our case, Dunedin - Milford), you get on the ship at the wharf, and then see the Sound as the ship goes outbound? This sounds ideal, if the weather cooperates.   Best of both worlds?

 

Wendy, the ship can not go all the way to the head of sound. We entered about 2 pm, went as far as we could, stopped and waited for the small boat that had our passengers. It transferred them from the Sound's Warf out to the ship. That's why you get the best of both worlds doing the overland. You get to see the sound from its head, very impressive, in mist and sun, and from the ship. Then we turned around and headed out the same way we entered. We were out about 6 pm.

 

New Zealand is beautiful, especially the bottom of the South Island. Queenstown is pretty town built on the edge of a lovely mountain lake with wonderful scenery all around. It is really no more touristy than any other town. The drive into the Milford Sound is spectacular. The actual boat ride in the sound is very nice but if you have been to Norway and Alaska, it is less impressive but still worthwhile. 

 

Carolyn

Edited February 19, 2019 by cwn

[travelwell]

Well darn, we are debating the same choices on same cruise as Wendy. We are already doing an overland in Australia and Cambodia. I really need to stay on the ship, but I don’t want to miss a a once in a lifetime experience. We are not likely to be back...Such a first world problem.

[cwn]

Just now, travelwell said:

Well darn, we are debating the same choices on same cruise as Wendy. We are already doing an overland in Australia and Cambodia. I really need to stay on the ship, but I don’t want to miss a a once in a lifetime experience. We are not likely to be back...Such a first world problem.

It is a big world with lots to see. If you are not likely to go again do as much as you can. you have lots of days to enjoy the ship.

 

This was our third trip around the world and we did stay on the ship, but we had done two separate 5 month combined land and cruises trips around the world before this one. 

 

It is wonderful journey on a Regent ship.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Another data point perhaps is that the sea day around the bottom of New Zealand can be quite rough, I've heard.  There's nothing between that and Antartica, after all! 

 

Sounds like this particular Overland adventure would be a win-win.   And it would be our first scheduled one, so we won't be too jaded yet, lol!   (At the moment we only have two others scheduled--an overnight in Israel and the Ellora and Ajanta caves in India.)