Upcoming New Zealand EDGE Cruise Question

[LGW59]

Hi All - Random question for a cruise I am booked on Oct 2023, way off I know.  Anyway many sea days involved which I love!  3 days of which sail through Dusky Sound, Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound.  Already done a bunch of Google research about them as well as looking at the amazing pictures.  Just curious to know if anyone here has ever done this.  Views from the ship, are they visible from both sides, forward (we are in a forward facing suite) close enough for good photo ops?  Anything special I should know/expect?  TIA

[Redking]

54 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Hi All - Random question for a cruise I am booked on Oct 2023, way off I know.  Anyway many sea days involved which I love!  3 days of which sail through Dusky Sound, Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound.  Already done a bunch of Google research about them as well as looking at the amazing pictures.  Just curious to know if anyone here has ever done this.  Views from the ship, are they visible from both sides, forward (we are in a forward facing suite) close enough for good photo ops?  Anything special I should know/expect?  TIA

We live I NZ and have done the cruise, also booked on the Edge in 2024. We had great weather but it can be variable, occasionally the ships can't get into Milford Sound in bad weather. We were on the helipad to sail into Milford but it got a bit cold and windy so retreated to our balcony on an s-class hump. You'll turn at the end of Milford to come back out so great views from both sides. Doubtful and Dusky are more of a sail through and you might want to see them and the wildlife from both sides. One of the most peaceful and relaxing ways to spend a day. Enjoy!

[Arizona Wildcat]

Cruised all three.  Dusky and Dkubtful are sail thru destinations.  Weather can be anything from foggy to clear.  We were lucky for both.  Stayed on the bow or sides in both.

Milford was not kind to us.  Took three tries and you could not see 6' the first try and on the second huge waves and torrential rain - We stayed in NZ some years ago for almost 6 months.  Third try was misty and flat seas.  Absolutely magic.

Hope the weather gods are kind to you.

[jelayne]

We were in a aft facing cabin so views of both sides.  They were very picturesque and although we found it relaxing to cruise through them we liked the fjords in Norway better.  The NZ ports were great, we did independent tours or DYI in all of them.

[LGW59]

22 minutes ago, Redking said:

We live I NZ and have done the cruise, also booked on the Edge in 2024. We had great weather but it can be variable, occasionally the ships can't get into Milford Sound in bad weather. We were on the helipad to sail into Milford but it got a bit cold and windy so retreated to our balcony on an s-class hump. You'll turn at the end of Milford to come back out so great views from both sides. Doubtful and Dusky are more of a sail through and you might want to see them and the wildlife from both sides. One of the most peaceful and relaxing ways to spend a day. Enjoy!

The turn around sounds great.  Must get a great view on both sides, glad I’m in a forward facing

[LGW59]

17 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Cruised all three.  Dusky and Dkubtful are sail thru destinations.  Weather can be anything from foggy to clear.  We were lucky for both.  Stayed on the bow or sides in both.

Milford was not kind to us.  Took three tries and you could not see 6' the first try and on the second huge waves and torrential rain - We stayed in NZ some years ago for almost 6 months.  Third try was misty and flat seas.  Absolutely magic.

Hope the weather gods are kind to you.

This will be in Dec.  when you say sail thru, meaning no ports, just sit back and enjoy (hopefully) the views?

[LGW59]

17 minutes ago, jelayne said:

We were in a aft facing cabin so views of both sides.  They were very picturesque and although we found it relaxing to cruise through them we liked the fjords in Norway better.  The NZ ports were great, we did independent tours or DYI in all of them.

We are far forward.  Yes it includes a number of port stops as well, very much looking forward to that.  Thanks 

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

Hi All - Random question for a cruise I am booked on Oct 2023, way off I know.  Anyway many sea days involved which I love!  3 days of which sail through Dusky Sound, Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound.  Already done a bunch of Google research about them as well as looking at the amazing pictures.  Just curious to know if anyone here has ever done this.  Views from the ship, are they visible from both sides, forward (we are in a forward facing suite) close enough for good photo ops?  Anything special I should know/expect?  TIA

 

I may have misunderstood your post, but Edge spends 1 entire day sailing through the three sounds.  The Celebrity Today will give you the approximate times for each sound.  

 

We sailed through them on NYE 2020 (Dec 31 2019) on Solstice which was our last cruise before the pandemic shutdown.  It certainly was one of the highlights of the trip.

 

On our sailing Celebrity opened the helipad by invitation only during this day.  However there were separate invitations sent out for each of the three sounds--so three separate groups were invited.  The helipad is cleared after the conclusion of each sound to make way for the next group.  

 

Each sound was very different from the other although Milford Sound was the best.  You definitely need to get out on deck when you sail through Milford to get that 360 degree view.  It is incredible to see the landscape tower over the ship's funnel.  

 

When the ship sails into Milford, it eventually turns around and then sails back out.  The view out the back of the ship is magnificent as the ship sails away.  

 

Aptly named Dusky Sound.  Solstice Dec 31, 2019

 

Doubtful Sound looked angry during our sailing

 

Incredible Milford Sound

 

This is why you need to get out on deck for Milford.

 

Be sure to look out the back of the ship as she leaves Milford.

 

Photo of Solstice at Milford Sound taken by @waweidman while on a boat shuttling he and his wife back to Solstice after taking an overnight shore excursion.

[LGW59]

5 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

I may have misunderstood your post, but Edge spends 1 entire day sailing through the three sounds.  The Celebrity Today will give you the approximate times for each sound.  

 

We sailed through them on NYE 2020 (Dec 31 2019) on Solstice which was our last cruise before the pandemic shutdown.  It certainly was one of the highlights of the trip.

 

On our sailing Celebrity opened the helipad by invitation only during this day.  However there were separate invitations sent out for each of the three sounds--so three separate groups were invited.  The helipad is cleared after the conclusion of each sound to make way for the next group.  

 

Each sound was very different from the other although Milford Sound was the best.  You definitely need to get out on deck when you sail through Milford to get that 360 degree view.  It is incredible to see the landscape tower over the ship's funnel.  

 

When the ship sails into Milford, it eventually turns around and then sails back out.  The view out the back of the ship is magnificent as the ship sails away.  

 

Aptly named Dusky Sound.  Solstice Dec 31, 2019

 

Doubtful Sound looked angry during our sailing

 

Incredible Milford Sound

 

This is why you need to get out on deck for Milford.

 

Be sure to look out the back of the ship as she leaves Milford.

 

Photo of Solstice at Milford Sound taken by @waweidman while on a boat shuttling he and his wife back to Solstice after taking an overnight shore excursion.

You are correct, Dec 18 it sails through all 3, then turns around to return.  Meant to say 3 sounds not days!  Jeez your photos are gorgeous, that’s what I signed up to see.  Anxious to find out the total  length of time for the whole sail through.  I’ll be on my balcony the entire time.  Thanks for all the information and the great pics!

[mahdnc]

Here is the sound schedule that was in our Celebrity Today:

 

 

The sounds were the last stop before we sailed back towards Australia.  If you are doing a sailing where you visit the sounds first after crossing the Tasman Sea, then you will visit them in the reverse order.

[Northern Aurora]

While we have done land trips to New Zealand we actually were on the Solstice in that fateful month of March 2020 when the global cruising suspension was implemented.  What a mess. The trip would have been a B2B2B2B. Two of those legs would have been cruises through the three sounds (Dusky, Doubtful and Milford).  The first leg, which we completed, included all three sounds, and the weather that day was spectacular.  There have been instances in which one or more of the sounds has been missed which is why we had scheduled a B2B2B2B as the last leg would also have included the sounds.  The channels are rather narrow, so views are spectacular on both sides.  And our photos are comparable to those already posted.

[PeterGavin]

On almost all Australia-New Zealand cruises, the Sounds are either first or last day on the Southern New Zealand itinerary, after/before the 2 day crossing to/from Australia on the Tasman Sea. 

 

Dunedin is the first/last port in New Zealand for all these cruises as there is a requirement to carry a Department of Conservation / Fiordland specialist speaker to provide a commentary through the Sounds. Between Dusky and Doubtful Sounds, there is usually a full presentation in the theatre. The speaker boards/leaves in Milford Sound. 

 

Some cruises offer an overnight package to visit and stay in Queenstown joining/leaving the ship in Dunedin and from Milford township ... so the two lower Sounds are missed.

 

The first Sound is usually an early start - can be cold and wet... but "enterprising" crew provide hot chocolates or warm alcoholic drinks to help warm up the guests. 

 

There are a total of 14 fiords in this area of "Fiordland", all wrongly titled "sounds" rather than "fiords", as the early explorers did not know that these were glacially created. The area at the north of the South Island around Picton is the Marlborough Sounds - sounds are created by the flooding of a river valley, not a glacial event, and often wider than fiords. Simply, the fiords are U shaped valleys carved out by glaciers and the sounds are V shaped (flooded) valleys.

 

A bonus for Fiordland travelers - you actually travel on 5 of the Sounds - Milford is a return trip [to the small Milford township for transfers]; Doubtful is joined to Thompson Sound; and Dusky sails though and exits at Breaksea Sound.

 

I am an enrichment speaker on the Australia - New Zealand and South Pacific cruises, resident in New Zealand. On one of my earliest cruises on Radiance, the professional speaker could not travel and I had the pleasure of broadcasting the trip through these Sounds from the Bridge

[PeterGavin]

19 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

You are correct, Dec 18 it sails through all 3, then turns around to return.  Meant to say 3 sounds not days!  Jeez your photos are gorgeous, that’s what I signed up to see.  Anxious to find out the total  length of time for the whole sail through.  I’ll be on my balcony the entire time.  Thanks for all the information and the great pics!

The time to traverse all the Sounds is generally 8am to 5pm, weather permitting.

[LGW59]

10 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

Here is the sound schedule that was in our Celebrity Today:

 

 

The sounds were the last stop before we sailed back towards Australia.  If you are doing a sailing where you visit the sounds first after crossing the Tasman Sea, then you will visit them in the reverse order.

Our is Sydney, 3 sea days, Auckland 2 days, Tauranga, Napier, Christchurch, Dunedin, the 3 sounds, 2 sea days, Sydney

[LGW59]

11 minutes ago, PeterGavin said:

On almost all Australia-New Zealand cruises, the Sounds are either first or last day on the Southern New Zealand itinerary, after/before the 2 day crossing to/from Australia on the Tasman Sea. 

 

Dunedin is the first/last port in New Zealand for all these cruises as there is a requirement to carry a Department of Conservation / Fiordland specialist speaker to provide a commentary through the Sounds. Between Dusky and Doubtful Sounds, there is usually a full presentation in the theatre. The speaker boards/leaves in Milford Sound. 

 

Some cruises offer an overnight package to visit and stay in Queenstown joining/leaving the ship in Dunedin and from Milford township ... so the two lower Sounds are missed.

 

The first Sound is usually an early start - can be cold and wet... but "enterprising" crew provide hot chocolates or warm alcoholic drinks to help warm up the guests. 

 

There are a total of 14 fiords in this area of "Fiordland", all wrongly titled "sounds" rather than "fiords", as the early explorers did not know that these were glacially created. The area at the north of the South Island around Picton is the Marlborough Sounds - sounds are created by the flooding of a river valley, not a glacial event, and often wider than fiords. Simply, the fiords are U shaped valleys carved out by glaciers and the sounds are V shaped (flooded) valleys.

 

A bonus for Fiordland travelers - you actually travel on 5 of the Sounds - Milford is a return trip [to the small Milford township for transfers]; Doubtful is joined to Thompson Sound; and Dusky sails though and exits at Breaksea Sound.

 

I am an enrichment speaker on the Australia - New Zealand and South Pacific cruises, resident in New Zealand. On one of my earliest cruises on Radiance, the professional speaker could not travel and I had the pleasure of broadcasting the trip through these Sounds from the Bridge

Do they generally have enrichment speakers such as yourself on this type of cruise?  Would be awesome if they do.  If so, please call Celebrity and sign up, I’m sure you be a wealth of great information.

Edited December 6, 2021 by LGW59

[PeterGavin]

Travelers hope for a wonderful sunny day in Milford Sound. Three out of every 4 days [on average] are wet in the Sounds. The average Fiordland rainfall is 270 inches per year. So if it is wet, it is normal!

[PeterGavin]

12 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Do they generally have enrichment speakers such as yourself on this type of cruise?  Would be awesome if they do.  If so, please call Celebrity and sign up, I’m sure you be a wealth of great information.

Yes, there is a mix of Enrichment speaker types on these trips; some times Naturalists are onboard, of which Celebrity seem to have a good selection [as a higher end carrier]. There are usually talks on each of the sea days to/from Australia, plus any sea days between NZ ports. The intent is to inform travelers as much as possible about New Zealand [not just shore excursions, which the ship informs]; often with behind the scenes talks so that the traveler has more knowledge before stepping ashore. 

[LGW59]

25 minutes ago, PeterGavin said:

Travelers hope for a wonderful sunny day in Milford Sound. Three out of every 4 days [on average] are wet in the Sounds. The average Fiordland rainfall is 270 inches per year. So if it is wet, it is normal!

Funny I lived in San Diego, CA for 10 years, they average 10 inches of rain/year.  Now I live back in my hometown of Boston where we get approximately 50 inches/year.  270 inches gives a whole other perspective. Bet they sell a lot of umbrellas!

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, Northern Aurora said:

While we have done land trips to New Zealand we actually were on the Solstice in that fateful month of March 2020 when the global cruising suspension was implemented.  What a mess. The trip would have been a B2B2B2B. Two of those legs would have been cruises through the three sounds (Dusky, Doubtful and Milford).  The first leg, which we completed, included all three sounds, and the weather that day was spectacular.  There have been instances in which one or more of the sounds has been missed which is why we had scheduled a B2B2B2B as the last leg would also have included the sounds.  The channels are rather narrow, so views are spectacular on both sides.  And our photos are comparable to those already posted.

No rush at all but if you are so inclined, at some point, I’d love to see your photos.

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

Our is Sydney, 3 sea days, Auckland 2 days, Tauranga, Napier, Christchurch, Dunedin, the 3 sounds, 2 sea days, Sydney

 

Then you will visit the three sounds in the same order that I did. 

 

Assuming that things are back to pre-pandemic normal, you will have a decision to make on whether you want to take the overnight excursion (DD51) that has you getting off the ship at Dunedin, overnighting at Queenstown, and then reboarding Edge late afternoon on the next day at Milford Sound.  I am told that the bus ride into the sound is amazing

 

It is not cheap and you have to book it thru Celebrity since you will be tendered back to Edge.  I have been told that it is a most awesome trip. One Cruise Critic member from New Zealand whom we met on Jan 2019 on a Caribbean cruise advised us to splurge on this excursion even if it meant cutting back our spending on other excursions. We did not do it it because it was going to be very expensive since there was four of us. And I wanted to see all three sounds. 

 

Be sure to spend ample time enjoying Sydney!

 

[LGW59]

8 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

Then you will visit the three sounds in the same order that I did. 

 

Assuming that things are back to pre-pandemic normal, you will have a decision to make on whether you want to take the overnight excursion (DD51) that has you getting off the ship at Dunedin, overnighting at Queenstown, and then reboarding Edge late afternoon on the next day at Milford Sound.  I am told that the bus ride into the sound is amazing

 

It is not cheap and you have to book it thru Celebrity since you will be tendered back to Edge.  I have been told that it is a most awesome trip. One Cruise Critic member from New Zealand whom we met on Jan 2019 on a Caribbean cruise advised us to splurge on this excursion even if it meant cutting back our spending on other excursions. We did not do it it because it was going to be very expensive since there was four of us. And I wanted to see all three sounds. 

 

Be sure to spend ample time enjoying Sydney!

 

That overnight sounds amazing!  I have $800 OBC from Celebrity and $2000 from my travel agent on this leg of the cruise.  If I can book it through Celebrity I’m certain? that OBC may cover it.  Planning my excursion are the best part of cruising for me, well the ship is important too, but this itinerary is bucket list for me and my husband.  We plan to spend 5 days in Sydney at the end of the cruise.

[TrulyBlonde]

Take the overnight! The tour is wonderful and takes you right thru the countryside of NZ. Queenstown is very nice and on this journey you will get to see all of those sheep 😉

It is a beautiful country and one of my favorite cruises.

We did this a few years back on Solstice and we actually disembarked in Milford and ended in Dunedin.

[TeeRick]

LG, when we did our AUS/NZ cruise a couple of years ago on Solstice, we actually had a medical emergency on board after we left Melbourne heading to NZ.  We were too far out for Medivac in the Tasmanian Sea and had to turn back to Melbourne.  The consequence of all this was that we missed going through these Sounds.  They were skipped entirely.  We understood the situation but were very disappointed.  Sometimes the weather causes them to be skipped too.  Best of luck!

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

LG, when we did our AUS/NZ cruise a couple of years ago on Solstice, we actually had a medical emergency on board after we left Melbourne heading to NZ.  We were too far out for Medivac in the Tasmanian Sea and had to turn back to Melbourne.  The consequence of all this was that we missed going through these Sounds.  They were skipped entirely.  We understood the situation but were very disappointed.  Sometimes the weather causes them to be skipped too.  Best of luck!

I can only imagine the disappointment, T!  Hopefully all falls into place for us, but s*** happens and if out of ones control we need to roll with the flow.  Funny re weather.  My first trip to Ireland was for 3 weeks.  My colleague is from Galway and said bring your umbrella, while it always rains in Ireland you will be there in real rainy season.  Well of the 3 weeks we literally have only 4 days of rain, hope I can bring my Irish lucky charm to NZ as well.  🙂

[Barwick Cruiser]

We’ve visited NZ numerous times as we have family there and have done this cruise as well one time. No one yet has mentioned the numerous waterfalls in the fjords…absolutely stunning and the ship gets so close you can hear the roar as well! You’re going early in the season so they should be quite impressive!  Too bad you’re not spending any land travel time (unless you do the excursion through Queenstown), such a gorgeous land with super friendly residents!