Past Cruisers - Anyone Receive an E-mail From Tourism NZ?

[ErinH1]

Today I received an e-mail from Tim Keeling, of Tourism New Zealand congratulating me & advising that I am the winner of the incentive prize from the survey I completed when we returned from our cruise (Jan '07). The prize is a trip to NZ, 10 days hotel & rental car for two. OK, don't laugh--I think (hope?) this might be legit. Both Outlook Express & Yahoo sent it to my inbox rather than my spam box.

 

Background: While we were standing in line waiting to get back on the Sapphire Princess in Tauranga, I remember the NZ tourism folks asking for e-mail addresses. They said we'd be getting a survey via e-mail and upon completing the survey we'd be entered to win the prize of a NZ trip. A few weeks after I got home I received the e-mail & survey. I put off completing it for quite awhile as it was lengthy. But one day a month or two later I went ahead and filled it out.

 

Did anyone else do this and receive an e-mail today? As far as I can tell the addresses, phone numbers, web sites listed on the message I received today all appear to be legit. The message also went on to say they want to publish my photo, as the prize winner, on their web site (http://www.tourismnewzealand.com).

 

All I had to do was reply to Mr. Keeling's message; his e-mail address is a NZ government address. Logic is telling me if I really won a prize of this magnitude they'd probably call me on the phone . . . I just tried calling Tourism NZ, but the recording says they are closed now--I need to check the time difference in NZ.

 

What do you think???? Am I being silly in thinking this could be true? Is there some "catch"? I'll keep you posted, I'm not packing my suitcase just yet.

[Globaliser]

I just tried calling Tourism NZ, but the recording says they are closed now--I need to check the time difference in NZ.

New Zealand is currently on GMT+12 (winter time), California is currently on GMT-7 (summer time). So they're 19 hours ahead of you (or 5 hours behind plus one day ahead).

 

You might want to have a look at page 18 of this brochure (PDF) from the University of Otago. He's a real person. (Google is our friend!)

[Justgottago]

Erin

 

I have just looked at the site and it is certainly the official NZ Tourism site. I think that you may be lucky.

 

We are approx 18 hours ahead of the US West Coast cities.

 

Good luck!

Derek

[kaseyoz]

I hope it is true and you do get your prize, i hope they are providing airfares too.

good luck keep us posted

[ErinH1]

I really did win this trip! Yes Globaliser I, too, found the same web site/PDF via Goggle--that's what started to make me believer.

 

I received another e-mail today with more details. They are working with a travel agency who will create an itinerary for me. I am to figure out where I want to go (using the Tourism NZ web site of course) and they'll create an itinerary for me. So it sounds like I can go anywhere Air NZ flies. Guess they'll work out the hotels after I decide which cities? International flights RT NZ are included, but not domestic NZ flights, food, tourist attractions, etc.

 

Wow, this is unbelievable. I honestly didn't think I'd ever be able to see beautiful NZ again after the cruise. Now I've got to get back in the NZ frame of mind and figure out just where we should go.

 

So a word of advice to you future NZ cruisers, if the tourist board approaches and asks for your e-mail address so you can complete a survey, go for it!

[pinksuit]

Good for you! Enjoy

[mipps]

ligit ... unless they want you to pay a deposit into a nigerian bank account

 

profile

17

Tim Keeling Graduate BTour

When Tim Keeling ventured to university to study Science he had no idea he would

end up graduating with a different degree altogether or that he would end up working

for New Zealand’s leading Tourism marketing organisation.

But that’s exactly what happened.

Tim left home to study in Christchurch enrolling in a Bachelor of Science and studying

ecology and geography.

But it wasn’t long before he was drawn back to Dunedin to study at Otago. Picking up

his Science degree again, he enrolled in a Tourism paper for interest.

“I was hooked,” says Tim, who switched to the Bachelor of Tourism.

“The BTour was ideal. It fitted in really well with the Science papers I had already

studied – Antarctic studies, geography, ecology, sustainability. They all related back to

Tourism. And I really liked the business side of the BTour.”

Part of the BTour programme involves working directly with tourism operators.

Upon graduating Tim secured a job with Tourism New Zealand, the international

marketing organisation responsible for marketing New Zealand as a tourist destination

offshore, as a Market Research Assistant.

In his current role Tim has a hand in coordinating and implementing the annual

research plan and negotiating with Tourism New Zealand’s stakeholders including

industry operators, off-shore posts and the Ministry of Tourism.

Based in Auckland, Tim is all too aware of the different lifestyles students have in

Dunedin compared to those in the North Island.

“In Dunedin I was living a block down the road from university. I now know what

a luxury that was. Up here, it’s another story. Students spend hours travelling to

university every day.

“At Otago you’re definitely living the learning.”

 

congrats

 

:)

[Globaliser]

I really did win this trip!

Fantastic - congratulations! Hope you enjoy the trip.

 

When you're building your itinerary, make sure that you get to see all the things that you can't easily see if visiting from a cruise ship. For example, make sure that you get to spend some time inland on the South Island at places like Queenstown, Wanaka and Mount Cook. And, if you like wine, see if you can spend some time in the Marlborough wine region.

[TenerifeSharon]

Congratulations, that is fantastic news! I'll bet you're excited enough to walk to New Zealand ... almost.

 

It's wonderful to read that someone "real" actually wins these competitions or surveys. I often think they are "fixed" or go to some imaginary person.

 

Have a great time:D

[aussie down under]

hi Erin,

Well done, you must be so pleased. Keep us up to date with your plans, you should try to do Australia when you are so close!

It seems so long ago now since we were on the sapphire, we are thinking about booking the same cruise again next year, but not in january, I cannot get holidays then. We leave in 2 weeks for our next cruise, going to fiji, we are starting to get very excited now and counting down the days.

Take care, and again, congratulations, nice to hear people actually do win things like that.

Michele and Richard:)

[swtpnk]

This is GREAT Erin...CONGRATS on winning a real trip!!!

 

We are sorry you wont be on our cruise.. maybe another time.. have a wonderful time, and think of us in the Caribbean while on your trip....

 

have a safe trip, have fun, and be careful

thanks for letting us know of this exciting time too!!!

 

Diane :D

[kehlx2]

I really did win this trip! Yes Globaliser I, too, found the same web site/PDF via Goggle--that's what started to make me believer.

 

I received another e-mail today with more details. They are working with a travel agency who will create an itinerary for me. I am to figure out where I want to go (using the Tourism NZ web site of course) and they'll create an itinerary for me. So it sounds like I can go anywhere Air NZ flies. Guess they'll work out the hotels after I decide which cities? International flights RT NZ are included, but not domestic NZ flights, food, tourist attractions, etc.

 

Wow, this is unbelievable. I honestly didn't think I'd ever be able to see beautiful NZ again after the cruise. Now I've got to get back in the NZ frame of mind and figure out just where we should go.

 

So a word of advice to you future NZ cruisers, if the tourist board approaches and asks for your e-mail address so you can complete a survey, go for it!

 

WOW!!! You sure got lucky...can I carry your bags??? Keep us posted on how it is going.