Voyager of the Seas - New Zealand Cruises
The Voyager of the Seas is one of 4 Royal Caribbean ships based in Australia. The Voyager's home port during the Australian summer months is in Sydney, New South Wales. The Voyager has 3 main destinations during the Australian Summer - Australian east coast, New Zealand or South Pacific.
New Zealand is broadly divided into the North island and South island. The shorter 10+ night itinerary sails from Sydney to the top of the South island, then up to the North island (or in the reverse, clockwise loop). The longer 14+ night itinerary sails from Sydney to the bottom of the South island then doing a full loop around to the North island (or in the reverse, clockwise loop).
The north most port stop will either be Auckland or Bay of Islands. This is 3 sailing days from Sydney. The south most port stop will either be Dunedin on the south east coast of the South island for the longer cruises, or Picton on the north of the South island. Dunedin is 5 sailing days from Sydney, usually sailing through the beautiful Milford, Dusky and Doubtful Sounds. Picton is located within Queen Charlotte Sound and is 3 sailing days from Sydney.
If you've been doing your math, this itinerary means that the most port stops come fast and furious. There will be a stretch of 5 or 6 days where you will be stopping at a port everyday, then a good number days before and after these stops where you relax on the cruise ship. This might not be the type of cruise itinerary for everyone, as it can be quite stressful doing so many port stops in a row.
Typical ports to stop at include Bay of Islands, Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Napier, Picton, Dunedin.
There are also certain locations in New Zealand which have unique weather. For example, you have windy Wellington. Wellington experiences gale force winds on average 175 days a year. These winds tend to be worse in late spring.
Also, be prepared for the weather when sailing in the Tasman Sea, that is between Australia and New Zealand. With prevailing ocean currents and different front moving across, you may need to brace yourself for one bumpy ride.We had 5 metre swells and 40 knot winds on our last cruise.
With the cooler climate, you also might need to bring more clothes to still enjoy your pool deck especially when sailing through the beautiful Sounds. A light winter jacket, proper bathrobes, and rash vest should be considered in your packing list.
Don't miss the sailing into any of the Sounds - Milford, Dusky, Doubtful or Queen Charlotte (Picton), the view is simply breathtaking. These are natural fjords.
If you are into Lord of the Rings, a Hobbiton tour is a must go.
If you are into white wine, try visit a Sauvignon Blanc vineyard, and maximise the experience by tasting the local produce in a vineyard restaurant.
If you are into simple a relaxing time, visit Hellsgate mud bath spa.
If you are a foodie, or simply enjoy seafood, don't miss out on getting to a good seafood restaurant and enjoying all their shell foods - clams, mussels, crabs, etc.
If you love bird watching, Zealandia will provide you a great time viewing native bird life.
Don't miss the sailing in and out of Sydney Harbour. It's one the most beautiful harbours in the world rated by cruise ship captains. It's totally worth getting up a 5am on disembarkation day to view the sail in even.
The peak times to avoid are the Christmas and New Year cruises, unless you are okay paying up to 2 times the normal rate. Also avoid January as Sydney can be fantastically hot. The school holidays start around 1 week before Christmas and kids return to school by the last week of January.
WiFi is very expensive on board the ship and there's no mobile phone reception out at sea from standard New Zealand providers. Unless you are awfully desperate, try a internet free holiday while on board the ship. There is normally free WiFi connection in most cities.
Cruising provides a great introduction to New Zealand. After your cruise, you will be very hungry for more of the beautiful scenery New Zealand has to offer. The best way to have a fuller experience is definitely by a long road trip through the beautiful lands.
Related Posts
RCI Voyager of the Seas - X'mas Cruise Review (Pre-cruise)
Voyager of the Seas Grand Suite 1248 Review
Suite Class Perks - Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas
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Itinerary
 |
| Picture Source: Clean Cruising and Google |
The north most port stop will either be Auckland or Bay of Islands. This is 3 sailing days from Sydney. The south most port stop will either be Dunedin on the south east coast of the South island for the longer cruises, or Picton on the north of the South island. Dunedin is 5 sailing days from Sydney, usually sailing through the beautiful Milford, Dusky and Doubtful Sounds. Picton is located within Queen Charlotte Sound and is 3 sailing days from Sydney.
If you've been doing your math, this itinerary means that the most port stops come fast and furious. There will be a stretch of 5 or 6 days where you will be stopping at a port everyday, then a good number days before and after these stops where you relax on the cruise ship. This might not be the type of cruise itinerary for everyone, as it can be quite stressful doing so many port stops in a row.
Typical ports to stop at include Bay of Islands, Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Napier, Picton, Dunedin.
Weather
Summer in New Zealand can be pretty different from Australia. By December, Sydney can get blistering hot. Highs of 25'C - 30'C (77'F - 86'F) should be expected, but days of 40'C (104'F) are not unusual. On contrast, in New Zealand you will be looking at highs of 18'C - 22'C (64'F - 72'F). The further south you travel, you should expect cooler weather. |
| Source: Stuff.co.nz |
Also, be prepared for the weather when sailing in the Tasman Sea, that is between Australia and New Zealand. With prevailing ocean currents and different front moving across, you may need to brace yourself for one bumpy ride.We had 5 metre swells and 40 knot winds on our last cruise.
With the cooler climate, you also might need to bring more clothes to still enjoy your pool deck especially when sailing through the beautiful Sounds. A light winter jacket, proper bathrobes, and rash vest should be considered in your packing list.
Highlights
There are a few must-sees in the area where you don't really get to see anywhere else in the world. |
| Doubtful Sound Source: Msteker |
If you are into Lord of the Rings, a Hobbiton tour is a must go.
If you are into white wine, try visit a Sauvignon Blanc vineyard, and maximise the experience by tasting the local produce in a vineyard restaurant.
If you are into simple a relaxing time, visit Hellsgate mud bath spa.
If you are a foodie, or simply enjoy seafood, don't miss out on getting to a good seafood restaurant and enjoying all their shell foods - clams, mussels, crabs, etc.
If you love bird watching, Zealandia will provide you a great time viewing native bird life.
Don't miss the sailing in and out of Sydney Harbour. It's one the most beautiful harbours in the world rated by cruise ship captains. It's totally worth getting up a 5am on disembarkation day to view the sail in even.
Final Tips
It's worth it staying in Sydney for even up to 1 week before getting on your cruise. There's heaps to enjoy in Sydney. If you aren't confident driving on the left side of the road, there are plenty of local bus tours to join.The peak times to avoid are the Christmas and New Year cruises, unless you are okay paying up to 2 times the normal rate. Also avoid January as Sydney can be fantastically hot. The school holidays start around 1 week before Christmas and kids return to school by the last week of January.
WiFi is very expensive on board the ship and there's no mobile phone reception out at sea from standard New Zealand providers. Unless you are awfully desperate, try a internet free holiday while on board the ship. There is normally free WiFi connection in most cities.
Cruising provides a great introduction to New Zealand. After your cruise, you will be very hungry for more of the beautiful scenery New Zealand has to offer. The best way to have a fuller experience is definitely by a long road trip through the beautiful lands.
Related Posts
RCI Voyager of the Seas - X'mas Cruise Review (Pre-cruise)
Voyager of the Seas Grand Suite 1248 Review
Suite Class Perks - Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas
To subscribe to my blog, please Like on our Facebook page.
To support my blog, please click on one of my sponsor's advertised links :)
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