We chose this cruise because it went everywhere we've always wanted to visit in New Zealand. It was also a celebration of a milestone birthday for me, so we chose a 2-day bus shore excursion from Milford Sound to Dunedin, staying overnight on land and rejoining the ship in Dunedin. We were also looking forward to visiting family in Auckland & seeing the magical Fiordland.
Well, we got the feeling that this cruise was doomed from the start. Firstly, a month before our sail date we were told that Auckland was cancelled due to a faulty engine. Not a good omen we thought. We tried to reschedule to a later trip but were refused. We got a measly $150 onboard credit each as compensation. We sadly told our Kiwi family that the much-anticipated Auckland visit was off.
We boarded the ship thinking that we'd try to enjoy the cruise nevertheless. Imagine our desolation when we were told that Fiordland had also been cancelled due to bad weather! We couldn't help but wonder if the engine problem also had something to do with the cancellation. For us the blow was doubly devastating as it meant the end of our special birthday overland excursion also. Trying to make the best of it we tried to book another excursion in Dunedin, but couldn't as all were booked out. My birthday was spent in drizzling Dunedin with nothing much to do. Oh well, c'est la vie!
Carpet shabby, sliding balcony door sticks badly. Bed is wonderful. Steward Mario did an excellent job.
Lovely city with its strong Scottish influence. Picturesque setting on the water.
We fed stingrays and Blue-Eye fish by hand. A superb experience - a highlight!