Must Do Excursions on New Zealand Cruise

[jldodge]

A group of 6, we will be cruising New Zealand in December, 2012. Would like recommendations on excursions, suggestions for restaurants in Sydney, and cruiseline comments (Holland or Princess). We are experienced travelers and do not mind arranging our own excursions vs. taking those offered by the cruiseline.

 

Thanks in advance for any help ...

[succeed_2]

Wow, that's probably too general a question.

First of all, we have no idea which ports you will be stopping in, so is there really any point in all of us giving you dozens of recommendations? It would be much different if you at least had some idea of exactly where you were planning to go, and what you would like to see.

 

And you also must remember - you'll find a diversity of opinion here - some tours, restaurants, and attractions that are loved by some people are not that big a deal to others. Do you really want to trust what we have to say before you've even decided yourself what is important to you?

 

Also, you haven't even mentioned if you are on a tight budget, or if the sky is the limit.

 

You haven't mentioned your ages - we have no idea if you are young and like adventure, like hiking, zorbing, water adventure, etc.

We have no idea if you are older and have limited mobility or energy.

We have no idea how old the members in your party are - if you have children or elderly parents that have to be considered.

We have no idea if you like seeing cultural things, natural wonders, if you like architecture, shopping, beaches, dining, sightseeing, wineries, animals/wildlife, etc.

There are dozens of tours to choose from, and when you're finished looking at those, you can even have tour providers custom design tours to your taste.

 

Why don't you start to get a good feel for tours and activities by reading through some previous trip reports, some good tour books, some travel websites, and talk to the members of your group, and at least narrow it down to a list of "must sees" that the people in your group can agree on.

 

The Trip Advisor website is a great online travel website - each place in the world has a list of "Things to Do", listed in order of what most people rated most highly. And over there you can even read ratings of tour providers, attractions, sights, restaurants, activities, etc so that after you've at least created a rough list you can see if your choices still measure up.

Then perhaps come back here and then ask some questions that are more specific and discuss some possibilities.

 

And if you want to discuss whether to take HAL or Princess - well, that's a major question too, with so many things to consider. There are many, many discussions over on the main boards comparing the cruiselines. And there are a lot of things to be considered when choosing one over the other. It sounds like you may have some homework to do.

[jldodge]

Sorry for the confusion ... we're in our 50's, flexible budget, standard cruise stops for Princess and Holland so was hoping those who cruised on these cruise lines could give us the benefit of their experiences. Have already checked the other boards here and not much "reviewing" of the cruise lines which is why I asked the question. This query is part of my research, not the sole source of my research. Would appreciate comments/suggestions from others. Again, thanks in advance ...

[kuldalai]

With the traditional New Zealand cruise our highlight tours were :

 

- Treiri Gorge Railway out of Dunedin. (Ships Tour, train departs from wharfside.)

- Canterbury Plains & Tranz Alpine Railway out of Christchurch . (Ships tour train returns to wharfside.)

- White Water Rafting out of Tauranga. (Ships tour includes return road travel etc.)

[Grumpy100]

We did the Sun Princess r/t from Sydney last November. Here is a quick rundown of our excursions:

Sydney - precruise 2 days. Stayed at Four Points Sheraton. Took taxi from airport. Immediately checked into hotel and went to Sydney Wildlife Park, Sydney Aquarium. Next day took ferry to Taronga Zoo, then took ferry back to Sydney Opera House, Botanical Gardens, walked around the Rocks, etc.

Three days at sea crossing the Tasmanian Sea, first port:

Dunedin - Did private tour with D-Tours. Very reasonable and a fantastic tour. Saw the Moeraki boulders and the northern coast of Dunedin, seals, etc. Fantastic.

Christchurch - Walked around and did the punting boats, walked to the museum and the botanical gardens. Nice port.

Wellington - Walked to the Botanical gardens, took the lift to the top and went to the Rose Garden, then walked to the port and went to the Museum and saw the world's largest squid, then back to ship.

Napier - Took Bay Island tour of winery's and the island. It was OK.

Taraunga -Walked around the mountain by the ship in the port. Nice views.

Auckland - Took a private tour with Kauri Tours. Excellent. Saw the black beaches on the other side, saw the nesting gannet birds and the surfers and the coast and the Kauri trees. Very good.

Bay of Islands - Took the ships tour of the Kauri Trees and the glow worm caves. Pretty good.

Hope this helps....

[Budget Queen]

I have gone to New Zealand twice. Did all independent touring, very simple to arrange. BUT, I would suggest you head to your library and find out about the specific areas, also look over a shore excursion list and narrow down your interests. There is no point in me, going on about my favorites if you have no interest. :)

[jldodge]

Thanks Grumpy100, exactly what I was looking for ...

[MVPinBoynton]

We did a complete review of our Princess NZ/Aus cruise with lots of photos. We did mostly private tours, so you might be able to get some ideas from what we did. Our review is on our website www.thepreismans.com. Get ready for an awesome experience. We loved Down Under.

[jldodge]

Thanks so much for the detailed writeup on your trip. As a group, we approach these types of trips as adventures, meaning we want to create lasting memories and try things that we would not otherwise do. So, hearing the adventures of others is a great starting point for us to develop our own adventure. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experiences ... also GREAT WEBSITE to refer to for future trips.

[BrusselsGirl07]

In Christchurch, have a look at the Segway tours:

 

http://www.urbanwheels.co.nz/Christchurch-Segway-Tours

 

I just started a new thread with info about them, it was fantastic!! However at the time (Dec/Jan 2009/2010) he could only take 4 people, but he may have more by now or be able to get more.

[jagoffee]

In Christchurch, have a look at the Segway tours:

 

http://www.urbanwheels.co.nz/Christchurch-Segway-Tours

 

I just started a new thread with info about them, it was fantastic!! However at the time (Dec/Jan 2009/2010) he could only take 4 people, but he may have more by now or be able to get more.

 

Is you new thread on the Australia/New Zealand forum? I could not see it.

 

How long was the tour both in distance and time? It really looked interesting. We were previously in Christchurch for several days on a land tour and this might be interesting during our cruise stop. Thank you.

[BrusselsGirl07]

It was there yesterday and now it is gone!! I have no idea what happened to it! I will try again, and put it on the Australian/New Zealand thread.

[Globaliser]

I will try again ...

The same thing will probably happen to it. See here for why.

[BrusselsGirl07]

OK - it was taken down, as you are not allowed to start a new thread with a review or recommendation: "Please post your review or recommendation ONLY in response to request...do not start a new thread. Thanks!"

 

So - I found the UrbanWheels Segway tour on line before we arrived - http://www.urbanwheels.co.nz/Christchurch-Segway-Tours and e-mailed back and forth with Graham the owner. He was just lovely, very patient. We did not have to pay upfront. We met him in a park and he had sent me maps so I could find it, and it was easy to find him. My husband and I were in our late 30s at the time, and another couple had also booked the tour, a mother and daughter around 55 and 75ish.

 

Graham gave us all lessons and made sure that we were all happy and confident. I was the most timid and he spent a lot of time with me, encouraging me and boosting my confidence. The time spent training us was not taken off the tour, so when we were all ready, we set off on a two hour tour! Everyone turned and watched us go by and took photos, so we felt a bit like celebrities!!!

 

Graham took us all over Christchurch and pointed out areas of interest and gave us a history of the area. he would stop at various places and take photos of us on the Segway bikes. We went to a park with a bike path and we were all having so much fun, we were allowed to push the Segways as fast as we wanted.

 

It was a great tour, and I would love to do it again. I did not want to get off the Segway after my initial nervousness disappeared! Graham was very aware of where we were and looked after our safety at all times.

 

My husband paid him at the end, and we overpaid him on purpose as the tour was so good, and he came running after us saying we had given him too much, but we insisted he keep it.

 

You should do this tour if you can - at the time he only had the 4 Segways but he may be able to get some more, or may even have more by now.

[Globaliser]

Well done. ;)

[jldodge]

We were thinking about a bike tour in Christchurch but the Segway is more interesting. A friend of ours has the Segway franchise in Atlanta and it's really a cool way to see the city.

 

I will certainly look them up on the web ... Thanks for the recommendation!

[AussieVisi2r]

Second the Segway tour. They are brilliant.

 

How long are you in Sydney?

 

There is so much to do..for free or cheap.

 

Circular Quay is where the cruise ships dock.

 

Aria restaurant is fabulous. One of the best. Everything about it is amazing but the view is to die for.

 

Catch the ferry (not the fast hydrofoil) to Manly. Great ride. Walk around and have chips or ice cream on the beach.

 

Walk around circular quay. Lots of good buskers including indigenous ones.

THE bridge, Opera House, Botanic gardens, The Rocks (where Sydney had its European beginnings) are all easy strolling distance.

 

Hope that helps as a start.

 

Raina

[jldodge]

We will only be in Sydney for a few days but your suggestions are very helpful ... besides the obvious "touristy" things, is there a part of the city that reflects the culture, etc. but is not a place that tourists would normally visit? Any other nice restaurants you would recommend?

 

Thanks in advance for your help ...

[jagoffee]

OK - it was taken down, as you are not allowed to start a new thread with a review or recommendation: "Please post your review or recommendation ONLY in response to request...do not start a new thread. Thanks!"

 

So - I found the UrbanWheels Segway tour on line before we arrived - http://www.urbanwheels.co.nz/Christchurch-Segway-Tours and e-mailed back and forth with Graham the owner. He was just lovely, very patient. We did not have to pay upfront. We met him in a park and he had sent me maps so I could find it, and it was easy to find him. My husband and I were in our late 30s at the time, and another couple had also booked the tour, a mother and daughter around 55 and 75ish.

 

Graham gave us all lessons and made sure that we were all happy and confident. I was the most timid and he spent a lot of time with me, encouraging me and boosting my confidence. The time spent training us was not taken off the tour, so when we were all ready, we set off on a two hour tour! Everyone turned and watched us go by and took photos, so we felt a bit like celebrities!!!

 

Graham took us all over Christchurch and pointed out areas of interest and gave us a history of the area. he would stop at various places and take photos of us on the Segway bikes. We went to a park with a bike path and we were all having so much fun, we were allowed to push the Segways as fast as we wanted.

 

It was a great tour, and I would love to do it again. I did not want to get off the Segway after my initial nervousness disappeared! Graham was very aware of where we were and looked after our safety at all times.

 

My husband paid him at the end, and we overpaid him on purpose as the tour was so good, and he came running after us saying we had given him too much, but we insisted he keep it.

 

You should do this tour if you can - at the time he only had the 4 Segways but he may be able to get some more, or may even have more by now.

 

Thanks for the great information. Now I have to convince my DW.

[MVPinBoynton]

I did a Segway tour in San Juan, PR a couple years ago and just loved it. It is a lot of fun and very easy to learn how to ride. NZ would be a great place to tour on a Segway. Convince your DW to do it. She will be very glad you did.

[BrusselsGirl07]

And Christchurch was such a nice place to do the Seway as well, the city is quite flat. We saw so much more on the Segways than if we just walked around.