Best Time to Cruise in Australia/New Zealand

[zodiac1]

When is the best time of year to cruise Australia and New Zealand?  We are concerned about weather, crowds, excessive kids on ship, etc.

[GUT2407]

Peak season is Oct to April.

 

Summer is Dec, Jan, Feb and it can get HOT and in places HUMID.

 

school Holidays are early Dec to late Jan. (varies a bit state to state)

[MicCanberra]

November cruises have the best sales.

[SinbadThePorter]

4 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

Peak season is Oct to April.

 

Summer is Dec, Jan, Feb and it can get HOT and in places HUMID.

 

school Holidays are early Dec to late Jan. (varies a bit state to state)

 

Maybe this should be a sticky?🤔

 

But NZ never gets hot, it varies between freezing cold and barely tolerable!😎

[OzKiwiJJ]

Personally I think the best time to cruise NZ is March, the weather tends to be more settled then and can be very pleasant. It's nearing the end of the NZ cruise season, the school holidays are over, and the only crowds will be from the cruise ships. But be aware, NZ weather is unpredictable so pack for all weathers.

 

However if you're also planning land travel in Australia, especially to places like the Great Barrier Reef or Uluru, do that after the cruise as it will still be very hot in parts of Australia in March.