Clothes to pack for New Zealand cruise

[Zanny]

Hi.We are going 14 day cruise to N.Z. leaving from Adelaide .How many warmer clothes would we need to pack to wear during the day there. I really don't  want to fill my case up with lots of jumpers coats etc. As the ship will either have air-conditioning on or if it's cold heating.

We will be leaving in 1 weeks time.

Any help would be appreciated. 

Regards Zanny.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Pack layers. It's comfortably cool inside the ship but some people find the MDRs, theatres etc a bit chilly so take a wrap or cardigan. For daytime at ports I usually take mostly lightweight clothing plus one pair of jeans for cooler days, a light cardigan, a warmer jumper, a fleece and a good rain jacket. That way I can combine them as needed. Take a warm hat, scarf and gloves if you're doing the scenic cruising in Fiordland. It can be surprisingly cool in the morning when the ship is moving.

[Fortunatefew]

March is normally pretty warm, today it’s 26degrees. But as we know weather patterns are changing but it doesn’t tend to get cooler until April/May in NZ. Others may disagree. The Fiords may be a little chillier depending on conditions on the day. We have been in beautiful blue skies, overcast and 3rd time was showery.  I doubt you will need jumpers and coats, just something light that’s folds up like a parka that will get you through slightly cooler days.

[GUT2407]

My answer is layers, but that’s pretty much my standard answer.

 

[MMDown Under]

In addition to layers, I always take a light merino neck gaiter, head band and windbreak on cruises.  Cruising can be windy and cool on deck whatever the season.

[SilvertoGold]

Can we expect much rain/showers/drizzle last week of March and first week of May? Auckland, ports down east coast and over to Australia.

[Aus Traveller]

If I am looking at the correct cruise (Pacific Explorer on 11th March) your first 'port' in NZ is the Fiordland National Park. On this itinerary the ship usually enters Milford Sound very early in the morning (around 7am). At that time it will be cold so I suggest you have a warm head covering as well as a warm jacket and long pants.

 

For the entry into Milford, I suggest it is worth going to a deck where you have a view forward. It will be breezy, but the views are superb. After the ship enters the Sound, you might prefer to go back to your cabin if you have a balcony. Otherwise, stay on an outside deck on the port side (left-hand side of the ship) for the best views. If your balcony is on the other side, it could still be worth relocating to there because you will see both sides of the fijord anyway. What you don't see on the way in, you will see on the way out!

 

Have a great cruise.

[Zanny]

Thank you cruise leaves 13th march from Adelaide.will pack a parka type jacket etc

[Jean C]

Hiya, bear in mind that you will be leaving a warmer home base in Oz for a generally cooler climate in NZ - what we regard as hot or warm may be cool to you. We are having lovely warm/hot days at the moment, but in NZ anything can happen temperature and weather-wise. March is generally a good month, not too hot but usually nice weather. It will be cool early morning though. So you should pack layers or a lightweight jacket to help you acclimatise. Here's hoping you thoroughly enjoy your cruise and the good weather gods hang around for you 😊 🥳 🛳

[SilvertoGold]

7 minutes ago, Jean C said:

Hiya, bear in mind that you will be leaving a warmer home base in Oz for a generally cooler climate in NZ - what we regard as hot or warm may be cool to you. We are having lovely warm/hot days at the moment, but in NZ anything can happen temperature and weather-wise. March is generally a good month, not too hot but usually nice weather. It will be cool early morning though. So you should pack layers or a lightweight jacket to help you acclimatise. Here's hoping you thoroughly enjoy your cruise and the good weather gods hang around for you 😊 🥳 🛳

Jean!  Any idea about rain?  Is this  the time of year when we could expect a lot of rain or none?

Appreciate all your help, you have been a huge resource in planning for this adventure.

[OzKiwiJJ]

10 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Can we expect much rain/showers/drizzle last week of March and first week of May? Auckland, ports down east coast and over to Australia.

I presume you mean first week of April? We did an NZ cruise at that time of year in 2019 and had very little rain but I wouldn't even try to predict that for your cruise. The weather has been weird this year so anything could happen. 

[Jean C]

6 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

Jean!  Any idea about rain?  Is this  the time of year when we could expect a lot of rain or none?

Appreciate all your help, you have been a huge resource in planning for this adventure.

Hi, see @OzKiwiJJ's reply! I have 2 daughters, one born 15 Feb, the other 3 April. Growing up, invariably it would rain for the 15 Feb birthday party and would be fine for the 3 April party. Generally the weather can often be fine through March, April and into May, but it's a lottery. We're had a very wet summer (under statement) so hopefully a nice long dry spell is ahead. Also, the weather can be dramatically different between the North and South Islands 😊

[cruiser3775]

Milford Sound is the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest places on earth with an average of 182 rainy days per year.Levels of rainfall can reach as high as 250mm during a 24 hour span, and it gets a total of 722mm per year.

Edited March 5, 2023 by cruiser3775

[joejoe 59]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I presume you mean first week of April? We did an NZ cruise at that time of year in 2019 and had very little rain but I wouldn't even try to predict that for your cruise. The weather has been weird this year so anything could happen. 

Or it's a really long cruise😁

[SilvertoGold]

12 hours ago, Jean C said:

Hi, see @OzKiwiJJ's reply! I have 2 daughters, one born 15 Feb, the other 3 April. Growing up, invariably it would rain for the 15 Feb birthday party and would be fine for the 3 April party. Generally the weather can often be fine through March, April and into May, but it's a lottery. We're had a very wet summer (under statement) so hopefully a nice long dry spell is ahead. Also, the weather can be dramatically different between the North and South Islands 😊

Hi, Jean

Lovely post, very helpful overall.  Really hope your weather starts to behave itself, for your tourism and for you long-suffering Kiwis. You have been through so much!   Sounds as if Napier is on the port list still and we will be shopping and buying all those cookies there!

[SilvertoGold]

12 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

Milford Sound is the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest places on earth with an average of 182 rainy days per year.Levels of rainfall can reach as high as 250mm during a 24 hour span, and it gets a total of 722mm per year.

Oh, yes, that is a very good point. Hoping to see all three areas there, so spectacular a day it will be even if it rains.  I know just the place on the ship to be outside and covered from any rain. Thanks for the help!.  

[lyndarra]

7 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Oh, yes, that is a very good point. Hoping to see all three areas there, so spectacular a day it will be even if it rains.  I know just the place on the ship to be outside and covered from any rain. Thanks for the help!.  

I've done a local cruise in Milford Sound when it has been raining. It was spectacular.

[marinating]

No need to worry about not having appropriate clothing! I always support the local fashion industry in ports! NZ has some great fashion labels.

[LittleFish1976]

On 3/5/2023 at 12:22 PM, SilvertoGold said:

Jean!  Any idea about rain?  Is this  the time of year when we could expect a lot of rain or none?

Appreciate all your help, you have been a huge resource in planning for this adventure.

 

Don't forget that New Zealand is the country that produced that great band Crowded House and their pin-point accurate song 'Four Seasons in One Day'. Take a fleecy jacket and a waterproof one too!

 

 

[possum52]

On 3/6/2023 at 9:15 AM, lyndarra said:

I've done a local cruise in Milford Sound when it has been raining. It was spectacular.

It was raining as we entered Milford Sound but by the time we had turned and sailing out, the sun was out and we had blue skies. Layers were being discarded! Yes very spectacular when raining.

[yes!yes!yes!]

I have done three cruises around New Zealand in January.

I Have been very cold on the ship, and needed layers on shore days for half of them. Freezing one day, warm the next.