Diamond Princess - my impressions

[Topaz_M]

Time for the review. I shall do this in sections so hopefully the next passengers to sail will have an idea what to expect. My party was myself and daughter 14 years.

 

Cruise M902 - Aus/NZ - 5th to 17th January 2009

 

 

First up - most important - FOOD

 

We gave up our 1st sitting confirmation a few weeks before sailing to experience Anytime Dining. As practically all the sailaways from ports were at 6pm and I wanted to enjoy them all, this was a good decision. We dined in the Horizon Court mostly for breakfast and lunch. We used the Anytime dining rooms - Sante Fe, Pacific Moon and Savoy. In general the food was delicious with plenty of choice. Never had to wait for a table at any time. On a couple of occasions when I dined alone they tried to insist I sat at a table on my own which was not what I wanted. So I asked to be sat at a shared table and there were always people to join me within no more than ten minutes wait. There always seemed to be tables for two available - only once did I see a couple receive a beeper. Also invited to join a lovely couple in the Sterling Steakhouse.

 

Horizon Court - first day choices were poor, food looked dried out but tasted fine. After that the food was available with great variety and choice 24 hours a day. Initially the layout was confusing but it didn't take long to get in the swing of things. Hand sanitiser was provided and we were expected to use it, even on returning for another plate, etc. Cutlery was mostly provided at the tables. Don't forget to use the area way out the back if the place looks full or the tables on the other side if one side is out of use while the food is being restocked for the next meal change. The waiters were more than happy to get drinks - juice or coffee at breakfast - and drink orders including soda or coffee card at any time.

I had cause to make myself peppermint tea at 2.30am one day and found all the on duty officers having their meal break.

Also ran into the cruise director JJ a number of times having his meals there and also the captain.

 

Sante Fe - my favourite for the decor which looks different when you sit at various tables. The wait staff were attentive but it varied day to day even with the same staff. DD tried the chicken fajitas but they weren't to her taste.

 

Savoy - sophisticated but a little dark - wait staff were good with food but a bit lax on taking drink orders.

 

Pacific Moon - decor was a bit boring but the wait staff were the best, attentive and friendly.

 

Sterling Steakhouse - Had the prawns to start which were fairly tasteless but the steak more than made up for it. All four of us had different steaks which were deliciously tender and melted in the mouth. However they do tend to overcook it a little (eg. medium rare was medium), but being so tender you hardly noticed. The service was attentive - maybe a bit overdone. Well worth the extra cost for the experience.

 

Pizzeria - Delicious pizza which you could watch being freshly made from scratch every morning.

Trident Grill - very popular wih the kids.

Outside buffets near the Calypso pool changed daily - sushi and chocolate buffets were great to look at and even better to taste!

Sundaes icecream bar - very similar to Cold Rock $2USD for one/two flavours and two toppings.

 

Room service breakfast - always received what we ordered at the beginning of the time slot selected. Although hot drinks tended to be warm.

 

Best selections: The souffles, ice cream, avocado with prawn salad, steak, duck, fish, pastries, chocolate buffet. Baked salmon and roasts from Horizon Court. DD loved the mashed potato and jelly! Great range of teas in the Horizon Court drink areas.

 

Not so good selections:

Bacon. (First thing we did in Auckland was to find a cafe serving decent bacon for breakfast!)

Coffee. I have to disagree with other posters and say the freshly brewed coffee in the Lobby Bar on level 5 was so strong it would keep you awake for a week. Even at half strength it was not that palatable. However the specialty coffees were passable. I actually stuck to the buffet coffee for breakfast.

 

Next up ... Entertainment

 

 

Moira

(Sad that I'm not still on the Diamond but planning the next cruise helps)

[OldJerseycruiser]

So looking forward to the rest of your review, as we are on the Diamond next month and it's nice to see a recent review.

 

I noticed on the Au/NZ forum that you were going on a tour in Hobart with devilmania tours, can you give me any info about this tour, please?

 

Keep up the good work!

[Topaz_M]

Hi OJC,

 

The tour was very good. The operator is a typical Taswegian, quite laid back so we felt like we needed to keep her on the itinerary. However, she did know where we were going and when we needed to be there.

We were able to stop for photo opportunities when required and visited a handmade chocolate factory - with free samples - on the way. We also stopped in to see a few landmarks. The scenery was magnificent for the whole trip.

The visit to the historical site of Port Arthur was very interesting & also finding out about the convict life - such a beautiful place to live such a meagre existence.

It was quite sad standing outside the ill-fated cafe where the worst massacre in Aus took place in April 1996, a poignant moment.

 

There is plenty to see at the site and we also took the cruise around the Isle of the Dead.

 

The operator (Sharlene) is quite happy to put together any itinerary around Hobart.

 

Hope that helps,

Moira

[carefree retiree]

Thanks for the review, Moira. I'm leaving TONIGHT to start a pre-cruise tour before boarding the Diamond on 1/29. I've run out of time to book independent tours (except for Taurange) and would like to know what else you did while in port. It sounds like some of the towns are very walkable with attractions to see close by. Thanks for a prompt response as I'm counting down the minutes. If you'd like to e mail me, I'm at rayandaurie@yahoo.com for the next 5 hours.

[OldJerseycruiser]

Thanks for the reply Moira.

[Topaz_M]

Thanks for the review, Moira. I'm leaving TONIGHT to start a pre-cruise tour before boarding the Diamond on 1/29. I've run out of time to book independent tours (except for Taurange) and would like to know what else you did while in port. It sounds like some of the towns are very walkable with attractions to see close by. Thanks for a prompt response as I'm counting down the minutes. If you'd like to e mail me, I'm at rayandaurie@yahoo.com for the next 5 hours.

 

Have sent you email but may be a little late :confused:

 

I can use what I wrote when I add to the review on ports of call :)

 

Have a wonderful trip,

Moira

[S&D]

Thanks Moira,

 

well, we may actually get to cruise WITH you one day, instead of hopping on - as you are hopping off!!!..LOL..

 

Glad your trip was good, lots of great info in your post..thanks!:)

 

Which bands were in which venues?..I know there are usually 2 rotating in Wheelhouse... with another down in Fusion, and another in Explorer's.

 

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip....

 

S&D

[wildweston]

That's great Moira that just you and your daughter went on a cruise. I was thinking later in the year for just my son (15) and I but just not sure about it (can't always get friends to go).Anyway just wanted to say I thought it was great that the two of you had a great cruise.

[Stuartm]

Hi Moira,

 

It is sad to think that you were excited that when I arrived in Sydney on the Diamond you were going to board for your cruise and now both our cruises are over.

 

I enjoyed the first installment of your review. I posted a less detailed review on the Princess boards. I've attached the link if you'd like to read it.

 

We had a ball, loved the Diamond and I'm hooked. If it weren't for family commitments I'd book the Xmas cruise from Auckland for the end of the year...but can't happen this year.

 

Oh well, not sure where or when the next cruise will be...but it is fun planning.

 

cheers

 

Stu

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=908217

[Topaz_M]

Thanks for your kind comments S&D, wildweston, StuartM.

 

Wildweston, I find it helps to be flexible when travelling with my daughter. So if she wants to spend time with me or go off with her frinds at a moments notice, then I go with the flow and just get her to check in regularly or leave me a note in the cabin.

 

StuartM - read your review and enjoyed it. I'm already planning my next definite trip (UK for Christmas 2009 for time with my family and to celebrate my sister's 50th). At present I'd love to sneak in a Caribbean cruise on that trip and do what you did and just enjoy the ship, not too much 'exploring' which is the norm for me.

 

Happy travelling,

Moira

[Topaz_M]

Entertainment

 

Shows - The singing and dancing in the Princess Theatre in the evenings was very good entertainment. Female Seamus Early had a couple of shows and we attended the second one. The fact that the theatre was only half full said it all. We persevered only because we wanted to see the Crew Variety show. However they were sneaky and included a bingo game before the show which meant the theatre was overflowing well before the show started. The crew show was excellent and well received by all that attended.

Pop Princess - went to the final. Okay if you like karaoke. The voting system could be easily rigged as it was one vote per table.

 

Tip: To make sure you get seats for a show - be there 15 minutes early. The time lengthens as the cruise goes on. I took a book and read out the wait if there was no-one to converse with.

 

Magician/comedian Bernard Reid - found his show in the Explorers Lounge entertaining but felt sorry for his 'victims'.

Newlywed - not so Newlywed marriage game - three couples chosen. Very funny as usual and for once did not have to explain anything to my daughter!

Cocktail making - fun and interesting.

Strings in the Atrium area - there was always one person with out of tune strings!

 

Other entertainers - found the music was directed towards the American taste and anyone over the age of 65! The age group on this cruise appeared to be younger and was evident by the ease with which one could get an empty lift.

 

I've looked throught the Princess Patters and found the following (S&D):

Equinox (downbeat version of Nexus from Sun Princess last year) - good range of music, played in various venues on deck & Club Fusion.

Explorers lounge - Evolution - band, Diamond Princess orchestra, various other guest appearances but didn't recognise their names.

Wheelhouse Bar - Dave Juneau - piano man, Perry Phillips trio, and various others including Andrei Zaharia?

Others - Arny G - piano man in Crooners lounge, DJ Doug, DJ Bass,

 

Sunbaking - checking on the ships log, we had 4 days when the temperature was between 13 to 15C and apart from Sydney the temperature never rose above 20C. Considering we were wearing long pants on these days, we found it most amusing to see the hundreds of people donning their tan accelerator to gain a nice colour. This was happening around all the pools. However there were also the 'sights' of DTs and much too tight bikinis & swimsuits to contend with. There were some nice spots out of the cool breeze between the dividers above the spa pool. I witnessed people saving loungers near the aft pools at ridiculously early hours and then coming back and re-arranging their 'stuff' to make it look as though they were in use. One guy regularly saved four loungers in a row at 7.30am.

 

Childrens Clubs - they split the clubs into four age groups and my daughter went along to Remix the 13-17 year age group. Each group had its own room wih suitable games & equipment and they were very strict on the ages. She attended some events and spent time with another couple of girls she had met through CC. As the cruise went on the events were less attended as the kids made their own friends and fun. It was barely noticeable that there were children on board and we were informed that the 10 - 12s numbered 64 and the 13 - 17s numbered 121. There were also events for the 18 - 20s on a daily basis who of course were not allowed to drink or gamble aboard the Diamond.

 

Library - well stocked and was surprised to find the only Dan Brown book I had not read, so it was quickly claimed & checked out. (Note: $50 cost if you don't return on the last night by 9pm). There were plenty of games & decks of cards to borrow (honour system).

 

Internet cafe - well spaced out for privacy. Preferred to use internet cafes in ports (easy to spot) and much cheaper. The Sun Princess made plenty of money out of me on my last cruise!

 

Lectures - went to the odd Port talk, interesting information but the guy's voice is monotonous.

 

Movies - daily, found I couldn't fit them in or the movie was not to my choice.

 

Embarkation / Disembarkation

 

Embarking - Left our luggage at the hotel but went down to Circular Quay to see Diamond in all her glory and have breakfast. Saw the sad faces of everyone getting off the boat, but we were Smiling (sorry StuartM!). Returned to the OPT with our luggage around 1.25pm and went through the processing. There was hardly a queue at any point and were aboard and in our cabin by 1.45pm!! Time to drop the carry on bags and head up to the buffet for a spot of lunch and photo opportunities.

 

Disembarking - silent system whereby you were allotted a colour/number code depending on where you were going next, and your time and place to get off was printed in the Patter. Only problem, we were allocated Red 1 which was scheduled to disembark at 7.15am. I had breakfast and brought some back to the cabin to entice my daughter out of bed.

So off we went to Club Fusion to find we were 'evicted' immediately at 7.30am!! Actually there was no queue and we went straight off. Very good system apart from the hour. On collecting our luggage we found that most of Red 1 were obviously still on the ship. Oh well, at least we won't have a naughty mark for next time....

 

 

Next up - Ports of Call

[Down-Unders]

Time for the review. I shall do this in sections so hopefully the next passengers to sail will have an idea what to expect. My party was myself and daughter 14 years.

 

Cruise M902 - Aus/NZ - 5th to 17th January 2009

 

 

First up - most important - FOOD

 

We gave up our 1st sitting confirmation a few weeks before sailing to experience Anytime Dining. As practically all the sailaways from ports were at 6pm and I wanted to enjoy them all, this was a good decision. We dined in the Horizon Court mostly for breakfast and lunch. We used the Anytime dining rooms - Sante Fe, Pacific Moon and Savoy. In general the food was delicious with plenty of choice. Never had to wait for a table at any time. On a couple of occasions when I dined alone they tried to insist I sat at a table on my own which was not what I wanted. So I asked to be sat at a shared table and there were always people to join me within no more than ten minutes wait. There always seemed to be tables for two available - only once did I see a couple receive a beeper. Also invited to join a lovely couple in the Sterling Steakhouse.

 

Horizon Court - first day choices were poor, food looked dried out but tasted fine. After that the food was available with great variety and choice 24 hours a day. Initially the layout was confusing but it didn't take long to get in the swing of things. Hand sanitiser was provided and we were expected to use it, even on returning for another plate, etc. Cutlery was mostly provided at the tables. Don't forget to use the area way out the back if the place looks full or the tables on the other side if one side is out of use while the food is being restocked for the next meal change. The waiters were more than happy to get drinks - juice or coffee at breakfast - and drink orders including soda or coffee card at any time.

I had cause to make myself peppermint tea at 2.30am one day and found all the on duty officers having their meal break.

Also ran into the cruise director JJ a number of times having his meals there and also the captain.

 

Sante Fe - my favourite for the decor which looks different when you sit at various tables. The wait staff were attentive but it varied day to day even with the same staff. DD tried the chicken fajitas but they weren't to her taste.

 

Savoy - sophisticated but a little dark - wait staff were good with food but a bit lax on taking drink orders.

 

Pacific Moon - decor was a bit boring but the wait staff were the best, attentive and friendly.

 

Sterling Steakhouse - Had the prawns to start which were fairly tasteless but the steak more than made up for it. All four of us had different steaks which were deliciously tender and melted in the mouth. However they do tend to overcook it a little (eg. medium rare was medium), but being so tender you hardly noticed. The service was attentive - maybe a bit overdone. Well worth the extra cost for the experience.

 

Pizzeria - Delicious pizza which you could watch being freshly made from scratch every morning.

Trident Grill - very popular wih the kids.

Outside buffets near the Calypso pool changed daily - sushi and chocolate buffets were great to look at and even better to taste!

Sundaes icecream bar - very similar to Cold Rock $2USD for one/two flavours and two toppings.

 

Room service breakfast - always received what we ordered at the beginning of the time slot selected. Although hot drinks tended to be warm.

 

Best selections: The souffles, ice cream, avocado with prawn salad, steak, duck, fish, pastries, chocolate buffet. Baked salmon and roasts from Horizon Court. DD loved the mashed potato and jelly! Great range of teas in the Horizon Court drink areas.

 

Not so good selections:

Bacon. (First thing we did in Auckland was to find a cafe serving decent bacon for breakfast!)

Coffee. I have to disagree with other posters and say the freshly brewed coffee in the Lobby Bar on level 5 was so strong it would keep you awake for a week. Even at half strength it was not that palatable. However the specialty coffees were passable. I actually stuck to the buffet coffee for breakfast.

 

Next up ... Entertainment

 

 

Moira

(Sad that I'm not still on the Diamond but planning the next cruise helps)

 

 

Excellent review!

[wildweston]

Thanks Moira, yes that's exactly how I would work it with my son,just go with the flow much easier that way. Great review really enjoyed it.

 

Thnak you :)

[S&D]

Thanks Moira, greatly appreciated.... sounds like we will be dancing our little feet off.....LOL.....sounds great!!!

 

Your review is lovely, lots of good info there....

 

Can't wait...10 days til we leave home...

 

S&D

[NSWP]

Great review Moira. I was on the Diamond Princess some 5 years ago, South Pacific and NZ. Good ship, also been on her sister ship Star Princess.

 

Good that the Aussies like the Diamond, I know S&D do !

[Topaz_M]

Ports of Call

 

I had researched the ports quite extensively so had a good idea what I wanted to do before choosing tours / transport etc. It's well worth visiting websites of the attractions especially the Cadbury chocolate factories and markets. They tell you what is offered and on which days they are open and closed. This is necessary when visiting during Christmas or school holiday seasons which are different in the southern hemisphere. :cool:

As well as CC I use virtualtourist.com and wikitravel.org amongst other sites.

Look out for the port of call info in your cabin when boarding or attend the lectures if you have time between ports on sea days.

 

We enjoyed all our port days and the choices we had made. The research was well worth the time invested. :D

 

Sydney - no better place to be on or around the harbour - day or night for the wonderful views and icons. The sailaway at night was absolutely stunning with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House lit up and all the thousands of people from one end of the harbout to the other waving us off.

 

Melbourne - we took the tram into town and used the free circle tram while there. There was a special desk set up at the cruise terminal to buy the day tickets. Unfortunately due to the hoards of tourists in town that day, the free tram was loaded up, many people standing and it wasn't possible to see that much. Disappointing, so wouldn't recommend it when there are so may tourists around.

They are well set up with tourist info - look out for the people wearing red shirts to help you out with maps and information. We visited Flinders St station and Federation Square and went shopping! Afterwards we took the tram to St Kilda and walked down the pier to look for penguins. But all I could see was what they had left behind!!

Then we walked to Ackland St to admire the cake shop windows and enjoy coffee and cake at the Europa Cafe. They were rushed off their feet so there was no time to say hello to lombard18's friends there. We ended up taking a cab back to the pier rather than walking in the cold wind or catching two trams. The taxi rank was easy to spot. There was even a little shop outside the terminal where the tram is caught to stock up on snacks and booze. The guy behind the counter told me he had spent the whole day filling up water bottles with vodka and the empty bottles were there to prove it!

 

Hobart - we had organised a private tour to Port Arthur with Devilmania Tours, with just 6 CC fans on the bus. We stopped off at a few beautiful spots like the Tasman Arch, Devil's Kitchen and Tessellated pavement. There were also a couple of surprise stops and a short visit to sample some handmade Federation chocolates. At Port Arthur we walked right round the historical site and took the cruise around the Isle of The Dead which was very informative. There is so much to see there and it felt rushed in the time we had. However we crammed in as much as we could! The scenery for the whole day was beautiful and the driver kept to the suggested itinerary but was open to changing it to suit our needs.

 

Fiordland - just make sure you are on deck ;) 7am to 5pm with Celebrity Millennium following us around. The fjords were awesome and the weather was almost perfect.

 

Dunedin - It's possible to take the shuttle bus into town $5USD or $7.50NZD. Lots of things to see including the Cadbury Chocolate factory - apparently very cheap choc to our o/seas friends. We took the Princess tour which took in the Cadbury factory, the station and all the sights of Dunedin. Despite what is said about the tours being expensive, it is a very convenient way of getting around without having to think about transport, maps, fares and whether you will make the tour times at the attractions or not! We spent over 90 minutes at Cadbury (very enjoyable, interesting and lots of samples) and when that tour was running late, the driver (also city guide) rearranged the tour to make sure we covered everything and let those off in the middle of town who wished to stay. So we ended up with an extra 75 minutes - excellent service we received.

 

Christchurch - A bit further from the port - again can take the shuttle bus into town - same price as above. We took the tour of Christchurch Attractions - firstly Willowbank Wildlife Reserve to see local fauna, flora and kiwi exhibit.The Kea parrots were quite tame and ate out of a spoon. It's well laid out and very pretty. Then off to the International Antarctic Centre to see penguins, weather a storm at minus 40C and generally experience life in the Antarctic. Once again very entertaining, interesting and informative exhibits. The tour also included a drive past all the major sights in town with commentary.

 

Tauranga - The ship docks at Mt Maunganui. The port itself / Tauranga is very pretty. Possible to walk around the mountain or visit the beach on the other side of the peninsula to the dock - apparently much nicer. Tried to organise a private tour with Mount Classic Tours but they were unable to contact other parties to confirm the tour and offered me another one. However it wasn't what I preferred to visit whilst in this port. They were generally very quick to repond to emails and phoned when they could.

So we took the initially booked Princess tour to Rotorua for the thermal wonderland, Rainbow Springs and Gondola Ride with lunch and Maori cultural display. Rainbow Springs had displays of rainbow trout in their various development stages, parrots etc and a kiwi exhibit. The kiwis here were easier to see and were more active. The view from the top of the Gondola Ride was stunning over Lake Rotorua and the buffet lunch provided put the Horizon Court to shame - very nice. The luge and other rides are also accessed at this spot but not possible to take them in when on the tour due to timing. The last stop was the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland - This geothermal sightseeing attraction is outside of Rotorua and allows visitors to view a wide range of stunning natural features including geysers, mud pools, mineral terraces, hot and cold pools plus steaming volcanic lakes. There were no geysers on our visit and you need to take water with you on the self-guided walk to quench your thirst in this very dry, hot area and to get welcome relief from the sulphur smell which is at it's most pungent. Some truly amazing sights here. A must do.

 

Auckland - easy to walk around from your hotel. Take the free bus - City Circle route to get from one end of town to the other. There is lots of building going on so bus routes are detoured in a number of spots. We took the Fullers 1.5 hour harbour cruise ($33 adult, $16.50 child) - very informative, great scenery plus a free trip on the ferry afterwards to Devonport - lovely spot across the harbour to wander the quaint stores and enjoy lunch, ice cream etc. There is a cheaper version $20 pp for the Harbour cruise, but after being on the Diamond, who would want to cruise the harbour in the vessel offered? Also visited the Sky Tower and watched a number of people making the Sky Jump - both from the main deck and on the ground. Great views. We really took it fairly easy on our few days in Auckland so we were nice and relaxed and happy to return home. Stayed at the Copthorne Harbour City which was very convenient to the cruise terminal. We found a great supermarket - Food Town - about 10-15 minutes walk east along the quay (away from the Viaduct, past the station). They were advertising that alcohol could only be bought between 6am to 1am so it might be a 24 hour shop.

 

While in NZ look for any i-site offices which are the local tourist information office. There are also various airport shuttles which can be booked at the i-site or through the hotel.

[Ela 2]

Hi Moira,

Great review. We are off to NZ on Saturday. At the Cadbury factory in Dunedin, did you tour the working part of the factory? You mention that you enjoyed the tour. Would you recommend a visit? :):)

Evon.

[Topaz_M]

Hi Moira,

Great review. We are off to NZ on Saturday. At the Cadbury factory in Dunedin, did you tour the working part of the factory? You mention that you enjoyed the tour. Would you recommend a visit? :):)

Evon.

 

Hi Evon,

 

Yes we toured the working part of the factory, takes about 45 - 60 minutes. It's very interesting for anyone who has not been inside a production line plant. You can smell the chocolate - CDM - all the way round - delicious. And there is a special moment right at the top of the tower (but won't spoil the surprise). There are a number of steps to negotiate and you get to wear very sexy hairnets ;)

Suggest you leave any valuables in the safe in your cabin as all bags etc. get locked up as they are not allowed on the tour.

 

In the shop there are many different brands of chocolate, some which cannot be bought in Oz and quite a few which apparently cannot be found o/seas.

 

A great visit for any chocolate lover - young or old. I would recommend it.

 

The samples are great.

 

Note from the website: http://www.cadburyworld.co.nz/cadburyworld/visit.html

 

<< Shortened Tours (Saturdays, Sundays, Public Holiday weekends) >>

 

Moira

[Ela 2]

Thanks Moira. I had checked out the Cadbury website and thought the tour sounded great. I noticed that there is a shortened tour on weekends and public holidays, and that some of the cruises over the Christmas/New Year period visited on public hols. People who went to the factory on those days weren't too impressed. :):)

Evon.

[rkmw]

hi evon, i'm going to NZ in 3 weeks time & i booked the caburys tour, princess charge $59 how much does p&o charge

 

rkmw

[Ela 2]

hi evon, i'm going to NZ in 3 weeks time & i booked the caburys tour, princess charge $59 how much does p&o charge

 

rkmw

Hi rmkw,

AUD$59 per person. We have hired a vehicle for the day and are going to Cadbury's under our own steam. Entry is NZ$16 (AUD$12.70) for seniors and a couple of dollars more for younger people. We are also going to the Royal Albatross Centre/Fort Taiaroa as well as sightseeing in Dunedin. :):)

Evon.

[sheeps daughter]

I live in Dunedin and you can do the Cadbury Tour for NZ $18 if you book it with them directly at http://www.cadburyworld.co.nz

it is about a 5 minute walk from the Octagon which is the centre of town(any dunedinite can direct you!). The Speights Brewery is also a good tour about 10 minutes walk from cadbury and about the same price.

[Ela 2]

I live in Dunedin and you can do the Cadbury Tour for NZ $18 if you book it with them directly at www.cadburyworld.co.nz

it is about a 5 minute walk from the Octagon which is the centre of town(any dunedinite can direct you!). The Speights Brewery is also a good tour about 10 minutes walk from cadbury and about the same price.

Don't know if I should tell the fellas about the Brewery tour. :D:D:D I have booked the Cadbury factory tour for our group.

Evon.

[kaseyoz]

We did the shortened cadbury tour on our sapphire cruise. It was Easter. We knew before hand they would only offer us that. We decided to see how we went for time before committing to going. We hired a car and saw all the sights, You can see so much more when driving but you do not get the commentary. We also walked up the steepest street in the world here which took a bit of time, (think it was here anyway...)

 

The short tour was a bit hoohum but enjoyable. We watched a video then a quick tour not through the machinery part though and then the shop.

While it was easter they did not have any specials on their mini eggs(only ones they had). Prices were same as back in sydney.So do not go here to get a bargain.

[Kinkacruiser]

Thanks for sharing your funtimes Moira. I can't help reliving past cruises whenever someone posts theirs. I hope we get to taste the Diamond of the Princess fleet one day too .

Regards,

Anna