We Spent 14 Days on an Australia and New Zealand Cruise and It Wasn’t What We Expected – Find Out What We Wish We Knew First

From Alaska to Antarctica and the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, we’ve been fortunate to cruise quite a bit. Still, there are several places across the globe that remain on our travel bucket list. To start off 2025, we decided to venture Down Under for our first Australia and New Zealand cruise. After spending 14 days cruising the region, we can honestly say that it wasn’t quite what we expected. Find out why in our latest cruise review.

Our 14-Day Australia and New Zealand Cruise Wasn’t What We Expected

The closest we’ve come to Australia or New Zealand is Hawaii and French Polynesia, so we were thrilled when we were invited to join Holland America’s Westerdam for a 14-day sailing in the region. Since the ship’s itinerary spent most of its time in New Zealand, we decided to extend the trip by a few days in Sydney. We couldn’t come all this way and not explore this iconic city!

With the time differences and extended travel distances, we would be away for a total of three weeks. This would be our longest travel stretch yet; in fact, two weeks would also be our longest cruise to date. Would we survive? Well, we were about to find out!

With lots of luggage in tow, we set off on Sunday evening and arrived in Sydney on Tuesday morning. We had a few tours and activities lined up before we embarked on Westerdam the upcoming Sunday, and we were ready to make the most of it.

Table of Contents:

• Holland America Westerdam
• Australia and New Zealand Ports of Call
• What We Wish We Knew Before Our First Australia and New Zealand Cruise

The Ship – Holland America Westerdam

We’ve cruised with Holland America Line a few times in the past, but mostly on the line’s newer Pinnacle Class vessels. Luckily though, most ships in the fleet have a similar layout and venues. Thus, Westerdam felt familiar to us.

Holland America’s Westerdam launched in 2004. This ship is just over 82K gross tons and carries just over 1900 passengers at double occupancy.

When it comes to dining, guests will recognize some familiar favorites. In addition to the main dining room and Lido Market buffet, the ship features the Pinnacle Grill steakhouse and Canaletto Italian restaurant, both specialty restaurants with recently refreshed menus. Don’t worry, while there isn’t a dedicated spot for the Asian Tamarind, the Pinnacle Grill hosts pop-up dinners during the cruise. Guests can also sample the new Morimoto by Sea menu at a pop-up experience in the same location. Further, the main dining room and buffet feature regional port-to-plate dishes.

While Pinnacle Grill sears up a great steak and we did like the new Canaletto menu, Tamarind is still our personal favorite. Don enjoyed the Asian-infused seafood selections at Morimoto as well.

Aside from food, another cruise staple is entertainment, and Westerdam delivers with plenty of offerings to keep guests busy. There are nightly show on the World Stage, which include performances by the Step One Dance Company and various other headliner acts. Our favorite of the Step One shows is Humanity, but unfortunately they are redundant if you’ve cruised with HAL before. We were hoping to see some new productions on this ship, but that was not the case.

Holland America is also known for its destination-focused enrichment. Eli, the travel director on our sailing, was a wealth of information with his daily port talks and other edutainment-type presentations. These should not be missed.

Other popular spots on the ship include Billboard Onboard and the Rolling Stone Lounge which host live music and various other trivia sessions, game shows, and dance classes throughout the cruise. The Crow’s Nest, perched all the way forward on the top of the ship, offers fantastic views and is home to the resident coffee shop. There are also two pools, the Lido Pool with a retractable roof and the SeaView Pool with great aft views. Not to mention, there’s a casino, spa, fitness center, pickleball court, and plenty of bars with specialty drink menus.

While not the new kid on the block, Holland America’s Westerdam has generally withstood the test of time. Though, some of the decor, and more notably the staterooms, did show signs of the ship’s age. While our verandah cabin did have some newer accents like curtains and pillows, the carpet, balcony, and bathroom did need some TLC. Did we mention, there’s still a shower curtain? Hopefully, the staterooms receive some updates during the ship’s scheduled dry dock in 2026.

The Ports of Call

Our 14-day Australia and New Zealand cruise was a one-way itinerary from Sydney to Auckland. It featured eight ports of call and a day of scenic cruising through Fiordland National Park. Unfortunately though, our four sea days were all clustered at the beginning of the itinerary as we transitted from Australia to New Zealand.

Given this was our first time in the region, we tried to make the most of it by booking a shore excursion in the majority of our ports. Admittedly, we did not spend as much time researching the destinations as we typically do, simply because we didn’t have the time with our travel schedule. So, we booked all our excursions with the cruise line for convenience.

Of course, other options exist and even offer return-to-ship guarantees like Shore Excursions Group.

Sydney, Australia

During our time in Sydney, we stayed at the W Sydney in Darling Harbor. This area was lively and had several restaurants within walking distance, but it was a bit out of the way from Circular Quay. Circular Quay is the main ferry transportation hub and where you’ll find the Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanic Garden, The Rocks, and other notable attractions.

During our five days here, we booked two tours and purchased tickets to an opera.

Day 1 Sydney

On the day of our arrival, we weren’t sure how tired we’d be, so we didn’t plan anything. Surprisingly, the 14-hour time difference didn’t impact us as much as we thought it would…though the 100 degree weather did!

We headed to Circular Quay to get our first glimpse (and plenty of photos) of the Syndey Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge. We attempted to walk some of the nearby Botanic Garden, but it was just too hot. Instead, we hopped on a harbor cruise to get an overview of the area and did a little shopping for some authentic UGG Australia footwear because Don wanted more items in our luggage (haha!).

Day 2 Sydney

For Day 2, we had a full day private tour booked. This tour basically took us around the entire coastal city showcasing some of the touristy and less-touristy areas with several photo stops along the way. From The Rocks, to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, to Finger Wharf, Shark Beach, Vaucluse House, Gap Park in Watson’s Bay, Bondi Beach, Waverley Cemetery, Centennial Park, and more, we covered it all.

If you want to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, a private, customizable tour is a great option.

Day 3 Sydney

For Day 3, we booked a tour to the Blue Mountains. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with us. Nonetheless, we headed out for our full day adventure bright and early in the morning. After about an hour and a half drive, we arrived at Scenic World. Here, we experienced the Scenic Skyway, then took the Scenic Cableway down for a walk through the rainforest. The only thing we saw on these two “scenic” rides was fog! After a brief stroll on the elevated boardwalks scouting flora and fauna, we took the Scenic Railway back up. It’s the steepest passenger railway in the world, and we did it backwards! This was certainly a highlight of our day.

Following the visit to Scenic World, we stopped at a few different lookouts in the National Park in attempt to see something, anything. This included Cahills Lookout and Boars Head Lookout, in addition to the Katoomba Cascades or Three Sisters waterfalls.

After a lunch break (where we discovered chicken parm is a thing is Australia), we stopped at Yellowmundee Regional Park for another scenic lookout before heading to Featherdale Wildlife Park. Here, we had about 75 minutes to see and interact with various indigenous species. We got our first glimpse of koala bears, kangaroos, wallabies, dingoes, enchidnas, blue penguins, tasmanian devils, and more.

Day 4 Sydney

Since we needed to tie up some loose ends before we embarked on the cruise, we spent the morning in our hotel getting some work done. Looking for a half-day outing, several had recommended a visit to the Taronga Zoo. So, we took the ferry ride over from Darling Harbor and spent about three hours meeting all the local residents. Since it was rather hot again today, the animals were not very active. Still, we managed to get some more adorable koala photos, along with meandering through the African savannah, kanagroo country, and seal cove. We also met some gorillas, a sun bear, tigers, and red pandas along the way.

Taking the ferry back to Circular Quay, we headed to The Rocks for dinner. This historic area is popular with tourists and locals alike with outdoor markets, restaurants, pubs, shopping, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. I guess it had to be done eventually, so we settled in to an al fresco table for Don to try a kangaroo burger.

Day 5 Sydney

Why just tour the Sydney Opera House when you can actually attend an opera? And that’s exactly what we did. Prior to our travels, we purchased tickets to a matinee show of Cinderella. We figured if we had to watch an opera at least we could follow along with this storyline.

Since today was some of the best weather we had in Sydney, we decided to take the ferry over to Manly following this performance. Luckily, the ferry systems in Sydney are very user-friendly and easy to navigate. Here, we enjoyed an early dinner at Hugos on Manly Wharf then spent some time strolling Manly Beach.

While the sun was setting on our time in Sydney, the fun wasn’t over just yet. Upon returning to our hotel, we stumbled upon a Lunar New Year celebration ocurring at Darling Harbor complete with water performers and fireworks. Now, this was the perfect ending to our visit!

Melbourne, Australia (Day 3)

After a day at sea traveling from Sydney, our first port of call on our Westerdam cruise was Melbourne. We were docked at Station Pier from 8 AM to 5 PM. The city center was a 15-20 minute ride away and had plenty of highlights to explore, but we booked the River Cruise, Healesville Sanctuary & Wine Tasting excursion.

This 8-hour tour started with an hour-long scenic cruise on the Yarra River. Passing under several ornate bridges like the Princes Bridge, we listened to commentary as we sailed past landmarks like the botantic gardens, cricket stadium, Herring Island, and more. We then reboarded our bus for the nearly 75 minute drive to Fergusson’s in the Yarra Valley for a wine tasting. This portion of the tour felt a bit rushed, but we were provided lunch and got to sample five different wines before heading off once again.

Our final stop of the day was the Healesville Sanctuary where we had just over an hour to explore. Given the weather was quite warm once again, many of the animals were lazing in the shade this afternoon. We did get to see more koalas, echidnas, kangaroos, a platypus, and a sleeping wombat.

Overall, it was a long day with rushed stops. In hindsight, we would have certainly skipped the cruise on the Yarra River to allow more time for the wine tasting and/or sanctuary visit.

Hobart, Tasmania (Day 5)

Following another sea day, we arrived in Hobart, Tasmania for our second and final port in Australia. Once again, we were docked here from 8 AM to 5 PM. Hobart center was a 15-minute walk from the ship, but we decided to give the Australian animal encounters one last try. After all, we STILL had not seen a kangaroo hopping!

After attending the port talk, we decided to switch our excursion to the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary & Historical Richmond. This 4-hour tour started with a visit to Bonorong where we had just over an hour to immerse ourselves in the wildlife. While I could have spent all day watching the kangaroos, our time here didn’t feel rushed like the other encounters. Given the weather was more pleasant today, the animals were FINALLY active. We even got to feed the kangaroos….major bucket list item achieved! Oh, and when in Tasmania, you must see a Tasmanian devil, right?

Next, it was on to historic Richmond where we had just over an hour of free time. So, we did a little shopping, grabbed some candy and coffee at a lolly shop, and took some photos along the way.

Scenic Cruising Fiordland National Park (Day 8)

Departing Tasmania, we had three days at sea before reaching our first port of call in the South Island of New Zealand. The third sea day was spent scenic cruising through Fiordland National Park. Much like Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, this is a full day event complete with commentary, sightseeing, and a presentation in the theater.

The day began bright and early as we were expected to enter Milford Sound around 6:30 AM. Given the weather conditions, the narration started a bit late. So, we ventured out into the fog and rain around 7:15 AM to the outdoor viewing area in front of the gym on Deck 9 forward. We were treated to an abundance of waterfalls that were quite stunning despite the weather. As it started to rain a bit heavier, we tried to scout out other viewing spots but ultimately ended up back inside watching out of our balcony.

At 10 AM, we attended the presentation in the theater and grabbed a coffee before gearing back up for our arrival in Doubtful Sound which had been delayed until around 12:15 PM.

What a difference a few hours can make in terms of the weather. By the time we arrived, it was picture-perfect! Thus, we spent a majority of the time outdoors admiring the views from differenet vantage points around the ship. From the Deck 10 sundeck, to the aft SeaView Pool area, to the bow, every angle was spectacular.

Of note, while the bow on Deck 4 of Westerdam is normally not accessible, it will open duing scenic cruising weather permitting. The outdoor viewing plaforms on Decks 5, 6, and 7 forward were also open to guests.

Exiting Doubtful Sound about an hour later, we grabbed some lunch before entering our third and final sound of the day, Dusky Sound. By this time, it had clouded up again and gotten quite windy, but at least it wasn’t raining. This was the least scenic in our opinion, but we still ventured out to the bow for a bit and watched from our balcony for a while.

Port Chalmers (Dunedin), New Zealand (Day 9)

After eight days on the ship, we reached our first port in New Zealand. Westerdam docked in Port Chalmers, which then required an approximately 30-minute drive into Dunedin. Guests could purchase shuttle tickets if they wished for $35 NZD roundtrip. Today, we were in port from 7 AM until 6 PM.

While we had been waitlisted for a while, we received word the night before that our desired tour, Albatross Cruise & Natures Wonders, had become available. Perfect!

Albeit another gray and overcast day, our tour began with an approximately 75-minute cruise on the Albatross Express. We set off through Otago Harbor towards the historic lighthouse in search of wildlife, mainly albatross which have nesting grounds near this lighthouse. Alas, we didn’t see any.

Next, we docked at Weller’s Rock where we boarded a bus for a short drive to the private Reid family farm. While the first half of this day was a letdown, the second part was a highlight of the trip. Here, we boarded a 6-person Argo for an off-road journey to see fur seals and blue penguins up close and personal. I never imagined that we would get so close to the seals living on the rocks and the penguins’ burrows.

Lyttelton (Christchurch), New Zealand (Day 10)

Our next stop on the South Island was Lyttelton, which offered a complimentary shuttle into town. Alternatively, guests could book a shuttle into Christchurch for $45 NZD. Today, we were in port from 8 AM until 5 PM.

We booked the High Country Explorer by Off Road Vehicle & Jet Boat excursion which was another long tour and not really what we expected. All said and done, it was a lot of driving and not much adventure. We started the day with a 2-hour drive that took us on a brief panoramic tour of Christchurch before heading out to the Springfield Adventure Center.

Here, we were expecting to board similar vehicles as yesterday, but instead it was basically a 4WD bus that took us across sheep and cattle farms to a couple scenic lookout points. It was rather foggy, so we didn’t get to see too much. Following this portion of the tour, we had a less-than-delicious lunch before our jet boat ride. We boarded a famous Hamilton jet boat for an approximately 35-minute ride into the Waimakariri River Gorge. With the wind in our faces, our captain sped off skimming over shallow water with some twists and 360-degree turns along the way.

While the guides were great and the boat ride was fun, we probably wouldn’t book this tour again. It was a long and expensive day with little to show for it.

Picton, New Zealand (Day 11)

Coming off of some long days and shore excursions, we decided to take it easy during our stop in Picton. We did book a short Picton Seaport Walk tour, but in hindsight, it wasn’t necessary. Westerdam was docked 8 AM to 5 PM, and there was a complimentary shuttle into town.

During our barely 1.5-hour walking tour, we strolled the waterfront while the guides provided some narration about the history of the area. We then crossed the coathanger bridge for a short bush walk in Victoria Domain where our guides provided some info on the local flora and fauna as well as New Zealand’s goal to be predator free by 2050.

Since it was such a lovely day, we continued exploring on our own after the tour. We walked past the old Edwin Fox, did some shopping, and grab a toastie for lunch before taking the shuttle back to the ship.

Wellington, New Zealand (Day 12)

Another day, another port. We had now made our way to the North Island of New Zealand. Today, we were docked in Wellington from 7 AM until 4 PM. There was a complimentary shuttle that took cruisers on the 10-minute drive into town. But, we booked another shore excursion. Don was looking forward to our Full Day Lord of the Rings Film Locations & Weta Workshop tour. I do admit that even as a non-Lord of the Rings fan, it was an interesting tour.

This full-day journey took us to several stops in the Wellington region including the Hutt River (River Anduin), Harcourt Park (Gardens of Isengard), Kaitoke Regional Park (Rivendell), and Mount Victoria (Hobbiton Woods). At each stop, we were able to walk the grounds and take photos after our enthusiastic guides gave us some insight into the filming locations and some of the behind-the-scenes magic. It was impressive to contrast photos from the movie scenes with the actual locations, and the guides really brought everything to life.

The tour also included a lookout point on Mount Victoria, a buffet lunch, and a visit to the Weta Workshop. Because we arrived a little late, our time at the Weta Workshop did feel a bit rushed. Nonetheless, we got a brief tour of the facilities and some background into the making of costumes and props for 300+ movies like Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Avatar, District 9, and more. 

While it was a long day, the tour was balanced with no extended drive times between destinations. This is in contrast to the reviews we heard from the other Lord of the Rings tour in Christchurch. So, we’re glad we picked this one!

Napier, New Zealand (Day 13)

Approaching the end of our cruise, we were getting a bit worn out from all of the long-day excursions. So, after attending one of cruise line’s port talks we made the decision to cancel our shore excursion for the day and just walk around town.

We were only docked in Napier from 8 AM until 1 PM, and by coincidence it was the beginning of the Art Deco Festival. Plus, the center of town was less than a mile away and complimentary shuttles were provided.

We spent a few hours strolling the streets admiring the art deco buildings and antique cars on display. Then, we walked along the waterfront, through the gardens, and to the war memorial with its stunnig floral clock. We ended the day with a visit to Starbucks…I know, very authentic! But it had been nearly two weeks since I had my Starbucks drink, and we walked by the building at least three times.

Tauranga (Rotorua), New Zealand (Day 14)

Our final port of call, and final day of the cruise, was a stop in Tauranga. We were docked here from 7 AM until 5:30 PM. Docked at the base of Mount Maunganui, some beaches, hot pools, and waterfront were within walking distnce, but we chose to take an excursion to Rotorua to experience some of the Maori culture.

Our Te Puia Geyser & Maori Arts excursion took us to Te Puia, a Maori arts and crafts institute. Here, we learned a bit about the heritage, skills, and culture of these indigenous people of New Zealand. We saw recreations of a village and meeting house, witnessed a Haka dance and traditional Maori welcome, and toured the arts and crafts institute observing carving and weaving works in progress.

Then, we walked through the geothermal valley, where we saw the Pohutu Geyser, steam vents, and mud pools; and we saw adorable kiwis at the Kiwi Conservation Center (no pictures allowed though). We ended the tour with a delicious, semi-authentic buffet lunch.

What We Wish We Knew Before Our First Australia and New Zealand Cruise

We truly enjoyed our nearly three weeks touring this region of the world, and we would certainly return. However, in retrospect, we may not have been as prepared for our first Australia and New Zealand cruise as we thought we were. Here are a few things we wish we knew during our planning process.

1. There are more choices of ships than we thought.

Granted, as we mentioned previously, we were invited by Holland America to join this cruise, so we didn’t go through our normal ship researching process. Still, when we envisioned a 14-day itinerary visiting so many ports of call, we assumed these would be offered only by lines like Holland America, Princess Cruises, and some luxury lines.

To our surprise, we saw a variety of ships from a variety of cruise lines while in the region. And many of them offer very similar itineraries.

So, while Holland America’s Westerdam (or Noordam) is a solid choice when taking an Australia and New Zealand cruise, it’s not the only one. If you’re looking for that enrichment component, Princess currently has two ships sailing in the region as well. If you want a more family-focused ship, Carnival Splendor offers 9- and 10-night sailings and Royal Caribbean’s Anthem/Ovation of the Seas also visits many of the same ports. Not to mention, Celebrity Edge is one of the newer large ships sailing the region.

In 2026, Norwegian Spirit will offer similiar itineraries too. In fact, there will be 14 different cruise lines in the region next year.

2. There are various itineraries in the region.

Speaking of itineraries, you will want to review all the options carefully. Our itinerary focused heavily on New Zealand with only two Australian ports of call. If you are looking to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, this is not the cruise for you. We didn’t realize this before our sailing either, but the Great Barrier Reef is along the more Northern Australian coast. These itineraries will likely still start in Sydney but will visit ports like Whitsunday Islands, Cairns, Port Douglas, and Brisbane.

If you want to explore more of Southern Australia, pick an itinerary that includes ports like Melbourne, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, and Tasmania.

Further, you should consider extending your stay to explore your embarkation and disembarkation ports as well. You could spend days in just Sydney or Auckland alone. So, pick an itinerary length that will allow for this, keeping your budget and vacation time in mind.

3. As Americans, you need visas to cruise to Australia and New Zealand.

With recent changes in tourism regulations, more and more destinations are starting to require visas to enter. However, as Americans, we aren’t quite used to this just yet. While we did know that we needed visas, applying for them slipped our minds until the last minute. Luckily, the turnaround time is quick, but it will still take you some time. You’ll need to download two separate apps (one for Australia and one for New Zealand) and input all the pertinent information. Once completed, we received our Australian visa almost immediately and our New Zealand visa in about 24 hours.

When budgeting, you should also be aware that each of these visas comes with a fee. The Australian visa is inexpensive at $20 AUD (roughly $13 USD) per person. However, the New Zealand visa is a bit more expensive at $117 NZD (roughly $67 USD) per person.

4. The countries are strict about biosecurity.

Yes, we’ve all heard that we aren’t allowed to bring fruits or vegetables off the ship in ports of call. But, Australia and New Zealand take things one step further. They are really strict about biosecurity and don’t allow you to take ANYTHING off the ship except bottled water. This means no morning coffee and not even a packaged granola bar for a midday snack.

We heard multiple announcements about this restriction every day before heading ashore and were warned that the countries conduct random bag checks and guests could be fined for not adhering. We also needed to complete declarations when entering each country for the first time.

These laws are in place to protect the environments from foreign pests and diseases. New Zealand in particular is serious about this, aiming to be predator free by 2050.

5. Most of the region is cashless.

We are accustomed to getting foreign currency at our local bank before traveling internationally. While we did get Australian dollars, we weren’t able to get New Zealand dollars prior to our departure. However, this didn’t matter much as both countries are primarily cashless. Almost everywhere we went used tap and pay systems. Even the ferry systems in Sydney and many buses used this process. This made things quick and efficient regardless of whether we were using public transit, shopping, or purchasing something at a local cafe.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have some local currency for tips or open-air markets (though even most of these vendors accepted credit cards).

Of note, most of the public toilets in Australia and New Zealand are free; so there’s no need to worry about having coins when going ashore like in Europe.

6. The weather can be quite variable.

The weather and packing for a cruise can be tricky regardless of destination. Even monitoring weather apps before our travels, we STILL didn’t pack appropriately for our Australia and New Zealand cruise. The weather during our time in Australia ended up being significantly warmer than we expected, reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on a few occasions. Yet, the weather in New Zealand was cloudy and overcast most of the time with some wind and rain making it feel cooler than the actual temperatures.

So, be sure to pack layers and a rain coat at the very least.

7. There are two terminals in Sydney.

When walking around Sydney, most will encounter the Overseas Passenger Terminal located at the edge of Circular Quay in The Rocks area. However, this is not the ONLY cruise terminal in Sydney. There’s also the White Bay Cruise Terminal, which is about a 15-minute drive away from the Overseas Passenger Terminal. We actually didn’t realize until requesting our Uber on embarkation day morning that we were departing from the White Bay Cruise Terminal.

While the Overseas Passenger Terminal is in the heart of Sydney directly across from the Opera House, sailing from the White Bay Cruise Terminal has its advantages. Generally, smaller ships depart from this terminal and then sail out under the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Larger ships leaving from the Overseas Passenger Terminal will sail by the Opera House but not under the Bridge.

8. There are no koalas or kangaroos in New Zealand.

We don’t know about you, but we were pretty excited to see koala bears and kangaroos on this cruise. But, we didn’t realize that we would only see them in Australia NOT New Zealand. With only a few Australian ports on our itinerary, we ended up switching around some of our excursions to fit in more animal sightings.

If you are looking to interact with these adorable creatures, we’d recommend Healesville Sanctuary and Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. If you want more time at these locations or want to partake in any for-fee “encounters”, consider hiring a car to go on your own or booking a tour outside the cruise line. Also, keep the weather in mind. The animals will likely be more active in the cooler temperatures, so consider a morning visit.

9. The Tasman Sea can be rough.

If you’re taking an Australia and New Zealand cruise, you’ll be traveling in the Tasman Sea at some point. This sea is known for being rough and unpredictable. Similar (but less intense) to the Drake’s Passage heading to Antarctica, this is where currents from two different oceans meet. The region is also prone to strong winds and tropical cyclones.

So, it’s best to be prepared. If you are prone to motion sickness, be sure to pack the proper aids— whether you take prescription meds, over-the-counter items like Dramamine or Bonine, use Sea-Bands, or other natural ingredients like ginger.

10. Investigate the ship’s laundry situation.

If you plan to spend any time in your pre-cruise or post-cruise destinations, you could be traveling for three weeks or more. And it’s just not realistic to pack that much…even for us! So, we suggest investigating your ship’s laundry situation before setting sail.

Some cruise lines, like Princess Cruises, have self-service laundry rooms which are ideal. Even Carnival Splendor has self-service facilities where you can wash and dry your clothes for a nominal fee. If this option isn’t available, many cruise lines will offer deals on wash-and-dry bags of laundry. For instance, our Holland America ship offered a “fill the bag” service for $25 USD or unlimited laundry for 14 days for $119. If neither of these options are available, it could cost you a pretty penny to pay by the item!

11. Most ports are working ports so you can’t walk off the ship.

Like many ports in Europe, a majority of the ports on our Australia and New Zealand cruise were considered working ports used for the logging industry. Thus, cruise passengers are not allowed to just walk off the ship like you can in most Caribbean or Alaskan ports.

At many of our stops, complimentary shuttles into town were available. Or, in certain instances, you could purchase shuttle tickets. If you are booked on a shore excursion, there’s no need to worry, as you’ll typically depart from right outside the ship.

However, if you plan to book private tours or tours with third party vendors, be sure to inquire about meeting points.

12. Excursions are expensive.

Speaking of excursions, they are expensive in this region! As first-time visitors to Australia and New Zealand, we wanted to see and do as much as possible. This meant that we booked an excursion in almost every port of call, and these tours were often $200-$300 or more per person. So, this can easily add thousands of dollars to your vacation costs as it did for us!

We suggest that you do more research than we did and investigate options from all sources. For instance, Shore Excursions Group offers similar options at prices up to 40% off cruise line prices. They often offer smaller group sizes and private tour options as well. And the best part is that they offer a “return-to-ship” guarantee so you don’t have to worry about missing the ship.

As we’ve now realized, it’s okay to not book an excursion in every port too. Most of these ports are very walkable once taking the shuttle into town. If your cruise line offers them, we suggest you attend the port talks. Eli, our travel guide on Westerdam, did a fantastic job of highlighting what there was to do in each port. He even provided maps and practical information so you could feel confident exploring on your own.

Comments

Have you taken an Australia and New Zealand cruise? What tips or advice do you have for those planning their first visit to the region? Drop us an anchor below to share your experiences cruising Down Under.