We are planning a Princess cruise to Australia/NZ at the end of January next year- 12 days and would like any suggestions- it is on the Diamond Princess and we will request a balcony room. Any one who has taken this cruise or knows about it- I would love some insight into where to ask for a room on the ship (which deck?), excursions to do, the weather, etc. We know very little about Australia or NZ but will certainly be researching them before we leave. We are going with three other couples.

Hi Meme5 -

While this forum is a great resource for NZ and OZ, I don't see much about cruises here. You might consider posting your specific cruise related questions on the Cruise Forum.

If you have questions about specific land excurisions, you'll probably find plenty of help right here on this forum. Where exactly will the ship be stopping?

... and how long will the stops be?

Hi Meme,

I know the ship and the itinerary - if you're going to get a balcony that will limit the decks available to Baja, Aloha, Caribe and Lido Decks. After that, it hardly makes any difference which deck because the staterooms are exactly the same - rule of thumb - the higher up you go in decks, the more money you pay.

If anyone has any type of motion sickness, avoid staterooms near the bow.

Excursions - if you can make your own arrangments in advance, you'll probably get a better tour for less money than purchasing it through Princess (plus you're helping the local economy). Cruise lines typically overcharge (in my opinion) for both excursions and pre/post hotels as well.

Neil & Mel -- the ship's only in port for a day, typically from 9AM - 5PM; it starts off in Sydney, sailing at 9PM and the onto Melbourne, Hobart, Milford, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga and ending in Auckland.

Hope this is helpful!

Melodie
Certified Aussie & Kiwi Specialist

Thanks Melodie. They actually dock in Milford Sound?

In that case Meme, you'll probably want to look at booking your own cruise in Milford Sound (I like Mitre Peak cruises)and maybe combining it with some sort of land tour if possible. The drive from Milford to Te Anau is gorgeous with lots of places to stop for pictures and walks.

You might look into the Elm Wildlife tour in Dunedin.

In Hobart, you might just hop off the boat and explore on foot or arrange for a car rental and head to the Huon Valley for the day.

In Christchurch, you might consider the Tranz Alpine train, although I have no idea if you'll have time if you're only there from 9-5.

Hi Melanie,

no, they don't dock in Milford Sound -- that behemouth of a ship could never dock there, they dock elsewhere and bus them in to Milford.

Melodie