The Best Way to See Australia and New Zealand

Recently, Anne Campbell of ShipCritic Blog wrote a remarkable post detailing cruises that should be considered even for those who ‘wouldn’t be caught dead on a cruise ship.’  We feel she made some tremendous points in stating that seeing Antarctica or Alaska best should be done by cruising.  Being able to see the vast size of a glacier from afar on the deck of a cruise ship truly gives you the full picture of the amazement of Antarctica.  Much the same, at the railing of a cruise ship, you might best capture breeching whales as you sail the coast of Alaska.

Anne’s words intersected a conversation that we recently had in our office about an upcoming group sailing we have on the 2012 Beyond Group Travel calendar with Oceania Cruises Regatta for Australia and New Zealand.As you look at the 16-day itinerary below, truly think about how you would actually do this much within the same amount of days yet by air/land.  Realize that, by land, you’ll be packing and unpacking for each destination.

---

February 5th – Embark from Auckland, New Zealand at 10:00pm
February 6th - Tauranga, New Zealand from 10:00am to 8:00pm
February 7th - Cruising By White Island/Great Mercury Island
February 8th - Napier, New Zealand from 8:00am to 5:00pm
February 9th - Wellington, New Zealand from 8:00am to 6:00pm
February 10th - Christchurch (Lyttelton), New Zealand from 8:00am to 6:00pm
February 11th - Dunedin, New Zealand from 8:00am to 6:00pm
February 12th - Cruising the Fjords of Milford Sound
February 13th - Cruising the Tasman Sea
February 14th - Cruising the Tasman Sea
February 15th - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia from 8:00am to 6:00pm
February 16th - Cruising the Tasman Sea
February 17th - Geelong, Australia from 8:00am
February 18th - Geelong, Australia to 3:00am
                       Melbourne, Australia from 8:00am to 6:00pm
February 19th - Cruising the Tasman Sea
February 20th – Arrive Sydney, Australia at 8:00am
February 21st - Sydney, Australia

---

Seeing this much of Australia and New Zealand in this amount of time is definitely a challenge by land.  Your travel time involved is excessive, requiring you to have additional days to experience each of these destinations above.  Not to mention, the beauty of White Island/Great Mercury Island, the Fjords of Milford Sound, and the Tasman Sea would all likely be missed.  With this fabulous Oceania Cruises sailing, you can pack once and return to the same accommodations each night.  There’s no change of mattresses to adjust to, learning a new hotel every night or two nights, or discovering a new place to eat in each destination.  You enjoy the plush accommodations of Regatta and delight in the magnificent cuisine, including Toscana, Polo Grill, Terrace Café, Waves and the extraordinary Grand Dining Room, of Oceania Cruises.  Not to mention, you can efficiently use your two weeks of vacation for the year!

For these reasons, we echo Anne’s comments when cruising is a necessity, and experiencing Australia and New Zealand during the same trip is the perfect time for a cruise.  This mode of travel allows you to see bodies of water that are a photographer’s dream, view country sides thought to be creations in movies, and visit landmarks that will fulfill your bucket list.  Even better, you still have additional time at the end of your cruise to see Sydney.  No other hotel arrangements are needed as you can return to Regatta to stay for your last night and continue to explore Sydney further the following day.

Without a doubt, we know you will enjoy this cruise with us!  After all, not only is it an incredible destination, but this cruise sails on the marvelous Oceania Cruises with the finest cuisine at sea and exquisite service.  Come see the splendors of Australia and New Zealand.

Take the hassle out of group travel; call us to plan your next group trip or join ours!