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If you’re very sensitive to sound, then you might want earplugs for the morning when the cruise begins sailing. They need to switch the engines on to get going, and although it’s not super loud, you might wake up if you’re a light sleeper. While we don’t like to give all the surprises away here is a sneak peek. Experience the majesty of Doubtful Sound from water level.
View from Wilmot Pass into Deep Cove
Depending on upgrades, place of departure, and other factors, the cost may creep up from there. Most importantly, however, is the time of day that you will be out to sea. With the Doubtful Sounds day cruise, you will be boating around in the harsh afternoon light. The Milford Sound voyage, however, is over in a couple of hours at the most.
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We received no special treatment, nor were we incentivized to provide a review at all. In other words, this guide is written purely as happy and satisfied customers with a story to share. Doubtful Sound is very remote so there is no cell service or wifi on board the cruise ship. Assume that once you leave Manapouri, you will be pretty much off the grid. 93% of new customers that used Everything New Zealand to provide advice and securely book their NZ activities have let us know they've had a good or excellent experience with us. Hiya, Transfers from Queenstown are not included with this cruise.
Queenstown Lakes
However, in Queenstown and popular South Island tourist destinations like Doubtful Sound, tipping is much more common. Tipping is generally just a part of tourism, so in this case, it’s really up to you if you want to tip or not. They book up months in advance – and I’m not talking just a few months, either. They can book up over 6 months ahead of time, especially during the summer. It isn’t as popular as Milford Sound, mostly because it’s harder to get to.
Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruises
If you are going to go through all the effort of visiting Doubtful Sound, we highly recommend the overnight cruise. You will see a lot of the same sights on either option. However, you do visit a few extra channels on the overnight cruise that you wouldn’t visit on the day cruise. Following dinner, Colin and I walked over to the observation deck where our ship’s nature guide was leading a talk. He shared photos, maps and videos explaining where we had travelled on the fiord, where we were going the next day, the history of the area and, of course, the local wildlife.
About the Cruise Ship
All purchases or bookings made through We Dream of Travel come at no extra cost to the reader. To check availability and book a tour with Real Journeys, click here. The following day, the captain worked extremely hard to go to the places that had the highest expectancy of Fjordland crested penguins. The route the ship takes through the Doubtful Sounds provides a diverse collection of landscapes and scenery. We dipped in and out of a few various channels, learning about the history, climate, geography, and wildlife of the area. You are free to walk pretty much anywhere in the ship within reason.
Embrace the disconnection (or do what we did and download a few shows, podcasts and songs before leaving!). Unlike the road to Milford Sound, you cannot drive your own vehicle all the way to Doubtful Sound. We have a group of 7 which includes 3 couples and we are travelling with our college student child. Would we qualify for the family room with our daughter? Can you please clarify the options for children under 5.
Day Walks
RealNZ cruise ship which ran aground in Fiordland to resume trips - RNZ
RealNZ cruise ship which ran aground in Fiordland to resume trips.
Posted: Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
In fact, it’s so remote that Captain Cook thought it would be impossible to sail here, hence the name “Doubtful Sound.” He actually called it “Doubtful Harbour” starting in 1770. However, whalers and sealers referred to it as “Doubtful Sound,” and by 1998, it was officially named Doubtful Sound/Patea. Doubtful Sound is a huge fiord on the South Island of New Zealand. It’s one of the most tranquil places I’ve ever been, and also one of the most beautiful. Tutoko II offers kayaks, fishing & diving equipment, her own dive compressor and boasts a Heli-pad enabling clients to fly in out out & the boat to positioned anywhere in Fiordland..
Sea Sickness
We have attempted to identify the questions we had when researching a cruise to Doubtful Sound and answer them for you below. For more specific information on options, booking, and our full review, skip ahead. Waking up on the fiord, watching the clouds lift and seeing the reflection of the cliffs on the water felt like a priceless, once in a lifetime experience. And hearing the Sound of Nature when everything else was still is a moment that will stay with me forever. Our captain treated us to two fun experiences on the deck this morning.
I love the fact that this boat has a comfortable, modern interior, but on the outside, it looks very old-fashioned and charming. It really takes you back in time – you’ll feel like an explorer setting out to find Doubtful Sound (or at least I did on my first time here!). Once onboard and the formalities are complete the captain will lead you off on an adventure to explore the fjord.
Voyage across lake Manapouri, over the breathtaking Wilmot Pass and into the heart of Fiordland National Park. If you’re visiting Doubtful Sound, chances are you’re staying in Te Anau. This small town is worth exploring in its own right since there are so many incredible things to do here! To get an idea, check out some of my favorite activities below. There’s free overnight parking in Manapouri on View Street.
Even with my bout of seasickness and the rainy weather on day one, it was one of the highlights of our trip and I would highly recommend it for any New Zealand itinerary. From there, our boat headed back towards the Wilmot Pass and our journey onward to Manapouri. I stayed out on the deck enjoying the best parts of a Doubtful Sound cruise – the views. After yesterday’s grey skies and seasickness, I was so excited to have this peaceful and beautiful time on the water with the sun shining and a light breeze. The waters of the fiord are fascinating and home to an amazing array of sea-life because of a surface layer of dark fresh water that blocks sunlight.
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