I chose this cruise for the deal & the opportunity to revisit the South Is & the Fjords which are amazing, the weather was perfect, raining enough for the waterfalls to be running & the weather cleared as the ship entered the Sounds.
Embarkation was a breeze, 1pm & straight onto the ship in 15 mins, disembarkation was a bit slower but easy enough, off the ship by 0830 after a hearty breakfast in the MDR.
The transit across the Tasman Sea & return was smooth, the weather was perfect all the way until Day 8 when the wind & sea swell picked up as the ship headed up the west coast.
Cabin was aft deck 10, comfortable enough for 2, shower room very good, chair in room was dodgy, i probably could have asked for replacement but did not bother. One windy day & the front of the ship is very uncomfortable, need to lie down on bed to avoid vertigo, but overall the weather was great & being at the front was not a problem. The inroom TV provided entertainment on lazy days, plenty of news & sports channels plus some movies. The shower room was good for me. Optional pay TV which i did not use, too expensive.
Take the Shuttle into city, visit Te Papa Museum.
Train ride can be organised from Trip Advisor.
Organise your train trip before cruise