Good 2 days in Sydney before embarking. Excellent ports of call. Butler and room staff were perfect! Captain and staff were friendly, professional, informative, and reassuring. Restaurants and food, including in-room service, were exciting and well presented. Can't imagine how butler service could be improved. Entertainment was good, not excellent. Staff night was the best. So good to see youth of the world with talent, enthusiasm, and camaraderie. The world is in good hands. The workout facility was very adequate. We met and talked to many people on the pool level. The only disappointing aspect was the shore excursions. Although there is no way to see the country in one week without traveling by ship, the bus rides in each port were exhausting. If I were to offer comments to a friend asking about the Sydney to Auckland trip, I would suggest a private car with another couple and tour guide for most stops. Seeing and hearing about the highlights, walking the streets, meeting the people, eating lunch in restaurants, and visiting shops in the many towns would be far superior to traveling by bus with a few large group stops with orchestrated demonstrations. The day trips are more like looking at a travel log on television than actually visiting a foreign city. If there were no other options to the shore excursions, I would not recommend this trip. Regent has an excellent on board experience but the reason I travel is also to meet and see the world. The current format for shore excursions does not provide this.