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21 Days Cruising Down Under – Westbound Cruise Tour Package
Duration: 21 Days / 20 Nights
Priced From: $8,235 pp Dbl. Occ.
Dates: Jan, Feb
Ship: Diamond Princess 
New Zealand and Australia cruise sets sail for 12 nights aboard the Diamond Princess, port-hopping, fiord viewing, and enjoying on-board activities. This 21-day adventure is the ultimate way to explore the South Pacific! New Zealand and Australia cruise is complemented by our inclusive shore excursions, private charter sightseeing flights in New Zealand, and multiple night land stays at top hotels and resorts in Auckland, Sydney, and Port Douglas. Highlights include geysers, wineries, a sheep farm, a 19th-century Tasmanian convict settlement, an Aboriginal performance, a Sydney Harbour cruise and a cruise to the Great Barrier Reef!
Tour Itinerary
• Indicates day of cruising
Day 1: Auckland agenda
Your New Zealand and Australia cruise is preceded by a visit to Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. Tour begins: The Langham, Auckland. A transfer is included from Auckland Airport to The Langham, Auckland. Explore Auckland, highlighted by Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World; ride the moving walkway in a clear tunnel through the reef fish and shark tanks. Enjoy a welcome reception and dinner this evening.
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Lodging: The Langham, Auckland, New Zealand
Day 2: Vineyards and wineries
Take a ferry to Waiheke Island, hosting vineyards, olive groves, pristine beaches, and art studios. Tour boutique wineries, taste award-winning wines, and view artistic renderings of the picturesque landscape.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Lodging: The Langham, Auckland, New Zealand
• Day 3: Maori moments and setting sail
Head to the Auckland War Memorial Museum to see ancient Maori artifacts, and take in the Maori music and dance performance. Peruse additional collections of Pacific island artifacts, extinct wildlife, and interpretive history exhibits. Board the Diamond Princess for a memorable voyage.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 4: Geysers and sheep
Dock in Tauranga, and take the our private shore excursion to Rotorua. See shooting geysers, mineral springs, and bubbling mud pools on a walking tour through Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve. Visit Longlands Farm, a working dairy farm, and the Agrodome, a working sheep and cattle farm.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 5: Activities at sea
During this day at sea, participate in the ScholarShip@Sea™ enrichment series, get pampered in the luxurious Lotus Spa®, or simply enjoy the four swimming pools and the views.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 6: Christchurch plus Mount Cook private charter flight
Tour the quintessentially English city of Christchurch, where sights include the Gothic Revival Christ Church Cathedral; the Botanic Gardens; and the Bridge of Remembrance. Take our private charter flight to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park in the Southern Alps.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 7: Dunedin & Queenstown
Arrive in Dunedin, known for its rich Scottish heritage. Take a charter flight to Queenstown, set on the shores of Lake Wakatipu at the base of the Remarkables mountain range; explore the town, then return to the ship.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 8: Fiordland National Park
Spend the day cruising Fiordland National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ice-age glaciers carved fiords flanked by steep mountains, making the area impenetrable except by water. There are snow-capped mountains, rivers gushing from ice floes, and plunging waterfalls. View Milford Sound, a highlight on any Australia cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Days 9 & 10: Across the Tasman Sea
Enjoy on-board activities while cruising to Tasmania; shop in the boutiques and art gallery, work out in the fitness center, or relax in the library. There’s a variety of cuisine, from Asian-fusion to Italian and American Southwest. For evening entertainment, take in a Broadway musical, try your luck in the casino, see a first-run film, relax in the piano bar, or go dancing in a nightclub with an ocean view.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner both days
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 11: Tasmania’s charm and infamy
Dock in Hobart, and travel the Tasman Peninsula to the Port Arthur Historic Site, an infamous 19th-century penal colony - gain insight into the harsh convict life, and have lunch. Set sail for the mainland tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 12: Sailing the seas
Your New Zealand / Australia cruise continues to Melbourne. Select among a host of on-board activities while cruising. Learn new skills at a computer class, send messages home in the Internet Café, attend an art auction or go to a wine tasting. Or you may want to test your knowledge in a quiz show, take a yoga class or head to the sports deck.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 13: Magnificent Melbourne
Dock in Melbourne for a city tour, highlighted by the High Victorian architecture of Parliament House; the Gothic Revival architecture of St. Patrick’s Cathedral; and the varied collections of the Melbourne Museum. Have lunch aboard the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant while traveling through the historic streets of the city.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
• Day 14: Coastal Australia cruise
On your final day at sea, take the opportunity to indulge yourself with a spa treatment, a spin of the roulette wheel, a bidding number at the art auction, an interesting class, or a decadent dessert you’ve been denying yourself.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Diamond Princess
Day 15: Disembark and journey to the Coral Sea
Disembark the Diamond Princess in Sydney. Fly to Cairns, and travel to Port Douglas at the edge of the Coral Sea. Learn about Aboriginal life, including the significance of song and dance within the Aboriginal culture, during a performance by the acclaimed Tjapukai Aboriginal Dance Troupe. Arrive at your beachfront, five-star resort for the next three nights - the pools and saltwater lagoons are excellent for swimming!
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort, Port Douglas, Australia
Day 16: Great Barrier Reef, Australia cruise
Take a different kind of Australia cruise to the Great Barrier Reef, the longest coral reef system in the world. Learn about the fragile coral ecosystem from a marine biologist, and observe it first-hand from a glass-bottom boat. Swim or snorkel over the underwater coral gardens.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort, Port Douglas, Australia
Day 17: Meet the residents at the zoo, then enjoy the resort
Visit the Cairns Tropical Zoo for an up-close look at the preservation and conservation of Far North Queensland's tropical residents and exotic species; return to the resort and spend the remainder of the day in the paradise of the Coral Sea.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort, Port Douglas, Australia
Day 18: Fly to sophisticated Sydney
Fly to vibrant, cosmopolitan Sydney, with the remainder of the day free upon your arrival. There is a lot to see and do within walking distance of your city-center hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, Australia
Day 19: Tour Sydney Opera House
A city sightseeing tour highlight today is the famous Sydney Opera House. Take a behind-the-scenes tour of this architectural masterpiece with its billowing sail roof design. You'll also see Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Darling Harbour. Enjoy dinner in sparkling Sydney tonight.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, Australia
Day 20: Sydney your way plus a Sydney Harbour cruise
A day as you please in Sydney might include exploration of the waterfront, historical districts, boutiques, and sights at your own pace. Then tonight, enjoy the farewell reception on a cruise in Sydney Harbour, followed by a waterfront dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, Australia
Day 21: G’day, Mate
New Zealand / Australia cruise ends in Sydney, Australia. A transfer is included from Four Seasons Hotel Sydney to Sydney Airport. Allow a minimum of 2 1/2 hours for flight check-in.
Meals: Breakfast
Save time, money and stress!
For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by our Australia Small Ship Cruise vacation specialist.
Contact: Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252
2/09
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