What makes New Zealand a winning cruise destination
Two weeks of camaraderie and excellent cuisine are bonuses on a breathtakingly beautiful Auckland to Sydney voyage.
The view from the stern of Seabourn Odyssey is broad, high and deep blue. The foam-flecked waves of the Tasman Sea are all “shake, rattle and roll”, as one passing passenger observes. But I am mesmerised, not only by the savage beauty of this often-treacherous body of water, but the possibility of sighting a “creature”. By my side is Joe Palmieri, the cruise ship’s marine life expert and lecturer, and we talk of his home in British Columbia, and the charms of Vancouver Island, its abundant wildlife and glossy beauty. “Where are the whales?” shouts the next passer-by. “They didn’t get the memo from corporate,” I reply, sotto voce. But then, whoosh, an albatross appears, gliding high and wide in a perfect arc. Joe and I are alone in that perfect, unrepeatable moment. Wow.
This scenario unfolds on the second-last day of a two-week cruise from Auckland to Sydney and many a NZ port between. Some are so filled with food, wine and enjoyment that the generic term “bays of plenty” soon applies, even though that real destination doesn’t figure on the itinerary. It’s a journey full of conviviality and cultural encounters as much as big-ticket sightseeing moments. The shore excursions I take are with small groups, escorted by consistently amusing local guides.
The pristine perfection of the landscapes is gobsmacking. Surely they take away the scenery each night, launder it and fold back into place next morning? Here’s looking at you, Wellington’s rugged Pencarrow coastal trails and Kaikoura, the South Island’s whale-watch hot spot, where the image in our minds of “the land of the long, white cloud” is given true meaning as elongated skeins drift low over the coastal ranges.
As Seabourn Odyssey departs the trickier ports, jolly red pilot boats with names such as Tuakana (brother in Maori) shepherd us with near-fraternal care out to sea. And then, unbelievably, plates of caviar and trimmings appear poolside for the “sail away” party.
In Timaru, the tableaux of early pioneer life, farming and Maori culture at South Canterbury Museum illuminate the history of this South Island settlement. In New Plymouth, the glossy, rippling facade of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery (NZ’s “most courageous”) reflects the Victorian iron lace of the heritage buildings opposite, and the wind-whipped 12.7km coastal walkway yields appropriately bulky and strong civic sculpture facing out to wide panoramas. Everywhere, clever murals stop us in our tracks, street markets with canopied stalls blossom, and the prospect of arguably the world’s best ice cream beckons.
When our shuttle bus back to Seabourn Odyssey is delayed in Dunedin, the guide apologises that it’s probably the driver’s lunch break. There are a few grumbles from fellow passengers until one wag yells, “Did someone say ice cream break!” It’s as if we’ve landed in a corny TV commercial. Bring on the hokey pokey honeycomb cones.
Days at sea are defined by mealtimes and the unnecessary but pleasurable interruptions of morning and afternoon teas, and the extraordinary prospect of 24-hour room service on such a relatively small vessel. An omelette with “griddled sides” or a Swedish pancake with cream cheese delivered at 6am? Sure thing. At this juncture, it must also be admitted that a 4pm tea and tiny cake at The Observation Bar on deck 10, with melodies by “piano entertainer” Thinus, is perfectly acceptable, even for those on a (fake) diet.
Seabourn Odyssey, launched in 2009 and refurbished in 2019, is something of a minnow by cruise ship standards, with just 225 suites. In accommodation terms, you could make a direct comparison with a boutique hotel, where staff remember your name, service is personalised and socialisation encouraged.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Seabourn Square hub, where excursions can be booked, concierge staff consulted, and lounge furniture is comfortably arranged. At its barista bar, espressos, tea (from Singapore’s premium TWG label), pastries, savoury snacks and cups or cones of gelato in flavours as irresistible as lychee and green tea are served up from early ’til late. Paul from Nigeria and Bojan from Siberia are in command most days and it’s a hub of conversation, without any sense of enforced camaraderie.
How to keep shape amid such bounty? Walk the open deck tracks, head to the deck 9 fitness centre, take the stairs instead of lifts and attend seminars on “how to increase your metabolism” or “the healthy benefits of acupuncture” at Seabourn Spa. There’s even “cellulite cupping” and “eastern nutritional consultations”.
I sign up for a multi-day pass that gives access to the sauna, steamroom, showers and a sanctuary that features a semicircle of couches separated by floaty curtains and covered with heated tiles. It’s always pin-drop quiet, waves can be seen swirling beyond on sea days, and the absorbed heat melts away muscle tension, if not kilojoules. On that weight-gain note, let’s segue to the Galley Market Lunch event in The Restaurant, an initiative recently reintroduced as pandemic protocols have settled and one that has been sorely missed by Seabourn regulars, judging by the chatter in the line.
In conga-like fashion, we enter one side of the kitchen via arrays of appetisers, hot dishes and tremendous salads, and exit past desserts (where there’s a holdup in the chocolate division). It’s a chance to meet the brigade de cuisine, and to joke with our favourite crew, seconded from Colonnade on deck 8, which offers buffet breakfasts and lunches and themed dinners, from Thai and Japanese to Italian and Indian. The wry and funny Stella from Greece is stirring up cherries jubilee on the Market Galley pass and Bheki from Zimbabwe is marshalling us to “move it”, making everyone laugh with his easy charm and wide smile. He whispers to me that one of the pastry chefs has crafted a white chocolate model of the Sydney Opera House.
Overall, the cuisine is excellent but The Restaurant feels oddly old-fashioned and a little too formal for a ship with an atmosphere so relaxed that “elegant jeans are now welcome in all dining venues”. But the US passengers seem to love this room’s shiny sophistication.
However, there’s no dispute between nationalities about the excellence of celebrity chef venue The Grill by Thomas Keller. This intimate, low-lit, dinner-only gem has the feel of a New York hotel brasserie of the golden age. There’s no surcharge but it’s by reservation only (book online in advance or as soon as you board). The menu changes a little according to dishes of the day but caesar salad mixed tableside, big steaks and roasted free-range chicken with thyme jus, served for two, are among the staples. Side dishes include cheesy macaroni that’s a meal in itself but, should guests expire from hunger during the night, waiter David and his colleagues provide takeaway cookies in a paper bag. And bartender Joyce is your wing woman if, like me, you don’t drink alcohol. Her “mock” pisco sour is beyond sublime. “Could I have a third?” I ask. “That’ll actually be your fourth!” she laughs.
Can a cruise be educational? Yes indeed, when itinerary-specific guest lecturers are of the calibre of journalist and documentary filmmaker Tiiu Lukk, who gives talks in the well-named Grand Salon on deck 6. Her subjects include the history of Polynesian way-finders who “read sun, winds and birds” to navigate versus the European approach of sextants and compasses, and now GPS and radar. ANU professor and historian David Horner lectures on Wellington, “the city in the middle”, and a range of NZ and Australia topics.
And then there are the usual activities (or semi-battles, in some cases) of trivia, name that tune and Scrabble. Cruise director Robert and assistant cruise director Olivia, both British and highly entertaining, keep it all ticking along. Robert even manages to amuse passengers by gently tweaking the seemingly endless NZ border patrol biosecurity announcements for each port.
I never do get to shuffleboard on deck 8 or show up at the likes of bridge and mahjong “get-togethers” in the Card Room but love the music by The Trio in The Club and the energy and skill of stars in the Grand Salon. Full marks to Kate, Christian, Maggie and Nate, the Seabourn vocalist troupe, especially in a hot-blooded Latin Quarter display that swings and sways from Cuba to Argentina to Mexico. The handsome, pony-tailed Nate, it is widely conceded, has the “best hair on the ship”.
As with all Seabourn cruises, regional guest entertainers are featured. Pop-opera performer Emily Anne Garth, virtuoso violinist Juliette Primrose, award-winning star Chris Powley (known in NZ as “The Voice”) and “comedy magician” Brendan Dooley all score standing ovations. And so, too, does Seabourn Odyssey for a memorable cruise, the making of new friends and, yes, even a bonus extra kilo or two of ballast.
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TRICKS AND TIPS
■ Seabourn Spa treatments are in US dollars and rather expensive but service and quality are excellent, particularly the likes of a Thai herbal poultice massage. Attend the spa introduction event on embarkation day for the chance to win vouchers in a lucky draw and for discounts on
day passes.
■ Accommodation categories aboard Seabourn Odyssey are all “outside”; lowest tariff options have picture windows and others come with furnished verandas. The Seabourn site offers virtual reality tours of all styles, including wheelchair-accessible and connecting configurations. There are walk-in closets and plenty of stowage space. All feature a flat-screen TV loaded with apps, stocked mini-fridges, full ensuites and constantly replenished Molton Brown toiletries, bathrobes and slippers, and floor-level motion-sensor lights that come on at night to save turning on the main or bedside switches.
■ Attend the “block party” event held at least once per cruise in your immediate corridor space to meet your neighbours, hang out with suite attendants (in my case, the flawlessly efficient Noshipo and Letycia) and grab a glass of bubbly from roving waiters.
■ The mood is elegant casual, although it’s fun to dress up when the Seabourn Source app, updated daily, declares it’s formal night.
In the know
Seabourn operates seven ships and rates are inclusive of gratuities and food and beverages (except reserve cellar selections). Two expeditionary vessels, Seabourn Venture (2022) and polar-class Seabourn Pursuit (2023), offer adventure-based itineraries and carry custom-built submarines, Zodiacs, kayaks, and expert guides. The two largest ships in the fleet, Seabourn Ovation and Seabourn Encore, each have 300 suites. A Sail Away Event sale offers up to $US4000 ($6075) in shipboard credits per suite for bookings made by April 5 plus savings on selected voyages. A range of 15-day Australia and New Zealand cruises aboard Seabourn Odyssey will operate between November 23 this year and January 22, 2024.
Susan Kurosawa was a guest of Seabourn.
