Begin your holiday of a lifetime with your flight from London Heathrow to Sydney.

Arrive in Sydney and be transferred from the airport to a 5* hotel for a 3 night stay on a Bed & Breakfast basis.

This centrally located, deluxe five star hotel is in the heart of the city. All of Sydney’s famous landmarks are within walking distance of the hotel including The Sydney Harbour Bridge, the historic Rocks precinct, Sydney Opera House and the beautiful Botanic Gardens.

Enjoy free time at leisure in Sydney.

Enjoy free time at leisure in Sydney.

After breakfast you will be transferred to the port and embark onboard Royal Princess for your 14 Night Full Board cruise to New Zealand.

The Bay of Islands offers more than broad vistas of sea and sky, more than beaches, boating, and fabulous water sports. The Bay is the birthplace of modern New Zealand. Here the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, establishing British rule and granting the native inhabitants equal status. Rich in legend and mystery, the Bay of Islands has age-old ties to the Maori and to whalers, missionaries and New Zealand’s early settlers.

The Bay of Islands has lured explorers for countless centuries. The Maori say that Kupe, the great Polynesian adventurer, came here in the 10th century. Captain Cook anchored offshore in 1769, followed by assorted brigands, traders, colonists and missionaries.

Note: Bay of Islands is an anchorage port. Passengers transfer to shore via ship’s tender.

Straddling a narrow isthmus created by 60 different volcanoes, New Zealand’s former capital boasts scenic beauty, historical interest and a cosmopolitan collection of shops, restaurants, museums, galleries and gardens. Rangitoto, Auckland’s largest and youngest volcano, sits in majestic splendor just offshore. Mt. Eden and One Tree Hill, once home to Maori earthworks, overlook the city. One of New Zealand’s fine wine districts lies to the north of Auckland.

Auckland served as New Zealand’s capital from 1841 until 1865, when the seat of government moved to Wellington.

New Zealand’s natural bounty is always on display at the Bay of Plenty. It was Captain James Cook who in 1769 aptly named this bay after he was able to replenish his ship’s provisions, thanks to the prosperous Maori villages of the region. Tauranga, the chief city, is a bustling port, an agricultural and timber center and a popular seaside resort. Tauranga is also the gateway to Rotorua – a geothermal wonderland that is the heart of Maori culture. A 90-minute drive from Tauranga, Rotorua is New Zealand’s primary tourist attraction.

Your ship docks near the foot of Mt. Maunganui, which rises 761 feet above the bay. Across the harbor, Tauranga offers scenic tidal beaches at Omokoroa and Pahoia. The region boasts fine beaches, big-game fishing, thermal springs and seaside resorts.

Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, sits near the North Island’s southernmost point on the Cook Strait. A compact city, it encompasses a waterfront promenade, sandy beaches, a working harbour and colourful timber houses on surrounding hills. From Lambton Quay, the iconic red Wellington Cable Car heads to the Wellington Botanic Gardens.

Christchurch has a rich history of adventurers who used Christchurch as a gateway for Antarctic explorations. Famed explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton used the port of Lyttelton as a departure point for their expeditions.

Perched on the hills above one of New Zealand’s loveliest harbors, Dunedin is a Kiwi city with a Scottish heart. Hailed as the “Edinburgh of New Zealand,” Dunedin is proud of its heritage. A statue of famed Scottish poet Robert Burns graces downtown, and the presence of New Zealand’s only kilt maker and whisky distillery – as well as many bagpipe bands – keep Dunedin’s ties to Scotland alive. The city also boasts a distinguished architectural and cultural history, a legacy of New Zealand’s 1860s gold rush.

Port Chalmers, gateway to Dunedin, is located eight miles from the city center. Dunedin is a planned city: its streets and suburbs fan out from the city’s octagon.

New Zealand’s largest national park was formed millennia ago by massive glacial flows that carved deep fiords into the coast of New Zealand’s South Island. At the heart of Fiordland National Park lies Milford Sound. Lined by cliffs that soar nearly a mile above its surface, Milford Sound cuts into the heart of the Southern Alps. Rainforest clings to the cliffs and graceful waterfalls plummet into the void. Mile-high Mitre Peak dominates the upper reaches of the sound.

The town of Te Anau in Fiordland National Park is also your gateway to the South Island’s other natural wonders including Lake Wakatipu, the resort of Queenstown and Mt. Cook National Park.

Sydney, Australia. This morning you disembark your ship and be transferred to the airport for your overnight flight back to the UK.

Arrive back into London Heathrow.