Enjoy the advantages of a small-group experience, beginning with a thorough exploration of the Great Barrier Island, a remote destination revered for its natural beauty. An introductory tour of the island’s wild side will set the stage the chartered fishing trip and star-gazing opportunity that follows. Plenty of free time will encourage you to seek out other adventures perfectly suited to your personal preferences. As a contrast, you will spend an exciting day touring the metropolis of Auckland, browsing an unusual museum and strolling through serene Domain Wintergardens.
Note: Due to varying terrain, this program is not suited for guests with difficulty walking or those who utilize a wheelchair or scooter.
DAY 1
Upon arrival at the Auckland Airport, you will be met and transferred to your downtown hotel. The remainder of the day will be at your leisure with meals on your own. Check-in is at 3:00pm. If you have a flight that arrives early in the day, you may wish to book an extra night so that your room is available upon arrival.
Guests are entitled to an airport transfer for this program if:
1. Your flight arrives on Day 1 between 12:00am and 11:59pm (group transfer is included – rooms may not be ready until hotel check-in time noted further below)
2. You book an extra night through the cruise line (private transfer is included on the day you are to check-in for the extra night)
3. The cruise line has received your flight details at least 14 days in advance
4. You have notified the cruise line Reservations Team of any last-minute flight changes at least 12 hours before you arrive. Should flights change without sufficient time to notify our ground operators, a transfer may not be available when you arrive.
Land Program Ground Operator Name: Akorn DMC
Please look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo and /or your name
Should you not be able to locate your driver or meet and greet representative once you arrive and clear any Customs/Immigration and baggage claim areas, please call this local emergency number:
EMERGENCY Phone Number including country code and area code:
SHOULD FLIGHTS CHANGE WITHOUT SUFFICIENT TIME TO NOTIFY US OR OUR GROUND OPERATORS, A TRANSFER MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE WHEN YOU ARRIVE. IN THIS CASE, PLEASE TAKE A TAXI AND KEEP YOUR RECEIPT SHOULD YOU WISH TO MAKE A TRIP DELAY CLAIM WITH YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE PROVIDER.
Drivers and vehicles are not able to wait for an unspecified amount of time as they are on a schedule and last-minute transportation may not be bookable. Unused transfers are non-refundable.
DAY 2
Check out of the hotel, leaving your excess luggage with reception. Be sure to tie the provided ribbon to your luggage, which will be transferred to the cruise ship for your embarkation on Day 4 of the land program.
After meeting your driver/guide in the hotel reception area, you will transfer to the airport for a flight over the island-studded Hauraki Gulf to the Great Barrier Island on the edge of the gulf.
Once you land, the local guide will explain what life is like on the Great Barrier Island, which has a population of just 1200 people. The early settlers were Maoris, whalers and miners seeking gold, silver and copper.
The guide will elaborate on the island’s history and geography while pointing out the differences between the rugged east coast, which is fringed with rugged cliffs and wild surf beaches, and the more sheltered western side with its deep harbours and white sandy beaches.
Following lunch, you will check into the Great Barrier Lodge or a similar hotel, where you will spend the evening. You will be free until dinner to enjoy the hotel and the surrounding area as you please.
Once the sun goes down, you will discover that there isn’t much ambient lighting on the Great Barrier Island, which makes it ideal for star-gazing. In fact, the island is one of the few places in the world that has been granted a Dark Sky Sanctuary status to safeguard its night sky conditions.
During the evening’s Good Heavens star-gazing experience, local dark sky ambassadors will point out the astronomical wonders above. Because the sky is so dark, the stars and constellations will look brighter and closer than ever. The ambassadors will also share Maori legends linked to the night sky.
NOTES:
• Baggage weight is restricted to 20 kg (44 lbs) per passenger on the flight to Great Barrier Island.
• Be sure to pack a small bag for your time at the island. Any excess will be collected when you disembark and stored at your Auckland hotel, where you will be reunited with it on Day 3.
• Star-gazing is weather dependant. If the weather doesn’t permit the experience tonight, another attempt will be made on Day 3.
DAY 3
Following an early breakfast at the lodge, you will enjoy a morning Hooked on Barrier fishing charter. The waters surrounding the Great Barrier Island are teeming with fish such as snapper, kahawai, terakihi, trevally and kingfish. All the fishing gear will be provided, and the crew will offer tips so you can increase your chances of catching fish. Be sure to look for whales and dolphins, which also frequent these waters.
Back at the wharf, the fish that have been caught will be cooked for your dinner at the lodge.
After lunch at the lodge, the afternoon will be at your leisure. You might relax at the lodge, visit the Kaitoke Hot Springs, White Cliffs or head for the beach.
DAY 4
After breakfast at the lodge, you will fly back to Auckland and begin exploring the vibrant city. You will drive along the waterfront, where you may pause for photos of the volcanic island Rangitoto, which lies just offshore, and see the beautiful views from coastal Bastian Point, which overlooks the Waitemata Harbour.
Afterwards, you will drive through Auckland Domain, the city’s oldest park to enjoy free time wandering through the Winter Gardens, which were designed in the early 1900s. The garden’s two Victorian-style greenhouses contain rare and exotic plants. The indigenous ferns growing in a sunken quarry are particularly noteworthy. Lunch will be served at the Winter Garden Pavilion Café.
You will then browse the Auckland War Memorial Museum, which houses an impressive collection of Maori and Pacific artifacts that include a carved meeting house and an impressive 85-foot-long war canoe made from a single log.
Afterwards, you will drive to the pier and embark the cruise ship.
Land Program Details Step by Step
• The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. Program times are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change.
• Itineraries with the up-to-date details will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. You will then receive a final itinerary from our ground operator with a Welcome Letter upon arrival or at your hotel. Please review the letter and your final itinerary carefully for further amendments.
• The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.
• Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered no-shows and their hotel space released.
Extra Nights
• All extra nights booked through the cruise line are confirmed at the hotel that is used on the FIRST NIGHT of your land program
• If you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be met as per the flight details provided and transferred to your hotel. Check-in is 3:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast, as well as activities, are on your own until Day 2 of the program.
• If you have an early-arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night as your room will not be ready for occupation until approximately 3:00pm.
• If you book extra nights on your own, transfers are not included.
DAY 1
Fly into Auckland International Airport
Meet the driver and transfer to your hotel for check-in at approximately 3:00pm.
The remainder of the day will be at your leisure with meals on your own.
Overnight at The Grand by SkyCity or a similar hotel
Meet and Greet and transfers
• Final cruise documents will be emailed 21 days prior to sailing. The local ground agent’s telephone number will be on page 1, if you can’t locate the meet-and-greet representative upon arrival. Be aware that the representative may be assisting others and may not be in sight when you first exit Customs and the luggage claim area.
• Look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo and possibly your name. If in doubt, ask the airport staff to direct you to the meeting area for transfers or to page our representative.
• Meet and Greet and transfers are arranged for guests arriving on Day 1 of a land program or for extra nights booked through the cruise line and are arranged based on the flight details received by guests at least 14 days before sailing. Guests arriving independently before the program start date will not have a transfer included.
• If we have not received your flight details or your flights have changed, and the Destination Services Land Team has not been notified, then a transfer cannot be provided, and guests will be responsible for getting to the land program hotel at their own expense. Please immediately contact our Reservations Department for any flight changes before departure.
DAY 2 - Timings below are subject to change based on flight details
8:45am Check out of your hotel
9:00am Meet your guide/driver in reception and proceed to Auckland’s domestic North
Shore airport
10:00am Board the flight to the Great Barrier Island (flight details TBA and subject to change)
10:30am Arrive at the Great Barrier Island for a tour and lunch
3:00pm Check-in at the Great Barrier Lodge
6:30pm Dinner at the lodge
9:00pm Good Heavens star-gazing (weather-dependent)
Overnight at the Great Barrier Lodge or a similar hotel
Reminder: Pack a small bag for your time at the island. Excess luggage will be stored in Auckland.
DAY 3
6:30am Breakfast at the lodge
8:00am Hooked on Barrier fishing charter
12:30pm Return to the lodge for lunch
2:00pm Afternoon at leisure
6:30pm Dinner at the lodge
9:00pm Good Heavens star-gazing if weather prevented this on Day 1
Overnight at the Great Barrier Lodge or a similar hotel
DAY 4 - Timings below are subject to change based on flight details
7:00am Breakfast at the lodge
7:30am Depart for the airport
9:00am Fly to Auckland (flight details TBA and subject to change)
9:45am Arrive in Auckland
10:15am Drive to Bastian Point
11:30am Drive to the Winter Garden for free time and lunch at the Winter Gardens Pavilion Café
1:00pm Depart for the Auckland War Memorial Museum
1:15pm Visit the museum
3:00pm Depart the museum
3:30pm Arrive at the port and embark the ship
Accessibility
The sites visited on this program are not well-equipped for mobility-impaired guests. Therefore, we do not recommend this tour to those guests with limited mobility or those who rely on a wheelchair.
Luggage
Guests are permitted 7 kg of permitted carry-on baggage and 20 kg/ 44 lbs checked-in baggage.
Excess Luggage will be stored in Auckland so pack accordingly before the flight on Day 1.
Expected Weather
The hottest months are January, February and March. The warmest time of year is generally mid-February, where highs are regularly around 73.3°F (22.9°C) with temperatures rarely dropping below 65.4°F (18.6°C) at night.
What to Bring
Pack accordingly and bring important documents, medications, and valuables with you. Pack lightweight, comfortable clothing that can be layered, a jacket, bathing suit, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and flat, closed-toe walking shoes.
Carriage of Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POC) or CPAP breathing machines on internal flights per airline regulations (subject to change as each airline has their own regulations)
1. Guests must obtain a doctor’s certificate mentioning their medical condition and the need to carry this equipment with them on their flights.
2. The certificate should have attached a picture of the equipment with its description/specifications especially with regards to the type of batteries used (lithium/dry or any other type).
3. These documents need to be sent to the Land Program Team via Reservations at RSSC at least one month prior to travel so that our local operator can begin the notification process with the airline(s).
4. Failure to comply with the above regulations may result in a denial of this equipment at the airport for which neither Regent Seven Seas Cruises nor our local ground operator will be responsible.
Currency
New Zealand dollars. US dollars are generally accepted only in souvenir stores. However, credit cards are widely accepted.
Electricity
Electricity is supplied throughout New Zealand at 230/240 volts, 50 hertz. Most hotels provide 110-volt AC sockets (rated at 20 watts) for electric razors only. Power outlets only accept angled two or three pin Type I plugs (as also used in Australia) depending on whether an earth connection is fitted. Bring a travel adaptor for electric devices.
Documents and Visa Requirements
A passport that is valid at least 6 months after travel is required. Check with your local embassy for any visa requirements for your nationality
Hotels
The Grand by SkyCity
90 Federal Street, Auckland, 1010
Phone: +64 363 6000
Great Barrier Lodge
735 Whangaparapara Road, Great Barrier Island / Aotea 0991, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 429 0488
*We will only source different hotels in unforeseen circumstances. If a similar hotel is required, it will be of equal ratings and standards and guests would be notified in advance of travel. If guests are not notified prior to travel of any changes, then the hotel listed above will be used.
Program includes:
• One night at The Grand by SkyCity in Auckland – Grand Deluxe Room and breakfast
• Two nights at the Great Barrier Lodge – run of house room and breakfast
• Transfers
• 3 lunches (drinks not included)
• 2 dinners with 1 house wine, local beer, or soft drink per person
• Touring and admissions per the itinerary with an English-speaking licensed guide
• Economy-class flights between Auckland and Great Barrier Island – upgrades not available
• Excess luggage storage in Auckland
Please Note: Guests booking their own flights independently of the cruise line are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated departure information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, a departure transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.
Program excludes:
• Any meals not listed above
• Gratuities to drivers and guides
• Hotel incidentals such as mini bar and room service
Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, gravel and natural paths. There may also be a need to climb steps or stairs on occasion. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns are advised to check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation.
All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations. Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change.
Land programs must be purchased no later than 90 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 90 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered no-shows and their hotel space released.
