Gilded Fjord Crossing – Auckland, Picton & Lyttelton

About this cruise

Somewhere around day five the ship stops being transport and starts being home. This 13-night sailing from Sydney on December 5, 2026 visits Bay of Islands, Auckland, Picton, Lyttelton (Christchurch), Dunedin and Fiordland National Park. The first couple of days are at sea, which gives you time to settle in and get to know the ship before the ports begin. The distances are huge, which makes the sea days feel earned, and the ports feel worth it. Most ports give you about 10 hours, so you can do more than just tick off the main sights. As for the ship itself, Royal Princess has 11 restaurants on board, which means you could eat somewhere different nearly every night. By night three you start recognising faces; by night ten you're swapping numbers. That's the magic of a longer sailing. The timing adds to it: swapping cold weather for sunshine and sea air is the whole pitch for a winter cruise. Good route, good ship, good timing. It all lines up.