--- title: "Bay of Islands Cruise Port" url: https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand/bay-of-islands description: "144 islands of subtropical paradise" --- # Bay of Islands πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ Β· New Zealand Β· Australia & New Zealand > "144 islands of subtropical paradise" ## At a Glance - **Avg. Ships/Day:** 1 - **Avg. Time in Port:** 9.7h - **Visiting Sailings:** 83 - **Cruise Lines:** 7 ## Peak Season Busiest months: Jan (20 sailings), Mar (17 sailings), Feb (15 sailings) ## About Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is a cluster of 144 islands in the subtropical north of New Zealand, scattered across a wide harbour. Ships anchor offshore and tender passengers to either Paihia, a small resort town, or Russell, which was briefly New Zealand's first capital in the 1840s. Russell has a quiet colonial feel with wooden waterfront buildings and the country's oldest surviving church, Christ Church, still carrying musket ball holes from a battle in 1845. The Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the founding document between the British Crown and Māori chiefs was signed, is a short walk from Paihia. Dolphin-watching tours run daily and often encounter bottlenose dolphins in the bay. The Hole in the Rock boat trip goes out to a natural sea arch at the end of Cape Brett. Fishing charters are popular for marlin and kingfish. The towns are small enough to cover on foot, and ferries connect Paihia and Russell every 15 minutes. ## Quick Facts - **Currency:** NZD (New Zealand Dollar) - **Language:** English, Māori - **Timezone:** Pacific/Auckland (UTC+13) - **Tipping:** Not expected; 10% for exceptional service ## Location Coordinates: -35.2587, 174.1266 - [Open in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/cruise+terminal+Bay%20of%20Islands/@-35.25871,174.12662,13z) - [Open in Apple Maps](https://maps.apple.com/?q=cruise%20terminal%20Bay%20of%20Islands&ll=-35.25871,174.12662&z=13) ## Things to Do in Bay of Islands Top-rated shore excursions that fit a typical ~10h port call. Prices are starting prices per person. | Tour | Rating | Duration | Fits Port Day | From | Provider | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Hole in the Rock Cruise & Island Tour - with two island stopovers](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/1f70645e-4f49-4bb8-a3ca-77d44ae54831.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (859) | 4h 30m | βœ“ | €87 | Viator | | [Bay of Islands Cruise & Island Tour - Snorkel, Hike,Swim,Wildlife](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/7fcd751a-fb39-4c1c-b7c7-4bd0a7c8d26b.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (205) | 4h 30m | βœ“ | €87 | Viator | | [Discover the Bay - Hole in the Rock cruise includes Island Lunch](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/7e11ddaa-a765-4e1a-b8f1-d44f95343aed.md?via=markdown) | 4.5β˜… (286) | 4h 30m | βœ“ | €111 | Viator | | [Hole in the Rock Scenic Cruise including Dolphins and Island stop](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/6c0f58db-dc4b-4d8b-a93f-81aa0be354a4.md?via=markdown) | 4.5β˜… (266) | 4h 30m | βœ“ | €93 | Viator | | [Bay of Islands Tall Ship Sailing on R. Tucker Thompson Including BBQ Lunch](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/c07628b5-22c5-4222-9bdd-2fe629c8a140.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (386) | 5h 30m | βœ“ | €106 | Viator | | [Cape Reinga Half-Day Tour Including Scenic Flight](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/bc8df505-5a99-4e05-8cef-a97f08992af6.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (146) | 4h 30m | βœ“ | €288 | Viator | | [Bay of Islands Tall Ship Sundowner Sailing](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/d858a0f2-7ee4-4d18-8865-fa20a2e12675.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (111) | 1h 50m | βœ“ | €57 | Viator | | [Kawiti Glow Worm Cave Tour & Opua Forest Walk](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/bd51b9fe-689c-4429-ae59-08d0ff08955d.md?via=markdown) | 4.6β˜… (142) | 4h | βœ“ | €129 | Viator | | [Full-Day Bay of Islands Tour by Vigilant Yacht Charters](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/e43ae96d-a2f0-4b73-8123-02296b7d66e4.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (231) | 5h 30m | βœ“ | €106 | Viator | | [Bay of Islands Glow Worm Caves & Scenic Shore Excursion](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/a2105cac-cddb-448c-834e-4a8be5cae3db.md?via=markdown) | 4.5β˜… (358) | 5h 30m | βœ“ | €126 | Viator | | [Phantom Sailing Bay of Islands](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/e7d5f979-a194-4919-9a25-d19ea91afdf6.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (183) | 5h 30m | βœ“ | €100 | Viator | | [Bay of Islands Scenic Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/8ac9a0cf-7a25-459a-876f-ae2a5a09a565.md?via=markdown) | 4.8β˜… (65) | 3h 30m | βœ“ | €56 | Viator | Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. ## Nearby Ports - [Auckland](https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand/auckland.md): 100 nm - [Tauranga](https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand/tauranga.md): 175 nm - [New Plymouth](https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand/new-plymouth.md): 228 nm ## Cruise Lines Serving This Port - [Celebrity Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/celebrity-cruises.md) - [Costa Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/costa-cruises.md) - [Holland America Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/holland-america-line.md) - [MSC Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises.md) - [Norwegian Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line.md) - [Princess Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises.md) - [Royal Caribbean](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/royal-caribbean.md) ## Cheapest Available Sailing **[View this cruise β†’](https://cruisello.com/cruises/tasman-tidecall-sydney-to-auckland~CEL-CELEBRITY_EDGE-20290309-10.md)** - **Price:** €966 per person (€1,931 total for 2 guests) - **Cruise Line:** [Celebrity Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/celebrity-cruises.md) - **Ship:** [Celebrity Edge](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/celebrity-cruises/celebrity-edge.md) - **Duration:** 10 nights - **Departure:** 2029-03-09 - **Itinerary:** Tasman Tidecall – Sydney to Auckland ## Featured Cruises from Bay of Islands Prices are per person, two sharing, in the fare's own currency. | Cruise | Ship | Line | Departure | Nights | Price | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Gilded Fjord Crossing – Auckland, Picton & Lyttelton](https://cruisello.com/cruises/gilded-fjord-crossing-auckland-picton-lyttelton~PCL-RP-20261205-13.md) | Royal Princess | Princess Cruises | 2026-12-05 | 13 | €1,057 | | [Wild Fjords & Islands](https://cruisello.com/cruises/wild-fjords-islands~CEL-CELEBRITY_EDGE-20261028-12.md) | Celebrity Edge | Celebrity Cruises | 2026-10-28 | 12 | €1,661 | | [Southern Latitude Crossings – Fiordland & Tauranga](https://cruisello.com/cruises/southern-latitude-crossings-fiordland-tauranga~PCL-AP-20270215-14.md) | Grand Princess | Princess Cruises | 2027-02-15 | 14 | €1,509 | ## Browse Cruises - [All cruises visiting Bay of Islands](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?stopoverPorts=bay_of_islands) (83 sailings) ## Browse - [Australia & New Zealand cruises](https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand.md) - [All Destinations](https://cruisello.com/destinations.md) - [All Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md)