Fiordland National Park

Fiordland National Park is a cruise-through rather than a stop. Ships sail into Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound while passengers watch from the deck. The scale is hard to process: cliff walls rise over 1,200 metres from water level, and waterfalls drop hundreds of metres, sometimes directly onto the ship if you're close enough. Mist hangs in the valleys most mornings, which adds to the atmosphere rather than blocking the views. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Dolphins sometimes swim alongside the ship at the fjord entrance, and fur seals haul out on rocks near the water. Fiordland crested penguins, one of the rarest penguin species, nest in the bush along the shore but are difficult to spot from a moving ship. There's no going ashore here. The experience is entirely from the water, so pick a spot on deck early. Binoculars help.