New Zealand is a country bound by water, with a coastline of breathtaking diversity ranging from otherworldly fjords to the Auckland city skyline and sprawling white sand beaches. While you could see the highlights by folding yourself into a car for a tiring road trip or joining a fast-paced bus tour, the best way to see the coastline in all its glory is from the ocean, on a cruise. Embarking on a cruising holiday means accessing amenities and comfort not available via other modes of travel, plus you’ll enjoy unique shore excursions and onboard activities that make the journey count as much as the destination.
Celebrity Cruises’ cutting-edge ship Celebrity Edge is currently sailing her second season in Australia and New Zealand, offering passengers the chance to experience its premium onboard facilities while taking in New Zealand’s best in less than a fortnight. Its 12-night New Zealand itinerary circumnavigates the North and South islands, incorporating top destinations like Milford (Piopiotahi), Doubtful (Patea) and Dusky (Tamatea) sounds, Waiheke Island, the Bay of Plenty and Christchurch.
Stay in designer accommodation
The ship moves guests in spacious, stylish surrounds, with features created by celebrity designers Kelly Hoppen and Nate Berkus, architect Tom Wright (of the world-famous Burj Al Arab hotel), and renowned French architecture and design studio Jouin Manku. Edge’s distinctive outward-facing configuration means more than 90 per cent of staterooms have ocean views and balconies. This design also boasts a feature unique to the Edge Stateroom: the Infinite Balcony, a terrace that opens to the outdoors and increases room size by 20 per cent.
Eat and drink with a view
Enhancing the experience, and offering the ideal vantage point to watch New Zealand’s rugged coastline sail by, is the Magic Carpet: a world-first floating platform hovering 13 storeys above the sea, fitted with a full bar and dining options. It joins a whopping 29 bars, restaurants and lounges, including four bespoke restaurants – Normandie, Tuscan, Cosmopolitan and Cyprus – inspired by top Celebrity Cruises destinations, which replace the traditional main dining room. Adventurous eaters can also take a seat in the ship’s specialty restaurants, including an onboard steakhouse, a French-inspired bistro and a rooftop grill, or enjoy a cocktail at bars like the country club-inspired Sunset Bar and the glitzy Martini Bar.
Let time fly with different activities
A slew of entertainment options means days and evenings at sea bring as much excitement as shore excursions. The Theatre packs in four stage areas for performances combining dance, acrobatics, musical theatre and more. For a more intimate experience, guests can head to The Club, which offers evening entertainment in the form of live music, DJs and game shows.
Entertainment and exploration are built into the Celebrity Edge experience, and so too is wellness. The Spa offers a range of treatments, including acupuncture, facials, massages and even IV therapies and nutrient injections, to keep passengers in peak condition for when they disembark. A hammam, sauna and steam room complement The Spa’s treatments, and guests can work up a sweat at the fitness centre’s Peloton and Technogym machines.
Explore NZ on and off the cruise
The New Zealand landscape comes in stereo as Celebrity Edge sails down the magnificent fjords of the Milford, Dusky and Doubtful sounds, which are fringed by monumental cliffs best seen from the water. The Celebrity experience continues on land with a distinctive selection of shore excursions. Upon arrival in Auckland, guests can be whisked away on a ferry across Waitemata Harbour to Waiheke Island, where they’ll indulge in morning tea overlooking the pearlescent sands of Onetangi Beach and sip local wines at the island’s wineries.
Meanwhile, the best way to experience Tauranga, in the Bay of Plenty region, is by signing up for Celebrity Cruises’ Thermal Lake Jetboat and Hell’s Gate experience, which combines an adrenaline-pumping excursion involving a high-octane jet boat ride around Lake Rotorua with a trip to the geothermal springs and mud baths of Hell’s Gate – and natural and cultural highlight.
During the Christchurch pit stop, it’s worth heading inland on the Town & Country Canterbury Sheep Farm experience. Participants will get to check in with the 1400 sheep that call Manderley Farm home, before seeing first-hand the remnants and rebuilding efforts that followed the earthquakes that struck Christchurch in 2010 and 2011.
Celebrity Cruises and Celebrity Edge offer a holistic New Zealand experience from the sea and land, combining top-tier food, dynamic entertainment, relaxing wellness options and, of course, plenty to see and do on shore.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Celebrity Cruises.
