What‘s Included

What To Expect

Reviews

• Unforgettable experience with breathtaking scenery

  Sonia S,

  Nov 4, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  What an unforgettable experience, the staff were so friendly and were full of information and history of Milford Sounds. The food was plentiful, and there was plenty of room to move around on the ship. The views were absolutely breathtaking it is something you will never forget. We reluctantly went out on the tender boat for a trip, once the ship was anchored. Our guide was a wealth of information. It was certainly worth the trip. You definitely need to have some wet weather gear and warm clothing.

  

  

• Must do overnight cruise.

  Y8269SPpeterw,

  Oct 8, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Highlight of our NZ trip. Great booking process, inc a last minute decision to add a return bus trip (recommended). Driver/guide Gordy was excellent, good level of commentary and kept us well informed. Felt very safe and happy I decided not to drive myself through some tricky conditions(snow!) Enjoyed the cruise and the scenery was unbeatable.Crew were friendly and welcoming. Truly memorable experience.

  

  

  

• A Memorable Experience.

  P6175IAleos,

  May 18, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  4.00

  This overnight cruise is very special and something that you will remember forever. The scenery is spectacular particularly after rainfall when a multitude of waterfalls cascade into the sound. The evening meal is a standard hotel type buffet followed in the morning with a continental and cooked breakfast. The cabins are compact with a very comfortable double bed. The price however, of over NZ$1,200 per couple for an overnight cruise, is hard to justify. The crew are youngish and well-meaning but are in need of proper training to provide the standard of service one expects on an internationally renowned scenic experience. Such training appears to have been neglected by the company. Despite those shortcomings the trip should be on your bucket list - you will find it fascinating.

• Fantastic experience. All...

  anikabatkin,

  Apr 18, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Fantastic experience. All staff very friendly and approachable and guide very knowledgeable. Boat had great facilities and very special to get to spend a night on the fiord.

• Magical experience and the highlight of our South Island experience

  atexine,

  Apr 16, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  This was the biggest splurge of our NZ trip and worth every penny. We used the bus service to and from Queenstown (thank you, Josh), which included a few meal and sightseeing stops to break up the long trip. The ship itself is beautiful and well-appointed. The excursion goes by FAST. You've barely checked in, and then you're off to the waterfalls, then in the water for a boat or kayaking tour, then into the sound itself if you dare jump in. There's barely enough time to dry off before dinner starts, then a nature talk and stargazing before bed and then an early wakeup for breakfast. We were rewarded with an incredibly clear night sky, mild weather, and visits from seals and even dolphins swimming alongside the ship. The only thing I would wish for is more time to simply relax on the ship, as everything sped by so fast with their packed schedule. Note that they even start stripping the beds and changing over the staterooms before you can finish packing up and leaving. Also, in case it's helpful to know, the Mariner does have electrical outlets for charging devices and appliances (the built-in hairdryer was much appreciated after a jump in to the freezing waters of the sound). The bus to and from Queenstown had USB ports as well.

  

  

• Expected more for the price

  cityboy nz,

  Apr 4, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  4.00

  We did the add on coach from Queenstown operated by RealNZ. Left Queenstown at 830am, only had 8 people on our bus which was nice. Driver was awesome, perfect mix of funny, informative and mainly left everyone alone. We had a few toilet breaks, stop for lunch and most importantly photo opportunity stops. Arrived at Milford Sound at 330pm with boarding starting at 345pm. Welcomed aboard and hurdled to the dining area, there were info cards on the tables about the excursions, also a detailed itinerary in Chinese but nothing in English. All we were told was we had 15 minutes before coming back for afternoon tea, pop downstairs to your cabin and unpack, we had a small wheely carry on and a small backpack. Cabin is tiny, zero storage, so pack lightly. 2 PowerPoints down at foot of bed. Ventilation was an issue as there was none. Window at sea level so cannot open and no other air in the cabin - had I known I would have bought a small fan. Anyway was delayed walking back to dining area as Angus was handing out sandwiches right at the top of the stairs, he didn’t know what they were or what was in them, plus he was not stopping people taking several of them as he was left holding an empty platter and still a string of people not receiving anything. Coffee supplied was empty, there were a few cookies and 2 small pieces of cake. Every pot of plunger coffee tasted different from the rest, ranging from too strong to barely any flavor. They had introduced a new chef from Fiji. They mentioned the fancy coffee needed to be purchased at the bar but the 4 occasions I went to buy one I was told nobody knew how to work it and to come back later. The process to get everyone ready for the water activities was chaotic, Angus getting the top tender into the water, playing around, showing off, hit the tender into brackets denting the tender and just laughing about it, he unfortunately turned out being the 2nd tender driver, so i decided to skip that trip. Later before dinner it was canapé time, everyone was lined up for drinks at the bar, one of the beers on tap was out and some of the wines were out as well. Angus again appeared with canapés explaining “something weird on a cracker” he had no idea what anything was, nice guy but inadequately trained for either front of house or deckhand. Awkward dinner table sitting 3 random cabins together, especially for a buffet dinner, why can’t the front sitting area seat cabins as well? Having no more than 2 cabins together makes better sense. I heard that on the carving board we’re lamb and beef and I’m not a rare kind of person so I was going to ask if they could grill mine some more but to my surprise both meats were well overcooked. Others around me in line were asking if there was another roast less cooked as both were clearly well done. Fish was also overcooked but everything else was ok. Dessert was apple crumble or sticky date pudding. Angus again was our server, he reversed 5 sticky dates with 5 apple crumble, eventually got correct desserts, but it was gross, it was crumbly and dry , nobody at the table ate any of it. I asked for a bottle of water for the cabin for overnight Incase I need a drink, bar person had no idea why I’d need anything. Eventually had to buy 2 bottles of sparkling water. Went to enjoy a nice hot shower only to discover no body wash or shampoo in the dispensers. That night in the cabin was horrible, it was like a sauna. No fresh air and full of humidity. Breakfast was gross as well, inedible sausages, overcooked everything else, soggy toast, hard hard butter, no orange juice just some over sweetened apple juice. 730am breakfast is done, the madness started, their nature guide started telling us what is outside each window, it was also pitch black outside. Could not see anything for at least another 30 minutes. The views were incredible but for almost $1k pp the attention to detail was just not there, you cannot just rely on the view to forgive you for clear shortcomings and there were many. Was most excited for this activity on this vacation but it just left me feeling disappointed.

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Exhilarating and informative

  Eva W,

  Jan 17, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  If you are thinking about booking this, then definitely do it. It’s a well organised tour of one of the natural wonders of the world, we got to kayak and swim in the sound, and saw dolphins and seals along the way. The crew are really lovely and Ro was a superb nature guide, offering insights into landscape, wildlife and Māori history and culture from the land. Informative and fun, the living quarters and food were great, and we were basically the only boat on the Fjord.

  

  

  

• Simply amazing and very special.

  Getaway37634000540,

  Jan 6, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We booked the tour as an overnight cruise to spend more time than with usual cruise in the Milford Sound and it was absolutely amazing. The crew was extremely friendly and welcoming, the food was very delicious and the cabins are very nice. The best part though were very very insightful explanations provided with a lot of background information on the rich history and geography of New Zealand. Being Moari herself, our guide provided us with very detailed and authentic information. Thank you! Special were the water activities where we could do kayaking and jumping from the ship into the amazing clear water. Swimming in the Milford Sound! In addition to that, we even got to see two different species of dolphins as well as seals. Thank you for the great tour!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Marvellous Milford

  downhillcyclist,

  Dec 30, 2024

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  The Milford Mariner overnight cruise is an excellent experience. Milford Sound is absolutely stunning. Nice little cabin with ensuite & radiator (bring a small rucksack / overnight bag ). Great dinner & breakfast. Bar on board (card, not cash). Be prepared for wet weather - it poured with rain but that did make the waterfalls even more spectacular. Short trips in tenders or kayaks offered - wet if raining! Wonderful scenery. Unmissable experience.

  

  

  

  

• Amazing experience

  JoachimP428,

  Dec 23, 2024

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Everything about this cruise was just perfect - the breathtaking scenery, the food, the cabin, the crew and the fellow passengers. Went for a Te Anau pickup and our bus driver Luke did a great job and we made a couple of stops along Milford Rd on the way.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
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