Real Journeys Doubtful Sound Cruise

I was really looking forward to doing this cruise as this is a very special part of the world and the scenery is supposed to be amazing.  It is also quite a journey to get to the cruise, as we started off with a bus ride from Queenstown, then switched to a ferry boat for 30 minutes, then got back onto a bus for another 30 minutes before we were finally at the embarkation point of the cruise ship. 

As it was the shoulder season, there were only about 50 guests on the cruise ship, so only one part of the dining room was opened.  This also made for a much better experience as the cruise ship isn’t very big to begin with, so it would have become quite crowded if there were more people. 

Once we received the keys to our rooms, we headed down to find them and I was pleasantly surprised at the size and amenities available in our rooms.

There was even a heated towel rack in the room!  The rooms were cozy and the water pressure in the bathrooms was better than expected.  The walls were thin but that was sort of expected since we were on a ship.

After getting our things settled in the room, we headed back up to the dining room where they had an afternoon tea service with some pastries.  Shortly following that, they had a soup service, which I’d never heard of before.  We were given the choice of two different types of soup – one vegetarian and one with pork.  I chose the one with pork and thought it was fantastic.

After having some warm soup, guests were invited out to the water to go kayaking, but as the weather was hovering around a chilly 10 degrees, many of us decided to just stay indoors and spent the afternoon chatting in the dining hall.

Unfortunately, the afternoon consisted of some rain and mostly gloomy weather.  However, the bus driver who drove us in told us that he wished for rain, as that is the only way we will be able to see all the waterfalls in the area.  Apparently, there is a strange phenomenon that happens here.  When it doesn’t rain, the mountains are just bare, but as soon as it rains, hundreds of temporary water falls are created and cascade down the faces of the mountains.

Dinner was buffet style and there was a very large variety of food – better than some high end hotels!  It was an amazing dinner as there was something for everyone.

The sun started to set as we finished dinner and we saw the first blue skies of the day.  It made for a beautiful sun set.

The next morning, we woke up to more blue skies, but still freezing weather.  The staff encouraged us to go up onto the top deck where we all participated in 5 minutes of silence.  They turned off the engines and asked that we just stand quietly to appreciate our surroundings.  It was an amazing moment, as people are so wrapped up with their phones these days, it’s so rare to just stand and appreciate your surroundings like that

The weather changes so quickly out there.  Soon we were back to some gloomier skies, but interestingly enough, this allowed us to spot some very low hanging clouds.

Once the cruise finished, we had to leave the same way we came in – bus, ferry, bus.  It is a long journey to and from Queenstown, but very worthwhile, as it is quite a unique experience.