RealNZ | Milford Sound Cruises — Attraction in Fiordland Community

First of all, I have to say they did nothing wrong. However, I still have to share my experience for your reference.

Long story short, we have arrived the pier 10mins before the departure time due to bad weather, some tourist buses stopping in the middle of the road, and finding the parking lots. We checked-in at the RealNZ counter and been told “the boarding has begun”. After a 4 hours drive, we decide to use the restroom, then we ran to the cruise at once.

We arrived the cruise parking lot and saw the entrance was closed. The cruise was parking there and we wave the crews who were untying the rope 10metre away from us. They saw us, then they looked at each other. However, instead of letting us in, they continued to untie the rope and signal the cruise to depart. I took a photo (attached, the cruise and the crews were still there) indicating the time then. It is still 2 minutes before the departure time (1:15pm). ⁠When the staff slowly walk out from the lots and told us “go to the front desk”, I took another photos of the clock at the pier (attached) and it was still yet the departure time. ⁠ No wonder, the front desk is experienced in handling this situation and told us that the gate is closed 5minutes before the departure time. (I would appreciate that if she told us 10minutes earlier when we check in) ⁠After she explained all those terms and conditions, we’ve found that there was next cruise ship 10mins after ours. Which the gate is closed again during her explanation. Instead of helping us to get on that cruise, she decided to spend that 5mins to prove that she did nothing wrong.

And the next cruise is 2hrs later(“You can discuss and come back later” she said). We can do nothing about it and paid for another cruise from other provider.

The earliest we can get (1:45pm) is the counter next to it called “Milford Cruise”. Since we still need to drive another 4hrs back to the Queenstown after the 2hrs cruise trip. We didn’t asked much questions and take out the credit card. The lady from Milford Cruise asked us only one question “You missed the cruise?” (She witnessed what happened at the RealNZ counter) “Yes” we said. Then she offered a discount which we didn’t asked for.

Kindness is a choice. You can choose to explain the terms and conditions or offering help. The RealNZ staff has chosen. Our experience is the least they concern.

We will never choose any service that provided by RealNZ. I suggest you to make your decision wisely. Maybe there is still someone who concerns your...

Booking a premium Milford Sound cruise from Queenstown felt like a splurge-worthy decision—until the experience began for my parents. First, there was the questionnaire about dietary preferences at the time of booking. One would assume this level of detail meant meals would be thoughtfully covered throughout the journey. Spoiler alert: they weren’t.

The transit from Queenstown to Milford Sound offered absolutely nothing—not even a complimentary bottle of water in the coach. For a “premium” package, this lack of basic hospitality was impressive in all the wrong ways.

Then came lunch, the supposed highlight. What we got could barely qualify as a meal: some crackers, cheese, and a portion of fish so tiny that it felt like an amuse-bouche at a wine tasting. It left my parents wondering if there was a second course (there wasn’t).

Adding to the frustration, there was no confirmation about the hotel pickup, leaving us guessing whether we’d even be collected. Either they should have told us that they wouldn’t pick up from the hotel or confirmed that they would be. In the end, we had to drag ourselves to their Real NZ center for clarity—because why not add more hassle to the experience?

Frankly, the only premium part of this experience was the price tag, which was nearly double what other providers charge for a comparable, if not better, experience. I’d strongly recommend avoiding the “premium” label, booking with a different operator, and pre-planning your own meals.

Milford Sound itself may be beautiful, but this trip left me so underwhelmed that I doubt I’d return. What could have been an experience of a lifetime was reduced to a lesson in unmet expectations.

I’d probably give zero stars if I could for the trip that my parents were had been waiting for a long time. I am just writing this so that others don’t end up making the same...

We self drove as it was significantly cheaper than booking a coach or flight so this review specifically relates to the cruise itself. The ship was nice and I felt the picnic lunch was a good value for the money. I was dismayed to find we were the only native English speakers on the entire ship aside from 5ish of the crew. I wish I were exaggerating. There was a French family but other than that it felt like we had stumbled upon a chartered cruise. I had to check my ticket several times to make sure I was on the right one. It took until the ship was well underway for there to be any English announcements at all - and even then it was only a safety one. The constant announcements cycling through mandarin, Korean, and Japanese made it difficult for any meaningful reflection. The crew were completely aloof as well. Both times I grabbed a cup to fill with free coffee or tea someone picked the dispensers up and took them away right in front of me. It was like I was on candid camera or something. The skipper was fantastic and did make a couple announcements about points of interest and wildlife that led to me getting some great shots.

It looked to be the case that all of Real Journeys’ fleet was new and well kept. There was plenty of deck space to get some nice photos.

They denote English only cruises in the booking system and I would highly encourage booking one of those specifically unless you enjoy hearing loud foreign language announcements constantly during your escape to one of the most remote, peaceful places on earth.

Milford Sound itself is striking but if you’ve been on a similar cruise in Alaska it’s not worth an 8-10 hour round trip drive. Flying to/from Milford Sound is probably the best way to go if you...