Although our final port on our New Zealand cruise on Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess last December was Dunedin, we weren’t quite done with the country when we sailed out of port that day. No, fortunately we had a full day to enjoy scenic cruising in stunning Fiordland National Park. The park, which was officially created in 1952 (though a large chunk of it was set aside in 1904), covers nearly 5 percent of New Zealand’s area and inhabits the far southwestern quadrant of South Island. Its name and a quick glance at a map give you good hints as to its topography and outstanding features.   Deeply cut by steep fiords (as they spell them here) dominated by tall peaks, this stunning landscape was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986 and attracts adventurers for its renowned longer tracks (hiking trails) and fishing. The Māori say it was formed by a demigod from shapeless rock, while a more scientific and less romantic explanation says glaciers which covered the area 2 million years ago carved its fiords and u-shaped valleys. We found our cruise ship offered a great way to view these features as we sailed in and out of three of the park’s 14 West Coast fiords.

Most of the day we sailed beneath somewhat threatening, moody skies, which actually created some very atmospheric shots of the fiords, mountains and waters.   While the water was quite choppy and the winds brisk when we were on the Tasman Sea just off the coast, once we entered the sounds and were protected by islands and the high, steep cliffs, the sailing was much smoother. I was very much struck by the sharp, nearly vertical descent of the fiord walls into the water and by how close we actually were to the sides of the fiords in some places. Viewing the passing mountains from the top deck of our 18-deck, 217-foot-tall ship gave me a good sense of scale and the size of those peaks.

In the morning we entered Dusky Sound first, sailing south to north, with Resolution Island on our port side most of the way. I made my way up to take in the sights and listen to the narration broadcast on outdoor speakers as I strolled around the uppermost decks. The narration was provided by a local expert guide who provided almost nonstop information about the history, geology, flora and fauna of the region. It was fairly breezy even in the sheltered areas, and I let the ship’s photographer snap a quick photo just before we headed back into the Tasman Sea and I headed back inside and out of the wind. I snapped a few more shots of the small islands which cluster at the mouth of the fiord, their rocky surfaces still hosting an abundance of growth.

I learned the climate is rather dramatic and changeable, boasting more than 200 days of rain each year, which helps explain the lush, temperate, evergreen rainforest that covers the landscape. We could spot some of the famous Pohutukawa trees with their Christmasy-red flowers on the slopes, adding bright splotches of color to the varied shades of green.

A little after lunchtime we entered our second sound, Doubtful, with the skies lightening up somewhat and several waterfalls making their appearance. Although I returned to the upper decks for a little bit, I took advantage of our stateroom verandah and kept up on the narration courtesy of the room’s TV, where the ship’s bow camera channel also carried the guide’s ongoing travelogue.  Here he pointed out areas along the cliffs where earthquakes had jolted loose large rockslides, gouging a path through the vegetation still plainly visible years later.

Our exit from Doubtful Sound and back into the Tasman Sea for a long cruise up the coast before we entered Milford Sound coincided perfectly with a massage I had booked at the Lotus Spa; I figured I wouldn’t miss too much. As it turned out, I was the last booking of the day for my aesthetician, so she stretched out my treatment. I missed the sights sailing up the Sound, but since it was an up-and-back cruise (rather than a loop, as were the other two), I was back at the rail to see the sights, regardless. We had lucked out on this day and not experienced any rain, and now, in the late afternoon, the sun made an effort to break through the clouds.

The most impressive sight was a large waterfall pouring out of one of those glacier-carved, u-shaped valleys, plunging down the wall of the fiord spectacularly. It was visible from quite a ways up the fiord, and one could also hear its roar well before we sailed opposite it. It provided an awe-inspiring final punctuation mark on a remarkable day of scenic cruising this beautiful natural wonder.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor