After an overnight sail from Bay of Islands, we awoke to find ourselves tied up at Princes Wharf in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour. Unlike so many cities where the cruise terminal is located in an industrial harbor at some distance from the city center,

Auckland skyline with Royal Princess right of center, Hilton Auckland to its right, and Sky Tower above

Auckland boasts cruise facilities right in the heart of the city,  making it easy for passengers to walk right off the ship and into a vibrant city scene with lots of great restaurants, shopping and attractions right there.  Another unique feature of the wharf is the Hilton Auckland, which sits right on the wharf (immediately across from our ship’s starboard side) and was designed to appear to be a cruise ship. Porthole-like windows, strong horizontal lines and balconies on each room call to mind the many decks of a ship. In the photo here, taken from the water on the hotel side, it is difficult to distinguish where the hotel ends and the cruise ship begins, rising beyond and above the hotel.

We had a shore excursion (well, really a not shore excursion) booked through Viator in the afternoon, so we planned to just wander and shop in the morning. Although we had arrived during New Zealand’s summer, the temperatures were in the 60s, and rain began falling in earnest just as we began our perambulations. We came prepared, though, and took in the festive decorations around the city buildings near the water and took advantage of awnings as we made our way through the shopping district. After adding to our trove of gifts and souvenirs, we dropped our purchases back on the ship (such convenience!) and then made our way just down a few blocks to the jumping-off point for our excursion.

Explore Group New Zealand offers a host of adventures, but today we would be boarding an America’s Cup sailing yacht for a two-hour exploration of Waitematā Harbour. Our cruise companions, Paul and Julie, had sailed with us several years ago on a Caribbean cruise with Holland America Line, and we had enjoyed a thrilling America’s Cup experience in St. Maarten. When we saw that Explore offered a similar jaunt, we signed up immediately. Thankfully, the rain had stopped, we had a good breeze, and the temperature had climbed to the low 70s. Our group of about 20 was checked in, handed life vests and made its way aboard. The sails were furled at this point, but the mast towered far above our heads.   We learned this boat had been built for an America’s Cup competition, but then the owners ran out of funds and had to sell it off before it had the chance to compete.

Unlike our St. Maarten experience, we would not be racing with another vessel but, rather, sailing alone. There would be opportunities to operate the grinders and take the helm, though, but this time we mostly just enjoyed swift sailing and the sights all around, including some of the volcanic islands nearby. We motored our way out of the tight harbor space, surrounded by lots of beautiful yachts. The Viaduct is just one of dozens and dozens of marinas all around the city, all crowded with vessels of all sizes, giving Auckland its well-deserved nickname, City of Sails.

Once out on the open water, the sails were raised, and we zipped over the water in front of a strong and steady wind which was surprisingly warm. I was pleased and delighted with how far we ventured and how much time we spent on the water. Passengers took turns at the helm, and we enjoyed chatting with the others as we braced ourselves as the boat leaned hard to one side or the other as we raced along. Eventually we had to turn back, and the captain showed his skill as he had to tack to make his way back against the wind. We all kept an eye to the skies, as the clouds which had kindly remained aloof were now piling up darkly and ominously over the city. As we drew closer, we sailed close to a large container vessel, reminding us this is New Zealand’s largest, busiest import port. We got a few final shots of Royal Princess as we sailed past and made it back just ahead of the rain. The first few drops fell as we disembarked, and by the time we’d made it off the dock, a full-blown downpour arrived. Perfect timing!

Thankfully, our next destination was just steps away. The New Zealand Maritime Museum offered not only shelter from the storm but also a fascinating look at the history of this region as it was shaped by the waters surrounding it. We learned we’d only have about an hour to explore before the museum closed for the day, but we were eager to see the exhibits (and stay dry), so we plunged right in. We stayed on the ground floor, so we missed the exhibits upstairs which include fine maritime art and intricate, detailed miniature models of ships. Another trip, perhaps. The galleries below offered life-sized examples of some of the earliest vessels to ply these waters and bring the early peoples to this land from across the Pacific.

It was a very immersive experience, with a soundtrack playing subtly to evoke a sense of time and place. Sounds of waves and wind through palms played as we walked through spaces filled with hand-carved canoes and small outriggers, with lighting replicating sun falling through branches and walls covered in woven fronds. We were able to get up close and see the details: the axe marks in the wood and the pattern of the fibers in the woven sails. Full-sized boats stretched high to the ceilings, too, as we moved further along through the space and advanced through history. Later galleries took us into a recreation of a below-decks steerage compartment of an early 19th-century ship bringing third-class immigrants to New Zealand. We really got a sense of what a difficult journey that was as our feet trod over rough wood through cramped, dark quarters as the sounds of ominously creaking timbers played around us. We traveled forward into the 20th century as we learned how early remote settlements relied on the sea to connect them with the cities and the rest of the world. Our tour ended far too soon, but we certainly learned a lot.

We emerged from the museum to a rather soggy street scene, but our ship lay not far away, ready to take us off to our next port of call.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor