How a cruise skeptic was converted after a holiday to New Zealand with Princess Cruises

Before February, when I thought of a cruise holiday images of Hawaiian shirts, daggy group uniforms, garish floating casinos and retirees crossed my mind.

And boy was I wrong.

Cruising is still for everyone, but it’s never catered to the younger, travel savvy demographic as much as it does now.

I was lucky enough to be a guest on a recent Princess Cruises trip around New Zealand and my eyes were opened to the wonderful world of cruising and the concept of having everything you need right at your fingertips.  

The Majestic Princess is beautiful. After being built in Italy in 2017, the elegant royal ship is recognisable by many thanks to the iconic blue livery at the front of the boat, and holds a maximum of 3560 guests and 1346 crew.

‘Would you like to get started on a wine, Kristy?’ The bartender asked me as I wandered up to a bar. I hadn’t even opened my mouth yet and I knew this was going to be for me. 

One of the best part of cruising is the incredible people you meet and go on unforgettable adventures with

Cruising is more than the stereotypes of times gone by, it’s high-tech, personalised and converting a whole new generation of cruising skeptics like I once was.

So how on earth can a bar attendant know who you are without you opening your mouth? And how can your door open without you reaching for a card or key? 

A tiny, wearable waterproof plastic chip that is given to every guest prior to you used for absolutely everything on-board and can personalised into any sort of style you fancy, whether you’re a bogan like me or a glam star like Below Deck alum Hannah Ferrier.

This little chip is genuinely mind-blowing. And it’s just one small part of why a cruise skeptic is now a bona-fide convert after quite the trip on a Princess Cruise Liner.

The magical Princess Medallion Class chip 

Every guest that steps foot on a Princess ship receives a chip (that comes with a lanyard) when boarding that talks to over 7000 sensors connected by 116km of cable. 

You get it when you check in and it comes with a basic lanyard, and can be personalised with a watch band, gold necklace and a myriad of other options

It means you can have:

• Contactless boarding
• Enter your room without a key
• Order food or drink without a phone or credit card anywhere on the ship
• Keep track of when any of your party/kids are 
• Avoid the typically time-consuming safety demonstration by watching it in your suite 
• Get directions clearly
• Check events on-board and be notified when they are
• Complete personalization: Yep! You can snorkel with it, or take it to formal dinner 

Some of the ways you can personalise your Medallion chip – and they are all environmentally safe, too

But cruising is not all about life on the open ocean. In fact, some of the best things about this holiday involve anything but – and maybe that’s what us (former) cruise skeptics don’t understand.

We spent a great deal of time exploring the beautiful islands of New Zealand and the Land of the Long White Cloud is where cruising absolutely thrives (though Covid ravaged the industry here more than almost any other country). 

Walking off the ship and meeting New Zealanders, who came across far more friendly than Aussies, was infectious. 

Take the port of Tauranga for example.

After a rain bomb descended on the top of the North Island, waking up to a sunny view of the beautiful Mount Maunganui in all its (rather tiny) glory was truly magical.

Disembarking from Auckland as a rain bomb descended on the top of the North Island, providing a very dramatic backdrop as the ship left

Having breakfast in the shadows of Tauranga’s iconic Mount Maunganui is quite the way to start the day

The Polynesian Day Spa at Rotorua gives you a chance to float in some historic geothermal pools

A stunning 30-minute drive via a private mini-bus (no, you don’t have to organise anything) out to a Te Puke truffle farm was the first shore excursion of this cruise.

But it was no ‘look at us experience’, this is literally being invited into their backyard, sitting on their back patio chatting and (for some of us more than others) patting those brilliant truffle-hunting dogs – and that is exactly what should appeal to travellers of every age.

You can learn how Sam, the veteran truffle dog, sniffs out the dirt gold, and is training his successor, the delightfully naughty Jed, to sniff out the dirt gold. You can even train them yourself! Though Jed seemed more intent on taking the truffle butter out of my hand, and was almost impossible to resist if it didn’t taste so damn good.

This is the region that produces the world’s highest quality kiwifruit and a lot of high-quality truffles, but Maureen and Colin aren’t worried about marketing or standing out – they let their genuine, warm and engaging personalities do the talking.

But since they won’t – I’m here to tell you Maureen’s homemade truffle icecream and the truffle cheese from Te Puke Truffles almost made me feel like a queen. A queen with the most intelligent and adorable dogs at her beck and call.

Sam is a high-performing truffle hunting dog – and decidedly cute, too

You’re treated like a member of the family of Te Puke Truffles, sampling a range of delicious, homemade delights

You won’t find them prolifically posting about their truffiere on social media, though. For them it comes down to sharing who they are and that is one of the very special things I discovered from shore excursions.

They don’t recommend the standard tourist activities – it’s personal, intimate and engaging – and there is usually something for everyone. 

Picton, where the ferry travels between the north and south islands, was something else. A tiny town turns into a fan favourite with a shore excursion.

Princess Charlotte Sound is certainly not like its more-favoured brother out west, but with seals galore and the inherent untouched NZ beauty it’s just brilliant to experience.

You take a 50 minute boat trip through paradise to arrive at utopia before being greeted by abalone farmers Mike and Antonia Radon from Arapawa Blue Pearls. You would’ve had to spend hours combing through the internet figure out how to book this on your own.

Instead, you don’t need to organise a minute. And you get to pat Beth the lamb, eat freshly cooked Pawa (abalone for Aussies), learn how pearls are cultivated and see one of the more stunning jewellery collections you’ll ever see.

They cultivate the ultra-rare (and best, objectively) blue pearls in the world from the almost other-worldly location on that looks like it belongs on the cover of a very expensive travel magazine.

Mike and Antonia Radon from Arapawa Blue Pearls in the stunning Princess Charlotte Sound outside of Picton grow some of the rarest pearls on earth

You can make a new best friend at the pearl farm – Beth the lamb, who will follow you around after a pat (or ten)

Showbiz reporter Melissa Hoyer models some of the stunning jewellry from Arapawa Blue Pearls

You’d expect it to be a very fancy, high-brow. No, you are invited into their home like family – and you feel like it.

For someone who isn’t particularly concerned with pampering and beauty, the chance to go to the stunning and historic springs at Rotorua was very special, and has inspired self-care.

And then there’s the beautiful city of Christchurch, that despite never being there feels like coming home.

It almost makes tears well up in my eyes thinking about their intensely sad recent history. 

The port of Lyttleton, just outside of Christchurch, has a stunning shade of azure blue thanks to the volcanic soils in the region

They own it, and it’s almost like a badge of honour that they’ve been through so much – and continue to live with the after effects of the quake – but retain their humour, friendliness and incredible strength of mind.

Tour operators who had lost their houses in that horrible 2011 earthquake cheerily took us on a double decker bus tour around the absolutely stunning surrounds of Lyttleton and Christchurch.

It was such an intimate way to get to know a city, and despite all the heartache (including pointing out the mosque when 52 people horrifically lost their lives in a gun massacre) it filled you with a real sense of purpose to hear the personal stories and what makes this special place tick. 

That’s the whole point of travelling.

The day spa of any cruise ship is a must for every guest; even if you don’t think you enjoy pampering…it’s on another level. At the spa and sauna area there is even heated ceramic loungers on the side when you’ve had enough of the water 

The Princess team go out of their way to give you a local experience, not a tourist one. All that and I didn’t need to unpack my bag once.

Speaking of not being interested in pampering or beauty, that changed on the high seas. The spa was simply too stunning and tempting for words. 

Still not convinced? There are a few ways you can really see whether you can also make the journey from cruise skeptic to cruise convert.

You can try a small two to three day ‘Seacation’ – which are ridiculously cheap – to make sure it is appealing to you and/or your family.

Researching the right ship and cruise line is also key. While I fell in love with the Majestic Princess, ships have all manner of customisations that appeal to certain demographics.

Obviously there are generally two types of travellers: those that like to plan everything down to the nth degree, and those who want to go with the flow.

The atrium of the Majestic Princess is the beating heart and meeting point of the ship, and is filled with luxurious, stunning details 

Dining on a cruise ship ranges from free buffet to fine dining offerings, such as this timeless French classic – a beef tartare, which tasted as good as it looks

One of the best part of cruising holidays is kicking back on your balcony with a cup of tea or glass of bubbles to watch the sun go down in stunning landscapes

But when you have one port day to visit a city, make the most of it by planning your on-shore excursions, whether organised by Princess or otherwise. It’s awesome visiting five places without unpacking your suitcase.

And it is equally awesome being treated like one of the family when you are essentially travelling alone.

Felt a bit like a bogan Aussie, with butler Albert (otherwise known as Sergio) there to answer questions and organise absolutely anything I felt fully equipped to begin my cruising lifestyle.

You might think cruising and this level of service is the domain of the rich but passion and caring is free and these guys have it in spades – you get turndown twice a day and they wait for you to leave (via chip) to do so.

And not to be boring, but one of the best tips you’ll receive can be a costly one if you aren’t aware: make sure to turn your phone on flight mode when you’re on the open seas to avoid racking up expensive bills for maritime roaming charges.

Are you sold? I sure am. See you on the big blue.