
Last updated on February 1st, 2025
Perhaps the activity that got me most excited to visit New Zealand was a cruise on the Milford Sound. Milford Sound is a fiord in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s known for towering Mitre Peak, plus rainforests and waterfalls like Stirling and Bowen falls, which plummet down its sheer sides. I had seen pictures of this magical place for years, and it always looked otherworldly. After digging around the Internet, I found the company that hosts overnight cruises there: RealNZ. It’s only one night, but I wanted to do this to make sure I could see it at both sunset and sunrise because, as most of you know, those are the most magical times for lighting conditions. Once I booked this RealNZ cruise, I basically scheduled the rest of my month in the country around this activity.
Be sure to check out the Walter Peak BBQ if you go to Queenstown as well!
Bus to Milford Sound
One thing I didn’t realize when making these plans was the fact that Milford Sound is several hours from Queenstown, even though they look fairly close on the map. To get there, we booked the transfer option with the cruise, which included a ride on a very comfortable coach with a tour guide. Our tour guide’s name was Peanut, and he was very knowledgeable and entertaining throughout the journey. We made several stops along the way, and it was overall a very comfortable ride to get to the cruise ship.
Milford Sound Overnight Cruise Ship
Once we arrived there, we boarded the Milford Mariner, which is a fairly new boat built specifically for this activity. The Milford Mariner had multiple levels and viewing decks with a comfortable dining room, as well as guest rooms. In appearance, it looks shiny and new on both the outside and inside. I thought this boat and crew did a great job at carrying us around and providing comfortable quarters to enjoy the sights from.
Guest Rooms on the Milford Sound
It was only one night, but it was a comfortable night. Inside the guest rooms were two single beds, a hairdryer, towel, heated towel rack, and small bathroom. Everything was functioning well, and I really appreciated the hot shower after my cold swim in the fjord that I’ll talk about below.
Views of the Milford Sound

The main focus of coming here was simply to enjoy the beautiful atmosphere surrounding us that is the Milford Sound. Therefore, this section doesn’t require a lot of text, just enjoy these photos!
Activities in Milford Sound
As mentioned, the main purpose of this overnight cruise is simply to enjoy the stunning sights but we were offered the chance for a few more activities, which included kayaking, a tender boat ride, and swimming in the Milford Sound itself. I did the tender boat ride and swam in the Milford Sound, which definitely woke me up. It was fun to be on the smaller boats and it gave us a chance to learn more about the area from the boat driver.
Eating on the Milford Sound
While on the ship, we had dinner, afternoon tea, and breakfast. It was not a culinary masterpiece, but everything was fairly enjoyable. They had a variety of options at both breakfast and dinner to choose from, so most people will find something to enjoy. The staff were also friendly and attentive. The main area I would improve is the coffee.
Conclusion
This was a great opportunity to see another great wonder of the world. I’m so happy that I chose the Overnight Milford Sound Cruise with RealNZ instead of the day cruise with another company. This is because we had several opportunities to catch these amazing sights in different lighting conditions and weather conditions and were not restricted to just one viewing opportunity. Everything went according to plan and, in general, exceeded my expectations when it came to this magical place in nature. I never would’ve imagined it could be so beautiful, and I highly recommend that you take one of these cruises yourself!