Catamaran nature cruise review
My verdict: the cheapest way onto the fiord, and it does not feel like the cheapest way onto the fiord. A modern catamaran with large windows, big outdoor decks, HD cameras feeding the outside view onto indoor screens, and the terminal car park fee bundled into the fare, which no other cruise here does. It is also the shortest cruise on the site at 105 minutes. That is the trade, and at 4.7 from 1,091 reviews most people take it happily. Cruise only, so you still have to get yourself to Milford.
What the fare actually covers
Start with the car park, because it is the part people miss. Parking at the terminal is NZD 10 an hour before 3pm. A 105-minute cruise plus the 20-minute check-in plus the walk from the car is comfortably over two hours in that car park, so the included fee is not a token. It is the difference between the headline price and the real one, which is the whole argument of what a Milford Sound cruise costs.
The meeting point is the counter on the right-hand side of the terminal, and the operator asks you to allow five hours from Queenstown and three from Te Anau to get there. Take that seriously. It is not padding — it is the Homer Tunnel lights, the photo stops you will want to make anyway, and the fact that there is no fuel between Te Anau and Milford Sound.
On board, the thing worth having is the camera feed. Milford Sound takes 6,412 mm of rain a year and can take 250 mm in 24 hours, and on a day like that the people who stay dry inside a boat with small windows see very little. Here the outside view is projected onto indoor screens while the outdoor decks stay open for anyone who wants the weather. Rain is the reason the waterfalls exist, so I would still go out.
Usually included
- 105 minutes on the fiord
- Live commentary from the skipper
- Large windows and large outdoor decks
- HD cameras projecting the outside view onto indoor screens
- The terminal car park fee, otherwise NZD 10 an hour
Not included
- Transport to the meeting point
- Food and drinks — available to buy on board
- The extra fifteen minutes you get on the two-hour boats
What works
- The lowest fare on the site, with the car park fee inside it
- Indoor screens carrying the outside view, which earns its keep in the rain
- Large outdoor decks as well, so you are not choosing between dry and outside
- 4.7 from 1,091 reviews, with “comfortable” the word that keeps recurring
- Food and drinks are on board if you want them
Worth knowing
- 105 minutes is the shortest cruise reviewed here
- Cruise only — no transport, from anywhere
- The meeting point is a counter inside the terminal and easy to walk past
- Food and drink cost extra
- Allow five hours from Queenstown and three from Te Anau, says the operator
What passengers say
“The catamaran is very comfortable and the crew were awesome.”
“The views were absolutely amazing, and the boat itself was very comfortable.”
“Remarkable scenery and history.”
Two of those three reach for the same word, and across 1,091 reviews “comfortable” is the theme. That is what a modern catamaran with big windows is for. If you want the opposite — fewer people, a smaller hull, a skipper stopping whenever something surfaces — read the small boat review instead.
Who this suits
- Anyone driving in who wants the car park handled in one payment
- Travellers on the tightest budget who still want a real boat
- Anyone visiting in winter or heavy rain who wants an indoor option that still shows them something
- People with limited time at the terminal — 105 minutes is the shortest commitment here
Who should book something else
- Anyone without transport to Milford Sound; look at Queenstown day tours
- Anyone who wants the longest possible time on the water
- Anyone who wants lunch included, which the Te Anau day does
- Anyone chasing the smallest boat on the fiord
Check in 20 minutes before departure and find the counter on the right side of the terminal first, before you go looking for coffee. Between about 11am and 1pm the building is full of coach passengers doing the same thing.
Compare it with the others
Most reviewedSmallest boats on the fiordMilford Sound: 2-Hour Small Boat Scenic Cruise
From Te AnauPicnic lunch includedFrom Te Anau: Milford Sound Coach, Cruise, and Walks
Top pickCoach & 2-hour cruiseFrom Queenstown: Milford Sound Cruise and Coach Day Tour
Frequently asked questions
Is the Milford Sound car park fee really included?
Yes, on this cruise. Parking at the terminal is otherwise NZD 10 an hour before 3pm and NZD 5 after, paid by card at the machines. No other cruise reviewed here covers it — see cruise-only tickets for what arriving under your own steam really costs.
Is 105 minutes long enough for a Milford Sound cruise?
For most people, yes. The fiord is 15 km long, the run out to the mouth and back is the whole trip, and the boats that take two hours are using the extra time on stops rather than distance. How long the cruise takes has the comparison.
How long should I allow to drive to the terminal?
The operator asks for five hours from Queenstown and three from Te Anau. The raw distances are 291 km and 120 km, but the Homer Tunnel can hold you up to 20 minutes each way in summer and you will want the stops. How to get there covers the road properly.