Serenity, Southern Cross Discovery 1304 ex Auckland to Sydney

16 Night Cruise sailing from Auckland to Sydney aboard Crystal Serenity.

At 68,000 tons and capable of serving 1,080 guests, Crystal Serenity-is the largest ship in the fleet. However, like her sister ships, she still maintains one of the highest space-per-guest ratios at sea, so you'll never feel crowded. Featuring many of the same popular public spaces as Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony, Crystal Serenity also serves up innovation in the form of new dining venues like Tastes, Silk Road and The Sushi Bar, The Studio, and 85% of staterooms with private verandahs.

Auckland
Welcome to Auckland, the "City of Sails." New Zealand's largest city is along the shores of an extinct volcanic cone known as Rangitoto, often visible to the east. Auckland's population of over one million people represents almost a third of the country's total.

New Zealand seems to have a bit of everything: great natural beauty, friendly people, magnificent glacier-studded mountain ranges, sculpted fjords, pristine untouched beaches, lush rainforest, an endless array of sporting activities, and, not to be forgotten, plenty of sheep and rolling farmland.

Auckland is the perfect city from which to experience most of what New Zealand has to offer. The city lies astride a narrow isthmus between the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean on two harbors, the Waitemata and Manukau. Auckland and New Zealand's geographic and cultural treasures beckon for your discovery.

An enthusiastic welcome awaits you at this thriving city by the sea.

Tauranga
Sprawling along the sweeping bay, Tauranga is a popular summer resort and one of the country's most important ports for the export of kiwi fruit, timber, and dairy products. It is also the gateway for Rotorua, the geothermal wonderland that is one of New Zealand's most famous attractions.

Wellington
Hugging the hillsides around Port Nicholson, a horseshoe-shaped bay that is one of the world's finest, Wellington reminds many visitors of San Francisco. In cultural offerings as well as landscape - Wellington boasts the National Art Gallery and the Dominion Museum, as well as the Government Building, one of the world's largest wodden structures.

Christchurch
Just 30 minutes from the pier at Lyttelton lies Christchurch, New Zealand's spectacular "Garden City."

Founded as a model church settlement in 1851, Christchurch is now the South Island's premier metropolitan center.

The planner's dream of creating an English town is reflected in its well-tended gardens, fine Victorian architecture and ivy-covered stone homes, set beside the meandering River Avon.

Fine craft shopping, excellent restaurants and a wealth of nearby sightseeing attractions, including flightseeing to snow-capped Mount Cook and drives into the gently rolling Canterbury Plains, abound. You may also choose to view the country's Southern Alps by train, visit the International Antarctic Centre or venture farther afield for an overland experience in Queenstown.

Whatever your choice, you'll agree that Christchurch is one of New Zealand's favorite visitor destinations.

Hobart
Hobart, premier city of the island-state of Tasmania, is situated between Mount Wellington and the Derwent River. As Australia's second-oldest capital, it savors the present while revering its past. History adds picturesque charm to this charismatic city, for there are no less than 90 buildings with National Trust classification. At Salamanca Place and Battery Point, relics of the whaling days of the last century can still be seen. Tasmania maintains abiding links with a wealth of Australian heritage. The convict settlement of Port Arthur provides vivid reminders of bygone days. With a busy port and thriving commercial center, Hobart is justifiably recognized as one of the world's most beautiful harbor cities.

Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria. It maintains an air of old-world grace and refined dignity with spacious tree-lined boulevards and expansive parks. The prosperous lifestyle of its people is both cosmopolitan and sophisticated. Quaint trams rumble through the downtown area past verdant gardens and impressive high-rises, in a city that has never lost its endearing charm. The heritage of more than 100 different cultures has contributed to Melbourne's richly international character. This diverse ethnic mix is exemplified by its range of 15,000 dining venues which offer more than 50 different kinds of cuisine. Melbourne's sightseeing is as diverse as it is composition and beckons for your discovery.

Sydney
The billowing profile of the Opera House greets us on her return to Sydney's glorious, world-class harbor. Ahead lies the arch of the Harbour Bridge. These twin symbols, more than any other, identify one of the Southern Hemisphere's premier cities.

Sydney is an energetic and exciting metropolis whose nightlife, shopping and fine restaurants compare favorably with the finest the world has to offer. Despite its modern advances, Sydney has lovingly cherished its heritage, for this was the birthplace of the Australian nation.

Combine Sydney's boundless attractions with its superb harborside location, and you have that certain magic that few other cities can rival.

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