Fiordland Discovery

Had a wonderful overnight stay. The team were brilliant, very helpful, nothing too much trouble. The evening meal was first class with freshly caught crayfish. The surrounds, views, environment was beyond beautiful and breathtaking even when it became challenging with high winds and rain. Would definitely recommend Fiordland Discoveries for an amazing experience.

This was easily the highlight of a trip full of highlights. The staff was incredible, made us feel like royalty. The food was top notch, and the boat was breathtaking. Our original trip to Milford Sound had to be moved to Doubtful Sound due to a road outage. The owners went above and beyond to make sure our trip went uninterrupted. I would recommend this cruise even at twice the price. An unforgettable experience. Thank you to the captain, owners, and all the staff

Just home from an amazing three day, two night trip with Fiordland Discovery aboard the Fiordland Jewel. If there was a six star review rating option they would get it. Having visited Milford and Doubtful Sounds previously with other operators this privately owned vessel is miles ahead of the competition in both personal experience and quality of accommodation. All cabins are immaculate with en-suites and super king or king singles beds in the twin berths and have huge windows with spectacular views. The owners and crew are fantastic, the boat is meticulously maintained and the experience was first class. This was hands down the best trip we have ever done in New Zealand EVER! ?????

The beauty of our own country never ceases to amaze me but the beauty, tranquility and share majesty of Fiordland is beyond words. The 7day/6nights trip from Doubtful Sound would have to rate as one of the best trips one could do anywhere. The boat is first class, food, prepared by Matt, simply amazing, Rob, the skipper, has an in depth knowledge of the whole area including history, flora, wildlife and the best places to fish. Jack and Nicki, the crew, are truly amazing young people who have skills beyond their years. Thankyou all for such wonderful memories. If you are looking at doing this trip, just do it, you will never regret it. UPDATE 5/07/21 I, and 3 friends have just completed the 7 day, 6 night Northern Fiords. Again this trip was indescribable. The beauty, the moodiness, the share grandeur of this area is beyond words. We had a full range of weather which definitely added to the enjoyment. Again the crew were outstanding. The care, the food and general ambience of the boat added so much to our enjoyment. Can I say which cruise is the best, the Southern or the Northern? No both are equally extraordinary. JUST DO ONE you truly will never regret it.

This was such an incredible experience. The accommodations were perfect, the staff was great, the food was delicious. Our initial trip to Milford Sound was cancelled but we had the pleasure of cruising through Doubtful Sound and it was so serene. We were lucky enough to see dolphins ride with the boat as well as seals soaking up the sun. The kayaks, jumping off the boat and soaking in the hot tub after dinner were nice little fun additions. Would recommend this to anyone traveling to New Zealand, you will not be disappointed!

Supreme experience! Very recommended! You can get many offers for cruises on Milford Sound. We had an overnight cruise and was amazed by everything. I'm sure most of the cruises will go the same places, but with this boat you get closer than the others and spend more time in Milford Sound cruising. The boat was one of the finest in the harbor, and the one out of 10 that I would point at, if I could choose any, as my preferred boat for a small cruise like this. With the overnight cruise, the boat will only carry a max of 20 people, which turns out to be a great decision! With this few people (+4-5 staff members) you get plenty of room and full personal attention from the staff. The captain was very informal (in a good way) and made us feel safe on a journey that would only exceed our expectations for service level. The kitchen chef knew what he was doing. Everything from the small welcome snack (not even advertised when booking) to the 3 course menu (very very very nice, tasty, delicious food - we got local lobster, local blue cot fish and home made chocolate cake with local honey and ice cream) to the breakfast (with cereals, croissants, egg/bacon etc). The rest of the crew took care of us, was smiling and helpful with any request, plus knew when to suggest us to go somewhere to get an extra experience (like taking a bath on front deck, while ship is cruising very close/underneath a waterfall) We also went on a free kayak tour (20-40 min depending on if you have more or less than 8 people wanting to attend) where we sailed next to seals. Normally I would expect a trip like this to try push me to buy a lot of drinks on board to spend more money, but they never did that. They mentioned the bar once and we used it as we pleased (charging the room for very good convenience, so we only had to pay right before leaving the boat). We could get free water, tea, coffee and hot chocolate, and only needed to pay for wine (60$/bottle ish) and other drinks if we wanted to (bar closes 10PM, since ship will sail 6:30AM next morning - you can choose to stay longer in your cabin, as breakfast is from 7-8AM). The 2 person cabins are great! You have an insane sea view, nice wide single beds (at least for European standards) and nice showers (with good pressure, high position for higher people with perfect temperature control - yhear.. we slept in campervan for 3 weeks and loved the shower ?). Speaking of showers, we also used the free hot top at the top deck while sun was setting ? The only thing I can think of could be better is air conditioning. We went there on an unusual hot day (full sun), and the boat doesn't have aircondition. It does have air circulation and heating for colder nights. It's only really something you notice when you want to sleep, but it still would be a nice addition to the cabins. I properly forgot something, but I do hope you read this as a very good review. Properly the most expensive thing we did on our trip - and the one thing I wouldn't think twice about doing again if I went to NZ. Especially if Fiordland Discovery is still operating ?

We had an amazing time on the Jewel. The staff were all friendly and happy. We were able to change our booking to the following day when we were running behind schedule and they were very helpful. We were fortunate enough to be given an upgrade on our cabin as it was my wife's birthday. The Governor's suite on the top deck is well worth it, with a lot of space and beautiful views. The cruise itself is beautiful and informative, with lots of wildlife to be seen. Kayak paddling and swimming are both possible for the adventurous and the hot tub is a great way to relax. They have some amazing videos if bird and marine life around the area which took some serious skill and care to achieve. The food was flawless in taste and presentation. Yummy. They are happy to do charters and customised experiences to see many sounds or go diving. We will definitely be back for another cruise. Thanks so much for a fantastic experience.

An exceptional week. I don’t know where to begin after such an amazing adventure. A week spent travelling through fiords on the Jewel from Doubtful to Milford Sound. Loved kayaking in the Sounds then having a warm dry room on the boat to return to. Three exceptional meals each day with a wonderful array of fresh seafood throughout the week. Experienced crew to make you feel safe at all times. Lots of fun and humour. Loved every minute of it. Thankyou Rob, Dave, Matt, Jack, Juan and Hal for making it an unforgettable week. Hope to be back.