Both the Sydney and Auckland cruise port terminals are very wheelchair accessible and wheelchair friendly with large commercial elevators and wheelchair accessible restrooms. Sydney has many wheelchair accessible taxis although it’s best to tell your cruise line upfront that you’ll want an accessible taxi, especially if it’s included in your overall cruise fare (that’s what we did and it was very convenient). Auckland doesn’t offer wheelchair accessible taxis. The Auckland cruise terminal, however, is located on the city’s main wharf and it’s very easy to walk or roll into and throughout downtown Auckland (although the city is large and does have a many steep hills).

Our 13 day New Zealand cruise was aboard the Sun Princess which departed Sydney and ended in Auckland. The video covers our 2014 cruise and provides a wheelchair accessibility overview of the cruise. Please carefully watch the portions covering “Tender craft” and “accessible excursions”.

If international travel is involved, it is advised that you carry a mobile phone with the ability to dial internationally. Learn how to dial local country and city codes prior to departure. International calls are generally priced at a premium so it is advised that most calls be relatively short in duration.

Auckland Cruise Port: Level 1, Ports of Auckland Building, Sunderland Street, Mechanics Bay, Auckland 1010

Sydney Cruise Port: 37 Bank St, Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia
Phone: (866) 335-6379

New Zealand Cruise Ships:

1. Sun Princess                       (Approx. 25 Wheelchair Accessible Staterooms)
2. Dawn Princess                    (Approx. 25 Wheelchair Accessible Staterooms)
3. Golden Princess                 (Approx. 25 Wheelchair Accessible Staterooms)
4. Emerald Princess               (Approx. 25 Wheelchair Accessible Staterooms)

From its modest beginnings in 1965 with a single ship cruising to Mexico, Princess has grown to become one of the premiere cruise lines in the world. Today, its fleet carries more than a million passengers each year to more worldwide destinations than any other major line.

1. Staterooms have Roll-In Showers.
2. Most Decks Available with Elevator.
3. Wheelchair Accessible Restrooms on Most Decks.

Princess Cruises was catapulted to stardom in 1977 when one of its ships, Pacific Princess, was cast in a starring role on a new television show called “The Love Boat.” The weekly series, which introduced millions of viewers to the concept of a sea-going vacation, was an instant hit and both the company name and its “seawitch” logo have remained synonymous with cruising ever since. The show, which can still be seen around the world, has been widely credited with fueling the dramatic expansion of the industry.

• Note on River Cruises: My wife and I have enjoyed multiple cruises on the larger cruise lines. We continually seek out worldwide river cruises with overnight wheelchair accessible accommodations. American Cruise Lines operates 3 vessels, each with 1 wheelchair accessible stateroom. Although we have not yet experienced these river cruises, we are considering one of their New England or Hudson River cruises. These cruises seem expensive, about twice the price of the larger cruise ships, and only some of day trip excursions are wheelchair accessible. We have researched Viking Cruises and river cruises throughout Western and Eastern European countries. Unfortunately, we have not found a single wheelchair accessible river cruise. We’ll keep looking and would appreciate hearing from you if overnight accessible river cruises are available.