The deal
As autumn rustles across the Northern Hemisphere and winter creeps slowly behind, countries below the equator are anticipating the first days of spring. With that in mind, we rounded up a trio of Southern Hemisphere cruises embarking between October and December for Tahiti, Australia and Chile. These 10- 12- and 14-day sailings provide a respite from soon-to-be-leafless landscapes and annual body-clock adjustments to the end of Daylight Savings Time. Longer days and verdant ports of call await! Only one of the options offers multiple voyages. The others are one-chance-only offers. To claim the lowest stateroom rates, don’t hesitate. Prices on interior cabins start at $889.
Auckland to Sydney from $889
Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Millennium sails from New Zealand to Australia this November. The 12-night South Seas expedition starts in Auckland, New Zealand’s capital, followed by two more North Island ports of call — Tauranga and Wellington. The ships continues down the South Island coast stopping in Christchurch and Dunedin, before spending a day cruising the stunning fjords of Dusky, Doubtful and Milford Sounds. Two days at sea precede the Millennium’s arrival in Melbourne, Australia’s first port of call. Rounding out the holiday are two days in Sydney. Interior staterooms on the November 2 cruise start at $889. Ocean-view units and cabins with balconies are priced only incrementally higher — from $989 and $1,099, respectively.
French Polynesian tour, $1,289 and up
Princess Cruises has a 10-night French Polynesian voyage with interior cabins priced from $1,289. Rooms with a view start at just $100 more on the November 29 cruise. You’ll spend the first night aboard the Tahitian Princess in Papeete, Tahiti, before the ships sets sail for another Society Island destination — Huahine. Rangiroa, part of the Tuamotu Archipelago, is the next port of call before the ship anchors in Raiatea for a two-day stay. After a morning departure you’ll be on your way to the paradisiacal playground of Bora Bora, followed by magical Moorea. You’ll have another night and day in Papeete before the cruise comes to an end. If you prefer to travel at any other time between October and December, be prepared for rate spikes of as much as $416.
