New Zealand Cruises Aboard Heritage Adventurer
Save up to 20% per person on select cruises when you book by 30 April 2025.*
New Zealand offers a dazzling small ship cruising experience. As a Kiwi owned and operated company since 1985, sharing the natural wonders and beauty of New Zealand is second nature!
Explore the furthest reaches of New Zealand's backyard while enjoying new levels of bespoke comfort in expedition travel aboard our new flagship, luxury 140-guest Heritage Adventurer. This vessel is built for exploring the intricate coast of New Zealand, navigating through the fiords, cruising up harbours, and allowing for Zodiac excursions to remote isolated bays and hidden gems.
New Zealand has a fascinating natural and cultural history from its first Polynesian arrivals through European settlement and world leading conservation efforts. With 15,000 kilometres of coastline with awe-inspiring fiords, gold sand beaches, hidden coves, tranquil waterways, native forests and marine reserves, New Zealand offers a rejuvenating and exhilarating small ship expedition experience!
We invite you to join us on an in-depth exploration of New Zealand, an island paradise we're proud to call home!
New Zealand Cruises
Aboard Luxury 140-Guest Heritage Adventurer
New Zealand Coastal Odyssey: The Ultimate Expedition Cruise of the New Zealand Coast
12 DAYS
3 Mar 2026 SAVE 15%*
13 DAYS
11 Nov 2026 SAVE 20%*
Aboard Heritage Adventurer
Queenstown to Auckland, New Zealand
- Discover the primordial majesty and unspoiled beauty of Fiordland
- Wealth of birding highlights on predator-free Ulva Island
- Discover Stewart Island's quirky town centre Oban
- Explore the 'World's Coolest Little Capital,' Wellington
- Visit the quirky avant garde fashion forward city of Dunedin
- Enjoy a traditional Maori welcome and unforgettable cultural immersion
- Golden beaches and island conservation sanctuaries of the upper North Island
- Discover the wildlife and rich history of New Zealand's Marlborough Sounds
- Explore the incredibly beautiful coastal scenery of Abel Tasman National Park
- Visit the renowned Eastwoodhill Arboretum
- Enjoy New Zealand's world-famous wines and gourmet fare
- Marvel at Rotorua's steam vents, geysers and bubbling mud pools
*Book by 30 April 2025. Landing fees not included, per person, new bookings only.
Beyond Fiordland: New Zealand's Wildest Islands
12 DAYS
21 Dec 2025 SAVE 20%*
27 Dec 2026 SAVE 20%*
Aboard Heritage Adventurer
Bluff, New Zealand and Return
- Visit remote World Heritage Sites: The Snares, Auckland Islands and Campbell Island, and explore Stewart and Ulva Islands, Fiordland (Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound and Acheron Passage, Astronomer’s Point and Pickersgill Harbour)
- Dec 2024 voyage includes the option to join a sea kayaking excursion
- Discover the primordial majesty and unspoiled beauty of Fiordland
- Explore sea caves and observe wildlife in spectacular numbers
- Zodiac cruise glittering waterways between podocarp forests looking penguins and dolphins
- Spend the day hiking the unforgettable landscapes of Enderby and Campbell Islands
- Look for the elusive Campbell and Auckland Island Snipe
- Wade waist deep through fields of flowering megaherbs
- Experience the rarely-seen early Albatross courting ritual known as gamming
- Explore wildlife-rich rugged coastlines
- Human history - Coastwatcher's Huts, early settlements and shipwreck tales
- Visit some of New Zealand's most remote and iconic locations, many only accessible by expedition ship
*Book by 30 April 2025. Landing fees not included, per person, new bookings only.
Unseen Fiordland & Stewart Island: Exploring New Zealand's Remote Backyard
6 DAYS
27 Dec 2025 SAVE 20%*
2 Jan 2027 SAVE 20%*
Aboard Heritage Adventurer
Oban, New Zealand to Bluff, New Zealand
- The time-forgot rawness of wildlife-rich Stewart Island
- A wealth of birding highlights on predator-free Ulva Island
- Discover the primordial majesty and unspoiled beauty of Fiordland, visiting Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound and Acheron Passage, Astronomer’s Point and Pickersgill Harbour
- Experience the thundering spectacle of Stirling Falls
- Explore sea caves and observe wildlife in spectacular numbers
- Zodiac cruise glittering waterways between podocarp forests looking for penguins and dolphins
- Visit some of New Zealand's most remote and iconic locations, many only accessible by expedition ship
- Look for the Stewart Island Brown Kiwi often seen during the day
- Learn about the rich history and conservation efforts of these remote regions
*Book by 30 April 2025. Landing fees not included, per person, new bookings only.
Forgotten Islands of the South Pacific: Subantarctic Islands
8 DAYS
21 Dec 2025 SAVE 10%*
27 Dec 2026 SAVE 20%*
Aboard Heritage Adventurer
Queenstown-Bluff, New Zealand and return
- Island Groups: Snares, Aucklands, Campbell
- Dec 2024 voyage includes the option to join a sea kayaking excursion
- Watch Yellow-eyed Penguins make their way to and from the sea to feed hungry chicks
- Hiking on Enderby Island
- Explore wildlife-rich rugged coastlines
- Carpets of flowering endemic daisys on Campbell Island
- Southern Elephant Seals haul out on Northwest Bay, Campbell
- Observe nesting Southern Royal and Light-mantled Sooty Albatross, and numerous endemic birds
- Rare Hooker’s or New Zealand Sea Lions and their pups on Enderby Island
- Human history - Coastwatcher’s Huts, early settlements and shipwreck tales
- Flowering Rata Forests, rolling hills of flowering megaherbs, large tree daisies
- Options to climb spectacular Mt Honey or hike Col Lyall Saddle
- Look for the elusive Subantarctic Snipe on Auckland and Campbell Islands
*Book by 30 April 2025. Landing fees not included, per person, new bookings only.
Heritage Adventurer
Heritage Adventurer, formerly known as MS Hanseatic, is a true pioneering expedition vessel of exceptional pedigree. Originally designed for 184 guests, Heritage Adventurer now welcomes just 140 travellers ensuring spacious, stylish and comfortable voyages, and with a fleet of 14 Zodiacs to maximise the adventure. Savor daily international gourmet cuisine from talented chefs across two lavish restaurants, and settle into spacious and well-appointed accommodations each night. Enjoy 360-degree views and comfortable sun loungers on the Observation Deck, relax in the Observation Lounge with library, bar and panoramic views, and reinvigorate in the heated salt water pool, well-equipped gym, hot tub, sauna and steam room.
Technical Specs
Year Built: 1991
Shipyard: Rauma, Finland
Classification: Lloyds 1AS, GL E4
Accommodation: 140 guests
Length: 124 metres
Cruising Speed: 12 knots
Zodiacs: 14
Looking for a more active New Zealand cruise with in-depth exploration of one of the country's natural treasures?
Step aboard our 18-guest Heritage Explorer for a remarkable journey through one of New Zealand’s wonders:
-
Fiordland's Milford, Doubtful, and Dusky Sounds (including a scenic heli-flight)
-
The picturesque Marlborough Sounds, with Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru, and Pelorus Sounds, and the pristine beaches of Abel Tasman National Park and Golden Bay
-
Stewart Island and predator-free Ulva Island, your best chance to spot the iconic Kiwi bird in daylight
Ranging from 5 to 10-day itineraries, these expeditions offer a personalized, intimate and active experience for adventurous travelers.
Heritage Explorer offers luxury discovery travel in New Zealand for just 18 guests. Built in New Zealand, the yacht features 10 cabins, a dining room with 180-degree views, a lounge and bar with regional drinks, and a local library. Spend your days hiking, swimming, kayaking enjoying Zodiac excursions and spotting wildlife from the Bridge and Sun Deck. Evenings are for unwinding with exceptional cuisine and relaxation back on board.
About Heritage Expeditions
Ambassadors for conservation, pioneers of discovery, and leaders in expedition travel to the world’s best-kept secrets.
Experience
For 40 years, Heritage Expeditions has pioneered voyages to some of the most wild and biologically rich regions on the planet. Our mission is to increase awareness and conservation of the natural world through responsible expedition travel.
Expert Team
Our team of naturalists and crew bring an enormous wealth of experience, knowledge and passion to our expeditions, both in the field and onboard our ship during our lecture series.
Our Ships
Our 140-guest Heritage Adventurer offers luxury all-suite staterooms, elegant common areas and cuisine prepared by top chefs. Our 18-guest expedition yacht, Heritage Explorer, features 10 cabins, Sun Deck, kayaks, fishing equipment and superb cuisine prepared by top NZ chefs.
_(2).jpg){kind=link}
_kovsyanikova__(6).jpg){kind=link}
_kovsyanikova_forgotten_islands_13_(custom).jpg){kind=link}
_kovsyanikova__(9).jpg){kind=link}
