Auckland to Bali with Regent Seven Seas Cruises

We booked the New Zealand to Bali cruise with RSSC when we were onboard another RSSC cruise. There is a reason there can be lines at the on-board cruise offices: everyone is eager to book again. As to Auckland to Bali, I was extremely nervous about the Tasman Sea portion of the trip, but my husband was excited, so I joined in. We took the total RSSC package, including airfare.

Pre-cruise: We made the core of our trip the cruise, but added a pre-cruise week on Waiheke Island to adjust to the time zone, have fabulous wine and stay at the amazing Boatshed Hotel. Boatshed is hard to reserve, but worth the effort, and the location allowed us to pre-book some exclusive wine tastings. The night before our cruise, we stayed at the Park Hyatt, Auckland so we could easily walk to board our ship. It was an awesome high-end Hyatt, and if you go, walk to the Hello Beasty Restaurant nearby. It is like an episode of "The Bear" when they are busy — really fun if you have a bar seat... definitely reserve that if interested. Later, at Park Hyatt, I had an everyday talk with a genuinely nice man who I later learned was Travis Barker.

Post-cruise: We stayed another two weeks after our cruise, at three different hotels. First, The Viceroy Bali, which was an incredible experience. From the grounds to the food and staff, literally nothing was less than 10 stars, and I hope to go back. In Bali, you can hire a full-time driver named Bobby — @mybalidriver on instagram; contact me for his direct number, as he is friends with my daughter and was incredible. From Bali, we went to Singapore, first staying at The Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island, which is an amazing hotel, with incredible staff. Our room — number 411 — was not just beautiful, but the view of the cargo ships, pool, ocean, spa and grounds was incredible. Also incredible is their huge breadth of lodging options — there is a reason the famous choose this hotel. While on Sentosa, literally do not miss Ocean Restaurant, where you eat Michelin-rated food amid the most incredible aquarium you have ever seen — great for any age. I recommend lunch; book your seats the second reservations open up. From the Capella Hotel, we moved to The Fullerton Bay Hotel, where we had room 511. The staff were awesome and our room was perfect. I would skip the "light show", but never miss the Cloud Forest, which is a quick walk or bike ride from Fullerton Bay. If you can get a reservation at Thevar restaurant, it is unreal. Very expensive, but worth every bite; it is unforgettable, and a quick taxi ride from the hotel.

Cruise: We took the Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC), Navigator ship, from Auckland, New Zealand to Bali. Let me start with the only con, which is that the ship was older and our previous RSSC cruise was on their newest ship, so it is hard not to make comparisons. There are die-hard fans of the Navigator because it is almost like a floating country club where everyone is welcome. But, alas, I was spoiled by RSSC's newer ships and prefer the physical layouts, gyms, restaurants and spaces on the newer ships. With that said, we have never had so much fun as this cruise.

Three cruise highlights

I am limiting myself to three highlights to spare you the hundred amazing things about this itinerary.

• All-inclusive is real: RSSC really includes everything. Our flights were business-class from Miami to New Zealand, and they allowed a deviation home from Singapore, all for one flat fee. We were on the best airlines, which meant great times and lots of choices. It will not work for everyone, but including their air program for this itinerary worked for us. Plus, most excursions are included, and the onboard entertainment, the staff and the incredible events held on the ship add to a totally amazing experience, with no surprise bill — ever.

• Ports of call: From horseback riding through tall grasses that lead to a stunning beach in Waipu, New Zealand, to getting up close to the Komodo dragons on Komodo Island are just once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Every port was awesome.

• The Crossing: Okay, to be fair, the Tasman Crossing was somehow quiet, absolutely nothing, and we barely rocked. But, when we were in Darwin, our Captain Abbey came on and said there was a tropical storm developing so we were going to start a little early to the next port. Well, the tropical storm turned into a hurricane and even though we were far away from the storm, we had two days of serious seas. By then everyone knew dozens of friends and the crew were like family, so it was handled super well, but you need to be prepared to ride out the storm, so to speak.

It is an itinerary worth replicating, from the amazing cruise and ports of call, to the pre- and post-cruise hotels and experiences.

I loved the RSSC Auckland to Bali cruise and would recommend this itinerary to anyone who is interested. Add in the pre- and post-cruise options you are interested in, and it will be a trip of a lifetime, for sure.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on cruise travel. In need of further inspiration? Check out Julie Sambuco’s guide, Avalon Waterways - An Extraordinary River Cruise on the Danube River.