We went on Real Journey’s Overnight Doubtful Sound trip, and in summary, this is one trip you shouldn’t miss.

It’s hard where to start - but three things stood out:

Close up to nature
The cruise gets you close up to all the wonders of the Sound. Not just the wildlife of fur seals, Fiordland Penguins, Bottlenose Dolphins, and if you’re lucky whales, but especially the trips on the tenders and kayaks allows to get really close up to the flora too, and you can even go for a swim if you want to get that close to the water. Geologically and geomorphologically, it’s a great way to appreciate the landscape, guided by some expert interpretation.

Comfortable
You may be cruising in a remote fjord, but that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on luxury. The Fiordland Navigator is excellently equipped. You get a full-sized cabin with en-suite (smaller, cheaper bunks are also available). The catering on board is truly excellent, with a great choice and plenty of meals. You won’t go hungry.

Professional
The one thing that struck us most about the whole trip was the professionalism of not just the crew, but the whole Real Journeys operation. Everything happened as planned - no waiting, no problems. Onboard you felt completely relaxed with the whole crew that work together seamlessly. The guided talks, the catering, the hospitality and transfers were all excellent.

In a holiday of highlights, the Doubtful Sound cruise stood out as the highlight. I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you get the chance, go.

We had such a lovely cruise. We were really lucky with the weather and had clear blue skies all day, making Doubtful look even more beautiful. Luckier still, we were fortunate enough to see a pod of dolphins which came very close to the boat to say hello, an incredible moment. Other highlights were going a little way out into the Tasman Sea to visit the fur seals and also a moment when all sounds were shut off and we were able to listen to the silence (although slightly spoiled by the lady next to us disregarding the tour guide's request to put down all phones and cameras and clicking away loudly). The tour guides and drivers were all really friendly and knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend.

I thought that these people ran an excellent trip. We were unlucky with the weather but it seemed that our captain adapted our trip to take advantage of the weather and show us some of the remarkable things that happen when it rains!
Everything was efficient and smooth running; the staff were all friendly and happy to answer questions, there was ample coffee and tea on board and there was plenty of seating space for everyone.
Well worth the time to see this remarkable scenery.