Home > Bay of Islands > Best of the Bay Supercruise: Original Cream Trip
USD $94.00
Best of the Bay Supercruise: Original Cream Trip
Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Take a sightseeing cruise through the Bay of Islands on the area’s only authentic Cream Trip — a 100-year-old tradition of delivering mail and supplies to island residents. On board a modern, multi-level catamaran with a knowledgeable crew, you’ll see idyllic bays, local homes and natural landmarks like Hole in the Rock at Cape Brett. Watch for whales, seals and other wildlife, and stop on Urupukaopuka Island to go for a walk or relax on the beach. You may opt to upgrade your tour with a swim in an area that dolphins frequent.
Your one-of-a-kind Bay of Islands cruise departs from the Paihia Wharf and then picks up more passengers about 10 minutes later in Russell — you may hop aboard at either of these locations.
On board your jet-powered, multi-level catamaran with an underwater camera and both indoor and outdoor seating, cruise through the Bay of Islands — named for its nearly 150 islands — heading toward Cape Brett, the far eastern tip in the bay. Admire great views from the boat's spacious decks while you listen to the crew share information about the region’s history and ecology. Keep your eyes open for marine life like seals, dolphins, whales, penguins and sea birds.
Your cruise isn’t just for sightseeing, though — it’s a Cream Trip, a tradition that dates back to the early 1900s when a boat was used to transport cream and other supplies between the islands and the mainland. This means you’ll get up-close views of sandy beaches and island homes as you stop to deliver mail and other supplies to local residents.
When you reach Cape Brett, check out its noted landmark, a natural arch known as Hole in the Rock. Then your captain will let you know if the weather and water conditions allow for swimming in an area where dolphins like to hang out (optional, must be pre-booked; own expense). If you’re interested, you can use a provided wetsuit and snorkeling gear.
About halfway through the day, stop on Urupukapuka Island for 1.5 hours of free time to take a scenic walk, go for a swim or relax on the beach. There is a full bar on board as well as tea, coffee and snacks available for purchase (own expense). Limited lunch options are also available but must be pre-ordered at least 24-hours prior to departure.
Your cruise ends with return to Russell and Paihia.
This trip was such good value for a full day out at sea, time to sit back and enjoy the sun and scenery. The crew were friendly and helpful, the lady skipper excellent and we were lucky enough to see dolphins and brown seals! Highly recommended
Review by: Glenn H, December 2017
lovely day out on Bay of Isles with great crew giving us commentary on history, fauna and flora and Maori culture
Review by: jillwildey49, November 2017
We loved it! This cruise covers everything
Review by: dorothy b, November 2017
What a great day, the weather helped as it was superb. The trip around the bay gave a great vision of how many islands that there are. The information provided about the history, houses and area was spot on. The boat was comfortable and the service friendly and helpful. Highly recommended
Review by: Jessica B, October 2017
The captain neglected to check the tides the day we went. We got stuck on an island for about three hours and it was suppose to be an hour stop. The crew was not prepared and had to borrow a random 6 person dingy from some sailor that happen to be in the bay. We were then transferred to a bigger dingy and then finally taken to our cruise boat. Mind you, there was over 30 passengers on board. Once everyone made it on the cruise the captain announced that we were behind schedule and were not able to swim with the dolphins as planned. She reported there was no pods spotted and that we wouldn't have stopped anyway. That sure is a convenient answer. Returning back to land late....Fullers tried to make up for their mistake by giving everyone on board a free drink and 20 discount on tickets once we returned to land. I would have rather swam with the dolphins.
Review by: Dan V, October 2017
Best cruise we went on while we were in New Zealand exciting and spectacular very highly recommended
Review by: Mary-Clare R, May 2017
It was a great day! We stopped at many different locations. The crew were really welcoming and helpful - the captain was BRILLIANT! She added so much interest and fun to the day with her commentary, with where she took us and how she piloted the boat. A day to remember and excellent value for money!
Review by: Charles P, May 2017
Best boat ride we've ever been on. We made it through hole in the rock. However, didn't get the swim with the dolphins.
Review by: Nigel D, March 2017
Super day with stunning scenery and dolphin spotting. Bay of Islands has to be visited during any trip to New Zealand. The colour on the sea is amazing.
Review by: Jefra P, March 2017
Boat captain/commentator was really good....especially when he sneaked through the Hole In The Rock at a SAFE point in the tides and winds when all other boat tours had said No that day! Note to future travelers: do NOT go into the swimming net at side of boat with skimpy 2 piece suits. You WILL lose something! Loved the dolphin sightings!!
Review by: Carol, February 2017
Great trip . Plenty to see love those dolphins. Friendly crew. Excellent value.
Review by: David T, February 2017
Wonderful day touring the islands. The boat crew were excellent
Review by: mitchell s, January 2017
Fantastic cruise out to the hole in the rock!
Review by: Erica D, January 2017
A fantastic day for the entire family, stunning scenery and fun activities too
Review by: Micheal L, May 2016
Great trip. The captain went out of his normal route to find us a pod of killer whales orcas which we stayed and watched for about an hour. The experience was great being so close to these majestic mammals. The rest of the trip was great with the captain giving us a running commentary the whole way round. Well worth the money
Review by: Louise G, March 2016
What a great day out! Saw dolphins as we were coming home after a dull weather day in Paihia turned out to be glorious around the islands. Brilliant and knowledgeable crew. _br/_ Will go again if I go back to the bay of islands and recommend you do too.
Review by: Micheal L, March 2016
Fully recommend this trip. When we went out the captain Billy told us that he was going off schedule because he had been told of a pod of killer whales in the area he wanted to find for us. He duly found them and the experience was amazing Billy seemed to be able to play with them and encourage them closer to the boat. Went through hole in wall in quite a swell which showed the captain's skill
Review by: Robert C, February 2016
A wonderful day spent cruising the islands. Tammy did a great job of captaining our ship and of providing a very knowledgeable commentary. Great time was had!
Review by: Lynn H, February 2016
A lovely day on the water the cruise was very good and the guide was well informed. I would highly recommend this tour.
Review by: Joni, January 2016
Excellent trip. Well organised and helpfull staff. Who did their best to make sure everyone enjoyed their day.
Review by: Lyndall H, November 2015
Great crew! The cruise suited diverse tastes and ages. Wonderful scenery and wildlife. A day to remember!
Review by: john g, April 2015
it was one of the best tour that we did
Review by: M C, April 2015
Even though it rained part of the trip, we had a Marvel experience, we saw so many dolphins. The Skipper, Tammy, was brilliant as was the rest of the crew. We had a wonderful time and thoroughly recommend the trip.
Review by: Cheryl K, March 2015
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Diana F, March 2015
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Zoe D, March 2015
AWESOME TRIP!! Highlight of our trip! Loved every minute
Review by: Janis G, March 2015
A great day, enjoyed by kids and adults alike. The captain was superb, steering us through the hole in the rock in a big swell...very exciting! Scenery was beautiful and the sun kept us company all day.
Review by: Sonja G, December 2014
This trip was fantastic. The captain was enthusiastic and extremely knowledgable about his local area and history. His passion was obvious. His skill in skippering a large vessel was great. He took us right up to rock faces, into caves and through the hole in hte rock with ease. I enjoyed the fact that there was no particular structure or time limit on things. If hte captain heard something interesting on the radio we went looking for it. The crew were happy and helpful. We were encouraged to move around the boat and enjoy the experience of all decks and areas as there were not that many people on board (compared to the half day trips which were packed and looked uncomfortable). I highly recommend taking the full day trip it was well worth it.
Review by: silverado, December 2014
The all day Cream trip is well worth the money. The Captain and crew are friendly and knowledgeable and take you to lots of places the half day cruises don't get to. Highly recommend this cruise
Review by: Donald B, December 2014
A fantastic day out for the 4 of us - worth every penny.
Review by: Ken G, March 2014
This was the best day we spent in the bay of Islands . The staff were very good and helpful and plenty of information . The dolphin swim and dolphin watching were highlights
Review by: Linda P, March 2014
This was amazing. The dolphin watching and seeing the new babies. Watching other people do the net surfing. Wow. We had been on this trip about 10 years ago and much has changed, for the better. Our friends had not done this before and they were thrilled. Thanks for a great time,
Review by: FAYE B, March 2014
A wonderful day spent meandering through the islands enhanced by beautiful weather. We managed to go through the Hole in the Rock which was great handling of the vessel as it was a bit rough - tours the following two days were cancelled due to bad weather as a result of Cyclone Lusi. We saw a number of dolphins although not in an area where people could swim with them,.
Review by: CHARLES H, March 2014
Unfortunately we went on this trip on a misty rainy day. Fullers offered us a full refund if we didn't want to go du to the bad weather or a shorter trip at a reduced cost. We decided to go and we were glad we did, still an enjoyable trip and we saw lots of Dolphins swimming up close to the boat, we couldn't go to the Hole in the Rock due to rough seas but we enjoyed the day despite the weather.
Review by: Wen G, February 2014
Great trip! Lovely hosts and great boat. very clean. good info and cool trip. Bay of Islands well worth the visit and best way is by cruise.
Review by: jeff m, February 2014
we pre booked overseas and the trip was all we had hoped for, the weather was kind, the dolphin's played, we swam and even ate fresh muscles, your crew were amazing. The boat catered for everyone able and not so able the captain kept everyone laughing and well informed, We and everyone else had a day to remember ._br/_
thankyou all very much . The Menzies family 5/2/14
Review by: Helen B, February 2014
Full on day with spectacular weather. Saw dolphins up close but had a calf so unable to swim with them. Boom netting was a great alternative! Lunch on island was terrific, had a walk, climbed the hill and admired the views. Skipper very knowledgable and we went through the hole the in rock, perfect
Review by: Dekel D B, January 2014
Good tour but we felt the 4 hours tour would be enough. Swimming with dolphins did not work out and it was MUCH better in Kaikoura. You're better doing the four hour tour (skipping the silly mail delivery) and using those extra hours to visit the treaty grounds or some other activity. Friendly staff.
Review by: Timothy G, June 2013
Great tour. Loved going through the whole in the rock and being lucky enough to see the dolphins.
Review by: Sally R, April 2013
Great trip, despite the weather, which prevented us from swimming with the dolphins although we did get to see them. Beautiful scenery and really well-informed crew. Fantastic way to see the Bay of Islands.
Review by: Sauly, March 2013
Our first day in New Zealand with an early to rise for our drive to meat the cruise at Paihia. The day and weather was on our side until the arrival at the Hole in the Rock as it was too rough to venture through, got plenty of good photos with the different conditions in the bay. Hoping from island to island brought a different view around each turn. In all the day was a day to remember as the dolphins came to visit the boat on the homeward trek to Paihia wharf. To top our day off my wife and I decided to stay a while for some dinner at the Paihia wharf for some of the local seafood.
Review by: Jeffrey J, March 2013
The Cream Trip was the only experience we booked ahead of our arrival in New Zealand. We had high expectations and were not disappointed. Fantastic commentary from the (female) skipper. Lots of laughs - not intrusive, and very interesting. We loved our lunch time stop on the island: lots of options, and we thought our fish and chips were the best we've had in ages. I am prone to sea sickness and had no problems on this well sized vessel - not too big, but spacious, light, smooth and everyone had a good view. Being on the water and getting out onto the bay to see all the islands will remain one of my favourite holiday memories. I would do it again!
Review by: vicki g, March 2013
Great day, crew on boat wonderful , would reccommend as a must do in the Bay of Islands.
Review by: The Birds, February 2013
This was an absolutely brilliant day out. Unfortunately we were not able to swim with the dolphins because the pod we found had a wee baby, despite this, this was the best viewing of dolphins we have ever done. The scenery is amazing and the (female!!!) captain was really knowledgable, fun loving, skilled at her trade and is really passionate about the environment and her home town. The island stop over was very relaxing. A must do trip....
Review by: Jack Z, February 2013
Enjoyed it!
Review by: Xandra, January 2012
Hole in Rock was great and beautiful island and rock sights.
Review by: Mervyn W, December 2011
It was way above our expectations and it was the highlight of our wonderful NZ trip - we would highly recommend it - Tammy with her local knowledge and her love of the local wildlife was very evident and her crew were great - we saw dolphins a hammer head shark and a penguin.
Review by: Marina K, November 2011
the best day trip ever...we had an awesome time....excellent value for money. the crew were fantastic and friendly............would highly recommend this to everyone.............a nice relaxing day on the water ! and Billy the Skipper went out of his way to make sure you could swim with the dolphins after finding 2 pods ! thanx guys/gal for a memorable day out !
Review by: Doug W, May 2011
Educational, relaxing and enjoying. Great trip and have highly recommended it to friends and family.
Review by: Keith S, April 2011
Fantastic day. Skipper Tammy was just great, scanned the seas found us gems to discover. Great commentaries. One of our top days in NZ
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