Jan and Fred, hello! I am excited to hear your impressions along the way!
We are all looking for alternate itineraries from time to time, even though we surely miss the generous perks on RSSC. I hope you will love this long cruise in another line.

I'm not sure I would want to drive in New Zealand, but I sure enjoyed my Radisson
pre cruise to the Coramandel Peninsula pre cruise out of Auckland for a few days. Best pre cruise I've ever booked, because Ngaire said "you just have to do this'', and she was SO right. Of course she knew, because she grew up in NZ.