Tolkien Fans To Cruise To Middle-Earth, New Zealand On Celebrity Eclipse

Fans of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings have a treat in store with the upcoming sailing of the famous Cruise to Middle Earth. It was recently reported that the first cruise ship in two years had docked at Auckland Harbor in New Zealand. However, the country has been missing a particular set of tourists during the pandemic. In fact, it has been ten years since the Lord of the Rings-themed Cruise to Middle-Earth has sailed. This is set to change.

Cruise to Middle-earth on the Celebrity Eclipse

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Pacific Explorer cruise ship had docked in Auckland Harbor for the first time in two years. However, another cruise that has been missing for ten years is also returning to New Zealand. The Cruise to Middle-earth on the Celebrity Eclipse first sailed in 2008 and then again in 2012. Now, plans are to reboot the popular Tolkien-themed cruise.

Travel agent and Tolkien fanatic Cathy Udovch has decided it’s time to complete the trilogy. In fact, she will be leading the next chapter in the fantasy-theme cruise around Aotearoa in January 2023. Fans of the movie series will recall that it was filmed in New Zealand and a number of the original film sets still remain. Speaking of the Cruise to Middle-earth, the Australian and New Zealand cruise specialist said:

I had been selling both destinations since long before the Lord of the Rings first came out.

However, when Peter Jackson’s iconic movies were released, Udovch had a great idea. She decided a cruise would be the perfect vehicle for taking fans of the movies on a tour of the studios and locations.

Fans can enjoy a 12-night sailing from Sydney on the Celebrity Eclipse. The ship will then make a call at Milford Sound, Christchurch. Passengers will disembark and enjoy overland shore excursions to Hobbiton and the Weta Film studios. In fact, it is a truly comprehensive trip that can be enjoyed in just under a fortnight.

Where will Tolkien fans come from?

According to the NZ Herald, Udovch explained that most of the tourists come from the US, with some from Canada. Meanwhile, there are usually a few international passengers from Australia and the Netherlands. In fact, she said interest has been shown in the cruise from several European countries.

Meanwhile, the passengers consist of everything from retirees who read the books many years ago, to more recent fans of the movies. Udovch added:

This is the nice thing about Tolkien fandom, it’s been around long enough.

The travel agent added that they have had some family bookings, adding that you can always gauge their enthusiasm from their clothing. According to Udvoch, dressing up is an important part of the trip. However, she did say not everyone in the family needs to be “geeky” about Middle-earth, but it does help.

Plans for the Cruise to Middle-earth

It turns out the travel agency has been planning the return for a number of years. However, when COVID closed down New Zealand’s maritime borders, this meant plans had to be delayed. However, the Cruise to Middle-earth is officially back on, with Udvoch saying:

I’ve been blocking space on cruises that specifically said Lyttelton was the Christchurch port, each season during the pandemic, waiting for the one that I thought was finally going to get to sail again.

Celebrity seemed the perfect cruise line to host the Tolkien convention. Besides having the right itineraries, they were one of the first cruise lines to restart in the USA.

On the previous cruise, Udovch said it embarked on January 2, which is the day before Professor Tolkien’s birthday. She just knew this would be the itinerary for the next Cruise to Middle-earth. In fact, it departs Sydney on January 2, 2023, and ends in Auckland on January 14, 2023.

Announcing the Third Cruise to Middle-earth! https://t.co/XSsXfGs1AP pic.twitter.com/oR8sz1GgSO

— Anne Sewell (@anners2008) August 26, 2022

Meanwhile, the Lord of the Rings-themed convention will share the cruise ship with other passengers from Sydney. This way, participants can enjoy the luxury of a modern cruise ship while exploring the movies’ sets and scenery.

How much will the Cruise to Middle-earth cost?

Interior-facing rooms on the Celebrity Eclipse will start from US$2179, while balcony suites with cost US$2,429.

If you can’t make it in January 2023, plans are already being made for a fourth cruise in 2024. Find out more information on the website here.