MV Tutoko II · Max 12 Guests
A once-in-a-lifetime journey through Fiordland's most extraordinary landscape. Glaciers, dolphins, waterfalls, mountains, seals and smiles, all before catching and cooking your own fresh dinner.
Doubtful vs Milford
"Doubtful Sound isn't as well known as Milford, but it's actually quite a lot larger. More than ten times the size. Much more area to explore, and nowhere near as congested. There are no roads to this area, so a lot less people around. We bump into each other occasionally, but we don't see each other a heck of a lot."Richard Abernethy
Richard worked in Milford Sound for several years before he came south. "Between the two of them, I definitely prefer coming down here. And that's not just because I operate here."
The Fiordland Expeditions Difference
With a maximum of 12 guests, this compact but spacious vessel offers plenty of opportunities to take in the scenery, either with your new friends or by yourselves.
Our friendly, personable crew will do all they can to ensure your experience is the best we can make it. And our resident chef prepares the freshest seafood that you help to catch, for an evening feast fit for royalty.
Highlights
Inclusions
The Fiord
"Every day is different. Some days are stormy, some days are beautiful. Both have absolutely brilliant attributes. On a stormy day, with the wind and the waterfalls and the rain pelting down, it gives you that real prehistoric feel, and a sense of isolation. A day like this, you could be in the tropics."Richard Abernethy
In the Galley
"There's nowhere in New Zealand quite like here. You go out fishing, or pull a cray pot, the chefs prep it, and it goes on the plate. It makes this a truly unique experience."
Mikey and Arturo work the galley in rotation. Mikey, known to guests as Cookie, has been a chef for fifteen years. Fiordland Expeditions is his favourite galley. (He'll correct anyone who calls it a kitchen.)
"As a chef, it's an honour. There's nowhere else I'd get to cook food of this nature, this fresh, this clean. You almost need to do nothing with it. Let the fish taste like fish. Let the crayfish taste like crayfish. You don't even need a sauce."
Guests are part of the process from the start. They watch the pots get baited and thrown, and they pull them up.
"On board, the guests do the mahi. From pot to plate, they see the full circle within a few hours. That's how fresh it is."
Mikey Harwood
In the Galley, At the Table
"It's quite good watching how scared the guests are of them on the plate, and then seeing them get their hands involved. The knives and forks go away. The chefs and the skipper run a quick tutorial on how to get the meat out of the legs and the horns, and there are bits of crayfish flying everywhere. With a group of twelve, it turns into a big laugh. A tasty laugh."Mikey Harwood
For Every Plate
Our chefs Mikey and Arturo are as known for their seafood as they are for what they cook when guests don't want seafood at all.
When you book your cabin, our reservations team captures every dietary requirement and preference in your group — vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, halal, kosher, allergies (including severe ones), kids' menus, religious requirements, or simple personal preferences. That information reaches the galley before the vessel leaves the dock.
By the time you're aboard, the menu has already been shaped around exactly who's sitting at the table. Mikey and Arturo have years of experience cooking around real guests — vegetarian feasts mid-fishing trip, gluten-free desserts at sea, kids' meals that get eaten enthusiastically. Whatever you need, they've handled it before.
Just tell us when you book. The freshness and care we bring to the seafood comes to every plate aboard.
Aboard MV Tutoko II
MV Tutoko II accommodates twelve guests in a layered selection of well-appointed cabins. Every guest sleeps in a private cabin, with a real bed and the same view of the fiord at sunrise.
Premium and economy cabin tiers are available. Family or milestone bookings can enquire about the Quad-Cabin configuration — a single connected space designed for groups travelling together.
Tutoko II Only
Travelling for a specific reason?
Two Days in Doubtful Sound
Day 1
Scenic cruise across Lake Manapouri, followed by a coach trip over Wilmot Pass into Doubtful Sound.
Cruise through towering cliffs, waterfalls, and hidden coves. Keep an eye out for dolphins, seals, and penguins.
Try kayaking, join in some fishing, or simply relax on deck and soak up the wilderness.
Enjoy a freshly prepared seafood dinner, often featuring the day's catch, and unwind under the stars.
Day 2
Wake to the peace of the fiord and a hearty breakfast while the vessel continues exploring.
Travel back across Lake Manapouri, arriving late morning in Manapouri, different from how you arrived.
More Time in the Fiord
Most guests join our standard one-night Doubtful Sound cruise. For travellers who want more time in Fiordland, private extended journeys can be arranged on request.
These are designed around your group rather than booked from a fixed menu. Duration, itinerary, and arrival method are shaped to what you're after — talk to us and we'll see what's possible.
Enquire About an Extended JourneyCome Prepared
Overnight bag with a change of clothing in case you get wet
Comfortable casual clothing appropriate for the season
Comfortable footwear or walking shoes
Robust wet weather gear. It has been known to rain a wee bit
Insect repellent and plenty of memory for your camera
USB wall sockets in each cabin for 24hr device charging
"The best and most legit tourist experience you will have in NZ!"
"The Doubtful Sound cruise was AMAZING! Absolutely the best two days of our trip."
"Great food from the moment you stepped on ship, including fresh caught lobster for dinner!"
Been Aboard Already?
We'd love for you to share your thoughts. This helps prospective voyagers know they're in good hands.
Write a Google ReviewGuest Voices
"Truly one of the most beautiful and peaceful experiences of my life. Dolphins swimming alongside the boat, kayaking, catching lobsters for dinner. It felt like a floating summer camp for adults."
"We fished for our supper, kayaked to waterfalls, and jumped off the helipad for a swim. I highly recommend the top deck cabin for stargazing through the wraparound windows. Best cruise ever!"
"We moored in a quiet bay for a night under a sky full of stars. We pulled up a creel full of lobsters, fished for blue cod, all cooked by Mikey for a delicious dinner. Memorable and highly recommended."
What Makes It Different
Twelve guests is a deliberate choice. It's the number that allows your crew to know your name, cook around your preferences, and make space for the moments that matter, without a speaker announcement or a queue for the rail.
Three crew, twelve guests. Your skipper, chef, and deckhand genuinely get to know every person on board. Special occasion? Dietary needs? Sorted before you arrive. This is the difference between hospitality and service.
When the waterfall comes into view, or the fur seals appear on the rocks, everyone sees it together from the rail. No waiting, no shuffling past strangers. The fiord feels essentially yours for the night.
Our crew knows where the crayfish pots will be full tomorrow. Which arm of the fiord gives the clearest stars. They know Doubtful Sound the way a local knows their neighbourhood, because they do.
Aboard Tutoko II
Day boats leave by 4pm. The fjord turns gold, and there's no one else around.
Eight kayaks travel with Tutoko II. Drop in, push off, find places the cruise boats can't reach.
Paddle as far as you'd like. Tutoko II waits at anchor.
1,200-metre cliffs. Waterfalls everywhere after rain. The bow takes you right up to them.
Richard Abernethy, owner-operator. He and Mandy built Fiordland Expeditions.
Overnight in Doubtful. Anchored where the day boats can't reach.
From Those Who've Been
"We also did Milford Sound and this was much better. Not because Milford isn't incredible. It is. But Doubtful got under our skin in a way that's hard to explain."
"The crew made us feel like we had the whole fiord to ourselves, because essentially, we did. No lining up for a photo spot. No announcements over a speaker. Just the sound of the water."
"This was an unforgettable adventure. From hundreds of roaring waterfalls to dolphins, penguins and seals. If you are questioning this experience, don't. Just book it."
