Aratere
Operated by Interislander
Aratere
Operated by Interislander
Operated by Interislander on the Picton Wellington route
The Aratere is the longest serving ship in the Interislander fleet but is still one of the most modern and high tech vessels on New Zealand waters. It can carry up to 600 passengers and with it being 183.5 metres in length you will not be short of space to roam. Onboard you’ll find a food court, luxury premium seating, children’s playing and changing facilities, a cinema room and even free WiFi, so you won’t have to miss out on work or keeping in touch with family and friends. The lounge bar is the perfect way to relax and is stocked with a large selection of world famous New Zealand wine.
There are no cabins on this Interislander ship, however, there is enough comfortable seating aboard the Aratere for everyone to sit back and relax, even during the busy Christmas and Easter periods. For those who want some privacy during their crossing there is the luxurious Premium Plus Lounges on offer. Premium travellers get to experience the Aratere Plus Seating, as well as three complimentary meals.
If you fancy a bite to eat on your journey through New Zealand waters then you can visit the onboard Food Court. A large array of dishes are available to suit even the most discerning tastes. There are two eating areas on Deck 4, the Pennant Café and the F’oc’sle Lounge Bar. Here you can sample of a range of hot and cold food, including the Interislander’s specially designed pie. For those who fancy sampling some of the local specialities, the bar is stocked with an impressive selection of famous New Zealand wines.
The shop on the ship offers the chance to buy your New Zealand souvenirs as well as travel items, newspapers, confectionery, gifts, puzzles, toys, postcards and stamps. You can also purchase tickets for the cinema room here too.
There are a number of additions that will help you while away the hours. The cinema room shows the latest movie releases with showings suitable for all ages. Local bands and performers are often used onboard, including magicians and clowns for younger passengers. A Bureau de Change is available for any passengers who need to exchange some last minute currency.
Onboard the ship there is plenty to keep some of the younger passengers occupied. On Deck 4 you can find the Children’s Play Area, a safe and fun environment for little ones to play games, use the slides and pass time in front of the Disney Playhouse Channel that’s displayed on the televisions. There are also two conveniently placed nursery rooms in close proximity to the play area which provide baby changing facilities. The cinema room also shows films to suit all generations.
The facilities aboard the Aratere are located on one long and wide deck, meaning that accessibility around the ship is suitable for disabled access. This includes all amenities and the viewing area at the front. This vessel has been accredited with Silver Status on the Be Accessible website.
Please Note: Whilst we have taken great care in making our Aratere guide as accurate as possible, onboard facilities, services and entertainment may vary depending on the date and time of year that you travel, facilities mentioned may change without notification and ferry companies reserve the right to operate vessels other than those mentioned at time of booking without prior notification.
out of 5
94% of our customers recommended this ship
"Be prepared for a long wait."
Firstly you changed my original sailing from 4:00 pm to 1:00 pm.thismeanti had to leave very early to reach check-in on . time. Instead of a leisurely drive. Then we had to wait for over 2 hours because the sailing was delayed. Nobody gave any reason or explanation for the delay. I had to phone customer services just to find out the sailing was delayed! Then when you did start to load the ferry we went from 1 traffic jam to another! Some information whist we all sat patiently input vehicles would have beeya great help. I was very dissatisfied with the whole process, particularly the lack of communication on your part.
"Interislander"
Lots of comfortable seating options, good variety of food and drinks available. Even a playground for kids. Trip was shorter than expected.
"Good out of bad"
Direct ferries were terrible-I was unable to get a response from them about problems with my booking and they didn’t even notify me of the schedule change for my sailing. Interislander staff, on the other hand, we’re exceptionally helpful-a member of staff actually drove me to my hotel on arrival because of the delay.
"Does what it says on the tin!"
Check in easy, ship left on time, food tasty, staff very helpful and pleasant and facilities clean and tidy. Not a huge amount of passengers when we sailed so plenty of room to sit. Really nice crossing and we had an escort of dolphins.
"Very enjoyable experience "
We were blessed with lovely, calm weather so had a very smooth and comfortable trip. We were in the Premium Lounge and had access to free food - both hot and cold - and to free drinks. The seats were comfortable and well spaced out, and we were abke to go out onto a private area at the back of the boat. The staff were attentive and friendly. All in all, a very enjoyable experience.
"Great trip"
We had good weather and calm seas so that obviously helped make the crossing great. The checkin procedure was easy, and the staff confirmed our free Direct Ferries upgrade to the Plus Lounge. Service there was excellent, and free drinks and food added to the experience. The scenery in the Marlborough Sounds is spectacular!
"Picton to Wellinton crossing"
The most amazing ferry trip ever! The views on leaving Picton were just fantastic. Would recommend this crossing to anyone.
"Picton to Wellington"
The ferry was on time until it came to unloading at Wellington. Foot passengers were held on board and had to disembark via bus due to issues with passenger ramp. Not great when on a timetable for the airport. On a positive note it was great the staff highlighted a pod of Dolphins which joined us for part of the journey across Cook Strait.
"Excellent "
Very pleasant journey
"Enjoyable trip"
Upon check in we were pleasantly surprised that food and drinks were included in our fare and we should sit in the special lounge. And we were very well taken care of by the staff. The food and drinks tasted grate and we were sitting very comfortable enjoying the trip.
"A very pleasant journey with Interislander ferry "
Everything was very easy from check in to check out. The staff was very helpful and the ferry was clean and well maintained. The food and drinks in the lounge were perfect. We were so lucky to be upgraded. Thanks a lot Hanne and Rudolph
"Not Rough"
11.00 sailing and boarding was quick and smooth, we were a party of 6 and had the ‘upper class’ facilities where the staff are very good, the complimentary food and drink is worth the additional cost. Once in Wellington there was a problem with unloading the foot passengers (us and another 120 people), had to wait 50 mins to get off the boat via bus to the terminal. No real explanation and somewhat odd, just took the enjoyment away and a bit annoying end to the journey.
"Happy traveler "
Great service, great food, very nice ship.
"Great service"
Lovely way to travel from south island to north island so relaxing and staff are very helpful and friendly. Lovely food provided in plus lounge. Views spectacular.
"Ferry scheduled time changed but Direct Ferries did not inform me so missed connection at arrival po"
Extremely disappointed with Direct Ferries in that they did not inform me that the time of my Ferry had changed. This resulted in my Wife and myself missing our onward transport connections at the arrival port and meant we had to make very urgent alternative arrangements that meant we incurred significant additional costs. We made our booking in June 2019 (8 months before journey) via Direct Ferries for the Interislander Aratere ship from Wellington to Picton for departure at 14:15 on Friday 7th February 2020. We arrived at Wellington Aotea Quay only to be told that Ferry time has now been changed to 16:00. We had already booked onward transport at 18:15 for the InterCity 'connected to ferry' bus service at 18:15 from Picton to Blenheim. Contacted InterCity to confirm that the bus time had also changed to align with the Ferry changed times. Only to be informed that bus time remains the same and that the bus does not now connect with the Ferry !!! Incredible. The helpful staff at the Interislander Service Desk somehow managed to arrange transport for us from Picton to Blenheim however at significant costs due to the lack of available transfer options at short notice of of being an 'on the day' request, on a Friday evening and it was the Blenheim Wine Festival next day> Therefore most transport vehicles already booked and very very limited options available. If Direct Ferries had informed me of the change to the scheduled time of the Ferry when it happened, then I could have rescheduled my onward travel and not incurred the significant additional costs, plus the stress, of having to urgently try to arrange transport on a Friday night at the Blenheim Wine Festival. The cost of the hastily arranged onward transfer cost me more than the cost of the Ferry journey for my Wife and myself plus I also lost the cost of 2 pre-booked bus journeys. As there is no opportunity in this review survey to give feedback on Direct Ferries itself then I offer the following : Direct Ferries Communications : 0 Stars How likely is it that you would recommend Direct Ferries to a friend or colleague? (scale 0 to 10) : 0 - not at all likely The rest of the feedback in this review is now about the Ferry and the journey itself.
"Good and Bad!"
We travelled from Picton and back from Wellington to Picton and enjoyed fabulous, smooth and very scenic afternoon passages. The staff were helpful the food freshly cooked. Our seats were comfortable and the loading was quick and professionally directed. However we were not impressed by Direct Ferries bookings as we were under the impression we had booked lounge access and feel that the booking process needs to be looked at by trading standards and we will be considering taking action, a cheap meal voucher is not the same thing and Direct Ferries did not answer my emails.
"Picton to Wellington"
Had a very good trip with interislander from Picton to Wellington. Much to our surprise direct Ferries had included a 30nzd voucher for food and beverage. So very happy with that. Thanks
"Bad Timing"
I took the ferry from Wellington to Picton and back again. Both were late leaving, the Picton ferry at 10.45am on 6th February left at 12.15pm! Staff and crew were very good, but Picton ferry very crowded. The whole journey took so long, very disappointed.
"Lovely experience "
The views coming out of Picton are stunning and there are lots of places to go on deck to view the scenery. The lounge was comfortable and food and drink were of a very good standard. Staff were attentive, friendly and helpful.
"Travelling to and from South Island"
My wife and I travelled to South Island on the Kaitaki and back on the Aratere. Both journeys were excellent and the plus lounge well worth the extra cost. We would certainly use this service again.
"Lazy Cruise to Picton"
After waiting more than 3hrs following a delayed sailing as Picton was 'closed' following a gas leak on a train we left at 4:05 PM. The voyage was glorious and the scenery breathtaking. We also enjoyed the plus lounge facilities with great customer service from the staff enjoying the free food and drink whilst sitting back in absolute comfort. First class trip all around 😃
"Wonderful"
What an amazing trip. The staff were most helpful and happy from checking in to getting off the ferry. The trip itself was wonderful, beautiful, breathtakingly gorgeous. I am so pleased I deceived to use ferry rather than plane to get from one island to the other. The whole journey was wonderful. Thank you 💜
"Good experience "
Thank you for the free vouchers you gave me, I really appreciate it, expecially lounge experience in the way back. It was alsom.
"Superb"
Everything went smoothly, the food and lounge were great. Very enjoyed the trip. Better than air travel by miles
"A great journey!"
It was great fun on the ferry, the views of the sounds were amazing, and so good to enjoy them at a leisurely pace. All the staff were very polite and helpful, and I got upgraded to the premium lounge which was very quiet and had nice food.
"Great Crossing"
Friendly staff both at check-in and in the lounge. Overall very satisfied.
"Great trip over "
Great trip over, very lucky with the weather which was a big plus, staff very friendly and helpful
"New Zealand 2"
I used Direct Ferries 2 years ago to go the opposite direction and went perfect, so was obvious to book you again, which was even better trip with plus lounge thrown in
"Fantastic crisding"
Great ship. The upgrade to the plus lounge was worth every dollar. Will certainly use this service again when in new Zealand
"Lovely journey "
Was a lovely surprise to find out we had been upgraded to plus. Free food an drink. Staff were lovely. Couldn't do enough for you
"Better than a boat tour"
This ferry crossing is more like a tour - hour 1 beautiful scenery, hour 2 open water, hour 3 beautiful scenery! Booking through direct ferries also qualifies you for lounge access which is well worth it - large comfortable seats/ arm-chairs, complimentary food (plentiful and good quality) and complimentary drinks - good selection of wines, beers, soft drinks. Even if you do not need to transfer between islands, I would still do the crossings in place of a tour!!
"Ferry crossing "
Although we appreciated a voucher worth $15 to spend on food The food was not very nice and I couldn’t eat my bacon and scrambled eggs The eggs were cold and the bacon was undercooked with tough bits of sinew in it. The toast was not cooked either! I asked for brown toast and got white toast cold and chewy
"Interislander"
Good all round ferry experience
"Great service "
We had a great trip over from Picton to Wellington. Very speedy & smooth check in, friendly & helpful staff. Excellent value for money.
"Ferry Picton to wellington"
Booked for Picton to Wellington with direct ferries . Highly impressive, easy to book , easy to change dates , had lower prices when all other booking companies had put their prices up for Christmas holidays, and gave us $60 free food vouchers to use onboard the ferry, wow wouldn’t use any one else now , thanks
"Smooth sailing"
I enjoyed the trip across the cook strait. I book through direct ferries and got a free upgrade. Included was a great selection of beer, wine and food. All very good and tasty
"Wonderful "
Love direct ferries. Booking is easy. Recognized at the terminal. Lounge privilege perk was great.
"Beautiful sea crossing"
Beautiful scenery and calm crossing made for a very pleasant experience.
"A great experience"
The boat ride was brilliant and booking through direct ferries was easy and with an added bonus of the private lounge. This gave you good bad drink and access to an adults only zone with free wi-fi.
"Smooth as silk"
Great journey from start to finish. Easy check in, friendly attendant. Short wait on quayside for loading but the all done very quickly. Nice lounge, very comfortable Great crossing, weather on our side. Unloading easy too
"Good trip from picton to Wellington "
We got there early thinking that the sailing was at 2:45 pm, so we were there at 1:30. Then we found out it wasn’t sailing til 4 pm. It wasn’t a major problem just would have been good to know. We had a bonus bin that we were given plus lounge tickets so that was nice, comfy seats and free food and drink. Our crossing was smooth and enjoyable. Arriving into Queen Charlotte sound is perfect.
"Interislander "
This was a great and smooth crossing. Staff in the Aratere Plus lounge were amazing. Food was good.
"Between Islands"
Sailing from Picton to Wellington very smooth and comfortable. Boarding orderly and without fuss. All crew very helpful and friendly. Food of a very high standard.
"Smooth crossing "
Really enjoyed our crossing to Picton. We had booked to go in the plus lounge and this was a treat. Service was first rate and the complimentary meal and drinks a bonus. Although a windy day the crossing itself was no problem and we arrived on time.
"Absolutely excellent service"
We booked our ferry tickets last minute and were pleasantly surprised to find that as we had booked through Directferries we received a complimentary ‘Plus lounge’ ticket. The lounge was a wonderful experience from start to finish. As we are both vegan, we were not able to eat much of the free buffet or lunch. The staff went above and beyond and sourced us a fully vegan meal each, and advised on which snacks from the buffet were suitable. The lounge was extremely comfortable and the facilities clean. Overall a great experience.
"Great experience"
A really nice trip. The waiters catered to my vegetarian requirements and were absolutely lovely. They made my day and made me feel welcome.
"Picton to Wellington Interislander"
Although we arrived very early at the terminal, they were very happy to check both us and our 4 pieces of luggage in. As for passengers. The cafe was a very nice place to sit having a coffee before the journey. We had the plus lounge which was well worth it as you could have as much food and drink as you would like throughout the trip. Getting off and return of luggage was equally as efficient. I would definitely travel with them again.
"Lovely experience "
Travelled in the plus lounge on the Interislander and couldn't fault a single aspect. Lounge was comfortable, food was lovely and the staff were very polite and attentive.
"Fantastic upgrade"
Direct ferries offered an upgrade to the premium lounge which was well worth the few extra dollars for free wi fi comfortable private lounge and waitress service for free snacks and drinks including wine and beer. Excellent morning crossing with bucks fizz. Staff so helpful nothing too much trouble.
"Nice upgrade.."
When booking there was a space available upgrade to the premium plus lounge and on both crossings this was honoured. Very handy as the crossing is over three hours. Had I booked direct with the ferry company it would have been £5 cheaper but with no lounge access. For £5 difference, we’ll worth it.
"Disappointing"
Having pre booked the Plus Lounge, we were very disappointed that when we arrived in the Plus Lounge the food had gone, we had a campervan and were one of the last to be loaded on to the ferry, the lounge was very busy with rugby fans who had eaten everything in sight, very unfair for those who arrive late to the lounge as they are loading their vehicles, most of the lounge were foot passengers. Maybe access could be allowed once everyone has been loaded rather than during.
"Fantastic experience "
Great service, great staff and super easy check in. On time to leave and arrived early.
"Good service"
Customer service was great and driving was made easy in the terminal.
"Ferry experience"
All staff were very friendly and professional. We were given a food voucher for journey which went a long way in purchasing coffee and lunch as well as snacks for our journey. My husband ate fish and chips which were delicious and I had vegetarian lasagne with a lovely salad, so happy there was catering for vegetarians. The trip was a dream crossing, sun was shining and seas were calm. Getting on and off with car was very smooth and trouble free.
"Scenic cruise"
Great views on our trip across the Cook straight, we took the upgrade to the lounge but not sure ir was worth the extra.
"A good crossing from Picton to Wellington"
A good crossing and easy embarkation onto the ferry. Catering awful though and not enough seats. Toilets became unusable after a while! Just one Barman serving everyone AND making the hot drinks is pitiful. I waited 25 minutes for a cup of coffee.
"Très déçue !"
J’ai réservé un ferry aller- retour en Nouvelle Zélande pour 5 personnes. Par précaution, j’ai pris l’assurance me permettant de modifier ou d’annuler le ferry 48 heures à l’avance. Le voyage aller s’est très bien passé. Lorsque je veux annuler le retour 10 jours à l’avance on me répond que c’est impossible ! A quoi servent les assurances ? Très déçue de directferries . Aucun dédommagement !
"Great way to start you South Island Adventures "
Got the 6.45 ferry from Wellington and saw a beautiful Sunrise this is always good start to your day. ..Then once aboard I didn't know but had pass to the breakfast buffet,well what a surprise. Delicious hot breakfast ,good coffee and friendly staff .Then on deck and feeling that warm Sun and see the amazing landscape of the South Island..As we got close to port there views where spectacular. Overall very good value, friendly staff and great experience. ..Looking forward to next time..
"Great experience"
Great sailing. Managed to save quite a bit booking through direct ferries and on top of that were given lounge passes. I would certainly recommend booking through direct ferries and sailing on the Interislander. The staff in the lounge were very friendly and range of food and drinks great.
"Ferry Crossing "
Thankfully a calm sea allowed for a perfect crossing. The views of Marlborough Sounds whilst journeying from Picton were simply stunning.
"Lovely boat journey "
Beautiful scenery and nice ferry boat, helpful staff. Checkin is laborious and I don’t know why we were told all the ferries were full before ours on the day, seemed to be plenty of spare car deck room.
"Very pleasant journey"
We had a nice relaxing time. Staff was super friendly and very helpful. We enjoyed the food and wine a lot. Time flew quickly. Thank you.
"Interislander"
Very good
"The crossing"
Left port about 30 minutes late due to heavy sea and initially it was a bit lumpy but got better from half way We booked the Plus Lounge and it eas well worth the extra money. Conformable chairs good food selection attentive service Superb senery Quick disenbarkation Altogether a good experience
"Great Journey"
Travelled as foot passengers and the check in process was quick and easy. The ferry left sharp and comfortable with suitable space. When entering the Cook Straits was a highlight the weather was sunny and breathtaking. The disembarkation was easy and cases quickly on the belt. Good value and highly recommend.
"Great trip"
Enjoyed the crossing very comfortable and great service. Hope we can use it again one day
"Smooth"
Check in was straightforward and we had a smooth and uneventful crossing. Staff were pleasant. No problems. Baggage reclaim didn’t take long. Altogether a good experience.
"Ferry across Malborough Sound"
Booked this online months earlier than arriving in NZ and everything worked out great. The port had plenty of facilities for refreshments and the ferry also had an on-board cafe. The weather was good with only a slight swell so no incidents were observed with sickness on board. The costs for food and drinks were comparable with all the other places we had visited. Easy to book easy to board and comfortable ride.
"Good trip"
Easy to book and easy to check in. Lots of room and good journey.
"Smooth sailing"
It was my first time driving a car onto the ferry. The whole process was so very easy. Instructions clear. Staff on board were friendly. Food and beverages available and reasonably priced. It really was smooth sailing. I would recommend the Interislander ferry.
