We have just travelled on Bluebridge in December 2025 and January 2026 with our family including 2 dogs, and paid for a cabin for the dogs for the trip. I cannot recommend this service highly enough. The room was comfortable, we had our own toilet and shower with complimentary dog bowls, tv with internet and a small outdoor area for the dogs to toilet and be out in the fresh air. When the boat was about to dock we were collected and escorted to our vehicle level away from all other non dog carrying passengers. So easy and we would recommend this for anyone travelling with dogs. Someone had to stay in the room at all times so great option for 2+ people, but if on your own just take enough food and water for the journey. Great job Bluebridge!
We travelled with Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries for a return crossing — Wellington to Picton and then Picton back to Wellington — and overall had a really smooth experience.nnWe took the 8:30pm sailing over and the 7:45am sailing back, and both trips were on time with no issues checking in or getting on and off the ferry. Sailing conditions were calm for us, and the views through the Sounds were great.nnIf you’re travelling with a vehicle, it’s worth allowing around 30 minutes after arrival time to disembark, as unloading can take a bit of time.nnA few areas for improvement: the bathrooms could benefit from a clean partway through the journey — understandably they get messy with so many passengers onboard, but a refresh would go a long way. The cafe queues can also be slow; having a separate line for drinks or snacks could help speed things up.nnOne main frustration was the seating in the food area, which was often taken up by people not eating — feet up on chairs or just hanging out — making it difficult for those wanting a proper sit-down meal, especially on busy morning or evening sailings. Restricting these tables to diners during peak times could really improve the experience.nnAside from those points, it was smooth sailing, well-organised, and we’d happily travel with Bluebridge again.
Great crew makes great sailing. Food nice, and the team did everything to make the time memorable and fun. Including a Spiderman activities for kids.
Anyone complaining about the boarding times has probably never taken a ferry in Europe… For my wife and me, it was an excellent experience: we loaded the car within a perfectly reasonable timeframe, settled on the passenger deck, and had a dinner that was more than decent for ferry standards seriously — try ferries elsewhere in the world.nA big plus for the beautiful sunset over Shakespeare Bay.
We traveled with Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries and experienced significant price fluctuations for bringing a car onboard. To save costs, we opted for a later ferry, which was considerably cheaper. Additionally, we booked a cabin, but unfortunately, it was not clean. There were chip crumbs on the floor, and the toilets were not properly maintained. The ferry was supposed to have two passenger viewing decks, but we were unable to access them as the stairs from Deck 5 were closed, and none of the stairs indicated on the map were accessible.
