When visiting Queenstown, I heard a lot about the TSS Earnslaw cruise as one of the most popular tourist activities in Queenstown. Many blogs and even local friends talked it up, but at first, it seemed a bit too touristy to me. I wasn’t sure if it was just hype, or if the Earnslaw lunch/dinner cruise truly was something worth doing.
The TSS Earnslaw is an old steamship built in the early 1900s that still operates on coal with its original (renovated) machinery, which you can view on the boat. The cruise enables you to see spectacular views of Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu and experience a meal on a farm across the lake if you choose.
Traveling on a reunion trip with my parents at the time, they decided they wanted to try the TSS Earnslaw cruise. As we had other plans in the morning, we opted for the dinner/evening cruise (although 5 pm in the summer is hardly the evening; it’s the middle of the afternoon with a 9:30-10 pm sunset time)!
We lined up with dozens of other tourists to get on the ship and set off on the evening dinner cruise. And now I’m going to tell you ALL my honest opinions about it! But first a few FAQ’s:
TSS Earnslaw Queenstown FAQ
The TSS Earnslaw Cruise goes to the Walter Peak Station, a sheep station across Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown. Those who booked a buffet meal will disembark here and those who did not will cruise back to the city.
YES there is a bar and cafe on the TSS earnslaw! You can begin buying drinks as soon as you get onboard, and there are snacks too. Expect an average of $15 for basic alcoholic drinks. But don’t fill up too quickly if you have booked a dinner cruise because the buffet is top-notch.
A simple cruise is $119NZD, a Farm Tour + Afternoon Tea Cruise is $139NZD, a Lunch buffet + Cruise is $169NZD, and a dinner buffet + cruise is $189. The dinner cruise is pricier because it includes seafood (worth it).
TSS Earnslaw Cruise Options
If you are looking up options for the TSS Earnslaw cruise and are confused about the options, I’ll help clear that up for you as simply as possible.
There are four options: a 90-minute cruise, a farm tour cruise, a lunch cruise, and a dinner cruise. These all happen mostly simultaneously. The boat takes 45 minutes to get to Walter Peak High Country Farm, where ‘cruise + meal/tour’ people get off for their meal or tour, and ‘cruise only’ people stay on the ship and head back to Queenstown. When the boat gets back with the next cruise, meal/tour people get back on, etc.
TSS Earnslaw Cruise Only
Price: $119NZD
Timings: 11am (not always), 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, (seasonal) 7pm
Length: 90 minutes
Booking Link: Here is the link to book a TSS Earnslaw Cruise
If you book the cruise only, it is the cheapest option where you will be able to sail beautiful Lake Wakatipu and get unique and spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. You can get snacks and drinks at the bar and enjoy viewing the steamship machinery.
You will, however, not be able to disembark the boat across the Lake and miss out on local meals and farm experiences at the Walter Peak Station.
TSS Earnslaw Farm Tour + Afternoon Tea
Price: $139NZD
Timings: 1pm, 3pm
Length: 3.5 Hours
Booking Link: Here is the link to book a TSS Earnslaw Farm Experience + Tea
The next cheapest option is great for families with kids or those who are curious about the workings of a farm and not too excited about a buffet.
The TSS Earnslaw cruise, farm experience, and afternoon tea includes all the great views of the cruise to Walter Peak High Country Farm and back, as well as a tour of the farm and a lighter afternoon/morning tea with pastries and hot drinks.
The farm tour allows you into parts of the farm that others don’t access, where you can feed cows and sheep and also see the farm show demonstration, including shearing a sheep and sheepdog herding.
TSS Earnslaw Lunch Cruise
Price: $169 NZD
Timings: 11am, 1pm
Length: 3.5 Hours
Booking Link: Here is the link to book a TSS Earnslaw Cruise + Lunch BBQ
The TSS Earnslaw lunch cruise includes all the fabulous views and commentary on the boat cruise as well as a massive, incredible and varied BBQ lunch buffet at Walter Peak Station and a farm show.
The BBQ lunch includes lots of local meats, charcuterie, salads, warm dishes, desserts, and more – the only thing it does not include, which the dinner cruise does, is seafood. Drinks are available for purchase. The farm show will show guests how a large sheep station works and demonstrate sheep shearing and sheepdog herding.
TSS Earnslaw Evening/Dinner Cruise
Price: $189NZD
Timings: 5pm, (seasonal/day dependent) 7pm
Length: 4 hours
Booking Link: Here is the link to book a TSS Earnslaw Cruise + Dinner Buffet
The TSS Earnslaw Dinner Cruise + BBQ Buffet also includes the wonderful lake and mountain views from the steamship as well as one of the most amazing buffets I (and many people I speak to) have had!
The dinner buffet includes everything from the lunch buffet as well as seafood – which is why it’s a tad more expensive. You can expect local/farm raised chicken, pork, lamb, locally caught fish, mussels, clams, prawns, smoked salmon, and tons of salad, charcuteria, veggie, and warm sides options.
The desserts are extensive and drinks are available for purchase. This tour also includes a farm show demonstrating sheep shearing, sheep dog herding and training, and more.
Here is my video recap below of our experience on the TSS Earnslaw Dinner Cruise! There’s even a comment from the coal shoveler saying that he does indeed love his job (no joke):
TSS Earnslaw Dinner Cruise Review: Is it Worth it?
So, as I mentioned, we did the dinner cruise, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. But when we stepped onto the ship, it was like stepping back in time. It was definitely crowded, which put me off at first, but after walking around the boat a bit and feeling the breeze in my face and the UNBELIEVABLE views, it was honestly really cool.
I was shocked to see the viewing platform inside the ship where you can stand over all the incredibly complicated and old steamship machinery still working the same way it did when it was built in 1912.
There are even a few men shoveling coal into various furnaces (apparently they are paid really well for that job – as they should be!) and watching all the cogs turning was unlike anything I have seen before. It sure was hot in there, but seeing this was a unique experience by itself.
I couldn’t really hear much of the commentary on the boat due to the noise from the ship, but I think there were places where it was more audible. There is also a museum-type section on one floor where you can see old photos of the Earnslaw from when it carried sheep and cargo.
Walter Peak High Country Farm Buffet Dinner Review
After arriving at Walter Peak Station (which also has a fascinating history) for the buffet, we easily got our table number and sat down. I genuinely don’t think I’ll ever forget that view; the gardens at the station are remarkable and colorful, and the view of the lake is breathtaking. It truly is a beautiful place worth visiting.
And let’s just say that this buffet was truly one of the best of my life – and I’ve been to Vegas 😉 Honestly, though, the food here was so fresh, and you could tell all the meat and fish were recently caught. The cheese board supplies were so extensive it almost made me anxious that I could only choose a little bit of everything if I still wanted to eat other warm sides and meats (haha, I love cheese a lot).
Warm sides included a vegan mac and cheese, flavorful baked veggies, a delicious broccoli and feta dish, a potato bake, and more, and there were 5+ kinds of salads next to smoked salmon, mussels, clams, huge prawns, and local chicken, lamb, pork, fish, and more.
Walter Peak Station Farm Show
I got a little bit delayed to the farm show because I was taking artsy pictures in the garden, but I arrived at the end of the sheep shearing (which is fine because I have actually spent a day shearing sheep in Western Australia, lol).
How the farm show works is this. There’s a small stage with retractable shades and a little amphitheater where one of the farmers fills you in on the history of Walter Peak High Country Farm and demonstrates a few things. He lets you know how a big station like this functions and how they maintain it, and how they have done so through history.
He demonstrates the shearing of a sheep and explains how the wool business works. He then gets into a big demonstration about sheep and cattle dogs, how the whole industry works, what the dogs are like, and some stories. He will then let the dog (who is onstage the whole time just raring to go and chase some sheep) go off into the paddock and herd some sheep into the smaller field.
If you have never seen anything like this before, it will surely be fascinating and a true NZ experience ass much of this country functions on farming. I had never seen a sheepdog at work before, and I thought it was the most incredible thing.
Is the TSS Earnslaw Worth it?
My verdict is that I would indeed travel to Queenstown to eat this meal and see these views again. Is the TSS Earnslaw worth the hype? In my opinion, they have created an incredible product, and while still touristy, it is popular for a good reason, and it exceeded everyone’s expectations. So, YES, it’s worth the hype (and worth upgrading to the dinner cruise to try the seafood).
HOWEVER – and this is a BIG HOWEVER – I would not do the cruise only without a meal. While the views were great from the boat, I think the most spectacular part of the evening was eating the delectable meal and enjoying a local wine while strolling through the prolific, colorful flowers and manicured gardens (and I’m not even a garden person normally). The whole setting with the gardens, mountain view, lake, food, and ship was the best part for me.
So if you’re going to spend money on the TSS Earnslaw Cruise anyway, spend a bit more for one of the most memorable meals ever. We booked the dinner cruise on Viator and it was a simple and easy process.
TSS Earnslaw History
Now that we’ve gotten my review and specific info out of the way, why is this old steamship here in the first place? The TSS Earnslaw is actually one of the oldest remaining/still running coal-fired steamships on the planet.
The ship was built in Dunedin, NZ, and transported to Lake Wakatipu in parts, reassembled on the lake, and has been there ever since. The TSS Earnslaw’s function was to transport people, cargo, and stock around different parts of the Lake (mostly farms/stations) that were not reachable, as there were no roads.
However, with the construction of roads, these steamships became obsolete. That is until a travel company purchased the Earnslaw and renovated her into the tourist vessel that you see today. Read more about the Earnslaw’s history, fun facts, and even celebrities who have cruised on her here.
Who Should Book a TSS Earnslaw Cruise?
At first, I thought that this kind of cruise would be the best for older people/boomers, which is what I assumed the target audience was. But after going on the cruise, I realized that it’s a great activity for pretty much anyone.
This activity is, of course, great for older people or those with limited mobility, as there isn’t too much moving that needs to be done. The cruise is especially great for families as the farm animals and gardens may excite children, and the food is good for all ages. It would even be great for a romantic trip and date evening to impress your significant other.
I am unsure if I would have booked this solo (as I travel solo often), but I am sure the restaurant would place you somewhere along a bar or at a smaller table where you can still enjoy the views. Solo travelers could easily move around the ship, find places to sit, and enjoy the gardens and farm show alone.
This was also great for groups, and on my evening, there were big groups sitting at longer tables inside celebrating different kind of events like birthdays etc.
More on Queenstown
This is a great tour in Queenstown, but if you choose one tour to do, make it a day trip to Milford Sound from Queenstown. Trust me!
Also read this if you take the ferry from Picton to Wellington.
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