With the quarter, semi, and bronze finals and finals taking place in Auckland and Wellington, rugby lovers will also get the chance to explore the host country’s spectacular cities. And with Wellington voted as one of the top four cities by the Lonely planet’s 2011 guide, it’s definitely worth exploring. You can watch the world pass by at the harbour, check out the Botanical Gardens, ride the Wellington Cable Cars or be amazed at the Carter Observatory. And to top it off there’s also Cuba Street district, well-known for its eclectic mix of bohemian cafes, boutiques, galleries and music shops. Or finally, for the adrenaline junkies, Wellington is also home to Adrenalin Forest, where people can dangle from a high ropes course as they push themselves to their limit.

Auckland is also hosting an explosion of events and festivals to coincide with the World Cup, including the Auckland International Boat Show, the Auckland Heritage Festival, the Diwali festival of Lights and the Kowhai Festival - an annual celebration of springtime.

For the more adventurous rugby travellers, there’s also the chance to throw caution to the wind as you scale the side of Auckland Harbour Bridge, or jump from the city’s Sky Tower. Meanwhile, wine lovers will be able to indulge in exclusive fine wine tours, and foodies can sample the gourmet delights of the historic village of Parnell, renowned for its great restaurants.

The boat itself offers something for everyone, with no less than five different restaurants and nine bars and lounges on board. In addition to this, the liner is also home to a casino, library, swimming pool, gym and health spa and also a cinema showing great Rugby games from the past – enough to keep any Rugby fan occupied.

The cruise follows the success of the Lions charted ship in New Zealand in 2005. Gareth Chilcott has fond memories of the trip:

“We all remember Jason Leonard and Jerry Guscott doing the ship pub crawl, I had to keep them company of course as their chaperon, what a night!

The ship really is a great way of seeing New Zealand, as not only is it our floating Rugby clubhouse in the middle of it all, it’s only a gang plank away from the sights of some of the greatest cities in the world. Anyone who has sailed down the Marlborough Sounds on the way to the wine festival, will tell you the country has breathtaking scenery, and to seeing it from a ship, means you will see it in a completely different way.

I for one cannot wait to get back on board, Rugby, mates, drink, food, it has everything you could want... roll on Rugby World Cup 2011!”