Curious about Volendam - NZ/Australia

[LindaJ+]

What can you tell me??

[onthegogirl]

Hi Linda,

 

Have sailed the Volendam twice, once a 19 day Au/Nz round trip from Sydney and, this spring, the 34 circumnavigation of AU. Both cruises were awesome.

 

The Volendam is an older mid-sized vessel with a flower theme. She has three banks of elevators and it is very easy to get around. She also has the wonderful aft sea view pool. Her library is large and comfortable the food in the dining room ample and tasty. She is going into drydock later this year so she should be sparkling for the next season down under. She has one of the best crews in the fleet, bar none!!!!!

 

The Au/Nz cruise is vary port intensive with very few sea days. Each of the we visited was charming in it's own way. The architecture, culture, wildlife and wine are interesting and the locals are some of the nicest folks you ever want to meet.

 

Highly recommend both the ship and the itinerary.

 

Carole

[LoyHAL]

Thanks, Carole, for the info. I'm already getting excited about our NZ cruise next February.

LoyHAL

[BaltiGator]

The Volendam is an older mid-sized vessel with a flower theme. She has three banks of elevators and it is very easy to get around. She also has the wonderful aft sea view pool. Her library is large and comfortable the food in the dining room ample and tasty. She is going into drydock later this year so she should be sparkling for the next season down under. She has one of the best crews in the fleet, bar none!!!!!

 

I wish the highlighted part were true but I don't think it is. HAL's "destination calendar" shows a drydock for Volendam in the first half of December, but her current offerings include a sailing during that same time. It seems she won't go into drydock until April, AFTER the 2011 season down under. :(

[jcrandle]

We did a 28 day cruise on the Volendam in January 2010. The first 14 days from Sydney to Sydney were the South Pacific islands. The second 14 days (

Sydney to Sydney were the New Zealand circumnavigation. We enjoyed both portions, but the NZ trip was fabulous. The locals were so eager to share their heritage, we were blown away by their welcome. I don't want to take away form the Vanautu and New Caledonia and Fiji, as these folks were very hospitable.

[Sir PMP]

What can you tell me??

 

 

Ask me?;)

[Australian family]

What do you want to know?

 

Also look at the port of calls threads, heaps of information on them.

[LindaJ+]

I guess I want to know if people think this is a good way to see New Zealand. I would think touring Australia would take more time on land. Since the 14-day trip ends in Sydney, do people stay there for some additional time after the cruise?

[rugbypopsie]

Hi Linda I am an Aussie but i can tell you that NZ is a fabulous country to cruise around....happy to answer any questions you might have regarding ports etc. Have not sailed HAL yet..until Jan next year but I did the NZ ports on the Diamond Princess.

 

Spending some time in Sydney after the cruise...well you can and you will really have a great time in a fantastic part of the world..or for a little more on the cruise fare you could do the 28 days in Jan around NZ and then onto the South Pacific islands ending in Sydney again.

 

Hope to meet some of you onboard.

 

 

[onthegogirl]

I guess I want to know if people think this is a good way to see New Zealand. I would think touring Australia would take more time on land. Since the 14-day trip ends in Sydney, do people stay there for some additional time after the cruise?

 

I always make it a point to spend extra time in Sydney both before and after the cruise. It is one of my favorite cities. I usually take in a performance at the Opera House, take the ferry to the Toronga Zoo, Manley and Watson's Bay for lunch. Various tours go to the Blue Mountains. It's a full day experience. Really enjoyed it but not sure it I would do it again.

 

Sydney offers a great deal. You can get a one day or one week pass that gives you access to the buses, ferries and trains. It's a great way to get around and see the sites. I usually give my pass to someone checking in at the hotel when I'm checking out, if I leave before it expires.

 

As for seeing NZ, the cruise is a great introduction but be warned you will want to go back again to spend more time in the great ports.

 

Enjoy,

 

Carole

[candance]

I will be on Volendam in Feb 2011. We port in Melbourne, Burnie, Christchurch, Picton, Wellington, Napier and Tauranga. Does anyone have recommendations on must sees in any of these ports or local tour companies that do 1-day excursions for ships? Candance

[Australian family]

I will be on Volendam in Feb 2011. We port in Melbourne, Burnie, Christchurch, Picton, Wellington, Napier and Tauranga. Does anyone have recommendations on must sees in any of these ports or local tour companies that do 1-day excursions for ships? Candance

 

Wellington is easy enough to walk around. You will have to get a shuttle bus into town, which there is a charge, the only port where we had to pay for a shuttle. We thought the Wellington council wasn't very welcoming as they wanted us to pay adult fares for our two daughters.

 

Once in town you can walk around, catch the cable car up the hill, walk through the botanical gardens, which are just beautiful, once down the bottom at the rose gardens you can get a bus back upto the top, which goes through some lovely streets, and then catch the cable car back down. Also visit the muesum which is free of charge down on the harbour.

 

I can't comment on other ports for tour operators as we did not use any. Go to the Aust/NZ port section and you will find heaps of information.

[Mary Ellen]

candance - Have you checked the 'Ports of Call' forums here? There is a wealth of information there on Australia and New Zealand.

[boards]

I hope that Hal will offer the 34 day circumnavigation cruise again soon, like in 2012. We had booked the first one but had to cancel.

[onthegogirl]

I hope that Hal will offer the 34 day circumnavigation cruise again soon, like in 2012. We had booked the first one but had to cancel.

 

Hi boards,

 

I remember when you posted that you had to cancel. I'm so sorry as you missed a wonderful experience. Keep lobbying HAL to do it again. I'd jump on it if they did.

carole

[Cinder Again]

I will be on Volendam in Feb 2011. We port in Melbourne, Burnie, Christchurch, Picton, Wellington, Napier and Tauranga. Does anyone have recommendations on must sees in any of these ports or local tour companies that do 1-day excursions for ships? Candance

We did walking tours of most of the towns you mentioned, with the exception of Burnie, which is pretty rural. We took a ships excursion there to a glow worm cave, which I could miss, if I went again. We did like the wildlife refuge that was part of that tour, though. The walking tours were easily found online. Most of them involved "locals" taking us around, usually for little or no money. Very nice way to tour these beautiful cities.