Lis2065

That is a great upgrade! We got the same on the Oosterdam for our first cruise in January last year and loved it. You have so much more space and your balcony is much bigger.

The only problem is that you'll want the bigger suite for every cruise going forward - I know I do!

I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable with the cruise line organising a cabin buddy for me! I think I'd go through one of the social network groups specifically set up for cruising solo, if I absolutely could not afford to have a cabin on my own...

I've done a lot of solo land based travel through Asia and just loved it, but sharing with someone completely unknown to me would not make for a relaxing holiday!

Every once in a while, especially late on a Sunday night, you need a Box Scaggs reference.

 

Lido o-o-o-oh!

 

(The song is from 1975's "Silk Degrees" album. Albums were big, flat spinning things that stored music before there were iPods. They could go a really long time between charges.)

Ha ha ha - love it!

Last time we went to Lautoka we went to the beautiful orchid gardens. This time I was thinking of shopping - a couple of the guys on our cruise bought clothing there - has anyone else done this?

Bread and butter pudding in the Lido every day.

YUM YUM!

HAL used to conduct the fund raising walks for Komen Breast Cancer Funding but has broadened it to include all cancers. It is no longer just breast cancer fund raising.

 

HAL as a corporation if very philanthropic and supports many good causes. They do many good works but out of headquarters in Seattle as well as on the ships and in/for various ports the ships visit. The crews aboard do a great deal of 'good works'.

 

Thanks for the clarification - good to know.

They were still doing the cancer support walks in January on the Oosterdam. I don't recall if it was specifically for breast cancer however.

Overnight stops would be great! We are booked on the Oosterdam in January and are scheduled to depart Nouméa at 3pm, which basically gives us only half a day there. Interestingly, Nouméa is one port in the itinerary that offers a range of good quality private tours...

My TA is in Toowoomba and I am in Sydney - we do almost everything by email. I recently emailed her about a new booking - response time = 30 minutes. We've booked only 3 holidays with her in the last 3 years, so a total spend of only about $15k.

I love my TA - she's fast, efficient and looks for ways of saving me money without compromising my holiday. Guess I'm lucky she was recommended to me in the first place!

I absolutely love cruising on Holland America, but find the bacon not to my taste... It's done the American way which just doesn't work for this Aussie... It's the only thing I wish they'd change as I only ever have a cooked breakfast when cruising.

Is it a deal breaker - no - there are lots of other lovely things to eat.

And we always, always drink water with meals!

Definitely Manly by ferry and Taronga zoo! I drove past Darling Harbour this morning and it looks very messy at the moment, so I'd give it a miss.

Bridge climb would be great - every friend of mine who has done it has loved it! I'm a local and haven't done it myself yet....

The Opera house has lots of different shows on - some good, some not so, but we all have different tastes. Dress is smart casual, although you will see some people in jeans and others in black tie!

Also, give a thought to heading to the northern beaches - Whale beach etc. They are lovely, and not anywhere near as commercial as Bondi or Manly.

Cheers - have a great time!

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We've been on a couple of HAL cruises out of Sydney going to the Pacific Islands of 12 and 14 days. This was in January each time when the weather was very warm AND during local school holidays... It was great, with many different age groups - probably due to the time of year! I'm 52 and my partner is 67, so we aren't seriously old just yet, but we do like the Holland America service and style.

For more active cruises with zip lines and rock climbing walls out of Sydney to the Pacific you should check out Carnival or Royal Caribbean - they look pretty good, although I've not cruised with them.

Most locations you won't need your passport in the pacific.

We only take our cabin passes, towels, water and enough money for food and souvenir shopping.

I also slip my work photo pass into a separate area of my backpack for ID purposes if our cabin passes go missing as a back up!

Oosterdam, January 2 - 2015, Pacific Treasures!!!!

I'm 51 and DH is 67 - we love HAL, but haven't cruised with anyone else so haven't got anything to compare it to. Love the pace, the style and the atmosphere... But its an individual choice I believe!

Only thing that disappointed me on the Oosterdam was the coffee - it was horrible. Definitely go to coffee shops when in port to get your fix!

The Batista's at Explorations cafe are a delight however I don't think the coffee they have to work with is good at all....