Kc52

We have done this cruise many times, as recent as 2024. 1. No, we never grew tired of the cruise as there always was so much to do if you keep and open mind to keep as busy as you wish; you will receive a daily program in advance to plan your next day. 2. In addition to the MDR and Lido, there is the Burger Bar, room service, the Canaletto, the Pinnacle restaurant and the taco bar - lots of choice for sea days 3. Yes, there are many good beaches. However, depending on where you are you must watch for jellyfish (Noomea, Australia), sharks and sharp coral. 4. Yes, sometimes there can be speakers, Polynesian or Hawaiian targeted sessions - learn to play the ukelele, make leis, hula dance etc., bridge lessons, there are lots of books, puzzles and games, trivia sessions, other games such as pickle ball, shuffleboard and table tennis, pictionary etc. etc. 5. It is very warm however, there can be sporadic rain/showers throughout the day 6. Come and try it out. Be prepared for several sea days from the Pacific Islands to North America Auckland is awesome - suggest a few days there to climatize and tour.

We are on the same cruise. The waves are quite high and have been like this last night and all day. Stage presenters took care today and at one point during a presentation, the stage curtains and other items were tied down. Also, we noticed that all hand sanitizer machines were tied to a railings. Many guests have mentioned that they are avoiding stair walking today and taking the elevators -wise decision for safety. The captain has deviated on course to provide some relief. This may continue into tomorrow, but is all part of cruising, especially through the Tasman Sea. This is a similar experience to cruising from South America to Antarctica, via the Drake Passage. Our cruise will now sail 3 sea days to Port Chalmers (Dunedin) as we cannot complete our Milford Sound cruise (we cannot achieve the speed we require to get there on schedule due to the rising seas). Daily programs have continued to be varied and interesting but everyone is looking forward to New Zealand.

We have stayed in a similar cabin and found mid ships to be noisier than aft and there was early morning noise when the deck above was being washed, chairs extended/put out etc. Otherwise, this was a beautiful ship to sail on.

We are currently on the Volendam and have been here since Nov. 22. We realize that it is one of HAL's older ships and our expectations are adjusted for that. We are very pleased with our Dolphin Deck (deck 1) room with a refurbished bathroom (walk in shower), larger TV and six floor to ceiling closets. The Crow's Nest just finished its refurbishment, and some of the lounges on floor 5 (The Mix) have also been upgraded. The food has been superb, hot, tasty and very well presented. The Main Dining room serves smaller portions which we appreciate. We are at a table for 2, requested main meals only and have received very quick service each evening (we set some expectations with our servers early in the cruise). We have had no AC issues in our room but some of the other floors "run cooler". Starlink has kept us connected with our Internet banking and email - fast and no interruptions. There is a classical music team in the Explorations Lounge and the Library area has new books, with a large selection of books guests have donated. As always, the housekeeping and dining service is excellent. Officers have requested feedback from guests which will help to continue service excellence. We are walkers and appreciate the 360 promenade deck (it is lined with some lanai rooms). Our laundry is sent out every other day (morning) and has been returned the following day. The on board maintenance staff have just refinished all of the doors leading to the promenade deck and have completed painting the outside of the ship (navy blue section) during our cruise. If we looked for problems I'm sure we would find some. But we are on vacation from cold, winter weather and appreciate the service, itinerary and warm weather.

Yum. What a great idea. We will be trying them out for sure. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you all for your bon voyage wishes. This is the first of 3 joined cruises - escaping the cold winter weather.

I would suggest enquiring about the Flight Ease fares from Holland America and do your own search for flights as well. We do this when we fly and have had luck in finding the best route, airline, timing and cost - sometimes HAL and other times not. In terms of hotels, there are several in downtown Vancouver near the port. The Pan Pacific is expensive but this is exactly where the port is (they are joined). There are many hotels within a few miles of the port which would be less costly. If you arrive early before your cruise and want to explore, staying in the downtown would be best to connect with busses, LRT skytrain transit etc.

We were advised that 1. the ship prefers to know who are in the dining room should there be an emergency debarkation and 2. if you have a table assignment and do not show up for 15-20 minutes after the time you usually dine, the table may be reassigned. This we heard on a Grand cruise several years ago.

I once had a pair of expensive PUMA shorts missing. When I contacted Guest Services, they forwarded the details to Seattle and I was reimbursed my cost - I had purchased them 1 year earlier. I did watch for them perhaps being worn around the ship as this did happen to a friend I once cruised with.

Hi Jacqui, Please add us to the future cruise list as follows: 18 day Circle Hawaii on the Volendam, embarking Nov. 22/23 24 day Historical Baja Penninsula and Sea of Cortez holiday, on the Volendam, B2B, embarking Dec. 10/23 94 day Grand Australia and New Zealand Voyage on the Volendam, B2B, embarking Jan 3/24 18 day Circle Hawaii on the Koningsdam, embarking Jan. 28/25 35 day Hawaii, Tahiti & Marquesas, B2B, on the Koningsdam, embarking Feb. 15/25 14 day Mexican Riviera, Wine Country and Pacific Northwest, on the Koningsdam, B2B, embarking Mar 22/25 Thank you!

Would love to see your findings and list of the 49 cutbacks, if that is possible.

Hotels - With respect to hotels, lots of hotels available in downtown Vancouver that are very close to the cruise port. The hotels nearest the port are generally more expensive. Transit - If you fly into Vancouver airport, there is LRT (light rail transit) also know as the Sky Train for $9.00 dollars from the airport to the downtown - just need to know which station to disembark at in the downtown - closest to your hotel or the cruise port (Waterfront station). The LRT trains leave every 10 minutes (about a 26 minute ride). I think a two zone fare is required. This compares to a $25-$30 (plus tip if you wish) taxi fare which is dependent upon traffic. Air - I agree that booking through HAL or an airline may not be best - depends upon how comfortable you are with the process - refundable and cancellable options may help. Would strongly recommend arriving at least one day before the cruise, to ensure that you have time to adjust to the time change, and don't miss your cruise ship departure. Lots to do by foot or bus around Vancouver. Depending on what connections you make for your flight, there are lots of flights daily from Toronto, Calgary or Seattle to Vancouver airport. Hope this helps.

We have done this flight from Vancouver and LA many times and toured around Australia and New Zealand 9 times. The flight time differences between departing YVR and LA are only a few hours difference...we preferred not to fly out of or into LA as this still adds on wait time between flights and getting around LA airport is not very easy. We agree - one long flight was more pleasurable than stop overs along the way. We travelled economy and were fine but if you require room in and around your seats, economy may not be the best choice. Most time we sat in economy seats at the back of the plane - two seats together with room around them. Flights from Vancouver to Sydney arrive in the early morning, giving you time to get to a hotel, brief rest, than explore. With respect to Australia, I would recommend flying into Sydney and staying in a hotel for 2-3 days before departing on a relaxing cruise from Sydney. This provides you with time to adjust to the time difference which is huge, and not get too overtired. There are many cruise options - around Australia's coast, over to New Zealand, Sydney to Vancouver or San Diego or even north to Singapore - depends on what time of year you choose to travel. Remember that our seasons (North America vs, Australia are reversed - summer here is winter there). We have visited Australia in all seasons and found the climate to be warm in the center, along the east coast, and in the north (Darwin) - moderate in Tasmania. If you travel to New Zealand - great weather there as well, and a very scenic and interesting country. There is a lot to see around Sydney (Circular Quay, Hop On Hop Off bus, trains to the Blue Mountains area, short cruises around Sydney Harbour, the Bridge, Opera House, Bondi Beach, Hyde Park etc. etc.) but I would also recommend other cities such as Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne and Tasmania. Lots of history to explore throughout the country. We have also done a bus tour from Adelaide in the south, through wine country to Coober Pedy (opals), Ayers Rock and north to Darwin - a great naturalist with a bit of history tour. Our favourite cruise is the circumnavigation of Australia - lots of beauty, Great Barrier Reef, different cultural sites, and history galore (Darwin WW2, penal sites in Sydney, Perth and Tasmania etc.). Good luck and have fun making a selection for this fabulous vacation.

We were on the ill fated 2020 Amsterdam Grand World Cruise, and just recently resumed cruising with HAL. After 3 flights to get home we became more aware of the significance and sadness the pandemic caused. Of particular worry at the time was the spreading virus, although we did not have a thorough idea of its extent, and the declining world economy (particularly the stock market). We were very thankful that Perth, Australia accepted our ship into port, after sailing from Cairns without porting. We recall that the staff were very helpful, up to our disembarkation, and gave us a rousing farewell as we walked down the gangplank. Some great memories, mixed with some sadmess as well.