Trans Pacific Cruise Questions

[Birdhunter67]

My wife and I are looking at the 50 day Trans Pacific cruise from Auckland to Seattle in March 2026.  It will be on the Noordam. Can anyone who has been on a similar cruise with HA provide some insight into the following:
1) Did you get “tired” of being on a cruise for this long? We have done 14 day cruises before and want to do a longer cruise but is 50 days too many?  We do like sea days. 
2) Did you get tired of eating in the MDR or the Lido?
3) I now this is a very general question but are there good beaches in the islands within walking distance to the cruise ports - ones not to miss and ones to be avoided?

4) Does HA provide additional or varied on board activities on long cruises?

5) What is the weather like in the South Pacific in March / early April?

6) Anything we should be aware of in undertaking this cruise?

 

Thanks in advance for any responses!

 

[Btimmer]

52 minutes ago, Birdhunter67 said:

My wife and I are looking at the 50 day Trans Pacific cruise from Auckland to Seattle in March 2026.  It will be on the Noordam. Can anyone who has been on a similar cruise with HA provide some insight into the following:
1) Did you get “tired” of being on a cruise for this long? We have done 14 day cruises before and want to do a longer cruise but is 50 days too many?  We do like sea days. 
2) Did you get tired of eating in the MDR or the Lido?
3) I now this is a very general question but are there good beaches in the islands within walking distance to the cruise ports - ones not to miss and ones to be avoided?

4) Does HA provide additional or varied on board activities on long cruises?

5) What is the weather like in the South Pacific in March / early April?

6) Anything we should be aware of in undertaking this cruise?

 

Thanks in advance for any responses!

 

We've done a number of trans Pacific cruises on HAL (both directions). I'll try to answer your questions.

 

1.  We've done many cruises over 30 days and don't get bored.  We've always found activities to suit our interests.

2.  No.  We've eaten many consecutive days in the LIDO with no problem.  Generally we don't eat in the MDR because we like to enjoy the 7:30pm entertainment on the Main Stage.

3.  Re: beaches it really depends upon the port.

4.  Sometimes there have been addition enrichment lectures and additional craft type activities or music lessons (ukelele, etc.)

5.  Weather has been no issue for us at any time except circling Japan.

6.  Start with a positive attitude and have a mind set to enjoy yourself.

 

With all of that said, we're embarking on a Princess ship in Sydney in a couple weeks to do a trans Pacific on the Majestic Princess to try out another cruise line and a bigger ship.  I already know that the number of our port stops are far fewer than on a comparable HAL cruise.

[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. 

 

 

[Mary229]

We are just off a 35 day South Pacific cruise.  We were not bored with any aspect except one and enjoyed the cruise but would not do it again. We are daily exercisers and the gym and promenade are not our style.  I like to wander in the great outdoors, ambling about.  After 8 days straight at sea I felt like an albino cave slug.😂.  It is something to consider for those who enjoy an active physical lifestyle

[Cruise Junky]

We’re booked on the 36 day version and really thought about the 50. First…the HAL New Zealand portion is a very very good itinerary but we felt we wanted to mix things up a bit instead of 50 days on the same ship.  We ended up booking Discovery Princess 8 days Auckland to Sydney, then the 12 day Southern Australia cruise, same cabin, same ship. That puts us into Sydney three days before Noordam sails on the 36 Day TransPacific.    We thought that would mix things up a bit, give us a few days in Auckland, a few days in Sydney and two different ships.  

[bcummin]

Great ideas here.  We love eating dinner in the Main Dining Room, and do not tire of their good food.  Ask, if you want something not on the menu.  The ms Noordam is a lovely ship with the full promenade all around the ship, offering all of the walking exercise that you want.  I always wish that I could stay on the ship longer.  You will probably love this long voyage.

Barbara

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, Birdhunter67 said:

My wife and I are looking at the 50 day Trans Pacific cruise from Auckland to Seattle in March 2026.  It will be on the Noordam. Can anyone who has been on a similar cruise with HA provide some insight into the following:
1) Did you get “tired” of being on a cruise for this long? We have done 14 day cruises before and want to do a longer cruise but is 50 days too many?  We do like sea days. 
2) Did you get tired of eating in the MDR or the Lido?
3) I now this is a very general question but are there good beaches in the islands within walking distance to the cruise ports - ones not to miss and ones to be avoided?

4) Does HA provide additional or varied on board activities on long cruises?

5) What is the weather like in the South Pacific in March / early April?

6) Anything we should be aware of in undertaking this cruise?

 

Thanks in advance for any responses!

 

 

Cruised these waters extensively, including 4 continuous months one year. While I haven't cruised with HAL, I have sailed these waters with P&O, Princess and Viking.

 

1). If you like sea days, I can't imagine you will get tired, especially as we consider 50 days a short cruise. Only issue for me is the multiple 23 hr days, not sufficient time to fit everything into the day.

 

2). I survived 4-months with exactly the same weekly menu, so i can't imagine getting tired after only 50 days with many more menu choices.

 

3). Depends on the ports

 

4). Can't comment

 

5). Since it is still TRS season in the South Pacific, from experience, you can encounter any type of weather. However, generally it is fairly hot. Once across the Equator and through the doldrums, you can experience the NE Trades, which create a good wind over the decks, since it is fwd of the beam.

 

6). Not sure of your age, but in my 20's, flights to/from Australia in Economy were easy. Now a little older, I wouldn't fly unless it was First or Business.

[sciencewonk]

We did the 34-day crossing on Noordam from San Diego to Sydney in Oct/Nov 2022.

1.  We didn't get tired or bored.  In fact, at the end of the cruise, we were sad that it was over.

2.  We ate in the MDR every night except for three nights in the specialty restaurants.  A great added bonus with fixed dining is that you get to know your waiters very well and they take extremely good care of you.

3.  I'm not a beach person, so I can't answer this question.

4.  I wasn't overwhelmed by the HAL-sponsored activities, but there was plenty to do on sea days if you went looking for it.

5.  I wasn't there at that time of year.

6.  Get to meet people.  We're introverts, so that's not easy for us, but it was worth the effort.

 

This probably won't be relevant to you, but a year after our transpacific cruise, we cruised from Auckland to Sydney on the same ship.  The first crew member we saw as we boarded Noordam was our waiter from the earlier cruise.  We ran into a lot of crew members from before and it was great to see them again.

 

I'm sure you're going to love your cruise.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

You could also go to the 2 other restaurants 

[Birdhunter67]

7 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

We’re booked on the 36 day version and really thought about the 50. First…the HAL New Zealand portion is a very very good itinerary but we felt we wanted to mix things up a bit instead of 50 days on the same ship.  We ended up booking Discovery Princess 8 days Auckland to Sydney, then the 12 day Southern Australia cruise, same cabin, same ship. That puts us into Sydney three days before Noordam sails on the 36 Day TransPacific.    We thought that would mix things up a bit, give us a few days in Auckland, a few days in Sydney and two different ships.  

Great idea!  This gives us something to think about and solves the only downside to the itinerary that I see - not enough time in Australia. 

[highscar]

And don’t forget the ceremonies crossing the equator and international date line.  Lots of fun.   Our favorite cruise.  

[whogo]

1) I did not find 38 days too many, knew I could do more, not sure about my wife. I have no clue how you will do.
2) People who tire of cruise line food must eat a much more varied diet at home than I do.
4) Yes, HAL provides onboard activities. Can you entertain yourself if they are not to your liking?

5) Heat and humidity are common near the equator. You are probably leaving the best weather of the year at home. I would prefer the reverse itinerary with a number of 25 hours days instead of 23 hour days.

6) Flying to Aukland from Georgia will be unpleasant at best, takes somewhere around 24 hours and you'll arrive two calendar days after you depart.

[AKJonesy]

We did 31 day in South America end of 2023.  On day 28 I was ready to go home.  On that trip, I was preparing for my pilot's license and used a lot of time studying.  I took a different approach to Lido on that trip promising to try everything instead of sticking to entrees I would generally like.  I'm not a Pinnacle fan because the food is too heavy for me personally, but my husband enjoyed the lunches there a few times.  We also ate at Canaletto twice and of course, MDR.  We had some pop up activities which was nice.  I probably would not do anything over 30 days unless it was port heavy.  I like to get out and take a look around. 

[Dutchman48]

16 hours ago, Birdhunter67 said:

My wife and I are looking at the 50 day Trans Pacific cruise from Auckland to Seattle in March 2026.  It will be on the Noordam. Can anyone who has been on a similar cruise with HA provide some insight into the following:
1) Did you get “tired” of being on a cruise for this long? We have done 14 day cruises before and want to do a longer cruise but is 50 days too many?  We do like sea days. 
2) Did you get tired of eating in the MDR or the Lido?
3) I now this is a very general question but are there good beaches in the islands within walking distance to the cruise ports - ones not to miss and ones to be avoided?

4) Does HA provide additional or varied on board activities on long cruises?

5) What is the weather like in the South Pacific in March / early April?

6) Anything we should be aware of in undertaking this cruise?

 

Thanks in advance for any responses!

 

Wife and I did the 39-day version last year and loved it. Based on that experience we booked the 30-day Japan collector voyage across the Pacific this year.

Others have answered your question pretty good. The longest stretch 6-days at sea was after leaving Hawaii. We found there was plenty to do but was glad when we hit Vancouver.