Review-Volendam "Down Under"-Oct. 24-Nov. 7-New Zealand and Australia

[the yo yo]

So if we have second seating we will not see any shows? Or no drinks before dinner.

[Robin7]

So if we have second seating we will not see any shows? Or no drinks before dinner.

 

Shows were at 7pm and 9pm. We were on excursions that went until nearly 8pm, so we were unable to go to the 7pm show and were not done eating until after the 9pm show had begun. It was an unusual cruise.

 

As far as naming staff, it's just my opinion, and, surely, in the grand scheme of things, my opinion counts very little.

 

Robin

[ManCruisersUK]

Hi Robin7

 

Wonderful post than you so much, we are on the 19th December sailing from Auckland going out a week earlier, we are from Cheshire Uk.

 

We have 60th and 50th birthdays this year so this is special for us, we are cruisers but just the past 5 years or so, first time on HAL.

 

We booked this cruise because it is in sydney on New Years EVE.

 

Did your itinerary always include Tasmania, or was it a change due to weather?

 

We are hoping that we do not lose any ports due to bad weather etc, as we did not expect bad weather at all on this cruise!

 

Your blog and pics are wonderful and your review of the ship has helped us so much re what to expect.

 

We havn't decided yet whether to take the HAL trips or go our own way, what would be your general opinion please?

 

cheers and thanks

 

Rob & Pauline, Cheshire UK

[Robin7]

Did your itinerary always include Tasmania, or was it a change due to weather?

 

 

We havn't decided yet whether to take the HAL trips or go our own way, what would be your general opinion please?

 

Thank you for your kind words.

 

Tasmania was always on the itinerary. We docked in Burnie, though, not Hobart. The mayor came out to meet us! It's nice to go to ports where we are welcomed, instead of the "oh-another-cruise-ship" attitude you get in the Caribbean and Mexico.

 

We did both HAL excursions and private tours. I'm working on the post for the ports today. I hope to post it tonight.

 

Robin

[BlackJack2]

Hi Robin -

What shore excursions did you take in each port? We are still trying to decided what to do in some of the ports and would like your insight!!

[Barbadon]

Thank you Robin for your posts. We were on the Volendam for the 31 day repositioning cruise just prior to yours. Everything went smoothly with calm seas. We loved it. A number of guests had a mild respiratory infection, but it was just an annoyance. We, too, loved Captain Bos. We did regret not being able to see South Island. You certainly are filling us in on ALL we missed. Are you going to tell us more about Christchurch and Dunedin? So sorry you missed Milford Sound. We hope to go back some day to see the rest of that spectacular country.

[aussiedisneyfan]

I have just thought of a question for you Robin...

 

Do you happen to know if they sold NZ travel guides such as Frommers, Fodors, Lonely Planet etc and how much they were. I would like to buy one and they are usually much cheaper in USD, except maybe exchange rates now and also I then don't have to lug it over on the plane.

[Ando]

Thanks Robin - really enjoying your posts.

We also missed Milford Sound due to extreme weather on our previous cruise on Diamond Princess. Really hoping we make it in this time.

Hmmmm....perhaps it's a ploy by the cruise lines to keep you coming back for more NZ cruises....LOL

 

We have also experienced the fat singer/bad comedian on a previous cruise. I hope she's gone by 5th Jan sailing :(

Thanks again

Andrew

[Ship's Wake]

Robin, thanks for taking the time to write this and sharing your trip with us. You are very generous with all the details you provide.

 

Don't worry about the "thought police" who want you to write your review to their satisfaction. I appreciate reading an actual candid review instead of one that tries to gloss over events and happenings.

[Dave M]

Many thanks for your wonderful reports, Robin.

 

I'm taking the same cruise from Auckland on January 19 and wonder if you could please share which three nights were your formal nights.

[seabourndt]

any pictures of the rough seas? sounds you had an experience all right.iam doing next december ausatralia-new zealand. abny info on tours either shiups or independant would be really useful

dave

[Robin7]

Hi Robin -

What shore excursions did you take in each port? We are still trying to decided what to do in some of the ports and would like your insight!!

 

This week has been crazy! Sorry to leave you hanging. I hope to have the ports written up by the end of this weekend.

 

I can tell you really fast:

 

We used private tour companies in Tauranga

 

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~nzpersonaltours/ (Ian is the one we also used for our pre-cruise tour to the Northland.)

 

and Dunedin

 

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~nzpersonaltours/ (Pat was our driver.)

 

We were able to do so much more than ship excursions that way.

 

In Tauranga, for instance, we went to the Okere Falls, the Geothermal area, Rotorua, the Kiwi Experience, and the Agrodome. (We could also have stopped at a spot about kiwi fruit but we elected to not push until all aboard at 5:30 and get back at 4:30 instead.)

 

We took ship excursions at the other ports.

 

I'll have more information on the weekend! Thanks for all the interest.

 

Robin

[hartoff2]

Hi Robin!

 

Great job on the review. Brings it all back in vivid detail, especially the Tasman Sea days. I'm not trying to horn in on your review but I did some terrific excursions on this part of my cruise. I'll share my thoughts just in case anyone is interested.

 

1) Napier - Cape Kidnappers Station & Gannet Safari

 

This was one of my favorite excursions on the entire trip. I wasn't sure that I even wanted to do it (how many birds can one see without getting bored?). But it was fabulous! The scenery was spectacular, both on the trip to the gannet colony and at the top of Cape Kidnappers. And the answer to "how many" is 4,000 or more. At the colony, you're within a few feet of thousands of the most beautiful birds I've ever seen, on a cliff with a magnificent view. And they serve a very nice light lunch on the way. What more can you ask of an excursion?

 

Since I was in Napier twice, I have one other suggestion for those who don't want to do a planned excursion. Take a relaxing walk around Mount Maunganui (the mountain). There is a walking trail (about 3 km, fairly flat) with terrific views all the way around. It's a nice way to spend a couple of hours. Then stroll into Mount Maunganui (the town) and just wander a bit. It's a nice little town, with some shops and friendly folks. We stopped at Starbucks, got a cup of coffee and sat outside people-watching. It was a fun day!

 

2) Wellington - Seal Coast Safari and Wellington Sights

 

I agree completely with your recommendation of the Seal Coast trip. It was amazing and scary. I was also in the front seat and I stopped looking as soon as we went into the cloud layer covering the mountain. But the scenery along the south coast was fabulous and the ride along the beach was interesting, to say the least. One of our vehicles also got stuck but fortunately it wasn't mine. Not many seals but a great trip!

 

I would also recommend the Wellington Sights tour. I did the seal safari in the morning and the tour in the afternoon. It wasn't too much to do both and we saw some interesting highlights on the tour. The botanical gardens were very nice, the "Beehive" and parliament buildings were interesting and we saw several other worthwhile points of interest. As city tours go, this was a good one.

 

3) Picton - Dolphin Cruise and Guided Walk at Ship Cove

 

Sounds like this is the same excursion you did. It was a good one also. We saw quite a few dolphin on the way to Ship Cove, so they delivered on that part of the tour. At Ship Cove, we did the walk up to the waterfall rather than the history walk. This was a pretty strenuous hike, uphill over some pretty rough and muddy terrain, but the twin waterfalls were very pretty once you got to the top.

 

By the way, even though the ship arrives in Picton very early, be on deck for the sail-in (preferably before sunrise). You'll get some fabulous photo ops!

 

4) Christchurch - High Country Explorer

 

An expensive, all day tour into the Southern Alps which is well worth the time and cost. The Alps were snow-covered and magnificent. The trip starts on a bus on paved roads. Then, after lunch at Flock Hill Lodge, switches to 4 wheel drive vehicles for a trip back over the mountains on unpaved, twisty, rutted "roads" (a very loose term). Scarier than the seal coast trip, so be warned. But exhilirating! Then, when you finally reach the end of the trail, you board a jet boat for a fast trip down a river to rejoin the bus (complete with 360s). If you survive, it's a great way to spend a day.

 

5) Dunedin - Nature's Wonders Wildlife Cruise and Penguins

 

Another all-day trip which is well worth the time and money. There is a stop at a marine research center which is pretty much a waste of time except for a couple of exhibits (octopus mostly). But then it gets good. A boat trip takes you to the albatross colony where we also saw quite a few fur seals. Then the highlight is Nature's Wonders, a stretch of coastline with probably the most gorgeous scenery on the entire trip. There are also seals and, if you're lucky, yellow-eyed penguins. On the day we were there, we didn't see penguins because there was a leopard seal lying on the beach. This seal is a fierce predator and the penguins ran for cover, so we missed them. It's very rare to see a leopard seal so I suppose it was a trade-off. Personally, I'd rather have seen the penguins!

 

Those are my suggestions for specific excursions, based on personal experience and a liking for nature, scenery and wildlife. Just a couple of other thoughts. In Burnie, Truwanna wildlife park was nice so visit it if possible. But the "Taste of Tasmania" tour which includes it wasn't all that great. Same for Melbourne and Ballarat wildlife park. The park was outstanding, with tame kangaroos (which you can pet and feed) roaming free throughout the grounds. Also lots of koalas and other animals. But the Gold Rush town recreation was a waste of valuable time, in my opinion.

 

Robin, thanks again for the review. Great job! And I hope my comments help others with the excursion ideas.

 

Norm

[BarnabytheJuggler]

Just returned home from New Zealand on the Volendam and Hawaii on the Zaandam. Thanks for the nice mention in your review! Cheers, BarnabytheJuggler

[PrincessYoga]

Thanks for posting this excellent review. It is almost like being there.

[woody73]

Terrific report, Robin.

 

Woody

[Robin7]

I'm not trying to horn in on your review but I did some terrific excursions on this part of my cruise.

 

You can 'horn in' any time, Norm! I liked reading about your excursions too. (We were on the same one in Picton, I was just on the other boat.)

 

I finally got some of the ports done. I'm so not motivated! I guess I have 'post-cruise depression'. (Although we DID buy one of those 'future cruise credit' thingummys so there IS a cruise in my future. Unfortunately, it's probably not until 2010. EEK.) I'll post more soon! (Promises, promises....)

 

Tauranga:

 

Our tour guide from our pre-cruise tour, Ian Shirley of New Zealand Personal Tours http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~nzpersonaltours/ picked us up right at 9am, and we headed off for a full day of touring. We stopped outside a Kiwi farm for photos. (All of the kiwi farms were surrounded by tall, tall opaque fences with an outward leaning top to keep possums out so most were impossible to see unless you stopped.)

 

Then we went on to the Rotorua area to the Okere Falls Scenic Reserve. (More like the Okere Raging Torrent than falls. 'Falls' to me connotes peacefulness and tranquility. Because it was spring, this thing was a dangerous, roaring tidal wave!)

 

Next we went to the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal 'Wonderland' where we saw the Lady Knox Geyser erupt. In 1901, prisoners were set to clearing brush in the area and discovered a bubbling hot water spring. They thought this would be great for washing their clothing. When they added 'washing powder', however, it induced a huge eruption. What a surprise for them!

 

Today they induce the eruption with 'sufactant', not Tide. Heh.

 

(If you've been to Yellowstone, you could probably skip this part of New Zealand and not feel like you've missed anything.)

 

After we left the geothermal area, we headed for Rotorua proper and the Maori museum there. It was very interesting, and we could have spent far more than the 45 minutes we had there, but we were pressed for time and headed to Rainbow Springs Nature Park where we saw many, many, many birds in a beautiful setting and KIWIS in their simulated nocturnal exhibit. (We did not have time to do the "Kiwi Encounter" which I'm sure we would have really enjoyed.)

 

Onward to the Agrodome. We saw 19 different kinds of sheep. Highly trained sheep. Hilarious sheep. And a not-so-strong-eye dog. We saw a sheep get sheared. Some people got to hold lambs. It was a very funny and informative show.

 

Our guide offered to stop at Kiwi 360 and spend about 45 minutes there learning about kiwi fruit but we were getting a little antsy about getting back to the ship on time so we declined. We arrived back at 4:30pm for a 5:30pm all aboard.

 

Napier:

 

Tuki Tuki Valley and Farm Visit (HAL excursion)

 

We boarded buses and were taken on a short drive through the town to see the art deco buildings. (I wish we'd had time to stop and take photos.) Then we were taken to a strawberry farm where we had yummy strawberry ice cream. (It was well organized but still took a fair amount of time to run two busloads through.)

 

After the ice cream, we drove to Te Mata peak. Holy Cow-Monkeys! (My eight-year-old's favorite phrase.) The ride up to the top was terrifying! Twisty and windy and one way (they had it set up so the road was closed when the buses were going up or down). Sometimes I would swear the back end of the bus swung off the edge when the front end went around the corner. I volunteered to walk down. The views were INCREDIBLE. The Maori legend about the peak was interesting too. And it turned out that going back down was not nearly as terrifying for me as the ascent was.

 

The highlight of the excursion was Clifton Station and the sheep show there. It was in every way better than the Agrodome. Clifton Station overlooks the sea and is the most gorgeous place for a farm I've ever seen. It is still run by the original family. They had a short demonstration of a strong-eye dog out in the paddock before we entered the shearing shed for the demonstration. They showed us several methods of shearing, talked a bit about the sheep, and showed us how they use dogs in rounding up the sheep. Then we got to hold baby lambs!

 

There is a small gift shop there where we spent some $$$ and then we had 'tea' at a little cafe on the station. Coffee, tea, and scones with jam and whipped cream (which are biscuits to Americans). Yummy!

This was one of our favorite excursions of the whole trip.

 

Wellington:

 

We docked at a commercial port, right next to container ship being loaded with logs. Fascinating to watch. There was a shuttle to town for $5 a person, but we decided to walk. (And it was a lot farther than we thought so we wished we had take the shuttle.)

 

We went to Te Papa, the National Museum of New Zealand. Te Papa is HUGE. Three football fields big. We spent most of the time in the Maori area.

 

After about three hours (including walking time), we taxied :D back to the ship for our HAL excursion: Seal Coast Safari.

 

From my blog: It was AMAZING. Scary too. We went in a Toyota Land Cruiser. Somehow I was lucky and got to sit in front with a seat belt. Everyone else (Dad, Uncle Mike, Aunt Brigitte and two other passengers) had to rattle around in the back on side-facing bench seats. We drove through the city and then started 4-Wheeling straight up a mountain. Hanging on a tiny, windy (bendy, Kiwis say) dirt road, so far up I couldn’t bear to look down! Especially since my side was on the downward side. EEEEK.

 

We saw ostriches, wild horses, wild goats, tame horses, cows, dogs (pets), sea birds, seals, and other stuff I probably forgot. The other vehicle got stuck in the sand and had to all get out while they freed it. We got to stay inside while the other people had to stand out in the howling wind having their faces exfoliated by the blowing sand. :eek:

 

And it was WARM (it had been COLD in Wellington). After I zipped the liners back into our jackets, dug out gloves and the warm hats, and we wore hoodies. But ten miles away and back at the ship it was FREEZING again. Go figure.

 

We reached our destination and had 'tea' (coffee, tea, muffins) while taking photos of the surrounds and of the seals. There were three there. These are young males who didn’t want to go to (or came back from) the mating grounds on the south island. I guess if you can’t get the girls you came hang out at the bach pad! ('Bachs' are what Kiwis call their 'cabins'.)

 

We didn't have to go up the mountain again to get back to the ship. We ran more along the shoreline then cut back to the city. Thank goodness! It was a great excursion. Well worth the $$$.

 

Picton:

 

Picton is a town of about 4,500 Kiwis, nestled between some ‘mountains' and the sea. Just about the loveliest little town we’ve ever seen.

 

The Volendam was the first cruise ship of the season to dock there—and she’s 60 feet longer than the dock so it makes us wonder just how big the other ships will be. Ladies met us at the gangway with homemade corsages of wildflowers for each of us. ‘Town” was just a short ride away in the free shuttle. (Still not sure if it was provided by the port or by Holland America.)

 

We wandered around town and did some souvenir shopping. Then we went back to the ship for our excursion to Captain Cook’s Ship Cove (HAL's 'Dolphin Cruise & Guided Walk at Ship Cove'). I finally got to walk where Captain Cook walked! It was sooooooooooooo beautiful. I can totally understand why Captain Cook made five stops here in this very cove.

 

Kiwis put up a monument to Cook in the early 1900s that is white and is a beacon to ships passing by who need a safe harbour (Kiwi spelling again). It can be seen quite some distance out to sea, can’t it? (Kiwis seem to end every statement as a rhetorical question. It’s a very funny speech pattern, and I love it.)

 

We also saw many sea birds, dolphins (bottlenose and dusky), and seals. At Ship Cove (where I walked where Captain Cook walked, did I mention that?), we saw some ‘cheeky wekas,’ another kind of New Zealand’s flightless birds. (There were no land mammals here before the Maori came, bringing with them dogs and rats, so many of New Zealand’s birds had evolved into flightlessness.)

 

The weather was quite nasty on our little cruise to Ship Cove, wasn’t it? Misty and COLD. Still, it was incredible to actually see it and WALK WHERE CAPTAIN COOK WALKED!

 

If you're a Cook nut like I am, you'll enjoy this excursion (we stayed and did the 'history' part of the walk instead of the 'jungle' part). I'm not sure it would be worth it if you're not Cook-obsessed though.

[Robin7]

Just returned home from New Zealand on the Volendam and Hawaii on the Zaandam. Thanks for the nice mention in your review! Cheers, BarnabytheJuggler

 

Hello, Barnaby, and welcome to Cruise Critic! The kids have really enjoyed watching your DVD. They've laughed and laughed.

 

I have to confess to telling your 'post-cruise consultant' joke a lot. Heh.

 

I also heard A LOT of 'standin' in line, standin' in line' when we were...er...standing in lines for this and that on the last part of the cruise. :D

 

I hope HAL continues to give you lots of work!

 

Robin

[mmcipdn]

Hi Robin -

What shore excursions did you take in each port? We are still trying to decided what to do in some of the ports and would like your insight!!

sorry to butt in but maybe of some help with your tours.

I was on the Hal with Robin.. I would recommend Des Harris with Indigenous trails in Aotearoa New Zealand .. he also has a tour in the bay of islands if you are going there.

Paul

[mmcipdn]

I have just thought of a question for you Robin...

 

Do you happen to know if they sold NZ travel guides such as Frommers, Fodors, Lonely Planet etc and how much they were. I would like to buy one and they are usually much cheaper in USD, except maybe exchange rates now and also I then don't have to lug it over on the plane.

We donated two guides to the ship library.. should be there if someone didn't heist..

[aussiedisneyfan]

mmcipdn, thanks for the heads up on the guides in the library. :)

[Gsel]

I have a question about your walk around Mt Maungaunui. Since we will be in Tauranga it would be closer for us to do this from there. Can you tell me how you got there and about how long it took you to get there and back? This sounds like something we would be very interested in doing. Thanks.

[hartoff2]

I have a question about your walk around Mt Maungaunui. Since we will be in Tauranga it would be closer for us to do this from there. Can you tell me how you got there and about how long it took you to get there and back? This sounds like something we would be very interested in doing. Thanks.

 

Sorry, had a senior moment or a brain cramp or something. Mt. Maunganui is the port for Tauranga, not Napier. I was gone for nine weeks, stopped in thirty-one ports and took about a thousand excursions. I'm amazed that I found my way home!:D

 

When you see Mount Maunganui, walk around it (wherever you are)!

 

Sorry about that.....

 

Norm

[mmcipdn]

Sorry, had a senior moment or a brain cramp or something. Mt. Maunganui is the port for Tauranga, not Napier. I was gone for nine weeks, stopped in thirty-one ports and took about a thousand excursions. I'm amazed that I found my way home!:D

 

When you see Mount Maunganui, walk around it (wherever you are)!

 

Sorry about that.....

 

Norm

Senior Moment:confused:

Still thinking about how to play 3 card poker?

The casino player magazine has an article about three card.. I will try to scan and email to you...How's the pup? Feeding him left over turkey?

[hartoff2]

Senior Moment:confused:

Still thinking about how to play 3 card poker?

The casino player magazine has an article about three card.. I will try to scan and email to you...How's the pup? Feeding him left over turkey?

 

The pup is terrific! She settled in just as if she had never been away. I'm convinced that dogs don't perceive time in the same way that people do. I can run out for thirty minutes or be gone all day, I get the same reaction when I get home. She acts like she's been alone for a week....

 

Anyway, everything's normal around here.