When I first learned about the South Pacific as a child, it fascinated me. The islands, beaches, climate, and people seemed so beautiful and exotic, but also impossibly far away. Never did I think I would actually get to visit this fascinating place, so when the opportunity to sail there came along, I was thrilled.
The next few blogs will give you a small taste of the South Pacific, but first, our transportation – the MS Noordam, a ship of the Holland America Line (HAL). The Noordam was built in 2006 and carries 1900 passengers and 800 crew. Our voyage takes us from Sydney, Australia to Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Noordam at Circular Quay
We departed from Circular Quay just after sunset and the views were magnificent.
This is our tenth cruise on HAL and we like their ships very much. They’re beautifully decorated and full of marvelous art as well as lovely floral arrangements. The food and service is topnotch and so is the music and entertainment. It feels like we're spending 15 days in a five-star hotel complete with live music and Broadway shows.
Central atrium
George Willem Opdenhoff, 1807-1873
Fresh flowers
Athena, Red Marble, Empire Style,1800-1820
There are many fun activities on board such as learning the Hula, trivia and music trivia contests, game shows, wine tastings, special dining experiences, pickleball, educational presentations, and on and on. People who haven’t been on a cruise often wonder if we get bored but the truth is we are usually very busy and don’t have enough time to take in all the great options on board.
Wine tasting
View of the South Pacific from the main dining room
Our first stop is New Caledonia. More about these islands in the next blog.
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