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- Featured Ports & Excursions
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Australia/New Zealand & S. Pacific
Overview
Immerse yourself in the mystery and beauty of the Pacific
Be among the few to see Tasmanian devils and wombats in their native habitat. See the volcanoes of Vanuatu. Cruise New Zealand's Bay of Islands or Fiordland National Park. There's some new amazement beyond each horizon. Maybe it's the nested shells of the Sydney Opera House, or the massive New Caledonia Barrier reef, the primeval beauty of Fiji, or the ferocity of the Maori haka. Perhaps it's a stop in New Caledonia's palm-tasseled capital, Noumea, or a New Zealand port: Auckland, Napier, Christchurch.
Holland America Line’s Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific itineraries range from two-week cruises focused on a particular region to extended Pacific crossings. With our unique ports of call and award-winning shore excursions, even guests who have previously cruised or visited the South Pacific will experience something new.
On an Australia, New Zealand, or South Pacific sailing, guests can enjoy modern spa amenities, culinary presentations and exceptional food and wine while sailing on either the ms Volendam or the ms Oosterdam. With itineraries beginning and ending in Sydney or Auckland, extend your exploration with our pre- or post- cruise vacation packages and take in the Great Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock and Alice Springs or New Zealand’s countryside.
For the most in-depth exploration of this diverse destination, select a Collectors’ Voyage. These perfectly combined itineraries visit multiple regions, offer more days at sea and provide the best per day value. Click on Collectors’ Voyages to learn more.
Solar Eclipse Cruise
Get Starry Eyed on an Australia Eclipse Cruise
When the South Pacific swings into a total solar eclipse November 14, the best place to view it will be from the deck of a Holland America Line ship Oosterdam. Sailing from Sydney beginning November 7, the 14-Day Solar Eclipse cruise will take you along the coast of Australia, across the Coral Sea to New Caledonia and Noumea, and then southwest back to Sydney.
The highlight will come just after dawn on the morning of the 14th. The sky will dim and then darken as the path of totality comes toward you out of Cairns, engulfs the ship, and then moves east. Join us on deck for music, dancing and a narration of the event as it unfolds.
Unforgettable as the morning is bound to be, we've designed the entire itinerary with an eye to the heavens. Sailing with us will be Alan Wright, former principal astronomer at Australia's Parkes Radio Observatory, Daniel Ostler, presenter of ‘Connecting the Dots’ lecture series, and Donna Giesler (aka "The Star Lady"), who's led stargazing workshops for years on the Big Island of Hawaii. Join these two astronomical experts for evening stargazing talks and events throughout the cruise.
View Eclipse Itinerary
Collectors’ Voyages
Longer, more in-depth itineraries
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Indulge in the best of both worlds: combine an in-depth exploration of New Zealand with days spent discovering idyllic South Pacific isles. Or step aboard in San Diego and cruise through Hawaii, Fiji and New Caledonia en route to Sydney – then cross the Tasman Sea and delve deep into New Zealand’s North and South islands. With Holland America Line’s port-intensive Collector’s Voyages, you’ll savor the ultimate discovery of New Zealand and the South Pacific while travelling in unparalleled ease and luxury. Look for our Collectors' Voyage icon. |
With Collectors' Voyages, experience the lands down under as few can:
- Reap the greatest cruise vacation value: Collectors' Voyages are combined itineraries priced as one cruise, giving you the best per-day value and often providing additional discounts.
- With combined itineraries, enjoy more days at sea indulging in onboard luxuries and activities like our Greenhouse Spa & Salon, Culinary Arts Center, presented by Food & Wine magazine, Digital Workshop powered by Windows®, dance classes or just relaxing on your private verandah and enjoying 24-hour, complimentary room service. We take care to provide unique onboard activities throughout your cruise vacation.
- Experience, learn and simply do more ashore with additional days to participate in our wide variety of shore excursions.
- On select itineraries, enjoy more full days and extended stays in the region’s favorite ports of call.
Featured Ports & Excursions
City of Sails
There is a point on the North Island of New Zealand where the land narrows to a thin strip between the islanded peninsula to the north and the mountainous, caved-addled terrain away south. On one side is Waitemata Harbour, on another is Manukau Harbour, and there are mountain ranges to the southeast and west. On this spot stands Auckland, one of the loveliest cities in the world, and according to many surveys, one of its most livable. Many of the old volcanoes that formed the terrain of the area are now grassy, hilly parks. Cruise visitors can climb one – Mount Eden, North Head, or One Tree Hill, say – and look toward the water. See why it's called the City of Sails?
Shore Excursion Highlights
Waves of History
The ghosts of Waikiki ride surfboards. Honolulu's signature beach was long a retreat for longboarding royals, but today, the gentle waves carry many a happy, uncoordinated visitor, learning to surf. Waikiki tells one story of the Hawaiian capital. The dormant volcano of Diamond Head tells another. Pearl Harbor another. The city is a tapestry of commerce, natural beauty, and war history. Pearl Harbor made it an important way station for trans-Pacific trade, an ideal spot for a U.S. naval base, and of course, the military target that ignited American entry into World War II. Cruise travelers can see one part of that history at the USS Arizona Memorial and another at the Punchbowl military cemetery.
Shore Excursion Highlights
Lasting Impressionists
If you want to get a sense of how light hits the Yarra River Valley around Melbourne, look first to a painting from the Heidelberg School. Melbourne's light-suffused landscape was the inspiration for a generation of late-19th-century impressionists trying to capture the essence of the land. The area still inspires. Melbourne is the birthplace of much of Australian culture and has been rated the world's most livable city. There's a lot for cruise visitors to see, but you can't go wrong in the city center, full of welcoming pedestrian lanes and Victorian veneers. The Docklands has shops and waterside activities. Queen Victoria market is vast and varied. Southgate has a promenade along the Yarra.
Shore Excursion Highlights
France in the Antipodes
In the South Pacific, about halfway between Fiji and Australia, you'll find a part of France. New Caledonia is a cluster of islands in the Coral Sea and is blessed with a massive coral reef. Noumea, the country's capital, covers a peninsula on the largest island, the cigar-shaped Grand Terre. Thanks to the happenstance of history and geography, Noumea is a mix of France and tropical beaches. Cruise visitors can snorkel at Baie des Citrons, walk up to Ouen Toro Park for a view of the city, or stop at the Waterfront Market for a pain au chocolat.
Shore Excursion Highlights
Brilliant, Rugged Transcendence
Sydney is both timeless and protean. You'll meet with 50,000 years of Aboriginal history, and changes brought by the delivery of British convicts and the Rum Corps settlers. See a botanical wunderkammer eons in the making and feel the electric now-ness of one of the world's great cities. A cruise to Sydney with Holland America Line will bring you opera, here, as well as opals and koalas. The strands of culture and nature and art all braid together to form Sydney's brilliant, rugged transcendence.
Shore Excursion Highlights
A Familiar Ring
The Wellington Botanic Garden is 25 hectares of ponds, sculptures, and flora spread about a hillside above central Wellington. Walk its windy paths, stop to smell the rose gardens, and take in the view of the city and Wellington Harbour. When you're ready, ride the red Wellington Cable Car (a funicular, really) down to Lambton Quay, the city's main commercial street, and give the New Zealand capital a walking tour. Wellington has been called a lot of things, all good. And if the countryside looks familiar to cruise visitors, that's because many signature scenes from the "Lord of the Rings" movies were filmed nearby.
Shore Excursion Highlights
Protection Plans
Do You Offer A Cancellation Protection Plan?
A Small Price for Peace of Mind
Holland America's Cancellation Protection Plan (CPP) is designed to protect your vacation investment from loss-no matter what. And like other plans that protect things of great value, it's a small price to pay for peace of mind. Be it illness, family matters, unforeseen work events-anything, CPP is your assurance that your vacation can be cancelled before you leave for any reason for a refund. To add our Cancellation Protection Plan to your new or existing cruise booking, please call us at 1-877-932-4259.
Four reasons to choose the Holland America Line Cancellation Protection Plan:
- YOU CAN CANCEL BEFORE DEPARTURE FOR ANY REASON. Even if it's up to 24 hours before departure under our Standard Plan or right up to departure with our Platinum Plan. For any reason whatsoever, your reservation may be cancelled with ease.
- YOU GET MONEY BACK. Only Holland America Line refunds 80-90% of eligible amounts paid, regardless of your reason for canceling, as long as you cancel more than 24 hours prior to departure (right up to departure with the Platinum Plan).
- SAME PRICE FOR ALL AGES. We offer the same excellent protection for everyone, at the same cost.
- NO PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. Our Standard and Platinum Plans do not contain pre-existing condition exclusions.
Our Standard and Premium plans at a glance
Unforeseen events do happen. When you book your next cruise, be sure to ask about our Cancellation Protection Plans for the utmost peace of mind.
CPP Standard Plan – Provided by Holland America Line
Our Standard Cancellation Protection Plan (CPP Standard Plan) will allow you, for any reason, to provide written cancellation up to 24 hours prior to the scheduled cruise or cruisetour departure and receive a refund equal to 80% of the eligible amounts paid.
In addition, Holland America Line (HAL) automatically assumes an additional $500 (USD) of liability for lost, damaged or delayed baggage of guests who purchase the CPP Standard Plan still subject, however, to the limitations in our baggage policies. For example, we do not cover losses while baggage is in the custody of airlines. Please review our Baggage Policy.
The CPP Standard Plan is not insurance, and is administered by Holland America Line Inc.; it provides no rights other than those explained above.
Our Platinum Cancellation Protection Plan enables you to supplement the benefits provided under the CPP Standard Plan with enhanced cancellation protection. CPP Platinum also provides insurance coverage for trip delays and interruptions, medical expenses and much more. In addition, CPP Platinum includes 24-hour worldwide emergency assistance services. CPP Platinum may not be available for purchase in some locations outside the U.S. and Canada
CPP Platinum
Our Platinum Cancellation Protection Plan enables you to supplement the benefits provided under the CPP Standard Plan with enhanced cancellation protection. CPP Platinum also provides insurance coverage for trip delays and interruptions, medical expenses and much more. In addition, CPP Platinum includes 24-hour worldwide emergency assistance services. CPP Platinum is comprised of the following:
SECTION I
Cancel for Any Reason Waiver
Provided by Holland America Line
You may cancel for any reason prior to the scheduled cruise/cruisetour departure and receive reimbursement equal to 90% of the eligible amounts paid to Holland America.
SECTION II
TRAVEL INSURANCE PROGRAM
Underwritten by Stonebridge Casualty Insurance Company
- Trip Interruption: Enables you to cancel or interrupt your cruise vacation for illness, injury or death to you, an immediate family member or a traveling companion, as well as certain other non-medical reasons affecting you or your traveling companion, and receive up to 150% of your cruise vacation cost.
- Trip Delay: If you miss the departure of your cruise due to carrier-caused delays or other specified reasons, you will be reimbursed up to $500 for additional accommodations, meals and “catch-up” transportation expenses.
- Baggage Protection: If your baggage or personal property is lost or damaged, you will be reimbursed up to $1,000. If your bags are delayed or misdirected by a common carrier for more than 24 hours, you will be reimbursed up to $500 for the purchase of necessary personal effects.
- Medical Expense Coverage: Should you become injured or sick during your vacation, you will be reimbursed up to $10,000 for medical expenses.
- Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation: In the event that serious illness or injury requires air or ground transportation to a specialized facility or to return home, you will be provided up to $50,000 in covered medical services and supplies (coordinated by our 24-hour assistance provider) to help ensure your safe transport. Repatriation coverage provides for shipment of remains in the event of death during the cruise vacation.
The Travel Insurance Program is underwritten by Stonebridge Casualty Insurance Company, an AEGON Company, Columbus, Ohio; NAIC #10952 (all states except as otherwise noted) under Policy/Certificate Form series TAHC5000. In CA, HI, NE, NH, PA, TN AND TX, Policy/Certificate Form series TAHC5100 and TAHC5200. In IL, IN, KS, LA, OR, OH, VT, WA AND WY, Policy Form #’s TAHC5100IPS and TAHC5200IPS. Certain coverages are under series TAHC6000 and TAHC7000.
SECTION III
WORLDWIDE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE SERVICES
Provided by On Call International
Provides 24-hour assistance services including: pre-cruise health, safety and weather information; assistance with travel changes; lost luggage assistance; emergency cash transfer assistance; emergency medical and dental assistance; lost travel document assistance; and emergency medical payment assistance.
IMPORTANT: This is a summary. Please refer to the CPP Platinum Plan Description for complete terms, conditions, and exclusions. Note that the benefits and services provided in CPP Platinum are available only to guests who enroll in and pay the appropriate program cost to Holland America Line. Please note that payment of the required cruise deposit does not automatically activate enrollment in CPP Platinum Protection. In order to activate enrollment, you must pay the appropriate program costs in addition to the required cruise deposit amount. The CPP Standard and CPP Platinum Plans are optional and must be purchased prior to the date on which cancellation fees begin to accrue. Payment for the plan is due at time of purchase and is non-refundable. The per person, per cruise costs for both plans are listed with the cruise fares.
CPP Platinum Protection was designed and is administered by BerkelyCareSM. IN CALIFORNIA: BerkelyCare is a service mark of Aon Direct Insurance Administrators, CA Insurance License #0795465. IN ALL OTHER STATES: BerkelyCareSM is a division of Affinity Insurance Services, Inc. in all states other than CA, except AIS Affinity Insurance Agency, Inc. in MN and OK and AIS Affinity Insurance Agency in NY
Review CPP Platinum Plan Description
updated 12/11
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