Holland America Line Adds a Season of New Cruises to Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia Starting in Fall 2022

In anticipation of the ports in Australia and New Zealand fully welcoming cruise ships back to their shores, Holland America Line opened bookings for a season of new itineraries aboard Westerdam starting in fall 2022. The new voyages, offered from Sept. 25, 2022, through March 13, 2023, explore Australia’s rich culture, the lush landscapes of New Zealand and the enchanting history of Southeast Asia.

Two new cruises conclude the Alaska season and reposition the ship Down Under from North America. Itineraries in Australia and New Zealand sail roundtrip from Sydney, Australia, or between Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand, and include scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park. A special Holiday Cruise departing Dec. 20 celebrates the New Year exploring New Zealand.

Goodbye, Alaska! Hello, Australia and New Zealand
Holland America Line added a seven-day Alaska cruise roundtrip from Seattle, Washington, departing Sept. 25, extending Westerdam’s season by a week. The ship will then spend 36 days weaving among the enchanting isles of the South Pacific en route to Australia’s southern and eastern regions, and the North and South islands of New Zealand. The cruise departs Seattle Oct. 2 and arrives at Sydney Nov. 8. Along the way, the ship makes 14 calls on the islands of Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea, and finishes with three Australia visits.

Starting Nov. 8, Westerdam will explore Australia and New Zealand on four cruises that range from 13 to 15 days. The port-intensive itineraries ensure guests can deeply explore the region and get a variety of experiences ashore that showcase the country’s culture, culinary expertise and popular wine scene. Scenic cruising takes guests into the vistas of Fiordland National Park with its ice-tipped mountains and sprawling fjords.

Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park.

In January, the ship will sail from Sydney to Singapore to reposition for a drydock. The 16-day voyage includes two days of scenic cruising in Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef — a stunningly diverse ecosystem that is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Following the ship’s refurbishment, Westerdam will cruise two new departures in February before assuming its previously published itineraries in Asia.

Highlights of the new itineraries:

Nov. 8: 15 days, roundtrip from Sydney. Ports include Port Chalmers (Dunedin), Lyttelton (Christchurch), Kaikoura, Wellington, Napier, Gisborne, Tauranga (Rotorua), Auckland and Waitangi, all in New Zealand, with scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park.

Nov. 23: 13 days, roundtrip from Sydney. Ports include Eden, Port Arthur, Hobart (overnight), Adelaide (overnight), Penneshaw, Melbourne and Phillip Island, all in Australia.

Dec. 6: 14 days, Sydney to Auckland. Australian ports include Melbourne and Hobart; New Zealand ports include Port Chalmers (Dunedin), Lyttelton (Christchurch), Kaikoura, Wellington, Napier and Tauranga (Rotorua), with scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park.

Dec. 20 Holiday Cruise: 14 days, Auckland to Sydney. Ports include Tauranga (Rotorua), Napier, Kaikoura, Lyttelton (Christchurch), Port Chalmers (Dunedin), Hobart and Melbourne, with scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park.

Jan. 3: 16 days, Sydney to Singapore. Ports include Newcastle, Airlie Beach, Cairns and Darwin, Australia; Komodo Island, home to the infamous Komodo Dragon; and Lembar, Lombok, and Benoa, Bali, both in Indonesia. A highlight of this voyage is two days spent scenic cruising in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef where guests can marvel in the coral cays and sun-soaked islands above the surface, along with the thousands of reef systems below water.

great barrier reef

Amazing view of the Great Barrier Reef coral formations.

Feb. 3: 11 days, roundtrip Singapore. Ports include Phuket, Thailand (overnight); Port Blair, Andaman Islands, India; and the Malaysian ports of Porto Malai, Langkawi; Georgetown, Penang; Malacca and Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur).

Feb. 14: 13 days, roundtrip Singapore. Ports include Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Probolinggo, Surabaya and Semarang (Borobudur), on Java, in Indonesia; Komodo Island; Benoa and Celukan on Bali; ending with an overnight at Singapore.

Feb. 27: 14 days, Singapore to Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan. Ports include Puerto Princesa, Boracay and Manila, Philippines; Kaohsiung and Keelung (Taipei), Taiwan; and Ishigaki, Naha and Kochi, Japan.

Book Back-to-Back Cruises with a Collectors’ Voyage
Ranging from 24 to 51 days, Collectors’ Voyages are perfect for avid explorers seeking a more extensive cruise experience. The voyages combine back-to-back, nonrepeating itineraries and represent the best per-day value for guests.

Book With Have It All Premium Cruise Package
Australia and New Zealand cruise pricing starts at a “Have it All” premium package rate of $1,848 per person, double occupancy for the 13-day sailing, which includes four high-value amenities: one shore excursion, a Signature Beverage Package, one night specialty dining and a Wi-Fi Surf Package to stay connected throughout the cruise. Cruise-only standard fares start at $1,329 per person, double. Taxes, fees and port expenses are additional.

Comments

Join the Discussion

17 Comments

  1. Kenneth Dick September 22, 2022 at 4:25 am - Reply

    Sorry to hear that Cellarmaster Dinner no longer offered. Maybe I’ll luck out and one of my currently-booked 2023/2024 cruises will be one of the Culinery Cruises. Considering that HAL most recently announced the 2022 Culinary Cruises a few weeks to a few months in advance, that’s the only way I’ll get to experience one.

  2. Joy Thyer September 8, 2022 at 7:04 pm - Reply

    My husband and I are leaving on the 51 day cruise from Seattle to Australia and New Zealand. We are having a very difficult time finding out if we need an e visa for Popua New Guinea. The site is contradictory and says no in one place and then yes in another. We also can’t send them a question or call as their site doesn’t seem to work. I called CIBT and they said “No you don’t need one”. We also talked with the documentary person from Holland who stated if we don’t have one we can’t get on the ship in Seattle. VERY Frustrated!!!!!!!! Please advise and get back to me. We only have 25 days until sailing and have been working on this for weeks.

  3. Diane September 4, 2022 at 6:46 pm - Reply

    leaving Nov 23 for Australia on Westerdam. Having a hard time finding out the Covid testing requirement needed before boarding
    thank you

  4. Kenneth Dick September 4, 2022 at 11:12 am - Reply

    We thoroughly enjoyed a Cellarmaster Dinner in 2018 on the Westerdam. It hasn’t been offered on any of our HAL cruises since then. We’re on the Westerdam in January (Australia/Indonesia) and March (Japan/S. Korea). Do you know if there will be a Cellarmaster Dinner on one or both of these cruises? If not known yet, when will the decision be made?

  5. Kenneth Dick August 1, 2022 at 1:28 pm - Reply

    Update: HAL responded (thank you). Confirmed that I need a visa for Australia (done). Indonesia is visa exempt.

  6. Kenneth Dick July 7, 2022 at 4:32 pm - Reply

    Not really. I had looked there first – confirmed visa available at approved ports. Went to Indonesia website and checked out ports. Went back to cruise itinerary, and unless I’m misreading the port for Komodo and the second port call (forget the name off the top of my head), we don’t reach one of the approved ports until Benoa, Bali (3rd port). Is our 1st port really on Indonesia’s list? Or, does HAL arrange or have exemption? As mentioned, have emailed Reservations and Guest Services – no response. Maybe they’ll respond to Julie.

  7. Kenneth Dick July 5, 2022 at 6:40 pm - Reply

    On 3-19 January 2023 16-day Sydney-to-Singapore cruise. Trying to figure out the Indonesia visa situation. Currently can’t get online w/o sponsor. Entry tourism visas available from selected airports and ports. Looking at the list, it looks like we don’t stop at any of those until 3rd port (Benoa, Bali) – unless perhaps I’m missing something. Has HAL gotten an exemption or something that allows this? I’ve sent emails to HAL (Reservations & Guest Services) w/o response.

  8. John Woods June 7, 2022 at 4:32 am - Reply

    Interested in 16 day cruise Sydney to Singapore January 2023

  9. Robert Gallagher June 5, 2022 at 11:33 am - Reply

    Looking at pricing for the 51 days. Does the menu & entertainment change with each new area visited?

  10. connie bailey May 2, 2022 at 1:40 pm - Reply

    Interested in a panama cruise I live in raleigh

Leave A Comment

Sign up for special offers and announcements