Holland America Line (HAL) used a visit to Sydney at the weekend by its ship Noordam to show off the ship’s recent refurbishment and highlight HAL’s Alaska program, which in 2020 will involve over 130 cruises and 15 different land and sea journeys across seven of the fleet’s 14 ships.
HAL has been cruising in Alaska for over 70 years – longer than Alaska has been a US state. Accordingly, the line prides itself on its Alaska offerings. It’s the only cruise line that combines Alaska with the Yukon. HAL’s first Pinnacle Class ship, Koningsdam, is scheduled to operate in Alaskan waters this year.
Holland America Line’s senior director of sales and marketing in Australia and New Zealand, Tony Archbold, says the line is a favourite of foodies and music lovers. It’s known for having the best live music at sea. On land-sea journeys (cruise tours) HAL uses its own hotels, railcars and motorcoaches, for seamless travel.
The prowess of Noordam’s chefs was on display at a sumptuous seafood lunch on Saturday, complete with bacon and clam chowder shooters, oysters, buttered poached lobster tails, Alaskan split crab legs and (of course) baked Alaska, accompanied by wines from Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington State’s oldest winery, located near Seattle.
Noordam has been extensively upgraded, with fresh décor and the addition of new spaces like the popular Billboard Onboard, which is receiving rave reviews from guests. This year, Noordam offers more live music options than ever with the addition of Billboard Onboard, which joins B.B. King’s Blues Club and Lincoln Center Stage in the Music Walk area. Billboard Onboard – in partnership with Billboard, the leading global destination for charts, news, trends and innovation in music – features the talents of two pianists playing 50 years of chart-topping hits.
Noordam at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Sydney Harbour, on Saturday
Noordam’s suites have been extensively refurbished, with refreshed furniture and bathrooms, the same upgrades that have been rolled out on the line’s Signature- and Vista-class ships.
Archbold said that what used to be called mid-size ships were now seen as perfectly sized ships. HAL’s maximum is 2600 passengers and many ships in the fleet are considerably smaller.
HAL offered longer itineraries than most, , Archbold said, which attracted people who wanted to explore the world. They tended to be older and more experienced and cruises are structured to cater for them.
HAL has won several awards for having the best Alaska itineraries. Its cruise and travel director Chris Pappas used Noordam’s brilliant audio-visual equipment to present a feature spotlighting the achievements of three contemporary Alaskan women: a sea captain in the US Coastguard; a fisherman operating her own boat (fisherman is the term she prefers!) and an aviator flying between the many airports in Alaska, which has more airstrips and airports than any other US state.
Other enhancements to Noordam include Microsoft Studio in the Explorations Café and Fujifilm Wonder Photo Shop where guests can create mementos from their photos. Other areas to have received extensive enhancements are Pinnacle Grill, Pinnacle Bar, The Greenhouse Spa & Salon, the Dining Room and Lido Market.
A pickleball court has been added to the sports court area. Pickleball? It combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis.
Written by Peter Needham
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