During its South Pacific Crossing, the crew of the ms Oosterdam were treated to a tour of Te Puia in Rotorua, New Zealand, where traditional dances were performed for the group.

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Topics: Australia/New Zealand, ms Oosterdam, Shore Excursions, South Pacific, Staff & Crew | | 2 Comments

During its 24-day South Pacific Crossing voyage, the ms Oosterdam experienced April 21 twice, as it passed the international date line through the islands of Western and American Samoa.

For the first April 21, 2013, the Oosterdam invited a local Christian youth group on board during its call at Apia, Western Samoa. Hosted by our Event Manager Aaron Whipple, the youth group enjoyed a tour of the ship as well as lunch on the lido’s pool deck.

From left: Oosterdam Second Executive Chef Norbert Sommerhalter and the ship’s Lido Assistant Steward Indaharini Nenobais serve children food on board.

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Topics: Australia/New Zealand, Good Deeds, ms Oosterdam, South Pacific, Staff & Crew | | No Comments

During Oosterdam’s South Pacific Crossing, International Concierge Maria Boyen shared with me her experience on the Hobbiton Movie Set crew tour that took place March 28, 2013, near Tauranga, New Zealand. She and the crew loved visiting the original movie set of “The Lord of the Rings!”

Twenty-two brave men and women of the fellowship of the Oosterdam made their long journey to the Shire and followed Frodo’s hairy footsteps. There they enjoyed a sunny afternoon stroll passing many hobbit holes and enjoyed the view over the Shire and a short rest under the Party Tree. The journey continued through a little forest path and over the bridge next to the watermill to the Green Dragon, where the crew enjoyed a cup of cool Hobbit beer.

Natalie Ansari is Oosterdam’s human resources manager.

Topics: Australia/New Zealand, ms Oosterdam, Shore Excursions, Staff & Crew | | No Comments

HAL blogger Gary Frink currently is sailing on board Oosterdam and will be sending in posts from his voyage.

The year is 1788. Eleven ships of the British First Fleet enter the vast, hospitable natural harbor and drop anchors. Slowly, methodically, sailors of the fleet off-load 736 passengers into life boats for the short paddle to the rocks, forming the shore. That day marked the founding of Australia and Sydney, its oldest and largest city. The 736 passengers were “convicts”, men and women forcibly removed to the new continent to begin the British colonization of Australia.

Two hundred and thirty five years later, with the rising sun streaming through the eight or so shells, representing sails (perhaps of the original eleven naval ships) that make up the structure of the beyond-dramatic, iconic Sydney Opera House, the Oosterdam slowly eased its way into the horseshoe dock area of the largest natural harbor in the world. When ship’s lines were secured, we were attached to the Circular Quay, exactly where the 736, God-forsaken, bedraggled, forced-to-be-founding Australians came ashore. Beyond our bow was the skyscraper-laden, commercial core of Sydney, a four million person, 4,000 square mile megalopolis.

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HAL blogger Gary Frink currently is sailing on board Oosterdam and will be sending in posts from his voyage.

Aboard Oosterdam, en route to Sydney, Austraia

The modern rail-tram at the end of the Melbourne ship pier had hardly begun to move toward the center-city when the renowned friendliness of the Australian people touched us. A short man with a brush cut, wearing a jacket bearing “Carrier” badges struck up a conversation; we soon learned a little about the man: “I worked for Carrier (the heating and air conditioning manufacturer) in Syracuse for six years,” he began. I asked how he dealt with the cold weather in upstate New York (Melbourne maintains moderate temperatures in the winter, rarely falling to freezing.) “We got used to it. In fact, we all acclimated to to America generally. When I would call home, my brother would kid me about my American accent.” By this time he had learned that Jeanne and I live in Virginia. “Is it any warmer in Virginia in the winter?” he inquired. I assured him it was. “Virginia is not Florida, but it sure is warmer that Syracuse,” I averred. Our new friend and his family might still be in Syracuse but for one serious issue: “What really drew us home was college education for our children. Here it is free, there it costs a fortune.” He wished us well as he exited the tram at the next stop.

A man sitting behind Jeanne took up the be-friendly-to-the-foreign-Frinks cudgel. He began a tourist guide-like patter: “That building on the left was the stock exchange. We are in the financial district now…” Before he got off the tram, he made certain that we knew that the next the tram stop was ours, two blocks from the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets, the bulls eye of center-city Melbourne.

After a block walking up Swanston street, we encountered the massive St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, which sits astride one third of a city block, facing Federation Square across Flinders Street. I took photos of the apparently-Gothic, gargantuan seat of the Church of England in the State of Victoria.

Federation Square is a huge space, facing The Cathedral. It is partially filled with fragmented and cubist structures that strongly reminded me of the work of Frank Gehry, the famous Los Angeles architect. Wrong Again! The Federation Square structures were designed by two firms, one from London, the other Melbourne-based. Part of the open space is consumed by a 10,000 seat amphitheater. All and all, Federation Square screams out: Look at me! It is a Melbourne civic triumph and, if one is within sight, impossible to ignore.

A street performer in Federation Square with the train station in background.

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Topics: Australia/New Zealand, Cruise Diary, ms Oosterdam | | 1 Comment

Thanks to HAL and blog fan Noel Bell for sending in this final photo of Oosterdam at Melbourne.

Here is Oosterdam in a overcast Melbourne yesterday at the end of her Australia cruise season. She heads for Sydney and Seattle on Saturday. — Noel Bell

Topics: Australia/New Zealand, ms Oosterdam | | No Comments

Guest Gary currently is onboard Oosterdam and will be sending in posts from his trip.

Aboard the Oosterdam, En Route, Melbourne Australia, 4-10-13

Jeanne Frink and Captain Van der Loo.

“I know why you keep coming back. It is because we keep changing the menu,” so stated Captain Arjen Van Der Loo during his speech Monday at the brunch for Mariner Society members (repeat Holland America voyagers.)

I don’t know about the psychic pull of changing dining room menus, but Holland America Line has an almost mystical ability to seduce passengers back to its ships and itineraries over and over again.

Before Captain Van Der Loo spoke at the brunch, he had placed beribboned metal medallions around the necks of repeat HAL passengers at a reception, symbolic of their having ridden the waves with Holland America for at least 100 days. After the reception, I spoke with Drew, the cruise director, who had acted as master of ceremonies; he announced the name of each medallion recipient before they marched on stage to meet their honorific fate and be photographed with the Captain and Hotel Director Brunink.

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Topics: Australia/New Zealand, Food & Beverage, Mariner Voices, ms Oosterdam | | 3 Comments

I captured a farewell picture from the New Zealand season. Shortly we will be back in Alaska. However the crossing is still ahead and I am looking forward to capturing the amazing journey.

Csaba Desvari is Oosterdam’s culinary operations manager.

Topics: Australia/New Zealand, Explorer's Scrapbook, ms Oosterdam, Postcards from... | | No Comments