When a cruise itinerary includes several days at sea, it can polarise potential passengers. Some will love the thought; others will hate the idea.
I love sea days, but my husband belonged to the latter – feeling ‘entrapped’ by not being able to get off the ship. Until he found that walking around the ship for a morning’s constitutional gave him a good excuse to get out of the cabin, and to participate in some of the onboard activities.
He would have felt right at home onboard Holland America Line’s Noordam as we set off from Dunedin in New Zealand’s South Island for a week-long voyage to Sydney – as three times around the Promenade deck equates to 1.6km. Plenty of passengers make this daily exercise – in fact, a casual ‘Good Morning’ in passing can often turn into a drinks or dinner meet-up.
I, on the other hand, find the odd day at sea is essential when cruising – just to catch up with myself. Being a tourist can be very tiring. For me, it’s a chance to sleep in, answer emails over a brunch-time coffee and pastries, catch some Vitamin D on my own furnished balcony with a good book, swim in one of the two pools onboard, perhaps enjoy a light lunch – followed by an afternoon nap before a sauna, then shower and dress for dinner and catch the late live show on the World Stage. The next day: do it all again.
Gourmet dining at sea
The standard of food onboard Holland American Line ships has always impressed, along with the delightful attitude and professionalism of serving staff.
There are several restaurant venues onboard Noordam. The Lido Market does all-day casual dining, while the Dining Room has white linen table service. The Pinnacle Grill also acts as a pop-up venue for a special pan-Asian menu from Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto who is HAL’s Global Fresh Fish Ambassador (both attract a surcharge on certain dishes), and the Italian Canaletto takes over a corner of the Lido at night and also has a surcharge.
Our cruise travelled via New Zealand’s near-mythical Fiordland (think Milford, Doubtful and Dusky Sounds), before sailing across ‘the ditch’ to Hobart and Melbourne, and finishing in Sydney.
The visit to Fiordland was highly anticipated but, as bad weather had been predicted earlier in the day, Captain Vincent Elger, ever mindful of passengers’ enjoyment, proposed to cruise at a slower rate to arrive at the entry to Dusky Sound in the late afternoon but while it was still light.
Considered one of the most beautiful and dramatic areas in New Zealand, we should never be surprised by the weather as we learnt it attracts more than six metres of rainfall a year – over some 200 days. And this was one of them, creating hundreds and thousands of waterfalls – many of which have become permanent.
The unique ecosystem of the sound supports marine life including sea lions, dolphins, crested penguins, whales and more. We spied a pod of dolphins and tried to photograph gushing waterfalls through the thick broody mist where steep, jagged mountains retreated into the quiet distance.
Dusky Sound comprises more than 700 islands and is considered New Zealand’s most important habitat. Named by English mariner Captain James Cook, its isolated, wind-swept location is accessible only by air and sea. It was here that Cook moored and sheltered his ship, the HMS Resolution, for almost five weeks in 1773. Following a rigorous 122-day voyage in the Pacific and sub-Antarctic waters, the three-masted sloop was in need of repairs and his men in need of a rest.
The Resolution was towed in from Anchor Island by Cook’s crew using two long boats, a protruding branch of a sturdy and long-living rātā tree acting as a natural gangplank. It’s still there today, along with the stumps of several tōtara trees his men cut down for masts. At Pickersgill Harbour, named after one of Cook’s lieutenants, an engraved plaque at the shore’s edge depicts the Resolution moored by the rātā branch and tells the story. If only the weather had behaved for us, we might well have been able to see it.
The inclement weather followed us the 868 nautical miles across the Tasman Sea, but did not affect us a jot. With the retractable roof over the main pool secured, some passengers swam and relaxed on sun loungers, while others participated in myriad onboard activities: Tech for Travellers – What is the Cloud? Learn to Line Dance. Team Trivia. Tai Chi for everyone. Anyone for pickleball?
Cruise Director Bernado Barona was one of the best I’d ever experienced – energetic, professional, witty, personable, talented, knowledgeable and ever-so patient with guests’ IT and tech queries.
We joined a fun Mixology class where effervescent bartender Anne-Marie expertly showed us how to shake and make classic margaritas and mojitos. Her bar team performed cocktail-shaking routines while belting out ditties and amusing toasts as each drink was poured to the dozen or so participants. One is a play on HAL’s welcome toast on all ships: “This is a good ship, a wood ship, a ship that sails the sea. But the best ship is the relationship – and may it always be.”
Tasmania’s bounty
By the time we arrived in Hobart’s Constitution Dock, the sun was shining and passengers were eager to explore this most southern and historic of Australian capitals.
Having never had the opportunity to discover Tasmania’s bountiful Bruny Island before, I signed up for a day’s excursion.
We drove south from Hobart to the little boat harbour of Kettering where a car ferry transported our bus across to the island. It was a stunning day and the beaches put on a summer show of nature at its best. A spiny echidna crossed our path as we searched for white wallabies.
We savoured plump, succulent Pacific oysters from nearby Get Shucked oyster farm and enjoyed fresh fish ‘n’ chips and salad for lunch with local wines.
Afterwards, on a mini food tour, we delighted in local leatherwood honey ice-cream and a few tipples at the House of Whisky – particularly their delicious indigo-coloured Seclusion gin that turns pink once a mixer is added. I can see why the island receives such deserved hype.
With another day at sea as we cruised the 502 nautical miles across Bass Strait for the port of Melbourne, we enjoyed the hydrotherapy pool onboard and just relaxed.
The next day, as we sailed from Melbourne to Sydney, we travelled part of Australia’s east coast passing waters once described by Captain Cook as a coastline of endless bays and gentle hills. Much of our journey followed the same path Cook charted in 1770. While onboard, we made the most of our last day relaxing at sea. And isn’t that what holidays are all about?
