Christmas cruising Volendam - what is it like?

[smalldog]

Hi all, I'm contemplating taking my elderly mother on a Christmas cruise Australia/New Zealand on the Volendam 2010... has anyone been on this cruise and can tell me what it's like? Because there are just two of us will we feel lonely on Christmas Day because everyone else is in big family groups? What do they do on Christmas Day?

Also, what is the weather usually like, crossing the Tasman at that time of year? I get seasick... would it be a bad idea for me to take this cruise? (I had some difficult moments on an Alaskan Inside Passage cruise in September, just to give you an idea how fickly my tum is - but only when we were exposed to the big swells from the Gulf of Alaska, not when we were right inside)

thank you! :)

[scottjeanne]

We did this cruise in 2008/2009. It is marvelous. My father is incredibly prone to sea sickness and had no problem on this cruise.

Christmas day was a sea day. We went to midnight mass the night before which was lovely. They had Santa arriving in the show lounge with photos of him landing on the deck and playing in the hot tub, etc. It was a hoot. And it was great to see the excitement of all the young children.

We had dinner on Christmas eve in the Pinnacle- a nice formal occassion.

New year's eve was in Sydney harbor with the fireworks over the bridge. Truly a memorable event.

I think you might enjoy it. I did not find many large groups of families on board.

[smalldog]

We did this cruise in 2008/2009. It is marvelous. My father is incredibly prone to sea sickness and had no problem on this cruise.

Christmas day was a sea day. We went to midnight mass the night before which was lovely. They had Santa arriving in the show lounge with photos of him landing on the deck and playing in the hot tub, etc. It was a hoot. And it was great to see the excitement of all the young children.

We had dinner on Christmas eve in the Pinnacle- a nice formal occassion.

New year's eve was in Sydney harbor with the fireworks over the bridge. Truly a memorable event.

I think you might enjoy it. I did not find many large groups of families on board.

Thanks scottjeanne, it sounds lovely! How nice that they had a midnight mass too.

[RoupMom]

We, too, were on the same cruise as scottjeanne. It was truly wonderful! There were a few large family groups on board, but our table of 8 was probably more representative: two of us, a couple from NZ who never got off the ship but considered it their pampering holiday; a couple from Sydney and their SIL who had lost her husband a year before; and a single woman from the Bay area. We were also trying to replace a sad loss at Christmas-time and this was a big help. There were more folks from NZ and Australia on this cruise than Americans, which is different for HAL, but probably usual for this cruise. The New Years Eve in Sydney was truly spectacular and something I will never forget. It was also great to have 2 full days there, with most things open on the holidays, many right near the pier. I highly recommend it.

[Faith77]

I really appreciate all the comments here so that I can get a feel for what this cruise is like. Usually I cruise close to home--Alaska, Mexico, and a PC out of LA.
Just wish there were a few stops in Austrialia. I'd be coming from the US (SF Bay Area) and would plan to stay a few days in Syndey before the cruise.
Faith

[smalldog]

We, too, were on the same cruise as scottjeanne. It was truly wonderful! There were a few large family groups on board, but our table of 8 was probably more representative: two of us, a couple from NZ who never got off the ship but considered it their pampering holiday; a couple from Sydney and their SIL who had lost her husband a year before; and a single woman from the Bay area. We were also trying to replace a sad loss at Christmas-time and this was a big help. There were more folks from NZ and Australia on this cruise than Americans, which is different for HAL, but probably usual for this cruise. The New Years Eve in Sydney was truly spectacular and something I will never forget. It was also great to have 2 full days there, with most things open on the holidays, many right near the pier. I highly recommend it.

Thanks for your input. It sounds great. I'm not sure if they do New Year's Eve in Sydney this year... it doesn't say so on the itinerary - but it would be wonderful if they did. Nice to see it from the water.

[smalldog]

Well, we've signed up! Sailing to NZ for Christmas on the Volendam!
:D