Harboursiders

We recently booked this voyage and are looking forward to sailing on the Volendam again. This will be our third voyage on her (longest 58 days trans pacific) and have never experienced any problems sailing through rougher waters compared to other ships. We always select a smaller ship if the itineraries are similar. I would be more concerned about the on board amenities available aboard the Volendam as it is a 45 day voyage, She is older and smaller than many cruise line ships and thus does not have as many amenities as the newer ships. We do not need the extras which adds to the ambience of the ship for us but for others it can be a negative. Don't forget the great itinerary!

Hi Jacqui Sorry to impose on you but the recent changes to the 2024 World Cruise itinerary have necessitated changing our future cruising with a friend currently on the World cruise. Please delete June 8/25 Westerdam 28 Day Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice and add Oct 7 - Nov 21/25 Volendam 45 Day Ultimate Mediterranean and Atlantic Passage. Thanking you Appreciated

I am glad I could help out. You will certainly enjoy yourselves on this excursion. I would recommend booking this excursion as soon as possible as it fills very rapidly. Best wishes Ron

Just providing a little clarification on this post. On our HAL excursion we visited 4 islands for tours and Isla Balta for the airport. Each island provided insight into the diverse terrestrial and aquatic habitats within the Galapagos.

Mike B Landlubber posted this topic Jan. 5/23 which you may want to look at. We visited in 2016 with HAL and thoroughly enjoyed the excursion. It was one of our top highlights on all of our cruises. We are in the older age classification and it was our only chance to get to the islands. There are more in depth excursions available but if time and age are concerns then you may really want to consider this option. Have a great voyage.

Jacqui Please add us to: June 8, 2025 Westerdam 28 Day Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice. Will be celebrating a milestone birthday. Thanking you, greatly appreciated.

For us it has to be the Prinsendam, which we were fortunate to sail on for the Grand 2016 South America and Antarctica cruise. The small ship size, great cabins, fantastic crew, excellent cuisine and diverse itinerary made for an unforgettable voyage, We have met several crew members since and they all say it was a remarkable cruise. Friendships made on the cruise have continued to this day.

Please add the following voyage for us: Embarking June 29, 2024 Zuiderdam 21 Day - Viking Passage Thanking you; greatly appreciated.

Thank you for posting this excellent link. I missed it when initially posted while travelling. It provided my wife with hours of enjoyment last evening searching the records for her father's emigration to Canada from the Netherlands shortly after WW2 as well as other family members and friends. She will be utilizing the link again this evening for further searches.

We have found it best record sent laundry items on the laundry form when sending laundry out. We are currently on the Nieuw Amsterdam and had an incident where my walking shorts went missing. When the laundry captain quickly came to our cabin to investigate it was noted that someone had altered our submitted laundry list with two shorts sent to one short sent on the laundry list received by the laundry. The laundry captain personally delivered my shorts the next afternoon. We appreciated the quick personal service. On an earlier trip my wife had a web belt missing from her laundered shorts. Again the item marked on the laundry sheet was quickly found and returned.

Library return is to be expanded to all ships along with artistic classes. Currently on the Nieuw Amsterdam and the Library Grand opening was on Monday. Great to have them back. Food has been great. no long lines, and service has been excellent. Definite reduction in cleaning staff. Stairway bannisters definitely need some maintenance. Overall great to be back to cruising.

Thank your all for your best wishes. Looking forward to boarding tomorrow and returning to cruising. Cheers

Please add: April 09/23 Nieuw Amsterdam 21 Day Panama Canal and May 11/24 Zuiderdam 28 Day Bermuda, Normandy & Baltic Jewels Thanking you, Appreciated.

Sorry to hear of your medical problems. Hopefully you both recovery successfully and are able to enjoy your 'new mobility' soon. In regards to your question, I will try to give you the most detail I can in order for you to make a proper assessment. I will apologize now for the length. Possible Restrictions 1) Tendering We were part of the most active group during our Galapagos excursion (second and third day). Each day the island visits required the group to tender by Zodiacs at the port to the tour boat (cabin cruiser). These transfers required descending vertical ladders (3ft max) to the Zodiac. Accessing the tour boat from the Zodiacs required stepping from the Zodiac to the swim platform and then stepping through an opening in the transom. Of course this was repeated in reverse upon return to port. We used the Zodiacs to reach the three islands. Disembarking from the tour boats was by stepping off of the swim platform into the Zodiacs. Shoreline access required transfer from moving Zodiacs (minor wave and current action) to rocky shorelines but was not much trickier. The first island had a fairly level wet fractured lava access point reachable by stepping from the Zodiac bow. You then had to scramble over a low exposed lava cobble/ boulder tidal shelf to the main island. The second island access was onto a raised (2ft) lava shelf covered with a tarp to minimize slipping directly from the bow. This was immediately followed by an 8ft climb on large smooth lava boulders. The third island was a beach access in the Zodiac directly from the stern swim platform. The tour boat crew provided excellent physical and verbal assistance as required for all transfers. They did not rush anyone and transferred all personal gear as needed. All transfers were conducted in a very safe manner with support if needed. One participant had knee problems but was able to negotiate the transfers with minimal concerns. 2) Terrain On our first day we stopped for lunch and tortoise viewing. The terrain was flat with muddy trails that we explored on our own. There is a lava tube there that requires you to negotiate 15ft stairs with a railing if you elect to see it. The terrain within the lava tube was generally smooth level lava. Touring the first two islands (Day 2/3) required walking for up to 1 to 1.5hr at a moderate rate along established lava paths. Stops were well spread out as the naturalist imparted his extensive knowledge with the group. The paths were primarily level, gravel/sand/cobble lava surfaces with occasional larger lava outcroppings or depressions. The naturalist alerted the group to most of the terrain alterations. Firm footing was present along all paths. We had to negotiate a moderate incline on the first island immediately after our arrival. The naturalist stopped frequently along this section of the trail. The third island stop was at an extensive sand beach with exposed lava bedrock formations ideal for wandering, swimming and viewing the wildlife. Trekking poles would certainly be beneficial along the first island ascent if you feel necessary. 3) Heat and Shade It was hot (80 + F) on the islands and shade was scarce to non-existent. A few group members found it stressful and returned to the tour boat early on the first island. 4) Snorkeling Our trip included two snorkeling stops. The first was a relaxing snorkel in shallow water within a sheltered bay with no current or waves. The second snorkel site was a drift dive for 45 minutes in 30ft of water and 40ft offshore of the second island. This dive was more serious requiring comfort in the water and more advanced snorkeling skills to fully appreciate the dive. Several tour members elected to remain on the tour boat . Access to the tour boat was via the swim platform ladder. The naturalist was also a Dive Master. He observed the snorkelers from a nearby Zodiac while the remaining crew observed from the tour boat. Flotation vests were worn by the snorkelers but did not have to be inflated. 5) Airports Access to the aircraft required climbing ramps from the tarmac to the aircraft. We were left standing on the hot tarmac for 15 minutes while waiting to board when leaving the Galapagos. I hope this helps you make a more informed decision with input from your medical team. There was also a smaller group on our tour that did less strenuous activities. They did not tender and did less walking but enjoyed their excursions. They were the envy of our group as they were the only ones to see a Galapagos penguin. You must keep in mind that the islands you would visit are not necessarily the ones in our itinerary. Water and weather conditions can alter the itinerary. Hopefully you are able to get to the islands. Pictures are nice but you have to get there to appreciate them, if only briefly. Harboursiders First Island Landing Point Terrain (Tour Boat in Background) Second Island Landing Point Second Island Landing Point (Returning) Disembarking Tour Boat to Zodiac First Island Climb Upper level Trail Terrain (Our Fantastic HAL Tour Guide Natalia) Second Island Terrain Second Island Terrain

Our trip is dated (2016) however this was our impression then and now. We were fortunate to take this tour while sailing aboard the Prinsendam on the 2016 World South America - Antarctica cruise. For us the HAL Galapagos excursion was worth the price. There are better ways of seeing the Galapagos but we are in the older demographic and it was probably our only opportunity to get to these amazing islands. The tour was very well organized and HAL provided an excellent tour guide to accompany us. Our tour group (28 if memory serves me correctly) remained together on the first very long day (now shortened). We were split into smaller daily tour groups on our second and third days based upon individual mobility and interests. Each group was led by an experienced Galapagos naturalist. Our group visited three very different islands. Each island provided insight into the stunning diverse Galapagos aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Time at each island was limited by National Park Regulation but was ample for island trekking on defined paths, a beach visit and snorkeling. We were based at hotels in Puerto Ayora that provided suitable accommodations for the Galapagos (not ship standards). Being based in town provided an excellent opportunity to experience island life and cuisine. However it meant a scenic bus ride, about 50 minutes each way, both days between town and tour boat harbor. The bus route was through tortoise habitat however we did not observe any on these days. We did see numerous tortoises on the first day though. We thoroughly enjoyed our Galapagos experience as brief as it was. It was certainly an excellent introduction to the island archipelago. Take advantage of this excursion If this is your only opportunity to get there despite the cost. It was one of the best HAL excursions we have been on. I will warn you that it will wet your appetite for more if you have interest in the Galapagos Islands. One advantage of this trip was that it could be combined with an excursion to Machu Picchu. About half of our group continued on to Machu Picchu. It made for a lot of travel in a limited time frame however well worth the extra cost. Galapagos Welcome