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After more than two years of absence owing to the pandemic, Holland America Line has returned to Australia.
The Westerdam, the first ship in Holland America’s fleet to return to Australia, docked in Sydney on 8 November after setting sail from Seattle on 2 October. After a 36-day Pacific Ocean journey with stops in Hawaii and the South Pacific, the ship will arrive in Sydney via calls at Airlie Beach, Queensland, and Moreton Island, Queensland.
The president of Holland America Line, Gus Antorcha, said, “After being away from Australia for far too long, we are pleased to be back in this beautiful part of the world.” Even though we only started selling cruises aboard the Westerdam in Australia seven months ago, we’ve already got some full cruises planned for the region.
The Westerdam will base itself in Sydney, Australia, for the 2022–23 Australian and New Zealand cruise season. Through early January, the Westerdam offers cruises of 13 and 14 days to those who want to see the southern parts of Australia and New Zealand.
On 20 December, you may set sail on a festive cruise that will take you to some of New Zealand’s most stunning Christmas and New Year’s destinations.
The Noordam, another ship in Holland America Line’s fleet, will join the Westerdam in Australia to provide the Australia Circumnavigation. During its 35-day cruise, the ship will make 14 stops around Australia, including at Fremantle (Perth) and Melbourne, for overnights and picturesque cruising in the world-famous Great Barrier Reef.
It will then embark on 12- to 16-day cruises across New Zealand, departing from Sydney and returning there after visiting Auckland.
In honour of Holland America’s 150th anniversary next year, cruisers can celebrate the line’s return to Australia with a bottle of the line’s new and exclusive “De Lijn” gin, which features the orange of Holland America’s home country on the label and is said to “combine modern botanicals with a hint of Dutch tradition.”
Orange and rose, as well as elderberry, lemon verbena, lemon, raspberry, and juniper, can be detected in a glass of this libation. De Lijn can be enjoyed in all bars and lounges fleetwide and purchased in shipboard shops.
