Holland America Line will base ms Volendam and ms Zaandam in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the South Pacific in 2011-12, marking the first time the line will have two ships sailing a series of itineraries in the region simultaneously.
The line will offer a variety of itineraries ranging from 13 to 26 days as well as a Collectors’ Voyage from 27 to 39 days that combines two back-to-back itineraries visiting multiple regions.
Richard D. Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programmes, for Holland America Line said, “The entire area has such diverse offerings — from the Great Barrier Reef and fiords of New Zealand to the dramatic landscapes of the South Pacific islands and rich and exotic cultures of the Orient.â€
Volendam departs September 7, 2011, from Vancouver, B.C., on a 26-day cruise via Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji and New Caledonia before arriving at Sydney.
The ship returns to Vancouver from Sydney on a 23-day itinerary departing April 10, 2012, that also makes calls throughout the South Pacific and the Aloha state.
Zaandam sails from San Diego, California, to Sydney on a 26-day crossing via Hawaii and the South Pacific that includes an evening sailing by the Kilauea Volcano.
Those seeking a northern Pacific crossing can sail from Kobe to Vancouver April 1, 2012, on a 22-day journey and explore several ports in Japan before arching up to Alaska and enjoying scenic cruising in Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage.
