Category Archives: Holland America

Tahiti Beginner’s Dive

Posted on April 4, 2025 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Our cruise from San Diego to Sydney, Australia on Holland America Noordam had an overnight port stop in Papeete, Tahiti. We booked the cruise through Vacations to Go. When you book through Vacations to Go they offer shore excursions at … Continue reading →

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Zaandam Vista Suite

Posted on March 21, 2025 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Vista Suites on the Zaandam are comparable to what is typically called mini suites on most ships. Zaandam does not have balcony cabins so the only way to have a balcony is in a suite which makes the Vista suites … Continue reading →

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San Antonio Chile Cruise Port

Posted on March 7, 2025 by LBcruiseshipblogger

We arrived in San Antonio, Chile a couple days before embarking on Holland America Oosterdam for a cruise to Antartica. We really only needed to come to Chile one day ahead to get there in time for the cruise, but … Continue reading →

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Tahiti Van Tour

Posted on February 28, 2025 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Following our missed port in Kiritimati, we arrived in Papeete, Tahiti at noon, a couple hours ahead of Holland America Noordam’s scheduled 2pm arrival. We had nothing planned for that day, but found people with signs for bus or taxi … Continue reading →

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Skagway Yukon Tour

Posted on February 21, 2025 by LBcruiseshipblogger

The White Pass Railroad is by far the most popular excursion in Skagway. The main one goes up to the top of the mountain just over the Canadian border and back down again without ever leaving the train, though there … Continue reading →

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Back On the Oosterdam

Posted on January 31, 2025 by LBcruiseshipblogger

We’ve taken quite a few cruises on Holland America, mainly on some of the directional ships (Westerdam, Oosterdam, & Noordam, but not Zuiderdam). Of the compass directions, Oosterdam is east. Oosterdam was one of the first few ships I ever … Continue reading →

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Papeete, Tahiti Cruise Port

Posted on January 24, 2025 by LBcruiseshipblogger

It seemed like a tight squeeze to get a cruise ship through the narrow entrance to the harbor in Papeete, Tahiti, but the Noordam docked next to the much larger Ovation of the Seas so apparently even a large ship … Continue reading →

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Decor on Holland America Zaandam

Posted on January 10, 2025 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Some ships have a theme within the décor of the ship, like the music theme in the decor of some of the public decks on Holland America Zaandam. The largest bit by far is the atrium centerpiece, a gigantic three-story … Continue reading →

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Snorkeling With Whales

Posted on December 20, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Our trans-Pacific cruise on Holland America Noordam made an overnight stop in Tahiti. We had no set plans on the day we arrived, so we took a last-minute island tour that was available through locals at the port. For the … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Blogs, Holland America, Noordam, Pacific Ocean & Islands, Ports of Call, Shore Excursions | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Zaandam Cabins

Posted on December 6, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Standard cabins on most cruise ships include inside, ocean view, balcony, and suite, often with variations within each category – especially the suites. On the Zaandam, one of those categories is missing. That is balcony cabins. On this ship balconies … Continue reading →

Posted in Holland America, Shipboard Life, Zaandam | 2 Comments