Category Archives: Holland America

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

The Other Christmas Island

Posted on November 15, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Christmas island is most known for the annual breeding migration of its red crabs, which occurs each summer as the crabs take 4-5 weeks to migrate to their spawning grounds. This happens during what residents of the northern hemisphere would … Continue reading →

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Juneau Whale Watching

Posted on November 1, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

On the way to Juneau, Holland America Zaandam was scheduled to visit Tracy Arm. This is the third Alaska cruise I’ve taken that was scheduled to go into Tracy Arm. Besides being later in the season than the first two, … Continue reading →

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Halloween on the Noordam

Posted on October 31, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Our 34-day pacific crossing on Holland America Noordam from San Diego to Sydney didn’t originally include Halloween. Not because of the time of year, but because of the timing of crossing the international dateline.  This cruise actually crossed the international … Continue reading →

Posted in Holland America, Noordam, Shipboard Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments