After arriving in Hobart, we spent the afternoon visiting MONA which is one very unique museum and definitely worth a visit. It was time for boarding the next day where we were greeted by our hosts at the port. We had a balcony cabin which was well equipped and the beds were super comfy. We dined in the main restaurant that evening and the quality of our meals was exceptional.
There are specialty dining options available onboard Westerdam, for a special night out - Canaletto’s and Pinnacle Grill. Included in your cruise fare are the Dining Room, Lido Market and Dive-In Burgers and Dogs - a great option for days spent by the pool. Room service is also included and we had to spoil ourselves with breakfast in bed some mornings - there was something quite indulgent about it.
Crows Nest Bar was a great place to meet as it has a full view in front of the ship. Great place to view the sunsets and as luck has it this usually coincides with happy hour so you can enjoy a nice cocktail as well. This is a lovely light and airy space just to sit and read a book and enjoy the view.
Our Captain had advised the seas were to be quite high that evening. It was great to learn that Westerdam offered complimentary motion sickness tablets at reception so that was a great help to my travelling companion.
Our first port call was Adelaide where we had an overnight stop. We spent the afternoon looking around Adelaide, and had to visit the Haigh’s Chocolate shop. Given that we had an overnight stop, we were able to join Temptations Sailing on a Swim with the Dolphins experience from Glenelg the next morning. We chose to wear the wetsuits and climb into the water on the boom nets, but some onboard were happy to view from above. Either way there were lots of dolphins interacting and it was a very special day indeed.
That evening we visited Billboard and BB Kings and explored a few of the other venues onboard. Billboard was great fun where you get to request songs. Two piano players will play them for you in a really fun and entertaining way. For jazz and blues lovers - BB Kings is a must and the dance floor is a big hit. There is also the Lincoln Centre onboard for the classical music lovers.
Our next stop was Kangaroo Island, Australia’s third-largest island, offered plenty to explore. Since we weren’t on a shore tour, we allowed extra time to return to the ship safely. We hired a car and visited Admirals Arch and the Lighthouse. The scenery here is stunning, with giant waves crashing in on this rocky peak, the arch was formed by forces on nature. Here you can spot fur seals sunning themselves. Next stop was the Remarkable Rocks which, actually are remarkable - I promise you can't take a bad photo!
Westerdam has an Art Gallery, Shopping, Greenhouse Spa and Salon, Casino and Fitness Centre onboard. It is US dollars onboard Holland America ships and I suggest you download the Navigator App. Whilst these apps on cruise ships are quite new to us all, as the Captain commented “it is the future”.
This was a very relaxed cruise without all the hustle and bustle of crowds. The dress was mainly casual but one of the evenings was “dressy”. If you’re a music lover and enjoy visiting different ports and exploring, this is for you. Meals were of high quality and nothing was too much trouble for the staff and crew. We managed to pack in a lot on our shore days and it was lovely to step back onboard Westerdam knowing we’d be well looked after.
