With Reuben
Goossens
Cruise’n’Travel
Journalist / Cruise Reviewer
&
Maritime Historian
Please
Note: Cruise-Australia is a
non-commercial and privately owned cruise site and it is NOT associated with
any cruise company or travel agency! Although the author has been in the
passenger shipping industry since 1960 and is currently semi-retired, but
continues to write cruise and ship reviews and articles in order to better to
inform cruise and ship enthusiasts and provide information for those intending
a cruise in the future. Please read my statement at the bottom
of the page!
Please
Note: our Main-Page is located at: Cruise Australia.com.
Also:
There is a list of Special LINKS at the bottom of the page
Site
Index
Holland America
Line This
is my favourite overall Cruise Company, in addition it is one of THE most
awarded Cruise Company ever!
Holland
America Line
… This is the new and updated Page One of a new feature
created late February 2013, and it covers the history of Holland America Line and
it looks at a number of their superb luxury ships from, well the rather simple
chartered ship in 1872, because their new liner SS Rotterdam (I) had been
delayed, to the great SS Nieuw Amsterdam of 1938, and the spectacular SS
Rotterdam V. thus this page covers 1872 to 2000, when the Rotterdam was laid up
by Premier Cruises, then named Rembrandt! Page Two, covering 1993 to 2015 will
be online soon!
HAL
-News Updates
… Holland America
Lines – News Updates.
*Holland
America
ships based in Australian waters during the summer cruise season …
*ms Oosterdam … The 82.000-ton luxury ship
operates in Australian and New Zealand
waters annually during the summer months. View her interiors and superb
accommodations. She and the ms Volendam are 5 star
value for money ships - Guaranteed!
*MS
Volendam … The superb MV
Volendam will be sailing to Australian and Asia with so many
interesting itineraries. Often she also operates a Circumnavigation of
Australia. Personally
I prefer the ms Volendam as she, like her sisters, ms
Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Zaandam are some of the best designed ships
afloat and they come highly recommended having sailed on the Volendam in 2010!
My review is below.
*ms
Volendam - Cruise Review … With the author having sailed on
the superb ms Volendam
in 2010, this review is a result of a most delightful New Zealand, Hobart
Tasmania
and Eden
NSW Cruise. This is
a multi page review also has several photo pages of her interiors, all taken by
the author.
*The following ships sail Worldwide but some
of these ships also visit Australia & New Zealand
annually or occasionally …
*ms Amsterdam Ship Review … The
author was onboard the ms Amsterdam whilst she was in Brisbane
Australia on
November 11, 2010, less than a week after my superb cruise on the luxurious ms
Volendam. Although this ship is identical in
layout, she has a different décor and it is such a delight to behold! I am sure
that you will enjoy this “Ship-Review!”
*MS
Rotterdam … Like
the Volendam and Amsterdam, the famed flagship of HAL, The ms Rotterdam will
offering Holland America Line quality for they have a reputation that other
cruise lines simply yearn for!
MS Nieuw
Amsterdam … This huge new 68,700-ton accommodates 2,106 passengers providing more
space than other ships of her size. This is the ship other companies should
look at. One of the finest afloat!!!
*MS
Prinsendam … The
“Elegant World Explorer”
and after recent refurbishments she is even better!
ms Zaandam … The sister to the ms
Volendam did sail with the ms Volendam from
Australian waters cruising the Pacific and around New Zealand.
But due to HAL’s p[opularity, she was replaced
by the larger ms Oosterdam.
SeaDream
Yacht Club *This is author’s Number One recommended product. Why, it the finest vacation
experience in the world, it is as simple as that!
SeaDream
Yachts
… SeaDream Yacht Club offers
“Yachting, not Cruising” for it is a
company that is totally unlike any other! It has two superb luxurious small
4,333 ton Yachts that operate world wide and those who are connoisseurs of
cruising and travelling prefer these Yachts due to their relaxed style and the
ultimate in personalised service, yet these Yachts have a relaxed atmosphere
and they are not formal.
SILVERSEA Cruises This
a cruise line, with the finest and intimate ships in the world! Every
single room on board is a luxe suite and all drinks are includes throughout the
voyage as well as many other extras. This is cruising for those who want to
live in style and in the type of luxury of a private style yacht! Silversea
offers nothing but the very best!
Silversea fleet
… Enter three
pages covering the superb fleet of the Silversea ships from the very newest the
Silver Spirit to the two original ships built, the Silver Wind and Silver
Cloud. In between there were was also the Silver Shadow and Silver Shadow. All
the author can say is this, if you are a connoisseur of cruising and you are
looking for the ultimate, Silversea is the company for you!
P&O
Cruises Australia Australia’s Number ONE Cruise Company!
Pacific
Dawn … This
magnificent 70,000-ton cruise ship departs year round from Brisbane’s
Portside Cruise Terminal. She became largest cruise ship ever to be permanently
based in Brisbane.
When she commenced in Brisbane
in December 2009. She
has undergone a number of refits and she is the better of the two sisters based
in Australia!
Pacific
Jewel … This
fine ship is based in Sydney and
cruises the Pacific and New
Zealand and other popular destinations. Just
by looking at her, it is obvious that she is the identical sister to the
Pacific Dawn. The only major internal differences is that this ship has had
been through a number of Carnival companies hands and each have
made major changes to her internally, including the tragic removal of the
fabulous “Dome” which is now a massive money making machine, known
as the “Lotus Spa,” and fitness centre. But sadly it means is the
loss of one of the finest lounge afloat, which thankfully remains on her
sister, making the Pacific Dawn the BETTER Ship!
Pacific
Pearl … NEW
& Updated: The new addition to the P&O
Australia fleet will be in 2010, she has visited our shores before as the
P&O UK Arcadia, before that she was Princess Cruises’ Star Princess.
Before entering service she will be fully refurbished in Singapore
and become part of the New Zealand
and Australian fleet. She will be P&O Cruises first ship to have an outdoor
7m x 4m “LED Movie Screen” with a super sound system. Pacific Pearl
will first commence cruising from Auckland New Zealand in December 2010, before
heading for Sydney
in March 2011.
P&O/Carnival
News Updates … All the latest from Carnival Corporation & plc, which includes;
P&O Cruises UK, P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises, Seabourn,
Cunard Line & Costa Cruises. P&O Australia could teach them a lesson
when it comes to food and entertainment!!!
P&O
Celebrates 77 Years ... in December 1932, the elegant
three funnelled RMS Strathaird became first cruise ship to undertake a
cruise out of Sydney.
Now 77 years later, P&O Cruises Australia operates three fine modern ships
out of Sydney,
Brisbane
as well as Fremantle, Newcastle and Auckland
with a fourth ship arriving in 2010.
P&O
Cruises UK There is no better Cruise Company
for a World Cruise by far! It certainly beats Princess Cruises & Cunard
Line for value! I have sailed on both the Oriana and Aurora, but will never
sail on the American Carnival designed Arcadia
or other new big ships, they are hideous!
MV
Aurora … Aurora 2006 Cruise Reivew. Having sailed on her
maiden world cruise, there is no doubt that Aurora
is the perfect cruise ship.
MV
Oriana … 2005 World Cruise review. The author sailed on Oriana for 42 days, from Brisbane Australia
to Southampton UK.
The review includes 162 photographs of all lounges, facilities and decks
spaces. Enjoy! 2008 & 2009 reviews also online.
MV
Artemis … P&O’s smallest member of the fleet, but a
popular one!
Carnival
Cruises Australia Australia’s new cruise company, but an well established one and a name that is well known to
all, but not a cruise company suitable to all!
Carnival
Spirit … This
88,500-ton ship will be the largest ship ever to be permanently based in
Australia year-round and she will operate out of Sydney sailing 8 and 9 day
cruises to New Caledonia, as well as 10 and 11 day cruise to New Caledonia and
Vanuatu, and several itineraries of 12 day Pacific cruises as well as one 13
day cruise around New Zealand from Sydney and two departing Melbourne. She will
have had a complete refit with a brand new exciting Water Park installed, which
is said to be the most exciting at sea with thrill rides galore and a perfect
ship for the family and the young at heart!!
Orion
Expedition Cruises This Company has Won
Cruise-Australia’s “Best Cruise Company” in 2009”
MV
Orion … Australia’s own luxury expedition cruise ship.
In 2011 the Orion II will join the fleet.
MV Orion II
… Online
in the near future
Celebrity
Cruises One of the best luxury cruise
Line operating larger cruise ships!
MV
Celebrity Solstice … This is without a doubt the most
remarkable and the most advanced modern cruise ship in the world. This is a new
class of ship with innovations never seen before, she is certainly not a ship
like we used to know, and will not be liked by the genuine ship lovers, for the
truth is, she is a massive building, a hotel and a resort that happens to float
and take you to places. But, we have to admire the ingenuity that has gone into
this massive floating super luxurious hotel! She may not be my kind of ship,
but I come from another generation, for those who have discovered the new world
of cruising, she will be just “super!” Also visit Celebrity
Solstice - Page Two. This ship will
be heading for Australia
late in 2012!
MV
Celebrity Century … This 70,606-ton luxury cruise
ship is heading Down Under in 2011 & 2012, and a new page full of phorographs has been added online for your enjoyment! She
will be followed up by the glamorous Solstice in 2012!
Royal
Caribbean International Great value American style
cruising!
Royal
Caribbean Fleet (RCI) … Currently RCI operates 19 magnificent ships, ranging from
48,563 ton Empress of the Seas to the massive 158,000 ton Freedom of the Seas.
RCI’s MV
Rhapsody of the Seas operates regularly out of Australian and New Zealand
waters.
RCI-MV
Rhapsody of the Seas
… This
2,435 passenger French built 78,491 ton cruise ship operates out of Sydney
during our Summer months and has proven to be
reasonably popular. With the massive success of P&O and Princess Cruises,
this is Royal Caribbean’s attempt to enter our lucrative market! The only
complaint to date is that “she too americanised.”
RCI-
Freedom of the Seas
… The 158,000 GRT (ton) Royal
Caribbean Cruises super cruise ships. Freedom of the Seas, was floated out at “Aker
Finnyard” Finland
on Friday August 19. She is 339 metres long and 38.6 metres wide and will
accommodate 5,740 passengers and crew. This massive ship will be handed over to
Royal Caribbean in April 2006. with two further ships in the series are due to
be delivered in 2007 and 2008. Thus, as she is now in the water, she officially
becomes the largest passenger ship afloat.
RCI
– Oasis of the Seas … This
is the first of the 220,000–ton Project Genesis ships that set sail mid
in 2009, the second in the series, the Allure of the Seas will arrive in 2010.
Oasis is the largest passenger ship ever built and she is certainly the most
revolutionary ship ever conceived. She accommodates a massive 6,400 passengers
in the ultimate of luxury and she has facilities, some of which have never been
heard of before on a ship, let alone on a land based resort! This page has many
images that will leave you astounded with the grandeur of this ship, or should
I say a floating resort, or better still City, for she has two buildings placed
lengthwise on top of her hull, one starboard and one portside and there are
balconies out to sea and the rest into the interior Boardwalk and Central Park
that has real trees. If it sounds all too American for you, well for many
Australian’s and New Zealanders it may well be! But, it
really is some ship, it’s a BIG Yankee style ship and somewhat gaudy to
our taste, but, hey, give it a try! It is just like going to Disneyland!
Cunard
Line The name says it all, although I
hate the exterior design, but these hideous ships do have luxurious interious! But does that make these overly formal and big
ships suitable for everyone? No, for let’s be honest, Cunard is an
American Company and all three ships are Carnival designed Vista Class ships,
The QM2 is just an enlarged version with a dummy rounded stern tacked on! In
fact, you are really sailing with a pretend Cunard lLne
of yesteryear, for the real Cunard is no more!
MV
Queen Mary 2 … The
Grand Queen of the Sea – Includes a comprehensive photo album.
MV
Queen Elizabeth … The new VGista-Class Queen Elizabeth
has set sail
MV
Queen Victoria … She is slightly
larger that P&O’s UK Arcadia, but just as ugly looking. She is just
another Carnival Vista Class ship just like those of Carnival, Holland America
& Costa Cruises. She is unattractive, but very nice inside and makes a good
hotel and that is what she is, a hotel, and she is already reputed as a shocker
in rough waters!
Seabourn
Cruises Luxury
yachts that cruise in style and with all the sublime comforts and with class!
Seabourn
Yachts … The intimate and
luxurious Cruise Line for those who demand nothing than the best!
Star
Clipper Cruising
under sail, is as romantitic as it can be, and better
than that, it is in luxury plus!
Royal
Clipper … This is
the grand five masted all steel ocean going cruise ship
that offers the ultimate of luxury over four decks. There is no doubts that
this is the ultimate of ocean going experiences! Cruises operate in the America’s,
Europe
and even Trans Atlantic.
Princess
Cruises Australia Princess was my one favourite
cruise company’s for many years and I am an Elite (platinum) Captains
Club member, but the company has sadly lost favour with me as well wish so many
of its regular and past passengers! The truth is Carnival has destroyed what
was a perfectly good cruise company, and they will destroy their other
companies as well, for Carnival spells just one word –“GREED.”
Sun
Princess … Sadly this
ship replaced the popular smaller and much better ship, the Pacific Princess.
In addition, the service food and overall cruise experience was 100% better,
now Princess Cruises Australia has lowered the standards to the point that they
have become almost to what I consider it to be a 3 to 3.5 Star product and not
the 4 star product they claim to be, although they do offer some of those
services on board, such as free additional restaurants, etc and 24 hour buffets
and room service. But P&O Cruises Australia may not offer those little
extras, but then you get a lot better cruise experience and for far better
value!
Dawn
Princess … Dawn
Princess operated her very first around the world cruise in 2009,
and the author undertook the full voyage and you can take my word for it this
is the wrong ship for such a long voyage. This ship is fine for a week or two,
but that is about it! The comments I made for Sun Princess apply, compared to
the American run Princess ships, the Australia operated ships, Sun, Dawn and
soon the Sea Princess, Australian’s are treated like second class
citizens!
Cruise Review … I
had removed this Dawn Princess 2009 World cruise review but have now returned
it. Below are some of my thoughts, which will have to do and it says it all
really! Sadly I have received many further emails over the past
few years, especially from the 2011 around the world cruise, which obviously
also did not go too well and she again suffered mechanical and other problems!
PS: The American
run ships, such as the Diamond Princess, etc, are by far superior for they are
managed by the Americans and not Carnival Australia and thus you will not be
treated like a second class citizen as so many tell me they feel on the Sun and
Dawn Princess compared with other Princess ships!
MV Royal
Princess … A good friend of mine Mr. Stanley
Evans sailed on the delightful and intimate MV Royal Princess in December 2010
and sailed around the beautiful Tahitian and Marques
Islands.
He had been so kind as to write this excellent review include his photographs,
which are now online. Like the Pacific Princess, Royal Princess is indeed a
delightful ship and offers an excellent cruise. However, since the writing of
this review, the Royal Princess has been transferred between Carnival companies
and refitted to become P&O Cruises UK’s MV Adonia
offering a different experience to their larger ships, which are becoming more
and more American big and glitzy. In 2013 there will be a new ship built for
Princess Cruises which will also be named MV Royal Princess, but this monster
of the sea will be massive 140,000 tons and she will take the place of this
intimate and magnificent ship and all I can say that is simply tragic! This new
ship will just be another huge Carnival floating box-like block of apartments;
in fact P&O
UK will have an almost identical ship built several years
later, except for her funnels and slight exterior differences. America
has taken over Britain,
for both Cunard and P&O are fully controlled by the American Carnival
Corporation in Miami!
XXXXXXXXX A
dear friend of mine cruised on her earlier this year and being a well cruised
lady having sailed with princess countless times, and a Platinum member, she
wrote me to say that things had really gone downhill for there were so many
problems, holes in sheets for a start, and problems with meals, and the list
was rather extensive. I find it rather sad, for as I said Princess was a great
cruise company, but Carnival is a wrecker!
Special Links
“Dear Reuben” … A series of questions that have been asked from the author
of Cruise Australia
with suitable answers provided.
Recommended
Cruise Agents … This
page contains a listing of the author’s recommended cruise specialists in
Australia,
New
Zealand and
around the world, as well as other cruise/maritime oriented links. Please
note:
cruise-australia & ssmaritime are 100% non-commercial and is a privately
owned cruise/maritime sites and is NOT connected with any cruise/shipping
company’s or travel/cruise agencies, does NOT accept advertising nor
commissions, etc. This is a free service to my readers and all cruise agents
have been checked to ensure they are experts in the industry and provide
service and value!
ssMaritime.net … Featuring
the world oldest liner the Doulos built in the USA
in 1914 and still sailing the world. This is a 35 webpage book covers the ships
life from conception to her recent visit to New Zealand
and Australia
in 2008. The author spent a month onboard and sailed on her.
Cruising
News … The magazine “World Wide Cruising News &
Pictorial”
is without doubt one of the best cruise magazines available anywhere in the
world as I have seen it grow over many years. But you need to subscribe to this
full colour quality production that is crammed with information and superb
photographs.
Maritime
Matters … Maritime
& Cruise News with Peter
Knego and martin Cox
Cyber
Cruises.com … News and other cruise related pages
Work
on Cruise Ships … Seeking employment on a
Cruise Ship, check
these links
Dutch
Cruise Site … Harm Brink of the
Netherlands
has an excellent cruise site in Dutch and English and has a complete listing of
all cruise companies, accompanied by excellent photographs.
Das
Ruderhaus … A
site by well-known German cruise enthusiast, Raoul Fiebig.
This site has hundreds to photographs taken by Raoul
and will not be seen on any other site.
Tutto Crociere … An English cruise site by our Italian friend, Stefano
Fermi.
***************************************
Commenced
in the Passenger Shipping Industry in May 1960
Contact
the Author …
When
sending an email please name the ship you are requesting information or
enquiring about!
Please
Note: Cruise-Australia is a non-commercial and privately owned cruise site. The
author has been in the passenger shipping industry since 1960 and is currently
semi-retired, but continues to write cruise and ship reviews and articles in
order to better to inform cruise and ship enthusiasts and provide information
for those intending a cruise in the future.
Return
to the - Cruise-Australia.com - INDEX
Cruise-Australia.com
&
Cruise-Australia.net
Classic Liner
enthusiasts visit
ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net
Where
the ships of the past make history the 1914 built MV Doulos Story
Visit
our “Classic Ocean Voyages” Campaign
Feature
Photographs on cruise-australia are: 1. By the author. 2. From the
author’s private collection. 3. As provided
by Shipping Companies and private photographers or collectors. Credit is given
to all contributors. However, there are photographs provided to me without
details provided regarding the photographer concerned. I hereby invite if
owners of these images would be so kind to make them-selves known to me, that
due credit may be given. I know what it is like, I have seen a multitude of my
own photographs on other sites, yet they either refuse to give me credit and
even refuse to remove them, knowing full well that there is no legal comeback
when it comes to the net. However, let us show the charlatans up and do the
right thing at all times and give credit where credit is due! Note: I do not credit those who send me photos as they are not the owners
of the photographs concerned, unless the image is part of their private
collection.
This
notice covers all pages, although, I have done my best to ensure that all
photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page,
that is, when a page is updated!
cruise-australia
is owned and © Copyright by Reuben
Goossens - All Rights Reserved