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 FinnyardFinland 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.

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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.

 

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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!

 

 

 

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