Take in New Zealand aboard the Volendam

POOR weather on the return journey gave Sarah Mennie plenty of time to explore the many great spaces of her cruise ship, Volendam.

volendam

LIFE aboard Holland America Line's cruise ship Volendam is pretty easy to take.

Which is lucky when the weather turns sour in places such as in New Zealand, where the weather is prone to grumpy moods.

The weather was so bad on the tail end of our recent trip along New Zealand's picturesque coast, we had to forgo our last port day altogether to make it back to Sydney.

The officers and crew handled the situation impeccably. They kept guests informed, there was complimentary champagne to soften the news and they helped make arrangements for anyone who didn't fancy three days at sea and wanted to fly home instead.

The silver lining in the rain clouds was that it meant plenty of time to really explore the ship.

Volendam holds about 1400 passengers and, on this trip, the guest list was made up mostly of middle-aged to older Americans keen to see Australia and New Zealand from the comfort of a mid-size premium ship.

It sounds like a lot of people, but Volendam's design, with plenty of public areas and choices of entertainment, dining and activities, means you don't feel part of a crowd.

While this particular voyage did have an older crowd, Volendam is well-equipped for children, thus ensuring all the family has a proper holiday where the kids meet new friends with supervised activities while mum and dad relax without worrying about anything, from making the beds to preparing the meals.

There are youth-dedicated spaces on the ship such as The Loft and The Oasis and plenty of activities geared to teenagers such as regular movie screenings, as well as two swimming pools and a basketball court. For younger guests, there is the supervised Club Hal for three to 12-year-olds.

For adults, Volendam offers all sorts of choices, regardless of the weather. Known for its flower theme, the ship has regular deliveries of beautiful fresh flowers as well as floral fabrics and tapestries.

These, along with a large collection of artwork throughout the ship, give a backdrop of relaxing elegance while investigating places such as the Explorers Lounge for a drink, the Frans Hals Show Lounge for cabaret or the Lido Pool for a dip and a sunbake. The Culinary Arts Centre is a modern demonstration kitchen offering interactive gourmet cooking lessons taught by HAL's chefs or guest lecturers.

The internet cafe has newspapers, books and plenty of computers to check emails and stay in touch with the outside world. There are also workshops to sharpen your computer skills, very handy when fiddling with digital cameras and the like.

For dining, the grand two-storey Rotterdam Dining Room offers five-course menus, with vegetarian and low-carb options, or try the fine-dining option in the intimate Pinnacle Grill with its focus on premium beef, seafood and excellent wines.

You pay extra to dine here and you need to book, but it is well worth it.

For a more relaxed meal, head to the Lido Restaurant with its bistro selections and cooked-to-order specialties. There is cannelloni for Italian dinners, or you can chill out with poolside burgers, hot dogs, pizza and Mexican food.

The ship has a casino, souvenir and jewellery shops, and a full program of events through the day and evening, from yoga to trivia to wine tastings, as well as twice-nightly shows such as musical productions, cabaret and comedy, plus dancing in the Ocean Bar. There is also the Crows Nest nightclub.When the heavens opened late in the voyage, I discovered my own slice of paradise in the Greenhouse Spa and Salon, which I affectionately called "The Magic Room" because it really felt like magic.

With a mineral spa, saunas and sweeping floor-to-ceiling ocean views, the additional money you pay for access is well spent as the retreat really is designed for indulgent pampering.

The clincher is the ceramic tiled heated beds.

That's right, you lie on a curved bed, covered in ceramic tiles, and the tiles are heated as you gaze out to the ocean. Genius.

Back in the regular part of the ship, cabins are cosy but with enough storage space to ensure you can use it all without tripping over stray suitcases and assorted belongings.

Room service is available 24 hours, along with a DVD delivery service, perfect for some quiet time when the rain hit.

However, after a few days of inside fun, a few on board were experiencing cabin fever. The solution? Get some fresh sea air into the lungs.

A breast cancer fundraising walk around the promenade deck brought this wonderful part of the ship to my attention.

If you are not a big fan of gyms (and the Volendam has a good one), the promenade power walk is a great way to get some exercise, feel the breeze on your face and feel as if you are almost off the ship. And, naturally, there are sea views.

Of course, a cruise is as much about ports as the ship, and New Zealand has fascinating destinations, from Auckland's "City of Sails" to the capital Wellington to smaller stops such as beautiful Tauranga for steamy Rotorua as well as scenic cruising at spectacular Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park.

HAL offers an extensive program of shore excursions or you can just do your own thing.

A memorable shore trip on this cruise for movie buffs was a trip to "Hobbiton", where scenes from The Lord of the Rings trilogy and upcoming The Hobbit film were filmed.

On private farmland near Matamata in the North Island, the movie set from The Lord of the Rings has been rebuilt for visitors to explore in a fascinating two-hour guided tour.

As the set is on a working farm, there is also the opportunity to cuddle and bottle feed pet lambs very New Zealand.

The writer was a guest of Holland America Line and Air New Zealand.

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Cruising there

Volendam and big sister ship Oosterdam have an extensive series of cruises around Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific planned for the 2012-13 cruise season.

Volendam will have 28 sailings in the season, including 10 Asian itineraries, a 34-day Australian circumnavigation from October 21 priced from $6499 a person, twin share, and a 16-day Great Barrier Reef trip from November 24, from $1999.

A 14-day Australia and New Zealand cruise departing Sydney on November 24 visits Melbourne, Burnie, Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park, Dunedin, Christchurch, Picton, Queen Charlotte Sound, Wellington, Napier, Rotorua (Tauranga) and Auckland, priced from $2148.

Ph 1300 987 322 or see hollandamerica.com.au

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