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Magical trip "Down Under"

Westerdam Cruise Review to South Pacific - Australia

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 23

Overall rating:

4.1 out of 5
Verified Review
Westerdam

14 Night Australia & New Zealand (Sydney To Auckland)

Sail date: December 06, 2022

Ship: Westerdam

Cabin number: 7115

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Great value, ship/food/service lived up to our expectations, itinerary was dynamic and comprehensive with lots of variety. Loved the alternating busy port days with a day off in between. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting a quick exploration of the lands "down under"

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Smooth, quick and seamless, heart of Sydney, on the ship in 15 minutes, even with Covid protocols!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
Main dining service and fare were solid, specialty restaurants very good, one (Canaletto) better value though ambiance needs some love

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5
Westerdam is a basic ship without a lot of bells and whistles. We enjoyed calm days at sea, walking and lazing around

Entertainment

4 out of 5
excellent dancers, good but not great singers with some questionable material (supposedly number one hits that no one in the audience seemed to recognize?); classical musicians from Lincoln Center were a REAL treat

Children's Programs

very little for kids or teens to do on this cruise

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
exceptionally helpful staff genuinely happy to see us sailing

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
Clean and well maintained, but the ship is showing its age and most decor needs a major refresh

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
Basic cabin with a balcony (a first for us which we loved, makes the room feel twice as large); spotless, very comfortable bed and luxury linens. A bathtub on a cruise is a lot of fun and rare!

Ship tip

Know it is basic and aging, but good value

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Sydney, Australia

5 out of 5
Fantastic world class city not to be missed. We arrived 4 days early to fully experience Sydney and there is still much to see and do.
Thumbs Up

Melbourne, Australia

5 out of 5
Important city to visit and much to see in the heart of town. Easy train ride from the port.
Thumbs Up

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

4 out of 5
Booked private excursion to MONA, the eccentric new $75M private art museum not to be missed. Walked the town and enjoyed the market and seafood
Thumbs Up

Cruise Milford Sound

5 out of 5
Unfathomable natural beauty of the fjords we cruised silently through. Unforgettable. A highlight
Thumbs Up

Cruise Fjordland National Park

5 out of 5
see above
Thumbs Up

Port Chalmers (Dunedin), New Zealand

3 out of 5
fun city with its octagonal square, university, museum and cathedral. Walked the city on our own
Thumbs Up

Picton, New Zealand

2 out of 5
Little to see or do- unsure why this is on any itinerary
Thumbs Up

Wellington, New Zealand

4 out of 5
National capitol of NZ, walked the city, tram up the peak to Botanic gardens, great museum on the waterfront, Cuba street shops.........
Thumbs Up

Napier, New Zealand

2 out of 5
Though touted for its art deco rebuild after the 1930's earthquake, a bit underwhelming.
Thumbs Up

Tauranga, New Zealand

5 out of 5
Gorgeous beaches and volcano hike within walking of the ship, but for Tolkien fans, the holy grail: a tour to Hobbiton. Knocked the whole cruise out of the park for my wife and I . Pure magic
Thumbs Up

Auckland, New Zealand

4 out of 5
too much to see in a day, needed more time.......................sigh
Thumbs Up

Disembarkation

4 out of 5
quick and easy
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