Noordam Itinerary

What Noordam's Australia / New Zealand Season Is Actually Like (Mid-November to Mid-February)

A quick calendar correction first, because our database is feeling a little northern-hemisphere-smug. It files this stretch under "autumn". Down here, Noordam's run goes from late spring (the 15 November departure) into high summer. The weather, the crowds and the packing list follow the Southern Hemisphere calendar, whatever the database thinks.

You get one very long lap of Australia, one Christmas-and-New-Year special, and then a series of back-and-forth Tasman crossings. Our sailing data doesn't record ports for any of these, so everything below comes from seller listings and Holland America's season announcement. Check it against Holland America's own page before you book.

The 35-nighter (15 November)

This is the one for people who think a week is barely enough time to unpack. Sellers list Brisbane, Alotau, Kiriwina, Cairns, Townsville, Darwin, Broome, Exmouth, Fremantle, Albany, Adelaide, Penneshaw (Kangaroo Island), Melbourne, Phillip Island and Hobart, with Port Arthur on one list. Holland America highlights overnights in Fremantle and Hobart, plus late-night calls in Adelaide, Phillip Island and Melbourne, and says four of the ports are in Papua New Guinea. Sellers' lists differ slightly, and one adds the Conflict Islands. Holland America doesn't publish a total port count on its announcement page, and trade coverage quotes anywhere from 17 to 18 ports around Australia and Papua New Guinea. Treat any single tally as approximate and check Holland America's itinerary page for the final list.

November in the tropical north is the "build-up", which is a polite local word for "you will be damp, always". Darwin's hottest month runs from about 25°C overnight to 33°C by day, with heavy humidity and afternoon thunderstorms. Cyclone season runs roughly November to April, so Noordam is arriving at the start of it. Pack for sweat, not sunbathing glamour. Fares have wandered since the 2025 launch, so get a current quote from Holland America or your travel agent rather than trusting a launch-day headline.

The 20 December Christmas sailing

One listing shows Phillip Island, Melbourne, Burnie, Adelaide, Penneshaw, Hobart, Port Arthur and Newcastle. Christmas Eve is in Burnie, Christmas Day is at sea, and New Year's Eve is a day in Port Arthur followed by an evening at sea. Hobart runs until 11 pm on 30 December. It's festive but port-heavy, and it's the best pick if you want Tasmania without any Tasman crossing.

The New Zealand crossings

The 31 January sailing, per one listing, goes Melbourne, Hobart, two sea days, then Milford Sound and Fiordland scenic cruising. After that come Port Chalmers (Dunedin), Lyttelton (Christchurch), Wellington, Picton, Napier and Tauranga (Rotorua), ending in Auckland. The 17 January Auckland departure covers the same territory in reverse. Holland America describes Noordam's January-to-March 2027 runs as 14-day, open-jaw sailings between Auckland and Sydney, each calling at eight ports and visiting Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park.

The Tasman has a rough reputation, though reports vary from glassy to heavy pitching, which is a very "it depends, darling" answer, but here we are. One captain, quoted by a travel blogger, said swells are bigger between the South Island and Australia than between the North Island and Australia. If your stomach is the nervous type, pick a lower, mid-ship cabin (our cabin size guide helps) and bring motion-sickness remedies.

Fiordland is the headline act and also the gamble. Milford Sound gets around seven metres of rain a year, and summer highs run about 18–20°C. NIWA's 1991–2020 averages put December at 18.5°C and January at 19.5°C. Rain, sun and wind can all arrive within one morning, and that is normal here.

Packing for this climate

• Waterproof jacket and warm layers, for Fiordland and Hobart (Hobart highs are around 20–22°C, nights around 11–12°C).
• Sunscreen and sunglasses. The sun is strong on the water even when it rains.
• Light, breathable clothes for the northern-Australia legs of the 35-nighter.
• Motion-sickness remedies for any Tasman crossing.

Who should book what

Choose the 35-night if you have the time and want the remote western coast. Choose the 20 December sailing for Christmas on the water with Tasmania. Choose a 14-night New Zealand crossing for fjords, Wellington and Dunedin. December to February is peak season at places like Milford Sound, so expect crowds and book shore excursions early.

On the ship itself: Noordam (2006, refreshed 2024) carries 1,972 passengers and 820 crew across 11 decks. Her latest CDC Vessel Sanitation Program score is 95 out of 100, from 16 August 2026 (85 or higher counts as satisfactory). See the Noordam ship page for more, and the CDC inspection lookup for the report.