The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an outbreak on a luxury cruise ship after more than 150 people reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, including diarrhea and vomiting.
23.01.2024 - 10:09 / thepointsguy.com
Looking for an easy and affordable way to tour Australia, New Zealand and a large number of Pacific islands in a single trip?
Holland America has a new offering that allows for just that.
The Seattle-based line on Tuesday will announce an epic monthlong itinerary that gives travelers the opportunity to visit Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and several of the most notable Pacific island groups without getting on any inter-island flights.
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The "Islands of the South Pacific: Sydney to Auckland" voyage, as Holland America is calling it, will take place on the line's 1,924-passenger Noordam and kick off Jan. 4, 2026, in Sydney.
As it begins, the sailing will resemble a typical sailing up the east coast of Australia with stops at Queensland's Moreton Island — a sandy getaway known for sand tobogganing, diving, bird-watching and parasailing — and the Queensland capital, Brisbane.
Additional stops up the Australian coast will include Townsville, a gateway to scuba diving outings at Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and the city of Cairns.
After a week of such exploring along Australia's east coast, Noordam will strike out northeastward for a three-day visit to Papua New Guinea.
Among the stops in Papua New Guinea will be Alotau, a buzzing harbor that was the site of the Battle of Milne Bay — often billed as Japan's first defeat in the Pacific during World War II. Noordam also will visit Papua New Guinea's Conflict Islands and Kiriwina, the largest of the country's Trobriand Islands.
From Papua New Guinea, Noordam will head eastward toward Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands — the site of another well-known World War II battle. Nowadays, it's known for its unspoiled beauty, which includes mountain spires, rocky coastlines, dense rainforest and spectacular waterfalls.
Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Holland America ship
Guadalcanal is just the first of a string of Pacific islands on the schedule. Noordam will spend the next 10 days hopping eastward and southward between several major island groups, including the islands of Vanuatu and Fiji — both independent countries made up of large numbers of islands.
Noordam will visit three destinations in each of these two island groups. In Vanuatu, it will spend a full day each in Luganville, Port Vila and Mystery Island. The Fiji visit will bring day visits to Lautoka, Suva and Dravuni Island.
A final Pacific island stop during this stretch of the trip will be the islands of Tonga, another independent country composed of multiple islands. Two stops are planned in Tonga, in Vavau and Nukualofa.
After touring these island groups, Noordam will turn southwestward across
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an outbreak on a luxury cruise ship after more than 150 people reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, including diarrhea and vomiting.
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