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Los Angeles to Pacific Paradise
Welcome festivities await you in Los Angeles! You’ll begin this epic voyage with an overnight stay at the Superior First-Class Hilton Los Angeles Airport Hotel. This evening, you’ll be the guest at a Vantage-exclusive Welcome Cocktail Party & Dinner — here we’ll raise a toast to your cruise, and you’ll have a chance to meet and mingle with your fellow Vantage travellers.
After you embark the next day, the excitement in the air is palpable as the ms Rotterdam sails west on the first leg of her 2009 Grand World Voyage. A few days at sea give you the chance to relax, settle in, and explore your seagoing home.
The shimmering blue Pacific stretches out ahead, punctuated by palm-fringed atolls and volcanoes poking their shoulders above the seas to greet travellers with visions of paradise. Who can resist the beauty, serenity, and graceful pace of life upon these isles?
First stop: Hawaii. Going ashore at Hilo, tropical botanical gardens, breathtaking Akaka Falls, and fiery Kilauea Volcano await. Honolulu, up next, is classic Hawaiian allure, set off by the solemnity of the USS Arizona Memorial. More days of Pacific cruising bliss follow, highlighted on January 29, by a prized nautical milestone: our midnight crossing of the Equator, “the Golden Line” dividing the earth into its Northern and Southern Hemispheres. You’ll be crossing the International Date Line as well.
And so it goes, following the sun across the skies and feeling the rhythm of the seas ...
Soon, you’re at Tuvalu, one of the smallest, most remote nations in the world. Then Port-Vila on Vanuata, set on a spectacular natural harbor and featuring a cosmopolitan mix of cultures. Next on your “world list” is Noumea, New Caledonia, a chic island with a decidedly French flair. Îles des Pins, once a French penal colony, is today a peaceful island of white-sand beaches, tall pines, and spectacular underwater reefs.
Your Pacific sojourn comes to an end as you sail into Sydney, the famed shell-shaped Opera House rising into view on the shores of one of the world’s most beautiful harbors. What a pleasure to have two full days to explore the rich sights of Australia’s premier city!
Leaving Sydney behind, the ms Rotterdam calls next on Melbourne, where Victorian-era buildings line shady boulevards, and gracious parks and gardens beckon you to relax. In Adelaide, solid stone architecture belies a spirited city known for its festivals and food, shopping and sports, gardens, and parklands. Last port of call “Down Under” is vibrant Perth, where a yacht-filled harbor and glittering skyscrapers attest to the city’s affluence, yet the timeless back country of sheep farming and wineries is just over the rise.
On the next part of your journey, the can-do spirit of Australia gives way to Asia’s many mysteries: Indonesian islands where Komodo dragons swagger, oil-rich sultanates in Malaysia, serene rice terraces in Vietnam, ultra-modern Chinese cities evolving right before your eyes.
The Far East: Dragons & Dynasties
Lombok, with beautiful beaches and temples, is your first taste of Indonesia, a peaceful time-out before sailing into the sweeping arc of Slawi Bay on Komodo. Known for its fearsome Komodo dragons, perhaps you’ll have the chance to view these giant lizards in the wild. Then, it’s on to Semarang, once a crossroads for busy Dutch, Javanese, and Chinese trade — and today, a modern metropolis.
Hong Kong needs no introduction — if you are a shopper, welcome to heaven. Our extended stay here even allows for the ultimate Hong Kong pleasure: having apparel made by one of the city’s fine tailors.
In China’s race to modernity, Shanghai sets the pace. This city of 20 million is evolving right before your eyes. Still, you can feel Shanghai’s past in the Yu Yuan gardens of Old Town. Call next at Vietnam’s Nha Trang, offering beaches, the huge White Buddha, and ancient Buddhist Cham Towers, then on to Kemaman, Malaysia, where delightful beaches and swaying palm trees entice. In Singapore, another marvel of the New Asia, you’ll see glimpses of its past, including its unofficial mascot, the Merlion — half lion, half fish. The Singapore of today combines the gleam of steel and glass buildings with places like Orchard Road, the shopping destination for well-heeled visitors.
Indian Ocean Odyssey: Spice Markets and Safari Lands
Come relax on idyllic islands that dot the Indian Ocean. Immerse yourself in the glory of India. Perhaps, go on a bright morning’s game drive in Kenya. Savor the luxury of lingering for days in Mumbai, Dubai, Victoria, Mombasa, and Cape Town.
Your first port of call in the Indian Ocean is pretty Phuket, Thailand’s premier beach resort, where swimming and sunbathing are the order of the day. In India, we’ll call at the beguiling resort of Marmagoa, followed by Mumbai, India’s financial hub and center of the thriving Bollywood film industry. Your extended stay here allows for time to discover this energetic metropolis.
Dubai, the ultramodern, ultra-sleek capital of the United Arab Emirates, offers a chance to discover a city like no other in the world. In contrast, a sultan’s palace dominates the waterfront in Muscat, Oman, where you’ll find an intriguing Old Town guarded by Portuguese forts.
Crossing the Equator once again (we’ll “cross the line” four times, total!), you come to Victoria, capital of the Seychelles Islands, where you’ll have two leisurely days. The Africa of old awaits in Mombasa, where Arab dhows tie up along the docks and the narrow streets are filled with vendors, tailors, and coffee merchants. Two days give you time to take it all in.
Off the coast of Africa await island delights. Nosy Be, on Madagascar, is home to the ylang-ylang tree, from which perfume is distilled. You can next add the almost unknown port of Mamoudzou in the French Comoros to your list. Then, back on the mainland, exotic Maputo, capital of Mozambique, will be a maiden call for Holland America Line.
For a full taste of South Africa, we’ll first call at Richards Bay, gateway to Zululand and the famed Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, then the holiday resort of Durban. And finally, enjoy an extended stay in Cape Town to explore this world-class city and its dramatic surroundings.
Africa to the Americas: Great Dunes and the Sounds of Calypso
An inspired way to head for home, stopping to explore the shifting sands of Namibia on Africa’s southwest coast before sprinting across the southern Atlantic to explore the islands of the Caribbean. Soon, the USA, and a very familiar Great Lady, will welcome you.
Sailing out of Cape Town’s sheltered harbor, the ms Rotterdam sets her compass for the enchanting country of Namibia, where the world’s large sand dunes of bright orange sand contrast with German towns and pristine bays. You’ll discover it all on calls in Lüderitz and Walvis Bay, where pink flamingos comb the shallows for shrimp.
Collectors of unique ports will appreciate the next ports of call, both remote British Territories: Jamestown on St. Helena, where Napoleon was exiled, and Georgetown on Ascension Island.
Nearing South America, you’ll call at Devil’s Island off French Guiana, then on to Port-of-Spain in Trinidad, home of the calypso and the steel band. You’ve almost been around the world, but still the Caribbean is magic, as you’ll discover when we visit Bridgetown on the beautiful shores of Barbados and perfect Gustavia on chic St. Bart’s.
Your last few days of sailing bring you to Ft. Lauderdale, then up the Atlantic Coast. Before long, you’re passing the Statue of Liberty, her torch held high in greeting as you sail into New York, the grand finale of your cruise around the world.
To say you’ve just completed one of our planet’s great travel experiences is an understatement. You’ll be one of the few who has truly seen the world in all of its diversity and glory ... who has travelled in a style for which many yearn but few actually achieve ... who has sailed the great seas ... visited the great ports. In other words, you have completed the 2009 Grand World Voyage.
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Note: On January 29, 2009 at midnight, the ship will cross the International Date Line into the next day.
Please Note: All meals on board the ship in the main restaurants and
the buffet are included; certain specialty restaurants have a nominal
cover charge.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The above day-by-day itinerary is preliminary and
therefore subject to change. If any major changes occur in advance of
your departure, you’ll be notified in writing by Vantage Deluxe World
Travel. If changes occur while on board ship or on tour, you’ll be
notified by your Vantage Program Manager.
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