Holland America ms Oosterdam - luxury cruising the 'traditional' way

Australian Traveller magazine seeks the charm and glamour on an old-world vessel: ships inspired by the golden age of cruising. So Helen O’Neill boards Holland America’s MS Oosterdam to see if this cruise ship combines classic good looks with savvy service.

You may not know much about the mysterious art of towel-animal origami when you board a Holland America Line (HAL) vessel but by the end of your trip you will have amassed a positive menagerie.

Each evening as you return to your stateroom (as the cabins are called) you will find, on your perfectly-made bed, anything from a scorpion to a puppy painstakingly constructed from fluffy white hand towels.

Our first towelled critter is a crab, adorned with little paper eyes that seem to follow us around our room. A little retro, admittedly, but sweet.

Life on board Holland America’s ms Oosterdam

Lido Bar on Holland America's MS Oosterdam (cruise) — On the ms Oosterdam, the Lido Bar is a great place for refreshing breaks from swimming, lounging in the hot tub or catching some sun.

We are travelling on the ms Oosterdam, one of the larger vessels of the 15-strong fleet HAL has circumnavigating the planet (with a passenger capacity of 1916). While the ship caters to children and carries a United Nations roll call of guests, the most common accent is American and the typical passenger a retiree.

A significant number are repeat customers – one man can be heard explaining proudly that this is his 20th cruise – and it’s not difficult to see why.

Once you get past the first – of what turn out to be ubiquitous – hand sanitisers (understandable given the recent cruising gastro outbreaks), the ms Oosterdam is like any other good quality, mid-range cruise liner – comfortable, spotless and user-friendly.

But like the rest of the HAL fleet, ms Oosterdam is also a total environment: 100 per cent unashamedly Art Deco, albeit a Disney-fied version. This is the type of sparkling, gilt-edged décor that made cruise ship interiors famous; the kind some love, and some love to hate.

Occasionally, the interiors here drift a little down-market – in the glitzy three-tier auditorium, for example, and the on board casino. But in other areas, like the Promenade Deck and the Piano Bar, the slick, retro styling only adds to what is genuinely charming space.

The eateries are equally varied in both décor and tone, from the often crowded self-service utilitarian Lido Restaurant to the sparkling, silver-service sophistication of the Pinnacle Grill (reservation only).

The Piano Bar on Holland America's MS Oosterdam (cruise) — The Piano Bar on Holland America’s MS Oosterdam (cruise)

Guests have free run of 11 decks, which are all connected by elevators. And in case you are in complete holiday mode, the elevator mats are changed every 24 hours to remind you which day of the week it is.

Outdoor activities, weather permitting, include perambulations on deck three’s wraparound teak promenade (plus optional rest-stops, for those who just can’t resist the lure of a deckchair), the Lido Pool on deck nine (featuring a retractable roof, should the heavens open), the Observation Deck at the stern of deck 10, and the volleyball and basketball courts on deck 11 for the few kids who find themselves on board.

Staterooms on board ms Oosterdam

Veranda Suite on Holland America's MS Oosterdam (cruise) — Veranda Suite on Holland America’s MS Oosterdam (cruise)

First stop is our stateroom, a ‘Veranda’ [sic] suite featuring a queen-size bed (convertible to two singles), lounge area and most dramatically, a private, ocean-hugging balcony. The downside is the bathroom, with a bath too small for any real relaxation and barely enough room to swing a towel-origami cat.

It is tidy and will remain so – daily cleaning and extra touches (fresh fruit, chocolates at turndown, the towel-animal origami zoo) are coordinated by polite, friendly housekeepers exhibiting such fastidiousness and attention to detail (they memorise our names instantly) that you can forgive the ms Oosterdam for seeming, at times, a little tired.

HAL’s ‘newspaper’ Explorer is delivered to each room daily outlining the activities on board. On our second morning at sea, its front page reveals that the forecast is a partly cloudy 68ºF/20ºC and that tonight’s dress code is ‘formal’ – an unenforced formality that will prove to be read by guests on this ultimately laid-back ship as either ‘smart-casual’ or ‘cocktail’… or completely ignored.

Stateroom Ocean View on Holland America's MS Oosterdam (cruise) — Stateroom Ocean View on Holland America’s MS Oosterdam (cruise)

Activities on ms Oosterdam

Explorer lists a dizzying array of activities in which virtually every whim seems catered for – although given the energy levels of some on board, you wonder how much of a wish-list this is. Events kick off at 8:00am with mass, tai chi and yoga, and run through until 11:30pm when ‘DJ Styles’ takes requests at the Northern Lights Disco on deck two.

Vista Show Lounge on Holland America's MS Oosterdam (cruise) — Vista Show Lounge on Holland America’s MS Oosterdam (cruise)

In between there are quizzes, bridge games, art classes, movies, fitness and aqua aerobics sessions, technical workshops (today’s are on camera use, photo editing and email tips) plus a busy 11:00am champagne reception (held in the Pinnacle Bar on deck two), a ‘Singles and Solos’ lunch from 12:30pm, and a convivial 3:00pm Royal Dutch High Tea.

Much is complimentary, including the shows ranging from cheesy individual crooners to surprisingly accomplished cover bands and sparkling song and dance routines. But there is room for retreat by booking a spa treatment or simply settling into one of the comfortable chairs in the Crow’s Nest on deck 10 where, through panoramic windows, you can watch the ocean slide by.

Holland America may not be the most luxurious cruise on the market but there’s an honesty about its approach, and a thoroughness about its service levels, that pays dividends.

Disembarking is tinged with disappointment, not least because our cabinet attendant is yet to create a life-sized towel-origami giraffe or T-Rex, but somehow we find ourselves wishing we’d had time to experience that little bit more.

The Northern Lights Disco on Holland America's MS Oosterdam (cruise) — The Northern Lights Disco on Holland America’s MS Oosterdam (cruise)

Slow down and find your rhythm on a Murray River journey through time and place.

Trust is a funny thing. It seems not that long ago that my mother was insisting on pouring the milk into my cereal bowl, because she didn’t trust me not to slosh it over the table, and yet here I am on the Murray River at Mildura in far north-west Victoria, being handed the keys to a very new and very expensive luxury houseboat.

After a crash course in how not to crash, I’m at the wheel of the good ship Elevate – pride of the All Seasons fleet – guiding her upstream past red-ochre cliffs as pelicans glide above the rippled river and kookaburras call from reedy banks. There’s a brief moment of breath-holding while I negotiate a hairpin turn around a jagged reef of skeletal, submerged gum trees, before a cheer rings out and calm descends as the timeless river unfurls in front of us.

The Murray River winding through Yarrawonga. (Image: Rob Blackburn)

Setting sail from Mildura

Murray River birds — Home to a large number of bird species, including pelicans. (Image: The Precint Studios)

A journey along the Murray River is never less than magical, and launching from Mildura makes perfect sense. Up here the river is wide and largely empty, giving novice skippers like myself the confidence to nudge the 60-tonne houseboat up to the riverbank where we tie up for the night, without fear of shattering the glass elevator (the boat is fully wheelchair accessible) or spilling our Champagne.

My friends and I spend three days on the water, swimming and fishing, sitting around campfires onshore at night, and basking in air so warm you’d swear you were in the tropics. The simplicity of river life reveals an interesting dichotomy: we feel disconnected from the world but at the same time connected to Country, privileged to be part of something so ancient and special.

Stop one: Echuca

19th-century paddlesteamers — A historic 19th-century paddlesteamer cruises along the Murray River. (Image: Visit Victoria)

The six-hour drive from Melbourne to Mildura (or four hours and 20 minutes from Adelaide) is more than worth it, but you don’t have to travel that far to find fun on the river. Once Australia’s largest inland port, Echuca is the closest point on the Murray to Melbourne (two hours 45 minutes), and you’ll still find a plethora of paddlesteamers tethered to the historic timber wharf, a throwback to the thriving river trade days of the 19th century. The PS Adelaide, built in 1866 and the oldest wooden-hulled paddlesteamer operating in the world, departs daily for one-hour cruises, while a brand-new paddlesteamer, the PS Australian Star , is launching luxury seven-night voyages in December through APT Touring.

The town is also a hot food and wine destination. St Anne’s Winery at the historic Port of Echuca precinct has an incredibly photogenic cellar door, set inside an old carriage builders’ workshop on the wharf and filled with huge, 3000-litre port barrels. The Mill, meanwhile, is a cosy winter spot to sample regional produce as an open fire warms the red-brick walls of this former flour mill.

Stop two: Barmah National Park

Just half-an-hour upstream, Barmah National Park is flourishing, its river red gum landscape (the largest in the world) rebounding magnificently after the recent removal of more than 700 feral horses. The internationally significant Ramsar-listed wetland sits in the heart of Yorta Yorta Country, with Traditional Owners managing the environment in close partnership with Parks Victoria. Walkways weave through the forest, crossing creeks lined with rare or threatened plants, passing remnants of Yorta Yorta oven mounds and numerous scar trees, where the bark was removed to build canoes, containers or shields.

The Dharnya Centre (open weekdays until 3pm) is the cultural hub for the Yorta Yorta. Visitors can learn about the ecological significance of the Barmah Lakes on a 90-minute river cruise, led by a First Nations guide, or take a one-hour, guided cultural walking tour along the Yamyabuc Trail.

Stop three: Cobram

Continue east to Cobram to find the southern hemisphere’s largest inland beach. Swarming with sun-seekers in summer, the white sand of Thompson’s Beach is shaded by majestic river red gums and dotted with hundreds of beach umbrellas, as beachgoers launch all manner of water craft and set up stumps for beach cricket. But the beach is at its most captivating at sunset, when the crowds thin out, the glassy river mirrors the purple sky, and the canopies of the gum trees glow fiery orange.

The region is also home to some fine resorts and indulgent retreats. Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort has two riverside championship golf courses, luxury apartments and self-contained villas. While not strictly on the Murray, the historic wine town of Rutherglen is rife with boutique (and unique) accommodation, including an exquisitely renovated red-brick tower in a French provincial-style castle at Mount Ophir Estate. Fans of fortified wines can unravel the mystery of Rutherglen’s ‘Muscat Mile’, meeting the vignerons and master-blenders whose artistry has put the town on the global map for this rich and complex wine style.

Stop four: Albury-Wodonga

First Nations YindyamarraSculpture Walk — First Nations Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk is part of the Wagirra Trail. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

Follow the river far enough upstream and you’ll arrive at the twin border cities of Albury-Wodonga. The Hume Highway thunders through, but serenity can be found along the five-kilometre Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk – part of the Wagirra Trail that meanders through river wetlands just west of Albury in Wiradjuri country. Fifteen sculptures by local First Nations artists line the trail, conveying stories of reconciliation, enduring connection to culture, local Milawa lore and traditional practices. It feels a long way from Mildura, and it is, but the pelicans and kookaburras remind us that it’s the same river, the great conduit that connects our country.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

New Mildura motel Kar-rama. (Image: Iain Bond Photo)

Kar-Rama is a brand-new boutique, retro-styled motel in Mildura, with a butterfly-shaped pool and a tropical, Palm Springs vibe. Echuca Holiday Homes has a range of high-end accommodation options, both on the riverfront and in town.

Playing there

BruceMunro’s Trail of Lights in Mildura — Bruce Munro’s Trail of Lights in Mildura. (Image: Imogen Eveson)

Artist Bruce Munro’s Trail of Lights installation, comprising more than 12,000 illuminated ‘fireflies’, is currently lighting up Mildura’s Lock Island in the middle of the Murray. Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA) is a hub for contemporary art, with a rotating roster of exhibitions, and is a major outlet for young and First Nations artists.

Eating there

Mildura’s diverse demographic means it’s a fantastic place to eat. Andy’s Kitchen is a local favourite, serving up delicious pan-Asian dishes and creative cocktails in a Balinese-style garden setting. Call in to Spoons Riverside in Swan Hill to enjoy locally sourced, seasonal produce in a tranquil setting overlooking the river.

Holland America ms Oosterdam – luxury cruising the ‘traditional’ way