Grand Voyages - 2009 - (Page 44) Grand Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific Voyage 3 1- to 67-DAY CIRCLE oF tHE PACIFIC Come sail routes once traveled by Polynesians and Maori warriors in fragile outrigger canoes. Discover paradisiacal islands in the Pacific where flower-crowned children play. Chase a clown fish on the Great Barrier Reef, explore New Zealand’s sparkling cities and sounds. What astonishing natural wonders await. S e rVi C e , tHe u lt i mAt e l u x u ry polynesian paradise Each of the crew that has been selected for this voyage — as with every Grand Voyage — has been hand chosen. They have been tapped for their proven abilities to remember guest preferences and to deliver service at the highest levels. Longer voyages like these, with time to know each guest and his or her preferences, allow our crew to shine all the more. Relax in the comfort of being warmly and personally cared for and let our crew demonstrate why, of the 12,000 crew members in our fleet, these represent the “best of the best.” What a breeze, being able to sail from any one of three North American ports. Join us aboard our flagship ms Amsterdam in either Seattle, Vancouver or los Angeles as we set out for the finest sights of three regions. First up — days and days at sea to settle into the relaxing rhythm of life on board. Lush nuku Hiva, in the Marquesas island chain, is our first taste of Polynesian paradise — wild, pristine, remote. Following, we’ll overnight in papeete, Tahiti’s colorful capital, where you will find markets filled with vanilla beans and barkcloth, beautiful swimming lagoons and the countryside immortalized by Paul Gauguin. moorea, with its jagged peaks, deep emerald gorges and crystal clear waters, is postcardperfect. Why not sail to an idyllic uninhabited motu (small atoll) for a picnic and the chance to swim with gentle sting rays? Crossing the International Date Line, we call on Viti Levu and the town of Suva, whose Fiji Museum contains cannibal-era exhibits (including the boots of an unfortunate missionary), as well as the rudder from Captain Bligh’s Bounty. Then it’s on, to multi-cultural port-Vila on Vanuatu where watersports such as sailing, swimming, scuba diving and snorkeling abound, as do sandy white beaches. Amazing Australia Two days on dramatic Bora-Bora, James Michener’s “Bali H’ai” afford you time to admire the changing colors of the island’s famed lagoon, shop for black pearls, discover ancient Tahitian marae (sacred ceremonial sites) or feed sharks their breakfast. raiatea, the “sacred island” where ancient Tropical Cairns is your gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system and one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Join an excursion to the offshore platform from which you may snorkel over shallow waters teeming with brilliant waving coral and colorful fish, visit the underwater observatory, or ride a semi-submersible to view this stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site. Brisbane is next, once a harsh penal settlement, now a dynamic Queensland city offering riverside promenades, cafés, markets and lush botanical gardens. Tahitian royalty and religion were centered, offers the stone remains of the site from which Polynesians set sail to discover Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island. We sail onward now, too, bound for rarotonga in the Cook Islands with its jagged peaks and crystal-clear waters and pago pago, part of American Samoa. Have your camera ready to capture Flower Pot Rocks at the mouth of the harbor, then go ashore to soak up the dreamy South Seas atmosphere that captivated W. Somerset Maugham in the 1920s. Three days in vibrant Sydney give you time to take in the sights around the harbor and Opera House, explore the city’s trendy neighborhoods, shop for opals and visit the koalas at the zoo. Or harness up and join our Medallion Collection’s climb to the top of Sydney’s Harbour Bridge for a panoramic view of the harbor (and the ms Amsterdam) few see. Sailing on, we arrive at melbourne, where genteel Victorian-era buildings line shady boulevards, and verdant parks and gardens beckon you to relax. In Melbourne Museum’s Bunjilaka Aboriginal Centre, a fascinating glimpse of this 5,000-year-old culture awaits. 44 e-brochures available online
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