gabelle

Michael has played a big part in many repeaters' cruises. This is a special cruise. He should be a part of it.

We were on the trip with wp bob, and in Vava'u we used vavauislandexpress. Some of the best snorkeling I've ever had! A great day! And I agree, the Jewels of Fiji was wonderful. All in all, a terrific cruise.

They have 24, 48 and 72 hours cards, if I remember correctly. As Don mentioned, we ordered it ahead of time and picked it up at the airport as we were there a day before our cruise. I'm sure there are many other locations to pick it up.

A Copenhagen city card is a good choice. It gives you access to transportation and entry into many places. We used it a few years ago and were very happy with it.

Heather and Pacheco, sorry I didn't meet either of you on the cruise. This was our first time back to the Caribbean in 8 years. The water is still lovely, but under the surface, it has been severely damaged by too many tourists not being careful. That being said, we enjoyed seeing the islands again. We learned many new things with our wanderings around the islands and interactions with locals. This was much more of a vacation rather than a trip which going to Europe and even the South Pacific is.

Hi Benita

We just docked there on the Riviera. We did a catamaran/snorkeling excursion with Aristocat. It was wondeful!! Not French Polynesia;), but a great day!

Ironic you mention your beef;) with salt. That has been our complaint many times on O. There are so many other ways to flavor food.

We've been on AF twice to or from Papeete. Once we did business and once was premium economy. In September we're doing business again. The seats were very comfortable and the service was excellent. The last time we were on it, the configuration was 2-4-2. Maybe they have changed equipment??? And the benefit for us, is we can book it from ATL.

We've done both itineraries. The Marquesas are very interesting and beautiful. And extremely hot. Everything is about the rugged beauty of the islands and the history of the people. It was very worthwhile, but I wouldn't go back. On the other hand I would do the Fiji trip again in a heart beat. We snorkeled in the Cooks, Tonga and Fiji, and have never seen such magnificent coral and fish. We took a canoe trip up a river in Suva to experience a kava ceremony. Very worthwhile. This trip included history and the cultures of other people, but the shear beauty of the underwater world was incredible and unforgettable.

We didn't use the internet, but many people were on their computers constantly. The speed seemed to vary depending upon location and weather. Something of importance to us was the lack of video or audio input into the tv for viewing our photos. Wish that had been available. If you have your laptop, that won't be an issue. They seem to have IT specialists aboard.

Nancy

We didn't see the category of cabin you are in. Sorry. I'm sure it will be lovely. Our cabin was on the deck below. The zodiacs on The Explorer are boarded from the wet/mud room. The only other Lindblad trip we have been on was the Sea Cloud II, and that zodiac launch would not be similar to other ships. So unfortunately, I can't answer your questions.

We were on the NG Explorer in October going from the Panama Canal to Peru. A fabulous trip and an incredible ship! There is motion in the rougher waters, but if you take precautions, it's survivable. Stabilizers work quite well, except in shallow waters!! The lounge is outfitted with many screens, so during lectures and report back, pictures are always visible and the audio is excellent. State of the art. The dining room was lovely, and the food quite good. The cabins are comfortable, and the bathrooms had an amazing amount of space for the size. The staff, as always, was amazing and knowledgable. There is a "wet room" with lockers for storage of snorkeling equipment, wet boots or anything else you don't want wet in your cabin. A wonderful use of space.

No more nickeling and diming on cruises!!! The most enjoyable cruises we've traveled on have included all excursions and some adult beverages. It's worth paying more for the cruise in the first place.