Review: ISLAND GEMS.......and they are!

[Sandielle]

Finally finished it. :eek: Sorry it's so long, also haven't got my photos sorted yet. Will add some later.

 

Island Gems Cruise – 4 September 2012

Noumea, Isle of Pines, Mystery Island, Wala, Champagne Bay, Port Vila (2 days)

Captain Ronald Wilson, Cruise Director Lee Oliver.

 

We chose this cruise for the ports and were not disappointed. On board by 11.15 am we found our luggage had already arrived at our cabin. We soon met our steward, Devdatt, who obligingly found us an egg-crate topper (when, after much explaining by us, he learned what it was! :confused:)

 

We had been told that P&O had ceased opening the dining room on turnaround days, however it appears it was only for the previous three-day lifestyle cruise as they held a function, and it was also a later sailaway. Consequently, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the Waterfront Restaurant. Booking for dinner that night, we found to our delight that Godson, one of our favourite waiters was on this trip so we promptly booked one of his tables for 6 pm every night. He remembered us from the year before and, as previously, spoiled us with extra veges and icecream - with a few tricks thrown in for good measure. His assistant, Keith (female, by the way) was a veritable ‘sweetie’ who plied me with specially folded napkins and paper roses. In fact, there were three tables in our corner and all of us got to know each other, so dinner times were very pleasant, social occasions. We have found the secret to enjoying the restaurant experience is to find waiters you like

and stick with them. Lunch times aren’t as nice because you have different waiters and tablemates and there is no rapport with anyone.

 

As usual, we found the Pacific Dawn to be a happy ship with a happy crew. Even the passengers were, for the most part, happy and smiling. I remember hearing just the one ‘whinge’ – about the entertainment. As far as the laundry is concerned I did not hear even a hint of gossip and everyone was very civilised. Sorry to say I can’t tell you much about the shows - I was recuperating from illness and, ashamed to admit, that I slept through most of them………therefore I can’t give an opinion. There was no ‘virtual bridge tour’ or log of the voyage this time, however that may have been due to the different cruise director who, incidentally, we really liked. The culinary show was as funny as usual - all the chefs have been funny – haven’t come across any like a certain G Ramsay! :cool: Liars’ Club, I have to say, was one of the highlights. It was the second time we have had Ricky Bobby Bush as one of the liars!

 

There was evidence of some cost cutting, such as no tissues or face washers automatically supplied in cabins, however we asked, and received – it wasn’t a problem. The Cruise Fair was smaller and held in the atrium rather than the Dome and there seemed to be changes in the buffet. This time they had heaps of filled bread rolls but, apart from lettuce, you couldn’t make up your own salad (with tomato, beetroot, cucumber etc) – they were all prepared salads. Cheese and cold meats were served only at breakfast time. Despite these changes, there was plenty of food – no need to go hungry. The Grill is now free in the daytime – chips, pies, mushy peas etc, etc. Although it was a full ship with heaps of children (despite it not being school holidays) there was no great problem with queueing and we always found a table without too much trouble.

 

The food in the Waterfront was great – the steak was always tender and cooked just how we like it. We had lunch there only occasionally as there were too many choices and we like (should I say ‘need’?) to eat sparingly at lunch times. I didn’t notice whether they still serve afternoon tea in the restaurant – didn’t hear anything about it, but we don’t bother with it anyway.

 

This time we were blessed with beautiful weather and calm seas. Well…..some would argue about the calms seas, but we didn’t manage more than the occasional stagger and, no……….it was not from alcohol! ;)

 

Noumea

This was an afternoon and evening stop and, as we had done the Tchou Tchou Train tour previously, we settled on a stroll through Coconut Square and up to the Cathedral of St Joseph. We were surprised to find a statue of Jeanne d’Arc in the grounds. Apparently it was a gift from the Bishop of Orleans in 1901, replacing a plaster statue of the Maid of Orleans which had been blown down in a severe storm. Noumea is not one of the most friendly places – however we did receive one “Bonjour” and one smile to brighten our walk!

 

We walked back past the Casino supermarket and had a look inside. It was the most welcoming place in the town, with Aussie flags suspended from the ceiling. We saw quite a few imports from Australia, such as Tim Tams, Vegemite etc. A quick stroll through the markets at the terminal completed our stay ashore.

 

Isle of Pines

Vive la différence! from our previous visit. With the sun brightly shining we set off on our tour – Island Discovery. Our guide, a delightful young lady, was extremely knowledgeable about the island’s history and, as she had worked in the finance sector in London for eight years, also extremely knowledgeable about what was needed for the success of the tourism industry in New Caledonia. She kept apologising for talking too much….well….I couldn’t get a word in edgeways, so that says something! We visited the Grotto of Queen Hortense, an amazing limestone cave in the centre of the island. The queen was the wife of a local chief, and is said to have actually taken refuge in this cave for nearly a year between 1865 and 1866 to escape the intertribal battles that raged over her succession. Promised in marriage at the age of 7 to a future big chief, educated by the Marist Missionary Sisters, she did eventually replace the chief.

After that we drove through Vao village where we stopped to tour the lovely old church. With respect for the local customs the women entered through the door on the left and the men through the door on the right! Then we were off to the Baie de St Maurice, where the first Catholic service was held on the Island. It has a statue of St Maurice high on a coral platform, and locals have carved totems (out of tree trunks) depicting eagles, turtles, serpents and faces with extended tongues, to guard him.

There was a long queue for a tender as one had broken down….and it was also lunchtime. On the way back we were sitting and talking with the drummer from the Pacific Show Band. He had previously been on Princess ships and had not been on the Pacific Dawn very long – he remarked at the friendliness of crew and passengers alike, saying he found it a happy ship.

We had intended, this time, to snorkel near the sacred rock after lunch, but a rather cool wind was blowing so we walked and took photos instead. Maybe third time lucky??

 

Mystery Island

By a stroke of good luck we were the first two people to ‘ding off’ the ship. No, we didn’t push in – we just happened to be walking past the stairs when they called the first number! Mind you, we arrived on the island so early the locals hadn’t finished setting up the stalls, so we decided to walk first. This time we went the long way around the island, past the airfield. I had thought, foolishly, that if we got too hot or tired we could just cut across the airfield and take a shortcut back through the markets. Silly me – there was no way through the jungle, was there? We just had to keep going to the bitter end. Actually, it wasn’t that bad and warmed us up for a bit of a snorkel before trawling through the markets. There didn’t seem to be as many stalls opened this visit and those excellent ‘warrior’ actors weren’t at the cannibal pot. Instead people were just climbing in and taking photos. While we were walking, a small plane came in and took off again. I believe a passenger was called back to Australia for family reasons, however I do not know the facts.

Anyway, back to the ship to shower and wash the salt out of my hair. Oops – no shower rose. It seems they had taken them away for sanitizing! Our steward didn’t think we’d be back so early. We just went ashore again to have our passports stamped – we’d had enough trudging through soft sand for one day.

 

Wala

This was the first time we have visited this delightful place where the people are so friendly. All along the beachfront were market stalls interspersed with smiling children showing off their ‘treasures’ such as turtles, clam shells, green lizards, birds etc, all with little donation bowls in front of them. Many other children were handing us a flower – frangipani, hibiscus etc. We later gave some reading books to some children, only to notice the old man with them pick them up and sit down to read them. Wish we could have carried more.

 

Many of the men were offering tours of the village and surrounds from $5 upwards. We chose ‘Mr John’ who led us around the small village behind the beach explaining the simple way they lived. He told us that this village was the Presbyterian village and the Catholic village was on the other side of the island. (I don’t know ‘whether the twain’ ever meet!! Forgot to ask that one. He showed us the ‘new’ church which was going to be blessed with a feast on the following Wednesday. Every family takes something along and he was taking a pig (still alive, by the way) and some yams. Then we saw inside his house, which of course, was very basic, with his living room, his daughter’s room and the kitchen areas all separate. Before he led us back to the beach he showed us how to make fire, a ceremonial (only, I hope) bashing stick, and a tiny little woven article which is all the men wore (to cover….. guess what!) on ceremonial occasions. Very interesting.

 

By this time we were so hot we literally threw ourselves into the sea. The snorkelling was very good, with many different fish and coloured coral clumps dotted here and there. Later that day the Captain announced that he had already been given Environmental Clearance to enter Champagne Bay, so we sailed at normal running speed and arrived there about 9.30 pm which meant that Island Night could be held with the ship in sheltered waters. The show that night was Richard Scholes in Mime, Mask and Magic.

 

Champagne Bay

Another first, and what a beautiful place to be shipwrecked! (If you have to be!) The huge, old trees were amazing with orchids, ferns and the like growing from them, and in many places provided shade almost to the water. The sand was like talcum powder. We were off the ship early – surprisingly, there was no rush. (I think there were a lot of sore heads aboard after the festivities the previous night. :eek:) There were so many stalls we were ‘all marketed out’ before we got half way along the waterfront. Our main aim here was to snorkel and swim. Friends paid $15 each to be taken to the ‘supposedly’ best snorkelling place. Well, it was very windy there and the water very choppy so they didn’t even get wet! DH and I just went to the far end of the beach where there is an easily accessible small reef and it was fantastic. Once again there was coloured coral and so many different varieties of fish I lost count. On the way back to the ship DH sampled a Tusker which he pronounced, “Not bad, at all!”

 

We went snorkelling again in the afternoon but didn’t stay as long because the ebbing tide tended to carry us out, making it harder to get back to where we could stand. On our way back we noticed that the crew had set up a game of volleyball – I’d say they were the only folk with the energy to play because none of the passengers joined in. (Or perhaps it was because they hadn’t partied the night before!) The show that night was Motor City which we had seen several times so decided to watch The Exotic Marigold Hotel on the big screen. Alas! It wasn’t shown because of ‘technical difficulties’. When it WAS finally shown, alas…. it was our dinner time.

 

Port Vila

We were fortunate to spend two days at Port Vila. I reckon I could safely bet that most people were very happy with these arrangements.

Day 1

Shore tour was to the Secret Garden Cultural Centre. (What do you know??? We got a BRAND NEW BUS! Yessssss! There was still plastic on some on some parts of the interior. And…….. it was air-conditioned! Wonderful.)

The centre is a very shady haven and great to visit on a hot day. We were met at the gates by our guide and some of the local warriors who performed a welcome dance for us starting with a salute on a conch shell. This is a very interesting place with information signs everywhere. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to read them all, but I’m sure it would have taken all day if we did. The same warriors put on a ‘magic show’ in the meeting place, then we were served cold drinks and a variety of tropical fruits before heading back to the ship. After lunch we took a local bus (what a comedown) into the town to do some shopping. The fee is still $3 AUD pp. Spoke to Chrissy on the way back – she appears to have moved a bit closer to the gates than last time.

Day 2

We took the Lagoon Cruise which was rather a delightful way to spend a relaxing morning. Once again our guide was very informative. She told us they were going to expand the port and that the market stalls along the road would soon have to go. This is sad because it is the only way the women make some money.

As we slowly sailed past the beautiful homes of the ‘wealthy’ we were all offered drinks. It appears they had everything but cocktails. I must add it is the first time in my life that I have had a gin and tonic at 10 o’clock in the morning! We disembarked at Le Lagon resort and were bussed back to the ship.

Browsed the markets near the ship in the afternoon – didn’t last long though, we were all ‘marketed’ out. We managed to find an empty hot tub for once….so nice to relax after all the walking.

 

We enjoyed the remaining sea days. The Pacific Markets in the Atrium were popular – the staff couldn’t hold the crowds back until opening time. The captain came down for a while and was signing purchases. After he had signed whatever, if the passenger wished, he would get up so the staff lady could take a photo of them together (with the passenger’s camera). Whew! He deserved a medal for that. Not the signing, that is, but getting up and down for all the photos and also smiling happily while he did it!!! Surprisingly, the prizes at the Captain’s Cocktail party, for the most cruised, were won by passengers who had done ONLY 22, 18 and 17 cruises.

 

The morning we arrived back in Brisbane the Pacific Dawn berthed at Fisherman Islands to onload a new Marine Evacuation System which has, I was informed by a staff member, to be replaced every four years. He said an MES makes it easier to get the passengers off quickly in an emergency. Shades of Green Thunder, I thought!!! We were soon on our way again to dock at Portside - right on time. Once again we really enjoyed our cruise and the ports well and truly lived up to our expectations. :)

[fayfam]

Fantastic review Sandy. I can't wait to see the photos.

 

Kerry :)

[fanoforion]

Hi Sandi,

thank you for a great review...glad to hear both you and Tony had a good time..

 

Pacific Dawn.....my favourite ship....not long until my turn...New Zealand again...lol.

 

 

 

kind regards, Lorraine:):)

[Debsta]

Great review Sandie. Thanks for taking the time to write and post it!

[PaxtonA]

If only they were offering this cruise from Sydney. I'd be happy to skip Noumea completely for more time in Vila. We've been there three times, and there is always something else to see. I'm a bit sick of the Yacht Club, however...

 

Great review. Wala and Champagne Bay sound like great additions, especially as Lifou grows old after two stops.

 

I won't be cruising again unless it stops at Mystery Island - Seven nights aren't long enough anyway.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review.

[cjm66]

Thank you Sandy great review. Were the villagers on Wala still offering the island walkabout with performances along the way? I would go back for that alone. I agree the itineraries ex Sydney for 2013 are not so attractive. Colleen

[Sandielle]

Thanks for the kind comments, guys. Colleen, I didn't read all the tours on their boards, but there were quite a few offered. One was quite a long walk - 45 minutes and that was only $5.

 

Making a start on some photos.

 

Our hitchhiker

 

Grotto of Queen Hortense, Isle of Pines

 

Statue of St Maurice, Isle of Pines

[Sandielle]

Sacred Rock, Isle of Pines

 

Mystery Island

 

Picturesque 'little house', Mystery Island

[Sandielle]

Wala child and turtle

 

Wala – Kava bush

 

Wala – snorkelling area on left of jetty

 

Wala jetty

[Sandielle]

Champagne Bay

 

Champagne Bay

 

Nature’s work on old tree trunk

 

Champagne Bay -the main bar

 

Champagne Bay

 

Just Port Vila pics to come now.

[Guest012]

Great photos Sandi, thoroughly enjoyed your review.....

[wildweston]

Which one did you prefer, Wala or Champagne Bay ?

[Sandielle]

Chez, I guess Champagne Bay was my favourite, however I love the four tender islands.

 

Here's the last of my pics. Hope review and photos are helpful to newbies wishing to visit these ports. :)

 

Port Vila – Secret Garden Cultural Centre

 

Amazing green lizards

 

Making fire

 

In the town – love the ‘pidgin’

[Sandielle]

The Barge – Erakor Lagoon Cruise

 

Holiday Inn private beach – Lagoon Cruise

 

Erakor Island Resort

[rugbypopsie]

GREAT photos....I love Erakor Island.

 

Sue

[wildweston]

Gorgeous pics Sandi, loved them x Have you been to nearly all of the islands yet. Have you been to Mare ?

[ratacake]

Sandi, what a great job you did to write such a great review. I almost felt that I was there. Will be next year for our 50th Wedding Anniversary on the Jewel. (Well some of them)

 

We go to Vila, I LOVE Vila, Champagne Bay and a few of the other islands as well.

 

Your photos are beautiful. I'm not a great camera buff, but the pictures came out so well.

 

Thank you again for your info.:)

[Sandielle]

Gorgeous pics Sandi, loved them x Have you been to nearly all of the islands yet. Have you been to Mare ?

 

Still have a few to go, Cheryl. ;) No, we haven't been to Mare, either.

[Sandielle]

Thank you for those kind comments, Ratacake. I hope you both have a wonderful time on your 50th - I can't think of a better way to spend a special anniversary. :)

[Aus Traveller]

Great review Sandy. Love the pics. :) Do you know how long Godson will be on the Dawn? I agree with you - he is a great waiter. If he is still there for our cruise I know who to ask for when we book for dinner.

[Sandielle]

Do you know how long Godson will be on the Dawn? I agree with you - he is a great waiter. If he is still there for our cruise I know who to ask for when we book for dinner.

 

Aus T, he left at the end of our cruise to get married this month. Said he was taking a break and hoped to be back next March. :)

[Aus Traveller]

Aus T, he left at the end of our cruise to get married this month. Said he was taking a break and hoped to be back next March. :)

 

I can remember he told us he was planning to be married. Thanks for the info.:)

[Itachi]

Hello Sandy!

 

Great to see the photos and read that you had an awesome holiday -- looks like the Islands put on some good weather for you. I have not been to Wala or Champagne Bay and it looks very nice.

 

Thank you once again for helping with getting the Pacific Dawn model, again, it is much appreciated.

[Sandielle]

Hello Sandy!

 

...............Thank you once again for helping with getting the Pacific Dawn model, again, it is much appreciated.

 

Hi there, Itachi. Glad I could help. :)