Where are the PD PNG cruisers??

[bazzaw]

Haven't heard hardly anything about the second Pacific Dawn cruise to PNG -- where is everybody??

 

Particularly interested in what happened at Alotau -- and how the locals at Kiriwina Island reacted to their second lot of cruise passengers -- and was the tractor at Doini Island working ---and - and- and - and---????

 

Barry

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Haven't heard hardly anything about the second Pacific Dawn cruise to PNG -- where is everybody??

 

One of them is still cruising on the Pacific Dawn, doing the 4 day cruise.

 

3 of them don't post on CC very much, try the other side ;)

 

Skyrules said he will post a review in a week or so.

 

Mind you there has been a few photos been posted to Facebook (On people facebook walls).

[Skyrules]

Haven't heard hardly anything about the second Pacific Dawn cruise to PNG -- where is everybody??

 

Particularly interested in what happened at Alotau -- and how the locals at Kiriwina Island reacted to their second lot of cruise passengers -- and was the tractor at Doini Island working ---and - and- and - and---????

 

Barry

 

Hi Barry, we're having trouble coming back to reality!!

 

At Alotau there was a much reduced Kundu style festival put on... There was about 1/2 dozen canoes doing some racing, some dance groups doing some demonstrations and some stalls around the place, but I don't think it was anywhere near as spectacular as when you were there.

 

The locals at Kiriwina were quite welcoming, although mostly they stayed in a line at the back of the beach with their stalls, although later in the day the kids did come out and swim with us. I think they were still a bit in awe of the big white tourists. Martin is 6'4 and so stood out. He had quite a lot of children come up to him and look up at his height, and point him out to their friends. We found them quite welcoming.

 

We also stopped at Kitava Island, which you didn't go to, and we had a similar welcome there, although they did seem a bit more at ease with the white visitors.

 

The tractor at Doini was working, although I heard tales that there was a tractor accident the day we were there and some passengers were injured, but I only heard this second hand, and don't know if it's true/false/exaggerated.

 

Rabaul was interesting. At the scheduled sailaway time, 3 things happened that caused poor captain Luppo no end of grief;

 

1) A tour group was late getting back to the ship

2) There was a swarm of bees causing havoc aft on Deck 14

 

and most excitingly;

3) The volcano started spewing out smoke etc and put on quite a display for us.

 

On sailaway from Doini, there was a Dusk Service on the Lido Deck to commerate the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942. The service was organised by passengers for a group of vetrans & their families that were travelling on the cruise. P&O provided the venue, the MC (Zoltina-J) and wreath for throwing overboard. They now plan to do similar services on each of the PNG cruises. The service went off to the background of an amazing sunset. It was quite moving.

Edited November 28, 2013 by Skyrules

[Raison]

We are also having a hard time getting back into post-cruise life. We had a fantastic cruise!

 

The ports were fabulous. I think the 're-enactment' of the Canoe and Kundu Festival in Alotau was much smaller than the real thing, but interesting anyway. Lots of groups doing their traditional dance etc.

 

On Kiriwina Island we had a local walk around with us and took us to some of the villages. He was wonderful and told us heaps about the village life and life on the island. We met his family too. The cricket was crazy! Lots of dancing demonstrations etc here as well. Swimming with the kids was great fun.

 

Kitava was lovely, relaxed and the locals ferried people to the smaller island off shore if you wanted for 5 kina each way.

 

Rabaul was great, we did a private tour that took us to many places and the volcano going off in the afternoon was quite a treat.

 

Doini Island was beautiful. The tractor was working, but there was one group of 14 who were taken up there and the tractor was very late to pick them up. The group were late back to the ship and were naturally getting worried. It was not possible for all the passengers on this trip to walk back due to the age of some of them.

 

The guest lecturer on board was very knowledgeable about the history of PNG and I enjoyed learning from him.

 

All up a great trip, weather spectacular, seas calm.

[bazzaw]

Sounds much like I expected (regarding Alotau, Kiriwina and Doini) . I thought that the reception at Alotau would not be as spectacular - but that Kiriwina may be better for the second cruise. For us, everything was under control at Kiriwina -- UNTIL the PNG PM flew in by helicopter. Then there was mayhem for a while -- could actually have turned a bit ugly (but didn't).

 

Swimming with the kids at both Alotau and Kiriwina was almost the highlight of the trip :) I just love these little kids in PNG and Vanuatu -- just wish ours were as innocent and (more importantly) unspoiled :(

 

 

Barry

Edited November 28, 2013 by bazzaw

[Skyrules]

Swimming with the kids at both Alotau and Kiriwina was almost the highlight of the trip :) I just love these little kids in PNG and Vanuatu -- just wish ours were as innocent and (more importantly) unspoiled :(

 

 

Barry

 

I agree Barry!

 

At one of the Islands (I think it was Kiriwina) I was saying hello to a young boy, only about 2y.o I guess) and his mother. The boy was looking up at me all wide eyed, not quite sure what to make of me, so I got down to his level and put out my hand to shake his hand, which he obviously didn't understand, but his mother grabbed his and hand and showed him what to do.. he was so cute.

[Sandielle]

Barry, we only got home this morning as we stayed on for the four day cruise. Like the others we really enjoyed it. At Alotau we had Bomani, one of the Youth Volunteers, taking us around to what we wanted to see. He was lovely. very proud of his town and so helpful. I even chanced a ride in one of the canoes - they are amazing vessels. No, they didn't ask us to paddle too! :rolleyes: I won't have time to do a review or photos during the next week or so, but will try to, eventually.

[thied]

I think its a new cruise and ports and no one nows alot about it and they are waiting to see what other poeple say about the PNG cruises.

[Widebay]

i DON'T THINK i want to go to papua new guinea islands.

[thied]

I do know that barry, tuckexr and me plus families were on the first cruise to PNG

[Queensland Girl]

For the people who did a private tour in Rabaul, can you let me know which company. Thanks Judy

[Sandielle]

For the people who did a private tour in Rabaul, can you let me know which company. Thanks Judy

 

Paivu Tours, Rabaul. They were very good. The tour was supposed to be 3 and a half hours, but lasted for 5. it was 70AUD, payable on the day for a group tour in an airconditioned bus. (Google them, I can't put my hands on their business cad at the moment and have to go out in 5 minutes.)