Pitcairn Island - Marina, Dec 28, 2014

[stretchslr]

Tendering has been cancelled here. The swell: 1 foot. It appears to be impossible for Oceania to tender at Pitcairn if they are unable/unwilling to do so in these conditions. Disappointing to say the least.

 

Cruise director announced the conditions 'too dangerous even for the locals' who had just come to the ship in said conditions.

 

Ship will now anchor and locals come aboard to sell their wares. There will be a presentation in the lounge, presumably given by locals, about life on Pitcairn.

[alidor]

This is the way it always is - the ship never stops here - ever. The people from there always come on board.

[Queen of DaNile]

This is one of our "ports" in April. Not holding out much hope for an actual landing. Only chance of landing is doing the cruise on an expedition type ship and even then, still iffy.

[alidor]

We did this trip this past April on Oceania and if you see the island, you will see it is impossible to disembark here. The dock is very, very small and there is a steep walk from there to a higher level. A lot of people would not be able to make it. Plus, think about it - how is an island with about 100 people suppose to handle over 1000 visitors at the same time - just cannot happen.

 

The people who come on board are interesting and the talk that is given is pretty good.

[Floridiana]

No regular cruise ship tenders there. The locals are a much hardier and more experienced lot who use a different type boat to go out and, what is more important, return safely to the island.

[computerworks]

We had a great time talking to the locals when we visited last year.

They always come onboard. :p

 

One shared that, with supply ships coming to them every three months... if we all were able to actually set foot on the island...we would wipe them out of beer and food... so it is better that we don't. ;)

[Hawaiidan]

We had a great time talking to the locals when we visited last year.

They always come onboard. :p

 

One shared that, with supply ships coming to them every three months... if we all were able to actually set foot on the island...we would wipe them out of beer and food... so it is better that we don't. ;)

 

 

Was on the April Marina and in conversation with a local found out another reason.....Pitcairn has a $75 per person landing tax Hmm if 500 people get off + 20 crew..... and it costs $35 pp for a quad ride per person up the hill rt....

That's $39,000.00 vs $0... plus another Hmmm? No, the ship and the islanders have an agreement they sell a ton of stuff, get a great meal and supplies and the ship saves almost $40K ....... given those terms everyone makes out.

That same resident say that only a national geographic ship with 35 people ever stops and gets off.

[pinotlover]

This issue has been beat to death now for several years. If the ship stops at Pitcairn, no passengers/cruisers will be getting off the ship. This should almost be one of the Forum headers. IMO. it's a bit unethical for O to advertise in a manner that might suggest a visit to the actual island will take place.

[Mura]

The main reason we were interested in possibly doing Papeete to Lima was indeed for Pitcairn Island. But quite frankly, given the circumstances that have been described, I think I'd be happy to meet the Islanders on board.

 

(Or else, take one of those small vessels that indeed can send passengers off the ship/boat.)

 

Probably neither event will ever happen ...

 

Mura

[Floridiana]

Maybe some of you would like to read about cruise ships coming to Pitcairn from an islander's point of view.

http://www.young.pn/cruise-ships.html

[oregon50]

Several years ago, aboard Silver Shadow we were allowed to go on the island.

Population is about 60.....NO children allowed.....too dangerous. Only the elderly remain on the island when a ship arrives. We were the first cruise ship passengers in several years to come ashore.

 

Captain received a standing ovation when entering MDR that evening. Thrilling day in so many ways.

[Pitcairnbuff]

Tendering has been cancelled here. The swell: 1 foot. It appears to be impossible for Oceania to tender at Pitcairn if they are unable/unwilling to do so in these conditions. Disappointing to say the least.

 

Cruise director announced the conditions 'too dangerous even for the locals' who had just come to the ship in said conditions.

 

Ship will now anchor and locals come aboard to sell their wares. There will be a presentation in the lounge, presumably given by locals, about life on Pitcairn.

Hello,

 

Thanks so much for this post. Please tell my friend who is on this cruise, Peter Logan, how very disappointed I am for him and others who wished to disembark at Pitcairn. Hopefully, there will be another opportunity.

 

Barbara

[RJB]

This issue has been beat to death now for several years. If the ship stops at Pitcairn, no passengers/cruisers will be getting off the ship. This should almost be one of the Forum headers. IMO. it's a bit unethical for O to advertise in a manner that might suggest a visit to the actual island will take place.

Seems very unethical to me. :(:(:(

[sammiedawg]

We're on the 2016 Papeete to Lima trip and I was looking forward to stopping here on Marina.

[LHT28]

Were any tours offered for this port??

[oregon50]

Were any tours offered for this port??

 

This is a joke question, correct?

 

Barbara.....is your husband a Brit?

[LHT28]

This is a joke question, correct?

 

 

Why would it be a joke?

 

Obviously some people go there as a tourist ...just not from an Oceania ship it appears

 

http://www.visitpitcairn.pn/

Edited December 29, 2014 by LHT28

[Floridiana]

Why would it be a joke?

 

Obviously some people go there as a tourist ...just not from an Oceania ship it appears

 

http://www.visitpitcairn.pn/

 

The rugged people who heat their bathwater with wood. Anybody like that on an Oceania ship?

[LHT28]

The rugged people who heat their bathwater with wood. Anybody like that on an Oceania ship?

 

not sure the relevance to asking about tours :rolleyes:

 

from the sounds of some of the passengers disappointment of not going ashore I guess they were expecting to maybe do a tour

 

Some O cruisers seem to enjoy the outdoors

 

ymmv

[oregon50]

Pitcarinbuff is qualified to respond to your question about tours. Having spent two hours walking around Adamstown, it's a safe bet to say I am one of the few non government types that will ever step foot on Pitcarin. I'm guessing under a seven hundred civilians a year share the honor. It might be one hundred. Perhaps Barbara will tell us.

 

As a child stamp collector, Pitcarin became a mild obsession to visit. Do a little research about the place you will answer your own question. It was a pleasure to realize a dream come true.

Edited December 30, 2014 by oregon50

[LHT28]

Do a little research about the place you will answer your own question.

 

I did check the Oceania excursions & no tours were listed for this port

 

I guess those that booked the cruise assumed they would be able to go ashore

 

Thanks :rolleyes:

[Floridiana]

not sure the relevance to asking about tours :rolleyes:

 

ymmv

 

I read one of the Pitcairn websites where an ingenious contraption is shown where a guest house heats bath- and sinkwater with wood for two days.

 

I am happy for everyone who is able to get ashore. As with many islands without port facilities, this is not a given. I would not have expected it as a cruise ship passenger.

[RJB]

This is a joke question, correct?

 

Barbara.....is your husband a Brit?

 

NO JOKE, this shows as a port this April. Why are they trying to fool us?

[oregon50]

Why are they trying to fool us?

 

Because they can.

[StanandJim]

It's just a very, very isolated island with extremely limited landing facilities.

 

Must every fact that you are unaware of be part of a plot to fool you? :confused: