South Pacific Port Summaries - New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji

[Justren]

AWESOME :):):)

 

Thanks

[avalon007]

Good general round up of what's on offer Keith.

 

I would add a few things from a scuba divers perspective:

 

Luganville Vanuatu - This town is the site of 2 very famous dive sites, one that even the most average snorkeler can enjoy.

 

1. The wreck of the President Coolidge - excellent wreck dive for experienced divers, not that far from where the cruise ship docks.

 

2. Million Dollar Point - just around the corner from the Coolidge wreck - beach access - easy to snorkel or dive - lots to see just metres from shore in shallow water. (NOTE: watch out for old broken glass/metal as you enter the water)

 

It's the area the US dumped all their equipment after WW2 when the French refused to buy any of it from them. You will see submerged trucks, jeeps, forklifts, small boats & loads of other bits & pieces in quite a good state of preservation, all covered to some degree in corals & sea life. Also a place to see the rare red coral growing.

 

Easy to get to using the local taxi or mini bus drivers at the dock.

 

Champagne Bay Vanuatu - we found the snorkelling here quite good IF you get away from the beach where everyone stirs up the sand which creates poor visibility. Go to the far end of the beach furthest from the dock & swim around to the right along the islands coast & you will see some lovely large brain corals, vase corals etc & loads of sea life.

 

Jinek Bay Lifou - This IS one of the worlds best snorkelling sites - I have also dived at Lifou & Jinek is right up there for very little effort compared to diving. If you only snorkel once in your life - make it at Jinek Bay!

 

As scuba divers we have dived a lot of different areas of the Pacific so just wanted to add these details. Also, if you use flippers & not just reef shoes when snorkelling you have much more control & can get further out to see the good stuff, so your experience will be better. Plus you don't stand on the coral & trash it like you see on the left side of the sacred rock at Isle Of Pines, the other side of the sacred rock island is better but doesn't compare to Jinek. :)

[vrogers]

Thanks Lukie will let you know how I go, yes and great tip re Mystery Island did my souvenir shopping here last time, this time am taking a supply of books for the school I believe they need many supplies for the kids

[LuckiePuris]

Thanks Lukie will let you know how I go, yes and great tip re Mystery Island did my souvenir shopping here last time, this time am taking a supply of books for the school I believe they need many supplies for the kids

 

That's a lovely idea! Yes I have heard they are collecting books and stationary, and hope to also take some end of the year when we cruise.

[GinnyJo]

Great post as I plan for 2017 - thank you!

[Tigerlily75]

Thanks for this post. I've been to Noumea, Isle of Pines & Mare, but looking for new things to do. Considering the Brush Island tour for Isle of Pines now, I especially like that we'd still have the afternoon to sit on that glorious beach where the sacred rock is, it was so lovely.

[avalon007]

Hi Winnie, both Amadee and Brush are great tours but very different.

 

Brush island is perfectly crystal clear and just stunning. An opportunity to swim with dolphins, and on a two hour tour.

 

Amadee is a great full day tour with so much variety - from swimming to snorkelling to glad bottom boat to a buffet lunch with cultural dancers.

 

You asked about a private tour and what time you can get off the ship. What port is this for?

 

Generally the cruise line prioritises getting passengers off first that have booked a tour.

 

Hi Luckie,

 

The Brush Island tour wasn't available last time we were on Isle Of Pines, but I did some research & wanted to see if you think this is accurate.

 

Basically it's a boat road across to the island, 20 minutes onshore to wander or snorkel & time potentially to jump off the boat to swim with turtles etc if they turn up?

 

Considering if you can that we are scuba divers so our experiences are more diverse with sealife than the average cruise passenger - EG- we have dived with half a dozen turtles, sharks etc on more than one occasion, so find the 'organised' meet the sealife events & glass bottom boats a bit dull (we prefer to be under the water), I get the feeling we would find this experience a little too restrained for us? Your thoughts appreciated. :)

 

Also, Amadee, it has the lighthouse which is of interest to us for it's history & then for us it would depend mostly on if the snorkelling is quite good whether it's worth the cost as all other aspects of the tour - glass bottom boat ride we wouldn't do, & dancers, food etc. are not of great enough interest to warrant the cost. Did you snorkel there? Did you see if they offered scuba diving?

 

I wouldn't care so much if the trips were low cost but when they can add up to $500+ for 2 & it's nothing more than a beach day from our perspective I can't see the value for us.

 

Just so bored with Noumea - like everyone else who has been there more than once! :D

 

Thanks.

[SinbadThePorter]

Also, Amadee, it has the lighthouse which is of interest to us for it's history

 

Just so bored with Noumea - like everyone else who has been there more than once! :D

 

Thanks.

 

I believe the Amedee lighthouse is closed for repairs at the moment.

 

I know what you mean by Noumea. Now days I look for cruises that don't stop in Noumea, which are few and far between.

[LuckiePuris]

Hi Luckie,

 

The Brush Island tour wasn't available last time we were on Isle Of Pines, but I did some research & wanted to see if you think this is accurate.

 

Basically it's a boat road across to the island, 20 minutes onshore to wander or snorkel & time potentially to jump off the boat to swim with turtles etc if they turn up?

 

Considering if you can that we are scuba divers so our experiences are more diverse with sealife than the average cruise passenger - EG- we have dived with half a dozen turtles, sharks etc on more than one occasion, so find the 'organised' meet the sealife events & glass bottom boats a bit dull (we prefer to be under the water), I get the feeling we would find this experience a little too restrained for us? Your thoughts appreciated. :)

 

Also, Amadee, it has the lighthouse which is of interest to us for it's history & then for us it would depend mostly on if the snorkelling is quite good whether it's worth the cost as all other aspects of the tour - glass bottom boat ride we wouldn't do, & dancers, food etc. are not of great enough interest to warrant the cost. Did you snorkel there? Did you see if they offered scuba diving?

 

I wouldn't care so much if the trips were low cost but when they can add up to $500+ for 2 & it's nothing more than a beach day from our perspective I can't see the value for us.

 

Just so bored with Noumea - like everyone else who has been there more than once! :D

 

Thanks.

 

Hi there!

 

Isle Of Pines - they may do the brush island your in a different order on the day depending if they've been able to find turtles. We sailed for 10-15 minutes until we found a turtle. We had the opportunity to jump out and swim with the turtle for another 15 minutes, and then continued on to brush island for a half hour free time on the beach. For me that I'm a snorkeller and not a scuba diver, I found it a great novelty to see the turtle. But it was one turtle among 25 other passengers. You may find this a bit boring if you have already seen turtles in a better environment. Brush Island is amazing, the most perfect beach and sand and worth the visit however keep in mind you do only get a half hour on this island.

 

Amadee Island - the lighthouse is fantastic however it would only take a half hour - 40 minutes of your day to fully explore this. Even though you mentioned you're not keen on the glass bottom boat etc, if there's nothing else that interests you in Noumea itself, there's nothing to lose by booking this tour. Atleast you'll be off the ship, get a chance to explore the lighthouse, have some great local food and drink, and relax on a nice island. The snorkelling is pretty good, and I tend to stick to the lower waters. The snorkelling was better the further out you go too.

 

As an alternative in Noumea, depending on what you've seen and done, you could also visit the Tjibaou Cultural centre, the museums, a nice restaurant for lunch etc.

 

Novemeber will be my ninth visit to Noumea and I'm looking forward to it. There's always something to see or do or experience.

[Winnie_the_explorer]

Thank you all the info. I now have prepaid the ship shore excursions for turtle bay and brush island at isle of pines (2hrs, 8:30am starts), so I have plenty of time to explorer the island afterward, rather than worrying the private tour will make it or not. Probably will go for the HoHo bus at Noumea.

 

Few more days to go, can't wait!

[avalon007]

Hi Luckie,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

You have definitely helped me regards brush island - I do think we would find the whole swim with he turtle experience doesn't compare to what we have done whilst diving, a bit too much of a beginners experience for us. Plus we are not keen on that sort of mass tourism where the sea life becomes a bit of a novelty exhibit. I understand your point about the beach being nice & the scenery etc but I can see just as nice for free or low costs - like Oro bay which is beautiful scenery, so will skip brush island.

 

Regards Amadee, someone else said the lighthouse is closed unfortunately & my research since confirms it - at this point in time anyway, so that is a shame. If it opens though prior to sailing we may consider doing the trip.

 

Otherwise, for me - what I have to lose is $500+ dollars for the 2 of us :D - I'm the sort of person that is happy to pay well for something I like, but sitting on a beach & doing some OK snorkelling isn't enough for that sort of cost. Considering a double dive in Fiji costs us $130 each - you can see the comparison I'm working with. Unfortunately arranging diving in Noumea has proved to be problematic to date.

 

I think this is about my 6th time to Noumea, but I don't find it as interesting unfortunately as you do. I would say though they sell the best designed T-Shirts of any of the islands! :D

[LuckiePuris]

Hi Luckie,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

You have definitely helped me regards brush island - I do think we would find the whole swim with he turtle experience doesn't compare to what we have done whilst diving, a bit too much of a beginners experience for us. Plus we are not keen on that sort of mass tourism where the sea life becomes a bit of a novelty exhibit. I understand your point about the beach being nice & the scenery etc but I can see just as nice for free or low costs - like Oro bay which is beautiful scenery, so will skip brush island.

 

Regards Amadee, someone else said the lighthouse is closed unfortunately & my research since confirms it - at this point in time anyway, so that is a shame. If it opens though prior to sailing we may consider doing the trip.

 

Otherwise, for me - what I have to lose is $500+ dollars for the 2 of us :D - I'm the sort of person that is happy to pay well for something I like, but sitting on a beach & doing some OK snorkelling isn't enough for that sort of cost. Considering a double dive in Fiji costs us $130 each - you can see the comparison I'm working with. Unfortunately arranging diving in Noumea has proved to be problematic to date.

 

I think this is about my 6th time to Noumea, but I don't find it as interesting unfortunately as you do. I would say though they sell the best designed T-Shirts of any of the islands! :D

 

I'm very glad I was able to help you make the choice for your tours. It would be a shame to spend the money on Amadee especially as it's not cheap, if the light house which was a big highlight for you, will be closed. Do you know if there was an ETA on when it will reopen?

 

I think with Noumea, i really enjoy it because it's great to taste the local food and gives a bit of a break from all the beach ports.

 

Hope you enjoy your time!!

[Cassicruiser]

Hi Luckie - someone told me that in Noumea there is a green train that goes from the cruise terminal on a tour, and this is not the one that the cruise lines use, and can be booked on the day for around $35. Do you know if this is correct? I believe that the one the cruise lines use is the yellow train, which can only be booked through them, is almost $100 each for a 2 hour ride. I'm hoping this info is right, and that this train still operates, as this would be great to do with my Mum who can't walk much at all, but I didn't want to pay the price the cruiseline is asking.

[Bodogbodog]

Hi Luckie - someone told me that in Noumea there is a green train that goes from the cruise terminal on a tour, and this is not the one that the cruise lines use, and can be booked on the day for around $35. Do you know if this is correct?

 

It's correct - it was operating a couple of weeks ago when we were in Noumea - talking to friends who took it they said it was good - the only difference in the route it takes versus the Tchou Tchou train seems to be that the Green one doesn't go up to the statue of Christ at the top of the hill

[Cassicruiser]

It's correct - it was operating a couple of weeks ago when we were in Noumea - talking to friends who took it they said it was good - the only difference in the route it takes versus the Tchou Tchou train seems to be that the Green one doesn't go up to the statue of Christ at the top of the hill

 

Wonderful, thanks! Do you happen to know if we can prebook it, or is it easy to just get tickets on the day?

[Bodogbodog]

Wonderful, thanks! Do you happen to know if we can prebook it, or is it easy to just get tickets on the day?

 

Check out this post - http://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showpost.php?p=34386424&postcount=12 - you can contact them via their www site, my friends just booked on the day. It was certainly a lot cheaper than the Yellow train organised as a ships excursion

[Cassicruiser]

Check out this post - http://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showpost.php?p=34386424&postcount=12 - you can contact them via their www site, my friends just booked on the day. It was certainly a lot cheaper than the Yellow train organised as a ships excursion

 

Thanks for this info - looks like it's definitely safe to just go on the day. That's perfect!

[avalon007]

I'm very glad I was able to help you make the choice for your tours. It would be a shame to spend the money on Amadee especially as it's not cheap, if the light house which was a big highlight for you, will be closed. Do you know if there was an ETA on when it will reopen?

 

I think with Noumea, i really enjoy it because it's great to taste the local food and gives a bit of a break from all the beach ports.

 

Hope you enjoy your time!!

 

Regards the lighthouse reopening on Amadee, I read a reply from the island managers on trip adviser to someone who went there 2 weeks ago which read:

 

"we are now waiting for the green light from the Phares et Balises for a reopening in the near future"

 

So sounds like it could be just weeks away from reopening - but I guess that also depends on how slow the Phares et Balises are - they are I believe the French National Heritage Society related to Lighthouses.

[LuckiePuris]

Hi Luckie - someone told me that in Noumea there is a green train that goes from the cruise terminal on a tour, and this is not the one that the cruise lines use, and can be booked on the day for around $35. Do you know if this is correct? I believe that the one the cruise lines use is the yellow train, which can only be booked through them, is almost $100 each for a 2 hour ride. I'm hoping this info is right, and that this train still operates, as this would be great to do with my Mum who can't walk much at all, but I didn't want to pay the price the cruiseline is asking.

 

Sounds like everyone's helped you already with the answer! Hope you have a fantastic day in Noumea :)

 

Regards the lighthouse reopening on Amadee, I read a reply from the island managers on trip adviser to someone who went there 2 weeks ago which read:

 

"we are now waiting for the green light from the Phares et Balises for a reopening in the near future"

 

So sounds like it could be just weeks away from reopening - but I guess that also depends on how slow the Phares et Balises are - they are I believe the French National Heritage Society related to Lighthouses.

 

Thanks for the information and for letting me know! :)

[spartac]

Hello,

 

Thanks a lot for a very detailed report, definitely helps with the planning!

 

I am thinking about booking a 12 day cruise (Dec21st 2017) but hesitant as it seems to rain quite a lot in December, especially in Fiji? What's your experience regarding that since you cruised extensively in the area? I would hate to go so far (I'm from Montreal) and cruise in a beautiful area but at the wrong season

 

I see that June/july seems to be a better season but only princess cruises at that time (and their ships have a lower rating). Maybe May is better?

 

Thanks for any insight!

[Embl]

Thank you so much LuckiePuris :)

[LuckiePuris]

Hello,

 

Thanks a lot for a very detailed report, definitely helps with the planning!

 

I am thinking about booking a 12 day cruise (Dec21st 2017) but hesitant as it seems to rain quite a lot in December, especially in Fiji? What's your experience regarding that since you cruised extensively in the area? I would hate to go so far (I'm from Montreal) and cruise in a beautiful area but at the wrong season

 

I see that June/july seems to be a better season but only princess cruises at that time (and their ships have a lower rating). Maybe May is better?

 

Thanks for any insight!

 

Sorry for the delay in my reply as I have been off Cruise Critic for a bit.

 

I would always recommend to travel Nov - April. This is the warmer weather, and "cruise season" which is why all the ships are here cruising at that time of year.

 

As with any tropical destination, you may get some rain. However from my personal experience it's normally the odd quick shower here and there. Definitely not enough to not travel at that time of year.

 

You can travel May - September however the weather is cooler.

 

Weather can never be predicted. I traveled out of the warm weather and was stuck in a cyclone on a cruise, so you never know!

 

I prefer to pick the warmer weather where I know I'll be able to enjoy warm weather and beaches.

 

Good luck with your travel plans!

[LuckiePuris]

Thank you so much LuckiePuris :)

 

You're very welcome!

[Aus Traveller]

Hello,

 

Thanks a lot for a very detailed report, definitely helps with the planning!

 

I am thinking about booking a 12 day cruise (Dec21st 2017) but hesitant as it seems to rain quite a lot in December, especially in Fiji? What's your experience regarding that since you cruised extensively in the area? I would hate to go so far (I'm from Montreal) and cruise in a beautiful area but at the wrong season

 

I see that June/july seems to be a better season but only princess cruises at that time (and their ships have a lower rating). Maybe May is better?

 

Thanks for any insight!

On a South Pacific cruise in the middle of summer, you will have very high humidity - when you come back to the ship after several hours ashore, your clothes will be quite wet and not from rain. (Sorry - I don't want to sound disgusting.) You can also expect down-pours of rain. On the rare occasions we have cruised in the middle of summer, there has been heavy rain in the middle of the afternoon. Another draw-back about December is that it coincides with Australian school holidays (mid December to end January) and the ship will be overrun with children.

 

December to end of February is the cyclone season, but you would have to be unlucky to have one impact on your cruise. In the area you would be cruising there are probably only a couple of cyclones per season and the ship would change itinerary if necessary to avoid any really bad weather.

 

We much prefer to cruise in spring or autumn. I see that you are from Montreal so you will find the weather at that time of the year quite warm. Even winter would be warm enough for you to swim and enjoy the beaches. The only draw-back with a cruise in the middle of winter is that it would be cold (from my point of view, but not from yours :D) for the first day or two and the last day or two leaving and arriving back in Australia.

 

Which ship? It depends on what you want. RCI has climbing walls etc. while Princess is aimed at the more mature market. We have cruised on several different cruiselines and really enjoy Princess. We would not give them a poor rating at all. When we compare them with other cruiselines, there are plusses and minuses both ways. The three Princess ships based here permanently are mid-sized and carry 1,800-1,900 passengers. :)

 

I suggest you base your choice on itinerary, price and date you want to travel more so than the choice of ship unless you are adamant that you don't want to cruise with Princess. If that is the case, you won't be happy on a Princess ship. :D

 

Have fun making your choice and even more fun on your cruise.:)

[spartac]

Thanks for the very useful info guys, appreciate it.

 

I have selected an NZ cruise for Feb 2018. But still plan to visit Fiji (probably not on a cruise) one of these days. I have lots of good advice here regarding what to expect and the best seasons.