Royal Caribbean | Explorer of the Seas | 22 April 2018

[jaymcc]

Hi All

 

My partner, David, and I are booked onto this cruise. We booked back in August 2016 and all of a sudden it's around the corner. Both really excited as it's our first cruise without kids/family.

 

Anyone else on this cruise?

 

Jay

[CruisinMaterial]

From what I've gathered from other sites, there's a few of us on this sailing. :)

 

I have to remember to hunt down the bulletin board with the LGBT meet up time!

 

Hoping it's a blast! Any tips you can provide, especially on the earlier ports if you've been before would be greatly appreciated! :D

 

~Jake

[jaymcc]

Any tips you can provide, especially on the earlier ports if you've been before would be greatly appreciated! :D

 

 

 

~Jake

 

Hi

 

I’ve been following the FB group and the roll call thread also. I’ve done Mystery Island, Noumea and Lifou a couple of times.

 

Lifou and Mystery Island are good beach days if that’s what you’re into.

 

Noumea I find a bit boring, this will be my fourth time there. Is there anything specific you’d like to know?

 

Jay

 

 

 

 

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[CruisinMaterial]

Hi Jay!

 

Wow! Your reply was so fast! I forget the time difference. I have a few friends down in NZ right now for the Atlantis charter.

 

I can do the pool time and sun time while on the ship. I like to see culture and history of places since I've never been to these places and likely won't be making a return within my lifetime. I want to maximize the stops in each place.

 

I think Noumea has a hop on, hop off bus if I recall correctly. I don't have anything booked with the cruise line except in Fiji and Hawaii with Lahaina being open. I'm doing the luau you've seen in the other site's group.

 

I have five days in Sydney pre-cruise I'm still trying to get sorted as well. Never done a trip of this magnitude or been this disorganized for one either!

 

Thank you!

[jaymcc]

Hi Jay!

 

 

 

Wow! Your reply was so fast! I forget the time difference. I have a few friends down in NZ right now for the Atlantis charter.

 

 

 

I can do the pool time and sun time while on the ship. I like to see culture and history of places since I've never been to these places and likely won't be making a return within my lifetime. I want to maximize the stops in each place.

 

 

 

I think Noumea has a hop on, hop off bus if I recall correctly. I don't have anything booked with the cruise line except in Fiji and Hawaii with Lahaina being open. I'm doing the luau you've seen in the other site's group.

 

 

 

I have five days in Sydney pre-cruise I'm still trying to get sorted as well. Never done a trip of this magnitude or been this disorganized for one either!

 

 

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

Noumea

The hop on bus (they call it a train) is good. They take you up to the lookout so you can see the surrounding area which is spectacular. Last two times we rented a car and did our own thing. Found a really quiet beach that the locals use and an amazing patisserie. We’re thinking of doing a day trip to one of the islands that someone on Facebook is arranging. Looks spectacular.

 

Lifou

There is a local market just off the tender but it’s small. There are a couple of tours organised by the ship. A friend went to the vanilla plantation and said that it was a great day.

 

Maui

We have two mopeds booked for the day so we can travel around on our own a little and then have a dinner booked seaside somewhere.

 

Oahu

We are renting a car there also to meet up with some old friends.

 

I think if anything we try to avoid the touristy things. Are you travelling alone?

 

I know what you mean about disorganised - we spent the whole weekend last weekend looking at tours alone trying to see what we might find interesting.

 

This is our first cruise of this length and first without kids/family too.

 

Sydney

There’s just so much to do. I’d suggest trying to get to the Blue Mountains if you can. Bondi is also a great place to spend some time. The zoo in Sydney is spectacular - right on the harbour. Sydney Harbour Bridge climb would be awesome if you have the nerve.

 

 

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[CruisinMaterial]

Noumea

The hop on bus (they call it a train) is good. They take you up to the lookout so you can see the surrounding area which is spectacular. Last two times we rented a car and did our own thing. Found a really quiet beach that the locals use and an amazing patisserie. We’re thinking of doing a day trip to one of the islands that someone on Facebook is arranging. Looks spectacular.

 

Lifou

There is a local market just off the tender but it’s small. There are a couple of tours organised by the ship. A friend went to the vanilla plantation and said that it was a great day.

 

Maui

We have two mopeds booked for the day so we can travel around on our own a little and then have a dinner booked seaside somewhere.

 

Oahu

We are renting a car there also to meet up with some old friends.

 

I think if anything we try to avoid the touristy things. Are you travelling alone?

 

I know what you mean about disorganised - we spent the whole weekend last weekend looking at tours alone trying to see what we might find interesting.

 

This is our first cruise of this length and first without kids/family too.

 

Sydney

There’s just so much to do. I’d suggest trying to get to the Blue Mountains if you can. Bondi is also a great place to spend some time. The zoo in Sydney is spectacular - right on the harbour. Sydney Harbour Bridge climb would be awesome if you have the nerve.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Thank you for the information!

 

In Noumea, is that the Tchou Tchou train? I think RCCL is selling it as well through their Cruise Planner. I'm sure there's a mark up involved as well. In Lifou I might venture to this market and check out the items to spend any remaining AUS currency I have and venture off on a tour. It doesn't seem like much is there. Oahu is pretty packed plus I read the cruise line brings a local dance troupe onto the ship for the evening's performance. Maui is still up in the air. I have a luau booked there but the daytime I'm hoping to find something on arrival I guess.

 

Yes I'm cruising solo on this voyage. It will also be the longest voyage I've done by one day. I did a back to back charter and repositioning cruise on the Norwegian Sun back in late 2016. It was a ton of fun and met a bunch of people from Australia on the repo cruise! I'm going to be connecting with them when I tour around.

 

I hope to start working on Sydney tours this weekend and get all the touring wrapped up before the end of the month!

 

Thanks again for all the helpful information! :)