Come sail with me on a virtual cruise on Majestic Princess to Fiji!

[boards]

Is this cruise over?   It was for us too in Nov. of 2019.   DH was taken off the Noordam and was in the hospital there in Noumea for eight days.  He had a lung infection and suggested at first with a kidney failure.  Good news was no kidney failure, but we had to make new travel plans and with the help of Hal and the Port Authority agent it all worked out great.  Hope that is not the case for you.

[ellie1145]

5 hours ago, boards said:

Is this cruise over?   It was for us too in Nov. of 2019.   DH was taken off the Noordam and was in the hospital there in Noumea for eight days.  He had a lung infection and suggested at first with a kidney failure.  Good news was no kidney failure, but we had to make new travel plans and with the help of Hal and the Port Authority agent it all worked out great.  Hope that is not the case for you.

 

Hi there! So sorry to hear about your awful experience. I hope that your DH is now no fully recovered. 

 

We actually sailed in October 2019, so this is a virtual cruise, with lots of people coming along for the ride.

 

Thankfully we did not have any disasters in Noumea and we still have a couple of sea days to go before our adventure is over. 

[boards]

Yes all is well.  Keeping a low profile during the covid-19 virus though.  thank you. 

[ellie1145]

 

Good Morning, Good Evening, G’day!

 

Sorry I’ve been away - had a busy week. But I’m back and ready to tell you all about Duck Island

 

 🦆🦆🦆

 

But I may disappoint all you duck lovers, because we didn’t see a single duck! 

 

I hope you have not all deserted me and gone over the Carnival forum or somewhere else.......🙈

 

Anyone still there??? 😉

[Lizzyanne]

I am😀 

[JF - retired RRT]

Hanging on 'til disembarkation.

[boards]

53 minutes ago, ellie1145 said:

 

Good Morning, Good Evening, G’day!

 

Sorry I’ve been away - had a busy week. But I’m back and ready to tell you all about Duck Island

 

 🦆🦆🦆

 

But I may disappoint all you duck lovers, because we didn’t see a single duck! 

 

I hope you have not all deserted me and gone over the Carnival forum or somewhere else.......🙈

 

Anyone still there??? 😉

yes!

[rmf11699]

We're playing "duck, duck, goose" to pass the time.

[ellie1145]

🎶 So Hoist Up the John B’s Sail...🎶

 

 

The boat is actually glass bottomed which is a bonus, and it sets off, moving swiftly over the water towards the little island which we can see ahead of us. There is an odd rock formation in the sea. 

 

Our French Captain reverses the boat off the beach. 

 

The little glass-bottomed boat heads out to sea past the rocks that protect this pretty little beach. 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a short 5 - 10 minute journey, and just before we reach the beach the captain throws something into the water. 

At first there is just one scavenger, then a few fish and, suddenly, as we all lean over to look at the glass bottom, we see a flurry of fish thrashing about below us.

 

 

 

 

 

He has thrown food into the sea and they are ready and waiting - it must be a regular occurrence! It’s amazing, there are even small shark swimming frantically about, trying to grab a snack or two. 

 

 

Another handful of food follows and even more fish arrive. It’s a great sight.

 

This little video shows you how excited the fish are at this food fest.  

 

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, Lizzyanne said:

I am😀 

 

Hooray, glad you are still there! 

 

Nothing worse than talking to yourself! 🤔

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Hanging on 'til disembarkation.

 

Phew, that’s a relief! 😉

[ellie1145]

26 minutes ago, rmf11699 said:

We're playing "duck, duck, goose" to pass the time.

 

Thank goodness for that! 👍  🦆🦆🦆

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, boards said:

yes!

 

Glad you are still there! 👍

[ellie1145]

 

The fish feeding frenzy over, our captain restarts the engine and we reach the island. We can see lots of sunshades and a beautiful beach. It’s not as crowded as we expected.

The water taxi moves slowly up to the beach and we are helped down onto the sand - not a very dignified exit as it‘s quite high up. Here there is no step to help us disembark, whereas on the mainland they bring up a set of steps. No use trying to look elegant, it’s more of a belly flop.

 

‘Mrs Walker’ demands that the captain helps her, which, with great chivalry he does, and amazingly, once on the beach, she seems not to need her walker, and marches swiftly up the beach. We later hear that she can be quite athletic in the buffet, too!

 

The water is crystal clear, and we can see right down. It’s very hot but we walk up to where there is a map and a sign giving prices for umbrellas and sun loungers - $46AUD/3,200 French francs for a parasol and 2 sun loungers. It’s pretty pricey, and we aren’t going to be there long enough to make use of them so we walk round the island to see what it’s like.

 

This is a notice which tells you how much it is to rent a parasol etc. 

There is an information desk where you can hire all manner of equipment. 

There is a map, too. 

There are pathways to the middle of the island where there are sunloungers and a bar which sells food. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

We Explore Duck Island. 🦆

 

 

Immediately in front of the water taxi landing spot there is a bar area and to the right a busy beach with people snorkelling in the water. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are sandbags along the shoreline, presumably to stop erosion of this beautiful beach. 

 

It is renowned for its snorkelling and there is an underwater trail which snorkellers can follow, to see a variety of flora and fauna.

 

There are sculptures by local artists scattered around the place which is interesting.

 

We can see the mainland in the distance. It’s going to be a beautiful day. We follow the coastline to the right and soon find ourselves alone. 

[DUCHESSRN]

We have encountered many Mrs Walkers,s LOL LOL ...especially boarding flights . 

[ellie1145]

1 minute ago, DUCHESSRN said:

We have encountered many Mrs Walkers,s LOL LOL ...especially boarding flights . 

 

Ha Ha! Strange how they seem to find the agility to get to the front of the queue when the buffet opens!  🤣

[ellie1145]

We Go Walkabout

 

Beyond this part of the beach there are fewer people and we find ourselves on a more rugged area, which is empty of people. There are rocks in the sea, but the water is so clear it’s amazing. No wonder people come here to snorkel. 

 

 

 

 

 

In the distance we can see a rougher area of sea, so this beach must be protected from the full force of the waves. I find lots of shells and paddle a bit. 

 

 

Looking back towards the mainland we can see that the sea is quite choppy, and people are windsurfing. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

Where are all the ducks? 🦆

 

The beach is empty of people, but we are not alone, some cheeky seagulls march up and down looking at us intently.

 

 

 

But no ducks........😞

 

 

 

 

They seem quite friendly and are, perhaps, waiting for some scraps to eat. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

We round the headland and there is another deserted area with sand and scrubland. The sea is much rougher here. 

 

 

    This rather weathered notice has pictures of all the birds you might find here with the instruction 'Observe without disturbing.' 

  

Edited August 22, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

Still no  ducks! 🐥 🐤

 

As we round the headland there is a wide expanse of shallow water and another beach which is pretty much deserted. This beach faces the mainland and is stony, so nobody is spread out on it.

 

 

 

 

There are some great pieces of driftwood on the beach, but there is no way they will fit in my hand luggage! DH breathes a sigh of relief.

 

 

 

 

 

It's surprising how rough the sea is just a short distance away.

 

 

I take photos and pick up a few shells.

Edited August 22, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

Full Circle

 

 

 

We find ourselves back at our starting point. We have walked full circle round this tiny island, which is surprisingly diverse. We can see the mountains on the mainland.

 

This is where the water taxis land and we stand and watch the comings and goings. 

 

More people arrive on our water taxi. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by ellie1145

[PaulS]

Glad you are back. I was afraid that the cruise had ended and we would be stranded in the South Pacific. On second thought, I wish I were stranded in the South Pacific!

[ellie1145]

13 hours ago, PaulS said:

Glad you are back. I was afraid that the cruise had ended and we would be stranded in the South Pacific. On second thought, I wish I were stranded in the South Pacific!

 

Yes, I’m back. Just had a busy few days.

 

I can certainly think of worse places than the South Pacific to be stranded on, but perhaps not with Covid...

 

But there is absolutely NO Covid on this cruise, so we are all ok! 😉

[ellie1145]

 🧜‍♂️ Time for a swim! Come on in, the water’s great!🧜‍♀️

 

The water taxis journey back and forth constantly. But the island is, surprisingly, not very crowded. I guess the fact that they can only bring 12 people, maximum, keeps the numbers down. 

 

It’s time for me to have a swim, and DH sits on the beach, but it’s way too hot and he has to escape to where there are a few trees and a little shade. The temperatures have risen greatly and it’s blisteringly hot. 

 

The water is absolutely lovely but I’m glad I have water shoes yet again.

 

The water is so clear you can see right down to the seabed. There are people snorkelling. Judging by the fish we saw on the glass bottomed boat, just off the island, it must be pretty good to snorkel here.  

 

The beach is quite stony as its full of broken bits of coral. Water shoes are a must here. But it really is an idyllic spot. 

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by ellie1145