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

[ellie1145]

8 minutes ago, cnd crsr said:

I am with Teabag wishing for a negative result on your husband's covid test so his surgury can go as planned.

Gail

 

Thank a you, Gail. 

[CruzinNoony]

Well, Ellie, you will be happy to know that I have caught up with your wonderful review.  I was not quick enough, however, to answer the Jaws question.  Jaws is my husbands favorite movie of all time and we must have watched it 100 times over the years (we have been together 30 years and married for 26).  Of course, Orka is the answer.  Hopefully, you will reward me with the coveted prize, even though I was late in answering.  I am so enjoying all of this and I will put this cruise on my bucket list.  We have been on over 50 Princess cruises and are lucky enough to have been all over the world, but not to this part.  It looks intriguing!!

[AF-1]

How  many hours were you on this island?

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, CruzinNoony said:

Well, Ellie, you will be happy to know that I have caught up with your wonderful review.  I was not quick enough, however, to answer the Jaws question.  Jaws is my husbands favorite movie of all time and we must have watched it 100 times over the years (we have been together 30 years and married for 26).  Of course, Orka is the answer.  Hopefully, you will reward me with the coveted prize, even though I was late in answering.  I am so enjoying all of this and I will put this cruise on my bucket list.  We have been on over 50 Princess cruises and are lucky enough to have been all over the world, but not to this part.  It looks intriguing!!

 

Well done, CruzinNoony for catching up with this marathon adventure! Did you have time to eat or sleep? 🤣

 

Of course, I will be sending you your amazing super powered, Mini, collapsible, Vortex vacuum cleaner, small enough to fit in your handbag, which is winging its way to you via Amazon ([the river, of course). Anyone who has done over 50 cruises deserves a prize! How amazing! 

 

Glad I have managed to intrigue you. It’s a wonderful part of the world. I still want to visit Tahiti, etc. so I have everything crossed for the future, and mighty uncomfortable that is, I can tell you!

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, AF-1 said:

How  many hours were you on this island?

 

Hi AF-1

 

I guess we were on the island for about 4 and a half hours. 

[ellie1145]

Let’s explore the village.

 

My solo walk over I return to DH, the bag minder.

 

He manages a quick paddle but it will soon be time to return to the ship. 

 

 

One of the big pluses of Princess is the way the buffet is open for such long hours, so we know that whatever time we return we can eat when we are ready, and of course there is our favourite afternoon tea to look forward to, as we will skip lunch altogether today. It’s a big bonus when you’ve been out all day.

 

We gather up our belongings and then we walk back through the little village. It has changed a lot since our last visit, when there were a few very basic houses. Now we can see some new and more modern looking houses, which appear to have generators, and some even have washing machines outside.

 

 

 

There is a large freezer outside this house.

A large generator

 

 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

Keep away from breadfruit trees.....

 

 

 

 

 

Since our last visit there is a new bar area where people are sitting drinking. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

 

 

 

 

 

 

We pass the Kindergarten, and see the little ones enjoying the sandpit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

🎵   Time to Say Goodbye  🎵

 

 

There are numerous stalls selling souvenirs which is another new feature since last time. Its not surprising as these lovely islanders must scratch a living as best they can, and the arrival of a cruise ship is a sure way to make some much needed money, but its sad to see commercialism and modern technology driving the old life away.

 

It's been a wonderful day but I’m a little saddened at how fast life has moved on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2020 by ellie1145

[azbirdmom]

Sending best wishes to  your husband for a negative Covid result and a positive outcome on his procedure!

 

I am sitting here wearing my Princess Dravuni shirt and will describe what we did.

 

We made the mistake of not wearing our bathing suits as the weather looked iffy.  We did wade in the ocean though and also took a stroll through a path to the other side of the island where we walked on very uneven volcanic debris.  Flip flops weren't my smartest choice for footwear!  The ocean wasn't as calm on this side and it was quite windy.  Once back in the village, we stopped at the "bar" you mentioned and shared a beer.  We also walked the length of the village then made our way back to the ship.  Lovely stop, lovely people!

 

Our welcome to Dravuni.

 

There's the majestic Majestic Princess.

 

 

Lava on the other side of the island.

 

An unusual plant on our walk to the other side of the island.

 

One of the pareo sold by the locals for Survivor fans.

 

In the village.

 

A refreshing ice cold beer on a warm day.

 

The lovely beach.

 

 

Edited July 27, 2020 by azbirdmom

[ellie1145]

49 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

ending best wishes to  your husband for a negative Covid result and a positive outcome on his procedure!

 

I am sitting here wearing my Princess Dravuni shirt and will describe what we did.

 

We made the mistake of not wearing our bathing suits as the weather looked iffy.  We did wade in the ocean though and also took a stroll through a path to the other side of the island where we walked on very uneven volcanic debris.  Flip flops weren't my smartest choice for footwear!  The ocean wasn't as calm on this side and it was quite windy.  Once back in the village, we stopped at the "bar" you mentioned and shared a beer.  We also walked the length of the village then made our way back to the ship.  Lovely stop, lovely people!

 

Thank you, Azbirdmom, for your kind wishes. 

 

His operation will be on our 48th Wedding Anniversary, and we have never been apart on that day in all that time, so I am feeling a little sad. But it needs to be done, and hopefully he will feel so much better after the procedure, and in less pain. 

 

Thank you, also, for posting those beautiful photos. I am delighted to see the other side of the island as we have yet to explore that part, so I’ve always wondered what it was like. I had no idea about the lava. Now I definitely need to return to see it for myself.  😉            

 

I absolutely love the photo of the two palm trees crossing over. What a wonderful picture. With Majestic Princess framed by the trunks it is a perfect photo. 

 

It was an odd day, as you know, the skies were not a deep blue and there were dark clouds at times, but it didn’t spoil our enjoyment, and the water was very warm, thank goodness. I guess the bad weather we had on the way here probably hadn’t cleared completely, but I was very relieved when we were able to tender to shore, as I had doubts when the winds were so strong the day before. 

Edited July 27, 2020 by ellie1145

[azbirdmom]

11 minutes ago, ellie1145 said:

 

Thank you, Azbirdmom, for your kind wishes. 

 

His operation will be on our 48th Wedding Anniversary, and we have never been apart on that day in all that time, so I am feeling a little sad. But it needs to be done, and hopefully he will feel so much better after the procedure, and in less pain. 

 

Thank you, also, for posting those beautiful photos. I am delighted to see the other side of the island as we have yet to explore that part, so I’ve always wondered what it was like. I had no idea about the lava. Now I definitely need to return to see it for myself.  😉            

 

I absolutely love the photo of the two palm trees crossing over. What a wonderful picture. With Majestic Princess framed by the trunks it is a perfect photo. 

 

It was an odd day, as you know, the skies were not a deep blue and there were dark clouds at times, but it didn’t spoil our enjoyment, and the water was very warm, thank goodness. I guess the bad weather we had on the way here probably hadn’t cleared completely, but I was very relieved when we were able to tender to shore, as I had doubts when the winds were so strong the day before. 

 

I hope you can be there with your husband.  Mine was allowed in the hospital when I had a minor outpatient procedure in June but would not have been allowed in if I was inpatient.  Hoping it all goes well!

 

We were surprised by the lava too.  We were going to walk to the top of the hill but others reported that it was quite muddy and slippery getting up there so we declined.  Happy that we got to see the other side.  There were some snorklers there as the reef appeared to be stunning, but it would have taken a strong swimming / snorkle skills to do that.

 

We were also happy that the stop wasn't skipped.  Actually we were happy to make it to all stops even though the weather couple have been better.  Found the picture below that I took of the map on the interactive TV after we returned and some of sailaway with a weird glow in the water.  Not sure if you saw that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lido deck main]

21 hours ago, AF-1 said:

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun.   That was the jingle they played in the commercials here in the US.  But your answer is good

When I was in high school, McDonalds had a promotion if you could sing that jingle in 10 seconds or less you could get a Big Mac for free.  The promotion ran for a week.  Boy did I learn that song.   The  promotion work, I still remember that jingle and can still do it in less than 10 seconds.  

[ellie1145]

8 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

hope you can be there with your husband.  Mine was allowed in the hospital when I had a minor outpatient procedure in June but would not have been allowed in if I was inpatient.  Hoping it all goes well!

 

We were surprised by the lava too.  We were going to walk to the top of the hill but others reported that it was quite muddy and slippery getting up there so we declined.  Happy that we got to see the other side.  There were some snorklers there as the reef appeared to be stunning, but it would have taken a strong swimming / snorkle skills to do that.

 

We were also happy that the stop wasn't skipped.  Actually we were happy to make it to all stops even though the weather couple have been better.  Found the picture below that I took of the map on the interactive TV after we returned and some of sailaway with a weird glow in the water.  Not sure if you saw that?

 

Thank you, Azbirdmom, for your kind wishes. Here, they are very strict about anyone accompanying a patient into hospital, or anywhere medical. Even partners are not allowed to accompany pregnant women to their appointments, though I understand they can have one person at the birth.

 

There is absolutely no way they will allow anyone else in to the hospital, and I do understand and accept the reasons for that. It is for the good of all, and in the long run makes sense. I have booked a hotel opposite the hospital and my son will join me there during the day, as he has been self isolating, too, so at least I feel I will be close to DH. Bit scary to be in London but needs must. 

 

Think you made a wise decision not to climb the hill in those circumstances. The last thing you want to do is slip and fall - who would feed your birds if you had an accident? 

 

The weather was certainly very changeable, as we will see for our next port, Fiji. I hope you will share what you did there with us, as our tour was cancelled. Thank goodness the weather did not spoil our trip in any way. Even a rainy day is good on a cruise. Love the photo of the glass, brilliant! What an amazing view you had from your balcony. I have often wondered if you feel any vibration in these aft facing balconies? I love watching the wake of the ship. Must be glorious to wake up and walk outside and see it. 

 

Yes, I saw what you described in the water and took photos of it. I believe it is the reef, with the surf breaking on it, and it shows what a difficult passage the ship would have had both to, and from, the island. Great skill must be needed to ensure these giant behemoths of the sea can sail safely. I will post photos of what we saw later, as they are on my Sony camera, not my ipad. 

 

 

[ellie1145]

9 hours ago, Lido deck main said:

When I was in high school, McDonalds had a promotion if you could sing that jingle in 10 seconds or less you could get a Big Mac for free.  The promotion ran for a week.  Boy did I learn that song.   The  promotion work, I still remember that jingle and can still do it in less than 10 seconds.  

 

Wow, that’s some promotion! Pity they don’t do it now. I’d happily learn the jingle! 🤣

 

[ellie1145]

Back to the Ship.

 

The tender is waiting and we make our way to the embarkation point where we are offered ice cold water and cold face cloths, as usual - such a refreshing way to end the day.  As wait to be counted onto the tender I wave goodbye to this enchanting island.

 

The little boats have done their job, ferrying passengers around the island. In the distance we can see the ring of islands surrounding Dravuni, and the hill which you can climb for a better view.

 

 

 

A tender pulls into the dock.  The beach is emptying and as the tender pulls away from the jetty I peer down into the crystal clear water for the last time.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

 

A last glimpse of Dravuni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's a bit of a queue and we must wait for the tender in front to disgorge its passengers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

 

We disembark and climb up the stairway,  through security, and make our way to our cabin. It’s been a wonderful day and I’m sad to leave this beautiful and remote island, but its good to be back in our lovely cabin.

 

I change out of my swimsuit, take a quick shower and get ready to find something to eat. We make our way to the dining room for afternoon tea. We are warmly greeted by staff who already recognise us, and we are soon sitting with a most welcome cup of hot tea.

 

There are delicious sandwiches and cakes to savour, and my favourite fruit scones, jam and cream. Of course, to be a true English cream tea there should be clotted cream which is very special, and made by heating the cream until it forms a thick golden skin. However, the cream is still delicious and quite adequate, and the scones are warm and freshly baked. What more could you want?

 

It’s nearly time for us to join in with trivia, where we are fortunate enough to play with a number of lovely people. It’s fun, and we don't take it too seriously. In fact we just enjoy meeting different people and chatting, and there are lots of teams, so we don't often win, but we learn a little, forget a little and chat a lot. Most days we linger after the Trivia ends, just getting to know these lovely trivia mates.

 

We pop back to the cabin to watch sailaway from Dravuni. 

 

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

A tricky bit of navigation

 

We sail close by this little forested island.

We can just pick out the shoreline and the rocky headland in the darkening sky.

 

 

 

 

We watch, utterly enthralled, as the huge Majestic Princess negotiates these tricky waters.

 

This is what I believe Azbirdmom could see from her balcony, it is surf breaking on extensive coral reefs, which form a  border along the shoreline and surrounding islands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank goodness for modern technology and the experience of the crew to navigate us safely through these narrow channels and out into the open sea.

 

 

We breathe a sigh of relief as we navigate into open water and away from the treacherous reefs. 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

 

Then it’s time for my daily swim up in the Hollywood Pool. This has become a daily occurrence, and at 6.00 pm I generally have this amazing pool to myself (courtesy of the Captain, of course...).

 

The water is so warm that I can get straight in - none of that dipping my toe in and inching my way into the water malarkey. I call it the ‘Toe Dipping Dance’ and I usually do a very good impersonation of Michael Flatley, before I finally submerge. Today I exceed my target 20 lengths, and manage 24. It leaves me feeling my batteries have been recharged.

 

There’s a little wave for you, just to prove I actually DO go swimming every night. 🤣

 

 

 

Then it’s back down to the cabin for a shower and hair wash and we get ready for dinner, which is not until 7.30 pm, an ideal time for us. We generally watch a movie during this time, and Princess really excel at this with a huge range of great movies to choose from, all free, and as it’s on demand, you can stop and pick it up in the same place later, something we really miss on RCI, where movies are not free.

 

I usually pop in and out on the balcony to capture a few last minute sunset photos if it’s not too late, but tonight it is too dull and cloudy and there is no beautiful sunset.

 

[JF - retired RRT]

15 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

 

 

 

My DH is a former sailor and says it's probably algae.

As good a guess as any. 

[RLK33853]

Sorry for the delay - you had asked for photos of the Jenolan Caves in the Blue Mountains.  Here are a few out of one cave complex.

[RLK33853]

On Dravuni we did walk to the top of the hill.  The reason was twofold.  The first is we had an amazing view of the island and of the reefs.  The second is that we wanted to scout out the reefs for the best snorkling.

 

Climbing wasn't that bad other than it was extremely hot and humid.  When  we were done we went down to the beach on the far side of the island.  Unfortunately as Azbirdmom said, if you take the  path directly from the tender area beach across the island, you end up on a lava field.  But if you go up to the hill and then across the island you end up on a fabulous beach.

 

In the first photo the ship and tenders would be on the left if they were in the photo.  Photo 2 shows the coral and photo 3 is the beach itself.  Since it is a trek, we only saw maybe 6 other people on the beach that day.  We snorkled for about 3 hours in the best coral we have ever experienced.  Giant clams, fan coral that was 15 feet high and 10 feet across, you name it.  Completely unspoiled by humans.  Even better than the Great Barrier Reef.  Not many fish, but the coral colors were spectacular.

 

We would go back to Dravuni in a heartbeat.  Great people, nice beaches, fabulous coral.

 

Ray and Ann

[ellie1145]

Trivia Time!

 

Well, all you Cruising Adventurers, I hope you enjoyed your day on Dravuni.

 

We just have time for a few Trivia questions before dinner so here we go! Hope you do better than we did!

 

1.  Who were the first people to blow their noses into paper tissues?

2.  What is the most often eaten fish?

3.  What was the only country to have hosted the Summer Olympics and not win a single gold medal?

4.  What did Walter Lanz create after a bird hammered non-stop on the roof of his honeymoon cabin?

 

Today, the winners will receive a FULL SIZE Super powered VORTEX vacuum cleaner!

Edited July 28, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

57 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

My DH is a former sailor and says it's probably algae.

As good a guess as any. 

 

Hmm, now that’s interesting. Thank you for that suggestion.

 

I think Azbirdmom had an amazing view from the balcony of her aft cabin, whatever it is. I can see now that there don’t appear to be any white horses, so it could well be algae couldn’t it?

Edited July 28, 2020 by ellie1145