World Voyage Blogging

[IslandThyme]

It's taken me three weeks to overcome a variety of technical issues, but my blog of the 2024 world voyage on Onward is finally up and running. If you'd like to follow along, the link's in my signature. We're having a blast - c'mon over!

Edited January 28 by IslandThyme

[aliaschief]

Thank you. Yes, it has been a grand experience.

Edited January 28 by aliaschief

[IslandThyme]

And still being one, as here we are, anchored off Pitcairn Island, said to be the most remote inhabited island on earth.

[aliaschief]

Great job. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[CptBoatface]

Thank you for sharing your journey. 

[IslandThyme]

My pleasure. Today we will be on Fakarava for an Azamazing Day. I'm very curious about how that will unfold.

[acruisergirl]

On 1/28/2024 at 3:49 PM, IslandThyme said:

And still being one, as here we are, anchored off Pitcairn Island, said to be the most remote inhabited island on earth.

Enjoying reading your World Cruise blog.  Were any passengers able to set foot on Pitcairn Island?   

When I traveled there a few years ago with another cruise line only a few Senior Staff went ashore and the Island inhabitants came on board to give talks and sell souvenirs.

[java spot]

I'd guess over half of the ship went to the island.  The crew did an amazing job patiently and safely transferring so many people, with a variety of fitness levels, onto the tenders. For those unable to make the trip, there were plenty of crafts from Pitcairn as well as lectures. 

[excitedofharpenden]

Just to say, you are doing an amazing job with your blog. I'm really enjoying reading it. I fully admit that my powers of concentration can be rather poor, but your writing style without too much over detail and your observations of local culture has me very much involved. Looking forward to more. Have a fabulous trip. 

 

Phil 

[uktog]

I was about to say the same Phil. It’s a perfect travelogue in my mind and I love how you are focusing on your ports of call. Your photos are also excellent. 

[CptBoatface]

Fakarava was great for the snorkeling... Amazing! Not much else there

 

[Ithikan]

Thank you, IslandThyme, for your blog.  It's a pleasure to read, and the photos are quite wonderful.

As an aside, the Ladies of Picton, New Zealand, prepared lovely little nosegay corsages for those of us going ashore from Journey last month.  We, too, were asked to toss these flowers before reboarding.  I was sad, but not to the degree that you must have been when losing that gorgeous, bespoke lei!

[IslandThyme]

Thank you all so much for the lovely comments, and for appreciating my view of the world! Coming up soon, Mo'orea.

[excitedofharpenden]

16 hours ago, IslandThyme said:

Thank you all so much for the lovely comments, and for appreciating my view of the world! Coming up soon, Mo'orea.

Mo'orea is so beautiful. This was Journey there just prior to Covid.  

 

Phil 

 

[laurieb]

21 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Mo'orea is so beautiful. This was Journey there just prior to Covid.  

 

Phil 

 

Phil, you two should join the January 6, 2025 cruise!

(Sorry, I know it's off subject)

[laurieb]

Thank you so very much for sharing your experiences with us!  

[IslandThyme]

My pleasure, and I'll be catching up on the last of French Polynesia soon. We're in a six-day run of sea days down to NZ, escaping from the worst effects of a tropical depression.

[crusinbanjo]

On 1/31/2024 at 11:14 AM, IslandThyme said:

My pleasure. Today we will be on Fakarava for an Azamazing Day. I'm very curious about how that will unfold.

From my point of view,  Fakarava was poorly planned and very disappointing.   It was advertised as an Azamazing event, but given the available time on the island and the length of time to get pax off and back on the ship, disappointing is not a strong enough word.  Mrs Banjo and I had a cabin on Deck 6, and were one of the last groups to go ashore.  All of the planned activities  were winding down, there was nobody to direct us where things were happening and we ended up with less than an hour before needing to be back on board, so no time to swim, etc.  For us it was not Azamara's best effort, it really made them look like amateurs in event Planning, Particularly after the over the top event in Cosumel, Mexico.

[IslandThyme]

Agreed. It was pretty worthless.

[roberts2005]

Has Azamara revised the May and June segments of the World Cruise?

[IslandThyme]

Nope, no word yet.

[roberts2005]

10 hours ago, IslandThyme said:

Nope, no word yet.

Thank you. We board Onward June 9th in Barcelona. Just wondering how Onward will get there

[IslandThyme]

We wish we knew!

[Buckeye 6]

On 2/14/2024 at 10:57 PM, IslandThyme said:

Nope, no word yet.

What is the issue?  We are on the Hong Kong to Singapore cruise which is next month so assume no issue 

[IslandThyme]

The issue is the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.