BreakfastCruiser Posted July 24 #1 Share Posted July 24 We are considering to go on the May 20 - June 12, 2025 Silver Cloud cruise from Lautoka (Fiji) to Darwin through the South Pacific (Melanesia) on the below itinerary but would appreciate any feedback from any that have done similar such South Pacific Expedition cruises 🙂: https://www.silversea.com/destinations/french-polynesia-pacific-cruise/lautoka-to-darwin-e4250520023.html Namely: 1) The cruise is 23 days which would be the longest we've ever done... does it get 'boring' to just always be at different islands in the sun? 2) Any sense of the balance between nature (snorkeling, hiking, beaches) vs cultural (village tours, historic relics, tribal dances & customs) on this kind of expedition cruise? 3) Any other tips or advice? Our alternative is doing Antarctica for 21-22 days later in 2025 or early 2026 on the Cloud or the Wind, so these are two completely different cruises...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Port Power Posted July 24 #2 Share Posted July 24 5 hours ago, BreakfastCruiser said: We are considering to go on the May 20 - June 12, 2025 Silver Cloud cruise from Lautoka (Fiji) to Darwin through the South Pacific (Melanesia) on the below itinerary but would appreciate any feedback from any that have done similar such South Pacific Expedition cruises 🙂: https://www.silversea.com/destinations/french-polynesia-pacific-cruise/lautoka-to-darwin-e4250520023.html Namely: 1) The cruise is 23 days which would be the longest we've ever done... does it get 'boring' to just always be at different islands in the sun? 2) Any sense of the balance between nature (snorkeling, hiking, beaches) vs cultural (village tours, historic relics, tribal dances & customs) on this kind of expedition cruise? 3) Any other tips or advice? Our alternative is doing Antarctica for 21-22 days later in 2025 or early 2026 on the Cloud or the Wind, so these are two completely different cruises...! @highplanesdrifters posted a trip report when she did it last year (April May) before I joined the ship in Cairns. Well worth having a look. Lots of information about activities and experiences. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fletcher Posted July 24 #3 Share Posted July 24 (edited) I've done two cruises in Melanesia - once on the NG Orion and once on a British ship called Caledonian Sky (see pic). Firstly, I'd say these ships are half the size of the Cloud which I think is a bit big for these islands. Small ships can almost land you on the beach. I think the Cloud's itinerary reflects its limitations. I adore this area - it feels so remote, the landscape is gorgeous, the beaches can be beautiful, the snorkelling is usually world class. Most places in Vanuatu, the Solomons and PNG throw some sort of welcome ceremony and I know that after a week or so some people find this a bit samey. That one island looks and sounds like another. The ceremony in Santa Ana is especially elaborate, though the women are not topless anymore and on our second visit some of the men were resentful of our presence. Personally I'd happily do a third sling through here but Mrs Fletcher would rather not. I've not been to any of the Aussie ports. For Antartica, try and select a cruise that includes South Georgia. The only Silversea ship I'd go on would be Endeavour. Edited July 24 by Fletcher 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreakfastCruiser Posted July 24 Author #4 Share Posted July 24 2 hours ago, Port Power said: @highplanesdrifters posted a trip report when she did it last year (April May) before I joined the ship in Cairns. Well worth having a look. Lots of information about activities and experiences. Great tip thank you!! Does seem quite 'cultural' vs nature-oriented, so that review was really helpful to read 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreakfastCruiser Posted July 24 Author #5 Share Posted July 24 1 hour ago, Fletcher said: I've done two cruises in Melanesia - once on the NG Orion and once on a British ship called Caledonian Sky (see pic). Firstly, I'd say these ships are half the size of the Cloud which I think is a bit big for these islands. Small ships can almost land you on the beach. I think the Cloud's itinerary reflects its limitations. I adore this area - it feels so remote, the landscape is gorgeous, the beaches can be beautiful, the snorkelling is usually world class. Most places in Vanuatu, the Solomons and PNG throw some sort of welcome ceremony and I know that after a week or so some people find this a bit samey. That one island looks and sounds like another. The ceremony in Santa Ana is especially elaborate, though the women are not topless anymore and on our second visit some of the men were resentful of our presence. Personally I'd happily do a third sling through here but Mrs Fletcher would rather not. I've not been to any of the Aussie ports. For Antartica, try and select a cruise that includes South Georgia. The only Silversea ship I'd go on would be Endeavour. Thanks as well for the input! Great to hear that you both enjoyed the region not just once but twice 🙂 Really interesting to read that you think the itinerary is actually limited vs what a smaller ship could do, I actually thought that this was the most 'niche' one could get there - so that is helpful to know. Regarding the Antartica, the alternative we are eying on the Silver Wind in October 2025 does include South Georgia so thats great to hear. Itinerary below: https://www.silversea.com/destinations/antarctica-cruise/buenos-aires-to-puerto-williams-wi251005021.html Out of curiosity why only the Endeavour? We are really struggling between these two very unique and special cruises. First world problems i know 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fletcher Posted July 24 #6 Share Posted July 24 30 minutes ago, BreakfastCruiser said: Regarding the Antartica, the alternative we are eying on the Silver Wind in October 2025 does include South Georgia so thats great to hear. Itinerary below: https://www.silversea.com/destinations/antarctica-cruise/buenos-aires-to-puerto-williams-wi251005021.html Out of curiosity why only the Endeavour? Because I've been on the Cloud and the Wind within the last year and I think they are showing their age in rather obvious ways. Bear in mind that neither ship was designed for expeditions but were rather clumsily converted a few years ago. The Cloud lacks a forward-facing observation deck which is unacceptable for an expedition vessel. That said, many Silversea diehards love them. The Endeavour is very new and purpose-built for this sort of cruising. I'd also look at Seabourn Pursuit and Venture; Ponant ships and the new NG vessels which look fabulous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreakfastCruiser Posted July 24 Author #7 Share Posted July 24 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Fletcher said: Because I've been on the Cloud and the Wind within the last year and I think they are showing their age in rather obvious ways. Bear in mind that neither ship was designed for expeditions but were rather clumsily converted a few years ago. The Cloud lacks a forward-facing observation deck which is unacceptable for an expedition vessel. That said, many Silversea diehards love them. The Endeavour is very new and purpose-built for this sort of cruising. I'd also look at Seabourn Pursuit and Venture; Ponant ships and the new NG vessels which look fabulous. Thanks for the insights! Really interesting about the Cloud, I was looking into it and it seems during the 2017 dry dock the Observation Lounge in the front was added. Maybe it wasn't there previously? Its also pretty vaguely outlined on the deck plan vs other ships. We have our Endeavour cruise coming up next month to the Arctic, very excited 😄 Edited July 24 by BreakfastCruiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare highplanesdrifters Posted July 24 #8 Share Posted July 24 1) The cruise is 23 days which would be the longest we've ever done... does it get 'boring' to just always be at different islands in the sun? It really depends on the individual. We were on the ship for 35 days and were never bored. 2) Any sense of the balance between nature (snorkeling, hiking, beaches) vs cultural (village tours, historic relics, tribal dances & customs) on this kind of expedition cruise? Our trip was quite a dynamic mix of the above. This was our first time to PNG, but fifth in the area. After the sixth sing sing we did feel more like theater critics.😃. Nonetheless they were all quite different, interesting and very enjoyable. After the welcome to country and sing sings, hikes, tours, and snorkeling where usually offered. There were often local crafts on offer. Many were by highly skilled artisans. We are headed back for a 40 day in September. It will be more sea days and a less intense schedule. I could float around the South Pacific with a crisp G&T and be perfectly happy. 3) Any other tips or advice? We have recently returned from Antarctica/South Georgia followed by C2C. Our second time to Antarctica and South Georgia. You can check out my trip report on Silversea boards. If I had to choose between South Pacific and Antarctica/South Georgia it would probably be the latter with the caveat that it must include South Georgia. Hanging out with the King penguins is really something. South Pacific is more doing. Antarctica is more seeing. IMHO I feel that there will be more and more limitations placed on a trip to this polar region. Go while you can if it truly interests you. In the end, it's really a personal choice, hot or cold! keep us posted on you decision. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare highplanesdrifters Posted July 24 #9 Share Posted July 24 Just now, Fletcher said: Because I've been on the Cloud and the Wind within the last year and I think they are showing their age in rather obvious ways. Bear in mind that neither ship was designed for expeditions but were rather clumsily converted a few years ago. The Cloud lacks a forward-facing observation deck which is unacceptable for an expedition vessel. That said, many Silversea diehards love them. The Endeavour is very new and purpose-built for this sort of cruising. I'd also look at Seabourn Pursuit and Venture; Ponant ships and the new NG vessels which look fabulous. @Fletcher is correct about the Cloud and Wind. They are old and their forward lounge and deck space is lacking. The other problem is their HVAC and plumbing. It would not travel on Wind in a warmer climate, last trip on her we had 4 different cabins due to AC issues. Cloud is notorious for plumbing issues. FWIW, we were on Cloud for the Antarctica/ C2C. Did I miss the dazzling Constellation Lounge on Venture/Pursuit? Yes. Did we suffer? No. Venture, Pursuit, Endeavor are the new dazzling kids on the block. In the end I weigh itinary, vs. Price vs. Ship. Itinary is always first. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreakfastCruiser Posted July 25 Author #10 Share Posted July 25 @highplanesdrifters thanks for all the responses and insights too 🙂 This is super helpful especially on the HVAC for the Cloud - we didn't even consider that but struggle to sleep in warmer cabins so 23 days would be rough. The October 2025 Wind cruise includes South Georgia, but it seems to be there in mid to late October, hoping that's not too early for the Penguins 🤞 Enjoy tour 40-day cruise coming up in September; sounds like you are going to have a great time 😎🌞🍹 Looking forward to reading the review! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare drron29 Posted July 25 #11 Share Posted July 25 We cruised on the Explorer from Otaru Japan to Guam with a B2B from guam to Fiji. It was before I was on CC regularly but I do have a report on another site. It was in 2024. The Explorer was not suited to warm climes either so we had a medallion suite with a larger balcony and it was fine, https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/threads/fiji-the-long-way-with-our-last-qfi-jasa.62529/page-6 This is where the cruise began. The first 2 pages are places I worked in Australia. Pages 3-5 are from our pre cruise time in Japan. Page 11 is from Guam to Fiji the majority being PNG, Solomons and Vanuatu. We had a great time and really loved it. The cruise was supllemented by the cruise doctor arranging clinics in several of the ports and 4 of us doctors onboard joined in. It was quite humbling. Not all the pictures have survived. We also did the Cape to cape cruise on the Explorer which included South Georgia. it is a must. Described as the Galapagos of the southern ocean. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare highplanesdrifters Posted July 25 #12 Share Posted July 25 9 hours ago, BreakfastCruiser said: @highplanesdrifters thanks for all the responses and insights too 🙂 This is super helpful especially on the HVAC for the Cloud - we didn't even consider that but struggle to sleep in warmer cabins so 23 days would be rough. The October 2025 Wind cruise includes South Georgia, but it seems to be there in mid to late October, hoping that's not too early for the Penguins 🤞 Enjoy tour 40-day cruise coming up in September; sounds like you are going to have a great time 😎🌞🍹 Looking forward to reading the review! IMHO Mid to late October is a tad too early for Antarctica due to weather. Think more ice, which can be limiting. However there will be a lot less penguin guano. The cruise lines are really pushing the shoulder seasons. Our first trip was end of December to January, chicks just starting to hatch. Last trip was end of February into March. Still plenty of penguins left and lots of chick entertainment which we really enjoyed. There was a plethora of guano. Thinking of penguin numbers? They might say half the colony has not arrived yet, or they left for the season. The colonies are huge. So a somewhat normal colony of 30,000 you might have 15,000 or 20,000. Still plenty. Some colonies get into the hundreds of thousands. Crazy. FYI, The Explorer is no longer part of the SS fleet. Spent many happy days on her. I should add, that given the right itinary we would travel on Cloud again. The Wind, we would look harder at other ships. Although we are not big pool lounger types, it is nice to relax and take a dip in the right climate. The pool areas on Cloud and Wind are rather large for the number of people and size of the ship. In the last few years we've take seven expedition cruises. Seabourn Venture and Pursuit ships are head and shoulders above Cloud and Wind. IMHO, the food and expedition programs on Silversea were much better. There are some Endeavor bargains out there, but for the most part more expensive. We are trying Ponant in February. Longtime excellent CC reporter @jpalbnyhas many postings. You might pop on their boards for more options. They are working on catering to the english speaking crowd. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreakfastCruiser Posted July 25 Author #13 Share Posted July 25 35 minutes ago, highplanesdrifters said: IMHO Mid to late October is a tad too early for Antarctica due to weather. Think more ice, which can be limiting. However there will be a lot less penguin guano. The cruise lines are really pushing the shoulder seasons. Our first trip was end of December to January, chicks just starting to hatch. Last trip was end of February into March. Still plenty of penguins left and lots of chick entertainment which we really enjoyed. There was a plethora of guano. Thinking of penguin numbers? They might say half the colony has not arrived yet, or they left for the season. The colonies are huge. So a somewhat normal colony of 30,000 you might have 15,000 or 20,000. Still plenty. Some colonies get into the hundreds of thousands. Crazy. FYI, The Explorer is no longer part of the SS fleet. Spent many happy days on her. I should add, that given the right itinary we would travel on Cloud again. The Wind, we would look harder at other ships. Although we are not big pool lounger types, it is nice to relax and take a dip in the right climate. The pool areas on Cloud and Wind are rather large for the number of people and size of the ship. In the last few years we've take seven expedition cruises. Seabourn Venture and Pursuit ships are head and shoulders above Cloud and Wind. IMHO, the food and expedition programs on Silversea were much better. There are some Endeavor bargains out there, but for the most part more expensive. We are trying Ponant in February. Longtime excellent CC reporter @jpalbnyhas many postings. You might pop on their boards for more options. They are working on catering to the english speaking crowd. Hi again! Curious why you’d more likely avoid the Wind than the Cloud? I thought they were almost identical with the Wind being more recently refurbished. We are also torn and a bit worried about the early/mid October cruise, but it’s either those dates or we need to do Antarctica another year. Seems like the first cruise of that season to the area 😔 With all your experience would you still go or probably park the trip for later in the season some other year 🙂? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare highplanesdrifters Posted July 25 #14 Share Posted July 25 5 hours ago, BreakfastCruiser said: Hi again! Curious why you’d more likely avoid the Wind than the Cloud? I thought they were almost identical with the Wind being more recently refurbished. We are also torn and a bit worried about the early/mid October cruise, but it’s either those dates or we need to do Antarctica another year. Seems like the first cruise of that season to the area 😔 With all your experience would you still go or probably park the trip for later in the season some other year 🙂? We've had more HVAC issues on the Wind. Specifically in warmer climates AC is less than desirable. That was in 2022. Pre refurb, same problems. I'm not sure they worked on the guts. Friends we traveled with in 2022 didn't have AC issues, although plenty of plumbing problems. Lower floors and center of the ship seemed to be better for AC. Cloud had plenty of plumbing issues. I'd post specific questions about current Wind conditions. Silversea did work hard to resolve all issues. Personally I would no go to Antarctica in October or most of November. I would suggest another post specifically asking about that time of year. Others who have been there during that time may have better insight and experience. The Melanesia itinary you posted looks great. We did find that trip life changing. Consider treating yourself by adding to the next 10 days in the Kimberlys. 😃 You deserve it! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare jpalbny Posted July 25 #15 Share Posted July 25 Wind and Cloud are indeed "almost" identical. There are some subtle differences on the topmost decks, with the configuration of, and therefore the access to, the forward-facing Observation Lounge. In the old days you could walk completely around the Observation Lounge on the outside promenade, and you could stand in front of the Lounge for a forward-facing outside view. This has been closed off for some inexplicable reason and I find it a bit annoying. However the plus side is that you can have a view from the front of the Observation lounge, without me in the way! Compare these two shots from our Panama Canal cruise, with the third from our recent Kimberley journey. The outdoor promenade deck in front of the Observation Lounge was a nice spot. On the Cloud Kimberley cruise, we couldn't go up front any longer. See the gate, blocking access to the very front? Also, on occasion they open up the very front of the ship for sightseeing. Here we are on board Silver Cloud in the Antarctic in 2020. So they do still have a (potential) front-facing outdoor viewing area - they just don't open it all that much, and it's certainly not a finished space that is meant to be used as a permanent viewing area. These pictures were taken from the front-facing balcony of suite 701 - nice spot, if you can get it! It was much cheaper for us to befriend the inhabitants, than to pay for that real estate. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RachelG Posted July 26 #16 Share Posted July 26 Currently on Cloud. No HVAC or plumbing issues in any of our 5 cruises on her. We did Antarctica and South Georgia Island on her right before covid. Would do again for sure, but I heard they are not going to allow landing at South Georgia currently. there is an enclosed forward observation lounge on cloud. The only time I ever go in there is in cold or bad weather, but it is a nice space. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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