Pacific Island Cruise, wk 2 2012

March 6^th, We are at sea today as we head for our first stop in Fiji. The Volendam Olympics event for today was Table Tennis. At last, something that I should be able to do well at (I thought). How wrong can you be? It wasn’t a regular game of Table Tennis. One half of the table was laid out with various sized glasses and to score a point you had to serve the ball from the other end and have it bounce into a glass. We were given 10 serves each and a small hope and a prayer that you would fluke one in. Consequently I scored zero. Not to be disappointed I then went to have a go at the Blackjack Tournament in the Casino. $20 bought me $1500 in chips to play and after my round was finished I managed to just get onto the winners board in last place, but after the next round of players I was knocked off the winners board, so time to quit. Val went to the Art Auction for a Champers and a look then on to Bingo, no win today. It was a bit rough towards late afternoon, the ship was rocking and Val was a bit off colour, so she went off to bed and didn’t surface till next morning. I took in the Show which was a “stand up” Comedian, Paul Stevens, who was very good. The ship rocked and rolled all night, so Val told me in the morning.

March 7^th, We docked in Lautoka, Fiji at 8am and the rain was bucketing down and very windy. We had breakfast and relaxed with a book. We went ashore after lunch and caught a shuttle bus into Town. The rain had stopped but it was now very hot. We walked around the Shops, this was our first stop where the stores were not unlike a Country Town in Australia. The Markets were interesting, with all their local produce laid out on tables (Kava powder, coconuts, all sorts of roots and vegetables and local fruits). The shuttle bus, for our return trip to the Ship, was the usual type found everywhere in Fiji without glass in the windows. We had dinner in the Lido Restaurant and took in the movie that was shown in the Frans Hal Lounge on the big screen. We had been told it was a silent movie called “The Artist”, so were wondering whether we would like it. Having now watched the movie we were amazed that everybody, including ourselves, had nothing but praise for this thoroughly enjoyable, wonderfully scripted movie. I would recommend it to anyone. We finished off our day in the Casino.

March 8^th, We anchored offshore at Dravuni Island, Fiji, at 8am. We were taken ashore by Tender Boat and walked along the Market Stalls and admired the lovely beach and crystal clear water. There were no roads, so no cars on the Island.  They did have a small School for the kids and the total population was 125. Val was able to buy grass skirts for Jessica and Annaliese, so that completed out souvenir shopping for this Cruise. Once again it was hot and humid, so we were glad to get back on board. Tonight we had to put our clocks back 1 hour as we were crossing the time Zone on the next leg.

March 9^th, This was another “sea day” but they had plenty of activities to keep us occupied. As one star “Mariners” (our 2^nd cruise with Holland America), we were invited to the Mariners Brunch, with the Captain and Catering Manager, and were treated to a great meal with Champagne and all the works. Val did Bingo, Trivia, Slot Tournament  and an Art Auction where they were drawing the Free Raffle for a piece of Art. Val’s numbers were drawn 3 times but because it was a free raffle her 2^nd & 3^rd numbers were redrawn. I did the Olympics event, Quoits, and managed 3^rd place, so was pleased with that result and then took in the Movie. At 6pm we went to collect Val’s Raffle Prize and were surprised at the selection of paintings to choose from. They were reproductions and beautifully framed. Our joy was turned upside when we were told that the prize would be unframed and shipped to our home address, in a tube, at a cost of $65, from Miami to Australia. After Val gave the Art manager a few harsh words in describing what she thought of his “Free” Raffle and tore up the prize winning ticket in his face, she was offered a package of smaller artwork that would be delivered to our Stateroom. Val settled down with the help of a Pina Colada, made by her favourite Barman. When we returned to our Stateroom after our evening activities, a package of 7 artwork prints had been delivered, as promised, with a very nice letter of apology.

March 10^th, At 8am we anchored off Kuto, at the Ile Des Pins, New Caledonia (Isle of Pines). We decided to try and beat the heat we would do the trip ashore in the morning. The islands were true to name being covered with Pine Trees from one end to the other. After we took the Tender Boat ashore and walked around the Native Stalls and were taken in by the nice beaches and crystal clear waters. Val even had a paddle in the water’s edge. This is a French Speaking Island and Val had a little difficulty with the language barrier when buying a few trinkets for herself and wasn’t too sure if the money conversion by the Traders was correct. They were happy to deal in US or Au Dollars, with the visitors, in lieu of Francs.  This is our last stop before we head straight back to Sydney.

March 13^th, We docked at the Bangaroo Wharf, in Sydney at 7am. Too early for us to be up for the entry into the Harbour. The last 2 days were at sea and full of  fun activities, food and drink. I did the tour of the huge Galley, where all the food is stored, meals are prepared and served to the 1450 guests, all through the day. A massive task that runs very smoothly. The “Meet the Entertainment Group” and backstage Tour was also very interesting. We had a very entertaining Final of the Karaoke Competition, in the Crows Nest, with the Winner being the most popular and deserving choice. On our last day at sea, the Catering Group put on the most amazing “Dessert Extravaganza” around the Pool on the Lido Deck. As well as the fabulous cakes, breads and desserts, the decorations included Ice Carvings. It was all a great end to a very enjoyable Cruise.

Our car was parked on the Dock, where we had left it, as Steven had returned the car early in the morning, on his way to work. We dis-embarked at 10.15am which was smooth and uneventful. We did have to pass through a Customs Check Point, as we indicated that we had things that Customs had to approve. We met Steven for a coffee at a local Coffee Bar before driving up to Dunleith Tourist Park at The Entrance, back Home (Caravan site 20, on the waterfront). We caught up with all the news from Joan and Robert , who had enjoyed their holiday in our Van.

Pacific Island Cruise, wk 1 2012

February 28^th, We left DunleithTourist Park at 9am and went to The Entrance Shops, where Val had her hair done and I picked up some books from the local Library, to read on our cruise. We drove to Sydney and parked in the Barangaroo Wharf Parking lot, where our Ship was docked, and walked across to the Sussex Street Hotel and met Steven for lunch and a farewell drink. After a nice lunch we walked back to the Car park and boarded our Ship, The Volendam, and Steven took our car to Ed’s place, for the 2 weeks we are away. Everything went smoothly and once aboard the Ship we found our cabin, unpacked and familiarized ourselves with a walk around. We sailed at 6pm and caught the sights of Sydney as we left Port. Sailing under the Harbour Bridge was exciting, not a lot of clearance. We had a “Welcome Aboard” BBQ on the Pool Deck and played Bingo at 9pm. We stayed on for the live show in the Frans Hal Lounge at 9.30am. Our Cruise Director was an Auzzie from Orange (NSW), David Griffiths, the show was impressive, great singers and band and the Dancers were tops. I took in the 10pm movie then met up with Val for Slots and Blackjack in the Casino till 12.30am. A great 1^st night on board.

February 29^th, Each night we get a “what’s on” list of all the day’s events, which gives a huge selection of activities to choose from, to suit all tastes. This was a sea day, so Val went to a cooking demonstration; I did an acupuncture seminar, played some Table Tennis with Joe, a young boy passenger, and had a go at the Putting Competition. Val went to Bingo and won $96.00. Our Travel Guide (Christina) gave a talk on the first 2 Ports of call, which was interesting and useful. On my way out of the Frans Hal lounge, I ran into a Table Tennis friend from Nelson Bay, what a small world we live in! Barry and his wife Deb were on their first Holland America cruise. It was great to catch up. Val entered the “Slot Machine Tournament” and with the highest score got on to the finals board and a chance to win $500. Only the top 6 scores were eligible for the final. Dinner was “formal” tonight, so we dressed in our finest for the occasion and had a lovely meal at “The Rotterdam” Restaurant. After dinner I took in the onboard movie and then met Val in the Frans Hal Lounge for the Show. We went to the Casino where it took me only minutes to lose my $50 US stake, at the blackjack table. When we arrived back at our stateroom we found a bottle of Champagne and Chocolate Coated Strawberries had been delivered to our room by “Travel the World”, part of the Holland America Group. The strawberries were delicious.

March 1^st, This was another “Sea Day”, so I started with the first event in the Volendam Olympics. These are fun events, played only on sea days where you accumulate points and there are small prizes at the end of the Cruise. The first event was Basketball, best of 10 shots at the ring (I only managed 1 through), not exactly my game. Val did a “hands on” cooking show with Joel, a French Chef. The Slot Machine Final was a torrid affair, with the 6 finalists frantically pressing the button on their slot machine, trying to get the top score in the 5 minute time limit. Val didn’t win the money but received a nice T-shirt (just happened to be my size) and a free Pina Colada. Christina gave a talk on our 3^rd and 4^th ports of call, in preparation for our shore excursions. It was good to know what to expect in terms of money accepted and available transport. In the afternoon they had a fun game of water polo, in the Lido Deck Pool, Guests VS Crew. It was fun to watch and at the end of the game, nobody was claiming victory as they shared a well earned drink from a sopping wet David, the Cruise Director. Val went to Bingo, no luck today but I joined her for the “Battle of the Sexes” Game Show. They needed 3 couples for a boys VS girls quiz. You guessed it, we volunteered. The Girls were asked a set of questions that the Boys would know the answer to and the Boys were asked questions that the Girls would know. It was a lot of fun and we had a tie, one correct answer each, so we all won a free drink. We went to the Rotterdam for dinner tonight and sat with 4 other couples. The meal was excellent again and it’s a good way to meet other passengers. We went to the Show in the Frans Hal Lounge but I left early to catch the start of the Movie. I met up with Val in the Casino after the movie and the Table games were closed down, as tomorrow is a shore day. However I did play the slots with Val and won $50.

March 2^nd, We arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia at 11am. We were greeted by a group of Polynesian Dancers on the Wharf. The Dancers put on a good show and their music was what you would expect from an Island Group, very entertaining. We had lunch on board and went ashore at 2.30pm. It’s siesta time in Noumea from 11.30 to 1.30pm. Being a French Island, I changed $50 US for 3570 Franc (sounds a lot but I was surprised how little it bought). We went to the Casino Supermarket, across from the Wharf, and bought a couple of necessities leaving us with 1500f (only Casino We have been in with not a poker machine in sight). It was stifling Hot and Muggy but we walked around Town and were not impressed. The streets were narrow and smelly, buildings not maintained, lots of shops selling the same things, shops were small and cluttered with metal grills over the windows and doors, not inviting. We were glad to get back on board  the air conditioned Ship, after 1 ½ hrs ashore. We set sail at 6pm and enjoyed a Pacific BBQ on the Pool Deck, for dinner. Night time we did the usual things, Show, movies, drinks and always finished up in the Casino. On return to our stateroom each night, we would find our bed turned down, chocolates and a towel animal on the bed.

March 3^rd, We arrived at Easo, Lifou, New Caledonia at 8am. The Volendam had to anchor in the Bay, so we were taken ashore and back by the Tender Boats. The water around the Island was crystal clear and nice sandy beaches. A lot of the guests came ashore just to swim or snorkel. The Markets were small but had plenty of souvenirs for the visitors. There was a Resort, for those that appreciated “Island Style” living in units or huts. The weather was stifling again (40deg +) so we were back on board for lunch and some cooling down in the air conditioning.  We sailed at 5pm for our next Port of call. We had dinner at the Rotterdam tonight, at a table of 10. One couple were from Tasmania, so Val was chatting them up for info. on Tasmania, seeing that is where we want to be at New Year. There were 700 Australians on board but surprisingly we had not met many yet.

March 4^th, We arrived at Port Vila, Vanuatu at 8am and tied up to the Wharf. We went ashore after breakfast and after a quick look over the stalls on the Wharf, selected a Taxi Driver to take us into Town. We had been met by a crowd of drivers, all wanting to take us and some raised voices told us that some of the drivers were not too happy with their opposition. We did the Markets and Souvenir Shops and walked along the waterfront to the Irririki Casino. We had a Chardy and $20 in the poker machines and found that they were no different to the Pokies at home, they don’t pay. We could see the Irririki Resort on the Island across the water from the Casino, where Greg and Dianne spent their Honeymoon. The Town itself didn’t impress us, usual lack of building maintenance. We had lunch on board, then at 4.30pm they have “Sail Away” Entertainment and drinks on the Lido Deck while at 5pm we off to our next Port of call. We had dinner at the Lido Restaurant, then did the Show, Movie and Casino, as we do every night. Tonight we went to a special show called Aussie, Aussie Sing-along in the Crows Nest (top deck, pointy end) and joined in a range of typically aussie home grown songs with around 400 other guests. It was a lot of fun.

March 5^th, We arrived at Luganville, Vanuatu at 8am, it was very hot and we had a few showers this morning. After breakfast we went ashore and walked the Dockside Stalls and were entertained by a singing / dancing native family group. Val was accosted by a cute little native boy, giving her a flower for her hair. The first one was given a dollar for his kindness and friendly kiss and then we found that this was the approach at other stalls. We bought a few items for Jessica and Annaliese then the heat drove us to go onboard and recuperate till lunchtime. We sailed at 5pm and had dinner at the Lido Restaurant. The food on this Ship was always good, plentiful and delicious, no matter where you ate. On many days Val enjoyed browsing the onboard shops. The Show tonight was Adam Johnson (Classical Pianist) who put on a great show and that was followed by the Indonesian Crew Show, who did traditional songs and dances from their Country. It was very entertaining. I went to the movie tonight, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor” and the theatre was full. I got the 2^nd last seat, 2^nd row side. I was so close that they had a small side screen for us to watch, as we didn’t have a good view of the middle big screen. I watched the movie through to the end but it was too disjointed for me. I did get the basic plot eventually but I hate movies that are constantly having “flashbacks”. The movie ran so late that the Casino Tables were closed, so I played the slots with Val for a while. We had to put our watches an hour forward tonight as we were crossing a time zone. Tomorrow will be the first day of our 2^nd week on this Cruise.

The Entrance, Feb 2012

February 25^th, Travelled to The Entrance via Calga, to have a replacement roll out awning fitted and pick up our new Annexe, from “Express Annexes”. We left early this morning and arrived at Calga around 10.30am and finally got away with everything finished around 4.30am. Long wait, but I had  a beading added to my little front awning and Winston works on his own, so gets phone  and quoting interruptions. We arrived at Dunleith Tourist Park at 5pm and after booking in had my first go at setting up the Annexe, with some help from Rob. We found it a very easy method of assembly, so was very happy with our new annexe. Carole had prepared dinner for us, which was a very pleasant surprise and much appreciated, then we finished off the night with a game of tiles.

February 26^th, I put up our little front awning, with some help from Neal and finished setting up ready for Joan and Robert to move in on Tuesday, for their 2 week vacation from Cardiff and also Van sit for us while we do our Pacific Island Cruise. I put the Tinny in the water, chained it up to the retaining wall and set it up ready for Robert to use. We had all the family come up from Sydney for lunch and to farewell us off on our voyage. Steven and Ed brought everything for lunch, very good tucca, and Greg and Dianne brought Jessica and Annaliese. We had a very enjoyable time and they all left around 3pm.

February 27^th, We went to Tuggerah Shopping Centre to do our last minute shopping for the Cruise and get Val’s glasses repaired at Specsavers, then back to the Van to do our final packing ready to leave in the morning for Sydney.