Widebay

You just never know, I might take you up on that offer on PG cruise.

As I said Tahiti was the highlight of the "whole cruise". We just loved the scenery, the people, the customs.....of well, will now have to sit back & save, save for the next cruise.

Unfortunately, it won't be Tahiti at this particular time, we have a son & his family living in Singapore, so it will a cruise out of Perth, Australia, taking in the Indonesian Islands, Singapore, then Phuket (Thailand), and possibly Vietnam. Oh well, I need to start saving for this next cruise. It will be nice to see our son & his family once again.

Well home again, and still missing our recent cruise, especially the Tahitian Islands. To all the friends we made on the cruise, thank you for your friendship & company. Also a big pat on the back for all ships crew, from Captain down to our cabin steward, dining room attendant's, entertainment personnel, etc.

We enjoyed being back in Waikiki (prior to the cruise) especially being there for Halloween celebrations, quite an eye opener, fancy costumes, etc. We enjoyed renting stand up paddle boards in Waikiki.

The highlight of the cruise in our opinion, was the Tahitian Islands, and its wonderful people, scenery, etc. Enjoyed the trip around Tahiti Nui, but most of all fell in love with Moorea & Bora Bora,.....WOW!

Tikintahiti - thank you for your pre-cruise advice it was most helpful & spot on.

Last night DW & I opened the Vahine Coco Creme, very nice indeed.

We will treasure our photos & memories of this beautiful part of the world.

As they say in Tahiti - Mauruuru

Tikiintahiti - I made sure I tried the local Tahitian beer (or pia)

Gee, you must love your Vodka, to travel all that way just to buy it?

We enjoy a beer or wine, but we also have a 2-3 nights alcohol free! - its so nice to wake up the next morning without any fuzzy head.

As they say alcohol is a poison.

It all depends on how much time do you have in Noumea. If your on a cruise ship, keep a few XPF's handy, to utilise the Hop On, Hop Off Buses, which have a set destination/route, which takes in most places that tourist wish to visit, and it works out around $10 AUD per person, or 1,000 XPF's per person.

You pay for the "one" ticket for the day, then off you go,visiting the sights listed (check out their website), after visit a certain attraction, wait until the bus comes along, show your ticket, and away you go again to the next attractions, and so on.

So easy, and so much fun. If the Hop On, Hop Off, is not to your satisfaction, opt for a taxi down to Anse Vate Beach or Baie de Citrons (Lemon Bay) for a nice swim, then a coffee in a local cafe afterwards, then make your way back to the ship.

Snorkelgalca - yes we are fortunate to live where we live, with Lady Elliott Island just a short flight away, and one of the best coral reef platforms, I have ever seen. Plenty of bright tropical fish, sea snakes (occasionally).

On the island itself, there are a number of cabins, bar/restaurant, etc, an old lighthouse with history, early settlers graves. The small planes that land there, just have enough airstrip to pull up before the end of runway.

Heaps of wild sea birds, mutton birds, sooty terns, etc.

Its one of nature's treasures.

A bit like Fraser Island (closer to Hervey Bay), with with freshwater perched lakes, large sand dunes, very nice Kingfisher Bay Resort, heaps of beaches to fish along. I will stop this......otherwise I will never leave home.

Last week my wife took me to the local Orchid Society display here where we live, and low & behold they had a person giving a lecture on the vanilla plant, had a plant to show us, talked about pollinating it, how to grow it, etc.

I was completely captivated on this plant, and what I was shown by the guest lecturer, what an unusual plant, and the smell was just beautiful.

Well, something else I have learn't this week, The Vanilla Plant, and I didn't know we could grow it here where we live. Oh, I love living in the tropics.

Very good photos I must say, well done

Just adding to this thread, I went back onto Celebrities website, and with advice of other cruise critic members, I punched in the correct information required, and bingo, my wife & I are now doing 2 shore excursions with Celebrity - 1st Moto Tapu trip at Bora Bora, 2nd - a trip in & around Moorea, visiting various places of interest.

Thanks for the advice guys, and thanks Celebrity for the bookings.

Leigh

P.S. Only 12 days before we fly over to Hawaii, then 3 fun packed days in Waikiki, then embark on Celebrity Millenium for Tahitian islands, Fiji and New Caledonia, before returning to Australia. This trip means so much to us, as we love Hawaii, and so much wanted to see the Tahitian Islands, scenery, the people, diving, food etc. (even looking forward to trying one of those Tahitian beers, Hinano (is that right)

Thanks Tikiintahiti once again. I will email them.

Because we have so much coral/reefs/fish etc on the southern great barrier reef close to where we live, eg. Lady Elliott Island, we don't any great desire to swim with fish or dive on coral, as they say been there done that, and when I mentioned this aspect to my wife, she said why can't we go to a nice resort, to swim on their beach, have lunch/drinks there & relax, and I said, YES YES.

I will give it a try, many thanks, otherwise I will run with a beach break, swim & few drinks at a nice Tahitian Hotel.

Just adding onto the last message, which Hotel is close to where the tender boats pull into Bora Bora?

Thank you once again TikiinTahiti - I spoke to my dear wife, and we are happy to do either Rannui Tours, or even a "Beach Break at one of the nice Hotels" including lunch.

Where we live we have coral reefs not far from us, eg. Lady Elliot Island (which we visit on various occasions). My wife is leaning towards a nice beach break, swim, lunch & laze in the sun.

TikiinTahiti - I forgot to thank you to, I will look up Ranui Tours.

I knew I could depend on you guys, many thanks.

Seal - We are on the Celebrity Millenium out of Hawaii, and visiting the Tahitian Islands, Papeete, Bora Bora & Moorea, then Fiji and Noumea.

I emailed Patrick some time ago, however, I received an email yesterday from Maeva, who does the reservations for Maohi Nui (Patrick's company) stating, "All our tours are booked, thank you for your understanding and hope to meet you on our tour next time."

So I am not sure whether this company holds all bookings for a particular cruise line or what?

I have since been on the Celebrity website, trying to book a similar tour, called "Beach Break", but I am unable to make an internet booking, as one of required questions asks which state in USA do you come from? (It is a required question) As my address & state in Australia are "not listed" on this booking page, I can't make a booking in advance.

I have now sent a message to Celebrity's website, asking how can I overcome this situation, and make a shore excursion booking in "advance"

Oh well, I hope things work out in the end, I want this cruise to be special for my wife.

Need some help mate. I emailed Patrick in Bora Bora to do a beach break & BBQ for our cruise stop, however, I got an email back from Maeval, saying their tour that day is fully booked out. I asked if there are any cancellations to email me, but it looks like Patrick is going to be pretty busy with our cruise ship in Bora Bora port.

If other excursions are also booked out, do you have any suggestions for doing something different, perhaps a beach somewhere that my wife & I can get to easily for a swim, or perhaps a visit to Hotel resort on the beach for swim & buy drinks/lunch, etc.

I tried the cruise ship website - but it seems to have troubles. (It only recognises you if you live in USA), and if I wait until I board the ship & see personnel at "Shore Excursion" Desk, there is a good chance that all tours have been booked out.

I am open to any of your ideas

Regards Leigh

Well fellow cruise critic members - this is probably my last posting, as in the next few days I have to travel interstate on business, then its not long now until DW & myself fly over to Hawaii for a beach stay prior to the Celebrity cruise back to Australia.

Bye Bye. (be kind to one another on this chat board)

Ma Bell - but I didn't tell you in the last posting, that the fellow diners on our table (dressed in formal clothing) commented on how smart the shirts were that I had purchased prior to the cruise. One elderly guy on our table asked me later where he could buy one of these shirts.

Most of the "elderly" cruisers on our "Princess" dinner table were quite pleasant, and nice to talk to. We even had a couple that dressed in strange clothing, something I have never seen before. It looked like clothing from the 1920's or movie set. Over a period of time we found out that they dressed that way, as they visited nursing homes in their home town, to entertain the frail & elderly with their ballroom dancing. How good is that, I applaud them,and I never once commented on their formal gear.

I have a pair of black dress jeans, and you would be hard pressed to differ between suit trouser or dress jeans. They look smart, and with a smart designer shirt, I think it looks special. Well, that's what my wife said on the last Princess Cruise, when I wore them to the Dining Room on the formal night.

I was not challenged by the staff, and other cruisers on the dining room table thought my gear was very smart for the evening.

My dining friends that night were dressed in dinner suits, with ties or bow ties.

The ladies had formal type dresses on, which to me looked like something out of the 1920's - sorry to say that, but, that's how it looked like to us.

I guess each generation dressed the way, that they have been "used to", eg. formal wear, smart casual, normal suits, etc.

What's that saying, "let each person march to the drum that he hears"

I agree, lets go with the new modern way of dressing. We have changed our ideas, dress, etc, over the years.

I have no objection to what is worn in MDR in the evening, provided it is not shorts, swimwear, etc. I have no objection to smart casual wear, or if someone wants to wear a suit, so be it, as they say, "each to their own"

I think Cruise Line companies realise this, and are changing with the times.

P.S. They want to keep their customers coming back.

As I said I keep my dark suit, for weddings & funerals, that's all,....not for lugging half way around the world to wear in a Dining Room twice on a cruise.

I'm sorry, but the ship's tourist police will come down on you, like a ton of bricks, or a ton of dinner suits? ....if you don't dress up.

Well we are like most of you, we like to be comfortable in what we wear, we like to dress in smart casual clothing.

I think the dinner suits for men went out "light years ago" didn't they.

Well, if I have to wear a dinner suit on the Celebrity Millenium, I will pack in my suitcase between all the board shorts & hawaiian shirts.

Hey guys, its nice to have a joke here on this chatboard. Honestly, I don't feel offended if other people wear formal wear on the ship, and we are happy to dine elsewhere if our smart casual dress offended anyone in that dining room on that particular night.

One of the nicest places I have spent on a cruise ship, was late afternoon/early evening on the rear deck on a Princess liner, having a few beers & wines with DW, and gazing out over the ocean. Those "special times" mean a lot to us.

Have a nice day, wherever you are, and don't forget to tell your DH or DW how special they are!

I have nothing against people wearing a dinner suit on a cruise ship, its just I haven't got room in my bags to take a normal suit with me, as we will be staying in Waikiki for a few days before the cruise back to Australia, and my wife & I like to travel "light". So to carry an extra luggage like a dinner suit just to be worn 2 nights on a transpacific cruise, is a waste of time forus.

Celebrity should change the itinerary, and instead of having formal nights, we should have "Hawaiian shirt/clothing night" - now that would be fun. Prizes for the loudest/colourful shirt or dress. Imagine the colour in the main dining room that night, wow!

I think I will pack one of my very very colourful Hawaiian shirts in, just for fun.I will have to be careful - the shirt can be very "blinding" to others!

Well, I have booked one shore excursion with Celebrity (Bora Bora) and another with a private operator in Papeete (he doesn't want the money until we arrive at dockside on the day)

We liked the look of another shore excursion which Celebrity has on their website - Stand up paddle boarding down a serene river in Noumea.

Something different. Last time we visited Noumea on the Sun Princess, we got the Noumea Explorer Bus (hop on, hop off), and went down to Anse Vate Beach for a swim - quite nice, then afterwards we had a coffee in the one of beachside cafes.

Gosh, this topic certainly gets a bashing?

I guess the older cruisers who were used to wearing formal wear, still want to embrace it, however, with the new generation of cruisers (much younger-with a different outlook) they "want" to dress differently, ie. smart casual - nice trousers/shirt etc that looks smart, and they want to feel comfortable in what they wear.

hated wearing a dinner suit in the past.

P.S. - I stopped wearing suits some 9 years ago, but I do have a suit on hand for weddings & funerals, that's about all.

I am sorry to say this, but I think Dinner suits are becoming a thing of the past. I couldn't help notice on the last Princess Cruise we did, that people mainly dressed in very smart casual, which made the old fashioned dinner suit look "old"

Come on guys, lets get with the times, and start dressing accordingly.

Iancal - Yes, we like to dress for the climate & comfort. However, we do enjoy meeting people in the dining room or bar, and hearing about their travels, enjoy a few jokes, a couple of drinks. I find people no matter where they come from, or what status in life they attained, how rich or poor they are, always have something of interest to pass on, and that really is what enriches our lives.

Regards Leigh.

P.S. Where we live in Queensland, Australia, we have some coconut palm trees along our foreshore. I found one that had dropped off, so I took home, then after an hour of sawing, tearing the husk, I got to the nut inside, and low & behold, there was milk, and coconut flesh to eat, so tonight on my sweets I having fresh coconut, yummy!

Have a good day wherever you are.

This is a list of what I am taking on Celebrity Millenium cruise from Hawaii to Sydney, Australia........

Day - Cargo shorts (zippered or button pockets handy for not loosing money/wallet), T-shirts with short sleeves, deck shoes, croc sandals (so comfortable), board shorts, swimmers, etc.

(Before the cruise I will be buying some shorts & shirts as "hawaiian souvenirs", but also to wear on the ship (during the day)

Night - Black lightweight trousers, smart casual shirts, black shoes, etc.

Formal Nights: Because we are flying from Australia to Hawaii, then holidaying in Waikiki prior to the cruise, I didn't want to lug around a suit. My wife & I travel with the least amount of luggage that is required. The reason being, we like to buy clothing overseas on our trips abroad. P.S. I am after a pair Tahitian boardshorts.

So on formal nights (I believe there are only 3 nights on our cruise) we are going dine at another restaurant on the ship, perhaps the speciality restaurants.

Have a good day wherever you are.

Leigh