Sailing time

[firstimercruiser]

Hello everyone,

hope you're all havin' a whizz bang time, whatever you're up to :D

 

Anyway, I would like to know what the sailing time is between each port of call amongst the islands in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Looking at the map, it doesn't look that far at all. Do you sail all night or do you leave very late and arrive very early?

 

Thanks,

Trevor

[DanFromSyd]

Hey Trev,

 

we left most of the islands by 5- 5.30pm. and were at the next island by 7-9 am next morning.

So yes they do leave almost straight away and sail all night.

 

 

Dan

[karmac]

My post didn't show up. Dan answered your question anyway. Leaving from Brisbane you'll probably find that your 1st stop will probably be Noumea at 2pm & leave about 11pm. The downside of travelling on the Star from Brisbane is that they all seem to go to Noumea. The upside is that you leave at 2 o'clock (although I don't think it's left on time yet) we don't leave until 5 o'clock.

 

Karen

[firstimercruiser]

Thanks Dan,

I was hoping they didin't just stay anchored, then just cruise for a couple of hours. I'm looking forward to the sound of the horn blasting away as we leave port and hearing the wash behind us as we steam away :) Or am I just dreaming and that never happens :)

 

Trev.

[firstimercruiser]

My post didn't show up. Dan answered your question anyway. Leaving from Brisbane you'll probably find that your 1st stop will probably be Noumea at 2pm & leave about 11pm. The downside of travelling on the Star from Brisbane is that they all seem to go to Noumea. The upside is that you leave at 2 o'clock (although I don't think it's left on time yet) we don't leave until 5 o'clock.

 

Karen

 

Hi Karen, How's your day?

 

You're right, our scheduled departure is 2pm, arriving at Noumea at 3pm, 2 days later (I think :)). I don't think I'll mind going to Noumea, never been before, so have to try it once. Can always go back on board if I don't like it. I want to try some snails :D.

 

Trev.

[DanFromSyd]

um i dont remember horns.. but i may have been drunk..

 

The captain does make an announcement.

 

As for snails in Noumea... I hope you speak french. When we went it was sunday and most was closed. However anything that was open seemed to only speak french. Luckily my brother sort of speaks it... well some and we would probably have got by anyway.

 

Dan

[Skyrules]

Hi Karen, How's your day?

 

You're right, our scheduled departure is 2pm, arriving at Noumea at 3pm, 2 days later (I think :)). I don't think I'll mind going to Noumea, never been before, so have to try it once. Can always go back on board if I don't like it. I want to try some snails :D.

 

Trev.

 

Trevor,

 

One of the advantages of the cruises from Brisbane getting to Noumea at 3pm is that you have the afternoon and evening there - by far the best time of day to see Noumea, particularly Coconut Square and the town centre.

 

You don't get that sailing out of Sydney as the cruises nearly always get there in the morning and leave by 5.

 

Kym

[firstimercruiser]

um i dont remember horns.. but i may have been drunk..

 

The captain does make an announcement.

 

As for snails in Noumea... I hope you speak french. When we went it was sunday and most was closed. However anything that was open seemed to only speak french. Luckily my brother sort of speaks it... well some and we would probably have got by anyway.

 

Dan

 

They don't blast the horn as they're leaving, I thought they had to under some maritime law, then again, I might not have a clue (doesn't happen often) and just be talking out my hat :)

 

I can speak a little french, just to get by. As long as I can say give me beer and pizza, I'll be right ;) and of course, escargot. When I see something I like, I'll just point and say "give me 5" :) LOL

[DanFromSyd]

as i said i may have been drunk, we generally got back to the ship by 3 or 4 and had quick showers and usually headed to one of the bars to drink before dinner.. when you have second sitting dinner it can be a long afternoon!!!

not that i am complaining, it was great to catch up with friends, meet up for trivia, and have a couple more drinks in the lounges.

 

Its funny, some of our best trivia sessions were the afternoon ones when we had been drinking since 3 and trivia started at 5.15...

 

cheers,

 

Dan

 

(For some reason the sea seems to have a weird effect on me.. I seem to become an Alcoholic... Im really not like that on land... honest!)

[Skyrules]

Thanks Dan,

I was hoping they didin't just stay anchored, then just cruise for a couple of hours. I'm looking forward to the sound of the horn blasting away as we leave port and hearing the wash behind us as we steam away :) Or am I just dreaming and that never happens :)

 

Trev.

 

There'll probably be a good blast of the horn as you leave Brisbane, but not usually at the other ports, or at least not that I can recall.... And at most ports I like to be outside watching as we leave - even when we sailed from Noumea at midnight on Pacific Sky.

[firstimercruiser]

as i said i may have been drunk, we generally got back to the ship by 3 or 4 and had quick showers and usually headed to one of the bars to drink before dinner.. when you have second sitting dinner it can be a long afternoon!!!

not that i am complaining, it was great to catch up with friends, meet up for trivia, and have a couple more drinks in the lounges.

 

Its funny, some of our best trivia sessions were the afternoon ones when we had been drinking since 3 and trivia started at 5.15...

 

cheers,

 

Dan

 

(For some reason the sea seems to have a weird effect on me.. I seem to become an Alcoholic... Im really not like that on land... honest!)

 

Dan,

Is the alcohol they use on the ship, same as the stupid stuff on land that makes you violently ill after a few hours of consumption? :D

 

Trev

[DanFromSyd]

Trev,

 

Actually i didnt have that problem, only woke up seedy once... and that was after a really big night!! I think that was the day between Divine and Wala... it was a sea day and we drank all day and night...

 

But other then that i was ok.. i think the sea air helps!

Dan

[Gyyp]

Thanks Dan,

I was hoping they didin't just stay anchored, then just cruise for a couple of hours. I'm looking forward to the sound of the horn blasting away as we leave port and hearing the wash behind us as we steam away :) Or am I just dreaming and that never happens :)

 

Trev.

 

Trev

They blast the horn as you leave Sydney (not sure about Brisbane) but that's the only time they do it.

They leave at the scheduled time but adjust the speed to suit the distance between ports eg Noumea and Isle of pines probably only do about 5 to 10knots as they're not far from each other only about 100 k's I think.

You should get to try Escargot on the ship they usually have a french dinner if you go to Noumea.

[DanFromSyd]

You should get to try Escargot on the ship they usually have a french dinner if you go to Noumea.

 

I was hoping for Escorgot or forgs legs for our french dinner but we weren't offered either!

 

Dan

[Skyrules]

I was hoping for Escorgot or forgs legs for our french dinner but we weren't offered either!

 

Dan

 

On our cruise on Pacific Sky, the french dinner was on the evening that we were in Noumea. A lot of people chose to actually eat ashore. So many in fact that they only needed to use 1 restaurant to do dinner that night. We ate at a Restaurant called Dukes at the Lemon Bay, which was lovely. Some of the people who stayed aboard the ship for dinner said that it was quite ordinary.

 

The french dinner on Pacific Sun was beautiful though.

 

Kym

[cruiselover96]

Trevor we had escargot for an entree one night for dinner (might have been when we left Noumea). Never had it before. Beautiful. DH and 2 kids couldn't even look at theirs so I ate them as well (well most of them anyway. Yummy.)

 

It is a wonderful feeling watching the ship leave port, how it manouvers(??sp) around, the water churning as the motor roars into action. You half expect the tugs to get sucked under, watching the wash from behind the back of the ship without a care in the world apart from what drink to have next or what are we going to do next.... You're going to love it.

 

Kerri.

[firstimercruiser]

Trevor we had escargot for an entree one night for dinner (might have been when we left Noumea). Never had it before. Beautiful. DH and 2 kids couldn't even look at theirs so I ate them as well (well most of them anyway. Yummy.)

 

It is a wonderful feeling watching the ship leave port, how it manouvers(??sp) around, the water churning as the motor roars into action. You half expect the tugs to get sucked under, watching the wash from behind the back of the ship without a care in the world apart from what drink to have next or what are we going to do next.... You're going to love it.

 

Kerri.

 

It all sounds so wonderful, I really can't wait. Already looking at my next cruise before I've done my first - 28 nights on the Sapphire Princess, Sydney to LA next April :D Ahhhh, one can dream can't they?

 

However, I have just had the most unsettling experience of my life. Was at my TA to get her to find out why I couldn't connect to Cruise Personaliser properly. It turns out P&O never received my deposit, so they cancelled my booking :( . There are no cabins left on the deck we were originally on (O deck, Star) so they booked us on the next one up (L deck) and waitlisted us for the original. When she wrote down a higher price, I started to get a little peturbed thinking, I'm not going to pay more for something that was already booked and confirmed, I had even made a few payments towards it. Anyway, TA assures me that we don't have to pay more.

 

Has anyone else had a similar problem?

 

Trev.

[strawberrypatch11]

However, I have just had the most unsettling experience of my life. Was at my TA to get her to find out why I couldn't connect to Cruise Personaliser properly. It turns out P&O never received my deposit, so they cancelled my booking :( . There are no cabins left on the deck we were originally on (O deck, Star) so they booked us on the next one up (L deck) and waitlisted us for the original. When she wrote down a higher price, I started to get a little peturbed thinking, I'm not going to pay more for something that was already booked and confirmed, I had even made a few payments towards it. Anyway, TA assures me that we don't have to pay more.

 

Has anyone else had a similar problem?

 

Trev.

 

 

No i haven't had that problem but i do hope it works out for you Trevor. I can't believe P&O did that. :confused: As long as you're on the cruise and don't have to pay more. Hey they should give you a free cruise for stuffing you around!! :D

[Skyrules]

It all sounds so wonderful, I really can't wait. Already looking at my next cruise before I've done my first - 28 nights on the Sapphire Princess, Sydney to LA next April :D Ahhhh, one can dream can't they?

 

However, I have just had the most unsettling experience of my life. Was at my TA to get her to find out why I couldn't connect to Cruise Personaliser properly. It turns out P&O never received my deposit, so they cancelled my booking :( . There are no cabins left on the deck we were originally on (O deck, Star) so they booked us on the next one up (L deck) and waitlisted us for the original. When she wrote down a higher price, I started to get a little peturbed thinking, I'm not going to pay more for something that was already booked and confirmed, I had even made a few payments towards it. Anyway, TA assures me that we don't have to pay more.

 

Has anyone else had a similar problem?

 

Trev.

 

Not good.... I'd suggest that it's more likely a mistake on your travel agents part than on the part of P&O. We have booked 3 cruises directly with P&O in Sydney in the last 2 years, and have no trouble what so ever with the bookings..... Getting any information out of them is totally different story - but the actual bookings have been flawless. We even got a letter from P&O about 2 weeks before our balance was due reminding us of the due date and the amount owing.

 

Hope it all gets sorted out for you.

 

Kym

[frog cruiser]

I was hoping for Escorgot or forgs legs for our french dinner but we weren't offered either!

 

Dan

Ouch!!!!!!!!

Frog legs no no no

We used to get escorgot and they were nice.

even on the one last September"s cruise.

[kaseyoz]

Not good.... I'd suggest that it's more likely a mistake on your travel agents part than on the part of P&O. We have booked 3 cruises directly with P&O in Sydney in the last 2 years, and have no trouble what so ever with the bookings..... Getting any information out of them is totally different story - but the actual bookings have been flawless. We even got a letter from P&O about 2 weeks before our balance was due reminding us of the due date and the amount owing.

 

Hope it all gets sorted out for you.

 

Kym

Yes we got our letter today from P and o today telling us our final amount is now due in a few weeks. We booked directly with p and o by phone. It is getting closer...

[realdinkydi]

The pacific sun honked its horn going under the harbour bridge at Sydney as we left that was the only time in nov cruise. We could also choose escargots for an entree at the French dinner a couple at my table did but I passed. They said it was nice and tasted like beef.

[firstimercruiser]

Not good.... I'd suggest that it's more likely a mistake on your travel agents part than on the part of P&O. We have booked 3 cruises directly with P&O in Sydney in the last 2 years, and have no trouble what so ever with the bookings..... Getting any information out of them is totally different story - but the actual bookings have been flawless. We even got a letter from P&O about 2 weeks before our balance was due reminding us of the due date and the amount owing.

 

Hope it all gets sorted out for you.

 

Kym

 

I hope it gets sorted too :). Could have been a mistake on either part. TA said she transferred the money to P&O who say they didn't get it. Anyway, I'll keep on both their cases until it's fixed. Was supposed to be able to see booking on CP by 5pm and I still can't. TA is a friend of mine, so I'd hope she wouldn't do me wrong, don't want her missing out on all the cruises I'm going to book in the future ;)

 

Trevor.

[lias]

Trev

They blast the horn as you leave Sydney (not sure about Brisbane) but that's the only time they do it..

When we left Brissie in October there was a huge blast on the horn, and a warning that it was about to happen from the Captain.

 

Gypp, you should remember the old Fairstar days when they used to blast the horn about 30 minutes prior to sailing from any port. They used to say if you hear the horn and you are 35 minutes away, then you are out of luck!

 

 

...

[NARELLE]

Trevor,

sounds like your TA forgot to pass on your deposit.

 

As for snails my husband enjoys them every cruise at the French dinner. This cruise just done my daughter was game enough to try - one only and they got passed to him. he ate the lot. They are in a nice garlic butter and he reckons a bit like a oyster.

The French Onion soup for french dinner is very nice. I am not a great soup lover but have also had this several times - quite nice.

 

As for Sapphire to La next year - go for it you cant compare against Aust P&O. This is one beauty. went on it last year from here to Bangkok (without the kids) and we had the best time. If you do decide to do this get on the Cruise Critic Board. I made so many friends there all going on the same cruise and it made for a really good trip, especially thise who had done the ports before and gave great tips - just like this CC