Come sail with me on a virtual cruise on Majestic Princess to Fiji!

[RLK33853]

We did Duck Island as well - just in a different manner.

 

We rarely if ever take a ship's tour, but did so to Duck Island due to a couple of reasons.  First was that previous cruisers had mentioned that during busy times you may not get a spot on the water taxi.  Secondly, the price of the Princess tour included the umbrella and 2 loungers.  As Ellie stated, they are pricey to rent on the island.  Last but not least, we went in a high powered speedboat which was like having another tour included.

 

Duck Island is great but we certainly agree with Ellie about the language issue.  Both of us can get by speaking French but we found it a little odd that the locals insisted on French, when at times they spoke English to the guide on the boat.  Also odd was that the signage on the island was all in French - and yes we realize that is the language of this little touristy day island but most of the tourists don't speak or read French.

 

The island itself is very nice, especially if you get away from their little self snorkel tour of underwater sites that are on the map they give you.  That area was packed.  We spent most of our time on the beach side which faces the mountains.  It is a little rougher and has some seaweed, but then of course you have more sea life to look at.  We spent at least 20 minutes just following a huge turtle through the sea grass. 

 

On the way back the speedboat captain opened the throttles up and it was great.  To his credit he asked if everyone was okay with him doing so.

 

All in all it was a great day.

 

Ray and Ann

[ellie1145]

2 hours ago, RLK33853 said:

We did Duck Island as well - just in a different manner.

 

We rarely if ever take a ship's tour, but did so to Duck Island due to a couple of reasons.  First was that previous cruisers had mentioned that during busy times you may not get a spot on the water taxi.  Secondly, the price of the Princess tour included the umbrella and 2 loungers.  As Ellie stated, they are pricey to rent on the island.  Last but not least, we went in a high powered speedboat which was like having another tour included.

 

Duck Island is great but we certainly agree with Ellie about the language issue.  Both of us can get by speaking French but we found it a little odd that the locals insisted on French, when at times they spoke English to the guide on the boat.  Also odd was that the signage on the island was all in French - and yes we realize that is the language of this little touristy day island but most of the tourists don't speak or read French.

 

The island itself is very nice, especially if you get away from their little self snorkel tour of underwater sites that are on the map they give you.  That area was packed.  We spent most of our time on the beach side which faces the mountains.  It is a little rougher and has some seaweed, but then of course you have more sea life to look at.  We spent at least 20 minutes just following a huge turtle through the sea grass. 

 

On the way back the speedboat captain opened the throttles up and it was great.  To his credit he asked if everyone was okay with him doing so.

 

All in all it was a great day.

 

Ray and Ann

 

  

Hi Ray and Ann

 

Thank you for that very useful information. Could I ask you where you picked up the speedboat? Was it near the Terminal building where the free shuttles drop you? The speedboat ride sounds really cool. 

 

We quite liked the beach on the other side of the island. It was much more rugged and more interesting and nobody seemed to have discovered it. Glad you had a good time - must have been thrilling to see the big turtle.

 

It really is odd how they were so resistant to speaking English. However, we have found that true in other French ports. When doing a Mediterranean cruise we were given information leaflets all in French, when we obviously had just got off an English speaking ship. 🤣

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

Just chillin’ 

 

The rather expensive sun loungers and parasols.

 

 

 

After my swim we walk back up the beach, and to our surprise we are called over by one of the families who came on our Vanuatu tour, who invite us to join them in their lovely shaded beach cabana. It’s great to see them again as we had such fun on the tour, and it’s a welcome break from the intense heat. They thank me yet again for organising the tour, but I assure them it was a pleasure, and wonderful to meet such nice people.

 

The water is such a beautiful colour, turquoise near land and a deep blue further out. It’s a wonderful view over to the mainland. 

 

 

 

[winifred]

Still here ellie!  Had a busy weekend too but still loving this cruise!! Think we have all met  Mrs (or sometimes a Mr) Walker!😉

[ellie1145]

9 minutes ago, winifred said:

Still here ellie!  Had a busy weekend too but still loving this cruise!! Think we have all met  Mrs (or sometimes a Mr) Walker!😉

 

Great to know you are still with us, Winifred. 

 

I was getting worried that the men in white coats would come and take me away if I was talking to myself........🤣

 

There are more antics to come from Mrs W..........😉

[CruzinNoony]

I'm still here, Ellie.  I am looking forward to the future antics of Mrs. Walker.  Duck Island looks lovely!!

[ellie1145]

15 minutes ago, CruzinNoony said:

I'm still here, Ellie.  I am looking forward to the future antics of Mrs. Walker.  Duck Island looks lovely!!

 

Fantastic news, CruzinNoony!  I really hate talking to myself....

[ellie1145]

Back to the Water Taxi

 

 

We watch as various craft arrive and spill their passengers onto the beach. A queue forms and we think we’d better join it as our water taxi is due soon, so we make our way along the beach to where the water taxi lands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

Mrs W makes a break for it....

 

We join the queue and are surprised to see a very agile Mrs W in front of us. 

 

 

Another boat arrives which we are not allowed to board, as it’s from a different company, and more expensive, but ‘Mrs W’ takes herself to the front of the queue and demands to be let on.

 

 

Unlike the water taxi she has booked and paid for, this one has a drop down front so no gymnastics to get on, but she has the wrong ticket, and is told she must wait for our glass bottomed boat. However,  she vociferously insists, and eventually they give in gracefully and allow her to board. It’s all very amusing - but some of those waiting patiently in line are not amused.

 

We, meanwhile, are left in the blistering sunshine whilst Mrs W sails happily into the sunset.

 

We wait patiently, and I can see that our boat is still over on the mainland. DH goes to ask at the information desk if they know why our boat has not arrived and they say there is some trouble with one of the water taxis, so we stand in line for about half an hour. Meanwhile I roam about taking photos to pass the time. I use my zoom lens on my Sony camera to look across to the mainland. 

 

 

This is the building with the flag on top where we picked up our water taxi tickets. There is someone standing in the doorway of the office. You then descend the stairs on the left of the photo to pick up the boat. 

 

The water taxi is definitely there, but  nothing is happening. No sign of the captain or of it coming back to pick us up. 

 

 

But eventually we see it steaming towards us and there is a great sense of relief as we really don’t want to miss the ship.

 

 

There is a bit of a free for all boarding the boat but we are lucky,  and get on. There doesn’t appear to be any checking to see which time slot we booked, so really all you need do is queue up in good time. 

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by ellie1145

[cnd crsr]

Hi Ellie

Great day on Bird Island! The water looks so inviting but you certainly need water shoes. I think Mrs. Walker must cruise a LOT, either that or she has a double or two, We have encountered many times.

 

Glad you are back with up, I was afraid you might have missed the ship LOL

 

Gail

 

[ellie1145]

7 minutes ago, cnd crsr said:

Hi Ellie

Great day on Bird Island! The water looks so inviting but you certainly need water shoes. I think Mrs. Walker must cruise a LOT, either that or she has a double or two, We have encountered many times.

 

Glad you are back with up, I was afraid you might have missed the ship LOL

 

Gail

 

 

Hi there, Gail! 

 

No, thankfully I didn't miss the ship. Luckily, thanks to my Tardis, I could have just teleported my self and DH back into the dining room for Afternoon Tea. 🤣

 

I  think it was one of my favourite beaches, really stunning and wonderful water for swimming in. I so desperately want to go back one day. 

 

I bet you are right about Mrs W. She certainly seems to get around, with or without her walker.

Edited August 23, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

Goodnight, sleep tight, see you in the morning!

 

It's getting late and so I must wend my weary way to bed. 

 

But I'll be back tomorrow with more adventures. 

 

Glad to hear from you all. Thank you so much.

 

[AF-1]

Hello I am back.  I was at McDonalds having lunch.  You pic of the birds were so clear.  Thanks for sharing those

[RLK33853]

21 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

  

Hi Ray and Ann

 

Thank you for that very useful information. Could I ask you where you picked up the speedboat? Was it near the Terminal building where the free shuttles drop you? The speedboat ride sounds really cool. 

 

We quite liked the beach on the other side of the island. It was much more rugged and more interesting and nobody seemed to have discovered it. Glad you had a good time - must have been thrilling to see the big turtle.

 

It really is odd how they were so resistant to speaking English. However, we have found that true in other French ports. When doing a Mediterranean cruise we were given information leaflets all in French, when we obviously had just got off an English speaking ship. 🤣

 

Funny thing about how we got to the speedboat.  I can't recall for sure, but I believe we just walked along the dock and through a gate to end up outside the commercial dock area. 

 

We then waited near an old plaza, and then had to go down steps to the water level to board the speedboat.  Of course this may be wrong and we took a port bus first, but I don't believe we had to.  Sorry for the uncertainty but getting to the speedboat wasn't much to remember.

[TRUEBLUE66]

On 8/8/2020 at 9:55 PM, ellie1145 said:

 

So glad you are enjoying it, David, and welcome onboard. The beauty of a virtual cruise is that you can join it at any point and catch up without missing anything! 😉

 

Singapore is a lovely place, isn’t it? We find something different each time we visit. We can’t wait to return, and hope that it won’t be too long for that day to arrive. 

 

The hotel in Sydney is beautiful but we just thought it was resting on its laurels a bit. For example, we feel the internet is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity, and when you are thousands of miles away from home and family it is frustrating when it is so poor. We also felt the service in the dining room was mediocre for the standard of hotel. But we loved the beautiful big room and the Juliet balcony, and it is in an exceptional position, so that makes up for a lot. 

 

I do hope that you will make it in 2022 if not before.

 

Glad to have you along on our adventure. Still one more port to come...

 

Hi ellie, 

                Still very much enjoying your detailed review and pictures.  Funny story! 

In part, because of this review, we have just booked a  cruise to the Pacific Islands when we go to Oz in 2022. Can I please request that you do no more cruise reviews as it will cost me too much!!🤣

Thanks 

David 

[ellie1145]

16 hours ago, AF-1 said:

Hello I am back.  I was at McDonalds having lunch.  You pic of the birds were so clear.  Thanks for sharing those

 

Thank goodness for that, AF-1. I thought you might miss the boat too!

 

They were rather cute, those seagulls, and so unafraid. 

[ellie1145]

5 hours ago, RLK33853 said:

Funny thing about how we got to the speedboat.  I can't recall for sure, but I believe we just walked along the dock and through a gate to end up outside the commercial dock area. 

 

We then waited near an old plaza, and then had to go down steps to the water level to board the speedboat.  Of course this may be wrong and we took a port bus first, but I don't believe we had to.  Sorry for the uncertainty but getting to the speedboat wasn't much to remember.

 

Thanks for that update. Glad you had a great tour. By the sound of it you didn’t have to get the shuttle. 

[ellie1145]

2 hours ago, TRUEBLUE66 said:

Hi ellie, 

                Still very much enjoying your detailed review and pictures.  Funny story! 

In part, because of this review, we have just booked a  cruise to the Pacific Islands when we go to Oz in 2022. Can I please request that you do no more cruise reviews as it will cost me too much!!🤣

Thanks 

David 

 

Hi David

 

Glad you are still with us and enjoying our adventure. It’s good to have you along with us. 

 

Oh my goodness, what a responsibility 🙀 I just hope you like it as much as we did!

 

I can’t wait to go back as I still feel there is a lot to see. What islands will you be visiting?

 

I really want to go to Tahiti and the Polynesian Islands. Hopefully this horrid Covid will be well under control by 2022. 🤞

 

Oh, so you don’t want me to do Hawaii then???  🤫 Fingers crossed you have already been there so I don’t cost you an arm and a leg.🤣

Edited August 24, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

Back to the ship we go...

 

 

 

The little boat pulls up onto the beach in front of the queue. However, getting onto the water taxi from the sand, without steps, is a bit of a mission, and requires the agility of a member of Cirque du Soleil, without the wires. Needless to say, it’s not a pretty sight, and does nothing for French/British entente cordiale.

 

We leave a long queue on the beach, who must wait for our water taxi to return. 

 

 

We have another pleasant ride back, and once again, the captain stops and throws food out, and there is another flurry of fish. Unfortunately, it is at this point that my camera pegs out on my phone, so no video this time - just one photo taken on my husband's phone, but he wasn't quick enough to capture the food fest. 

Edited August 24, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

The Water Taxi Ride

 

 

 

We’ve had a great time and I’d certainly recommend visiting Duck Island. We are still not sure why it’s called Duck Island as we don't see any signs of them. Unless they are heavily disguised as seagulls of course....

 

So sit back and enjoy the ride. It’s almost like having another excursion. 

 

 

 

 

 

We pass this odd little rock formation with trees growing out of it. At some stage it must have been joined to the mainland but erosion has caused it to become separated. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by ellie1145

[azbirdmom]

Glad to see that you are on your way back to the ship Ellie!  That was one long excursion and we've been waiting for you on the ship for several days now!

 

We ended up booking the HOHO bus through Princess, pretty sure it was under $20 AUD so it was a decent deal.

 

We were treated to a dramatic sky before we embarked on our adventure.

 

 

 

Here is the list of stops.  Like Ellie, we had to take the free shuttle from the port to the passenger terminal.  And we were told that the museum and the library would not be open.  From what I recall, they were under renovation.

 

 

This lovely band was on the second level of the passenger terminal.  There were vendors there selling local trinkets.  And as Ellie mentioned, there was also a currency exchange with a poor exchange rate and high fees.  My husband collects currency so we did get in line to exchange some AUD. While in line we learned that the banks would not exchange currency so this was our only chance to do so.

 

 

This little fellow was quite happy helping mom sell her wares at the Morning Market which was a fun stop.

 

 

These medallions were sold by an expat from Canada.  I bought two of Cagou, a bird native to New Caledonia.  One was a gift for a friend who is also a bird lover.  I could have bought more, these were very unique and I love buying necklaces like this from countries that we have visited.

 

 

 

My husband also bought me one of these which were wood and composite necklaces.  Very unique and very pretty.  So yes, it was a wonderful stop!

 

 

 

Next stop Lemon Bay.  We did wade in the ocean here and it was lovely.

 

 

 

We then stopped at the aquarium which was nicely done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I leaned against this post in an area just outside the aquarium not noticing at the time what was on the side of the carving.  My husband pointed it out after I stepped away.  Yikes, that's the largest moth I've ever seen.

 

 

More aquarium.

 

 

Just in case you wanted to know were the mermaids lived.  The folks at the aquarium have a good sense of humor.

 

 

Lovely Anse Vata!  We wandered around the beach and did a little shopping here.

 

 

 

A shot of Duck Island.  Maybe if you zoom in you can see Ellie.

 

 

Despite the fact that the library was closed, we got off there and walked back to the passenger terminal.  I thought I had some pictures of the park but otherwise it was a somewhat seedy area with some rather junky souvenir shops, not like what we saw at Anse Vata.

 

From the passenger terminal we took the bus back to the ship.  Yet to come will be some amazing sunset pictures, but will wait until Ellie is safely back on the ship before posting those.

Edited August 24, 2020 by azbirdmom

[TRUEBLUE66]

1 hour ago, ellie1145 said:

 

Hi David

 

Glad you are still with us and enjoying our adventure. It’s good to have you along with us. 

 

Oh my goodness, what a responsibility 🙀 I just hope you like it as much as we did!

 

I can’t wait to go back as I still feel there is a lot to see. What islands will you be visiting?

 

I really want to go to Tahiti and the Polynesian Islands. Hopefully this horrid Covid will be well under control by 2022. 🤞

 

Oh, so you don’t want me to do Hawaii then???  🤫 Fingers crossed you have already been there so I don’t cost you an arm and a leg.🤣

I will look forward to your Hawaii review as we did the Pride of America last year, along with  a stay at Waikiki beach, and loved visiting the different islands!👍(Kauai particularly awesome!)

🤞 be visiting Noumea, Lifou, Mystery Island,  Vila & Luganville after Barrier reef. 

Following along for the rest of your review!

[ellie1145]

9 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

Glad to see that you are on your way back to the ship Ellie!  That was one long excursion and we've been waiting for you on the ship for several days now!

 

We ended up booking the HOHO bus through Princess, pretty sure it was under $20 AUD so it was a decent deal.

 

I was just about to ask if you had a different perspective on Noumea, azbirdmom. Thank you for posting your expedition and all the lovely photos. I like the look of the aquarium which we’ve not visited before. Last time it was shut as I believe we visited on a Monday, when lots of things are shut.  You certainly did some interesting things. 

 

What a giant moth! You wouldn’t have seen me for dust! 

 

Sorry this has taken so long, we seem to have been in Noumea for ages, but it’s been a busy week. 

 

I will try and finish it ASAP.

 

[ellie1145]

13 minutes ago, TRUEBLUE66 said:

I will look forward to your Hawaii review as we did the Pride of America last year, along with  a stay at Waikiki beach, and loved visiting the different islands!👍(Kauai particularly awesome!)

🤞 be visiting Noumea, Lifou, Mystery Island,  Vila & Luganville after Barrier reef. 

Following along for the rest of your review!

 

That sounds like a lovely itinerary. At least you will have a bit of an idea about some of these places. We were going to book Majestic in 2021 but thankfully resisted the temptation, but we were sorry to see that they had deleted Vanuatu, which is still my favourite island. 

 

Did you enjoy Pride of America? I guess you were able to see more islands than we did as we had that long trek to get there from LA. We had pretty bad weather, too, but it didn’t spoil our enjoyment. 

 

Should I do a review of Hawaii I will be very relieved not to have cost you a small fortune. But maybe you would add your experiences to it if I find the energy to write it?

Edited August 24, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

15 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

A shot of Duck Island.  Maybe if you zoom in you can see Ellie.

 

Definitely, azbirdmom, I’m standing right at the edge on the right hand side, and I’m waving to you.....🤣