Which Australia cruise?

[Jilltoons]

I am looking at 2 cruises in 2022. Because I am not very familiar with the ports I am looking for advice. They are both Carnival cruises the first is out of Sydney: Start: Sydney, ports: Noumea, Mare, Mystery Island, Lifou Isle, Isle of Pines. (10 day cruise in April 2022) The second is cruise is an out of Brisbane and the ports are: Santo, Port Vila, Port Denarau, Dravuni Island and Noumea. (11 day Cruise in February 2022) Thank you for your help!

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, Jilltoons said:

I am looking at 2 cruises in 2022. Because I am not very familiar with the ports I am looking for advice. They are both Carnival cruises the first is out of Sydney: Start: Sydney, ports: Noumea, Mare, Mystery Island, Lifou Isle, Isle of Pines. (10 day cruise in April 2022) The second is cruise is an out of Brisbane and the ports are: Santo, Port Vila, Port Denarau, Dravuni Island and Noumea. (11 day Cruise in February 2022) Thank you for your help!

On the first option, Mare, Mystery Is, Lifou and Isle of Pines (all 'beach days') are all great and can be enjoyed without paying for an expensive shore excursion. Noumea is interesting for the French influence, but a visit there isn't just a beach day. Sailaway out of Sydney Harbour is a big 'plus' for this option.

 

In the second option, with Santo, Port Vila and Port Denarau I advise you to do a tour, but it can be organised inexpensively with a local taxi. Dravuni Island is beautiful, so small there are no tours. Noumea is on this itinerary also.

 

I have been to all these ports and I feel both itineraries are good. I would choose the second option mainly because of the superb duty free available in Port Vila but this might not be an advantage to you.

 

When you have made your selection, come back onto this board and people can give you suggestions on what to do in each port.

[ozziepost]

Hi

The first Itinerary from Sydney is a fairly standard SP  cruise giving you a mixture of sea days and port visits. Noumea is where you will dock alongside a wharf and the rest are tender ports all of which are fairly easy to DIY although I would recommend the ships tour to Amadee Island from Noumea all those ports with the exception of Mystery Island (Vanuatu) are part of New Caledonia. The second itinerary from Brisbane is the one that would interest me as some of those ports with the exception of Dravuni Island  and Port Vila and Noumea (we were there last year) I haven't been to for awhile. Santo and Port Vila (Vanuatu) you dock along side  a wharf Denaru and Dravuni Island (Fiji) are tender ports Noumea of course is in New Caledonia. Either way you wont go wrong.

 

Edit: I've just seen Aus Traveller comments who has given some great advice.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by ozziepost

[SinbadThePorter]

Both are good cruises. Sydney is the more picturesque port. Brisbane is rather less photogenic.

 

Noumea: A major city. Almost all cruises to the South Pacific from Australia go to Noumea. For that reason many cruisers are rather blase about it. The restaurants along Lemon Bay are nice and there is a fine beach. Further around there is Anse Vata Bay, also nice, and a jump off point to Duck Island for swimming and snorkeling. If you are feeling adventurous an excursion out to Amedee Island is worth it for the historic lighthouse, the snorkeling and swimming with turtles.

 

Mare: Yejele beach is just about the only attraction. A beautiful beach, great for swimming and snorkeling. You get there by a bus excursion from the tender jetty. There are usually local vendors selling drinks, food and hair braiding.

 

Mystery Island: Undeveloped tropical island apart from grass airstrip and some huts. Very pretty with great snorkeling. Actually named Inyueg Island. Locals usually come across from the main island to sell knickknacks and boat rides.

 

Lifou: Tender port with lots of available excursions. Most popular is Jinek bay for snorkeling, a shortish walk from the tender jetty. Cost was $10 payable at the bay, I don't know if it still is. The view over Santal Bay from the church at the top of the point nearby is worth the climb and is free.

 

Isle of Pines: No need to go far. As soon as you walk off the tender jetty there is a beach to the left and a beach to the right. The right one is great for snorkeling around a tiny island that is said to be sacred. You aren't supposed to walk on it. The left one is good for sunbathing and swimming. Both are very pretty and free. There are also lots of excursions to other parts of the island.

 

Santo: I haven't been, I had a December cruise booked which was going there and if it had I would have tried for an excursion to Champagne Bay and to visit one or more of the blue holes.

 

Port Vila: A major city on the island of Efate. Not very interesting on its own, so get an excursion out of town to see the cascades waterfall, the blue hole or else a day pass to one of many resorts. Iririki island being the closest and easiest to get to by water taxi from the dock area.

 

Port Denaru: I haven't visited as my cruises to Fiji have had the misfortune of visiting nearby Lautoka instead. Don't go to Lautoka.

 

Dravuni Island: One of my favourite places in the South Pacific. Beautiful, small island that looks like a tropical paradise ought to. There is a tall hill on the southern end which has a great view from on top, but is a considerable climb. If you want to snorkel, go to the northern end of the island, i.e. turn left when you get off the tender jetty. All the times I've been there the rest of the shoreline had murky water. If you cross the island to the eastern side, you will likely be Robinson Crusoe all on your own as the locals only live on the western side.

Edited October 8, 2020 by SinbadThePorter

[IMSYDNEYAUS]

G’day Jilltoons, great question and you have received some great answers so far.  May I ask you a couple of questions?  What are your expectations for a South Pacific cruise?  Over several cruises I have visited all of the ports you mention and have my own opinions on them however I’m interested in your expectations so we can hopefully meet and exceed them.  Also, what other cruises to ‘island’ type destinations have you done i.e. Caribbean or the Mexican Riviera?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I would plump for the Sydney one . The sail out ,past the bridge and the Opera House , is iconic.

[pacificlover]

2 hours ago, IMSYDNEYAUS said:

G’day Jilltoons, great question and you have received some great answers so far.  May I ask you a couple of questions?  What are your expectations for a South Pacific cruise?  Over several cruises I have visited all of the ports you mention and have my own opinions on them however I’m interested in your expectations so we can hopefully meet and exceed them.  Also, what other cruises to ‘island’ type destinations have you done i.e. Caribbean or the Mexican Riviera?

To add to the above.  I have done 5 Caribbean cruises and numerous South Pacific cruises (too many to count) and I must point out that they are like chalk and cheese.  South Pacific cruises are mostly beach based with the locals having rustic stalls with a lot of basic souvenirs.  Definitely no hard sell - often you have to approach them in order to buy something.  Think, palm trees, white sandy beaches - bliss.  As you can see from my "name" Pacificlover - I'm a huge fan. My favourites are the Vanuatu group more than New Caledonia, but that is my opinion only.

[SinbadThePorter]

Another consideration is the weather. February is usually the hottest month in Australia, while April is on the edge of cooler weather. In the islands this makes no difference, but if you are spending time in Australia, it might.

 

Also, you would be very unlucky to have a cruise affected by a cyclone, but February is the height of the cyclone season in the region and April usually the end of it. That said, the only cruise I've been on that was affected by a cyclone was in the islands in May, so you never know.

[By The Bay]

2 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:

Also, you would be very unlucky to have a cruise affected by a cyclone, but February is the height of the cyclone season in the region and April usually the end of it. That said, the only cruise I've been on that was affected by a cyclone was in the islands in May, so you never know.

The cruise won't head into a cyclone. The itinerary might have to be altered to miss a cyclone. This happen to Carnival Spirit, when a 8-day Pacific Island voyage on March 10, 2015 went to Hobart because of Cyclone Pam. This resulted in a class action by disgruntled passengers.

[IMSYDNEYAUS]

Pacificlover, thanks for your reply.  Your comments are exactly why I was asking that question.

 

Near the end of one Pacific cruise aboard HAL's Oosterdam we were at dinner with an English couple.  We, of course, were talking about previous cruises and when I asked them what their thoughts were of the Pacific (this cruise was through Noumea, Vanuatu and Fiji) her immediate response was 'primitive'.  She certainly didn't mean it in a derogatory sense however she explained that after several cruises through the Caribbean it was a real 'shock'!  I too have cruised the Caribbean and the Pacific is definitely different, hence my question for Jiltoons.  As I heard many years ago "it's not the same, that's why you came!"

 

Have you cruised Tahiti?  The ultimate!

 

Take care.

[OzKiwiJJ]

That "primitiveness" is what I love about the South Pacific destinations, plus the fact that there is usually only one ship in port at a time. I haven't cruised the Caribbean but I'm not sure I want to from things that I've read. We did stop at Bimini on the Panama Canal cruise we did. It was beautiful in a very manicured way. The beach was gorgeous but quite crowded, and we were on a ship with only about 900 passengers and were the only ship in port. 

 

My pick out of those two cruises would be the one out of Sydney as it has all my favourite beachy ports, as well as Noumea which we always enjoy visiting.

[SinbadThePorter]

44 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

The cruise won't head into a cyclone.

 

I didn't say it would, but it could definitely be affected by one as I said. The May cruise I mentioned was headed straight into a cyclone that formed over Vanuatu while we were cruising, when we turned around and went back to Brisbane. Thus we missed Port Vila entirely.

 

43 minutes ago, IMSYDNEYAUS said:

her immediate response was 'primitive'.

 

If she really wanted primitive, then PNG is the go. I'm of the same opinion, the more "primitive", the better. 😎

Edited October 9, 2020 by SinbadThePorter

[IMSYDNEYAUS]

Yes, PNG is an amazing destination but I believe Carnival Spirit only has one departure a year to PNG.  P&O Australia offers more regular departures.  I'm booked on Pacific Princess in Mar 2022 to PNG and the Solomon Islands and very much looking forward to it.   Visiting Guadalcanal and sailing over Iron Bottom Sound is a bucket list moment that I was lucky enough to do back in 1993 on Cunard Crown Monarch and can't wait to repeat it.  PNG and the Solomons are an amazing part of the world and well worth a visit. 

[Jilltoons]

Thank you so very much for all your kind and informative replies. Based on all of your replies I did find an 11 day cruise out of Sydney in May. It seems weather would be perfectly that time. I truly appreciate the post that pointed out that the port locations can be more primitive than what a cruiser might imagine. We are so up for this. I am very excited to learn more about cultures and would look forward to _at least for one day) immersing ourselves in things we haven't experienced before. My only cruises in the past are one Caribbean, 1 Alaska, 2 Mexican Riviera. I am up for this 100%. Thank you again for all the suggestions. I know where I am coming in the year and a half to come. G'day!!!!!

[lyndarra]

I'm sure you'll have a great cruise. Check back in here from time to time to say g'day.😀

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, Jilltoons said:

Thank you so very much for all your kind and informative replies. Based on all of your replies I did find an 11 day cruise out of Sydney in May. It seems weather would be perfectly that time. I truly appreciate the post that pointed out that the port locations can be more primitive than what a cruiser might imagine. We are so up for this. I am very excited to learn more about cultures and would look forward to _at least for one day) immersing ourselves in things we haven't experienced before. My only cruises in the past are one Caribbean, 1 Alaska, 2 Mexican Riviera. I am up for this 100%. Thank you again for all the suggestions. I know where I am coming in the year and a half to come. G'day!!!!!

Hopefully 2022 will be a better year  and you can achieve your dreams, cruising this region. All the best.  You are welcome on this board anytime to seek advice.  Dont be scared of us, we are are harmless and mostly friendly. There is the odd fruitloop on here though, disregard.

Edited October 9, 2020 by NSWP

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, Jilltoons said:

Thank you so very much for all your kind and informative replies. Based on all of your replies I did find an 11 day cruise out of Sydney in May. It seems weather would be perfectly that time. I truly appreciate the post that pointed out that the port locations can be more primitive than what a cruiser might imagine. We are so up for this. I am very excited to learn more about cultures and would look forward to _at least for one day) immersing ourselves in things we haven't experienced before. My only cruises in the past are one Caribbean, 1 Alaska, 2 Mexican Riviera. I am up for this 100%. Thank you again for all the suggestions. I know where I am coming in the year and a half to come. G'day!!!!!

I am glad that someone made that comment about the Pacific islands. We take the conditions for granted because we have been there so many times. I remember a family cruise several years ago. It was my daughter-in-law's first overseas trip. When we were travelling in a mini bus in Fiji, I mentioned to her that I was 'shell-shocked' the first time I went to the islands and saw the living conditions. She nodded emphatically. That cruise included a stop at Pentecost Island where the men wear only penis sheaths. My DIL didn't know where to look - well maybe she knew where NOT to look.

[NSWP]

9 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I am glad that someone made that comment about the Pacific islands. We take the conditions for granted because we have been there so many times. I remember a family cruise several years ago. It was my daughter-in-law's first overseas trip. When we were travelling in a mini bus in Fiji, I mentioned to her that I was 'shell-shocked' the first time I went to the islands and saw the living conditions. She nodded emphatically. That cruise included a stop at Pentecost Island where the men wear only penis sheaths. My DIL didn't know where to look - well maybe she knew where NOT to look.

Perhaps she liked looking, lol. Harmless.  What age was she at the time, if she was  under 18, not harmless, scary for her. Such is life in the islands.

Edited October 9, 2020 by NSWP

[Aus Traveller]

53 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Perhaps she liked looking, lol. Harmless.  What age was she at the time, if she was  under 18, not harmless, scary for her. Such is life in the islands.

She was mid 20s, but hadn't been out of Australia. I could say, she had led a rather sheltered life.

[V_icki_e]

14 hours ago, Jilltoons said:

Thank you so very much for all your kind and informative replies. Based on all of your replies I did find an 11 day cruise out of Sydney in May. It seems weather would be perfectly that time. I truly appreciate the post that pointed out that the port locations can be more primitive than what a cruiser might imagine. We are so up for this. I am very excited to learn more about cultures and would look forward to _at least for one day) immersing ourselves in things we haven't experienced before. My only cruises in the past are one Caribbean, 1 Alaska, 2 Mexican Riviera. I am up for this 100%. Thank you again for all the suggestions. I know where I am coming in the year and a half to come. G'day!!!!!

 

Mystery Island is my most favourite South Pacific island - I hope it's on your itinerary!  As others have said, you will find that locals sail over from other islands when they know a cruise ship is in.  This pic (taken in May a few years back)  is of a lovely NiVatu bloke named Desi.  He hand carved this boat in 2 months and 5 days and he takes visitors for a sail out over the reef for the princely sum of $5 Australian.  I'm actually jealous now ... sailing out of Sydney takes your breath away PLUS you get to the islands!  🙂 

[By The Bay]

20 minutes ago, V_icki_e said:

 

Mystery Island is my most favourite South Pacific island - I hope it's on your itinerary!  As others have said, you will find that locals sail over from other islands when they know a cruise ship is in.  This pic (taken in May a few years back)  is of a lovely NiVatu bloke named Desi.  He hand carved this boat in 2 months and 5 days and he takes visitors for a sail out over the reef for the princely sum of $5 Australian.  I'm actually jealous now ... sailing out of Sydney takes your breath away PLUS you get to the islands!  🙂 

I have had the pleasure of spending time on Desi's fine sailing boat. I miss not being able to visit Mystery Island and the other enchanting places in the South Pacific.

[MMDown Under]

I love islands but, in the past, have been attracted to places further afield.  I have holidayed on a number of South Pacific islands but, now that we can't travel, I'm wanting to visit some of the South Pacific islands closer to home.  

[OzKiwiJJ]

I love the simplicity and serenity of the South Pacific islands which is one reason why I hate seeing the huge mega-ships taking over down here. The Princess Sun Class and similar-sized ships were ideal for the South Pacific. The last cruise we did, on Ruby Princess which was packed to maximum, wasn't as pleasant.

[SinbadThePorter]

29 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I'm wanting to visit some of the South Pacific islands closer to home.

 

Straddie? 😁

[MMDown Under]

10 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

Straddie? 😁

I am fortunate to have holidayed on Straddie, Moreton and Fraser islands, as well as islands in the Great Barrier Reef.