Review of N828 and N829 on the PS

[jingles83]

Firstly let me say what a beautiful family you have.

 

Absolutely loving the review, so positive after all those setbacks, what a great outlook on life you have.

 

So good to hear your kids begging to go to kids club, just know mine will love it there too.

 

Ok, hanging on every word, so come on when's the next part to the review.

 

Cheers

Jingles

[Gratz]

Oh mick what an absolutely gorgeous big family you have, you are blessed, I can't imaginehow busy they keep you!

 

Ohhhh you've sold me...>i wasn't going to get jacob a tux but I will now, how gorgeous! Now to convince the hubby :)

 

Keep going with the review.....ppplllleease!!! I taught year two today and i honestly thought "oh no I need to go home and read part 2" :D Very very very sad!

[aussiedisneyfan]

Lovely photos and entertaiment as well!

[MargnGrah]

Mick.... I just want to say what a beautiful family you have...you are a very lucky man .:D

Loved the 2nd instalment for your review and am waiting for the next with great anticipation..........You certainly know how to tell a good story!!!

 

Till next time Marg :)

[mickalex]

Thank you for the kind words but i am just paying back all the great reviews,advice and friendships everyone has given while we waited for our cruise.Hope it stays intresting and amusing to read.

 

Yes i am lucky to have great kids and a loverly wife, when they came into this world my first words to them"thank god, you do not look like the postman so you must be mine".

I have actually taken the last couple of years off to look after my kids as i can work from home when i have the chance, my wife works 350 km's away and is home fortnightly and sometimes weekly.They make it easy for me so its been a great time.So yes my wife has her hands full deciding what to do with her spare time when she is away.:p:D

 

Well onto the next day, hope they are not to long but i really enjoy writing.

[mickalex]

4th Aug. Woke up at 5am to larger, close together seas, went straight back to sleep with the nice rocking motion. Got up around 7am with wife and kids feeling the seas, dosed them up and left them to sleep for a bit while mother inlaw and myself strolled up to brekky.I then took some fruit down to the land lubbers in the cabin. Meds have helped so I ask my wife if she would like a hot fish milkshake with anchovies and oysters, Meds not working anymore so I lock myself in the bathroom making sure to take the dust bin with me. {Hehe, Just kidding I would get killed if I did that to the love of my life}. Kids feeling better so take them up on deck and show them the ocean view, which as always makes them feel 100%.

Walking around the ship you notice a fair number of green faces, I put it down to it being a tight sea{and not taking meds as it is unusual even when sailing offshore to have this many green, from memory it takes most land lubbers about 18 hours to get there sea legs without meds in normal conditions} but it gets better as the day goes on and people start to come out and join the other green Martians{they are all fine by the next day and it was glass seas the rest of the cruise}.

Kids drag me to the kids club to sign them in and then I have a day to myself. They fill the pools, I guess they must be expecting penguins at any moment as the pool water comes straight from the ocean and was very, very cold. I look at the spa and I am tempted by steam coming of the water, but then I snap back into reality and realise if my green wife come looking for me for moral support and I am packed like a sardine between young nubile maidens draped in tissue paper, green would mix with red and my darling wife would go purple, and purple does not suit her and would be the colour of my bruises after a few days.

As I did not think my wife would want dinner I grabbed some dry biscuits and water melon etc .She is feeling better but wants to sit back and rest for a bit more.

The show tonight is “music music music” by the P&O entertainers, but I give it a miss as I can watch it in a week on the next cruise.

 

{sorry I meant to add I met all the wonderful CCers on the first day as like I said ”I will not be hard to spot with 4 kids and mother inlaw ” which turned out to be the case. We had some great chats over the cruise and they like most of the cruisers are great people.}

 

Got pizza for the kids and it is great pizza and cheap at $7.50. The garlic bread is $2 and is sensational and the put it in home deliver boxes if you want to take it down to your room. The Pizzeria I would rate 9 out of 10 and the base is like a wood fired base ,yumo.

I ordered my pizza at midnight as the iced tea’s tend to need late night accompaniment.

 

Now after getting the kids to bed and the wife watching a movie I decided to test the casino to see if I or they would be the ATM for the night with blackjack. The casino staff are much more relaxed and friendly than a normal casino, they really make it a fun time if you treat them like humans. My wife and I play for fun and only bet $5 a hand {well most of the time} and for the whole cruise it was an even money and hours of fun playing together. If you stick to the basic rules that the dealers use and sit most of the time on anything when the dealer shows under a 7, it becomes a pretty even game.

I played for an hour then went upstairs for a smoke on the very social side of Lido deck. Interesting to watch one side of Lido packed and talking and the other side barren and quiet.

I continued my hourly ritual for a few hours, in-between checking on the family and being told to stop checking in because you will wake the kids, something I did not need to be asked twice.

The was a three card poker {total game of chance and a waste of energy looking at your cards until the dealer turns them} tournament, so whipped out my $10 {$200 prize} and qualified for the final in the first hand winning $3500 and played minium bet the rest of the hands to finish with $3800. I walked around and waited for the final at 11.15pm and then it was time so sat down to play. Being the big spenders they are P&O casino gave us all a generic casino shirts, as people gathered to watch. I went down, down, down and then up, up ,up with just me and one other left in the game on the last hand, I went all in on double and he did also as we had close money $2500 each and the bastard got three Kings and won the match. So the nice single bloke won the match and I was very happy for him, so much so I told all the single girls I came across for the rest of the cruise, he had VD and pointed and smirked at him with the single girls for the rest of the cruise(just kidding he is actually still swimming to the closest land which is Norfolk Island, by my calculation he should be there sometime in March 2009.}.

 

So I decided to drown my sorrows in Pizza and Garlic bread and for the 2 minute it took me to inhale the meal, poker was the last thing on my mind, because now I was bloated and looked up at the gym and laughed and said to myself “not in this lifetime on a cruise, I didn’t bring elastic pants for nothing”.

I snuck into the cabin like a ninja with club feet and called it a night.

[aussie down under]

Great review Mick, fabulous photos.

So pleased you and your family had a great trip.

Cheers,

Michele:)

[arxcards]

Super duper stuff so far Mick. I am enjoying my read.

 

I gather from the bit of info from Auckland that you stayed at the Hilton. If so, do you rate it as good value?

[sherri3802]

I will try and find a site i dont have to upload them one at a time.

Suppose i should do some work.:D

 

What a great review! I am really enjoying it.:)

 

If you want a good site for uploading photos, you could try photobucket, it has a bulk uploader and links for messageboards etc

just be sure, if you do use it, not to delete the pics from photobucket after posting them as if you do, they disappear from the messageboard too-bit like cinderella's coach really.:rolleyes:

 

Look forward to hearing about the rest of your trip.

[mickalex]

Some more, click pictures for bigger versions.

 

5th Aug. Woke up think we are in port because there was a distinct lack of ships movement and I open the curtain to a perfect blue sky and fat seas.

Everyone is feeling great so head to breakfast. I sit and have a chat to Ugly Dave Grey after breakfast, he worked with my uncle on blankety blanks many years ago and they are old mates. He tells me he is a bit embarrassed at so many back to back passengers as he is doing the same shows for the cruises, I tell him don’t worry if they are over 20 they would have heard them all before anyway, haha. He is a nice quiet man so if you see him sitting by himself say hello as it must get a bit lonely for him.

Two girls go to kids club and oldest son goes from water slide to spa 100 times as the pool is still very cool.

Play some table tennis with my son and then head to lunch in the dinning room.

At 2pm as you would guess the kids head back to there clubs and grandma heads to her Lido social corner, Alex and I head done for a look at the artwork and then she takes the youngest to Turtle Cove for a few hours and I decide its iced tea time while I watch the mini Olympics at the Lido pool. After working up a sweat watching the mini Olympics and raise iced tea to mouth I head done to the cabin for a granny nap, 10 minutes later wife and kids come into the cabin to get ready for dinner etc, so nap ends before it starts.

Tonight’s show is Ugly Dave and the mother inlaw loves the show and he still makes me laugh.

After the show we grab the kids from there clubs and have an early night.

 

6th Aug. I get up early while everyone else sleeps in and go and film and take pictures of us coming into Noumea. It is a fantastic sunny day and the PS makes its way into Noumea’s harbour, which is a tight squeeze in places and the prop kicks up sand in the main harbour showing there is not much room under the hull.

I watch and film the native dancers as we dock and head down stairs to get the crew to head upstairs for a quick bite to eat before exploring sunny Noumea.

As it is paved around the city i take Mother in her wheelchair down to level 3 and Alex and the kids get off from main deck.

 

We walk around town then have a rest in the park in the centre of town, there is a lot of young people hanging around the park for a weekday.

 

One thing to warn people about is the Pedestrian crossing, you could stand next to them waiting for cars to stop till the cows come home but it is rare for anyone to stop. We watched the locals and they just walk straight out into the mad wrong side of the road drivers paths.

So with this knowledge {very daunting as the cars are going quickly on some of the multi lane roads, I am sure there must be a high rate of pedestrians hit in Noumea} we decide to only cross behind a sacrificial local or better still a group of them, this worked well both times in Noumea, but just in case Mother leed in the wheelchair{haha just kidding}.

We looked for duty free shops but they are hard to spot and came across a nice children’s shop {just near the hard to find duty free shops we found later in the day} and found of all things a car seat for our youngest, this was the last thing we thought we would buy in Noumea. The negotiations started smoothly to buy the seat with me starting of with “Bonjour” Using my best schoolboy French, he then launches into his greeting and sales pitch which I catch the meaning of about one word in ten. I gather from the words I picked up with my schoolboy French that he only barters for cows or chickens and we can leave the mother inlaw here and they will deliver her to the ship. After thinking to myself I had found the coolest shop on the planet I decided it safer to ask “do you speak English in my best schoolboy English, to which he replies “no I don’t “ in his best schoolboys English.

My reply is “nous sommes bourrés alors” {we are stuffed then} which he laughs at and points to things after that. The deal goes smoothly and we grab our new seat and mother and head out of the shop with a warm “au revoir” between to old schoolboys that should have paid more attention in there respective language classes{ As we have mother with us when we left the shop I would say I misunderstood the “deliver your mother inlaw to the ship” part}.

 

We go back to the ship as its getting hot in the sun now and arrive back to the terminal to find the Purple Le Petite train ready and near empty, so I leave everyone at the train to buy tickets and race mothers wheelchair and the kids seat up to our cabin. We board the train and wait for it to fill, now we thought there rear carriage would be the coolest and have a good unobstructed view, this it did have but found out latter that it gets a lot of whipping about being the last of three carriages.

The train trip is the perfect way to get around and it makes three stops and takes about an hour and a half. The locals on motocross bikes {there are a lot of the 2 stroke motocross bikes getting about in Noumea} seem to have a favourite pass time of seeing how close they can get to the train and then revving up there bikes with the clutch in before speeding off, this happens over and over but the poor guy on the scooter that did it only got laughs as it sounded like he had a carrot stuck up his tail pipe.

The architecture of Noumea is very European and the Goldcoast would look fantastic if it had followed Noumea’s theme. On the way up to the lookout you will see a very nice racecourse that is perfectly maintained even though it has not been used for 4 years as it is to hot in Noumea to race horses, but they tell me they are planning to start using it again. The beaches and outer areas of Noumea are very beautiful but the city itself is a bit dirty and in need of infrastructure work.

We go back into the ship, now this is the first time we have gone through boarding security together besides getting on the ship. This was the first of many times that the passenger all looked up laughing saying to me” I’m glad its you and not me” as I placed 7 crew cards one at a time into the machine to the sound of DING for each.

 

After lunch the kids go to there clubs and mother takes her seat on the Lido deck with kids pager in her pocket while Alex, youngest and I head of to find the elusive duty free shops. These we find right near the children’s shops and stock up on everything except alcohol. The day nearly over I send Alex back to the ship with the youngest and I go to Casino Supermarket to fill a couple of plastic bottles with iced tea as I need the refreshment in this tropical weather. We sail of as the sunsets and I look at the Noumea and wave goodbye till next week.

[mickalex]

[MargnGrah]

Another wonderful and humourous instalment. Still loving it!!!!!!

Thanks Mick.

 

Cheers Marg :)

[aussiedisneyfan]

:) Gee that iced tea must be a good mix. Keep going, am enjoying.

[croydonCruiser]

Love your photos Mick! So many of the Noumea ones look just like ours, taken only the day before! We had beautiful weather too.

Those pedestrian crossings are dangerous! I was usually the sacrificial lamb, once we realised they don't stop unless you're actually on the crossing. Next time we'll use your method, and follow a local across!

[Gratz]

Good to know about the pedestrian crossings! :eek:

 

I sit and have a chat to Ugly Dave Grey after breakfast wow didn't know he was doing cruises now does he only do Pacific Sun or is he likely to swap between ships? From meory my mum loved him

good to see the photo of getting off the ship, my son is scared, or I should say terrified of stairs with no backing, drains etc etc and was worried the stairs to the ship would have the gaps :rolleyes: strange I know but it really stresses him out

so was the car seat cheap or something? or did you use it on another island where you hired a car??? definately not what I'd imagine buying:D

so after lunch when you dropped kids at the kids club and went off the ship again was that alloweD? I understood that it wouldn't be allowed, if kids are on the ship in clubs, that parents must also be on ship

[Gratz]

I just had a thought....maybe the kids were allowed cause nanna stayed on the ship?

[gizzigoo]

I tell him don’t worry if they are over 20 they would have heard them all before anyway, haha.

 

Hi Mick,

Your reveiw has to be the hands down all time best review ever. Gosh you crack me up.

 

What was ugly Daves reaction when you said that? Was he still doing a roaring trade with his books?

He was on our cruise in May and it looks like he may be on our cruise in September. He still delivers the jokes very well, even my youngest was laughing. If he is I will buy my Mum one of his books.

 

Glenda

[mickalex]

Hi Mick,

Your reveiw has to be the hands down all time best review ever. Gosh you crack me up.

 

What was ugly Daves reaction when you said that? Was he still doing a roaring trade with his books?

He was on our cruise in May and it looks like he may be on our cruise in September. He still delivers the jokes very well, even my youngest was laughing. If he is I will buy my Mum one of his books.

 

Glenda

 

Thanks Glenda, i am enjoying sharing my experience.

 

He{Dave} just laughed, as he would have heard it a few times before. He is a funny man on stage and the reverse in person{Polite,quiet,reserved and interesting to talk to}, there has been many great comedians over the years that have been similar in off stage persona to him.

[mickalex]

Good to know about the pedestrian crossings! :eek:

 

I sit and have a chat to Ugly Dave Grey after breakfast wow didn't know he was doing cruises now does he only do Pacific Sun or is he likely to swap between ships? From memory my mum loved him

 

good to see the photo of getting off the ship, my son is scared, or I should say terrified of stairs with no backing, drains etc etc and was worried the stairs to the ship would have the gaps :rolleyes: strange I know but it really stresses him out

 

so was the car seat cheap or something? or did you use it on another island where you hired a car??? definately not what I'd imagine buying:D

 

so after lunch when you dropped kids at the kids club and went off the ship again was that alloweD? I understood that it wouldn't be allowed, if kids are on the ship in clubs, that parents must also be on ship

 

 

Ugly dave could well be on you PS cruise.

Dont worry about the stairs on main deck then just go down to level three which is a straight walk out onto the wharf.

Yes because gandma was onboard with the pager it was fine.She new the routine so it was not a problem at all.

[mickalex]

Love your photos Mick! So many of the Noumea ones look just like ours, taken only the day before! We had beautiful weather too.

Those pedestrian crossings are dangerous! I was usually the sacrificial lamb, once we realised they don't stop unless you're actually on the crossing. Next time we'll use your method, and follow a local across!

 

Suppose that means we both have a good eye for a photo, thats my opinion and i am sticking to it!:D

 

Yes the crossings must make all Aussies look and go "my god", considering the cars and trucks also tend to come right up to the crossing, it makes for excitement or terror depending on the size of the adrenalin hit you want.

[mickalex]

Oh mick what an absolutely gorgeous big family you have, you are blessed, I can't imaginehow busy they keep you!

 

Ohhhh you've sold me...>i wasn't going to get jacob a tux but I will now, how gorgeous! Now to convince the hubby :)

 

Keep going with the review.....ppplllleease!!! I taught year two today and i honestly thought "oh no I need to go home and read part 2" :D Very very very sad!

 

How old is he? I can send you my youngest's one as a present, its 5 piece. They are cheap on ebay from the perth store and they give fantastic service, think it was around $60 each delivered.Can send you there email if my youngest{he is three next week and a big three} will not fit yours.The grow out of them so quick there is no point in keeping the young ones tux.

[Gratz]

Ahh very good re nanna staying on the ship and having the pager......i'll keep that one in mind, I have 8 family memebers coming with us!

 

With the tux, i would love to BUY it off you. Jacob is going to be 3 and is smallish but I could make alterations if needed. If you are happy to sell it please send me banking details and I'll deposit money

 

gt76 AT internode DOT on DOT net

[mickalex]

hehe just email me at mickalexander@people.net.au as its a secondary email i dont mind giving it out.Tell your mum if she uses the wheelchair your son gets a free tux:D.We got our money worth with the family photos ten times over, so you are welcome to it, instead of giving us money do what we did and take the kids on mystery island etc pencils,chalk and pens.We bought 2500 pencils with rubbers,200 red,blue and black pens, 200 white chalks and steel pencil sharpeners as they last much longer. At the discount shop it cost $20-$30 for the lot and made them very happy.We originally got them for the kids on Dravini island but as we did not get there Mystery {or the main island i should say} island seemed the best place for use to give them to the happy kids.

[teddyblue]

hi mick great to read your story you do it so well.i have loved to hear of the trip as you saw it.i know it was so good and it was so great being on board with you guys.had a ball.hope jean remembers the time she had,being so popular,she was so great. :) :cool:

[chelle40]

I am just loving this review...Mick you are a fantastic story teller!

I am awaiting the next installment impatiently :)

I am sailing on the Sun on the 20th of September for my 40th birthday and I hope I am able to retell my holiday as well as you do..

Cheers

Michelle