7 days Pacific Island Hopper Cruise
Port Vila
If you've been on an ocean liner before you’ll understand
the excitement we experienced going on one for the first time. And if you've never been on a cruise before I
strongly suggest that you give it a try at least once in your life. I think you’ll be hooked.
We were looking for an amazing Food Trek Adventure, and we
sure found more than we bargained for when we decided to try ocean
cruising. Kelly and I have never been on
a cruise before and so lots of research was needed to be prepared. The P&O website is fantastic and each
cruise has its own Facebook page, which was great for asking experienced
cruisers’ questions and getting to know other passengers’ before we even got
going. Planning your cruise is a huge
part of the fun and we were planning this one for twelve months.
Outside Brisbane terminal
Up until actually departing I had never even been up close
to a cruise ship, and the Pacific Dawn is massive. When you’re standing on the dock looking up
it’s hard to believe something so big can move at all. I have to admit it was love at first
sight. The Dawn is a mechanical marvel
and a thing of beauty. The ship is 242
metres long and weighs in at over 70,000 tons, 14 decks with 795 cabins and
suites. There are pubs, a night club and
comedy club and bars all over the place, a casino, a huge theatre for brilliant
nightly shows and daily activities, restaurants, a pizza and burger bar, an ice
cream parlour, beauty spa, a gymnasium, cafes, an internet café, a library,
swimming pools and Jacuzzis and a giant flat screen for outside movies day and
night, and a jogging track. It’s a
floating holiday resort that takes care of everything and doesn't miss a beat.
One of the two pools on the Lido Deck
The Atrium. Three stories of shops and shows.
This is the life for us.
We were lucky enough to be upgraded from a deck five
windowless cabin to a deck eight cabin with a window. We had a beautiful view of a life boat. Of course we had the least expensive cabin
but it was lovely, as good as any hotel room with its own bathroom we have
stayed in. For the whole cruise we had a
wonderful cabin steward who looked after our every need. Twice a day our room was made immaculate and
we always found a chocolate on our pillow and a cleverly folded animal made from
a bath towel.
Besides all of the different activities on board, the food
is of utmost importance to just about everyone.
Some people we met go on cruises just for the food. If you wanted to, you could eat just about nonstop.
The view from our cabin
Towel folding demonstration
Fruit and veg carving demonstration
Your fare includes all meals at the
Plantation restaurant buffet and the Waterfront a la carte restaurant. That’s right; you don’t have to spend a cent
on food the whole time. The food is of a
very high quality and I will focus on the menus and service in upcoming articles. For a fine dining experience there is
celebrity Chef Luke Mangan’s Salt Grill restaurant. For a nominal fee of $40 per head, you will
be treated to three courses of superb dishes. With a panoramic view out the rear of the ship
is La Luna restaurant which offers Asian fusion delights of eight courses for
only $25 per head.
We smiled like this the whole time
Kelly and Michael go formal
Of course Kelly and I had to try everything so we could tell
you about it, but I have to say that even though the food at the fee charging
restaurants was amazing, it would be a pleasure to take every meal at the
buffet. The Plantation buffet is two
buffet lines that cover every taste and dietary need. There are so many different dishes on offer
that it’s hard not to over eat. Most of
the time my lunch plate had six different dishes on it and I was still tempted
to go back for more.
Our daily routine always started with exercise. Kelly did the morning boot camp with a
personal trainer and I hit the treadmill and weights in the gym. Lots of people told us we would put on a
stack of weight while cruising and we were determined not to. After a shower I would relax at Charlie’s café
with a cappuccino while I planned my day with the daily newsletter that listed
all the different activities from martini making classes to dance lessons. Then, on most days I would meet up with Kelly
for breakfast at the Plantation buffet and then off to a dance lesson or bingo
or a sauna and steam, or to just walk the deck and relax.
In the evenings we would dress up for dinner and then catch
an eye popping show in the Marque theatre.
After the show we could chose to have a drink in the piano bar, play
trivia for prizes, watch a live band or sing karaoke. Later on there is a sit down comedy club
followed by the nightly party in the night club. There is also a new release movie on the Lido
deck where you can lay back on a deck lounge and sip a cocktail while enjoying
a movie with friends.
Coconut Park Noumea
Roadside markets Port Vila
Coconut juice on Lifou Island
Days thee, four and five saw us coming into Noumea New Caledonia,
Lifou Island, and Port Vila Vanuatu.
French Polynesia and Vanuatu are tropical wonders with shore tours to
please every taste, from gentle sightseeing to more adventurous adrenaline
junkie tours. Our son Michael explored
coral reefs teeming with beautiful sea life with a snorkeling tour while Kelly
and I sought out French and local restaurants and native markets.
Vila fruit market
P&O Pacific Dawn
On Noumea we found genuine French chocolatier and in Port
Vila we ate a local coconut crab. We saw
how other cultures live and met some really friendly beautiful people. Our seven day cruise was an amazing adventure
that made it possible for us to relax, have a ton of fun and discover an abundance
of fabulous dishes. Future article will take a closer look at each dining experience while on the cruise. We are already
planning our next cruise some time in 2014, and I think it will have to be
longer than seven days, don’t you?
Karl
