Last night in NZ 😞
28. März in Neuseeland ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F
We headed out to explore a local theater -- took a few pics of Christchurch along our walk b/f it got dark.
Travel day
29. März in Australien ⋅ 🌧 66 °F
Up at 3:30am, for a 6:15am flight, arriving in Australia around 8:30am (gaining 2hrs to our day). Customs was surprisingly easy, fast and efficient. Walking out of the airport, Uber had a queue inWeiterlesen
Transfer to ship
30. März in Australien ⋅ 🌧 70 °F
How fun to hook up with friends Donna & Norm from a prior cruise!
Day at Sea
1. April, Coral Sea ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F
Getting settled in the cruise, we both went to the gym, Mark had an abs class (big 'ouch'), then played pickleball, followed by some ping pong, then more pickleball and a nap. Afterward, we went toWeiterlesen
New Caledonia: Nouméa, Grande Terre
2. April ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F
'Grande Terre' means 'main island' in French; there are over 140 in the archipelago. New Caledonia is a French territory and Nouméa is its capital.
We took a water taxi (~20 min ride) to SignalWeiterlesen
New Caledonia: Lifou Island
3. April in Frankreich ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F
Our cruise ship stopped at Easo on Lifou Island in New Caledonia. While tendering to the island, we ran into Victor & Dawn (from Canada), so we decided to explore the area together. Scooters weren'tWeiterlesen
Local cave on Lifou
3. April in Frankreich ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F
Thanks to Vic's social nature, the Lue Jajinyi Cave was our next destination to explore.
Easo Village on Lifou: snorkeling
3. April in Frankreich ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F
At the end of our walk, we hit the water for a bit to try to beat the heat. Mark grabbed some cool pics while snorkeling. And check out Mark's video of a local sea snake. It's technically called a NewWeiterlesen
Vanuatu: Mystery Island
4. April in Vanuatu ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F
The local people believe that Mystery Island is inhabited after dark by ghosts, so no one wants to stay there after the sun goes down. The indigenous name of the island is Inyeug, but the cruise linesWeiterlesen
The fun finds
4. April in Vanuatu ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F
Just a few things that made us smile along our walk around the island.
When I see the beautiful flowers & various greenery on these trips just make me think I'm a closet plant-person. Hence, the plantWeiterlesen
Fiji: Viti Levu Island, Lautoka - Day 1
6. April in Fidschi ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F
Being a Sunday, there wasn't much to do. We just walked around Lautoka with Donna & Norm to take in the near-port sights.
Fiji: Viti Levu Island, Lautoka - Day 2
7. April in Fidschi ⋅ 🌩️ 79 °F
Rented a car with Donna & Norm and did a little inland tour to see more of this area of Fiji.
Fiji: Viti Levu Island, Suva
8. April in Fidschi ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F
Mark found a river rafting day that we ell enjoyed. We were picked up at the Port, enjoyed an ~45min drive with interesting commentary about the area by our driver, boarded a longboat for an ~1hr rideWeiterlesen
Fiji: Dravuni Island
9. April in Fidschi ⋅ 🌧 82 °F
Dravuni Island is a small island (~2 sq km) with about 150 residents. It's a favorite destination for cruise ships: the island receives cruise visits a few times a month on avg. We were here in '23Weiterlesen
Dravuni snorkeling
9. April in Fidschi ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F
Swimming out ~100 yards over sea grass, we found this beautiful soft coral area. Regretfully, the locals are most likely spearfishing as we saw very few fish. But the coral was very much alive andWeiterlesen
Fiji: Vanua Levu Island, Savusavu
10. April in Fidschi ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F
Last time we were here, we dove. This time, our visit in port didn't allow enough time for more diving; so Mark found a hiking trail close to the tender pier that we pursued with Dawn and Vic.
Meandering around American Samoa
11. April in den USA ⋅ 🌬 82 °F
Arriving in America Somoa, we first attempted to rent a car, but there were no cars available. So Plan B: a local tour bus; $20 per person for a 3 hour tour. Regretfully the tour only covered the westWeiterlesen
Pool party
11. April, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌬 84 °F
Costume party on the pool deck with the full band
King Neptune
13. April, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌧 81 °F
The King Neptune ceremony is a tradition performed aboard ships when crossing the equator, marking a sailor's first crossing of the line. It involves sailors, often referred to as "Polliwogs" orWeiterlesen
And some days, it rains.
14. April, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
Boat entertainment
16. April, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌬 75 °F
Some cruise ships have interviews with the entertainers. We really enjoyed those on Volendam; Westerdam wasn't as consistent. But tonight they interviewed the house band that we have found to be theWeiterlesen
Hilo, Hawaii - Roaming around (pt. 1)
17. April in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F
We rented a car w/ Victor & Dawn & started roaming around Hilo.
Hilo (pt 2): the Caves & the fun finds
17. April in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F
Beach walk
18. April ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
Walked 4 miles Waikiki beach from the Hilton Hawaiian Village (it's been here since 1955!) to Diamondhead Vista. Lunch at Tiki's then headed back to the boat.
Local dancers perform on our boat
18. April in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

































































































































































































































































































































Reisender
Lovely