Blogs from French Polynesia, Oceania - page 27

First stop: wet landing, no dock Snorkling was all right, at this atoll: colapsed volcano surrounded by coral reef sunscreen in my eyes mixed with salty sea water, I hung onto Terry to get out of the sharp coral, no more snorkling with sunscreen! then we found one of the most beautiful beach on earth: no need for masks, we could observe he coral from the top of the water and the temperature was heavenly, I bobbed while Terry walked the town( 5 houses...)... read more

Landed late at night, after a 8 and a half hour flight Hot and tropical Nice to be away from the cold Staying at the Sheraton/ Hilton, till Tuesday morning 400$ Cnd a night, Tahiti is expensive as it is the gateway to French Polynesiaand everybody has to come through here Venez voyager en Polynésie La Polynésie française est un ensemble de 5 archipels français, situés dans le sud de l'Océan Pacifique, environ 6 000 km à l’est de l’Australie. Elle comprend plusieurs iles dont l’archipel des Marquises. À Tahiti, la plus grande île, les vestiges des deux volcans continuent à culminer à des hauteurs respectables autour de larges vallées et plaines alluvionnaires fertiles et sur les flancs desquelles se sont formés par endroits des massifs coralliens. Les côtes, protégées par les massifs coralliens sont faiblement ... read more

In our nine years of world cruising, Susan and I have been fortunate to meet some very interesting and notable world figures. Milton Friedman, Ted Koppel, Tommy Tune, Mark Russell, Debbie Reynolds, Jon Miller and Hugh Downs, just to mention a few. On our last two world cruises we’ve heard lectures by Terry Waite that both terrify and inspire. Terry had remarkable successes as a hostage negotiator in the 1980s until he himself was taken hostage in Beirut in 1987. Terry then faced four years of solitary confinement and torture at the hands of Islamic Jihad terrorists. Since his release in 1991 he has become a prolific lecturer, writer, and commentator around the globe, and for many a source of inspiration in times of despair. Terry is a very prominent figure on board the ship. ... read more

We arrived in Los Angeles a little late due to the helicopter emergency evacuation off of Baja. We later heard that the patient was resting comfortably in the hospital. Our friends in San Diego said that the whole story was covered by the local television channels. Upon arrival in LA we found a taxi and went to the closest mini mall in order to get some supplies and have our last taste of authentic Mexican food for four months. We got back to the ship in time to get ready for the big send-off gala party. All of the top brass from Regent were on board as was Greg Nacco, Vice President of Cruise Specialists. He brought three boxes of materials and we also received four large boxes of gifts for our passengers and a packet ... read more

Tahiti Tahiti equals relaxation, particularly for someone escaping winter in Toronto We arrived early January 5th 2009 and relaxed for the next two days in Papeete before boarding the Paul Gauguin. Todate we have visited Moorea, Bora Bora and today we are visiting Taha’a. Tomorrow we are at sea all day arriving next at Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. Then it is another two days at sea before we arrive at Vavau, Tinga. After another day at sea we reach Fiji stopping at Savusavu and Yasawa. Back to sea for another two days before we arrive at Noumea, New Caledonia. Finally on January 25th we arrive in Brisbane Australia. We have been snorkeling, swimming with sting rays and the occasional shark. Mare was almost instantly back in the boat when the shark paid a visit. I ... read more