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Published: September 23rd 2023
A short break cruising in the Pacific to New Caledonia and Vanuatu
Pacific Encounter Saturday 23 – Saturday 30 September 2023 Noumea – Lifou – Port Vila Saturday 23 September 2023 3pm - We are on the way !!
Boarding process could not have been easier. We were in the first 11am boarding group and in fact were on board by 1045am. Even better, the cabin was immediately available to us (usually we do not get into the cabins before 2pm !). And even betterer again, luggage was delivered by 12 noon (usually around 4-5pm !).
So by 2pm, we have had lunch, unpacked the bags, done the ironing and were waiting to sail.
Pacific Encounter used to be the Sun Princess so it looks very much like a Princess ship. It has been modernized and while it is obviously and older ship, the presentation is quite fresh and light. The cabin is a bog standard balcony with plenty of room to move around – much bigger than the one we had on Norwegian Gem.
Have already had a pleasant lunchtime chat with a couple our age from Shelley
Beach, near Caloundra and who are also avid cruisers (Rod and Jan).
The Captain says we are likely to get 3 metre seas and a few lumps and bumps as we depart the bay up near Caloundra. We have often found this as the ship turns right around Stradbroke Island and heads east toward Ne Caledonia. Some folks seem to need the assistance of a sick bag with that amount of movement in the water – we have been OK so far.
Cabin Stewards are Edgardo (Ed) and Vina from the Philippines. Ed has already promised to provide us with a top sheet – cannot stand just having a doona on top !! Bed seems to be very comfortable.
Been allocated dining at Albertos tonight - the Italian restaurant. Dragon Lady (Asian) tomorrow night.
Quiet afternoon reading and watching the start of the Lions vs Carlton game. Good result with a good win for the Lions.
To dinner at Angelos – which was quite good compared to our previous visits years ago on Pacific Dawn. Slow cooked lamb shoulder for both of us went down well.
Alcohol prices - $14 for a glass of
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc and $15 for a passable glass of Cabernet Sauvignon (brand unknown). I guess standard restaurant prices.
Service was good – many of the waiters are Pacific Islanders. Post dinner glass of Baileys listening to music in the Atrium and then retired to the cabin to watch Broncos vs Warriors. Another good result with a thumping win to the Broncs.
Clocks forward one hour for the time change.
As predicted by the Captain, more than a few lumps and bumps as we head east toward New Caledonia.
Sunday 24 September 2023 - At Sea The heavier weather continued overnight with some pretty big hits on the bow. The stabilisers must we working well as there is not much rolling side to side - but we do have to watch ourselves and balance sometimes.
Up at 6:30am and got a couple of coffees from the Pantry (conveniently located on the same deck as we are on – Deck 14). Roz enjoying a sleep in.
Latish breakfast in the Pantry - good array of choices and fresh.
Lazy sea day filled with reading, a bit of TV, two trivia sessions, lunch
in the Pantry, coffee and a Melting Moment in the Atrium, checking prices in the duty free – which actually are not too bad.
1 litre of Tanqueray Gin London Dry – selling for around AUD$75 in the bottle shops at home – AUD$25 on board !! We are going to wait until we see the prices in the Chinese Duty Free in Port Vila before we commit. Roz says perfume price are pretty good too (that’s a worry !! ☹).
Dinner in the
Dragon Lady Restaurant - the Asian option complementing the Italian
Angelos last night. Food was OK without being outstanding and could have been a little warmer in temperature We had a large (noisy) table behind us they were served first. Our meals were at the bottom of the pile in that delivery and probably cooled off while waiting for the larger table to be served.
Overpriced alcohol – bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc which we can buy for $11 at Dan Murphy’s - $51 on board !! My Wirra Wirra Church Block - $53. Good thing a bottle lasts us 4-5 dinners – and by the bottle is cheaper than buying by
the glass. And P&O is not as organized as other ships – you have to take your bottle with you after dinner back to the cabin and take it to your next restaurant. Most other shipping lines mark the bottle with your cabin number, retain it and bring it whatever restaurant you dine in next.
Having said that, we have noticed a vast improvement in staff service since our last P&O trip. They took on a lot of Pacific Islanders some years ago and in the beginning, it ws obvious they had L plates on. They are doing a great job now..
After dinner show was a comedic magician. I think his patter was better than the tricks but he was entertaining. Dropped off at the Blue Room where there is normally pretty pleasant music but the lads had just gone on a break and we chose not to wait the half hour or so for them to return. Not real impressed with the casual entertainment around the ship – there are a couple of ladies performing in the Atrium and the Endeavour Hotel Lounges – both loud and screechers – not pleasant listening.
Back to the
Bat Cave and bit more reading (those Kindles get a work out on our cruises) and bed by 10.30pm.
Monday 25 September 2023 – Noumea Woke around 6 am – light outside and a little overcast. Missed my first sunrise at sea. But I did get a rainbow. Just a little bit showery to start the morning walk. Had to use the upper deck as they have closed Deck 7 Promenade due to high winds. Not sure why – the open deck was OK but I do prefer the Promenade as it is covered all the way. Managed an hour of walking and got my 10,000 steps before breakfast.
Seas have abated considerably overnight and the wind has lessened as well. The ship was recording 65km winds yesterday. The bumping and thumping of the waves has also reduced and it is a lot more comfortable.
Someone still snoozing (7:30am) – enjoying the relaxation.
We do not arrive in Noumea until 2pm this afternoon and are due to leave around 8pm – so only a short visit.
Frustrating morning waiting to get bus shuttle tickets for Noumea and tender tickets for Lifou Island on Tuesday.
In Noumea, the ship is too big to dock at the “tourist” wharf so has to go alongside in the industrial dock area and instead of just walking ashore, we have to take bus from the ship to a drop off point in the town – therefore numbered bus ticket required to establish the order you get off.
Similarly, at Lifou, the ship is too big to go alongside and tender service is required to the small pier on the island.
Problem was, they had just one person handing out the tickets and the line to get to the person snaked all around Deck 7 – took about half an hour standing in line to get the tickets.
Finally arrived in Noumea on time at 2pm and then had to wait an hour before our bus tickets were called. Arrived 2pm, leaving at 8pm.
As it turned out, the time factor was not an issue. We were getting off the bus in town at about 3:30pm and by that time, a lot of people were lined up to return to the ship having only spent about an hour ashore !! And they were right.
Noumea
reminded Roz and I very much of Port Moresby- run down, graffiti everywhere, vacant shops and most of those that were operating businesses closed for the day ! To top it off, we could not even find a coffee shop open, let alone a patisserie or boulangerie (after all it is a French colony). Very disappointing.
Roz went into a perfumery to check prices (not as good as on the ship). I asked the young ladies where we could find a good coffee shop and what I perceive to be a typical French confabulation ensued. There were three ladies, all of whom were doing much hand waving, pointing in different directions and firing very rapid French at each other. This went on for about 3 minutes and finally, one said (in English) “go to the next corner, turn left and then a coffee shop will be next to the pharmacy at the next intersection” – about 200 metres away.
It was closed !!!!!
We persevered and walked for about an hour around the closed up city centre, succumbed to boredom and returned to the ship for a welcome 5 o’clock wine o’clock back on board in one
of the bars. Will not be making Noumea a priority in future.
Dinner in Waterfront restaurant and then on to the evening’s show in the Marquee Theatre. The title for the show was the
7 Sins – and it was very good !!
The principal singers were excellent – two ladies and two men with their range and power. The dancer’s routines and athleticism were great, particularly one young lady who had a couple of solo cameos.
The full height, full width digital screen behind the stage was amazing in its clarity and colour. Very much enjoyed the show and its presentation.
Back to the Pit in bed by 10pm. Got caught up in the Avatar movie……
John – 18,789 steps today.
Tuesday 26 September 2023 – Lifou Island Up at 6am and on deck for my morning walk. Managed 10,000 steps before breakfast….again !!
Much calmer sailing overnight and bright sunshine to greet the day. Breakfast at 8:30am with Roz.
Tendered ashore at 10:45am – bit choppy on the way in and cool breeze blowing but the breeze abated as soon as ashore. New pier in place – concrete and
stainless steel instead of the old wooden one nearby.
More buildings have been constructed to provide a snack venue, toilets and showers. Market in a Haus Wind with fairly basic offerings – but appearing to be doing good trade.
Chose to do the
Church to Church walk with Roz. There is a small church on the headland as you sail in – Notre Dame de Lourdes – and another larger one in the opposite direction – L’eglise d’Easo – both built in the late 1800s by the Catholic Church. The walk from the landing place, to the churches and back is about 5km.
Last time we were here (probably 5-7 years ago), there were no entry fees but Old Mate doesn’t miss a trick and has set himself up at the bottom of the track up to the headland church sign with a money box and a hand made - “Thank you for your Generosity” - $2 per person.
I have little doubt he has got the jealously guarded local franchise on doorstep sitting and charging the mug tourists for the privilege !! Almost everyone walks up there and decides to pay up, having walked the
distance to the headland. Good little money spinner.
Having taken the daily constitutional, nothing much else on the island to see – some people were swimming in the remarkably clear blue water – we took the tender and were back in time for lunch at 1:30pm.
Restful afternoon in preparation for a specialty dinner in Luke Mangan’s Bar and Grill restaurant.
Dinner at 6:30pm in Luke’s Bar & Grille was excellent. The service by David (Philippines) and Kusan (Sri Lanka) could not have been better – so much so, we have booked again for Thursday night. It is an a-la-carte restaurant with the menu priced for each item. The prices were not over the top, being reasonably to what you would expect in a good suburban restaurant. But service was the outstanding feature to make the dining so much more pleasurable.
Roz and I shared a
Barramundi for Two dish with some sides. The size of the portion was unexpected but we managed and enjoyed every bit of it. The final chapter of the enjoyment was sharing a
Liquorice Parfait, which we have had before when this restaurant used to be
Luke Managan’s Salt on previous
ships. It is delicious !!! (and will be had again on Thursday night – yummmm) !!
Dinner was encouraged to be a leisurely affair and so it was, not rising until after 8:30pm. We then headed to the
Blue Room where we knew some good, alternate bands often played. The
Blue Room is a feature on all of the P&O ships. We were not disappointed and sat for a good 45 minutes listening to a lady singer and male guitar player known as the
D.O.S. Duo playing some very pleasant music. We think they may be a South American or Spanish couple, and they are very entertaining. We see they are on in the
Blue Room again tomorrow night.
Headed for the barn and in bed by 10:30pm.
John – 20,411 steps today
Wednesday 27 September 2023 – Port Vila The galloping around must have tired me out because I did not even wake until 7am !!! Unheard of for me. Too late to get out on deck and go walking due to the bright sunshine and the effect that has on my skin – so just rose and went for a quiet coffee and
a read of the news in the Pantry.
A relatively bright and shining day ahead with temperatures in the mid 20s. Humidity is certainly up.
Despite the size of the ship (109,000 tonnes), it was able to dock alongside a wharf, making exiting the ship much easier. We were able to walk from the dock area to the taxi stands – about 100 metres.
Unhurried breakfast and we were off the ship at 10am and took a road taxi into Port Vila township – standard fare is AUD $5 per person whether you take a road taxi or a water taxi.
The city suffered two severe cyclones last year but there is not a great deal of evidence of the damage around Port Vila itself. We asked locals about it and they said affair amount of damage had happened but had been repaired.
What was evident since our last visit was the number of closed businesses in the main street. I would estimate 25% of the shops were permanently closed, compared to last time. The passage of time has deteriorated the infrastructure as well – pot holed roads, broken footpaths, broken railings, repaints required. All
a bit depressing.
Visited the daily marketplace with a great array of vegetable produce on display – very colourful and busy. Lots of utilities and vans in the streets – quite a traffic jam, at times.
Basically did the end to end walk of the two main streets to see the sights, ending up at the well known Fung Kuei Duty Free shop, a distinctive yellow painted shop at one end of the shopping strip. Prices excellent, as usual - 1 litre of Tanqueray Gin – AUD$76 in Australia – AUD $24 here ! They package it and deliver it to the ship, which we pick up before arrival in Australia.
Looked for our favourite (been here 3 times before) lunch restaurant – the Seaview – but, alas, it appears to been one of the victims of time and was closed other than a fast food outlet downstairs.
Being after 1pm, we decided to retreat to the ship to have a late lunch, taking a water taxi back to the ship. Exciting in that the outboard motor quit no sooner had we pushed off – but the trusty boat captain coaxed it back to life and
got us there with no further delays. Passed a light French Frigate “Valeur” in harbour as well. Back on board and late lunch at 2pm.
Just about to depart Port Vila and head toward home. We have two sea days ahead of us and arrive back in Brisbane at 6am on Saturday morning.
Quiet dinner in the buffet last night away from the dining crowds. Good range of choices.
Followed up with a visit to the Blue Room again to see D.O.S. Duo who we found out to be from Columbia. Very good. Retired to the cabin for reading and lights out at 10pm.
John – as I did not do my morning walk yesterday, only managed 8,933 steps today.
Thursday 28 September 2023 – At Sea Woke at 5:45am and on the track by 6am. A bright day with a bit of cloud but warm and sunny. Even managed an early dawn photo but not quite a sunrise. Might do better tomorrow when we lose an hour coming back toward Australia. 10,000 steps in the bank before breakfast.
Morning trivia was called “Tri Bond” – three items and you had to guess
what connected the items - e.g. False Teeth, Bats, Stars…. They all come out at night !! Something nothing but its fun to see and hear it unfold.
The 80 strong
Brisbane Regional Youth Orchestra is onboard and has been giving concerts in each of the ports we have visited. Along with P&O, the orchestra has also donated musical instruments to bands in those ports as well. They played a concert in the Marquee Theatre at 1:30pm. The theatre was full and the concert of classical music was well received.
Dinner back in the a-la-carte
Luke’s Bar and Grille where we were well looked after by Daivid and Kusan again. Steak and a hit on the shared liquorice parfait on the menu for us.
After dinner entertainment galore this evening. It is a Gatsby themed evening and some of the outfits are fantastic - others not so much fantastic as “what were you thinking when you walked out of the cabin dressed in that !!??”.
Visit to the
Blue Room first to watch
D.O.S Duo again – cannot get enough of this pair. Very talented and entertaining.
Next was the production show in the Marquee
Theatre –
Musicology - and what a production !! Absolute high energy dancing, non stop music and colour from start to finish. Along with the digital background effects, the resident band, singers and dancers, this was quite up there in terms of the best shows we have seen at sea. Fantastic !!
And just as we thought we had had enough, on our way back to the cabin, we went through the
on the dance floor. You could feel the atmosphere (and the noise) just pounding out the music. We lasted about half an hour (watching, not dancing) before the eardrums gave up the challenge and it was time to head for the barn.
Late to bed on smooth seas at 11pm – a really good night out.
John – lazy day walking – only 15,432 – but not too bad for a sea day.
Friday 29 September 2023 – At Sea Up at 5:45am and on the walking track by 6am. The further West we are sailing, the later the sun rises so I was able to record my first sunrise of the cruise – and it was a cracker on
a clear blue horizon and sky. Just great to be at sea and watching sunrises like this.
This is our last sailing day and we will arrive back in Brisbane at 6am tomorrow morning. The week has gone quickly but it has been a restful trip with lots of reading and walking. The ports have provided a leg stretch but have not excited our viewing. I guess if we did the trip again, we would make the effort to extend and do some shore tours. This is our 4
th on this itinerary, on different ships over the past 10 years and the ports are very reminiscent of our time in Port Moresby years ago.
Have been pleasantly surprised by the state of Pacific Encounter. I was expecting an older ship looking its age. It is over 20 years old (built 2002) and as a Grand Class Princess ship – Star Princess – and being taken over by P&O in 2021. However, P&O have done a good job refurbishing particularly the public spaces with fresh and clean décor. Maintenance appears generally being kept up to date with surfaces painted and repaired, where necessary, recarpeted and newer furnishings. Cabins are
probably the least refurbished – our balcony is a bog standard Princess cabin – but it is in good, clean condition. Our Cabin Stewards, Edgardo and Vina have done a great job looking after us.
Most of the day spent packing the bags, lunch, an afternoon trivia and a pre dinner drink in Lilley's Bar on Deck 5.
Dinner in
Angelo's Italian restaurant - went well for me but Roz had a fish dish which (later in the evening) did not sit well with her. Not wellering in the middle of the night.
Post dinner to the
Blue Room for our last session of D.O.S. Duo and then back to the cabin for the final clean up and bed by 10pm.
John - 14,614 steps.
Saturday 30 September 2023 - Brisbane Arrived slightly ahead of time at about 5:30am, light breakfast and off the ship by 7am. The departure was a bit of a shemozzle with many of us walking off the ship with luggage but no control over crowd movement from P&O. Corridors crowded, tempers rising and noisy complaints through the hallways. To add to that, a toilet smell pervaded but I am
not sure that it was not the wafting from perfumed Luggage Point nearby. You could still smell the sewerage outside the ship.
Quick Border Control check at the exit and back to our car and home by 8am.
Another cruise done and dusted !!!!!
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Naomi
non-member comment
I like this one, Roz relaxing.
What does Roz eat?