Cruising the South Pacific!

We have not done a cruise before and to be totally honest, we have been a bit against it, however based upon the many positive reviews we kept hearing about it from a number of friends we decided to try at least one. After some research between the different companies and boats, we decided to go on a 8 Night South Pacific Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas which would include stops at Nouméa, Mystery Island and Port Vila.

In the months leading up to the cruise we initially didn’t think we would be travelling to Nouméa based upon the riots and violence that had flared up in the capital. However, things got back to normal by the time we were getting to travel, and then a 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit Port Vila, causing damage to buildings and it was decided that it wouldn’t be right to visit during the circumstances (I know about being around natural disaster areas). So the itinerary was changed and instead we were given more time in Nouméa and an extra day on Mystery Island.

Our day arrived and after spending a night with family in Sydney we were initially going to catch the train to Circular Quay, however due to train strikes we were lucky to be able to get a ride into town. Once there, we handed in our luggage and then went through immigration and we were finally on the ship. We had chosen an early board time, that way we were able to take advantage of what the ship offered without all the people onboard. 

We started by having lunch at the Windjammer which offered a buffet filled where we could all choose between a range of different meals and finish with some nice desserts. After that we took the opportunity to get a free ride on the North Star, a glass observation capsule, that lifted us high above the ship and offered amazing 360-degree views of the harbour and ocean.

Not long after we were able to check into our room, a balcony room that gave us amazing views over the Sydney Opera house and Circular Quay and would be great during the cruise. When the time came to sail out of the harbour, we made sure to be on the top deck, where we had great views of Sydney Harbour, with some dark clouds gathering around the city. That night we had an amazing light show as we went through a storm with lighting across the sky.

That first night, and for a few of the other nights, we dined at the main Dining Room which provided a great 3-course menu every night. After our first night we were also upgraded to a table next to the windows and the service was great, with waitstaff remembering our preferences as we returned for our dinners.

On our first sea day, it was raining all day however there was plenty of activities to keep us all entertained, including origami sessions, numerous trivia games and a range of different pools and spas making the days go by quickly. We ended most nights by attending the shows on offer which were everything from stand up comedy to magic shows to theatre shows. We also participated in a silent disco which was great fun!

We also managed to try out a free session of the iFly skydiving experience (Xander and Eloise also had an extra one that was part of their Christmas presents), climbed the Rock climbing walls where Eloise conquered every single one of them. Xander and Eloise also lined up for a long time to try the bumper cars where they had great fun colliding which each other.  

We eventually made it to Nouméa where we had a good day followed by another great day on Mystery Island. On the way back to Sydney, we now had three sea days instead of two as our second day at Mystery Island was cancelled due to a medical emergency and we had to return to Nouméa to drop off a passenger. 

Still, we made the best of our sea days, one of our favourite things was the progressive trivia, where our score was brought forward along the five different days the trivia was held. In the end, we finished in 7th place which we thought was very respectful considering that most other teams were 5-6 members (and most of them adults). 

On one of our final nights, we also tried the Bionic Bar, where you place your order on a tablet and robotic bartenders mix and shake the cocktails which was lots of fun to see.

On our last night, we had planned to get up early to watch as we sailed back into the Sydney harbour, and we had been told that we would be arriving at 6.00am, however we woke up at 04.00am and there was still nothing to see, next when we woke at 06.00 we were already in the harbour, oh well, I guess that since we had the extra day at sea, we were a bit early. 

Anyway, we had a last buffet breakfast before we grabbed our luggage and made our way back onto land, finishing our cruise. 

So, what did we think of the cruise, considering that we had been sort of against them to start with? Well, we had lots of fun, the ship really did offer us a lot, there was great food (and lots of it), there were fun activities and shows and it was a great time to just kick back and relax. However, the best part of the cruise was still the times when we got to get off the ship. I guess that we are more about the destination than the journey itself. Would we do this again, well not this cruise but happy to try one in Europe or the Caribbean where there are more port calls.