What to see on the Pacific Islands – New Caledonia, Vanuatu – P&O cruise

If you are thinking about visiting the islands of New Caledonia and Vanuatu, we definitely recommend a cruise. The Pacific Islands’s a perfect place for those who’re looking for rest and peace. A beautiful, powerful ship will take you to the wonderful beaches with an amazing coral reef. After reading this post you will find what to see on the Pacific islands, what to take on the cruise, what not to take on the cruise. You’ll also find an itinerary plan for Noumea, Lifou, Port Vila, Mystery Island, Isle of Pines on your own without buying expensive trips.

1. Add all described spots here as “your places” in Google maps. You can easily save them to your account by clicking follow.
2. Find cheap tickets for pocruises.com.au or cruisesalefinder.com.au. During Australian winter and closer to the date of departure, prices should be lower. We managed to find a ticket for $650 for 10 days.
3. Pack yourself and go.

Why Cruise?!

– You do not have to worry about accommodation and food. Meal 3 times a day.
– You do not have to check the map every 10 minutes. The ship still follows it’s course.
– You do not have to worry about tidying your room. The service cleans it twice a day.
– The only worry is choosing a restaurant for a dinner.
– A lot of entertainments for every day included in the price of the ticket.
– A wonderful ocean and an unforgettable “Titanic’s feeling” of wind in your hair.

Why not Cruise?!

– 70% of the ship is the age group +60, but it did not bother us.
– If you like to plan, unfortunately, you can not prove yourself here. The day schedule is planned by the P&O team.
– Alcohol beverages are not included in the ticket price.

Day 1 – Departure from Sydney

• Pass the immigration at Circular Quay, Cruise Terminal.
• A trial evacuation on board – everyone must participate. About 30 minutes.
• Lunch in the restaurant/buffet.
• Dinners must be booked in advance, so reserve table for 2 consecutive days at the restaurant. The exception is the buffet.
• A quick walk around the ship.
• A sunset with the view of outlying Sydney. Obviously, on the last floor of the ship!

Day 2/3 – at sea

• The sunrise from a ship in the middle of the sea. Looks stunning!
• We started the day with morning yoga session. You do not have to sign up, just go.
• On the ship, you will find a lot of interesting activities from the spa to the theatre. There is a lot to choose from! We chose a yoga class, a gym, live music, a theatre, dance lessons and a cinema. Remember your time, your relax you can always choose a pool, massage, book, casino or wine with a beautiful view.

Day 4 – Noumea, New Caledonia

• 7:00 Brekkie on the boat
• 8:00 Leaving the ship on a cruise terminal. First of all buy a ticket for the hop on hop off bus, including the water taxi to Duck Island. After leaving the ship there are several tourist booths. ($30 per person)
• 9:00 Get off at Lemon Bay’s stop (Baie des Citrons). There is the water taxi’s stop.
• 9:30 Don’t need to pay more for snorkelling on the island, but renting a sunbed costs $15.
• 11:00 We came back to the ship to eat a lunch.
• 14:00 We jumped again on hop off and hop a bus and visited Lemons Bay and Anse Vata.
• 16:00 The last bus to ship.

Day 5 – Lifou, New Caledonia

• 7:00 Brekkie on the ship.
• 8:00 Ship’s tenders will take you to the island.
• 9:00 We visited the Lue Jajinyi grotto with the guide dog. You can swim there, but it’s a little bit of chilly water. ($10 per person).
• 10:00 See the Notre Dame de Lourdes church on the hill.
• 11:00 Diving at Jinek Bay. ($15 per person)
• 13:00 Return to the ship before the end of lunch.

Day 6 – Port Vila, Vanuatu

• 7:00 Breakfast on the boat
• 8:00 Catch a taxi to the centre for $5 with We got along with the driver to take us to Hideaway Island for the next $10.
• 09:00 A water taxi to the Hideaway Island is free, although entry to the island costs $15 per person. Be sure to dive and see the coral reef.
• 11:30 We got to the Evergreen Cascades Waterfall waterfall on foot. It’s a 20-min walk. (Entrance $25)
• 13:00 Find a taxi driver who will take you to a place where you can try a traditional kava – a kind of intoxicating drink. After a mug your lips are numb and worries leave. We loved this feeling! (Price $1.5 per cup)
• 15:00 Return to the ship.

Tips:

• If you are a larger group, or you can spend more money on a taxi then visit the Blue Lagoon. About an hour from the terminal. The price should be around $80 per taxi course.
• Taxi drivers are very tight and intrusive. It’s worth joining someone to lower the price.
• In the duty-free shop “Fung Kuei Duty-Free” you can buy very cheap alcohol. The bottles are picked up in the store are delivered to the ship and confiscated. Alcohol can be picked up on the last day of cruise.

Day 7 – Mystery Island, Vanuatu – It’s still the mystery for us! Due to the storm, we have not been able to get there.

Day 8 – Island of Pines, New Caledonia

• The gorgeous, divine island, so far the most beautiful that we have been to.
• Lying on the beach, snorkelling. On the right side of the magical island “ROCHER DE KAA NUE MERA”, the reef seems more abundant. Unfortunately, most of the reef has bleached out and died, but you can still find lots of colourful fish.
• 17:00 Return the last tender to the ship.

Day 9/10 – Return to Sydney

Tips:

• We had a cabin marked as “obstructed view”. In practice, we had our room on the 6th floor where
  is an observation deck around the ship and everyone can look into the window. It did not bother us as we had a curtain through which nothing could be seen and the price was halved.
• It’s a good option to book all dinners on the first day of the cruise (4 restaurants to choose from).
• Invest in your private snorkelling set. We bought a snorkel and fins in Sydney.
• Do not buy trips on the ship – triple prices.
• It’s worth taking an evening outfit, even two.
• Take something warm on the ship, evenings can be windy.
• Do not take any equipment on board that can cause a fire, eg. iron, dryer.
• Do not take any alcohol beverages, they will be confiscated before boarding.
• Having a drone on the ship is forbidden, but our Mavic survived without confiscation.