Vacation: Pacific Jewel - Discover Vanuatu Cruise

About time I review the cruise I went on. My dear friend Bec had a last minute extra place and I was lucky enough to go. Free of charge :) However, that will not make me review bias at all. 

About the cruise:
It was a 10 day cruise stopping for 2 days on the islands of New Caledonia and 2 days on the islands of Vanuatua. We docked at Noumea, Mare, Port Villa and Champagne Bay. The rest of the days were spent on-board, cruising on the high seas. The cruise days were filled with activity and theme nights like formal nights, country western and island night. There were also many seminars and activities during the day such as trivia, health talks, aerobics, drink classes and more. Every night there were also shows in the Marquee, brought to us by the Pacific Cirque and Entertainers. Food was included at participating restaurants while others were available at extra charges.

Review-Boat:
I must say I am more of a land girl, I do love the open waters, but spending 6 days cooped up on a boat with not much to do and constant swaying and turbulence did do my head in. I also missed the sunlight, with our room being in the centre of the deck and therefore lacking windows.

The daily activities were more targeted at adults and children, with many under 18yo events, leaving not much to do for us. I did, however, utilise the gym everyday which killed about 2 hours and put me in a good mood. I also LOVED the nightly performances by the circus and entertainers, they were amazingly talented and mesmerising to watch. There were also other special guest shows by magicians and comedians that really made our bellies hurt with laughter. There was also clubbing/dancing in The Dome every night, but it was disappointing, with small crowds and unspectacular DJ skills.

Now moving along to the most important thing, the food lol. I must say I much preferred the Plantation Restaurant Buffet, compared to the a la carte Waterfront Restaurant, as I was able to pick and choose foods that I liked, with a much wider variety available. The air in the Waterfront also smelt kind of funky, like poor ventilation and cleaning chemicals, which didn't exactly please my senses. They did have a nice set lunch menu, and changing dinner menu, which meant more chance of getting something I liked. Many of their deserts and sauces contained alcohol, which I wasn't a fan of, but I must say I loved the Lamb Shank and Biryani. There was also the Grilled, which a provided cheap, classy fast food alternative, but isn't included in on-board costs. They made fries, pizza, burgers, kebabs and more, all at a reasonable price. 1kg of bbq chicken wings cost $8.50, while a box of fries cost only $2 and kebabs started from $7.50. All reasonable prices, similar or less than many fast food joints. 

Review-Islands:

I loved the islands, obviously the highlight of the whole trip. I did plenty of souvenir shopping, took many happy snaps and indulged in the cuisine. The towns were definitely more peaceful and natural than Sydney. The people were friendly and beaches lovely. 

Champagne Beach had to be the best with soft white sand, coral near the shore and light blue waters. The tree line ended right at the sand, providing perfect shade and protection from the unexpected tropical storm. Many locals also set up stall for the boat day, selling similar foods, souvenirs, clothing, jewellery and traditional weapons. 

The capitals, Noumea and Port Villa were very similar, with many tourist stores, markets and fresh food on sale. Mare was also a lovely place, the sand was rough, I believe due the many sea shells, that weren't fully eroded, there were again many food stalls but no goods stalls. I would definitely love to go back to the Islands and explore other towns and islands, but next time I will most likely fly, as for me, the destinations were the highlight and the journey too long. 

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