World cruise 2025 number 2!!

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by 77T

Beautiful photos!

Pitcairn Islanders are wise in preserving their rock in the big South Pacific. It's been slightly altered over the years.

Pitcairn Island likely emerged from the sea ~ 1,500 years ago, although the timing is difficult to pinpoint.

The first Polynesians arrived around the 10th century and left behind artifacts that could be carbon-dated to be several centuries before European contact.

HMS Endeavour came across it first. But 1789 put Pitcairn into memorable importance due to the mutiny on the Bounty.

In 1838, Pitcairn Island was formally annexed by the British Empire and its residents given citizenship whether they wanted it or not.

Today, Pitcairn Island is known for a declining population as a lasting legacy of the mutineers. I know it was a disappointment to not set foot there but TBF you'd find little to do with its limited resources.


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That rock looks a lot older than 1500 years. The weathering and soil strata visible in the images are much older. Probably closer to a million years. Habitation might be close to 1500 years though.

Looks like a lonely place with nothing to do.

[psifox]

It looks like it would really be fun.

[RichardBartlett]

Papeete Tahiti

First of two Polynesian islands and this reminds me of a New Zealand version of Hawaii but in French. We were advised that this island isn't very interesting so wait for the next island Mo orea just across the bay. (See the canoe picture). So that awaits tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
With that in mind, we just had a walk round the town.
As we arrived to dock, the first thing you notice is the traffic. At 07.30 it was queuing for miles to get into town and it was still gridlocked in town after lunch. I'm not sure how many people live here but it's fairly certain everyone of age drives.

We left the ship at 09.00 but the heat and humidity was already building. Tbh it's not very exciting and I struggled to take pictures of interest..
We returned to the ship at 13.00 and because Dalia has tax declaration work online to do we'll stay onboard..


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[Moondoggy]

Thanks Richard really look forward to your updates.

[RichardBartlett]

Mo'orea island Tahiti

We tendered as they don't have a suitable pier or if they do the ferry service use it all day every day. Again like Pitcairn island it's a positive not a negative imho.
We arrived early at 07.30 and hence they got the lifeboats out early and started calling the tender ticket numbers at 08.05. this took a lot of those with these tickets unprepared so by our number was called 3 weeks had ours plus some 1&2's.
I'm surprised people are still late especially as we have done this a few times already..(arrived early tender early) only once we're we delayed and that was chillian customs mucking around.

Once ashore the excursion bartering starts. I always favour women to do this as from my observations men negotiate, women barter.
Plus women actually get offended if they don't get the discount they feel they somehow deserve so fight every cent down.
So I stand back and let Dalia/them come back with a "let's go" and so we went.
Jumping into a small 23 passengers craft we set off in search of, stingray, blacktip sharks and turtles. Of which we found plenty. My next purchase is a see through waterproof case for my mobile as it was really rather good spotting. And yes the sea really is that blue!

After that we were dropped off at a small beach. On which we did the usual beach stuff. IE snorkeled, drank beer and we got horribly burnt!
We live on a warm/hot tourist island (Tenerife) but like many expats we generally avoid the sun hence we are "white blue" colouring and totally unsuited to the extremely fierce sun this area gets all day every day..

A fun day out none the less.

Cook island Ratatonga next after a day at sea..

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[Moondoggy]

Love that water!

[Oscarpapa]

I go regularly to Caleta de Fuse in Fuerteventura and find the climate there ideal for my Ulster/British make up(I hate humidity), in my ignorance I thought the Tahiti region would be similar haha. Great photos.

[77T]

The more recent stop is reminiscent of my days growing up in Miami and trips to the Keys. Especially this photo:


Memories beckon of days spent in Gin-clear water and under Australian pines gracing the shoreline.

They whisper so lovingly in soft breezes and afford welcoming shade to the sun-baked swimmer wanting a rest or a siesta.

After Rarotonga does the voyage include Fiji?
I couldn't tell from the map in your opening post.

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[GB-man]

Gorgeous. Makes me want to board a world cruise! The party never ends.

[RichardBartlett]

Originally Posted by Oscarpapa

I go regularly to Caleta de Fuse in Fuerteventura and find the climate there ideal for my Ulster/British make up(I hate humidity), in my ignorance I thought the Tahiti region would be similar haha. Great photos.

It's fierce here. We never usually go out in the sun
Especially me as I had a cancer scare and my specialist told me under no circumstances get sunburnt. So I'm in real trouble if she finds out I'm like a lobster! I also have a touch of heatstroke so currently in bed resting.. heyho

I went to Fuert back in 2007 it was quite quiet then but I know it's been built up a lot since then . I choose the canaries to live then retire mainly for the climate. I don't regret it for a moment

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[RichardBartlett]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Gorgeous. Makes me want to board a world cruise! The party never ends.

We're not even half way yet!

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[RichardBartlett]

Originally Posted by 77T

The more recent stop is reminiscent of my days growing up in Miami and trips to the Keys. Especially this photo:


Memories beckon of days spent in Gin-clear water and under Australian pines gracing the shoreline.

They whisper so lovingly in soft breezes and afford welcoming shade to the sun-baked swimmer wanting a rest or a siesta.

After Rarotonga does the voyage include Fiji?
I couldn't tell from the map in your opening post.

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I've just checked we do indeed


Costa Deliziosa Live Webcam & Current Position | Costa Cruises EU https://search.app/e1dWCA6w8NkCvP9m9


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[Oscarpapa]

Yes, you are right about Fuerteventura. We were first there in the early 2000's and have seen it develop and grow year by year.

I'm a golfer(aspiring!) and have been to Tenerife several times with the Golf Club guys for golfing holidays mainly in the Golf del Sur area and like you have an issue with a sun damaged scalp(follicularly challenged) so am required to wear a hat in the sun.

Yes you made the right decision to retire to the Canaries and you seem to be living your best life out there.

Am enjoying following your cruise travels and the great photos you post. Thanks

[RichardBartlett]

Rarotonga Cook islands.

More sun more burning. Even though I covered up I still burnt. We had intended to just pop onto the island due to my burn pain but a passenger friend asked if we'd like to go to the "best beach" so stupidly I said yes.
(But I've got 3 days and lots of paracetamol to get ready for the next island..)

Cook island is very much a New Zealand holiday resort but tbh it's no better or no worse than all the other islands . Bit like the Carribbean, all different but all very much of a muchness.

Nothing bad but nothing very exciting.

So a day at the beach and tbh it looks better in the pictures than real life. The coral was sharp and sand not Clearwater beach fine

The one good thing was the water was slightly cooler than expected which c/w the salt had a soothing effect on the burn. Or was that the paracetamol I'd taken?? Who knows.


The tendering was delayed over 1.5 hours due to choppy seas.. it was really quite dangerous especially for the disabled and very elderly of which we have many as the boat bobs up and down nearly a metre so loading was extremely tricky.
I pity the loaders heaving wheelchair users onto the tender. Worse a few are rather large so humping those bastards on/off is fraught with danger.
It's a moral dilemma as they really should be more considerate to the ship and crew but they insist on going ashore irrespective of the hassle they cause
Worse you can sure fire guarantee that they'd sue the cruise line if they got hurt during the process..
Anyhoo

3 days at sea which means a slow jaunt as it's really only 2 days tops. I assume this is scheduling issues to:


Nuku'alofa Tonga

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[Moondoggy]

Originally Posted by RichardBartlett

Rarotonga Cook islands.

More sun more burning. Even though I covered up I still burnt. We had intended to just pop onto the island due to my burn pain but a passenger friend asked if we'd like to go to the "best beach" so stupidly I said yes.
(But I've got 3 days and lots of paracetamol to get ready for the next island..)

Cook island is very much a New Zealand holiday resort but tbh it's no better or no worse than all the other islands . Bit like the Carribbean, all different but all very much of a muchness.

Nothing bad but nothing very exciting.

So a day at the beach and tbh it looks better in the pictures than real life. The coral was sharp and sand not Clearwater beach fine

The one good thing was the water was slightly cooler than expected which c/w the salt had a soothing effect on the burn. Or was that the paracetamol I'd taken?? Who knows.


The tendering was delayed over 1.5 hours due to choppy seas.. it was really quite dangerous especially for the disabled and very elderly of which we have many as the boat bobs up and down nearly a metre so loading was extremely tricky.
I pity the loaders heaving wheelchair users onto the tender. Worse a few are rather large so humping those bastards on/off is fraught with danger.
It's a moral dilemma as they really should be more considerate to the ship and crew but they insist on going ashore irrespective of the hassle they cause
Worse you can sure fire guarantee that they'd sue the cruise line if they got hurt during the process..
Anyhoo

3 days at sea which means a slow jaunt as it's really only 2 days tops. I assume this is scheduling issues to:


Nuku'alofa Tonga

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I’m going to blast myself but some old people are old because of their brain/mind set.

Look after yourself kids now.

[RichardBartlett]

IDL
International Date Line. Ok so we crossed the IDL on the 4th day which for those who haven't had the pleasure, plays havoc firstly with the time and date but more with your brain. In one brief moment you go in our case from the 4th to the 6th Feb missing the 5th completely. Much to the chagrin of some crew and passengers with their birthdays being on that 5th.
. So you lose a day which being mid ocean isn't a great deal but you go from being 12 hours behind (say UK) to 12 hours ahead. This takes some getting used to if like us have to contact various people in UK and Europe during the holiday. It's weird but apparently it works.

However the huge bonus is that on the itinerary the 5th was a sea day. So guess what? Yep we only had 2 days at sea not three. With that in mind we arrived at Tonga this morning at 07.35.
Due to my serious sunburn we hadn't planned anything apart from staying out the sun and Dalia insisted on a quick walk round and back on the ship. Although I said "I'm fine, we'll go out and maybe get a taxi around " . However her face said 'no chance!'

As luck would have it, at 09.05 literally as we were leaving the cabin l got a phone call from a family who said "we've just rented a car but it's got 7 seats so 2 spare..you coming?"
"Yes" I shouted back, "we're on our way now! Dalia's face was a picture as she had been outmanoeuvred but secretly she was fine with it.

So we left the ship PDQ jumped in and had a fabulous day touring the island.
Tbh it's nothing special but the company made it totally worth it.

They are such lovely people.

Lithuanians have quite a dour offish and long face reputation but it's not totally deserved or true. Most are generally genuinely nice but they are by tradition a very reserved and serious people. However once past that facade they relax and you can't wish to meet nicer folk.
Vainous drove us round as he'd been back in 2019 so simply revisited the sites this time with their other two kids. They put huge effort into their family.

The Tongians (SP?) have a habit of burying their dead roadside close to home so small graveyards with brightly decorated graves litter the island . Slightly unnerving to me but it's their tradition.

The big coral rock is known as the tsunami rock as it's 100m from the coast and the only feasible explanation is it was put there by a tsunami over 1000 years ago..Who knows?

It's not an island I'd rush back to but hopefully on our next stop Fiji we can ride out together again in 2 days time. TBC.

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[77T]

That's an anomaly I'd never considered - IDL "lost day".

Hope Fiji is more interesting than Tonga for the voyagers.

As an aside - my fondness for Fiji was formed solely as a metaphor.

In the old biz days, a longtime planner for business risk mitigation used to ask in meetings, "What if you were hit by a bus tomorrow?" and then ask if we had a mitigation plan for that.

My retort was inevitable... "What if I won the Lottery and ran away to Fiji?"

So I've always thought of the islands as I walked by the square bottles in the grocers.




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