Semi Live Ovation 16th Nov b2b Our Trip to a Land Down Under

[kernow]

The 80s night was fab, a packed dance floor for the whole hour, we were up for most of it. Once again the crowd covered all ages, from a family with a toddler to people in their 70s, lovely to see so many people having fun on this cruise.

 

When we got back to the cabin someone was waiting for us😆

[kernow]

It's 12 noon and we are currently cruising through the Havannah Boulari Passage.The pilot came onboard about an hour ago. This is our consolation prize for missing Mystery Island and I think it's not a bad one, especially for us from the other side of the world who will probably never get the chance to see it again.

[kernow]

No problem getting a sunbed on an Australian cruise, it's 10.30 am, 29 degrees C and the Solarium and indoor pool are packed.

[kernow]

My 24 hour Internet is coming to an end shortly. Will try to find some tomorrow ashore but if not will be back on Thursday😃.

[resordanis]

33 minutes ago, kernow said:

My 24 hour Internet is coming to an end shortly. Will try to find some tomorrow ashore but if not will be back on Thursday😃.

Free internet at the cruise terminal in Noumea. This is where the bus  will drop you off.

[BecAus]

20 hours ago, kernow said:

I've just had an email from RCL cancelling our Tauranga tour next week, says due to a change in plans!

 

Yes, I received an email yesterday from RCI that our excursion was cancelled, I was kinda expecting it as I couldn't see it on Royal's website anymore for a while now. It was the Blue Baths, Tea & Rotorua Thermal Tour.  There's not many options on RCI website for Tauranga.

I don't think they plan on missing Tauranga (although anything can happen of course)

From what I read on one of the private operators websites Tauranga in particular has been hit with a lot of changes / closures to tour stops / operators during covid.

 

I've been looking at other options.  I'm one who likes to have something locked in, I'm not a big 'just wing it' type of person. It causes me angst not to have it organised. My husband hates it!

I'm looking at a 6.5hr Local Tasting Tour that includes lunch and afternoon dessert / cocktail that I'm leaning towards. 

There's also a 3hr Sundowner History Tour including a beer or wine at 2.30pm which would probably work okay with our 7.45pm expected departure but I'm leaning towards the lunch one.

 

I read on another thread (the CC Aus/NZ board I think) that Tauranga in particular was a port that had lots of tour options available at the port on arrival.  That info is probably pre-covid though.

[BecAus]

"No production shows" - does this mean they didn't show Pixels Cabaret in Two70?

Thanks 🙂

[BecAus]

I was going to ask - when you caught the water taxi in Vila into town was there still a lot of wrecked boats along the shore lines on the way across.

We did the water taxi into town in January 2018 from Voyager and there was so many wrecked / abandoned boats, apparently from a cyclone 2 or 3 years before?

[kernow]

21 hours ago, BecAus said:

I was going to ask - when you caught the water taxi in Vila into town was there still a lot of wrecked boats along the shore lines on the way across.

We did the water taxi into town in January 2018 from Voyager and there was so many wrecked / abandoned boats, apparently from a cyclone 2 or 3 years before?

Yes, it was the same Blue Baths tour that we had cancelled. Think we will just wait until we get there and see what we like the look of.

 

We saw Pixels a few days ago, that seems to be the only show at the moment.

Lots of people are moaning about the shows, there is supposed to be one tonight that was not mentioned on the original sheet, 'The Groove Line'. Not sure what it is but we will probably go.

 

There were still a few wrecked boats in Vanuatu but someone said not as many as last time they were there.

[kernow]

Yesterday afternoon we had yet another medical emergency so we came in close to Noumea and a boat came to tender the patient ashore. Then we headed back out to sea to circle around until we docked this morning. The weather was very hot and the seas are beautiful around here.


The England match was re run on the TV in the cabin so Mark watched that before we went to the lounge for pre dinner drinks. Not much going on again, nothing in the theatre and another showing of Pixels in 270. The theme for the night was tropical so we thought they may have had a deck party but they didn't🥱.

[kernow]

Our waitress is back but now our assistant waiter is ill! Dinner was very nice again, the food has been consistently good all around the ship.

[kernow]

I lost my mum back in June. She loved cruising too, her cruise drink was always a Bellini so this one was for her.
Cheers Mum🥂.

[BecAus]

Sorry for your loss 😢

[kernow]

Today we are docked in Noumea. They bus you to the terminal building about 5 minutes from the dock. There are various tours/ hop on/off options offered there. We have taken a bus which cost 15 AU dollars pp, think there are about 5 stops. We are currently sitting in a bar/ restaurant at Anse Vata Bay. It is beautiful here.

[kernow]

Map of Noumea.

[Cruisegroover]

On 11/21/2022 at 2:39 PM, kernow said:

More pics from our day.

Thanks for your review. I have friends and rellies on your cruise and have heard nothing from them so they will wonder how I will know what's going on. 

 

I got off Ovation the day you got on but my cruise was the Super Music Charter so all activities were run by the charter company. It was a fantastic cruise. We too missed Mystery Is though just in the last couple of days another cruise company got there.

 

Where was the picture of the pool taken in Vila? I love going to Vila for a land based holiday and certainly like the location of that pool.

[kaseyoz]

On 11/22/2022 at 12:43 PM, kernow said:

No problem getting a sunbed on an Australian cruise, it's 10.30 am, 29 degrees C and the Solarium and indoor pool are packed.

If there are a lot of schoolies on board, they probably haven't got up yet .😜😀

[kernow]

On 11/23/2022 at 2:00 PM, Cruisegroover said:

Thanks for your review. I have friends and rellies on your cruise and have heard nothing from them so they will wonder how I will know what's going on. 

 

I got off Ovation the day you got on but my cruise was the Super Music Charter so all activities were run by the charter company. It was a fantastic cruise. We too missed Mystery Is though just in the last couple of days another cruise company got there.

 

Where was the picture of the pool taken in Vila? I love going to Vila for a land based holiday and certainly like the location of that pool.

The pool was at Chantilly's on the Bay, it was a really nice place.

 

Wish we were close enough to go to these islands for a beach holiday, we loved them.

[kernow]

We really enjoyed our day in Noumea, it felt like quite an upmarket place, a bit like a tropical South of France. A real contrast to Vila but we'd love to return to either.

[kernow]

If we returned to Noumea we'd love to go over to Duck Island. Royal had a trip there but it looked very easy and much cheaper to do it yourself. The water taxi left from Anse Vata beach.

[kernow]

Last night we went into the lounge as usual and noticed that Haffnar was now wearing a mask. He told us staff have been told to put them on again.

We went to see the show, it was just OK but at least they had something on. Tonight is the second formal night and once again no show.
A word about the dress code on this ship, it has been super casual. The other night the theme was Tropical and it even listed shorts as part of the suggested attire. For the first time ever Mark wore shorts (nice tailored ones) to dinner in the MDR.

 

We're just having a lazy sea day today, currently around 23 degrees so sitting on the balcony with a beer enjoying the sunshine as it looks like colder weather next week.

[aussielozzie18]

Your photos are so lovely.  Pleased you are enjoying the ports so much.  Can you tell me the name of this dessert.  Looks scrumptious.

 

 

[kernow]

7 minutes ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Your photos are so lovely.  Pleased you are enjoying the ports so much.  Can you tell me the name of this dessert.  Looks scrumptious.

 

 

It was an ice cream sundae, can't remember the exact name. It was chocolate and mint chocolate chip ice creams, hot fudge sauce and whipped cream. Delicious but Mark had to help me finish it! At this point in the holiday I've eaten so much I can never finish anything,  Not sure how I'll manage next week😂.

[kernow]

This morning I woke up feeling a bit unwell, did a covid test and unfortunately it was positive, Mark is negative at the moment. 

 

I've been down to Medical, it was fairly chaotic down there with a lot of other positive people.

 

Now back up in the cabin where I have to isolate for 7 days if we want to stay onboard. Mark is free to come and go as he pleases while he is negative. Just had a call from the guest service manager saying that they are disembarking all positive b2b tomorrow but they could try to get an exemption for us as international guests. Mark has gone down to talk to him to see what our options are. 

 

Not really sure what we are going to do at this moment.

[aussielozzie18]

Oh, I am so sorry to read this.  I hope you symptoms are mild and your husband remains negative..  
I see from your other post you are planning to disembark tomorrow and isolate in Sydney.  All the best.

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by aussielozzie18