Sun Princess Ports Review (long)

Sun Princess Ports Review (long)
Ports San Francisco: we were late getting in but we jumped on the cable car ($11 all day) rode around, went to the cable car museum then down to Fisherman’s Wharf and had lunch in the Cannery. Great restaurant the Blue Mermaid, had crab chowder, yum. Picked up some wine at Cost Plus and back to the ship. As we both grew up close by here it’s kind of “been there, done that” but it’s still a beautiful place. 4 days at sea! We were afraid we would be so bored with 4 days but it went by very fast. Did a lot of reading, swimming and sunbathing, wasn’t bad at all. Hilo: We had some rain during the day but what the heck! We rented a car and went to Volcano’s National Park, DH had never been there. We rented from Enterprise, they are suppose to pick you up at the pier but we got on the pier before they opened and started their shuttle, so 4 of us got a taxi to the Enterprise office and were first in line! Better than trying to fight for a spot in the shuttle. We drove around the park, saw the highlights, then off to explore the town. Had lunch at a great Italian restaurant, Pescatores I think it was named. Good food. Went to Hilo Hatties then back to the ship. The Big Island is getting too busy!! It’s been about 10 years since I was there and it’s just growing like crazy. Even a Wal-Mart there now!! Maui: My favorite place in the world. We rented a car, which was a fiasco because the rental companies are located far away from where the tender drops you in Lahaina. The car rental co., Enterprise, was in Kaanapali which is quite a ways away. We actually had to fight to get on the pick up van because there were too many people and not enough space. Seems like none of the car rental places have enough shuttle space when the ships come in. After we got our car, we drove up to Napili Bay, did some snorkeling, then did a little shopping at Napili Bay Shopping Center and drove around, fun day but not enough time there. Another place that is growing in highrises! Too bad. Then, another 4 days at sea! (my DH just today told me he wouldn't do another cruise with 4 days at sea, thought it was boring. Oh well, to each his own!) Bora Bora: Beautiful island, loved sailing in, very pretty. We went with our CC group on a swim/snorkel tour. One couple had been there a few times before and knew the guy that gives the tour, Stephan. It was a small aluminum boat, sat about 15 people, not fancy at all. First we went to swim with the sting rays, very fun. Then to another spot to snorkel with sharks! That was cool. They were Gray Black Fin sharks or something like that. Then to the beach for a fruit and juice break, got to see how the natives live, it was kind of like our camping with tents and picnic tables. Then back to the dock. A few of us wanted to see Bloody Mary’s so we got on the little bus and went over. Cute place but drinks were very expensive and not that great, spicy Bloody Mary’s. Papeete: Had a great 4X4 tour with Patrick. First he took us to a patisserie and we purchased whatever we wanted for lunch. It was a roadside deli type place but their pastries and sandwiches were wonderful. So we all got sandwiches and drinks and took them with us. Patrick took us all across the island, stopping at places to tell us about the history, plants, animals, customs, he was a wealth of knowledge about the island. He took us to a great waterfall you had to hike into, kind of like your own private waterfall swim. We had lunch there then off to explore more. It was a great tour. Because it was Sunday we ran into a lot of local people out for a Sunday drive, all very friendly and polite. I had heard that Tahitians were rude to tourists but we didn’t find that at all. One family was having a BBQ in their yard and Patrick slowed down to show us how they have family gatherings and a couple of the guys came over with breadfruit and asked Patrick if it was okay to offer us some, he said okay so we tried it, it was pretty good. We’d always heard of bread fruit but had never tried it cooked. Then back to the pier, as it was Sunday all the stores were closed so we couldn’t shop at all. Did go to one of the only two restaurant/bars that were open and had a local beer, it was very good. Rarotonga: Took another 4X4 tour of the island arranged by one of our Cruise Critic members. We started off going to their home base where we could watch them prepare the meat and vegetables for lunch, then we could watch them prepare the pit to cook the food. They covered the basket of meat and vegetables with huge leaves. We then proceeded on the tour of the island. The island not being very large it was only a couple of hours. It had pretty scenery. We had a great tour guide, good sense of humor. When we returned to the base house they uncovered the food, made a raw fish salad and spinach. No utensils! Not sure I liked that part, eating with your fingers. Oh well, guess it's best to go native. Everyone enjoyed their lunch. The tour guide drove us back to the ship or shopping if you wanted. We went a few blocks from the ship to shop but didn't find much, the market had already closed and it was very hot and humid so I was ready to return to the ship. Pago Pago: Entering the harbor weather was okay, the island looked very pretty. Lot's of commercial boats though. We had no planned tours for this port, thought we would just catch a bus or cab. There was a nice shopping area right of off the ship, lot's of local crafts. Once we got off the ship it decided to downpour, heavy rain! We made it to the post office. Great place to mail stuff back home as it's the U.S. Post Office. Although the package we mailed to friends in Oregon has never made it to them! One of our cruise-mates mailed some clothes home from here. After the post office and finding an ATM and it's still pouring rain, we found a cab for a quick tour. We drove out to Tisa's Barefoot Bar, it was too early for too much activity there. A few people were snorkeling they said they saw fishes out there. We then went up and over to the other side of the island, the cabbie showed us some local villages. Great views of the island and water. Went back to the ship and walked around town but there isn't much there to see, not much shopping. Only a few stores. Suva, Fiji: Our Cruise Critic group had pre-booked a bus tour to Pacific Harbor and the Pearl Resort. Some of the group had been here before and knew there wasn't much in Suva to see. We had a tour guide on the bus and he gave us information on the towns we went through. It took about an hour to get to the resort. Thought we could snorkel there but once in the water there was nothing but sand and garbage to see. So, we decided the pool was more enticing than the ocean. It was a nice place, they had a full bar and restaurant, a nice pool with tables and umbrellas. Even umbrella’s in the pool! After we were there an hour or so we could see people from the ship coming in little groups. (you could tell by the towels!) Us and another couple decided to have the buffet lunch, others had brought snacks. The lunch was very good but we sat next to the kitchen and were watching the regular food go by and it looked very good! Then back to the ship. Tried to stop at the museum in Suva but it was closed. We were there on a Sunday so not much was open, so back to the ship. Auckland, New Zealand: It was great waking up early and watching the shoreline go by, then coming into Auckland. Great port! We had made plans with David and Barry to meet us over at Devonport so we took the ferry over and walked around the town for about an hour. Nice town, very quaint. Wished the antique store was open but we were too early. Darn it. David and Barry gave us a wonderful tour of the northern part of the Auckland area, very nice we really enjoyed it. Got to see parts of the city we had not seen before too. After we got back to the ship we decided to walk downtown and shop a little. Lot's of shopping and we ran into many of the ship people. Had some rain but not too bad. This was our second time there so we had seen many of the highpoints last time. Christchurch: We had plans to go on the Jet Boats but the person in our group that made the arrangements screwed it up and it didn't work out. Guess we didn't have enough people going so they wanted us to take a later time, we said no. Plus Jim had just started getting a nasty cold and I wasn't sure how wet you would get on the ride. We'll do it next time. We took the shuttle into town and went to the visitor’s bureau. One note, when you get into Lyttelton you can take the public bus into Christchurch for like $2.00. We didn't realize that and paid about $12 each for the Princess shuttle. Then after we got there we decided to go for the Gondola ride so we ended up going back to Lyttleton, but this time on the public bus! Dumb! The Gondola was fun, got to see all around Christchurch, up into the mountains. Had a nice little lunch and coffee. Went back to Christchurch and took the tram ride. The tram doesn't go very far. It's like a little circle around the center of town. You could probably walk it as easy as taking the tram except they do have a tour guide that tells you the history. There was a great little craft market right in the center of town by the tourist information, good for buying gifts. Lots of nice shops in town too. Dunedin: Another great port! We took a ships tour here called Otago Goldfields Heritage. It was a great ride up the coast and over to Otago Gold Mine area, Macreas Flat. They have mined this area since the late 1800's so there was the old mining area. Then because it is an active mine, we got to see the new mining area. Jim collects mining artifacts and loves anything to do with mining so it was a perfect tour for us. This was an all day tour including lunch. Our lunch was in a great little B&B on the way. Had a roasted lunch, lamb and vegies, and the local beer, very good. Our tour guide gave us time to walk around downtown Dunedin. It was a weekend so lots of stores closed early but we still got to window shop. When we returned to the ship we found out that the people taking the overland tour, going to Fiordland, would be coming back to the ship as there was an avalanche on the road going over. We would have to stay in port until 10pm and they also said we would be missing Fiordlands due to bad weather that was coming. So off we went, back up to Cook Straight, in between the South and North Islands and across to Sydney. No Tasmanian Sea! Lucky for us we had seen Fiordland last year. It would have been nicer if we had sunny weather as it was cloudy and cold all the way to Sydney. Sydney: One of our favorite cities! And we had a Robyn lunch to look forward to! It was fun to sail into Darling Harbor and go under the Harbour bridge. We had the news media following us in boats. It took some time to get off the ship but was pretty orderly getting a cab, then off to the Marriott. Love the Marriott, great hotel. Just before we left to meet up with Robyn we caught the Sun Princess sneaking out of the harbor going off the Brisbane so we got some pictures of it. Went downstairs and there was Robyn and Ed! That was our surprise that Ed came along too. Great fun. Even though it rained it was still a fun lunch. Wish we would have had more time in Sydney but we were leaving the next morning for Ayers Rock. We did get a chance to walk around the Rocks. Next morning at 5 am we left for Uluru, Ayers Rock. Got there mid-morning, took the airport shuttle bus to the hotel. We stayed at the Pioneer Outback as it was the least expensive motel. Only thing less was camping. We got to check in right away. Rooms weren't much to look at, kind of like camping! 2 sets of bunk beds, linoleum floor, basic bathroom but we did have air-conditioning, thank goodness. It was very hot there and lots of flies, drove you crazy! It was fly season. We got settled in then went over to the shopping center. There was a grocery store, gift shops and a couple of restaurants. We had fish and chips, it was okay. Went to the grocery store but didn't buy anything. That afternoon we got on the bus for the Sounds of Silence dinner. There were 2 bus loads going for the dinner. When you arrive they have you go up to an area where you can see Ayers Rock and the Olga's. There was only 2 benches and dirt no place for people to sit. You get unlimited booze. I was fighting a cold and didn't feel like drinking alcohol so I had orange juice. Oh plus they had champagne. After the sun sets they have you go to the dining area. It’s many tables for 10, here you get unlimited wine. We had the misfortune of sitting next to a large group of younger people who liked drinking! It seemed to take forever for the dinner to start. Food was okay but not great. Maybe it was my cold that affected my taste buds. There was a fellow who played the didgeridoo, and was very good at it but it was pitch black dark and you couldn't see him. It would have been nice to see him. I wanted coffee so bad but they kept saying not until later! It was like an hour after dinner they finally did dessert and coffee. Not sure why they want you to drink so much alcohol and no coffee! There was a lady who gave a talk on astronomy all about the stars, it was interesting. Think we got back around 11pm. Not sure this dinner is worth $120 pp. I would think you could find a spot to see the sunset near Ayers Rock and eat at the hotel for less money. Next morning we were up very early for the Sunrise at Ayers Rock tour. Very pretty seeing the sun come up on the Rock. Then we went on an Aboriginal Walking tour. An aboriginal lady along with a guide took us on a walk and showed us how they made fire, made resin and how they used old hunting tools. It was too hot for this tour, and the flies were everywhere! We had forgot to bring our hat nets! Got back to the hotel and caught the airport shuttle back to the airport where our friends had rented a car. Then we drove about 100 miles to Curtin Springs Cattle Station. It was quite an experience coming here. It's the only store/bar/motel in miles. A family started it back in the 1940's and they still own it. The motel wasn't much but it was actually better than the Ayers Rock room, it had a queen bed, bathroom and a/c. There was an open air dining area, food was good. First time we ever heard of Spaghetti on toast for breakfast! We took a tour of the Outback and Mt Conner, Uncles Cattle Station and Mt. Connor Tour. The fellow that gives the tour is very knowledgeable about the area. He is also a cattle rancher there. We saw kangaroo's but no camels. There are suppose to be lots of camels but they are not liked in the outback. Dinner was good, Fish and Chips. Next day we got on the road early, back to the airport and on to Cairns. Cairns: Very hot and humid here. Got our car and found our B&B. It was a wonderful B&B, Cairns Reef. It was only about 10 minutes if even that from the main town of Cairns, up in the hills. Nice modern house they had built 2 rooms downstairs for the B&B part. There was a nice pool, decking, a natural rock swimming hole. You're actually in the rainforest, just beautiful. The owners were very accommodating, helped us find tours and food. Breakfasts were wonderful, fruit, eggs, croissants, etc., very good. The first day we went to the SkyTrain and Kuranda. Great ride up the Skytrain. Didn't realize we could have taken the train one way and the skytrain the other but we saw the train during the ride up. The town of Kuranda was very touristy, lot's of Tshirt shops. Then we drove over to Pt. Douglass, pretty ride, beautiful beach/ocean views. It was very hot and humid in Pt. Douglas. We had lunch and drove back to Cairns. Couldn’t wait to get in the A/C!! Next day we took our Great Barrier Reef snorkel trip. The tour company we used was not the grea-*test*-('"), they used an old boat, not sure why, they had a new one there also. Our B&B neighbors said they went on the trip the day before and got the new boat, bummer! All of the boat companies have platforms permanently out in the water where they tie up so you can snorkel. It was nice except because they are always taking people in the same place the coral is dying in those areas and they won't let you go out of the area. I should say, unless you pay another $40 pp to take a guided tour which goes out a little farther. It was pretty, saw lots of pretty fish and the water was warm, lunch was good. If we had time we would have taken a different boat out the next day but we had to leave. Next day we flew back to Sydney. Stayed with our Cruise Critic buddies who live there. Dennis took us for a great ride out to St, Albans, the Settlers Arm Inn. Great food and drink. Nice area, kind of reminded us of home. It was a wonderful stay, nice to see the neighborhoods outside of Sydney. Then home again! We used Jetstar for the first time, it was fine. We used them for our Cairns to Sydney flight and that plane was rather old and the food not so good. But the flight to Honolulu was nice, the plane was new, food was better but maybe because you had to pay for it. We bought the comfort package which had a blanket, eye cover, and ear plugs. Don't know why I never used ear plugs before, they worked great keeping the noise out. I also had rented the DVD machine for movies but it was too big and heavy. Took up most of the tray table and it had very limited movies and TV. Old TV shows. Wouldn't rent it again. We had a long layover in Honolulu, like 6 hours. Boring! But we finally made it back to California and on time. It was a wonderful vacation. DH isn't sure he'd do 30 days again but I'm sure I could convince him! Looking forward to our next adventure! Carol

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