Travel Journal: Amedee Island (Noumea, New Caledonia)

Oh, Amedee, Amedee, Amedee, you are so heavenly.

I was in love with this island! Hands down, this was my favourite stop in our itinerary. Save the best for last, hey!

We booked this Amedee Day Trip tour with Royal Caribbean. We decided to book this under the cruise line because it takes an hour of yacht ride to get to the island. We figured it will be safer to do this tour under the cruise line company because, even if it's more expensive, it's a guarantee that the ship will wait for us even if the tour runs late.

We got off the ship, met our feisty French tour guide (She is amazing!) and rode a coach to Port Moselle where a yacht was waiting for us to bring us to Amedee Island. I felt like we were at The Hamptons (though I've never been there. Haha!) - there were yachts lined up along the port, nice houses by the hills/cliffs.

As soon as we docked, oh my goodness, I was mesmerised. It was so gorgeous! The turquoise water. The white sand. The intimacy. Clare and I were already planning to go back and we hadn't set foot on the island yet. We were still walking on the dock.

I didn't realise he was in one of my photos until I reviewed the album. Hee.

We immediately purchased the ticket for the Amedee lighthouse (and some souvenirs). We were among the first few who went up the lighthouse so we were able to take photos and videos in peace and without extra heads in the background.

The view from the lighthouse was spectacular. It's overlooking the tiny island. It's very secluded. We were the only ones there, aside from the staff.



It was so windy and luckily, I had my two-piece bikini underneath my dress so I didn't care if I went all Marilyn Monroe. (Not that I don't wear undergarments.) Haha!

We got so carried away by taking photos at the lighthouse and at the beach that we missed out a few other activities, such as the demonstration of different ways of tying the sarong, which I was interested to see. We also saw the smallest post office in the world as well, which is the post office in Amedee Island.

We were treated to mostly seafood (grilled tuna, prawns, mussels, coconut rice and egg fried rice, baby octopus salad, and more), some vegetables, coconut rice and egg fried rice for lunch and traditional island dance performances.There were ice cream, fruits and pannacotta for dessert. After lunch, we swam and snorkeled the afternoon away. We brought our own snorkel gear with us. It was a good call that we bought and brought our own before our trip so we didn't have to rent. We were only allowed to swim on certain areas, basically where there are no coral reefs.

While we were basking in the sun and water, a lady lost her Go Pro and we helped her look for it. It was quite difficult to find because her Go Pro is black with a clear waterproof case. It easily blended with the seaweeds and rocks. Her brother (EDIT: see photo way above), who, by the way, was really cute (Think James Marsden), happened to paddle-board beside me while looking for the Go Pro. I thought of initiating a conversation with him since he was already there, hello. (Wow, look at me, very daring! Haha!) But I was so shy and I kept asking myself, inside my head, over and over, should I say something to him or not? And I was like, screw this. A one-line sentence wouldn't kill me.

So I did. A lame small talk about that missing gadget. Haha!

Anyway, the missing Go Pro has been found after an hour or so. She was the one who was able to locate it eventually. She found it a bit further than the spot where she think she lost it. Their parents even joked that she should treat all of us for a drink since we helped her look for her it.

We were divided into groups beforehand for the glass-bottom boat ride, which was our last activity for the tour. We belonged to the last group to do that activity. We rode a glass bottom boat to see more corals and fishes in the further part of the ocean, where we weren't allowed to swim at. Oh, it was beautiful! No wonder it was a UNESCO World Heritage Site and they are really trying to keep it that way. There were a lot of colourful reefs and never-before-seen (at least for me) fishes. Our tour guide was enthusiastic in telling us the background of the island, the names of the fishes and all those interesting and fun science facts.

We rode the yacht back to Port Moselle again. The only seats left vacant by the time we got on board were the ones towards the tail of the yacht so, as expected, the ride going back made me feel a bit dizzy. Similar to what happened to us during our first day of cruise when we sat on the wrong part of the dining area as it left Sydney port. We slept it off instead and by the time we woke up and reached Port Moselle, we felt better.

We rode the coach and were driven back to the port where our ship was docked. We were able to see a tiny bit of Noumea. Clare and I wanted to visit this quaint, little city again because we were curious to see what it has to offer. It looked pretty chill and interesting. And probably the closest we can go to for legit patisseries and boulangeries! And guess what, we arrived 5 minutes later than the call time! This was it. This was what we were scared of exactly. Fortunately, we booked that trip under the cruise line so the Royal Caribbean staff had already been informed in advance that we would be arriving late. I think they would know that there were passengers who hadn't boarded yet because they scan our key cards in everytime we get on and off the ship. The head count will not tally to the total number of passengers. Anyway, as soon as the coach parked and we got off, the people who were already inside the ship applauded. Hahaha!

We headed to our room and prepared for our dinner. Then, we watched a piano performance and the Quest Game show. It was a hilarious show, oh my gosh! It's an adults-only scavenger hunt game. The audience was divided into groups, according to where we were seated. That game was full-on -- no holds barred, no inhibitions. There were bras here and there, wedgies, crazy and sexy dance moves and all random and weird but funny shenanigans. I was actually this close to lending my leopard-print bra that I was wearing tonight because an animal-print clothing item was asked for! Hahaha! And "James Marsden" aka the guy from earlier joined the game. He was one of the representatives in their section. He and his sisters were very game on. Towards the end, he was wearing a woman's outfit - skirt, heels, bra, makeup, all that jazz - and was dancing as required by the game. Everyone there couldn't stop laughing. Oh, what a night!

Today was really fun!
And the fun in our little village here will soon be over as we go back to reality! One more night and we will be back in Sydney! Nooooo!

Travel Journal: Lautoka, Fiji

HELLO, LAND! We got out of the ship for the first time since we boarded for the cruise.

The first port in our itinerary is Lautoka, Fiji. We knew we would be arriving at lunchtime so we didn't book any shore activity as we will be pressed for time. We decided to go around on our own. We took a cab then walked around the town and... looked for wifi instead. Our roaming didn't work there. It had been three days since we last sent messages/updates to our families and friends. (One more day of no contact and they might send out a search party! Hahaha!) Also, I needed to do internet banking transactions.

We scoured the mall, the restaurants inside and the two Gloria Jean's they have but to no avail. But we found a Missha store there! What are the odds, right? There is no paid or free wifi in any establishment that would normally have a wifi but there is a Missha store. We were surprised! We went inside and bought a few Korean beauty products.

We checked out souvenir shops as well to look for unique pieces we can buy for our friends and family and add on to my souvenir collection as well. I didn't buy anything though as the items were a bit expensive than I thought they would be. Hopefully, I find something in Suva tomorrow.

Since we couldn't find any wifi, we decided to go back to the ship instead. We noted that there was a shuttle bus that we can hop on to and drive us back to the port. As we were standing in line to ride that bus, I saw a familiar black and white sign -- wifi! Huzzah!

We walked to that restaurant (named Kruepa -- EDIT: So if ever you decide to go for a South Pacific Island cruise and one of your stops is Lautoka, visit this shop if you need wifi.) but, for a second, we hesitated to walk in when we saw that it was an Indian restaurant. (Of course, we are in Fiji. Duh.) I do not know heaps about Indian food and I do not really eat Indian food. (Well, I drink Chai and I'd eaten Chicken Tikka Masala but that's about it.) Their sign said that they also sell sweets so, we thought that would be a safe option to eat while we sit there and use their internet connection (which we also paid for). We went in and looked at the food display. We had no idea what to order so we asked the lady behind the counter what she would recommend. She was smiling at us as if she knew that we were only there for the wifi really. Heh. She recommended the raspberry barfi and the peanut laddu.

The raspberry barfi didn't have any raspberry taste at all. It tasted like pastillas. I liked that. The peanut laddu tasted like the usual peanut delicacies in the Philippines. Like masareal. Or peanut kisses but softer/chewy. Of course, we also ordered Masala Chai tea. We enjoyed our "mini-food escapade" while we used our one-hour internet limit down to the last second before heading back to the ship.

We decided to walk back to the port instead of taking the shuttle bus so we can look around further. I saw an ANZ ATM machine along the way and decided to withdraw some cash. There I was standing, pressing buttons, expecting it would shell out AUD because it's ANZ bank, I got Fijian dollars instead. As it should do. Of course. My gosh. Haha!

We reached the ship earlier than scheduled and in time for the sunset, which we indulged in.

We freshened up and prepared for dinner and tonight's scheduled show, Motown Hits (Again, another homage performance to some old school hits which we again enjoyed. Thanks to our parents for exposing us to their music. We might have not appreciated it before but we do now.) and Giovanni (I think he's an American performer. Think Ne-yo.)

Tomorrow, we stop at Suva, the second port in our itinerary. We will be there the whole day so we have an adventure-like activity booked. I'm excited!

Travel Journal: First Day, First Cruise (Explorer of the Seas)

Hello from the sea! 

We are en route to our first stop, which is Lautoka, Fiji. I'm not sure where we are exactly right now though. Probably somewhere in the Pacific Ocean?

It's the second day of our cruise and so far, so good. We are loving it! We booked this trip for my friend's birthday getaway (Luckily, we attended a travel expo last year so we were able to secure this trip by layby!). We were so excited about this trip because this is our first time to do a cruise and to visit the Pacific Islands. Also, I looked forward to getting away and disconnecting. Currently, we are just hanging out in our room. We will be preparing for our fine dining (Yaaasss!) dinner in a bit.

We checked in and boarded the ship, which is Explorer of the Seas (Royal Caribbean), yesterday, around 4:30 P.M at Circular Quay. Since it is our first time to do this trip, we just followed the arrows and the instructions of the crew (as you should. Haha!). We left our luggage with the porters as soon as we arrived at the overseas passenger terminal. We weren't sure if there was a baggage limit so we tried to stick to the usual 25-ish kg limit (But really, I think our luggage were almost 30 kg, respectively. Haha!). Oh my gosh, you will not believe how relieved we were to see that there were no weighing scales waiting for us upon arrival! We packed everything we think we may need because we will be out here at sea on most days of the trip.



The checking in and boarding process were somewhat similar to airports. We filled out documents for passenger manifest, had our photo taken and our carry-ons scanned. Our keycard was provided to us right before we passed through immigration. We headed straight to our room, which is on deck 2, after boarding. We settled down and started unpacking our carry-ons.

Our room is a small suite with a small but lovely view of the sea on a round window. It has a king-sized bed, a small couch for lounging, a television and a desk-slash-vanity area, a closet with enough storage for both of us and our luggage and a small bathroom. Even if it's small, I found it really cosy. And don't let me get started with the sheets, oh my goodness. I love it! It's so soft and smooth but it's nothing special really. I can't explain it. We're obsessed! Haha!

We found pamphlets and a cruise compass (which is like a newsletter that has information for the day's activities and events) placed on our bed when we arrived in our room.  We checked and chose which activities we would like to do for tonight. The housekeeping regularly leaves a cruise compass for the following day on the bed in the afternoon. Speaking of housekeeping, I love that they check, arrange and clean the rooms three times a day. I could really get used to this Madame Life! Hahaha! Ike is the designated roomkeeper in our deck and he is doing a fabulous job. Plus, he is really nice, too.



By 4:45 PM (Yes, I remember the exact time because it was written on the cruise compass), we headed to the assembly for the emergency drill or muster. It was mandatory to attend (as announced by the captain over the announcement channel) this. Similar to what is done during flights, there was a discussion on how to inflate the life jacket, what to do and what to do with children in case of emergency. It was a short talk but the gathering of the crowd took longer because it was a big crowd. We are like a little village here. Our assigned position or the code of the deck where we should go in case an emergency happens is written on our keycard so it'll be easy to refer to in case we forget.



We had a quick look around the ship thereafter to familiarise ourselves with what will be our home for the next 11 days.

I love that they have a library here!

We went up to the upper deck where the swimming pools, whirlpools, outdoor bars, lounges, arcade, basketball court, jogging track, rock climbing wall and miniature golf course (which we were interested to try) are. There is also a surfing spot called Flowrider. We also wanted to try that but we noticed that a lot of people were lining up to do it or just watching by the sidelines. We knew we would suck at it and we would be putting ourselves in a very embarrassing situation if we ever do it in front of a lot of people -- people who we will be seeing for the whole duration of this trip. Haha! Hence, we crossed off that activity from our list.



There were sun loungers and chairs on the upper deck as well, where people can just sit, watch, and enjoy the relaxing view of the ocean and sky (and hopefully enjoy the breeze because the wind level is insane). We watched the Sydney skyline as we leave Circular Quay, which was a fantastic view to look at.



The Windjammer, which is the buffet dining room, was also in the upper deck. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is hands down our favourite place on the ship. We knew straight away that we were going to spend so much time there because we love to eat and we are always looking forward to meal times, especially breakfast. And dessert. You know how I love me some brekky and sweets! Haha! Conveniently and as if sending us a message, the gym is located on the opposite side of the dining room. So my friend and I came up with a strategy that we will deliberately use the stairs to go up and down from our room to the dining area (which is on deck 11, by the way) and either go to the gym before or after meals. If we're going to be eating our hearts out in a buffet, we might as well keep everything in balance so there will be no regrets, if you know what I mean. Haha!

We next went to Promenade to claim my friend's pre-purchased coffee card (She will not survive without her daily dose!). The Promenade is like a mini-mall where you can find souvenirs, jewelries, swimsuits, waterproof bags, coverups and anything you need for any water-related activity and more. The theatre and the casino can be accessed from there, through a connecting staircase, as well. There are also restaurants, lounges and pubs where you can dine and drink and a coffee shop where you can sit and people-watch. The coffee shop is like an extension of the Windjammer because you can grab free teas, instant coffees and some pastries for afternoon tea or for whenever you're hungry and the main dining room isn't open for service yet (Yaaasss!). I tell you, us being hungry will never be an issue during this trip. So yeah, apart from the upper deck, I think this is one of the busiest or crowded parts of the ship. Since there is an easy access, we also had a quick look at the casino. There are more restaurants, lounges and pubs outside the casino, which is a floor below the Promenade. We also located the art gallery where you can buy artworks. Yes, an art gallery. In a ship. Fancy, hey! Overall, I am loving this ship and the staff and enjoying the services. We are like living in our own little world here. I should suggest to Mum that we should do a cruise on our next family trip!



We found our luggage by the door, ready to be unpacked when we headed back to our room to get ready for dinner. We decided to have dinner first before unpacking. So up we went to Windjammer.
We were aware that we will have a buffet every mealtime but my goodness, I did not expect it to be a go-big-or-go-home kind of buffet! I mean, come on, we chose Royal Carribean, why did I expect anything less? There were heaps of selections of food - Mexican cuisine, Italian cuisine, gluten-free options, fruits, salad bar, steaks and more. You will go crazy. My friend and I were overwhelmed with the options! Some were meh in taste, however. Some were really good.

For my first cruise meal, I went to the Italian cuisine section. I had pizza, pasta, some antipasto (Yay for artichoke!) and cheese. It is important to note that their chocolate chip cookie, which I had for dessert, was ah-mah-zing! It tasted like the chocolate chip cookie from Mrs. Fields. Yummmm! I also had berry pie, which was delicious as well. Really simple pie - not too sweet, not too creamy or doughy - just how I like my pie to taste like. I capped off my meal with green tea, as usual.



Unfortunately, we sat on the wrong part of the dining area - towards the back side of the ship - which was the other end of the dining room. No wonder we found heaps of vacant seats there because that spot was more wobbly compared to the other side of the dining room. I read somewhere in my research prior to the trip that the back side of the ship is not a good spot to sit on especially when the ship has just left/is leaving the dock. It tends to be shakier. As to why - I can't remember. There is a scientific explanation here, I think, but I really couldn't be bothered to know. Haha! Of course, we didn't remember that because we were excited to eat and the gorgeous sunset and Sydney skyline behind us were begging for us to sit there. So yeah, 15 minutes later, we felt a bit dizzy. We took our ProCalm tablet, which was prescribed by my GP (and to think we were dilly-dallying if we really should purchase one or not!), and changed seats after we finished our dinner. The seasick tablet took effect straight away.



We went back to our room and started unpacking. Luckily, by the time we got back to our room, we felt a bit better. Another cruise compass (and cute towel art from Ike!) for the next day was left on our bed and we chose which activities we wanted to do for the next day. And our room was made up again! Gee, it has only been 2 days but I know I could really get used to these -- my room being made, unlimited meals being served, no dishes to wash, basically no chores to do and the hotel sheets. I did tell you about their sheets, right? Haha! Really, it's just your usual white, cotton, hotel sheets. But boy, does it really feel smooth and cool to the skin! It's not just the air conditioning and the way Ike tugs our sheets tightly. I think there is something else... Hmm, maybe the fabric conditioner? Or am I just imagining this? It's so comfy that my friend and I kept rubbing our faces and legs on our sheets! HAHAHA!

We had to have matching sleepwear, of course. Haha!

While we were unpacking, we realised that we did not have any drinking water. We didn't really think to bring water with us after dinner. We were so used to having water within reach at home. We considered drinking the water from the tap in the bathroom but we still have 10 days to go and we could not afford to be sick, just in case. I brought my own water bottle though (as per my research, too) but we weren't sure where we could get a refill.  We haven't seen any water fountain (yet?) when we initially toured the ship. We slept last night and woke up today really thirsty! Man, that was hard. We didn't really think we would be thirsty by the time we reach our room and by the time we felt thirsty, we realised we may have to go all the way up to the dining area and beg for water in the kitchen. And they close at midnight.  

Luckily, we found a drinking fountain and bottled water vendo machine at the gym this morning! So today's note to self: Refill water bottle again before the gym closes or before bedtime!