Island Hopper Cruise- Part 2

By Day 4, we were getting a taste for cruising- no social media, all food included, drinks at mainland prices and plenty of on board entertainment- not to mention great company. We’d survived the rough departure from Brisbane up the coast, arrived in warmer and calmer climes and dipped our toes into the social scene on board.

Day 4 saw our early arrival in Port Vila. The entry into the harbour was spectacular. We joined another tour and were driven around the area taking in a tribal cultural experience. We were greeted by a tribe of warriors and then met the chief, after which we were offered a fruity snack. To top it all off, I got to hang out with two local iguanas- don’t miss the little guy on my hat!

Port Vila was a city of contrasts- great beauty and serious poverty. There were five- star resorts as well as residents who had very little. I would love the chance to return some day and really get to explore the bays and beaches. The city area had few road rules or speed limits, so you had to have your wits about you as a driver or pedestrian. Josie and Sam enjoyed an outrigger canoe experience, along with snorkelling in the water between the two islands above.

After a fantastic Port Vila experience, we returned to the ship, determined to come back one day. It’s only a two hour flight from Brisbane – very conveniently located- you can live as upmarket or casually as you wish.

Facing us were two sea days before our arrival back in Brisbane. Determined to get the most from our cruise, we threw ourselves into the activities, watching movies, shopping the specials, having a small win at bingo, attending the music quiz each night and managing to snare an illusive spot for the four of us at the Luke Mangan High Tea.

As a last fabulous hoorah, Michael and I sang Karaoke late into the night, then went to our rest, satisfied we had had wrung every last experience out of the cruise.

Highlights of the cruise were: