A suite week cruising to PNG from Cairns

[bPeteb]

We've both always wanted to visit Papua New Guinea. We had an opportunity to do a quick intro cruise from Cairns to a few ports in the far east of PNG and share it with a colleague from work.

We had some credit ($1200 compensation after a very ordinary cruise on Pacific Eden earlier in the year) with P&O so used it to upgrade to a suite on the seven night New Guinea Island Encounter on the Pacific Eden. The cruise left from Cairns and we flew up from Brisbane with QF on the morning of departure.


The cruise visited Alotau, Kitava Island, Kiriwina Island and the Conflict Islands. The weather is very 'tropical' and we went fully prepared for the fact that we might not make it ashore at all of the destinations due to wind/seas.


As I said, we'd been on Eden's sister ship Aria earlier in the year so we knew what to expect with the ship, food and entertainment. P&O Australia does not sell itself as five star and it isn't. Go with that expectation and you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[bPeteb]

Even though Al was keen, I couldn't see the point in flying up to Cairns the night before the cruise. We wouldn't have enough time to do anything in the morning before we could board the ship. For that reason we flew up on the only morning Qantas flight to Cairns. If it didn't fly we didn't cruise but of course it flew. It left at 7 meaning a very early trip to the airport.

We met Jo, who would be travelling with us, outside the Qantas Club where we had a coffee and breakfast before boarding our flight.
The flight left on time, in beautiful sunshine


and apart from pretty decent turbulence as we descended into the cloud above Cairns, it was an uneventful flight.

 

[bPeteb]

It was only a 15 minute cab ride to the cruise terminal.

Our suite is the second 'double width' verandah on the upper deck of verandahs, at the bow end of the 'overhang'.

We dropped our bags off then met up with a friend who we'd met on our Baltic cruise.
As we'd booked a suite we were able to check-in right on 11. First warning. If you have any issues walking up steep slopes then you might have a problem walking up the gangway.


My partner had an operation on his knee the week before and the long steep ramp was very difficult.

We were able to go straight to our cabin - 10054 - where we were met by our cabin attendant Myron.

After the Oz Day cruise disaster I was very careful with the cabin selection and 10054 was perfect. It was mostly under the overhang of The Pantry. We're not sunbakers so this suited us perfectly. Myron showed us everything in the room. Priority tender tickets were in an envelope with explanation on how to use them. There was a full size bottle of Australian bubbles in the fridge plus a nice fruit basket that was replenished once in the seven days.

We didn't have three of everything - glasses, cups etc but they were there when we came back from lunch. He explained that they would put the sofa bed out each night while we were out. We travelled with a work colleague of mine who jumped at the chance of travelling in a suite, even if they were sleeping on a sofa bed.

The suite was really nice and a great size.


Easily enough room for the three of us, even with the sofa bed folded out. It was tired though and needs a refresh badly.


The arms of the two occasional chairs in the room were covered in that ingrained black gunk that builds up after 20 years of hands rubbing them. Yuk!

 

[bPeteb]

The veranda furniture is pretty nasty for a suite.




The cushions were dirty, the table corroded. Time to be replaced P&O. The bathroom had a full size spa bath (with shower over) and it was super clean - I've seen pictures of grotty silicon and grout but ours was spotless.


Shower temperature was an issue the entire cruise. It was very difficult to have a warm shower. It was usually cool, with a burst of scolding every now and then. We talked to a couple of neighbours and we all had the same issue. Our suite also had an 'extra' safe. There was a small one in the wardrobe


but also a newer larger one attached to the cabinet right next to the tv. Very weird!


We opened our free bottle of bubbles and sat out on our balcony as we left Cairns in the rain. The forecast for the week indicated that was what we could expect for most of the cruise.

 

[bPeteb]

We'd been advised as we boarded that we should book restaurants as soon as we got onboard. Once we'd dropped our bags we went down and did this - First night Dragon Lady, second night Salt, fourth night Angelo's.

First night dinner Dragon Lady - the serving sizes in Dragon Lady are even smaller than they were before.

We said it then and I'll say it again - it's a good idea that hasn't got the execution quite right. Soggy sweet potato chips. A brulee that was more like a mousse. Nevertheless we enjoyed it enough to make another booking as we left as the menu was changing mid-cruise.

The next day was a sea day. We sat out by the Oasis pool (adults only and enforced) for a bit then just relaxed out on our balcony. Despite coating ourselves in sun block both Al and I got terribly burnt. Two weeks after we were still peeling!


The only activity we took part in was trivia on a very irregular basis. No wins for us. How do you split a bottle opener or stubbie cooler between three (or more) people?

Second night dinner Luke Mangan's Salt - what a very strange experience. We arrived and got a very odd greeting. Did we have a reservation? Sure did. I looked at the list on the desk and pointed to our reservation that had been marked off. Someone else had come in and said they were us! Having an extra table obviously threw them. Service was weird. We had multiple people asking the same question. When my medium rare steak arrived it was well done! They took it straight back but by the time the second steak arrived Al and Jo had finished their mains. Then despite saying that I didn't need more vegetables or mash it arrived. At least we didn't get charged twice!

 

[Pushka]

Sounds like you should get some credit from this cruise then.
P&O Australia doesn't do it well.

 

[bPeteb]

Approaching Alotau in Milne Bay, scene of the Battle of Milne Bay.







Al and I aren't ship's shore tour people but it was too hard to organise a private tour or guide so we booked the P&O Milne Bay Historical tour. It was expensive for a couple of hours but ended up being super interesting.



The Japanese landed at the site where this building has been constructed out over the water.

Each of the three minibuses had their own guide. Ours, Fabian, was a great guy. He was very proud of the history of Milne Bay, something he admitted that he didn't know much about until P&O started to cruise to PNG. It was a common theme everywhere we visited - P&O was bringing great benefit to PNG.

 

[bPeteb]

The Japanese planned to take the airstrip that had been built by the US Army/Airforce at Milne Bay. What they didn't count on was landing miles from where they were supposed to, that three airstrips had been built and finally the resistance offered by the Australian and local fighters.





It was the first land defeat of the Japanese in WW2 and the first victory by an Australian led force


The story of the battle was amazing and terrible in equal measure.




The kids cracked us up. Always very serious faces!

 

[bPeteb]

Jo and I left the tour at the war memorial in town (Al went back to the ship as he worked all week) and walked back to the ship.


A young guy impressed his friends by telling them this was a tree kangaroo. I could have embarrassed him by telling them it was a cuscus, but resisted

Al and I are fairly intrepid travellers but neither Jo or I felt hugely safe in Alotau. There were lots of groups of men, youths and boys sitting around pretty much doing nothing that and they weren't giving off the most friendly vibes. I suppose I wouldn't like thousands of people descending on my suburb/home either.




This big piggy went to market


Milne Bay Province is a matriarchal society. Mum is queen!

 

[bPeteb]

We spent a couple of lazy hours at the Alotau Waterfront Lodge before heading back to the ship. We loved the small group singing in the corner,




the cold beers,


the excellent fish and chips, the beautiful staff and the excellent view.

It was a bloody hot walk back to the ship. During the late afternoon a cultural group performed on the dock - drumming, singing and dancing.





We had a great day in Alotau. Despite the slightly threatening air, we had a super interesting day and loved the pride that the people we spoke to had in their history and PNG in general. The weather forecast indicated we might have seen the last of the sunshine.

 

[bPeteb]

We arrived to a beautiful sunny day. No sign of the rain that we were expecting.

Jo and I went over to the island fairly early and Al came over at lunchtime. Another of the suite benefits is priority tender tickets and they worked a treat.



Hint - if you have them, walk down the hall to the embarkation steps, not force your way down the steps thought the people who are waiting (because that's just rude!). If you don't fit on at the end of the tender group that's boarding you'll be first on to the next.

Most of the tenders in the morning were greeted by a large pod of dolphins that was hanging around in the channel right near the jetty. We were told this was very uncommon.


The locals have set up a long row of stalls in the shade behind the beach. They all sell pretty much the same carvings and baskets but it is all quite nice. There were a number of little enclosures with groups of children in them singing and dancing. They were from local schools or churches. Each one had a metal drum in front for donations - for school essentials or money. We had nothing to donate and very little cash so we weren't able to help although lots of passengers had brought piles of school supplies with them to donate at each port.

While Jo found a shady spot under the tress along the beach, I took a boat over to Uratu to snorkel. It was 5 kina each way for whatever boat you got on - sailing or paddled.



The young guys trying to get you on their boat were bordering on aggressive. I saw some people quite tacken aback. I just gave my money to the first kid who approached me. I found some shade near a couple from the ship, dumped my stuff and waded out into the water.


Because Of Al's recent knee operation he'd decided he wouldn't snorkel. Plus, he was working. So I only packed one set of flippers and a snorkel. What I didn't check was that I had two of the same flippers and of course I had one small and one large, something I didn't realise until I put them on out in the water. It was super uncomfortable for one of my feet but it was it it was.

The water was really warm but the snorkelling was pretty ordinary.

 

[bPeteb]

I did find Nemo and his family. They've moved north.


It was a beautiful day so I didn't really care.

Late in the morning one of the small sail boats capsized and seven passengers ended up in the water. Al was in the tender that picked them up. No injuries, just wet people.



Kitava was a nice place to just hang on the beach.

We all stood in a long, hot tender queue to get back to the ship but it was an excellent day so every bead of sweat was worth it!.


Last tenders on their way back


We even got a nice sunset to see us off.

Two ports down, two to go.

 

[bPeteb]

Day 5 Kiriwina Island - We woke to another spectacular day.



The ship anchored very close to the jetty.


Cliffs along the coast in one direction


stunning white sandy beach in the other.

We didn't race off here so need to use priority tickets. Similar to Kitava along the beach but behind it is a large 'oval'



and then a short walk away a village. A local - John - started talking to us while we watched the performance



by a large group of young guys (very funny, the locals were screaming with laughter, all about fertility with some very obvious phallic references - warning to those easily offended) and kind of hung around most of the day.

 

[bPeteb]

He watched our bags when we went snorkelling.









Eventually the 'pitch' happened and we bought a couple of carvings. Who knows if they were a good price. We didn't care. He was a nice guy. I gave him a Wheels magazine I had with me and he as very chuffed. John said his son would love it.

 

[bPeteb]

My partner came over again at lunchtime and he and I hung around by the beach for another hour or so while Jo went back to the ship.




Another long hot tender queue to get back to the ship, again, although the ship has a cold water station at the lend end of the jetty. There's not much that a cruise line can do about this without building ridiculous covered walkways along every jetty they use. Some people would say "what an excellent idea"...



There was a line of little kids in canoes all along the jetty. They were the currency exchange, and had today's approx. rate well sorted. They wanted to change Oz notes back to kina but very few of us had any kina left as Conflict Islands would take AUD. One young guy had his 2yo brother in the canoe with him.

Kiriwina was beautiful and we'd again been lucky with weather.



As we sailed away from Kiriwina the captain asked us all to do an anti-rain dance as the two forecasts he had for the Conflict Islands weren't too flash.

 

[puppysparkes]

Loving the pictures!!!

 

[bPeteb]

Day 6 - Conflict Islands

Those anti-rain dances must have worked because it was fine when we arrived but as windy as forecast.




They sent a tender in to check the jetty on the island. It was borderline but they decided to get us ashore with the exception that anyone with mobility issues couldn't go. It was just too bumpy/dangerous getting on and off the tenders. I decided to go over early in case it eventually got too windy and again flashed the golden priority tender ticket to jump the queue.

We were the first Pacific Eden cruise to land on Conflict Islands and the first to visit all four ports.

The atoll and its islands are privately owned. Panasesa, the island that you visit, is very manicured and every comment we heard was that it was the favourite visit. I'm going with it was because there was no-one trying to sell you something.

I did a circuit of the island


where I visited the international airport


and walked across the runway.

 

[bPeteb]

The circuit back to the beach where all of the watersports activities were kicking off took me about 40 minutes. In that time it went from hazy to brilliant sunshine. The island reminded me a bit of French Polynesia or Aitutaki in the Cookies. Super white sand, sheoaks (swamp mahogany?) and palm trees.










The first snorkelling group heading off

 

[bPeteb]

I'd promised Al that I'd be back onboard before 11, maybe 11:15, for us all to come back over and was on a tender at about 10:50 so should have easily made it.




Unfortunately the skipper of the tender kinda had no idea and took four goes to get us alongside that took a good 15 minutes. I've taken a lot of tenders, in some very ordinary conditions, and never seen anything like it. He was hopeless. We gave him a round of applause when we were finally tied up alongside the tender platform.


The three of us pretty much went straight back over. Jo and I had booked the snorkelling trip and Al just went over for a walk around and a swim.

 

[bPeteb]

The snorkelling trip was great. We both wish it had been longer. We took a very wet ride in a small skiff to a larger boat from where we got into the water.


It had a platform that lowered down into the water to make it easier to get on and off.


They offered hot and cold drinks before and after we got in the water. The snorkelling was pretty good - some ok coral, plenty of fish, warm water.