Conference abbott::cruise_travel

37.0. "BLue Lagoon Cruise (FIJI)" by TITUS::PERKINS () Thu Sep 22 1988 00:15

     For a real neat (although perhaps a tad exotic) cruise, the
     Blue Lagoon cruise(s) in FIJI are great!  I had occasion to
     go to Sydney last year on *business*, and set it up so I could
     stopover in Fiji on the way back for a week of vacation.
     (Hey, who knows if I'll *ever* get "down under" again, so I'd
     decided to do *something* in the South Pacific 8^) 

     I had never been on a cruise before, and I booked it through
     an Australian agent (who dealt in *cash* - thank god for VISA
     cash advance!).  The deal I got included all transfers, etc.
     I booked what they call the "4-day" cruise.  I'm not sure the
     exact cost of the cruise, but I think it was about $600(US).
     The 4 days turned out to be an evening, 2 full days, and till
     noon on day 4.  (Their schedule is set to match airline arrivals
     and departures).  I flew in, stayed overnight at the Travelodge,
     and was picked up the next afternoon for the ride to the port.

     The cruise leaves Lautoka, sails northwest around and through
     several of the Fijian islands.  There are several boats.  From
     time to time you meet one of the other boats.  The boat I was
     on had about 45 (~20 cabins) on two levels - deck, and below.
     I was below, in my own cabin.  Each cabin had a porthole.
     There is a large boat for the 7 day cruise.  I'd guess it could
     hold 60-80.

     I was there in May, which is like November here (US).  Except
     that they are closer to the equator, and the sun was *hot*.
     You need at least a 15 sunscreen!

     Meals were included, you bought drink "tokens", which you wore
     like a necklace or bracelet.  Breakfast was fruit/cereal/eggs/
     sausage.  One lunch was a cookout on a beach.  Surrounded by
     sparkling blue sea, other islands with palm trees, etc.  Wow!
     The second evening was a Fijian-style banquet, cooked underground
     (in a pit with hot coals covered with palm fronds and dirt).

     The people on the boat were mostly British, Australian, or
     American.  Fiji is a very popular vacation spot for the Aussies.
     The crew were all native Fijians.  They mostly came from the
     islands we cruised around, I guess sort of in an exchange for
     their permission to allow the cruises.  You quickly make acquaintances
     (and friends) with the other passengers.  There were I believe
     five (5) honeymoon couples aboard.  I met a woman whose husband
     was a pilot with British Air, and who were stationed in Australia
     for 6 months, and a retired English woman who had flown to Sydney
     to see her son and was going back the long way (via Hawaii and 
     the US).  Plus several of the Aussies.  We were all sad to have
     it end, and it had only been 3 days!

     We'd get up in the morning, have breakfast, weigh anchor, and
     sail to some island beach.  Then we'd go ashore, have some time
     to walk around/swim/snorkel, visit the natives' "shell market",
     before lunch.  The islanders have no other way to get any money
     (not that they need a lot) except by selling shells and other
     crafts to us tourists.  The prices were pretty reasonable.  (On
     the main island, you have to be careful where you get your 
     souvenirs to avoid getting taken.)  Then we'd weigh anchor again,
     cruise to another spot.  What scenery!  

     The area we were cruising in was inside a barrier reef, so the 
     water was quite smooth.  And BLUE.  There was an hour or so 
     stretch leaving port to get out to the islands which was a
     little choppy.

     Talk about getting *away* from it ALL!  In Fiji, there is NO
     TV (although there was talk about satellite reception coming),
     there are only TWO radio stations (broadcasting in English,
     Fijian, and Indian), and one newspaper.  Outside papers were
     shipped in from Australia, but were typically a few days old.
     On the boat, there was no radio, no paper, nothing but cruising
     and beach.  

     One of the highlights of the cruise is landing at an island the
     cruise company owns for an afternoon, followed by a Fijian
     feast that evening.  Another was to sail past *the island* where
     the original *and* the remake of "Blue Lagoon" were filmed.
     A third was visiting a Fijian village, and getting a guided
     tour, and meeting the chief (who was in his seventies and looked
     50! And who had visited New Jersey to visit one of our soldiers
     who had been stationed there in WW II!)

     Fiji was much larger than I had pictured.  There are two big
     islands, the main one must be about 150 miles across.  The airport
     is there, about 200 km from Suva, the capital.  Another large
     island is to the north, then there are about 300 smaller islands.
     I had a couple days after the cruise to do sightseeing.  There
     are lots of bus tours, I went to Suva one day, and up a mountain
     and to Raymond Burr's ex orchid "ranch" the next.

     There are 4000' tall mountains on the main island (the area was
     volcanic).  There are no trees on the upper parts of the islands
     due to the frequent typhoons.  The main activity on the main
     island was sugar cane.  Indians had been brought in by the British
     as indentured servants, then after some years were given the
     option of returning to India, or taking a piece of land and
     settling.  Most stayed.  The population today is about 50-50
     Fijian and Indian.  In the last election, the Indian candidate
     won - so the Fijians staged a coup.  I'm not sure if it's
     all settled yet.  I think the coup happened the day after I left.
     (I had mail from the Aussies at Sydney pointing out what a
     mess I'd left! 8^)

     If you get the chance, by all means take a Blue Lagoon cruise!

     /ed    

    My word !!  You could've written a travel brouchure !!  That sounds
    absolutely heavenly !!  I've always wanted to go somewhere tropical
    and that sounds like the perfect place !  You really didn't mention
    the food though...how is it there ??  Can you get what you want
    most of the time ????  Are they commercialized ?????  
    
    "D"