Cruising the Blue Lagoon

As someone who loves sailing, a cruise had never appealed to me but when planning my time in Fiji, I wanted to get out to see the islands and a cruise on a smaller ship seemed the best way to do it.  Being a small ship rather than a P&O sized mega-liner, I figured it would be a bit more personal and could be quite good fun.


Before I left the UK, I had been moved from the 3 night cruise to join the 6 night cruise for 4 nights with a cabin upgrade and a bottle of champagne thrown in, something to do with a block booking and I would be the odd one out.  Sounded like a good deal so I agreed.


On the day of the cruise, I left the resort with a send off from the manager and staff, having met people both at the Outrigger and the First Landing who would also be on the cruise so I felt confident it would be a good social experience.


Upon check in, they gave me a cabin number and on examination I discovered that it was not on the deck I had been promised but the deck below.  The CEO who was assisting with check in explained to me that they had stuffed up and on that basis was offering me a Fiji $100 bar credit.  'You can have more' he said, so I said '$200' being cheeky thinking he would say no, but to my amazement he said 'Done!'.   Thought I had a good deal there!


So we were ferried to the boat, stepped aboard and found our cabins and I am pleased to say they had upheld the champagne end of the bargain and a bottle was chilling with a welcome letter for me.  Happy Days!

We set sail and started heading out to the Yasawa Islands.  When I checked my arrangements for disembarking on day 5, I was told that I would have to be disembarked on day 4 and the company would put me up in a hotel.  Suddenly I realised why I had been given the extra Bar Credit!  I didn't have much choice but agreed to the change and just got on with enjoying the scenery.  We were invited to spend the duration of the passage on the Sky Deck where the bar was open, as it was a good opportunity to start getting to know our fellow passengers and in no time, I had chatted with quite a few people, fixed a Nokia mobile phone problem for one of the older chaps and repeated the circumstances of my employment status and travel arrangements several times, I was begining to bore myself!

The first evening was the Captain's champagne buffet, the champagne flowed and we established that early that the chef on board was pretty good.   It was buffet style but the food was delicious, fresh fish cooked a variety of ways, chicken, vegetable dishes, fresh fruit and deserts.  And then there was entertainment from the crew who played guitars and sang to us after dinner.  By this time, I has well and truly bonded with my fellow passengers and having a lovely time.

We were invited to sign up for the early morning swim each morning and I decided to go for it, what better way to start the day in paradise, and really there isn't much chance I'll be doing that when I get back to the UK - in December.  We were woken at 6am and were taken to the beach in tenders.  When we got to the beach we were taken for a little walk to have a look at the other side of the island, the path was uphill, sandy and a little rough and one lady was going to wait behind because she hadn't brought shoes....they hadn't told us we would be walking as well as swimming!  So I gave her my Crocs and continued barefoot.  Fifteen minutes later at the top of a fairly steep hill, we were overlooking the water on the other side of the island, a lovely view, and I had sore feet!  I took a bit of a ribbing from the Aussies because of my 'delicate Pommy feet' and continued down the hill for a swim.  The water was almost like bath water it was so warm.

After breakfast we were taken by tender again to the beach a little further along to have a look at the village of Soso where we would experience the Yaqona (welcoming) ceremoy, listen to the choir singing and then have a demonstration of dancing and taste Kava with the elders of the village.  The cruise company likes to support the local economy so we were encouraged to part with some Fiji$ but it was all worth it to taste the Kava, a drink made from the roots of the plant Piper Methysticum (which makes your tongue tingle) and to see the villagers dance and sing for us.  We were even encouraged to get up and dance with them which was all good fun.

Bhim

When we got back to the boat, we were on the move again to another anchorage a little further round the island where we were to spend the afternoon snorkelling.  While underway, we were to get ready for lunch and I was again taken to one side by Bhim, our cruise director who told me that I would be transferred that evening to the other boat, the one I was supposed to be on in the first place.  It didn't seem like I was being given a choice and I wasn't terribly happy as I had already bonded with my fellow passegers and crew!  Well everyone was up in arms, they didn't want me to leave either and I though there was going to be a mutiny!  But I decided to make the most of my last lunch on board and cracked open the bottle of champagne that has been chilling in my cabin.  We found a table to sit as many of us together as possible and the barman who had heard that I was leaving brought me a complimentary cocktail - delicious!  Next thing, over the tannoi I heard my name and cabin number being called by Bhim and it felt like I was in touble, don't know why!  This time Diana came with me to make her feelings known about the change in my schedule and Bhim told me that I could stick to the original plan if I wanted, if it would make me happy.  They seemed very concerned that they should avoid making any of us unhappy!  So all was well, I was to stay until the 4th day then return to my original hotel at the expense of the cruise company.  I returned to the dinner table, to my friends, my cocktail and the bottle of Champagne which went round 7 of us adequately and next thing I know, Bhim brought us out another bottle which we then put aside until dinner time.  I don't think they realised that trying to move one person would cause such uproar.  And I didn't realise that the uproar would mean that every crew member would be tasked to keep me super happy until I was to disembark.  And they did!

Once the drama was over, it was time for snorkelling!  The water was so clear and what I didn't realise in my enthusiasm to get into the water was that they were ferrying people over by tender from the beach to the other side of the bay, but what that meant was that the water off the beach was quiet and I have to say it was some of the best snorkelling in the cleaerest water I have ever experienced.  The number and variety of fish I saw was amazing and on top of that, at one point I found myself in the middle of a shoal of beautful, large silver fish who seemed not to be bothered at all by me swimming in the middle!

Day three started with another early morning walk along the beach and a swim which was definitely the best way to start the day.  There were sand crabs present in the sand along the beach and our guides pulled them out of the sand to show us.  In the mangroves behind the beach were mud crabs and we were lucky enough to see one of those as it crawled out to head for the water.  We spent the rest of the day on the beach, lunch was served there and there was more snorkelling to be enjoyed altough it wasn't as clear as it had been the day before.

The evening of that day was the hat competition where there were to be prizes for the most creative hat!  Many of the people on the boat used their creativity to ask the village ladies who were selling shells on the beach to make hats for them using flowers and coconut leaves.   I wasn't going to cheat, instead I was picking flowers and foliage to make a fascinator with a hairband I had brought with me but one of the crew offered to make me a hat and I felt it may be better if I accepted, it may be better than any creation I could make.  So as we finished up on the beach and were chivvied along back to the tenders to return to the ship, Apenisa was cutting cocnut leaves to make something for me.  When it arrived, delivered to my cabin a little later, it was a simple creation, a cocnut leaf crown with a decoration made from a trimmed Coke Can and I was certain no-one else would have one like it.  


Drinks before dinner were accompanied by entertainment from the crew, dancing and some more champagne to celebrate a 50th Birthday and a 25th Wedding Anniversary.  Then after dinner was the hat competition where the crew judged who had the most creative and the worst hat.  I am really proud to say that I won a prize.......but so did everyone else!  It was a Blue Lagoon Cruises Polo shirt and a welcome addition to my travelling wardrobe!

The morning I was to disembark, I went again for the early morning swim just off the Blue Lagoon Cruises private island, also the location for the slightly dodgy 1980s movie of the same name starring Brooke Shields.....and at this point, if you haven't seen it, no need to go rushing out to rent the DVD, it wasn't that special!!  The water was clear and there were lots of fish, most of which were not at all bothered by our presence.  Barracuda were chasing fish around the bay and out of the water, skimming across the surface.  As we were in the tender heading back to the boat one of the small Garr fish being chased beached itself in its attempt to avoid death in the jaws of the barracuda.  Jason, our guide from the ship hopped out of the tender and we all went 'Aaahhhh' thinking he was going to put it back in the water.  Oh how wrong we were, he was going to get it to use as bait to catch something larger off the back of the ship.  It was handed to me and I held it all the way back to the boat as it writhed and shook and then died.  Sad but a way of life in Fiji!

After breakfast we were taken to the local school to have a look around and to hear the children singing.  Another example of how the cruise company support the locals, the whole school was gathered for our arrival to sing for us.  When they started up, it was almost deafening, the noice which they produced was phenomenal, mainly through the enthusiasm they had for their singing.   They covered some hymns, some contemporary songs in English,some national anthems and some nursery rhymes recited by the really little children.  We were also treated to a tribal dance by some of the older boys dressed in grass skirts who seemed used to being recorded by us tourists and really played up for the camera.  Extermely entertaining.  Those passengers who hadn't already maxed out their luggage allowance brought with them some goodies for the kids, but as I had no room in my luggage, I made a donation which I have to say was well worth it given the rousing entertainment we had experienced.  Afterwards my ears were ringing as they are when coming out of a concert or nightclub!

Back to the boat we went and it was time for a quick snorkell, a spot of lunch whcih I didn't get to finish before Bhim was calling me because the transfer boat had arrived to take me back to the mainland.  A cocktail that Diana bought me was consumed in record time before I said my goodbyes to those who were not still on the beach.  And then the cruising experience was over.  It was sad that I was wrenched off the boat a little early and while people were still on the beach so I didn't get to say goodbye to everyone but hopefully they got my address from Diana and I will hear from them again.

As I stood on the top deck of the Yasawa Flyer, the yellow fastcat shuttle, the crew and friends on the ship were souting and waving to me as we departed and they were still waving as the MV Mystique Pricess became a small dot on the horizon.  Then I was swept up by the Yasawa Flyer crew because I didn't have a ticket which caused a small amount of concern about my onward journey, only to find Blue Lagoon had upgraded me to the Captain's lounge with air conditioning and complimentary beverages!

When I arrived at Port Denarau, representatives from Blue Lagoon were there to meet me and stayed with me as I was transported back to First Landing where I was again welcomed home.  And at the bar were the friendly faces of my sailing friends, Manasa the barman and Joe the dining room waiter and it was good to be back despite the fact I was still thinking about my cruising friends who were still on board and enjoying the last 2 days of their trip!

Marg & Steve

Stephanie & Udo from Germany

Diana & Gary