Veronique Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 I am having a dilemma trying to go on a decent one week holiday in May. I spent 3 days trying to organise a trip to Fiji, what a hassle. The package deals are for hotels which have bad reviews. None of the hotels I want to go to (couples only)are available for the week I need. Then I decide to downgrade but to a couple of specials which include family hotels and then I get told there is no availability, so then I decide to downgrade to 3 and a half star hotels but the reviews range between excellent to awful. So I decide this morning to rather go on a cruise. I find the perfect cruise departing Brisbane which stops at Vanuata and New Caledonia, during the week I need, so all good to go but then I find out we need visas for New Caledonian. So I think No Problem I can get visas, and then find out that you HAVE TO GO IN PERSON to the embassy in Sydney - NO EXCEPTIONS. I need ideas PLEASE - I am running out of time and getting despondent.I want to go to a place where I don't have to cook (AT ALL). It must be at least 4 star rating, and preferably by the sea.Thanks for listening to my whinging! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoot Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 What about Bali? Don't know anything about it because I have never been but some work colleagues went and were raving about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penny Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 I am having a dilemma trying to go on a decent one week holiday in May. I spent 3 days trying to organise a trip to Fiji, what a hassle. The package deals are for hotels which have bad reviews. None of the hotels I want to go to (couples only)are available for the week I need. Then I decide to downgrade but to a couple of specials which include family hotels and then I get told there is no availability, so then I decide to downgrade to 3 and a half star hotels but the reviews range between excellent to awful. So I decide this morning to rather go on a cruise. I find the perfect cruise departing Brisbane which stops at Vanuata and New Caledonia, during the week I need, so all good to go but then I find out we need visas for New Caledonian. So I think No Problem I can get visas, and then find out that you HAVE TO GO IN PERSON to the embassy in Sydney - NO EXCEPTIONS. I need ideas PLEASE - I am running out of time and getting despondent.I want to go to a place where I don't have to cook (AT ALL). It must be at least 4 star rating, and preferably by the sea.Thanks for listening to my whinging!Hi VeroniqueI am not sure that you need visas on a trip like this. My daughter went on a cruise last year and was also told she needed visas but it turned out that this is not so. If you are on a cruise ship you get a day pass and that is sufficient. It is extremely difficult to find this all out as NO ONE is willing to help. My brother-in-law was a doctor on the ship and he actually made enquiries. My daughter travelled on P & C Cruises.Pennyquote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aneldari Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 HiGo on that cruise!!!! Time of your life is what you'll have! You do not need visas for New Caledonia. We went on that exact same trip (Pacific Dawn) and 'wow' what a special time we had! Enjoy! Bon Voyage!CheersAneldari Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veronique Posted April 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 HiGo on that cruise!!!! Time of your life is what you'll have! You do not need visas for New Caledonia. We went on that exact same trip (Pacific Dawn) and 'wow' what a special time we had! Enjoy! Bon Voyage!CheersAneldariYou have got my hopes up again Aneldari! Were there a lot of children on this cruise? What time of the year did you sail? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aneldari Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 If you cruised once, you'll want to cruise again...We went in January 2010 (school holidays - we are teachers) and although there were quite a lot of children, the cruise staff have these great programs for children of all ages. They didn't bother us at all. I would say a cruise holiday is much better than just going to one of these South Pacific Islands. And don't get me started on the food - out of this world; big in quality and quantity... I think this time of the year is great for cruising and it seems you could do it outside of school holidays, which is also nice.CheersAnel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veronique Posted April 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2011 I am not sure that you need visas on a trip like this. My daughter went on a cruise last year and was also told she needed visas but it turned out that this is not so. If you are on a cruise ship you get a day pass and that is sufficient. It is extremely difficult to find this all out as NO ONE is willing to help. My brother-in-law was a doctor on the ship and he actually made enquiries. My daughter travelled on P & C Cruises.Thanks Penny - you are right, it is almost impossible to get someone to advise re the visa. When you phone the offices the recording says they do not take calls and you have to apply in person at their Sydney offices, or read the website - which doesnt have any information which I require.I have now booked the cruise and am very excited.Thanks to you and Aneldari for your information. That's the beauty of this forum!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aneldari Posted April 6, 2011 Report Share Posted April 6, 2011 Thanks Penny - you are right, it is almost impossible to get someone to advise re the visa. When you phone the offices the recording says they do not take calls and you have to apply in person at their Sydney offices, or read the website - which doesnt have any information which I require.I have now booked the cruise and am very excited.Thanks to you and Aneldari for your information. That's the beauty of this forum!!!Always a pleasure!Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veronique Posted May 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 We have just returned from a cruise to New Caledonia and Vanuatu. If it wasnt for the very useful information provided by Aneldari and Penny (and daughter Liska) on this forum we would probably have cancelled and lost all our monies. We were told once we had paid in full that we would need visas for New Caledonia and that they would not allow us on the ship even if we did not disembark in New Caledonia. This information was relayed to us by P&O cruises and our travel agent as well as a few other people. Aneldari and Penny's daughter had done the trip without visas and assured us we would have no problems. And they were right, at no time were our South African passports a problem. If it wasnt for their advice our holiday would have been cancelled. This forum has once again proven a fantastic place for valuable information.Aneldari, Penny and Liska thank you so much! We had a wonderful time! Here is a photo of the ship anchored at Isle Lifou in New Caledonia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aneldari Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Hi VeroniqueOh, boy, I am SO, SO happy that you guys went on the cruise ! I was actually thinking of you guys this weekend, because I realised if you went on the cruise, you would've returned yesterday. It is my pleasure to give some advice!! Cruising is truly an amazing experience...Cheers for nowAneldari Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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