Christmas Island

[NEWBIE ROSE]

Am booked on Tahitian Princess for July cruise from Honolulu to Tahiti. Have heard 'reports' of cancellations by Princess of the scheduled stop at Christmas Island. Does anyone have any informaton on this?
Thanks, Rose

[ChucksOK]

Did you call Princess? What do they say???

[NEWBIE ROSE]

I did. I was told that at this point, Christmas Island is listed as a port of call but that they have the right to make changes when deemed necessary.
I read a post that referred to other cruise lines making their scheduled stop there but Princess electing to bypass it on the grounds of safety concerns (possibly a channel that needs regular dredging, the port authority promised to provide this but Princess still not agreeing to stop there.) Lots of 'wondering' about why it's safe for NCL but not for Princess.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see. If we don't stop, it results in a 5 day stretch at sea. Like the good old days! Some pax may have a hard time with that but....not much one can do.

[paljoeysmom]

I have done the same trip as you Hawaii to Tahiti on the old Crown Princess in September of 1998. It was a fabulous trip, and you will REALLY LOVE IT. As for Christmas Island, the water is beautiful and the people are warm and friendly, but the island itself is basically a miltary dumping ground. Before we went we read many reviews stating it was STIFLING HOT, with NO BREEZE. The day we went it was warm, and super windy, go figure! We did a snorkeling excursion to a little island. It was teriffic, but you needed to watch the current as the undertow was strong. The water was amazing, a beautiful turquoise blue.

We tendered in on one of the lifeboats to the shore. Since there is a lot of coral the crew went in very slowly. The water is the big draw there. If you are not a swimmer or snorkeler, you will not be disappointed in not stopping at
Christmas Island, as there isn't anything to do other than play in the water, and buy souverniors from the locals.

Have a great time on your trip.

[NEWBIE ROSE]

Thanks, Joeysmom,

With less than a month til departure, we're getting very excited. Another poster has cited engine trouble as the reason for the recent cancellation of the stop at Christmas Is.

I've read quite a variety of impressions of this little place, so have become curious to see what our experience is. I generally like the things that don't impress many other cruisers > I'd rather walk around in the town and get a feel for the place/people than take the air conditioned bus tour. Not that there's anything wrong with that -- we generally do it!! But the things that leave me with the deepest feelings about a place are the aforementioned.

Speaking of coral, I saw an aerial photo of the island and it looks otherworldly -- many many turquoise and white 'potholes' and not much else. I read it was actually created by the coral.

Something else I've learned this past year 'cruise-netting' is that you really have to take many of the reviews and comments with a grain of salt. No reflection on the writer, just that a person's impressions are generally based on a single experience at a specific time so there are many variables -- ie. one's frame of mind that day, the weather, the individuals they came into contact with. All of which will likely be very different on another occasion. On a sunny warm day here on Vancouver Island, I often think about what travellers will tell their friends back home. Something like "I'VE JUST BEEN TO HEAVEN!". Yet those same travellers could visit on a cool drizzly day (of which we have one or two. Grin) and tell their friends, "yeah, we just passed through, not much to see there".

I guess general consensus is the way to go. And of course, the all-important open mind - don't leave home without it!!

Be watching for a new list of superlatives from me when we return (mid-August) I'm fully expecting to be dazzled amazed awed humbled thrilled -- all those good things.

Rose