New Caledonia Cruise (Vimeo)

10m 46s

The Carnival Legend's departure time from Sydney was 17:30, meaning a little before sunset. But leaving the wharf to moving down the harbour takes some time for such a large ship. Boarding started early afternoon, and did not finish until about 16:00.

10m 28s

Two days at sea between Sydney and the first port of call which is Noumea, New Caledonia. And the capital city too. Many activities are available, from themed parties for youngsters, to sporting competitions and trivia contests of various flavours.

18m 03s

A day in Nouméa, the capital city of New Caledonia. It started with docking at the container terminal (ship too big for regular cruise ship dock), shuttle bus ride to downtown to explore a little, shuttle back and take the Tchou Tchou Train for a 90 minute tourist adventure, before returning to watch Nouméa disappear.

9m 07s

Maré is an island to the east of the main island of New Caledonia, with a population of just 5,600 people. There is no wharf to accommodate a large ship, so some of the lifeboats are used to transfer passengers to/from the shore. Then a short drive to the magnificent beach.

16m 09s

The fifth day was spent at the Isle of Pines. Again, tenders used to ferry passengers to/from the island, with a longer distance than yesterday. I took an unguided tour around some of the sights and significant places.

14m 09s

Two days to return to Sydney. The first day was a bit on the rough side with a swell. Not enough to cause sea sickness, just some up and down. And a couple of activites in the Atrium.

7m 20s

The scheduled arrival time off the Heads was 05:00, with docking at 06:30. Both times were met. Which meant an early rising. The distant lightning was a nice welcome home too.