Trip Report: Sydney to Honolulu Cruise, April 2024

The trip was a repositioning cruise planned from Sydney to Lifou, Mystery Island, two stops in Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, Maui, ending in Honolulu. Unfortunately, last year’s wildfires in Maui meant a change in itinerary – a full day and night in Honolulu instead. I don’t know if the change was a good thing or a bad thing for the folks on Maui, but still wishing them the best.

We left Jacksonville on Saturday the 6th, then through Atlanta and Los Angeles, arriving in Sydney on the 8th (Monday morning). At this point I figured somebody owed me a Sunday (and a summer).

The incredible view from our hotel room in Sydney.

Since we arrived a day early, we had some time to wander around Sydney Harbor.

The ship was due to depart the evening of the 9th, but the weather was not cooperating. 100 kph (62 mph) winds were blowing outside the harbor and the harbor master closed the port. So we got to spend another evening in Sydney. A bit disappointing but the scenery was great!

The delay meant we’d miss Lifou. A medical emergency then kept us from Mystery Island. Onward to Fiji. First the port of Lautoka, and a tour to Nadi.

These guys seemed a little out of place.

Next day Suva and a tour down the east coast. We were greeted by a rainbow.

We stopped in the village of Tonga Levu, and after a kava ceremony were adopted into the village. This is a shot from after the ceremony.

Next stop: Apia Samoa, and the Samoa Cultural Village.

The men do all the cooking. Here prepping coconut milk and taro.

And a few for the carvers.

Then a stop at the Robert Louis Stevenson museum. The tapa wallpaper in the study is a reproduction of the original.

Then across the international date line to American Samoa. Got my Sunday back, although I think it was actually a Wednesday.

The villages have an annual 40-man canoe race. As we were pulling into Pago Pago harbor we saw some of them out practicing.

Then into the latest in island transport.

Beautiful island! Mandatory tourist shots.

Fatu-ma-futi

What the well-dressed peace officers are wearing this season.

Onward across the equator (anyone else kiss a fish?) to Honolulu.

Tourist swag.

Fiji mask

Tourist war club and cannibal fork

Various tapa

A few for the Missus

And some shirts

I must say we were guests of some of the nicest folks that I've come across. Everyone from Australia on was cordial and welcoming. We loved the whole trip! This was supposed to be a "bucket list" trip, but we'll be back!

Wow that must’ve been an unforgettable trip! I am usually not one for the cruises but that itinerary sounds amazing and am very jealous.

Thanks KonsTiki, it was! The cruising thing is a double-edged sword - you get to visit a lot of places, but you don't get a lot of time in any of them. All of ours till now have been in the Caribbean, but that's getting so commercialized (and overcrowded) that many of the ports are beginning to look alike, and the local flavor is lost. This one was much different, and better! We still wish we had more time on the islands, but now we know where we'd like to go back to.