Imagine sticking 16 members of the same family together on a cruise ship in the South Pacific. Will they be drawn closer or heading for the gangplank? I don my sailor hat and find out...
It seemed like a good idea at the time. My father’s 70th birthday was coming up, he wanted to celebrate by taking the whole family on a South Pacific cruise, and I couldn’t have been more excited. As the date crept up, however, so too did the doubts. Is this really such a good idea for an extended family? There are 16 members in mine, aged from four to almost-70, and now living in five different countries including the United States, Singapore and Papua New Guinea. How would we all get along? Getting together for Christmas lunch is one thing, but ten days stuck on a ship in the middle of nowhere? That’s 30 meals, countless group photos and endless hours of small talk…
Then there’s the matter of our varying ages and tastes. Would all 16 of us have a good time? Even my husband (whose idea of hell is dancing the Macarena on the Lido deck—an activity that presented itself before we’d even left shore), and my two young sons who got cabin fever on our seven-acre property? How would they go couped up on crowded ship by day and in a four-berth cabin with ‘the oldies’ at night?
Only time would tell, so I swallowed my concerns and headed for the Sydney port. Dubbed ‘Australia’s first superliner’ Pacific Dawn is an older Princess ship that’s been revamped by P&O with a few new twists including more flexible dining times. It accommodates up to 2050 passengers but don’t let the crowds put you off. We moved swiftly through check-in and within an hour were up on deck greeting each other excitedly. And what an electrifying way it is to reunite—the sun setting around us as we glided beneath the Harbour Bridge, champagne piccolos in hand.
A feast to remember
That first meal was a good sign of things to come. We dined over four leisurely courses and across two tables that faced out to sea. The menu was tantalising, the food excellent and the service first-class. Luckily, we were able to hold onto these tables so the waiters got to know which wines we preferred and how quickly to serve our kids before they turned feral. They also knew by Day 7 to present Dad’s birthday cake quietly without the usual fuss (eight waiters gathered around singing at the top of their lungs).
At the start my mother suggested we do our own thing by day and get together for the main meal at night, and it proved the making of the trip. We weren’t expected to constantly coordinate and compromise. One day, for instance, while Dad disappeared for some wine tasting, my mother on a chef’s tour and my sisters to the gym, I headed for the library and my husband tried his hand at quoits. Having said that, it’s surprising how often you run into each other on a ship with five restaurants, nine bars and lounges and 11 decks!
Kidding about
As for the kids? Who needs acreage when there are two pools, 24-hour in-house movie channels and threeITALICS Kids Clubs? Forget about the children, the Clubs are everything a parent could want, with a strict signing-in book, beepers to keep in touch and movie nights (with beds and dimmed lighting) so you can take in a show. Best of all, they’re broken down into age groups which enabled my youngest to bond with his Singapore cousin in Turtle Cove (ages 3 to 6) while my eldest mingled with his Sydney cousins in Shark Shack (ages 7 to 12). There’s also a Teen Lounge, and all three come with a daily menu of age-related activities including arts and craft, song and dance, mini-basketball and PlayStation®3.
There’s plenty of fun for the adults, too, and it’s all listed in the newsletter that’s delivered daily to your cabin door. The selection includes shuffleboard lessons, theme nights, quizzes and games, art auctions and grandparent get-togethers or ‘boasts’. There’s also an internet cafe, a gym, a salon and a spa offering everything from Tahitian scalp massages to collagen facials, most of which cost extra. The budget-conscious in your group needn’t despair as all main meals and most activities are included in the fare, and because you’re issued with a personal cruise card (which deducts automatically from your credit card) you don’t need to fiddle about with cash, currency or tips. Nor could anyone pull a swiftie when it came to bar shouts. While alcohol cost extra, we simply took turns presenting our cards.
New Caledonia
After three days of sailing, it was delightful to wake up to find Noumea come into frame through our large porthole. The capital of New Caledonia, Noumea is a contradiction of cultures with shabby French shuttered buildings alongside thatched huts and coconut trees. It was here that we made our first family error. We ignored Mum’s advice. None of us had opted for shore tours, things like bird sanctuaries and zodiac rides, so once we’d swiped our cruise cards and disembarked, we were left floundering. Some of us were clearly in the mood for adventure, others to sightsee or shop; yet we compromised and settled for a local beach, which probably wasn’t the best use of our time.
The next day we did things differently. We’d sailed through the night and were now anchored off Lifou in the Loyalty Islands, a Pacific island cliché with glassy blue waters and stunning coral reef. Determined to maximise the day, my little family got ashore early, snagged a shady spot and was snorkelling for hours before the stragglers in the group caught up. There’s no port at Lifou and the tenders take you back and forth to the ship all day which is perfect for varying age groups—some of us returned to the ship to settle small children, others for a nanna nap.
Vanuatu
Our next two stops were in the tiny island nation of Vanuatu, the first at Port Vila, the capital. By now the family broke up easily into smaller groups; one took a taxi tour, another went diving, and the rest of us headed for the luscious lagoon pool of the nearby Iririki Island Resort. The next day we anchored at the more remote island of Wala and, as it was Dad’s birthday, we happily gathered under palm trees and snorkelled together in the warm bay. The kids also befriended the local children while the adults stocked up on handicrafts. By the time the ship hauled anchor and was heading home, most of us were looking forward to the last three days at sea, which for the hubby and I were largely spent lying on a deck chair at the stern, immersed in books (no nagging children or dance music to disturb us).
Family matters
As it turns out, holidaying with extended family really is a great idea, if only for the free babysitting. We took turns escorting the kids to early dinners then popping them in Kids Club so the rest of us could relax and enjoy the nights (particularly handy for the single mum in our group). And when my boys fell ill, various family members watched over them so my husband and I could get some fresh air. Others minded the kids when we broke Mum’s rule and snuck off for a romantic dinner one night.
There’s a certain comradeship in being part of a larger group. One day all the girls got together for a chick flick, another time I ran late for a popular yoga class and it didn’t matter as my sisters had saved me a mat. There was never a shortage of someone to share a coffee, a swim or head out for the night, and we never tired of conversation because there were so many of us. Dinner became a game of musical chairs, and yet I still had to schedule a coffee date with one brother I’d hardly spoken to. My parents got to enjoy quality time with their five grandkids without the usual stress of entertaining them in an apartment and then putting the place back together again. And because it was a birthday cruise, there was always a celebratory note.
Best of all, unlike Christmas lunch, this get-together was leisurely and stress-free. No-one was slaving in the kitchen or stuck on a sofa bed (did I mention the cabins are stylish and surprisingly spacious?). In fact, we had such a good time, we’re already planning the next family adventure, probably to Bali. Rumour has it there may even be a new baby and a wedding in the mix…
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