Eat, play, lounge: cruising the South Pacific
28 Mar 2013
A jaunt around the South Pacific aboard the newly refurbished Rhapsody of the Seas offers plenty of chances to overindulge, a basketball court to work it off, and beaches and islands to laze around on.
Dining
Eating is one of the great joys of cruising; everyone’s heard the jokes about boarding as passengers and disembarking as cargo. Rhapsody has four new extra-charge specialty restaurants and a free poolside deli to complement the two-tiered Edelweiss Restaurant and the Windjammer buffet.
Passengers who like to eat dinner at set times have a table on the lower level, while those who want to eat when and with whom they like dine on Edelweiss’ upper tier. Dinners are four to five courses with plenty of main-course choices and decadent desserts.
At the new, intimate Giovanni’s Table, diners can feast on three courses, beginning with antipasto before moving on to a choice of main and dessert, such as delicious Dover Sole and tiramisu (for just $20 a person), or at Chops Grille can enjoy steak in a three-course spread for $30.
Japanese and Asian fare is served at Izumi, where individual dishes are priced from as little as $5. Park Café, by the solarium pool, is popular for alfresco breakfast, lunch and late-night snacks, serving a lighter fare of salads, wraps, tacos and soups.
Those wanting to splash out can dine at the Chef’s Table, in a cosy wood-panelled room savouring a multi-course gourmet meal with matching wine with just 13 other diners for $95 per person.
A package deal offers dinner in the four specialty eateries for $120. Add to this the option of room service for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, and an ice-cream and coffee/cake bar, and you can see why comedians make those cargo jokes.
Lazy stops
Ports have idyllic bays and coral-fringed lagoons, but cruising the South Pacific is more than just an island beach holiday. It’s a chance to meet the locals, try some French cuisine in Noumea, drink kava in a traditional village in Fiji or Vanuatu, bike and hike through jungle trails, shop, swim, dive and snorkel.
Rhapsody of the Seas flits around the Pacific from October until April each year on itineraries from 12 nights to the long 18-night one-way cruise to Hawaii.
The best South Seas ‘hit’ can be had along the way on the lovely isles of New Caledonia (Isle of Pines, Lifou, Ouvea) and Vanuatu (Mystery Island and Champagne Bay) where there’s little to do but flop in the turquoise waters, snorkel in the lagoons, taste the local bougna (meat and vegetables cooked in taro leaves) and explore the remnants of penal colonies and mission churches.
Champagne Bay, on the island of Espiritu Santo is named for the spring bubbling up from the seabed and is acclaimed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the Pacific.
Stops at Vila in Vanuatu and Suva in Fiji take you to hustle-and-bustle ports, so it’s advised to pre-book a 4WD tour that includes village visits and fire-walking to make the most of the short stay, or opt for a massage at the Pure Fiji cosmetics factory and spa, just out of Suva.
Singers and dancers will greet the ship in Samoa, an island blessed with fabulous beaches, waterfalls and enticing swimming holes. Don’t miss a visit to author Robert Louis Stevenson's former home and museum, an imposing residence perched amid sweeping lawns ringed by tropical forest.
Activities
There’s no chance of being bored on Rhapsody with its two pools, four whirlpools, gym, sauna, steam rooms, day spa, beauty salon, casino, outdoor movie screen, rock-climbing wall and basketball court.
Activities fall into one of several categories: learning, getting healthy, mixing and mingling, competing, showing off, partying and unwinding. Passengers can attend lectures or seminars on acupuncture, and partake in meditation sessions, napkin-folding and creative writing workshops.
Singles can mingle while doing the daily Walk-A-Mile around the top deck, at aqua-aerobics classes or the afternoon trivia game. Men who like a chat and a beer might attend ‘The Shed’ get-togethers, while those who want to sing out loud can take to the stage for karaoke.
Extroverts might sign up for the ‘belly-flop’ and ‘lovely legs’ competitions, but no fellas on my cruise put their hands up for the ‘sexiest man in the world’ contest.
Party-types can boogie at the disco and laugh or cringe at the late-night adult comedy. For quiet times with a good book, head to the stunning Viking Crown Lounge, with its gorgeous ocean views, for peaceful mornings.
About the ship
Name: Rhapsody of the Seas
Length: 279 metres
Weight: 78,491 tons
Age: 15 years old (entered service 1997, upgraded in 2012)
Carries: 2000 passengers
Rhapsody received a US$54 million upgrade in Singapore in March 2012. All accommodation has new bedding, carpets, drapes, flat screen TVs and remodelled bathrooms, and 21 cabins were added.
Five restaurants were also added and public areas spruced up with new carpets and furniture. The seven-storey atrium was transformed into the funky R-Bar with swish retro sofas and is now a place to watch aerial trapeze acts.
®