We embarked from the White Bay Terminal in Sydney. Embarkation was swift and painless. Our bags were already at our balcony room when we first arrived. We were on Aloha Deck (11), balcony room 342. It was ideally situated near elevators and laundry. The room and balcony was small but with a lot of storage space. Yes, Dawn is an older ship so the rooms are not as spacious as the newer ships but it was sufficient for what we needed. The room was clean and the bedding was good. Arnold was our cabin steward and looked after us very well.

There were 3 days at sea before we hit a port but that just enabled us to relax. The first night the entertainment was a comedian. Not to my taste but my husband thought he was okay. The food in the Florentine dining room was of a good standard and the wait staff at table 43, Dewey & Ricardo were wonderful. Booked for a pedicure on the 3rd day. Cost was $100 and the pedicure itself was VERY ordinary.

Our first port of call was Port Vila. We have been there a few times but I booked a private tour because we wanted to see something different. We booked with Atmosphere tours. The tour was good but I got the impression that they couldn't wait to get us back to the ship. Second port was Champagne Bay (tendered in) which is a beautiful spot. No need to buy tours. It is just a little bay where you can snorkel, swim, pick your seafood to be cooked and buy trinkets from the islanders. Its a good idea to buy reef shoes (aqua shoes) as the beach has a lot of coral and it is uncomfortable in bare feet. On the ship the adults pool area is very nice but there is not much shade. DJ delite was playing music in the afternoon and was very friendly and willing to play what you wanted. Read more