Emerald Princess Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Good itinerary visiting 6 south Pacific islands. 2 days at sea followed by an island a day for 4 consecutive days - that's hard going! To get the most from this cruise you must enjoy swimming, snorkeling, warm humid days and remote islands with palm trees.
The ship is a large one with over 3,000 guests but we did not feel crowded. There are plenty of places to eat at all times although finding a table was not easy.
We ate mainly in the dinning room as I have a food allergy and the staff made sure I was well catered for every day with specially y prepared food. I had to choose from the following days menu so that they could adapt the meal. Excellent service.
Cabin Review
Mini-Suite with Balcony
The cabin was good, we had expected a double size balcony as the brochure depicted, but it was only slightly deeper and the same width as a balcony cabin. We did have 2 foot stools not lay-beds.
Port Reviews
Mare
no ship tour available. A ship shuttle service to 1 beach had booked out all local transport so there was no option to explore the island independently. So we went to the beach; crowds spoiled the 'remote island' feel. But it was beautiful. Currently an commercialized island with a native village still lived in the traditional way.
Port Vila
The ship tour was cancelled. So we found a private tour called Efate Island Safari, it was brilliant and far cheaper than the ship tour. We were met from the ship. The 2 locals met us from the ship. There were 7 on the tour. We went all around the island on the coastal road. First stop was the Blue Hole for a swim in turquoise waters and local fruits as refreshments. Epao Village where we watched a traditional war dance and the chief gave a coconut demonstration. The village women prepared our lunch which was different and delicious. On to the abandoned US WW2 airbase, hot springs, Ernest and his WW2 museum. We could stop whenever we wanted to take photos. We could swim in the warm blue sea. Great scenery at every turn. Highly recommend this tour.