April 16-17, 2011
Saturday, we left our hotel at 10.30 and boarded our small ship at 1:00. After a light lunch and time to unpack a few things, we sunned on the deck. There are about 80 passengers and we have a small, but adequate cabin. All passengers can use snorkels, masks and fins for free and there are supplies for certified divers. At 2:00, a small, glass bottomed boat and a tender left the ship for a small island. People could either sun, swim or snorkeled off the island, or the boat would take you back out to the reef and you could work your way back to the island. DeeDee joined the snorkelers and enjoyed the coral, zebra fish, parrot fish and beautiful bright, blue starfish. After about an hour, the small boats brought us back on the ship and a cold beer was needed to get rid of the salt water taste (that is my story and I’m sticking with it).
Tendering for this ship is a must in these ‘no dock’ areas but they have an easy and ingenious way to do it. The Reef Endeavor has 2 small boats the hang from the top but the really neat one is the glass bottom boat that attaches to the back of the ship and raised or lowered by hydraulics so we literally walk on and off.
Cocktails and canapés at 6:30, with the Captain’s dinner at 7:30 rounded out the evening. We had chicken or fish choices for dinner followed by the introduction of the crew who sang and danced for us. By 10:00, the entertainment was over and we were ready to call it a night.
This ship was anchored all night and moved to another of the 300+ Fijian islands in the morning.
Sunday, the first snorkel boat went out at 9:00, and DeeDee and Linda both snorkeled along the reef. DeeDee decided to swim back to the boat, while Linda headed for the beach, not knowing the reefs at low tide created quite the obstacle course when trying to exit the water. She had a few scraps, which were covered with Betadine when we returned to the ship for lunch. The corals were amazing in the sunlight and we saw lots of fish, along with a large dark blue (non-stinging) jellyfish. From the ship, we also saw two black-tipped reef sharks, about 3 feet long. The crew assured us they don’t bite – but we weren’t as confident about the 4 foot barracuda we also saw off the ship. The crew kept feeding the fish, hopefully to keep them by the ship and not where we were going to snorkel. Again, beer served a medicinal purpose after all that salt water. We learned later this was the island that was the site of Survivor Fiji.
Lunch was served on the top deck, nice salads and a selection of curry dishes. After a rest in our cabin, we are ready to head out for the 2:00 beach and snorkeling trip. This time we were at Octopus Beach, which does have a big resort. Linda decided to enjoy her time under a palm tree with a book and DeeDee snorkeled again. She did spot some clown fish (hey, Nemo) and angel fish, as well as more beautiful coral reefs. The boat returned to the ship about 3:30 and a trip to a local Fijian Methodist Church was offered, but we decided to pray to a Fijian Gold Beer, get our showers and stay cool before happy hour and dinner. Rough life…but someone has to do it!
DeeDee’s fun fact…fat floats in water making us extremely buoyant . Finally, there is one advantage to a few extra pounds! More of you should try it.
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