Last year when I was preparing and planning for our Carnival 9-night cruise to the Pacific Islands, I was googling and reading all the things online. I wanted to read about what everyone got up to, and get an insight into what our trip might be like. I was obsessed with consuming any Carnival Cruise review I could get my eyes on! And so, here I am putting together my little diary-style post of our trip. I hope you find this helpful if you’re planning a similar cruise, or perhaps you’re reading this wondering if you should go on a cruise {the answer is YES}.
OUr carnival cruise review
DAY ONE | LEAVING SYDNEY
Our ship, the Carnival Legend, was departing from Sydney, so we had to make the short trek south to Sydney. Our check-in time was before 3pm, so we decided to go down to Sydney on an early flight, have a lunch of dumplings in the City and then get aboard the ship and start our holiday!
As soon as we boarded we celebrated with a cocktail, hung out on the top deck, and then went to our room to unpack and get everything sorted for the days ahead.
DAY TWO | QUEEN AT SEA
Our second day aboard Carnival Legend was all about exploring and seeing what there was to do on the ship. The kids loved the games room, where they won some cute toys, and once they were all gamed out we headed to play a game of BINGO. Just before BINGO started there was a game of Cluedo which I didn’t expect to be so fun. It revealed a mystery that happened on the ship that we had to solve. Lulu was so into it, and we spent the rest of the trip looking for clues and trying to figure out who killed Mr Boddy.
After dinner at Truffles Restaurant, we headed to watch a Queen Tribute Show which was one of the top three experiences for me. Thomas Crane has appeared on Aussie TV before, and was amazing. We all loved his show. Such a brilliant performer!
DAY THREE | Build-a-bear, satisfy our cravings
Lulu was so excited that there was an option to create a Build-A-Bear on the ship, so when the special day rolled around… she was thrilled. I thought it was going to be a store, but instead they rolled in the equipment and we all made the bears in a workshop. It was so much fun.
We checked out the Snags and Pies section of the Lido Deck {the pie fillings change daily, so yum!} and then finished off the day with dinner at Truffles Restaurant and watched the Motor City show {a step back in time to Motown}.
DAY FOUR | DUCK ISLAND, NOUMEA
I woke to the sight of land {I always slept with the curtain ajar, so I could see the sun rising and any land} and the excitement of getting out an exploring. Our trip for the day was our to Duck Island, and to get there we boarded a small speedboat called the Zodiak. The ride out was fast and fun. We stayed on the island for a few hours, and snorkeled. Turtles are spotted regularly on Duck Island, so we kept an eye out, but it wasn’t our lucky day.
We had considered heading out to explore more of Noumea once we had finished our excursion, but once we were back on the ship we were excited to explore while the ship was really quiet. We ate lunch, walked around and checked out the view. We finished the day with dinner and a Brits Show.
DAY FIVE | YEJELE BEACH, MARE
Overnight we traveled to Mare, an island that doesn’t offer a host of excursion options, instead most guests take the bus over to Yejele Beach, which is a long stretch of beautiful white beach with snorkeling right off the shore.
The girls got their hair braided, and we grabbed some lunch for a little roadside stall. We were one of the first onto the beach, and it was so nice to get out early before the super hot sun.
Back on the shop it was Mexican Night, so most guests dressed up, and in the restaurant the food was themed to be Mexican {so delicious!}. We headed to the Hasbro the Game Show after dinner, where we laughed so hard and watched guests win some fun prizes.
DAY SIX | LUECILA BEACH, LIFOU ISLAND
I remembered Lifou Island from my last cruise, and loved that straight off the tenders we could check out the numerous stalls and even buy lunch. There’s also a beach for swimming. We had originally planned to not do a shore excursion, and instead just wander around and take a dip, but after researching we wanted to check out the beautiful Luecila Beach. It’s a 30 minute drive across the island, and took us to the most amazing beach with beautiful soft sand. Our weather was a little windy {meaning the water was a little choppy, and there were blue bottles} but it didn’t stop us from swimming and building sandcastles.
After heading back onto the ship, we showered, dressed, had dinner and then watched the talented Nathan Summers perform. His show was quite a hoot.
DAY SEVEN | ISLE OF PINES, LITERALLY PARADISE
Our last port day for the trip, was at Isle of Pines, and I don’t knew if I’ve ever experienced somewhere so beautiful. We were first off the ship, and happily secured ourselves a nice spot on the beach ready to snorkel and have some fun. The girls got their hair braided again, we bought chips {again} and we took in the amazing view.
Back on the ship we sang Christmas Carols with the crew, and watched snow fall in the Atrium. It’s pretty magical {something I’ve been lucky enough to experience twice now}.
DAY EIGHT | Towel animals and elegant night
The kids were obsessed with the towel animals that our cabin steward, Artika, made each day… so I thought it was best that we took a complimentary class and learned how to make them ourselves. We can now make towel elephants and dogs on request!
We enjoyed elegant night in the restaurant, and Lacey posed for some beautiful photos {we bought one, and she’s so in love with it!}. We finished the night by watching a comedy sketch with Gavin Baskerfulle, and then a Studio 54 musical show.
DAY NINE | The last day blues
The vibe on the ship on the last full day is always interesting. Everyone is buzzing around trying to make the most of their last day, but also feeling a little sad that it’s all over. We did some more exploring, ate at Bonsai Sushi again, enjoyed the Green Eggs and Ham breakfast with Dr. Seuss, played some Mini Golf and left no corner of the ship unseen
And the moment we were waiting for, finding out who killed Mr. Boddy in the Murder Mystery Clue game happened. I won’t tell, but I got it wrong. Hubby got it wrong {thank goodness he’s the cop and not me!}.
I’d been pestering Lacey to try Kids Club the whole trip, and not because I wanted a break for her, but because I knew that all she wanted was to make a friend. It took a little hand holding and gentle nudging, but she went and made three great friends {one also named Lacey!}. They hung out in kids club for a mere 15 minutes, and then went exploring together, eating sushi, and watching a show together. The thing is, it worked! She made a friend, and I just wished she’d done it on the first day. Next trip, she definitely will!
We finished the night watching Epic Rock, which was … epic! So good.
DAY TEN | Hello Sydney!
I woke super early so that I could see the ship sail into the heads of Sydney, and then into the harbour. It was magic. I was sad that our trip was over, as I always am, but glad that we’d made new memories, and excited to plan the next cruise we do!
