In 2023 we visited Australia and Fiji for the first time and loved both. We also fully remember enjoying our time in Signapore back in 1978. Thus for this trip we wanted to combine our love for cruising along with these destinations we wanted to return to.
We first had to find a cruise that connect a couple of our destinations. That was harder than we expected and we settled on a Celebrity Cruise out of Syndey. With the cruise selected we proceed to add details to the follow 2025 trip.
Our Celebrity Cruise is departing from Syndey, Australia which is a LONG way from California. So we added a rest stop about 2,000 miles short of Syndey. On the map to the right look for the white arrow, it is pointing to the Fiji islands.
Fiji is in the South Pacific Ocean, located roughly north of New Zealand and southwest of Hawaii. It's composed of over 300 islands. The Fiji International airport is locate on the island of Viti Levu, the destination of our first flight.
Upon arrival we are staying one night at the Fiji Gateway Lodge. We have stayed at this lodge before and it is literally and physically across the street from the airport; no taxi required. This one day stop is simple to make our long travel day easier because our true Fiji destination 15 miles away, on Navini Island.
On our first full day in Fiji we will make our way to the Vuda Marina to catch our shuttle to the Navini Resort. The map to the right shows the location of our resort island and the main island we are shuttling from. For the next 5 days this is home as we slowly recover from jet-leg.
After our Fiji time we have a rather short flight to Syndey. For the next 5 days we plan to explore Syndey from the Hotel Bondi. Located opposite Bondi Beach, Hotel Bondi offers a light hearted atmosphere comprising of boutique accommodation, a bustling bistro, bars and beer garden to take in the beach over a cold one.
After relaxing and exploring Syndey, especially around Bondi Beach, it is time to board our Celebrity cruise ship, the Solstice, for our 14 day cruise to Signapore. The Solstice was built in 2007 and has a capacity of over 2,800 passengers and 1,500 crew. Yes, a big ship but not as big as the Sun Princess which was our last cruise. So, maybe this ship will feel small!!!
Our 14-day cruise takes us up the east and north side of Australia before turning more northerly in route to Singapore. The map to the right is the route we will be taking.
The Australia stop are all new as in Bali. We are still deciding what to do in these port. Below is the fully cruise schedule showing how long we have in each port.
After the cruise we are spending a few days in Singapore, an island country. The country's territory consists of one main island, 63 satellite islands. It is about one degree of latitude (85 miles) north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. While in Singapore we are staying at the Pullman Singapore Hill Street. The hotel is located in the heart of the old city with views of the water and Blue Mosque.