Vessel: SH Minerva
Location: Solomon Islands
Itinerary: Wild Eden of Papua New Guinea
I have to admit, after my debut on Swan Hellenic in the Indian Ocean in 2024, I was more than a little excited to be back on board one of the swish new triplets from this revived boutique cruising brand.
My ship for the next two weeks is the 152-passenger Minerva, which has quite the backstory, but nevertheless, here she is resplendent and ready for duty on this 13-day itinerary from Honiara in the Solomon Islands to Sorong in Indonesia.
I was also surprised to be greeted by former Seabourn shipmates Nikki, Alex and Dannii, along with Swan Hellenic expedition operations manager, Jane Wilson, with whom I last sailed aboard Quark's Kapitan Khlebnikov to Wrangel Island in 2005. To further prove how small the world is, Captain Frank Allica was also aboard as a guest lecturer. A retired RAN officer, Frank previously skippered Orion, Orion II, Clipper Odyssey and Caledonian Sky on my previous adventures. Sure, I felt old, but comfortable in the knowledge that I was in the best hands.
Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands on Guadalcanal, is not your typical cruise port. While it sees several cruise ships every year, it is more suited to expedition vessels and the smaller white ships. I've made numerous visits to Honiara and the Solomon Islands over the years, and I remain fascinated by the history of these islands, both the colonial and wartime perspectives. Military history buffs (my hand is up) will know the brutal campaign that took place here from August 1942, which claimed thousands of lives and ultimately became one of the turning points in the Pacific Theatre.
Our itinerary, Wild Eden of Papua New Guinea, covers a lot of familiar territory for me and some of my favourite locations anywhere. It concludes in Sorong, Indonesia on April 18th and will be filled with great experiences and encounters along the way. Stay tuned for semi-daily updates as we cruise these rich waters.
Main pic: (c) Swan Hellenic
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