Crossing equator on Radiance of the Seas

KING Neptune leads a raucous party as the liner crosses the equator on a repositioning cruise taking in French Polynesian islands in the Pacific.

Equator radiance of seas Escape

THE lively crowds on deck are kissing frozen fish, have raw egg dribbling down their chests, and spaghetti and tomato sauce clinging tenaciously to their hair.

They are a messy bunch, yet all smile broadly as they slip and slide across a large waterproof tarpaulin protecting the deck.

As happy seafarers they are enduring these indignities in a crossing-the-equator ceremony for passengers onboard Royal Caribbean Cruises' Radiance of the Seas.

A grey-bearded King Neptune, the Roman god of the oceans  - who looks remarkably like a crew member presides over festivities as the ship approaches the equator on a sector of a repositioning cruise from Australia to Alaska's scenic Inside Passage via New Zealand, the tropical islands of French Polynesia and Hawaii.

Radiance of the Seas will return Down Under next month for its second season in Australia with another madcap re-enactment by Pollywogs (passengers crossing the equator for the first time) watched by Shellbacks (those who have previously crossed that invisible line that marks the equator).

As a British migrant to Australia decades ago, I also took part in a crossing-the-equator ceremony, though way back then I was slimmer and trimmer and joined my two sisters as mermaids in King Neptune's court. Those festivities remain an outstanding memory of that month-long cruise to my new homeland.

Originally, the crossing-the-equator ceremony belonged to centuries-old naval traditions and was seen as a test by seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates were brave enough to handle the inevitable rough times at sea.

Today, there is no shortage of volunteers for the ceremony, as there are 2300 passengers on board Radiance of the Seas as well as 900 crew.

An unexpected revelation on Radiance is that passengers are not all oldies, with a good mix of parents with children (who have their own supervised club on board to give parents a break), honeymoon couples (who need time to relax after the wedding build-up), boomers (definitely spending the kids' inheritance), and older men and women who love the ease of cruising.

For most of us, the cruising highlight is still ahead as we leave Australia, then New Zealand, and sail seemingly alone in the Pacific Ocean to the French Polynesian islands of Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora.

First port of call is Tahiti's capital Papeete, where the air is heavy with tropical humidity and we discover beautiful, buxom Tahitian women with wide smiles who wear flowers in their long, thick hair; and men in colourful sarongs with brightly printed shirts. There is no shortage of ukulele music and swaying hips.

However, Papeete is a mishmash of development and not the tropical paradise we expect, being more a laid-back commercial heart with offices, shops and low-key housing that is often entangled with hot pink bougainvillea.

It takes a drive into the hills to reveal the tropical beauty that captivated artist Paul Gauguin and writer Robert Louis Stevenson and incited uprisings on Captain Bligh's good ship Bounty.

Here, the landscape is sweetly fragrant from a profusion of jasmine, ginger, bird of paradise, heliconia plants and tropical fruits. The few beaches around the coastline have black sand that glints in the sunlight.

The islands of Moorea and Bora Bora have a more marked tourist focus, with 5-star resorts with over-the-water bungalows sitting above sparkling coral gardens where exotic rainbow-painted fish dart, and snorkellers are joined by harmless reef sharks and manta rays.

Independent tour operators wait at every port, but most of Radiance's passengers prefer their island adventures organised by the specialist team onboard.

While this is usually the more expensive option, it is seen as a hassle-free way to explore a foreign port. It is this ease of travel that is one of the reasons cruising has now reached record levels.

Adam Armstrong, of Royal Caribbean Cruises Australia, says transpacific itineraries are growing in popularity as they evoke a bygone era when great distances could only be crossed by sea.

With a greater number of lazy days at sea, cruise passengers can enjoy onboard experiences at leisure.

Some get physical in the well-equipped gym or with deck activities such as the rock-climbing wall, while others indulge in spa treatments, book into one or more of the specialty restaurants, watch Broadway-style entertainment in the theatre or bond with other passengers over trivia, card games, bingo or dancing lessons.

A big plus on repositioning cruises is that they are usually one-off itineraries that often call into rarely visited ports, as well as offering further travel options at the end of the one-way crossing.

-- The writer was a guest of Royal Caribbean Cruises.

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- RADIANCE OF THE SEAS

Royal Caribbean Cruises' Radiance of the Seas returns to Australian waters next month for the summer cruising season.

A 17-night trans-Pacific cruise leaves Hawaii on September 24 for French Polynesia and New Zealand, arriving in Sydney on October 12, from $2421 a person, including accommodation, meals and entertainment.

Ph 1800 754 500 or see www.royalcaribbean.com.au