Fijian Seniors Cruise 2019

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22 - 31 May 2019

We invite you to join us on our exclusive chartered Music for Romantics cruise, set in the beautiful outer Fijian Islands with balmy breezes, spectacular sunsets and magnificent music! We sing on deck with the Islands as our backdrop, stars as our canopy and feel our music waft across the gentle warm seas of the South Pacific.

$7,677 NZD

Single Room Supplement

- ADD $4,795 NZD

Initial Deposit On Booking

$1,500 NZD

Second Deposit Due 5 December 2018

$3,000 NZD

Final Balance Due 11 February 2019

Music for Romantics - Fijian Cruise

Experience the Exceptional
We combine a tropical paradise with magnificent themed concerts presented by our three tenors Bonnie, Derek Hill and Kalauni Pouvalu, soprano Amanda Atlas, mezzo Elisha Fai- Hulton and Penny Dodd.
Every crew member on our exclusive cruise sings and plays guitar or ukulele and when you add them to the talent we are bringing from NZ, it equates to a feast of song.
Special musical events at the church and school where the locals thrill us with their robust passionate singing.
Two nights by the pool at the Sofitel and then seven nights on our chartered cruise which include visits to our own private beach. It’s just us, so there’s every reason for frolicking in a swimsuit which hasn’t seen the light of day for a while, snorkelling, paddle boarding and simply sitting on a deck chair with a Piña colada.
Sofitel Hotel (2 nights)
We fly to Fiji and transfer to the beautiful Sofitel 5 star Resort & Spa right on the beach.
• A beachfront welcome dinner, Bula, with some favourite tunes presented by our artists, local Fijian singers and culminating with Fijian fire dancing on the beach.
• A totally free day to soak up the sun in luxurious surroundings.
• A more formal dinner in our French owned hotel’s elegant dining room with music: Vive la France celebrating French songs including Les Miserables and French opera to beautiful instrumental pieces by Chopin and Bizet.
Today we transfer to the fabulous refurbished Fiji Princess, ours exclusively on charter for the next 7 nights.
• Cruising out to the Yasawa Islands.
• Captain’s Dinner, entertainment from the crew, sunset cocktails, dinner, and a concert entitled A European Romance featuring waltzes and ballads.
• The Southern Yasawa Islands, a swim with reef sharks, enjoy the glass bottom boat, cruise into the waters around Naviti and Soso Bay, a tour to the chiefly village of Soso with a presentation on the local history and legends.
• Bollywood Night, a fancy dress night with some ‘Bollywood Dancing’ then watching the fabulous movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, set in India.
• A village church service, which is a very special, moving experience with fabulous singing from the villagers and our artists.
• Basket weaving, swimming and other local activities with music from the crew.
• Dinner, a singalong led by the crew, and our evening concert: Three Tenors Tribute
Visit the famed Blue Lagoon, a magical location filled with fascinating coral reefs easily seen from the surface of the crystal-clear waters.
• Visit Nanuya Lailai Island, our own private beach with everything at our fingertips on this beautiful tropical island!
• Tonight, we enjoy a magical concert on the upper deck entitled Serenades Under the Stars.
• A private guided visit to the Sawa-i-Lau caves where we can view the majestic cavern from the stairs or swim in the caves.
• Free time to swim, play board games or watch the world go by.
• Rutene’s one man show Toe Tapping Tunes and Twinkle Toes followed by a family-style soirée tonight with a chance to enjoy some jokes, singalongs and party pieces from both our artists and our audience.
• A return to our private island. Activities include: the Lovo preparation (like a hangi), guided walk, snorkel or swim, volleyball and coconut demonstrations, Fijian carving, and feeding the fish.
• Singalong session with our artists and the crew, followed by a traditional Lovo with fantastic Meke featuring singing, dancing and storytelling by a group of local villagers. The dining room tonight is on the beach under the coconut palms and the stars.
• A marine biologist talk.
• A visit to Yasawa High School with a performance from the students.
• Sunset cocktails and a special final night dinner with our crew entertaining us, then a gala event on the upper deck: Music for Romantics, featuring the most beautiful melodies ever written, sung under the stars in balmy breezes as the sun sets - a fitting finale for
our beautiful cruise.
We enjoy breakfast on board as Fiji Princess cruises back toward her home port and our flight to NZ.

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This trip includes

Return airfares Auckland - Nadi on Air NZ including all taxes.
Special themed concerts of famous music from our talented singers and pianist including; Welcome Dinner ‘Bula’; French themed evening Viva la France; A European Romance; Serenades Under the Stars; Three Tenors Tribute; Music for Romantics open air concert and Rutene’s one man show Toe Tapping Tunes and Twinkle Toes.
7 nights private charter on board the Fiji Princess, around the Yasawa Islands in outer Fiji, including musical entertainment from the crew, all of whom play and sing from the Captain down!
Special events include church service with singing from our artists and local villagers, concert presentation from local high school students, visit to Soso village, private beach, cultural displays, Lovo meal with Fijian dancing and fire walking.
2 nights 5-star luxury at the beautiful Sofitel Hotel in ocean view rooms.
All breakfasts, 6 lunches, 9 dinners are included plus morning/afternoon tea, and tea and coffee available on board.
Escorted by our three tenors Bonnie, Derek Hill and Kalauni Pouvalu, soprano Amanda Atlas, mezzo Elisha Fai-Hulton, and Penny Dodd on piano
All taxes, transfers, porterage as listed in our itinerary
MODERATE WALKING TOUR
This tour requires a better level of fitness with no wheelchairs or walkers. Generally, there may be times when we can’t get the coach close. In some of our Pacific Island tours we will need you to transfer onto a tender and walk on soft sand. We also will have much longer flights and long walks through airports.
Important Information
• For further information please ring our office or visit our website.
• All trips are subject to change but any changes will be of equal or greater value.
• All deposits are refundable up until final payment date minus any costs that the company has incurred.
• Please refer to our terms and conditions on our booking form.
• While we carefully plan our trips to be well paced, all travellers need to possess a certain level of fitness. Some trips are more arduous and carry an advisory note in the itinerary that a specific level of fitness is required.
• Operatunity Travel requires all travellers to obtain comprehensive travel insurance. Please be sure to ring our office if you require any information or clarification about insurance or any questions regarding travelling with Operatunity Travel.
For your travel bookings call our Travel Department toll free on 0508 886 489 or email travel@operatunity.co.nz

PLACES WE STAY

Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa
We escape to the South Pacific and retreat to a Fiji beach resort merging luxury hotel facilities with the destinations natural beauty, vibrant local culture and an elegant French touch. We experience a holiday in paradise at Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa. With ocean views from all rooms, the hotel also has incredible pools, beach front location and a spa if you wish to indulge in some pampering while we are here.

Fiji Princess
Our exclusive charter on Fiji Princess, a boutique ship, allows for the exploration of countless tranquil inlets and bays, not accessible to larger cruise ships. The Fiji Princess, from Fijis famous Blue Lagoon Cruises, has also been purpose-built for cruising, especially around the Yasawa Islands.

The small size is just one of the things that makes our charted exclusive cruise so special. Accommodating only 68 passengers, we can access bays and islands that would be impossible to reach in a large ship. We can get so close to shore that we can tie off on a coconut tree and you can swim to the beach! No matter which beach or island we visit we won’t be overwhelmed by crowds, as most of the time we are the only people on the beach! Not only that, each crew member sings and plays guitar or ukulele so we will have truly musical experiences with, of course, fantastic music from us as well!

MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Vive le France A more formal dinner in our French owned hotel’s elegant dining room with music: celebrating French songs including Les Miserables and French opera to beautiful instrumental pieces by Chopin and Bizet.

A European Romance Captain’s Dinner, entertainment from the crew, sunset cocktails, dinner and a concert featuring waltzes and ballads.

Three Tenors Tribute over dinner

Serenades Under the Stars on the top deck of the Princess

Rutene’s one man show Toe Tapping Tunes and Twinkle Toes, followed by a traditional Lovo with fantastic Meke featuring singing, dancing and storytelling by a group of local villagers. The dining room is on the beach under the coconut palms and the stars.

Music for Romantics Sunset cocktails and a special final night dinner with our crew entertaining us, then a gala event on the upper deck, featuring the most beautiful melodies ever written, sung under the stars in the balmy breeze as the sun sets - a fitting finale for our beautiful cruise.

Travel Insurance

Every customer is required to take out insurance for all international travel when taking a trip with Operatunity Ltd.

DOMESTIC INSURANCE
Insurance for Domestic travel is currently available from many companies. Insurance for New Zealand trips is entirely at your discretion. Please email our office for our current recommendation if you wish our advice.

INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE
Insurance for International travel is currently available from many companies. For our trips overseas it is a requirement that proof of cover be sent to our office some time before departure from NZ. We can not accept travellers who hold no cover for international travel as per our term and conditions.
Please email our office for our current recommendation if you wish our advice. Email travelbookings@operatunity.co.nz Phone 0508 886 489

MOBILITY

Operatunity provides group senior travel and with this in mind we plan trips to suit our target market. But not every trip is created equal in terms of mobility. We want to give you the best possible experience but that will only be achieved if you are able to enjoy everything that our trips have to offer.
Most of our long haul trips require a better level of mobility. We will look after everyone as well as we possibly can, but we cannot look after one at the expense of the rest of the group. We also cannot have one person slowing the rest of group to the point where the group is not able to enjoy every experience we are able to provide.
With this in mind we have put a mobility clause into every trip. Under each explanation here I have popped a statement. Ask yourself if this is ‘you’, when booking on a trip.

None of the following mobility clauses preclude you from ordering a wheelchair at the airport if required.

1. GENTLE TOUR This tour will suit most people, even with a stick or a walker, but sorry not someone in a wheelchair. The activity level is gently paced, but you still need to be able to get on and off buses easily. There will be walking, but not a lot. “I love travelling, but at a gentle pace. I like to avoid stairs or too much activity, but I am able to get on and off buses easily.”

2. EASY TOUR This tour will suit people with a stick, but not a walker. You will be required to walk to get from place to place and stand in museums, but it is designed to be an easy tour with lots of times to rest, travel on a coach and walk easy leisurely distances. ”Walking is fine. I can get on and off a coach. I am happy to stand for an hour or two in museums and galleries and gently stroll through places of interest. I am happy to climb the odd set of stairs.”

3. MODERATE WALKING TOUR This tour requires a better level of fitness with no wheelchairs or walkers. Generally, there may be times when we can’t get the coach close. In some of our Pacific Island tours we will need you to transfer onto a tender and walk on soft sand. We also will have much longer flights and long walks through airports. “I like walking at a moderate pace. I love to keep my days full and experience everything the tour has to offer. Stairs, tender transfers and cobblestones don’t bother me.”

4. EXPLORING TOUR This is still a moderately paced tour, but you will be required to walk longer distances, walk on cobblestones and stand in museums. To really get the best out of this tour you need to be able to stand or walk for a couple of hours comfortably, be it at a leisurely pace. “I like to spend most of the day exploring. Whether walking historic neighbourhoods on cobblestones at a moderate pace or out and about on a coach, I want my days full. Stairs don’t bother me and I am keen to see and do as much as I can with the odd day off to recuperate.”

Operatunity is a company specialising in music lovers tours to the senior market. Each trip has been especially planned to include music and arts experiences and has a level of friendliness and care which cannot be found anywhere else! Our trips are packed with features not found anywhere else
Yes we have lots of people who travel on their own. We endeavour to match you up with someone who lives close to you or is close in age to you. Often you will get a chance to meet with your matchup or ring them before you leave on your trip. You also may prefer to travel solo and pay the single supplement price. We travel as a happy band so there will be lots of chances to meet people. You will find fellow music lovers and those with other similar interests. In fact those like the nicer things of life so you will travel with like-minded people. It is also important to remember that our singers are our escorts so you will see at least a couple of familiar faces as you leave.
If you live outside of Auckland, we can arrange travel and accommodation on your way to meet up with our group. We have access and can book domestic airfares in conjunction with Air New Zealand international airfares. Plus we can book your pre and post tour accommodation if required.
It is compulsory for our international trips and highly recommended for our domestic tours.
No as most airlines offer various special meals and any restaurants we visit are happy to accommodate special dietary requirements.
We seek to accommodate the needs of guests with disabilities whenever possible. However in most cases we are unable to take customers with walkers, wheelchairs or other mobility issues. Certain trips may be unsuitable due to walking or limited availability of accommodation with disabled facilities. We cannot be responsible for the care of customers suffering from significant cognitive illness (such as dementia). We ask such customers to consult with your doctor to obtain medical clearance. Guests needing assistance mustbe accompanied by an able companion who will be available to assist them and assume full responsibility for their wellbeing.
We ask that you can walk at least 100 metres unaided and be able to get on and off buses with little or no assistance. We cater for a senior market but it is important that you do not jeopardise the enjoyment of others by requiring more care and holding up the rest of the group. Talk to our office or staff at concerts and any advisory notes for individual trips to get a better idea of your suitability for each trip.
We stay at 4 and 5 star character hotels, avoiding package, tourist or big hotel chains. We choose hotels with a more personal feel often with historic content or hotels of beauty and character, centrally located or in parks, by the water, or with beautiful gardens.
Breakfast is included daily, and many dinners and lunches are also included as per our itinerary.
There are no hidden costs. Included in the trip are tips, taxes, porterage, breakfast, meals where specified, inclusions listed in the itinerary, entry fees where listed in the itinerary, concert/show tickets where listed in the itinerary, tour escorts and local specialised guides.
Some of our trips sell out very quickly and we recommend you make your booking as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.
We will ask you to pay an initial deposit when making your booking. We will then follow up for a second deposit and then a final balance payment prior to travel.
All deposits up until final payment are refundable minus an administration fee of up to $500 plus any non-recoverable costs the company may incur.
After final deposit refunds are unlikely and the refund becomes an insurance claim.
Our numbers vary from destination to destination, please contact our office for further information. We have a minimum number required to operate a tour. Should minimum numbers not be met, a full refund will be made.
For international trips, all guests must have a valid passport that does not expire earlier than at least 6 months beyond their intended stay.
Music is a key element in making our experiences special. There are special experiences and events every day, such as themed dinners, impromptu concerts, music, art tours with art experts and garden tours with garden experts.
Most hotels now have internet connection and all hotels have telephones in the room or at reception. If using your mobile telephone check calling and text rates, and disable data roaming before leaving New Zealand. Consider purchasing a prepaid SIM card. And you can keep in touch using social media such as Facebook. We have a copy of your next of kin details in case of emergency and we are also happy to help out with texts, phone calls and emails if you can’t get in touch with your family and need to while away. We are also happy to help out with getting your phones, ipads and cameras to work if needed while away.
We spend less time travelling between regions, allowing more time to enjoy experiences when you arrive. We avoid one night stops and “conveyor belt” travel, so you really can capture the local colour and vitality of the region. Our trips are planned so that there is a balance of included activities and free time for you to relax or do some exploring on your own.
Contact Operatunity Travel
Phone toll free: 0508 886 489
Mail your booking form to PO BOX 132 150, Sylvia Park, Auckland 1644
Email: travel@operatunity.co.nz
Phone toll free: 0508 886 489
Email: travelbookings@operatunity.co.nz