Slow journeys through paradise – the best South Pacific cruises
The artist Paul Gauguin immortalised their beauty, as did the writer Robert Louis Stevenson, while the actor Marlon Brando went a step further and bought one of the islands. Can’t make up your mind which Pacific paradise to visit? Here’s a selection of cruises that will enable you to enjoy powder-white beaches, sail in pristine waters and experience the islands’ deep-rooted traditions. Fares include flights unless otherwise stated.
Canoe it yourself
Take the opportunity to paddle an outrigger canoe and travel as the Polynesians used to when they crossed the ocean to reach Hawaii. This activity is available on the island of Maui during Norwegian Cruise Line’s 12-night voyage from Honolulu to Tahiti. Along the way, you can also watch hula dancing, listen to traditional Polynesian tales told in song, see sacred ancient statues on the isle of Nuku Hiva, and tuck into a traditional feast on Moorea.
From £1,919pp, departing November 1, 2019 (0333 241 2319; ncl.com).
Door of perception
Hard to pronounce but even harder to forget… the Ha’amonga ’a Maui trilithon is one of Tonga’s most important monuments (think of it as a mini-Stonehenge). Legend has it that if you walk through the arch at a particular moment of the year you enter the world of an ancient god. Visit it on Viking’s new 37-night cruise from Los Angeles to Sydney, which also offers opportunities to attend a Tahitian cooking class, take a longboat river trip in Fiji and meet a Maori village elder in New Zealand.
From £12,385pp, departing January 2, 2020 (0800 458 6900; vikingcruises.co.uk).
Go with the wind
Want to feel a little more like Captain Cook? Then your ship should have sails. Windstar offers cruises around the Society Islands (the Tahiti group) on the four-masted Wind Spirit, as well as a few itineraries that venture out to the little-known Tuamotu Islands. Snorkelling and diving excursions offer the chance to discover marine life. In addition, you can find out about farming black pearls, learn how to make a pareo (wraparound) garment and pay your respects at the Unesco-listed Taputapuatea marae, a political, funerary and ceremonial complex on Raiatea.
A 13-night Windstar cruise departing October 19, 2019, costs from £5,829pp (020 3733 5557; iglucruise.com).
Bligh Treason
This year marks 230 years since the Mutiny on the Bounty. Visit the Tofua, where Captain Bligh came ashore in 1789 after bring offloaded by his crew. Noble Caledonia’s 18-night voyage from Fiji to Tahiti concentrates on lesser-known destinations, including the idland of Niue, one of the world’s smallest independent nations, with an area of just 101 square miles and a population of 1,600. There is also a call at the Society island of Raiatea, said to be the starting point of some of the great Polynesian migration journeys across the Pacific.
From £9,495pp departing September 26, 2019, (020 7752 0000; noble-caledonia.co.uk).
Leaping beauties
Ever wondered how bungee jumping was “invented”? The people of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu used it as a ritual jump, building towers from tree branches and using vines as rope. Silversea’s 16-night voyage on expedition ship Explorer, from Fiji to Cairns, is rich in traditions, rituals and ceremonies, from songs in the Solomon Islands to dancing in Papua New Guinea.
From £8,100pp departing April 24, 2020 (0844 251 0837; silversea.com).
Treasured islands
If you’ve time on your hands, Holland America Line’s 50-night round trip from San Diego just about covers the region. Criss-crossing the International Date Line, the voyage on Amsterdam takes in four Hawaiian islands, the remote Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, the Cook Islands and the Tahiti group. It also calls at uninhabited Mystery Island in Vanuatu, where locals paddle out to grill fish for visitors.
From £6,089pp excluding flights, departing October 28, 2019 (0344 338 8605; hollandamerica.com).
White hot-rituals
Walking over white-hot stones may seem like torture, but watching the Fijian firewalkers is great fun. Performed to the sound of chanting and drumming, the ancient ceremony can be witnessed on Oceania Cruises’ 17-night cruise from Tahiti to Sydney. There is also an oration by the High Talking Chief of a Samoan village.
From £6,809pp departing November 17, 2019 (0345 505 1920; oceaniacruises.com).
Under kava
Made from a pepper-plant root and mildly sedative, kava is served in a coconut-shell bowl passed around a circle of guests. The tradition can be experienced on Princess Cruises’ 13-night round trip from Sydney on Ruby Princess, which also takes in two islands of New Caledonia. Options include a visit to Fiji’s oldest village, thought to have been settled 3,500 years ago.
From £999pp, departing November 8, 2019 (0344 338 8663; princess.com).
Secrets and leis
The civilisations Captain Cook encountered had been exploring by boat for centuries before he arrived. The coral atoll in the Cook Islands was settled 1,100 years ago; on Aitutaki, tales of early seafaring are told by a local. On an 11-night voyage, small ship Paul Gauguin heads from the Cooks to the Society Islands.
From £4,900pp including flights from Los Angeles, departing November 2, 2019 (080 021 1739; pgcruises.com).
