Polynesia & Melanesia / Micronesia Cruise

Day 1 - Lautoka

Arrive: Tue 06 May 2025 / Depart: Tue 06 May 2025 at 19:00

Lautoka is often described as the sugar city. Sugar cane is the major industry of Fiji and Lautoka is its main base. Here are the industries' headquarters, the largest sugar mill, modern loading facilities and a large wharf. It features 70 miles of roads, almost all paved, a wonderful botanical garden and royal palm trees decorating the city's main street, Vitogo Parade. The municipal market is another attraction from both outside and inside. Fiji typifies the image of paradise. The people here live as they have done for centuries, retaining their ancient traditions and simple and carefree lifestyle supported by the harvest of a generous land and bountiful sea.

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Rotuma, Fiji

Arrive: Thu 08 May 2025 / Depart: Thu 08 May 2025

Day 4 - At Sea

Day 5 - Funafuti

Arrive: Sat 10 May 2025 at 07:30 / Depart: Sat 10 May 2025 at 17:00

Funafuti is an atoll and the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 6,320 people, making it the country's most populous atoll, with 60.15 percent of Tuvalu's population. It consists of a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide.

Day 6 - Nukufetau, Tuvalu

Arrive: Sun 11 May 2025 at 07:30 / Depart: Sun 11 May 2025 at 17:00

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - Mata-Utu, Wallis Island, Wallis and Futuna Islands

Day 9 - Asau, Samoa

Day 10 - Apia

Arrive: Thu 15 May 2025 at 07:30 / Depart: Thu 15 May 2025 at 22:00

As the first independent state of Polynesia, Samoa is considered the cradle of the nation, a place where the Earth and the heart fuse seamlessly fuse together. Incidentally, were one to translate the word “Samoa” into the traditional Polynesia dialect, they would find that the words “Sa” and “Moa” mean exactly that: earth and centre. Apia, Samoa’s only town, is found central north coast of Upolu, Samoa’s second largest island. Originally a tiny village of just over 300 inhabitants (c. View less 1800), the town’s population has grown to be just shy of 40,000. While a population of such size might mean forgetting traditional roots in favour of modern life, this has not been the case (too much) in Apria. The Samoan way of life is still very much the order of the day; traditional open-sided houses with thatched roofs on platforms of coral or concrete, also known as ‘fales’, can be seen everywhere and nearly all of the population (including the policemen) wear the typical local dress; skirts, or ‘lavalavas’ for men, and long, mumu-style dresses for women. The markets are bursting with culture and colour, selling everything from handicrafts to cuisine and local produce. If the idyllic setting of aquamarine pools of bluey green water, framed by low fringed palms and huge umbrella trees seems familiar, that’s because it probably is. The island, and notably the southern resort of Lefaga, was used in the 1953 Gary Cooper classic Return to Paradise Beach. It is also the last place on Earth to see each day’s sunset.

Day 11 - Niuatoputapu

Arrive: Fri 16 May 2025 at 12:30 / Depart: Fri 16 May 2025 at 18:00

Also referred to as Keppel Island, Niuatoputapu (meaning “Very Sacred Coconut” in the local language) is one of the northernmost islands of Tonga, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The highest point of the island is a hill just 515 feet (157 meters) in height, the eroded remnant of a large volcano that erupted approximately 3 million years ago. The island consists of three primary villages with a total population of just over 900 inhabitants. The original Niuatoputapu language has been extinct for centuries; residents now speak Tongan.

Day 12 - Neiafu

Arrive: Sat 17 May 2025 at 07:30 / Depart: Sat 17 May 2025 at 20:00

With a population of 6,000, Neiafu is the capital of the Vava’u Group and the second largest municipality in the Polynesian nation of Tonga (a 169-island archipelago in the South Pacific). The city is situated next to a deep- water harbor (Port of Refuge) on the south coast of Vava’u, the main island of the Vava’u archipelago in northern Tonga. The waters of this region are known for their clarity and beauty, and the area attracts many humpback whales between June and November. View less A popular destination in Neiafu is the ‘Ene’io Botanical Garden, a bird sanctuary that promotes the survival of exotic and native bird species as well as supports and conserves a diverse array of plant life.

Day 13 - At Sea

Day 14 - Levuka, Ovalau

Arrive: Mon 19 May 2025 at 06:00 / Depart: Mon 19 May 2025 at 08:00

Levuka highlights both the historical and natural aspects of Fiji. The small island of Ovalau is located off the east coast of Viti Levu. The quaint town of Levuka has the honour of having been Fiji’s very first capital where King Cakobau reigned and where the deed of cession to Queen Victoria was signed in 1874. Many of the old buildings in the town have remained nearly unchanged since the late 1800s. View less Here one can find Fiji’s first government school, the popular Ovalau Club, and the “Cession Stone” commemorating the signing of the Deed of Cession. Just outside the city, it is possible to hike through pristine rainforest and take in the magnificent natural beauty of the surrounding area.

Day 14 - Leleuvia, Fiji

Arrive: Mon 19 May 2025 at 10:00 / Depart: Mon 19 May 2025 at 17:30

Day 15 - Lautoka

Arrive: Tue 20 May 2025 at 07:30 / Depart: Tue 20 May 2025 at 19:00

Lautoka is often described as the sugar city. Sugar cane is the major industry of Fiji and Lautoka is its main base. Here are the industries' headquarters, the largest sugar mill, modern loading facilities and a large wharf. It features 70 miles of roads, almost all paved, a wonderful botanical garden and royal palm trees decorating the city's main street, Vitogo Parade. The municipal market is another attraction from both outside and inside. Fiji typifies the image of paradise. The people here live as they have done for centuries, retaining their ancient traditions and simple and carefree lifestyle supported by the harvest of a generous land and bountiful sea.