Where to go on a South Pacific cruise

The South Pacific is massive, and the variety of small ship cruising options here is pretty big too. That’s not to say there are tons of trips running non-stop, year-round; just that the style of boat, journey time and ‘feel’ of trips varies. The more remote you go, the more time you’ll need. Cruises to the Subantarctic Islands or between Papua New Guinea and New Zealand will involve whole days at sea between stop-offs and take at least two weeks. You will also have to factor in the time it takes to fly to the island or country from which your cruise begins – typically New Zealand’s South Island, Fiji, Tahiti or the Solomon Islands.

Powell Ettinger at our supplier, the Small Ship Cruise Collection, has these insights into French Polynesia:

"The archaeological site on Hiva Oa has similar statues to those found on Easter Island and a guided tour around the village of Puamau is an excellent way to find out more about how and why tikis came to be on the island.”

“Some places you will find sand flies or ‘no see ‘ums’; these can be a real annoyance so good insect repellent and long sleeves, particularly in the evenings, are a must.”

“The best time to visit French Polynesia is anytime really as it’s not too far from the equator and by the nature of it you’ll only find heavy rain during the afternoon which is usually over no sooner than it starts.”

“Expeditioners can experience a variety of weather conditions from intense sunshine to driving rain and wind, and occasionally even light snowfall, so we strongly encourage our expeditioners to bring layers of clothing. It is essential to bring waterproof outer layers (both a jacket and trousers). Also the secret of keeping warm is the ‘layer principle’ – several light layers of clothing instead of one heavy layer. Merino tops and leggings are good to wear as under-layers. The ship is heated, so make sure that you bring clothes that are comfortable to wear inside the ship as well as outside. Sunblock is essential as well as sunglasses and a hat as the sun can be very strong. Lip balm with an SPF can be a good idea to bring as protection. We recommend hiking boots for walking on the islands and a pair of gumboots or Wellingtons for wet landings. Waterproof gloves are recommended to save your hands getting wet on Zodiac cruises. We can recommend places to purchase boots in Invercargill prior to the expedition, to save bringing them from overseas, or we do have a limited supply aboard.”

“The experience of our expedition team means that although nothing is every guaranteed, we know where we can find the wildlife we hope to encounter. Our guides are just as eager as you are to see that special animal or plant. Our small ship is designed to get you to areas that may be otherwise inaccessible to larger ships, plus having just 50 passengers aboard means that we have extra flexibility. We’re not afraid to run a Zodiac cruise before breakfast if that’s when the weather will be best, or to push back dinner to allow our expeditioners to enjoy a landing to all of its potential.”