South Pacific cruises

Bora Bora from your balcony, Moorea by lunch, Fiji next week.

Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora on Paul Gauguin and Windstar from Papeete, 7 to 10 nights with a private motu beach day; Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu from Sydney and Brisbane on the big ships; and Hawaii to Tahiti voyages from Honolulu. It sails year-round and it is always warm. SmartCruiser shows every South Pacific sailing with taxes and fees included, and puts the sailings with SmartCruiser bonus credit at the top.

7 to 10nights from Papeete; 7 to 12 from Sydney
Year-roundMay to October is the dry season
148 to 330guests on the Tahiti ships
All inevery price includes taxes and fees
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Three South Pacifics

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The dream

Tahiti, Moorea & Bora Bora

  • 7 nights from Papeete: Moorea, Huahine, Taha’a and two days in the Bora Bora lagoon
  • Paul Gauguin’s private motu and Windstar’s beach barbecue
  • Flights from Los Angeles are 8 hours with no date line

Best for: honeymoons, anniversaries, snorkelers

Easy from Australia

Fiji, New Caledonia & Vanuatu

  • 7 to 12 nights round trip from Sydney or Brisbane
  • Noumea, Lifou, Mystery Island, Port Vila, Suva and Lautoka
  • Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Princess prices with big-ship facilities

Best for: families, anyone already heading to Australia

The long way

Hawaii to Tahiti & the Marquesas

  • 10 to 18 nights from Honolulu or Papeete through the Tuamotus and the Marquesas
  • Paul Gauguin, Windstar, Princess and Holland America
  • The most remote islands a cruise ship reaches

Best for: second visits, sea-day lovers, Gauguin fans

Live from the cruise lines

South Pacific deals: SmartCruiser picks first

Every South Pacific sailing from every line, Papeete to Sydney, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every South Pacific sailing

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Timing

When to go

The South Pacific is warm all year; the dry season from May to October is the sweet spot for Tahiti, and the Sydney island loops peak in the Australian summer.

May to JuneTrade winds arrive, humidity drops, lagoons at their clearest. Shoulder prices on Paul Gauguin and Windstar.
July to OctoberPeak dry season: humpback whales off Moorea, the Heiva festival in Papeete in July, perfect snorkeling. Book early.
November to AprilWarmer and wetter with short afternoon showers; the lowest Tahiti fares, and the busy summer season for Fiji loops from Sydney and Brisbane.
Good to know

South Pacific cruise questions we answer every day

Do I need a passport or visa for Tahiti?

A valid passport and no visa for US citizens for stays up to 90 days in French Polynesia. Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia are visa-free for cruise calls too; an Australian ETA is needed if you start in Sydney or Brisbane.

How do I get to Papeete?

Nonstop from Los Angeles on Air Tahiti Nui, Air France, Delta and United in about 8 hours, and from San Francisco on United and French Bee. No date line to cross. Arrive the night before; the ship often lets you board the evening you sail.

Paul Gauguin or Windstar?

Paul Gauguin is the all-inclusive classic with the private motu and Polynesian ambassadors on board; Windstar is smaller, sailing-yacht romantic, with a watersports platform and lower starting prices. Both overnight in Bora Bora. We put the two side by side for your dates.

How rough is it?

Within the Society Islands the ship moves between lagoons overnight across open water; most nights are gentle but not glassy. Marquesas and Hawaii voyages have real sea days with swell. If motion worries you, stay with the 7-night Society Islands loop.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, gratuities and excursions are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise; Paul Gauguin includes drinks and gratuities.

What do the SmartCruiser picks mean?

They are sailings where booking through SmartCruiser gets you something you do not get booking direct: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate we hold on that sailing, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the best public price.

Talk to a South Pacific specialist

Tell us the occasion and the month, and we compare Paul Gauguin, Windstar and the big ships with the flights and an overwater night before you sail. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560