Tahiti & Cook Islands cruise

You have a full day to explore Tahiti or simply relax in the lagoon or by the pool. You might like to take a trip to the Museum of Polynesia and the Isles, which is a good introduction to Polynesian history and culture.

Take the morning to explore Papeete on your own and enjoy a leisurely lunch before your cruise begins embarkation. You might wander through the market across from Nanuu Bay, where your ship is docked — you'll find everything from flowers and food to pearl necklaces here. Or, if it’s a weekend, you can stroll east of the candy-pink church and watch pirogues (racing canoes) skim across the waves. In the afternoon, board your ship and settle into your ocean-view suite.

Make your first port of call in Hauhine — the deceptively singular name for a pair of islands linked by a bridge. Here, you might decide to take a lagoon cruise in an outrigger canoe followed by a guided snorkeling exploration of the lively reef. If you prefer to explore more inland, take a guided 4x4 tour that includes a stop at a black-pearl farm and a visit to the village Faie, where a population of sacred blue-eyed eels has lived for generations.

As you cruise across the brilliantly blue South Pacific, take some time to meet the ship’s Les Gauguins and Les Gauguines. These Tahitians serve as on board hosts and hostesses, as well as entertainers. You might hear them telling stories, leading a lesson in the movements of a Polynesian traditional dance, or teaching a hands-on craft workshop. The schedule might also include a lecture about the region’s natural history by a special guest or a cooking lesson with the ship’s executive chef.

Arrive in the morning at Aitutaki, an atoll island ringed by an enormous coral reef. You can spend your day lolling on the sugar-sand beaches and splashing in the sun-warmed shallows. Or you might opt to take a guided snorkeling tour of Motu Maina, a marine reserve known for giant clams and red-tailed tropicbirds. On the island, you could take a driving tour that includes stops at plantations and villages where you’ll have time to chat with the people who live and work there.

Today, you'll dock at the volcanic capital of the country, Rarotonga. While visiting, you can opt to explore the lively marine life that thrives in the central Muri Lagoon. A glass-bottom boat tour will take you over the bright coral and darting fish — you can even slip into the water to snorkel. Birdwatchers might prefer a conservation tour intended to introduce you to the birds and plants that live on the island, including the endemic kākerōri, also called the Rarotonga flycatcher.

You can take it easy as your ship makes its way across the open ocean. You might spend the day unwinding poolside or admiring the horizon-spanning views from the spacious outdoor decks. Get in some exercise at the fully equipped gym or catch up on your reading at the library, which is open around the clock. Or, if you’re in the mood for pampering, enjoy a treatment at the Algotherm Spa, where the menu includes manicures, pedicures, body treatments, and facials.

Dock today at Bora Bora, to spend the day exploring. You can relax on a private white-sand beach if you like — your ship has exclusive access to a motu (outlying island) with excellent snorkeling and bar service. For something more adventurous, you could go on a guided tour under the shallow waters of the lagoon riding a water cycle. Or, you might take to the air with a helicopter tour over Bora Bora and the nearby heart-shaped island, Tupai.

You'll have time today to continue exploring Bora Bora — and there’s plenty to choose from. You might join a cruise on a catamaran. The boat’s shallow draft lets your captain explore everywhere, including coves where you can slip off the deck into the warm turquoise waters for a swim. For a wilder adventure, consider a snorkeling trip to a sandbar known for its population of stingrays. Your guide will explain how to swim safely with these elegantly alien (and entirely harmless) creatures.

Today you’ll dock at Taha’a, sometimes called Vanilla Island. You can explore the process of creating vanilla with a guided tour of a small family farm where the orchid grows, followed by a stop at a black-pearl farm. As you explore, you’ll hear stories of the island’s history and lore. Or, if you’re an experienced snorkeller, you could follow a guide on a drift snorkel tour over the bright reefs that ring one of the outlying motus.

Your penultimate stop of the cruise is Moorea. The island is sometimes known as Pineapple Island thanks to its many plantations — you and a guide can mount e-bikes for a small-group ride through Pineapple Valley. For water-based adventures, you could join a marine biologist on a cruise to spot the dolphins that thrive in the waters around the island. Photographers can opt for a 4x4 tour with a professional, including a chance to capture a picture of the jagged peak of Rotui.

Welcome back to Tahiti, where you’ll have the day to explore. You might choose to take a guided tour around the west coast. Stops include the black-sand beach of Taharuu and Marae Arahurahu, one of Tahiti’s few sacred sites that early missionaries didn’t destroy. You’ll also visit Vaipahi Botanical Garden and the Monoi Factory to see where the locals make a fragrant tiare-flower cosmetic oil. End at Mara'a Grotto, a collection of caves by a freshwater lake where you can take a dip.

After you disembark this morning, continue on a short flight to your final stop in French Polynesia — the island of Raiatea. Second largest of the Society Islands, Raiatea is most often visited as the gateway to its smaller sister island, Taha'a, which shares the same lagoon. However, it also enjoys some beautiful landscapes, with mountainous peaks and some good beaches, as well as the only navigable river in Polynesia.

A perfect place to explore on foot, you may wish to head out today to visit the local vanilla plantations, or the garden at Faaroa. Alternatively, learn more about the island's indigenous roots at Taputapuatea Marae, the largest ancient ceremonial site on Raiatea.

A further full day at leisure on Raiatea ahead of your journey home tomorrow morning.