19-Day World Cruise: South Pacific Isles

Once a harsh penal settlement, Brisbane is now Queensland’s dynamic capital city. A blend of steel and glass defines the skyline, while riverside delights – botanical gardens, promenades, cafes and markets – mesmerize at eye level. Sample shore excursions: Brisbane Sights & Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia, is both cosmopolitan and French, a thriving seaport as well as a commercial and industrial center. Enjoy your day here on Noumea, a tropical paradise with a distinctive geography and charm all its own.

A major seaport, Fiji’s second-largest city, Lautoka is the main center of the sugar and timber industries. Towering royal palms march in a long, orderly row from the main street to the harbor and into the heart of the city. Although Lautoka grew up around the Fijan village of Namoli, it is a very Indian town today.

Suva is the capital of the South Pacific island nation of Fiji. It’s a city of broad avenues, lush parks and grand British colonial buildings, such as the Suva City Library. Suva’s colorful, lively Municipal Market offers a range of local fruit and vegetables. Fiji Museum, set within the Victorian-era Thurston Gardens, contains examples of traditional canoes, war clubs and tattooing tools.

Welcome to the Friendly Isles! Vanua Levu, where you are, is Fiji’s second largest island, and still largely immune to the outside world. The local economy is based on copra, and tall coconut palms are everywhere. Tourism is growing, though, with popular marine activities including snorkeling and diving in the clear seas, kayaking or stand-up paddling. The island is blessed with rivers and waterfalls that invite hiking, tubing or swimming. There are also hot springs and mineral mud baths. For a treasured souvenir, consider one of the island’s varicolored cultured pearls. Otherwise, find a perfect beach, lie back and breathe the scent of tropical blooms. Perhaps you’ll hear a lovely song from somewhere. It’s true, Fijians love to sing.

A total of sixteen islands comprise the Samoas, considered to be the heart of Polynesia. It was from these islands that early Polynesians sailed to populate other Pacific Islands. Today this chain of islands is divided into two political units – the U.S. Territory of American Samoa and the independent country of Western Samoa. Much of the charm of the Samoas lies in the simple village life and the friendly people, combined with a striking landscape of soaring mountain peaks, rugged coastlines, white sandy beaches and tropical rainforests rich in flowering plants. Western Samoa consists of a total of nine islands with the two main ones, Savi’i and Upolo, separated by a narrow strait. The country’s capital Apia, resembling an old South Seas port during the early trading days, perches on the north coast of Upolo. Colonial-style wooden buildings and churches line the tree-shaded main street that curves around the harbor. The primary attractions include Parliament House, the village green, Independence Monument and the former home of Robert Louis Stevenson, now the residence of Western Samoa’s head of state. A trip around the island passes mile after mile of stunning landscape, interspersed with tumbling waterfalls, breathtaking views, tiny villages, and coconut and cocoa plantations.

If you are a “pollywog,” who has never crossed the line at sea, you will be expected to undergo a mock trial by King Neptune and his court for the entertainment of the “shellbacks” who have already done so. Mild but hilarious indignities will be conjured, and in the end a good time will be had by most, if not all.

Home to the state capitol and the majority of Hawaii’s population, the island of Oahu is a vibrant mix of natural, cultural and historic wonders. In Honolulu, an array of cultures blends harmoniously, allowing each to retain its distinct flavor. The downtown sector combines Hawaii’s royal history with the modern-day action of a major metropolitan center. Waikiki Beach, with its impressive hotels and glittering atmosphere, is a famous tourist hub and resort destination of international renown. Honolulu is also the location of Diamond Head, Oahu’s famous volcanic landmark, and Pearl Harbor, the largest natural harbor in Hawaii and the only naval base in the United States to be designated a National Historical Landmark.