Explore the South Pacific & Fiji

Sydney sends you off in style. Step aboard Grand Princess beneath the sails of the Opera House, with the Harbour Bridge arching overhead and Circular Quay busy with the last of the day’s ferries. Settle into your stateroom as the harbour slips behind you and the Pacific opens up ahead.

First day at sea, first chance to slow down. Stake out a spot by the Terrace Pool, browse the Art Gallery or book a treatment at the Lotus Spa before the ship’s first port call.

A second sea day to find your rhythm. Take a spin on the jogging track, try the golf simulator or catch an afternoon show in the Princess Theatre as Grand Princess makes way for Fiji.

Warm water and warmer air, still a day from land. Join a trivia session in the Explorers Lounge, order something cold from the Ice Cream Bar or watch the ocean shift colour as you head further into the tropics.

Last sea day before Fiji. Pack a bag for the beach tomorrow, book a late dinner at Sabatini’s or spend the afternoon at The Sanctuary, Grand Princess’s adults-only retreat, before landfall.

Lautoka smells of sugar cane and salt air. Fiji’s second-largest city earned its nickname The Sugar City from the plantations that surround it, and a drive through the centre takes in tree-lined streets, colonial houses and colourful markets. The beaches nearby are soft sand backed by swaying palms, with water clear enough to see straight to the bottom.

Suva mixes colonial streets with a modern pulse. Fiji’s capital sits around a reef-protected natural harbour, its old colonial buildings standing alongside modern shops and busy local markets. Nearly half of Fiji’s urban population calls Suva home, and the mix shows in the city’s churches, mosques and temples sitting side by side.

Dravuni Island barely registers on the map, and that’s the appeal. Less than two miles long, this speck in Fiji’s Kadavu group is home to a village of around 200, with well-worn trails winding past unspoiled beaches. The Great Astrolabe Reef sits just offshore for anyone keen to snorkel, and the island’s highest point makes for a solid climb if you’d rather take in the view from above.

A day to switch off between Fiji and Vanuatu. Curl up with something from the Library, join a shuffleboard match on deck or take a slow lap of the wrap-around promenade before Mystery Island tomorrow.

Mystery Island lives up to its name. This uninhabited islet just off volcanic Tanna once served as a WWII landing strip and remains completely undeveloped today. There’s nothing here but sand, reef and quiet, amble the island on foot or grab a snorkel and fins for a look at what’s underwater.

Noumea feels like France, dropped into the Coral Sea. New Caledonia’s capital has been under French control since 1853, and that heritage still shows in the cafés and architecture around town. The island’s west coast holds the world’s second-longest barrier reef, so the diving and snorkelling here are as good as the white sand beaches suggest.

Homeward bound, but in no rush to get there. Book a table at Crown Grill, catch the evening show at Skywalkers Nightclub or find a quiet corner of the Wheelhouse Bar as the islands drop away behind you.

One last full day aboard. Settle in for Movies Under the Stars poolside, take a final dip in the Splash Pool or make the most of 24-hour room service before packing for tomorrow.

Sydney welcomes Grand Princess home. After thirteen nights across the South Pacific, disembark this morning with Fiji’s beaches, Dravuni’s quiet trails and Noumea’s French charm behind you, and the harbour you left two weeks ago waiting to greet you.