South Pacific Hawaii & Las Vegas – Sapphire Princess – 12 October 2025

South Pacific Hawaii & Las Vegas – Sapphire Princess – 12 October 2025

South Pacific Hawaii & Las Vegas – Sapphire Princess – 12 October 2025. Many travellers dream of cruising the islands of the South Pacific, and this is one of those magical destinations that doesn’t disappoint. The turquoise and azure blue waters, majestic tropical scenery, gorgeous white sand beaches and remarkably welcoming people seem, well, perfect in many respects. And, indeed, they truly are.

The region that’s so captivated our imaginations is comprised of some 7,500 islands, only 500 of which are inhabited. Scattered across a vast expanse of ocean, the island chains are commonly grouped into three major regions: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Despite many similarities, these island nations and their roughly 6 million people are surprisingly varied and diverse, with unique histories, cultures, languages, geology, and scenery.

Given the high costs of land stays, cruises offer the added benefit of being a “value” choice, as well to see many different islands. For example, the famed overwater bungalows in Bora Bora or Moorea can easily cost $800 per night and up, while costs for good food at the major hotel restaurants make London seem like a bargain (a salad for £25 at lunch, a fish entree for £35 at dinner, high markups on wine, etc.). If you add up hotel, dining and transportation costs, a luxury land-only one-week holiday in a couple of Tahitian or Fijian islands can easily cost twice as much (or more) as a one-week cruise.

Best Time to Go

The South Pacific is blessed with a year-round tropical climate. The best weather, with little to no rain, occurs during dry season from May to October (although trade winds pick up during these months). During wet season, between November and April, rain, temperatures, and humidity increase. North of the equator in Micronesia, the seasons are reversed.

Itineraries

Polynesia: A good choice for South Pacific first timers is French Polynesia because there are a variety of itineraries offered by operators such as Princess Cruises, Windstar. French Polynesia consists of five archipelagos — the hugely popular Society Islands with Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Huahine, as well as Austral, Tuamotu, Gambier, and Marquesas Islands.

Melanesia: Melanesia includes the mountainous island nations of the Western Pacific — New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and Fiji. Smaller vessels with a greater focus on soft adventure primarily serve this region of the South Pacific, with a focus on Fiji. Nadi, Fiji’s tourist hub, is a fascinating cultural and religious mix of Indo-Fijians and indigenous Fijians. It’s also the gateway to the Yasawas, a 20-island archipelago famous for its white sand beaches, turquoise water, and coral reefs. The Yasawas provided the setting for the “Blue Lagoon” films.

Micronesia: Micronesia, north of the equator, consists of four nation states including Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. This area is also a favourite of smaller expedition ships, although not as popular as Melanesia. Papua New Guinea, via a flight from Cairns, Australia. (Most Micronesia cruises also include stops in Melanesia.) Large ships will generally visit ports in Micronesia as part of a world cruise rather than a South Pacific cruise.