The highlights of cruising the South Pacific aren’t always the islands

Nothing screams paradise quite like … rusty shipping containers? You can almost hear the collective groan of disappointment as stateroom blinds are drawn at first light to reveal the dockside view of Noumea, the first port of call on our South Pacific cruise on Celebrity Edge.

Ditto the second and third ports, Suva and Lautoka in Fiji. But on these occasions, the bleak, industrial views of the grungy working ports are even less inspiring, brewing storm clouds dampening any hopes of tropical sunshine.

Fast-forward a week or so, however, and it’s a vastly different story as our ship anchors off Lifou, in New Caledonia’s remote Loyalty Islands. You can almost hear the sighs of relief as open blinds reveal dazzling blue skies, white sand beaches, coconut palms swaying in the breeze and azure, crystal-clear water. Ahhh, this is more like it – paradise found, at last.

The islands of the South Pacific have been a classic cruise destination for Australians since, well, at least 1970, when I was a young whippersnapper onboard P&O’s Himalaya, our family holiday a blurred memory of grass skirts, warriors with spears and smiles all round.

So it’s with great nostalgia that I board Celebrity Edge in Sydney as it embarks on a journey to the same cluster of islands in the middle of the Pacific. Fifty-five years later, however, I’m one of the oldies, travelling with my 34-year-old daughter who has a much-appreciated escape from daily life as a mother of three.

This is a relatively long cruise – 14 nights with eight full days spent at sea, one scheduled stop at Port Vila having been cancelled after a devastating earthquake several weeks prior.

I soon get the impression, however, that for many guests, it’s the ship experience that’s enticed them rather than the destination.

With its chic styling, innovative spaces, staggering food and beverage options and full program of included activities, the Celebrity Edge is a lure unto itself; we could be doing doughnuts off the east coast of Australia for all they care, as long as it’s done with a cocktail in hand.

Among the 50-odd countries represented by the 2918 passengers on board, about 75 per cent are Australian, with Celebrity Edge enjoying its second summer based out of Sydney, sailing the waters of Australia and New Zealand as well as the South Pacific.

And this being the first journey of the new year, many said Aussies are embracing the seasonal vibe, partying hard and relaxing even harder, ignoring gusty winds and cloudy skies to chill alongside the central pool or under the geodesic dome of the adults-only solarium.

Many have also clearly made New Year’s resolutions, hitting the gym and fitness classes with a vengeance.

“I’ve been told you lot love to dance!” yells the ship’s activity officer as she leads a jam-packed musical theatre dance class, a mass of sweaty bodies bopping and pumping air to catchy Broadway hits. Co-ordination? Who needs it when you’re having this much fun.

As a first-time cruiser, my daughter is an energiser bunny, her enthusiastic mantra of “what’s next?” driving an arsenal of activities.

We flit between skincare seminars, jewellery lectures and art auctions (lured by the vague hope of winning a raffle), interspersed with morning stretches, ballroom dance classes, outdoor movies held in the rooftop garden, and macrame workshops.

Throw in a soak in a martini glass-shaped hot-tub, a power walk around the inclined jogging track, or a hot-stone massage at the lush The Spa, and our first few days at sea disappear as quickly as an icy pina colada toasting the sunset.

We dock at Noumea, New Caledonia, early on a Sunday; as in most Pacific islands, that means a day of rest.

Subsequently, many of the city’s famed boutiques and duty-free shops are closed; and while there’s a handicraft market alongside the Quai des Longs Courriers cruise terminal, the 10-minute shuttle ride from the commercial port, along with an early departure of 4pm, proves a deterrent for some risk-averse passengers.

It’s a great opportunity, however, to book a shore excursion, and our choice of paddling a kayak from the Ouemo peninsula on Noumea’s east coast to Ile Sainte-Marie is a fun and active way to see one of the city’s more natural treasures.

While the island is uninhabited, it’s a popular camping destination for locals; as one dreadlocked Kanak man enjoying a weekend hunting for red-clawed fiddler crabs tells us, “no one owns this island, it belongs to the world. It is our paradise.”

That concept, however, is a little harder to grasp on our next day ashore.

Apart from some faded colonial buildings, a dingy market, muddy parklands and a couple of shopping malls, there are few highlights to get excited about in Fiji’s capital, Suva.

Of course, it doesn’t help that it’s pouring. I feel sorry for ever-hopeful tour guides handing out brochures on the dock, spruiking trips to far-flung beaches, cultural villages or rainforest parks when the weather is so miserable.

But this is the tropics, after all – and it is wet season, torrential afternoon storms are a given. In fact, I spend an hour trapped in a hotel bar as the heavens open, mesmerised by the sheer volume of water plummeting from the sky.

The following day sees us on the opposite side of Viti Levu at yet another soggy Fijian city – but this time, we find the small-town vibe, chatty locals and the Indian heritage of Lautoka quite charming. We spend a few hours wandering the grid streets, shopping for Indian-style fashion; but with the weather once again closing in, we forgo plans to visit the well-regarded Garden of the Sleeping Giant orchid garden, and instead retreat to the Edge for a lazy, wet afternoon.

It’s well-known that shore excursions arranged via cruise lines are more expensive than ones secured independently – especially if, as in this case, they charge in US dollars.

However, the advantages include surety (the ship won’t leave without you if an excursion is late returning) and efficiency – there are buses waiting on the dock ready to whisk you to your destination.

But a pre-arranged excursion doesn’t necessarily mean a more luxurious product.

On Vanuatu’s Mystery Island, for instance, all activities are hosted by locals from the neighbouring island of Aneityum, who boat over to the uninhabited Inyeug (as Mystery Island is known locally) to greet visiting cruise ships.

“Oh god, we’re going to die!” whispers a young American man as the so-called vessel for our snorkelling excursion backs into shore, engine spluttering as it’s tossed by wind-whipped breakers.

A dramatic response but the tub we’re about to board does appear rather rustic, little more than a canoe with a few planks of wood posing as seats.

My new friend grows paler by the second as we putt-putt out to open waters, panicking about his mask fitting properly and the strong currents we’re told will determine our underwater route.

Indeed, once we jump overboard, we’re at the mercy of the sea, yanking us in the direction of a young guide carrying a lifebuoy. But once our faces are in the water, all fears diminish – it’s an absolute vision beneath the surface, a veritable aquarium of startling clarity, fluorescent tropical fish flitting around huge purple coral bommies.

“It’s gorgeous!” I hear the American boy splutter as he rises to the surface, grinning through his snorkel. Here, in waters so clear, so clean, so mind-blowingly beautiful, is the South Pacific we’ve longed for – authentic, unpretentious, and a stunning gift from nature.

The details

Cruise
The next 14-night Fiji & Vanuatu itinerary on Celebrity Edge departs Sydney on March 29, 2026, as part of a 2025/2026 Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific season. Priced from $3885. See celebritycruises.com/au

The writer was a guest of Celebrity Cruises.

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