How French Polynesia is becoming the new winter cruise destination

• There will be more ships than ever, sailing French Polynesia with luxury lines homeporting in the region.
• Tahiti now has its first-ever dedicated cruise terminal which can turn around three ships at once.
• There are new itineraries that will explore some of the lesser-known parts of French Polynesia.

Cold, windy days can be traded for bright-blue skies and tropical comfort in the South Pacific for those looking for a slice of summer in our chillier months. While many Australians still flock to Europe to explore the Mediterranean, the offerings closer to home combat the weak Australian dollar and expensive flight prices. 

The classic South Pacific routes sail from both Sydney and Brisbane, visiting destinations such as New Caledonia’s Lifou in the Loyalty Islands, as well as Vanuatu’s Port Vila and Mystery Island. P&O Cruises Australia, now Carnival Cruise Line Australia, sails year-round from Sydney and Brisbane. 

But another area of the South Pacific is increasingly popular. Once upon a time, French Polynesia was considered too expensive and difficult to get to, and remained an exclusive holiday destination. In 2021, cruise ships of 1200 passengers or more were banned, with the country citing overcrowding and pollution. Lines such as Aranui and Windstar Cruises have long operated in the region, while others were kept at bay. 

It all changed in 2023 when the French territory announced it would double the allowed visitation numbers in a 10-year period, which enabled more ships to start exploring the region’s more than 100 scattered islands.

While it remains an exclusive destination, with a total of just 263,766 tourists in 2024, about 52,000 were cruise passengers departing on ships from Tahiti. This represents a 20 per cent increase in 2023, while about 62,000 passengers visited Tahiti on transit calls, which is 45 per cent more than in 2023. The region forecasts it will receive 1058 port calls this year, and by 2026 will grow by a quarter on 2024 figures.

Tahiti’s new cruise terminal

Earlier this year, Tahiti opened a brand-new cruise terminal in preparation. The terminal will be fully operational come July 2025 and will be able to handle turnarounds for up to three cruise ships simultaneously, with a capacity for 2000 passengers. 

This is the first cruise terminal to be built in Papeete, which has two cruise piers. The new terminal will have a dedicated area for local craftspeople as well as showrooms to showcase artwork by students of Tahiti’s students of the French Polynesia Center for Arts and Crafts.

The cruise lines visiting French Polynesia

Cruise lines such as Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania Cruises, and Ponant have now dedicated ships to French Polynesia for the coming years, homeporting and basing vessels for the fly-cruise market.

In its most extensive South Pacific season yet, Oceania Cruises will operate two ships – Nautica and Regatta – in 2025. The focus is a 10-day round trip itinerary from Papeete, just cruising in French Polynesia. The itineraries will also link the region with New Zealand and Hawaii as well as other parts of the US. Shore excursions include hiking, ATV riding, and even scuba- or helmet-diving the reefs. 

Luxury line Silversea will operate its first full summer season in French Polynesia in 2026, basing the 392-passenger Silver Whisper in Papeete. The ship will make 17 voyages between April and September with seven-day cruises taking in the Society Islands and 14-day journeys also incorporating the Tuamotu and Marquesas Islands.

Paul Gauguin Cruises operates year-round in French Polynesia and has been in the region for 25 years. It is known for its boutique small ships. The line offers seven-night voyages round-trip from Papeete. It visits Huahine, one of French Polynesia’s unspoiled gems brimming with archaeological sites, vanilla plantations, and mountainsides filled with fruit trees and coconut palms, as well as Motu Mahana, where the company has a small private inlet for swimming. Paul Gauguin’s parent brand, Ponant, is also set to homeport Le Jacques-Cartier from September 2026 to March 2027 for its expedition-style voyages.

Windstar Cruises has increased its capacity this year, replacing Wind Star with the larger Star Breeze, and by 2027 intends to have two ships in French Polynesia. The line is also operating new 14-night cruises to the Marquesas Islands.

Local line Aranui, which has been sailing in French Polynesia for 40 years, has added new itineraries. There are now five-day cruises on the mixed freight and passenger vessels visiting the Tuamoto atolls. The 13-day voyages visit the remote Austral archipelago.