Port guides
Filter 2,776 cruise ports by region or search by name — each links to its guide and the cruises calling there.
Ports in Australia, NZ & South Pacific
221 ports
Easo
Lifou · Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Easo is the capital of Lifou, the largest and most populated of the Loyalty Islands. Home to around 10,000 Kanak people, it’s a simple, relatively undeveloped and largely unspoiled place, famed for two things: a sandy palm-fringed beach that fans out on either side of the main dock, and a very friendly atmosphere. Cruise ships are often welcomed to this island paradise with traditional tribal dances as well as a colorful local market that pops up to sell food, drinks and crafts. The island itself offers a diverse landscape that ranges from the steep cliffs of the northern coast to the pristine white-sand beaches and stunning turquoise waters along the southern coast. The island’s many walking paths and trails take in pretty churches—including the famous missionary chapel, the Chapelle Notre Dame de Lourdes—and pass scenic observation points, not to mention a wide variety of wildflowers and plants. Visitors can also tour vanilla plantations to learn about this venerable spice and its production, or make day trips to the nearby island of Tiga.
6 cruises
Kennedy Island
Solomon Islands · Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Kennedy Island is a small uninhabited island in the Solomon Islands that was named after John F. Kennedy, following an incident involving Kennedy during his World War II naval career. Kennedy Island lies 15 minutes by boat from Gizo, the provincial capital of the Solomon Islands' Western Province.
6 cruises
Koolama Bay, Western Australia
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Koolama Bay is found at the mouth of the King George River. Named after the ship that had been beached here after a Japanese aerial attack during World War II, Koolama Bay is the starting point for a Zodiac cruise to reach the King George Falls, one of the Kimberley’s most magnificent natural wonders. At 260 feet (80 m), the twin cascades are among the highest in Australia.
6 cruises
Neiafu
Vava'u Group · Australia, NZ & South Pacific
vava’u is really a group of islands in the northern part of Tonga, consisting of the large island of Utu Vava’u and a cluster of some forty smaller islands. Utu Vava’u is blessed with one of the most protected harbors in the South Pacific, dubbed the Port of Refuge by a grateful early mariner, making it a favorite of yachtsmen. The capital of Neiafu is located on that harbor. The islands are all coral, either raised limestone or atolls. Polynesian mythology insists that the land was created by the god Maui, who hooked the sea bottom while fishing and raised it up. Gazing at the islands popping above the crystal-clear, azure tinted seas, it seems a logical conclusion. The town of Neiafu reflects the laid-back Polynesian spirit of Tonga. Its white church is central to the town. If you are lucky enough to be there when the choir is singing you will hear the clear harmonic blend that has made the Polynesians renowned as singers throughout the world. Activities center on the clear sea and coral reefs, with snorkeling and fishing among the most popular. The fjord-like Pulepulekai Channel is a great place for a lagoon cruise. The island also boasts Ene’io, Tonga’s only Botanical Gardens, and farms producing pineapples and world-famous vanilla. The island does have a progressive coconut products company that produces oil, soaps, cheese, and various other products in an eco-friendly, sustainable way.
6 cruises
Abrolhos Islands, Australia
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Three island groups make up the Houtman Abrolhos Islands. The Wallabi, Easter and Pelsaert groups stretch across 100 kilometers from north to south with a total of 122 islands. Named Houtman after the Dutch captain who first described them in 1619, the Portuguese word “Abrolhos” refers to the reefs and dangers they posed to unsuspecting seafarers –sometimes taken to mean “open your eyes”. The Houtman Abrolhos are known for cray fishing and pearling activities, as well as for their bird and marine life. The islands and their surrounding reef communities form one of Western Australia’s unique marine areas of tropical and temperate sea life.
5 cruises
Aneityum Island, Vanuatu
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Aneityum is the southernmost island of Vanuatu, in the province of Tafea.
5 cruises
Bluff (Invercargill)
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
The most southernmost town in New Zealand, Bluff (or The Bluff as it is locally known) is perhaps the most European of all the settlements in the country. Called Campbelltown until 1917, the city was officially renamed after the 265 meter conical hill that towers above it. One of the farthest corners of the British Empire, the inaugural Royal Tour of New Zealand by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, concluded at Bluff in January 1954. Nowadays however, it is the Bluff oysters that are the stars of the show. Reputed to be the best in the world, these local heroes are what have really put Bluff on the map and are celebrated every May with a lively festival honouring Ostrea chilensis (that’s Latin for Bluff oyster). But gastronomy aside (and it is mostly oyster related), Bluff offers the adventurous traveller much in the way activity. Gateway to Stewart Island, day trippers here might enjoy hopping on the ferry for the hour long trip to Stewart Island, or New Zealand’s third island. Unspoilt, tranquil and stunning, Stewart Island is a showcase for New Zealand’s undiscovered tourism spots due to its privileged (yet remote) position in the world. However, for those who wish to stay on the mainland, the Bluff Maritime Museum is a “must visit” for anyone travelling along the Southern Scenic Route, with fascinating historical information about the many early shipwrecks in these challenging southern waters and coastlines. The comprehensive network of walking tracks will delight the ornithologists amongst you – just don’t forget your binoculars!
5 cruises
Gladstone, Australia
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Gladstone is a city in the. It is 517 km by road north-west of the state capital, Brisbane, and 108 km south-east of Rockhampton. Situated between the Calliope and Boyne Rivers, Gladstone is home to Queensland's largest multi-commodity shipping port, the Port of Gladstone.
5 cruises
Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
With its wild, untamed landscapes and stone tiki statues Hiva Oa attracted many artists, the best known are the singer and poet Jacques Brel and Expressionist painter Paul Gauguin. Both found their final resting place here and their grave sites are popular attractions.
5 cruises
Nelson
New Zealand · Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Located on the northwest end of the South Island, Nelson enjoys the sunniest weather in New Zealand, giving it the dual nicknames “Sunny Nelson” and “Top of the South.” The city is the oldest on South Island, and the second-oldest in New Zealand, having been founded in 1841 as a speculative endeavor by a development company, which purchased land from the Maori inhabitants. The scheme did not thrive, because the arable land was too limited by mountain ranges on three sides and the Tasman Bay on the fourth. Today, however, Nelson is the biggest fishing port in the Australasian region. The town is also a renowned center for creative types including artists and artisans. It holds an annual Festival of Wearable Art and a permanent museum is dedicated to the entries and to collectible cars. The abundant sunlight helps ripen the sauvignon blanc grapes that have made the nearby Marlborough region a global wine mecca. To the west, the Abel Tasman National Park offers outdoor action, while to the east a bit, Havelock is the self-proclaimed “Greenlip Mussel Capital of the World!” The surrounding mountains are honeycombed with caverns, including some of the world’s most extensive explored caverns.
5 cruises
Arutanga, Cook Islands
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Aitutaki is the second largest of the Cook Islands, a “semi-atoll” consisting of a volcanic main island and a series of coral atolls, uninhabited motus and barrier reefs enclosing a spectacularly turquoise-hued, triangular lagoon of about 30 square miles. The Polynesian islanders arrived about 900 A.D., and thrived on the fertile volcanic area surrounding the hill of Maungapu. The first European contact was Captain William Bligh’s arrival on board the Bounty, in 1789. The sleepy town of Arutanga offers a charming, recently restored church, the oldest in the islands from 1828, with stained glass windows and carved woodwork. If possible, don’t miss an opportunity to hear the local choral music (either live or recorded). Cook Islanders are marvelous singers, and join in four-part harmonies that are positively spine-tingling. Along with the view from the top of Maungapu, their sound will live in your memory for a long time.
4 cruises
Beqa Island, Fiji
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
In Fiji, virtually everyone you’ll meet will be smiling—and when you view the high mountains, lush vegetation, shimmering waters, and pristine white-sand beaches of this island nation, you’ll understand why. A British colony for nearly a century before gaining its independence in 1970, Fiji remains English speaking and today boasts a multinational population, among whom the majority are of Melanesian descent. As you mingle with the locals, you’ll see why Melanesians are reputed to be among the friendliest people in the world. Located about six miles off the coast of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, Beqa Island measures less than six square miles in territory—yet it looms large among those seeking a paradise by the sea. Surrounded by one of the largest barrier reefs in the world, the island offers exceptional snorkeling at high tide, with an abundance of colorful tropical fish teeming among the coral blooms. Or bask on a golden-sand beach shaded from an azure sky by swaying palms. Inland, the island is carpeted with lush rainforest laced with waterfalls and streams and dotted with villages known for their tradition of firewalking and joyous hospitality.
4 cruises
Fiji
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Fiji, a country in the South Pacific, is an archipelago of more than 300 islands. It's famed for rugged landscapes, palm-lined beaches and coral reefs with clear lagoons. Its major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, contain most of the population. Viti Levu is home to the capital, Suva, a port city with British colonial architecture. The Fiji Museum, in the Victorian-era Thurston Gardens, has ethnographic exhibits.
4 cruises
Fulanga
Fiji · Australia, NZ & South Pacific
As part of the Southern Lau Group, Fulanga is one of Fiji’s easternmost islands. Fulanga has a large central lagoon with a 50-meter wide pass to the ocean on its northeastern side. The crescent-shaped raised limestone island is famous for its numerous islands, mushroom-shaped islets and many sandy beaches in the calm lagoon. Some 400 residents live in three small villages. The two villages of Muana-i-rai and Muana-i-cake are quite close together on the southern exterior side with a very narrow passage allowing access to the ocean, while Naividamu, the third village, is on the interior, i.e. lagoon side. Muana-i-cake is the main village and hosts the kindergarten and primary school, a post office and first aid station. Old-style houses made of corrugated iron are predominant with limited solar power for the odd refrigerator and television set. Although many islanders have left Fulanga to look for work in Suva, traditional crafts are still practiced by men and women. The weavers and carvers producing pandanus mats and wooden bowls for kava ceremonies are not only valued on Fulanga. Their products can leave on the monthly supply vessel and is highly sought after in Suva.
4 cruises
Great Barrier Reef
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the largest single structure ever created by living organisms. It consists of 2,900 separate reefs and 900 islands, and stretches 1,400 miles along the Queensland coast in the Coral Sea, and is clearly visible from space. The reef was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. The organisms in question are tiny coral polyps. There are some 400 species of hard and soft corals inhabiting the Barrier Reef. Reefs grow slowly, by means of the deposit of a calcareous remnant of a polyp. Living polyps have zooxanthellae algae living in their tissues in a symbiotic bond whereby the coral supplies materials needed for the algae to photosynthesize, and the algae in turn supply materials needed by the polyps. The algae also gives the corals the colors that we find so enchanting. The reef that mesmerizes us with its myriad colors and shapes, and which supports a fabulous variety of other life forms, is the result of millions of years of such growth. Its survival is believed to be severely threatened by a number of affects, most of which are directly attributable to human activities.
4 cruises
Montebello Islands , Australia
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
The Montebello Islands, also known as the Monte Bello Islands, are an archipelago of around 174 small islands lying 20 kilometres north of Barrow Island and 130 kilometres off the Pilbara coast of north-western Australia. Montebello is Italian for "beautiful mountain"
4 cruises
Ribbon Reefs
Australia · Australia, NZ & South Pacific
The Great Barrier Reef is made of many types of reefs, from offshore bommies that rise from the depths like undersea skyscrapers, to atolls where rings of coral surround placid lagoons. The Ribbon Reefs are another unique formation—long, narrow ridges of coral running parallel to the shore. They act like breakwaters, providing calm seas on their western sides, facing the Australian mainland. The Ribbon Reefs run for around 50 miles (80 kilometers), with a total of 10 ribbon reefs named by number, from south to north. Remote Lizard Island marks the northern reaches of this section of the Great Barrier Reef—the final landmark before sailing on to the Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Strait. The greatest highlights of the Ribbon Reefs are found below the water, where divers and snorkelers can explore undersea gardens bursting with corals, tropical fish, sharks and much more. Topside explorers should keep watch from the ship for dolphins and whales, especially during the months of June and July, when dwarf minke whales arrive from Antarctica to birth their young.
4 cruises
Tuamotu Islands
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
The Tuamotus, also referred to in English as the Tuamotu Archipelago or the Tuamotu Islands, are a French Polynesian chain of just under 80 islands and atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean. They constitute the largest chain of atolls in the world, extending over an area roughly the size of Western Europe.
4 cruises
Willis Islets
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Willis Island is the only permanently inhabited island in the Coral Sea Islands Territory,It is the southernmost of the Willis Islets, a group of three islands which with their associated sandy cays stretch in a NNE to SSW line for about 12
4 cruises
Elephant Island,Australia
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Elephant Island is an ice-covered, mountainous island off the coast of Antarctica in the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands, in the Southern Ocean.
3 cruises
Palmerston
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
The low-lying atoll of Palmerston is inhabited by three families, all descendants of William Marsters (1831-1899). Members of the community are known to greet visitors and guide small boats and Zodiacs into the lagoon through a maze of coral reef to reach the only inhabited islet –commonly called “Home”. Once ashore, the whole community generally turns out to meet visitors as it is a rare occurrence. View less The island’s highlights include a church, the oldest house, the cemetery, the school, the underground gardens and “Duke’s Pool,” inviting for a swim or snorkel. In the lagoon’s waters it is possible to find colorful reef-fish, sea cucumbers, rays, and sea turtles. Overhead there is birdlife including tropicbirds, boobies, noddies, frigatebirds and terns.
3 cruises
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Regions are derived from each port’s coordinates. Sailing counts reflect active upcoming departures, refreshed through our scheduled feed.
