Did we want a swig of kava from the communal half-coconut shell?
We were being welcomed at a remote Yasawa Island village while cruising Fiji.
Seated on woven mats, we had just watched Fijian villagers in grass skirts pound kava (a pepper plant root), still covered with dirt.
Mixing the powder with water, they made Fiji’s potent traditional beverage.
But kava has been known to put unsuspecting tourists to sleep. Hmmm… Perhaps just one small sip to try it?
Many villages throughout Fiji welcome you with the kava ceremony. It’s a cultural highlight when on a Fiji cruise – and part of what makes a Fiji holiday special.
Intrigued? Read on to discover the best Fiji cruises and what it’s like to cruise the Fijian islands!
Spoiler alert! Cruising Fiji contents
Cruising Fiji (and the Fijian islands)
- Blue Lagoon Cruises
- Captain Cook Cruises
Cruising Fiji
Fiji is an island country with more than 300 islands.
The two biggest islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, where most of the people live.
Many of the other islands are mere specks in the vast blue Pacific.
If you picture paradise, chances are it looks a lot like the Fijian islands.
Fiji is blessed with warm azure waters, sugar white beaches, rainbow-colored reefs and unique cultural experiences like fire-walking, hula dancing – and the kava welcome ceremony.
And a cruise is one of the best ways to explore some of these unspoiled Fijian islands.
Think beach barbecues, swimming, snorkeling and visiting local Fijian villages.
Cruise lines that cruise Fiji
The two small-ship cruise lines that regularly cruise Fiji and the Fijian islands are Blue Lagoon Cruises and Captain Cook Cruises.
They each have one ship offering itineraries ranging from 3 to 7 nights.
Blue Lagoon Cruises
We were sailing with Blue Lagoon Cruises.
Operating since 1950, Blue Lagoon Cruises offers comfortable barefoot-and-cutoffs cruises on the 68-passenger Fiji Princess.
Cabins are 117 and 142 square feet in size.
For more information about the Fiji Princess, see here.
Captain Cook Cruises
Especially popular with Australian passengers, Captain Cook Cruises operates the Reef Endeavour in Fiji.
It accommodates 130 passengers in cabins sized approximately 150 and 300 square feet. The ship was refurbished in 2013.
For more information about the Reef Endeavour, see here.
Things to do in Viti Levu
Viti Levu is the main island, where international flights land.
It’s home to Suva, the colonial capital. Suva is a popular Fijian port-of-call for bigger vessels cruising the South Pacific (such as some Princess and Celebrity Cruises’ ships).
Fiji Museum
The Fiji Museum there contains exhibits from Fiji’s cannibalistic past. (Are those the boots of an unfortunate missionary who was killed and eaten?)
You can also see the rudder from Captain Bligh’s HMS Bounty (where the legendary mutiny occurred).
Pacific Harbor
At Pacific Harbor, an hour’s drive away, you can watch the famous fire walkers tread barefoot on red-hot coals at the Arts Village.
Denarau Island
Off the west coast, Denarau Island is a shopping and resort hub connected by bridge to Viti Levu. Its picturesque port and marina bustles with cafés, boutiques, restaurants and adventure tour offices.
Sailboats for Fiji day cruises to the nearby Mamanuca Islands also take off from Port Denarau.
Recommended reading: Chartered yacht holidays? They’re not just for the rich and famous
Cast away to the Mamanuca Islands
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Both Blue Lagoon Cruises and Captain Cook Cruises include the Mamanuca Islands in their Fiji island cruises.
With white sand beaches and coral reefs thriving with candy-colored fish, the Mamanucas are perfect for living out your Robinson Crusoe fantasies for a day. Or more…
Cruise Yasawa Islands
You need to get further away from Viti Levu to discover more secluded islands.
The Yasawa Islands are a chain of 20 islands with volcanic rocky peaks and pristine powder-white beaches – they’re the quintessential, laid-back Fiji islands you really want to escape to.
It’s here in the Yasawas that you find the “Blue Lagoon” – a sea of clear turquoise waters sprinkled with teeny tropical islands.
At Nanuya Lailai, the Fiji Princess tied up to a coconut tree, and we spent the day kayaking, swimming, snorkeling and lazing on the beach.
That evening, a barbecue dinner was served under the stars on the sand.
Because these islands are more remote, the islanders are more traditional than other Fijians, and that also makes a visit to the Yasawas just that much more special.
Get more of that South Seas feeling: Read our post about bures and overwater bungalows in Fiji
Supporting the islanders
One of the things we particularly liked about Blue Lagoon Cruises is that it supports the islanders financially.
The company helps the people of the Yasawas by making payments to access beaches, visit villages and have the locals perform traditional Fijian entertainment and sell home-made crafts and artifacts.
Educational projects are also a focus of attention.
One morning, an excursion took us to a local elementary school, which exists mainly on donations from passengers.
We listened to the children sing, and talked with them about life at the school (many children board during the week, because the cost of daily boat transportation is too expensive).
Interacting with the children, it seemed they were having almost as much fun as we were on our Fiji cruise!
Recommended reading: The Alila Purnama in Indonesia – sailing, diving and, oh my, Komodo dragons!
Fiji islands cruise itineraries
Both Blue Lagoon Cruises and Captain Cook Cruises offer shorter and longer itineraries.
See this map of Fiji on Google Maps to locate the specifice Fiji cruise destinations below.
Blue Lagoon Cruise itineraries
Blue Lagoon Cruises offers three itineraries:
- A 3-night cruise – Modriki Island, Soso Bay and Naukacuvu Island
- A 4-night cruise – Yalobi Bay, Blue Lagoon, Sawa-I-Lau Island and Drawaqa Island
- A 7-night cruise combining the above two cruises
Captain Cook Cruises itineraries
Captain Cook Cruises offers the following Fiji cruise itineraries:
- A 3-night cruise – Mamanuca and southern Yasawa Islands
- A 4-night cruise – Mamanuca and northern Yasawa Islands
- A 7-night cruise – Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands (combining both of the above cruises)
- A 7-night cruise – Colonial Fiji discovery of remote northern islands
- A 4-night cruise – Circumnavigating Vanua Levu
- An 11-night cruise – Off-the-tourist-track Lau Islands and Kadavu
Liveaboards in Fiji
Crazy about scuba diving?
There are also Fiji liveaboards that are available for full-on scuba diving – so you can spend most of your time diving Fiji’s epic dive sites.
Like this post on the best Fiji cruises? Then save it on Pinterest!
More Pacific temptations!
French Polynesia cruising: Cruising French Polynesia is as romantic as it gets!
Bora Bora: There are several beautiful resorts in Bora Bora with overwater bungalows. How do you choose which one to pick?
Kauai: Discover dozens of cool things to do in Kauai (plus the best beaches).
Our top travel tips and resources
Hotels: Booking.com is great for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one – at lower rates than the hotel’s own website. We especially like Booking’s flexible cancellation policy!
Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).
Flights: To book the cheapest flights, search on Google Flights or Expedia. (Just be aware Expedia tickets may be non-refundable.)
Airport lounge access: We love (and have) Priority Pass for comfy lounge seats, free snacks and drinks, complimentary WiFi and sometimes even showers and spa services!
Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.
Car rental: Renting a car is often one of the best ways to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the best rates.
Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more. We also have and recommend Medjet for global air medical transportation.
Travel gear: See our travel shop to find the best luggage, accessories and other travel gear. (We suggest these comfy travel sandals for city walking, the beach and kicking about.)
Need more help planning your trip? Check out our travel tips and resources guide for airline booking tips, ways to save money, how to find great hotels and other crazy useful trip planning info.
If you make a booking or purchase through our site, we may earn a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks!
Photo credits: 1, 4, 10, 12 to 16 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | 2, 7, 11, 18 Blue Lagoon Cruises | 3, 5, 8 Captain Cook Cruises
About the authors
Luxury travel journalists and SATW, NATJA and TMAC “Best Travel Blog” award winners, Janice and George Mucalov are the publishers of Sand In My Suitcase. Between them, they’ve traveled to all 7 continents. See About.
Find destination guides, global food-and-wine stories, luxury hotel reviews, articles on cultural explorations and soft adventure trips, cruise reviews, insanely useful travel tips and more!
Muza-chan
Sunday 28th of September 2014
Beautiful place...
Irene S. Levine
Wednesday 24th of September 2014
I love companies that give back to locals~
Jonathan Look, Jr.
Tuesday 23rd of September 2014
This looks like such an amazing experience! I look forward to making it to Fiji. Thank you for sharing. Blue Lagoon Cruises looks like a great outfit.
Frank
Tuesday 23rd of September 2014
Beautiful pics, I'd love to do a South Pacific cruise as well. Hmm, the downside of internet - Fijian kids doing gangsta rap gestures! Frank (bbqboy)
Shikha
Tuesday 23rd of September 2014
I've never done a cruise but to do one that goes around the South Pacific islands would be a dream come true! I agree that even the names of the islands do sound exotic!! Wonderful photos of the islanders :)