Roots of the Pacific: Exploring New Zealand and Melanesia

Day 1

Auckland, New Zealand

Arrive in Auckland and transfer to your hotel. Attend a welcome briefing this evening to meet your fellow travelers.

Arrival Time: Arrive by 4:00 p.m.
Arrival City: Auckland, New Zealand

Day 2

Auckland / Embark Ship

Have breakfast at the hotel before joining a tour of this vibrant city center. Stop for lunch midday before embarking the National Geographic Orion in the late afternoon.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3

Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands is an area encompassing more than 140 subtropical islands, boasting an abundance of wildlife and fascinating history. Visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, a place of immeasurable cultural, spiritual and historical significance and learn of the historical events for which these grounds are remembered.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 4-5

At Sea

Spend the next two days at sea en route to the island nation of New Caledonia. Visit the Bridge to study the route on the navigational charts and attend talks by experts.

As the ship makes its passage to Melanesia, enjoy life on board. Unwind with a massage in the spa or a session in the fitness center, get lost in a book in the library or simply soak up the views from the rooftop observation deck. Learn about the area from your onboard historians, naturalists and photographers, and savor delectable dining options.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 6-7

New Caledonia

Visit this vibrant French overseas territory and experience the New Caledonian islands of Maré and Lifou, known for their outstanding beauty, unique geography and incredible coral diversity. You will be welcomed by local villagers, join your naturalists for a birding walk through dense canopy of the forest and go snorkeling in the crystal clear waters.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8

Moso, Vanuatu

Arrive at Moso and spend the day snorkeling or diving at one of the most incredible locations you will experience on this voyage. The crystal clear waters around Havana Harbor reveal colorful corals and an undersea world that is rich with an abundant marine life.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9

Ambrym

Ambrym is known for its active volcanoes, black-sand beaches and mystery and magic. Arrive ashore to witness the striking Rom dance, traditionally a secret event. Involving incredible masks and elaborate outfits that represent spirits, this is a cultural experience specific only to this island.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10

Espiritu Santo

Captain James Cook named the islands of Vanuatu the New Hebrides because they reminded him of the rugged isles off Scotland’s coast. On the main island of Espiritu Santo, experience one of the best wreck dives in the world: the S.S. President Coolidge, a luxury cruise liner used as a troop carrier during World War II, or experience the Matevulu Blue Hole, a jewel-blue freshwater source surrounded by jungle.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11

Lo Island, Torres Group

Arrive to the small village of Lo Island by Zodiac, meandering along a beautiful mangrove lagoon. Meet the lovely villagers and experience some of the local kastom dances. Hike across the island to a cave and look for wildlife along the way. If conditions permit, snorkel along the beautiful fringing reef of the island.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12

Fenualoa, Solomon Islands

Visit Fenualoa, which is part of the Reef Islands in the northwestern province of Temotu. On shore you will be greeted by the local islanders and enjoy a tour of their village before snorkeling or swimming in the brilliant blue waters of the reef.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13

Utupua

Located in the Santa Cruz Island group, Utupua is a high volcanic island surrounded by a lagoon and a fringing coral reef. Zodiac to the village of Nimbau for a welcome song and dance performance. Enjoy a walk through the village with the locals and see a display of their handmade fishing canoes. Take a Zodiac ride along the shores, lined with dense mangroves and boasting a variety of wildlife.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14

Owaraha Island

On the tiny isle of Owaraha (formerly known as Santa Ana), you'll be greeted with a traditional dance performed by villagers in elaborate costumes, body paint and masks. Walk across the small island to Nafinotoga to see Spirit Houses containing the skulls and bones of ancient chiefs of the Snake Clan and the Turtle Clan.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 15

Honiara / Disembark Ship / Nadi, Fiji

Your expedition concludes in Honiara, a former U.S. supply depot and a strategic World War II battleground. Tour around the outskirts of the city to see sites well known from the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942–1943. See the shores of Red Beach and the vital airbase at Henderson Field. Visit the hills above Honiara, where some of the fiercest battles took place. Then transfer to the airport for your flight to Nadi, where you'll overnight at a local hotel. Breakfast and lunch are included today; dinner is on your own.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 16

Nadi

Transfer this morning to the airport for your flight home.

Departure Time: Depart before 12 p.m.
Departure City: Nadi, Fiji

Meals Included: Breakfast