Unequivocally, French Polynesia is one of the most magnificent places I have had the pleasure of visiting. There are 121 islands in the region, and with each new one I visit, I am continuously drawn back in.
Recently, I spent a month in the islands, and I did part land stays and I did an incredible cruise. One thing I want to say upfront is that almost all cruises can’t make it to many of these islands because the ships are too big with too many passengers.
I was on a small ship (max capacity just over 300 guests), and we could go to these amazing destinations. Think of this as like a floating overwater bungalow that is going to take you to places beyond your wildest dreams.
I have now done three cruises in Tahiti, and this one was by far the best! For me, I think it was because I got to explore more islands that were on my radar and fall deeper in love with the destinations.
I did the ‘Tahitian Treasures + Magnificent Marquesas’ cruise on the Star Breeze ship with Windstar. This itinerary, to me, was a dream. French Polynesia is broken up into five chains of islands, and this cruise went to three of them.
So, let’s talk about it!
Cruising French Polynesia
If you want to explore French Polynesia and just feel overwhelmed with all the logistics of flights, switching islands, boat transfers, etc. – I would 100% recommend taking an island hopping cruise.
If nothing else, I am an expert in this region of the world and I have done many land stays and three cruises. A cruise is by far the easiest way to many islands with ease.
Know before you go:
Windstar is a small yacht style cruise, which is amazing because they can get you into ports the big cruise ships can’t, But with that, you get a smaller ship and don’t have things like waterparks and casinos on board.
As soon as you book your cruise, go into your reservation online or call and book your excursions that you want to do. Some will sell out well before you even get on the ship. Get what you want ahead of time. I promise you want to make your life easier by guaranteeing you get what you want.
This was a two week cruise and I stayed in the islands for a month. The ship offers a laundry package – get it. Pack less stuff and get this package. I get it every single time I am on board and send laundry out 1-2 times a day. It comes back the next day and is just easy!
If you are planning to drink and use Wi-Fi, book the “all-inclusive package” before getting on board! It is cheaper pre cruise. This includes the daily gratuities, alcohol and Wi-Fi. You can purchase these items individually but it is cheaper to book together and before the cruise.
The ship has snorkel equipment for everyone on board, so unless you are attached to your own stuff, they will have stuff for everyone that you keep for the duration of your cruise.
I would recommend coming into Tahiti a day or two before the cruise starts just in case there is a flight delay or anything happens. There are very flights per day from the USA.
Get trip insurance. A lot of people skip this, but you should protect you and your trip. If something happens, you want to be covered or to be able to get costs back for covered reasons.
Room service is available 24/7 and you can order stuff that is not on the menu. I request things all the time and they just say yes. It is nice.
Windstar is VERY allergy friendly. I have cruised with people who are celiac (gluten free), soy allergies and hazelnut allergies. They accommodate them very nicely. They also have vegan options on board at every single meal.
A lot of tours leave very early in the morning from the ship. I like to order room service the night before on the card and have it delivered at 630am so I can eat while getting ready. Multi-tasking.
Get local currency in the airport before you leave for taxis to and from the cruise port (about $25 USD). You can get local currency on board for the ports at the main reception desk.
Best time to cruise French Polynesia:
One would argue it is paradise year round, but I don’t agree.
High season, which is when you will find the best weather AKA dry season, is June – September. This doesn’t mean it won’t rain, it just means it is less rainy than say November – March.
I do want to add a caveat, I did another Tahiti cruise in December of 2021 on this same ship, which is the wettest month on average, and it rained twice for like 15 minutes. This is more of a guideline, not 100% guarantee. It is the tropics, so, rain can happen.
Itinerary:
Tahitian Treasures + Magnificent Marquesas was a two week itinerary that started in Papeete, Tahiti and returned there.
Islands:
- Fakarava
- Rangiroa
- Tahuata
- Nuka Hiva
- Taha’a
- Bora Bora (for 2 days)
- Mo’orea
Technically, we were supposed to go to another island in the Marquesas, but when we boarded the cruise, the food had not arrived, so, we stayed in Tahiti for the night.
There was also four sea days because these island chains aren’t exactly close. Marquesas Islands are the furthest north, Tuamotus in the center and the Society Islands in the south. Having those sea days allowed us to be able to reach the island chains.
The ports:
Fakarava
This was our first stop. I think this is the atoll I most fell in love with.
This atoll you really would only know about if you were doing some research on French Polynesia outside of the main players (Bora Bora, Tahiti and Mo’orea) or if you are a diver, as they have one of the best dive sites in the world.
The reason I already knew about this destination was because of a picture I saw years ago of a beach there called “PK 9.” This may be the most magnificent beach I have ever experienced and bonus: no one else was there.
You are probably asking yourself “why?” Because less than 1,000 people live in the entire area and get so little tourists.
I knew that I had to get to this beach, but it was going to be an uphill battle because there was no tour there and it was about six miles from where the ship let off. Oh, and we were told that everyone gets around by foot on the island. It was not possible for me to walk 12 miles roundtrip to see a beach.
But – where there is a will, there is a way. I knew that I would find something. So, I started messaging hotels and tour companies. One of the hotels passed me a number for a local taxi that takes people to the beach! I ended up contacting her on WhatsApp and booked her for a half day tour! Best decision ever. She charged my guest and I just $200 for the day, and she took us everywhere!!
Here is her WhatsApp contact if you are planning to be in Fakarava ((+689) 87 29 30 66) and her name is Olivia. She is amazing and speaks fluent English and French!
Pro tip: even if you do not go to PK 9 beach, there is one tour I really wanted to do (Blue Lagoon) and they could only take 24 people. There was no way around this. If you want this tour, book immediately. It was not available six weeks before I got on board.
Tahuata:
This was our first stop in the Marquesas Islands and a very last minute port change. We were supposed to go to Hiva Oa, but the water was too choppy for us to tender in.
The second we stepped off the tender and on land, we met this local man, who doesn’t speak any English, but was so generous with sharing his land and had the most incredible smile. I rarely photograph people, but he kept insisting, so I must share him.
While I was a little sad to miss this port, I realized I could fly back here any other time. Tahuata is so small and does not have an airport. This is a very remote island that gets few visitors.
The ship was able to arrange taxis for a tour of the island, but we opted to just walk around.
Walking, I believe we did about a mile roundtrip to see the church, the locals put on a show and just explored the local region by the port.
This was a perfect pool day back on board because we left well after sunset and the sunset was ablaze of oranges!
Nuka Hiva
For our second day in the Marquesas Islands, we stopped in Nuka Hiva.
As a pro tip, there is only one tour available of the island and there was not enough spots for everyone on board. You need to book this as soon as you get on the ship if you want to do it.
This tour took us to a few overlooks, which were amazing, a black sand beach and various other stops around the island.
Fun fact: if you watch Survivor, season four was filmed here!
Rangiroa
Back in the Tuamotus, close to Fakarava, was our fourth stop in Rangiroa.
Rangiroa is the second largest atoll in the world and equally as impressive as Fakarava!
I already knew I wanted to visit the Green Lagoon here, which I recommend, 10/10. I did book this early, and it did sell out. There were several other tours for various things that people wanted to do, so, everyone was happy.
I’m not sure I will ever be able to eloquently express my appreciation for the beauty of this area – all I can say is: you have to see it with your own eyes. Pictures will never do it justice.
We spent three hours at the Green Lagoon, and it took about 25 minutes to get to from the dock.
The water is unbelievable, and if you walk out a little ways, it becomes more like a sandbank. There is so much snorkeling in the area and tons of fish and stingrays.
Definitely one of my favorite days. AND, we had 16 people I believe on the tour.. we were the only ones at the lagoon!!
Taha’a
Back in the Society Islands now, Tahaa’a was our first stop.
The ship has several excursions available AND they have Motu Mahaea for the day, where they pull out all the water toys and have a beach BBQ.
When we were pulling into Taha’a, there was a little rain and a huge rainbow. For a second, I thought we would not have great weather, but then it turned itself around and was a gorgeous day.
On this trip, I did not do an excursion here and just spent the day on Motu Mahaea. In past cruises, I have done snorkeling and excursions around pearls, both excellent.
But, the big deal for this port is the private island escape the cruise line sets up.
When we left Taha’a, we headed to Bora Bora, which you can see in the background. It is very close.
Bora Bora
Unless you are new to my content, we all know Bora Bora is one of my favorite places in the entire world. Lucky for us, the cruise spent two very full days there.
We arrived to a stunning sunrise behind Mount Otemanu and I knew it was going to be an amazing day.
Because there are two days, you can use that time to do as many activities as you want, you can even do an overnight at one of the resorts in an overwater bungalow if you want. I highly recommend this if you want that Bora Bora experience.
Windstar also has this incredible event on a motu where they do a massive BBQ dinner at sunset and finish with Tahitian dancers and fire dancers. I’ve done this three times and it never gets old. Ever.
I have been to Bora Bora six times and I have stayed at all the resorts and have done all the activities. On this trip, we did an off road experience up Mount Otemanu, went to Matira Beach, and did an overnight in an overwater bungalow at Intercontinental Le Moana.
The beauty of Bora Bora is that the most activities are available here and there are no wrong answers. It is so beautiful!
If you don’t want to do an overnight stay at one of the resorts (which I 10/10 recommend), you can get a day pass from the Intercontinental Le Moana on the mainland, which is easiest to get to.
Mo’orea
Our last full day on the cruise was in Mo’orea. Sister island to Tahiti.
One thing people don’t realize about this island is that the lagoon is equally as impressive as Bora Bora. It took me two visits to learn this.
On this visit, I went snorkeling and went to the Belvedere Lookout. While I was here in early October is whale season. All the excursions were sold out, but I would have loved to snorkel/swim with whales. Something to consider if you visit during this time.
You can also get a day pass for the Hilton Mo’orea and use their property. They have incredible snorkeling – it is like an aquarium!
The Ship: Star Breeze:
Star Breeze is an all suite yacht, with a relatively recent $200+ million dollar renovation. I really enjoy this ship. Cruising through Tahiti twice, Alaska and the Caribbean on it, I would argue it is one of my favorite small ship experiences.
This ship can only accommodate 312 guests and it has never been 100% occupancy when I have been on board. It is very easy to get to know the guests and staff after a couple days. While you never feel crowded, this ship isn’t like the jumbo ships that carry 5,000+ passengers.
For me, I like easy. Star Breeze embodies easy. Easy to get on and off, never waiting for anything, tables are always available, and so on. If you have been on a big cruise, you know it can take 1-2 hours to board the ship or even get off it. I have walked off the Star Breeze with no issues every single time I have been on board. And that does make all the difference.
On board:
For being just over 500 feet in length and offering 6 decks for guests, the Star Breeze really has a lot to offer.
The ship has an outdoor pool, two hot tubs, a gym, salon, spa, multiple restaurants and bars, a lounge, swimming platform, and a lot of outdoor seating on deck.
Being that this is a small, luxury yacht style cruise, there is not a ton of entertainment by way of a casino or Broadway shows.
My personal favorite space on board is the Yacht Club. This space is at the front of the ship on deck eight with a deck out front and around the sides, that serves coffees, pastries, and light food.
They also have tons of books, a community puzzle, comfy seating and tables, and it is a great place to catch up with people. I treat it as a coffee shop.
Room:
During my stay I was in room 434, which is an Ocean View Suite. I have stayed in a variety of rooms on this ship, and they’re all similar. This room had a huge window to see outside.
Coming in just around 277 square feet in size, the room boats a living area, bedroom, minifridge (which if you have the all-inclusive package can drink anything from there), walk-in closet, large bathroom with walk-in shower and dual sinks, large TV with built in movies, menus, etc., waffle weave robe, and cozy slippers.
Twice a day your room attendant will clean your room, leave two large carafes of filtered water (I highly recommend bringing a water bottle and filling it up to take with you) your minibar is stocked with a variety of glasses for in room use and they even leave chocolates on your pillows some nights and sometimes even towel animals.
I really enjoyed this room because it is bigger than the average cruise stateroom. The space to sit on the couch or chairs and read, get room service, watch a movie late at night and order popcorn, all of it. I love it.
Dining:
If i say nothing else about Windstar that is a selling point, let it be the food. I have been on around 40 cruises and the food is top tier. No question about it.
The four main restaurants on board are:
Candles
This is open for dinner only on select nights and you need a reservation. This is the cruise ships version of a steak house and the food is amazing. There are a couple shareable steaks on the menu for an extra fee if you want them, but you would be just fine with one of the included ones.
Star Grill
Outdoor on deck eight, this is my favorite place for lunch. It is buffet style with a small menu that stays the same and they have an ice cream machine. Star Grill is also open for dinner most nights.
Cuadro 44
I did not eat here on this trip, but I have on my other sailings. This restaurant requires reservations and is tapas style Spanish restaurant. The food is amazing.
Amphora Restaurant
This would be my hands down favorite restaurant and it is only open for dinner. This is the main dining room and every single meal was sensational.
I don’t know how they do it, but every single night they have tons of unique options and you just have to try it all.
Veranda
Veranda and Candles share the space. During the day it is where breakfast buffet is served and a lunch buffet.
For breakfast, there is also a menu with a few options that never changes.
That about wraps up my trip. The cruise was called “Tahitian Treasures + Magnificent Marquesas.” While Windstar has lots of Tahiti itineraries, this was by far my favorite that I have done.
Fakarava and Rangiroa are two of the prettiest places I have ever had the pleasure of seeing in person.
If you take this cruise, let me know!! I loved my time on this trip.
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Disclosure: I was a guest of Windstar Cruises, but as always, opinions are entirely my own.