Cruise Destinations

Pacific

Pacific: Paradise of Islands

The Pacific Ocean is home to legendary island paradises and natural wonders. From coral gardens to volcanic majesty, from Australia's iconic landmarks to Oceania's remote atolls—the Pacific offers paradise in infinite variety.

Pacific Routes

Australia

Iconic Sydney Harbour and the Great Barrier Reef.

Hawaii

Tropical island chain with volcanic landscapes.

Mexican Riviera

Pacific Mexico with golden beaches and charm.

South Pacific

Remote island paradises and untouched beauty.

Destination Guide

About this destination

The Pacific is cruising at its most cinematic: island chains scattered across an ocean a third of the planet wide, volcanic coastlines, and cultures built entirely around the sea. Voyages here are longer and farther between — which is exactly their appeal.

Four circuits define the region. Australia and New Zealand sail from Sydney Harbour and Auckland between November and April (the austral summer), combining city berths with the Great Barrier Reef and Milford Sound. Hawaii is a closed loop of four islands from Honolulu — no long flights mid-trip, just volcanic craters and black-sand mornings. The South Pacific reaches the postcard islands: Fiji, Bora Bora, Moorea and Samoa, usually in eight to fourteen nights from Sydney, Los Angeles or Papeete. The Mexican Riviera, sailing from Los Angeles year-round, is the shortest and most affordable of the four.

For Iranian travellers the Pacific is a second-passenger destination — US ports (Honolulu, Los Angeles) and Australia both require visas or a second passport, and flights themselves are long-haul. When the documents line up, though, nothing else on this list compares: a fortnight of open ocean and islands that no photograph quite captures.

The routes in detail

Every route, explained

Australia

Australia and New Zealand sailings run from Sydney Harbour and Auckland between November and April — the austral summer — when the southern cities bask and the reefs shine. Australian routes of 9 to 14 nights alternate Sydney's harbour-side Opera House, Brisbane, the Whitsundays, and the Great Barrier Reef's outer cayes from Cairns; New Zealand versions loop Auckland, the geothermal Rotorua region, Wellington and Fiordland's Milford Sound, where waterfalls fall sheer from kilometre-high walls. Longer voyages combine both countries in 14 to 18 nights. Australians and New Zealanders cruise as much as Europeans — expect full ships, lively decks and book-ahead pricing. Iranian travellers need an Australian or New Zealand visitor visa regardless of the sailing.

Hawaii

Hawaii sailings are the Pacific's easiest loop: NCL's Pride of America is the only ship legally permitted to cruise inter-island year-round, sailing seven-day round trips from Honolulu. The route touches four islands in one week — Maui's Lahaina and Haleakalā sunrise, Kona's black-lava coffee coast on the Big Island, Kauai's Na Pali Coast cliffs by afternoon light, and Oahu itself with Pearl Harbor an excursion away. No passports in transit, no long airport days mid-trip: you fly into Honolulu once and unpack once. Best months are May to September for calmest seas, though winter whale season is its own draw. US entry rules apply, so second passports or US visas are the practical prerequisite.

Mexican Riviera

On the Pacific side, the Mexican Riviera is the shortest and most affordable circuit in this region: three-to-seven-night round trips from Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán and Cabo San Lucas. Days at sea are few, prices stay friendly, and the winter window (November to April) aligns perfectly with humpback whale season in Cabo's waters. It is the classic first cruise for California families and pairs naturally with a Los Angeles city stay. For international visitors the US entry requirement is the only gate; once aboard, Spanish-language warmth, mar-side markets and golden-sunset decks make it the Pacific's most relaxed sailing.

South Pacific

The South Pacific is the far horizon of cruising: Fiji, Bora Bora, Moorea, Samoa and the Cook Islands — islands so remote that the ship itself is often the only hotel. Voyages of eight to fourteen nights sail from Sydney, Brisbane or Papeete, and repositioning sailings from Los Angeles cross 2,000 miles of open blue before the first atoll appears. Days revolve around lagoon swims, snorkelling over coral gardens, and Polynesian village welcomes with flower leis. The austral dry season, May to October, is the sailing window. Itineraries are long, flights are long-haul and US or South Pacific entry rules apply — but nothing in cruising feels farther from routine than the first sight of Bora Bora's lagoon from the top deck.