Okay, so we're in the dead of winter with no escape, right? Wrong! Why not get away from it all with a cruise in the South Pacific?  With ports of call like Tahiti, Fiji and Bora Bora, the hard part is deciding which winter escape to choose from.

South Pacific Cruise Options

Almost all of the major cruise lines - Holland, Carnival, Princess and so on, offer trips to the South Pacific. Trips range from a few days to several months. Choosing your cruise itinerary will depend largely on what you like to do while in the South Pacific.

If you want some peace and quiet on a beautiful sandy beach, you might want to consider the smaller, less inhabited islands of Melanesia. If you want a cool jungle adventure on a 4-wheeler, you might look towards Bora Bora.

Popular South Pacific Ports of Call

Each cruise line offers a variety of itineraries and cruise durations. Some of the main areas of the South Pacific include: 

Polynesia

Many of the major cruise lines have itineraries that start and end in Polynesia. This grouping of islands consists of:

• Tahiti
• Moorea
• Raiatea
• Tahaa
• Huahine
• Rangiroa
• Marquesas Islands
• Bora Bora

This grouping of islands offers something for everyone. One popular shore excursion in Tahiti is the Papenoo Valley & Waterfall By 4-wheel-drive shore excursion, with a swim in a forest pool. Or, you may want to consider a Bora Bora night dive, offered on cruises with overnight stays in Bora Bora.

Melanesia

Many of the smaller, more specialized cruise lines will take you into the area of Melanesia which consists of the islands of Vanuatu, New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands and Fiji and the Yasawas, a 20-island archipelago noted for white sandy beaches and stunning blue waters. Want a thrilling adventure? Take in the Mount Koghis Rainforest Canopy Adventure while visiting Noumea, New Calendonia. On this fabulous shore excursion you soar through the rainforest canopy from 7 to 60 feet above the ground. Beats shoveling snow!

Micronesia

Finally, the least served grouping of islands are the islands of Micronesia, which are serviced by smaller cruise ships (though Princess and some others also cruise there) and consists of the following islands:

• Banaba
• Gilbert Islands
• Mariana Islands
• Marshall Islands
• Caroline Islands
• Nauru
• Wake Island
• Guam
• Palau
• Yap