Lounging on the beach on Nanuya Lailai Island during a cruise on the Fiji Princess. Blue Lagoon Cruises is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Photo / Blue Lagoon Cruises
Sun-soaked beaches, crystal-clear waters and warm Fijian hospitality make this cruise a must-do, writes Neil Porten
A ribbon-thin sandbar connects the two islands Waya and Wayasewa. In a gentle Fijian breeze, competing waves from east and west wash over the lowest point. Two men in a narrow boat ride the merest surf over the bar to the other side, avoiding a long round-trip. On an otherwise deserted beach, four visitors in a row of deckchairs watch this Pacific scene with relaxed interest.
Blue Lagoon Cruises has delivered them here on MV Fiji Princess, a comfortable cruising catamaran that spends each week voyaging in the Yasawa Islands. The company’s long commitment to this remote and beautiful part of the planet is, like the Waya sandbar, an enduring connector, a bond linking travellers from all over the world with the local people. And as it celebrates its 75th anniversary of sailing here, that bond looks set to continue.
Every Friday Fiji Princess leaves from and returns to Denarau to cruise north through the Mamanuca, Sacred and Yasawa islands for seven nights. Cruisers can choose three-, four- and seven-night voyages. I joined the ship at Waya in the Sacred Islands via a speedy transfer from Denarau on a Monday, for the start of a four-night cruise. The transfer boat returns to the mainland with the three-night passengers while the rest of us continue the journey.
Fiji Princess is a handsome 55m-long vessel with 32 cabins (for a maximum 64 guests) across three decks. The public areas are at the back of the ship and on the sky deck up top. The sky deck features a bar, comfortable seating, loungers, long tables for evening meals under the stars and uninterrupted views of the changing Melanesian seascape.
Next down is the bridge deck, with 12 cabins, wraparound access, a spa area aft and the wheelhouse, where you are welcome any time to chat with the captain or watch the sailors navigate the ship.
The lounge deck has 16 cabins and the bar lounge, the recreational heart of the ship, where guests can relax, watch a movie, make themselves a hot drink or order something more suited to the sultry weather from the amenable bar staff. Reception is on this level, where beach towels and snorkelling gear are collected, and guests gather before getting on a tender down the stairs.
Lastly, the saloon deck is where meals are served. On this deck are four cabins and the pool, which is filled directly from the sea when the ship is at anchor. The pool is perfect for chilling with a cold drink after a hard day’s lounging on the beach – or if you prefer to remain onboard.
Cabin 20 is midship portside on the lounge deck, a homely and efficient room with blue carpet, cream walls, wood detailing and a queen bed with room underneath to stow luggage. The bathroom is a functional “wet space” designed to handle the spray from the uncurtained shower. The air con and the crisp linen meant every tropical night passed in comfort.
But I’m not in the middle of the South Pacific to spend time in my cabin.
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Spending time with the ship’s crew is a key part of the success of this cruise. General services manager Lucy oversees the hotel side of the ship, handling guest requests and conveying a calm and good-humoured manner in every situation. Cruise director Kelera, known to everyone as Lela, is mostly infectious fun, with a necessary dose of kindergarten-teacher control as required. Meanwhile, Captain Merven commands respect both for his obvious competent seamanship and his relentless leg-pulling.
After the jaunt to Waya Island’s sandbar, our sturdy vessel is under way, cruising north toward Naviti Island’s Soso Bay, our anchorage for the night. The sea is a grey plate and I can hear the burbling waves above the hum of the engines.
As sunset approaches, happy hour and Lela’s (not-very-hard) music quiz light up the bar lounge with conversation and laughter. At anchor, we lubricated guests slide down the staircase to the saloon for the Captain’s welcome dinner.
Captain Merven’s speech is brief and sincere.
“In the spirit of never giving up, I offer my heartfelt dedication to the crew. On our 75th anniversary, it is a true pleasure to celebrate it with you. Thank you for choosing to share this with us.”
Lucy’s words of encouragement – “the more you eat, the better you float” – come to mind as I contemplate my choices from the a la carte menu. Seated just a couple of places from the captain, I lean over and ask him how his dinner is.
“Very good,” he replies, “But I ask for small portions because I like to go to the fridge afterwards!”
The dhal soup is very good, I say.
“Yes,” he agrees, “I made it! But don’t ask me for the recipe!”
The evening ends, after many topped-up glasses, with a serenade sung by the crew.
All the next day, and the morning after that, the Blue Lagoon is our playground. At Nanuya Lailai Island, Fiji Princess is backed up to a perfect stretch of beach, a mooring rope secured from the stern to a coconut palm tree. A couple of crew are grooming the sand just for us as we watch on at breakfast. Unforgettably, while the tender transports my beach bag, I jump off the back of the boat and swim the short distance to shore.
There is so much nothing to do. Lazy snorkelling while a school of fish are fed. Lounging under palms or umbrellas. Ordering a drink from the beach hut bar at pina colada o’clock and having it served as you wallow in the clear, warm water. Watching Lela demonstrate coconut husking and explain the kava ceremony.
If you must be active, there’s kayaking, paddleboarding, aqua aerobics in the shallows or a walk across the island.
The mind wonders: is it better to be on the beach, or onboard in the comfort of the lounge or pool? Luckily, you’re not stuck with one or the other: a tender is on demand as the mood takes you.
Dinner tonight is a lovo, prepared in a fire pit and served by the beach after a perfect sunset. A meke show of choral harmonies and energetic dancing by villagers from Matacawalevu caps a great day.
Over the following days, activities proceed at a perfect pace. Before leaving Nanuya, we visit Lo’s Tea House for her homemade lemonade and famous doughnuts. At the Sawa-i-Lau Caves, my mind is blown by the vaulted white and black limestone walls lit through a leaf-filtered hole metres above the water. The people of Tamasua village prepare and share a seafood dinner with us, served on plaited mats on an orange tarpaulin under a blue marquee. Children at Naviti District School charm us with their singing and get us flapping and twisting during the Chicken Dance. Drawaqa Island is a snorkelling paradise of flitting fish and colourful coral. Lucky Lela snags two big fish as our boat wins the friendly handline fishing contest. The last-night barbecue dinner and disco is a fun finale to a memorable holiday.
On Friday morning, we are anchored for breakfast not far from Port Denarau. It’s easy to forget, from a New Zealand perspective, just how exotic Fiji is. But at the end of this wonderful Blue Lagoon Cruises voyage, the dramatic panorama of Nadi Bay, with its island-dotted ocean astern and the hazy highlands of Viti Levu’s interior ahead, rivals the beauty of any destination. Fiji’s remoteness to most of the world holds in the mind a promise of adventure. To cruise through the Yasawas is a promise fulfilled.
FIJI
Getting there
Fiji Airways and Air New Zealand regularly fly direct from Auckland to Nadi, Fiji.
Details
For more information on Blue Lagoon Cruise, visit bluelagooncruises.com.
Some domestic regional flights have been affected.