We’ve all been there. Helping our children decide what to do when they finish school. So, when my daughter announced she was going to go to Australia after her A-level to become a dive instructor, her dad and I were thrilled. She didn’t like our ideas but it didn’t matter. She had a plan and was going off to live the dream (which she did and is still doing).
She got the diving bug on a cruise with me in the paradise islands of French Polynesia. Sunny skies, mountainous rainforests and sandy beaches gently lapped by turquoise waters; that was the picture that greeted us every day as we visited Raiatea, Bora Bora and Moorea on a cruise from Papeete.
While she was underwater admiring colourful coral teeming with equally colourful tropical fish, I was on top of it enjoying the sheer beauty of the islands; together we dipped into history and culture, visiting the remains of marae (the ancient Polynesians’ sacred places), watching local dance shows and learning about life in the islands before the French arrived in the mid-1700s. To this day, there are still very Gallic, with baguettes in the market, French as the official language and Euros accepted in the shops.
Into this wonderland comes Regent Seven Seas Cruises, which is not only following in our footsteps on a voyage around the Society Islands in March 2026 but heading on through the South Pacific to Auckland.
What an incredible journey it promises to be - 17 nights living a life of luxury on Seven Seas Navigator and enjoying exciting days ashore in the islands we visited, and also Pago Pago in American Samoa, Apia in Samoa, Suva and Lautoka in Fiji and the Bay of Islands in New Zealand. There’s an overnight stay in Bora Bora, several relaxing days at sea and a whole day in Auckland before disembarking.
If the thought of a cruise in the South Pacific doesn’t quite sell it, all things Regent Seven Seas Cruises includes in its fares - so much that even after a fortnight on board, you can disembark with a nil bill - definitely will.
Drinks, speciality restaurants, tips, Wi-Fi and laundry are all covered, which makes it great value and budgeting so easy. Splash out on the line’s new Ultimate All-Inclusive Fares and Regent Seven Seas Cruises will add in return flights as well as UK and overseas transfers.
Did I mention shore excursions? Regent Seven Seas Cruises includes those as well, not just one at each port but lots to choose from every day. Whether you fancy kayaking or snorkelling, learning about exotic fruits, flowers or plants, seeing sharks and sting rays from the comfort of a glass-bottomed boat or learning to cook Samoan-style, you can and it won’t cost a penny extra.
You can have a lazy day on a moto (a small coral island on the reefs that surround each of the Society Islands), see where the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi that handed New Zealand over to Britain was signed or dive into local colour and cuisine on a DIY tour of the local town.
After so many days hopping around islands that count their populations in the thousands and life is unhurried, arriving in the big city of Auckland, the capital of New Zealand, will be a bit of a shock. Wow! All those cars, traffic jams, high-rise buildings and exciting things to do.
Like visiting caves lit by glowworms, seeing penguins and sharks at the city’s aquarium, going wine tasting in local vineyards or doing the cultural bit with trips to maritime and Maori museums.
If you’re feeling really brave, you can take the lift up the Sky Tower, harness up and get a bird’s eye view of the city from an outside walkway around the edge of the building, 328 metres high (that’s taller than the Eiffel Tower). Needless to say, a head for heights is a must!
