Cruise your way TO THE ISLANDS

Boarding the Pacific Explorer from Auckland is a ship-shape way to say 'bula' to Fiji, tells Penny Lewis

As the Uber driver helped load my suitcase into the back of his car in downtown Auckland on a cold Monday morning, he asked, “Have you been to Waiheke Island for the weekend?” “Ah, no, Fiji,” I replied. “I’ve just come back from a wonderful cruise to Fiji.”

Lucky me. It felt surreal – I had just stepped off P&O’s Pacific Explorer at Shed 10 on the Auckland waterfront, gone through security, travelled in the Uber and I was home a few minutes later. It couldn’t have been easier.

Pacific Explorer has Auckland as its home port now and is the only cruise ship based here during winter. This is fantastic news for Kiwis, who normally have to travel to Australia to cruise to Fiji and other Pacific Islands.

It’s a brilliant way to enjoy a tropical holiday – there are no international flights to pay for and enjoying a cruise holiday is as much about the journey as the destination. And as seasoned cruise fans know, there’s also the beauty of only having to unpack once.