Cross International Dateline
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12/22/2024 |
12/22/2024 |
Air Travel
Air Travel 12/23/2024
Depart the U.S. and arrive in Auckland on Day 3. Transfer to our hotel for check in and lunch, and relax this afternoon before a welcome briefing in the evening to meet your fellow travelers. (Day 3: L,D),
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12/23/2024 |
12/23/2024 |
Auckland
Auckland 12/23/2024
Depart the U.S. and arrive in Auckland on Day 3. Transfer to our hotel for check in and lunch, and relax this afternoon before a welcome briefing in the evening to meet your fellow travelers. (Day 3: L,D),
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12/23/2024 |
12/23/2024 |
Auckland
Auckland 12/24/2024
Have breakfast at the hotel before joining a tour of this vibrant city center. We'll stop for lunch midday before embarking National Geographic Orion in the late afternoon. (B,L,D),
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12/24/2024 |
12/24/2024 |
Cruise Starts (Embarkation)
Cruise Starts (Embarkation) 12/24/2024
Have breakfast at the hotel before joining a tour of this vibrant city center. We'll stop for lunch midday before embarking National Geographic Orion in the late afternoon. (B,L,D),
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12/24/2024 |
12/24/2024 |
Auckland
Auckland 12/24/2024
Have breakfast at the hotel before joining a tour of this vibrant city center. We'll stop for lunch midday before embarking National Geographic Orion in the late afternoon. (B,L,D),
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12/24/2024 |
12/24/2024 |
Waitangi
Waitangi 12/25/2024
The Bay of Islands is an area encompassing more than 140 subtropical islands, boasting an abundance of wildlife and fascinating history. Visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, a place of immeasurable cultural, spiritual, and historical significance, and learn of the historical events for which these grounds are remembered. (B,L,D),
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12/25/2024 |
12/25/2024 |
At Sea
At Sea 12/26/2024
Take advantage of a full day at sea to settle into the relaxed pace of life onboard. Visit the Bridge to study our route on the navigational charts, and attend talks by the onboard experts. (B,L,D),
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12/26/2024 |
12/26/2024 |
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island 12/27/2024
Explore Norfolk Island, discovered by Captain Cook in 1774. Covered in dense forests of pines, it was initially valued as a ready source of ship-building lumber. Later, it became a British penal colony and then a settlement for Pitcairn Islanders, who themselves were descendants of the mutineers from the famous Bounty. Explore the ruins of the prison and enjoy walking around the main settlement at Burnt Pine. Later, take a long nature hike in Norfolk National Park to look for the endemic tree ferns and land birds. As we depart, look for large groups of seabirds alongside the dramatic island scenery. (B,L,D),
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12/27/2024 |
12/27/2024 |
At Sea
At Sea 12/28/2024
Relax on deck as we make our passage to Melanesia or attend talks by our expert expedition and photo teams. (B,L,D),
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12/28/2024 |
12/28/2024 |
Ile des Pins
Ile des Pins 12/29/2024
Swim or snorkel in the beautiful Oro Natural Pool or walk through a beautiful rainforest to the site of Queen Hortense's Cave, filled with limestone features and a variety of tropical vegetation. Alternatively, take a hike to the summit of N'Ga Peak to see incredible views over the island and the surrounding sea or join our naturalists for a birding walk through the dense canopy of the forest. (B,L,D),
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12/29/2024 |
12/29/2024 |
Port Vila, Vanuatu
Port Vila, Vanuatu 12/30/2024
Clear into Vanuatu at Port Vila. Later, go ashore at Lelepa to visit Vanuatu's first and only UNESCO World Heritage Site, the final residence and burial site of 17th-century Chief Roi Mata. Here, we'll be welcomed with traditional songs and dance, and enter the impressive Fels Cave. (B,L,D),
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12/30/2024 |
12/30/2024 |
Lelepa
Lelepa 12/30/2024
Clear into Vanuatu at Port Vila. Later, go ashore at Lelepa to visit Vanuatu's first and only UNESCO World Heritage Site, the final residence and burial site of 17th-century Chief Roi Mata. Here, we'll be welcomed with traditional songs and dance, and enter the impressive Fels Cave. (B,L,D),
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12/30/2024 |
12/30/2024 |
Ambrym Island
Ambrym Island 12/31/2024
Ambrym is known for its active volcanoes, black-sand beaches, and mystery and magic. Arrive ashore to witness the striking Rom dance, traditionally a secret event. Involving incredible masks and elaborate outfits that represent spirits, this is a cultural experience specific only to this island. (B,L,D),
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12/31/2024 |
12/31/2024 |
Espiritu Santo Island
Espiritu Santo Island 01/01/2025
Captain James Cook named the islands of Vanuatu the "New Hebrides" because they reminded him of the rugged isles off Scotland's coast. On the main island of Espiritu Santo, experience one of the best wreck dives in the world: the S.S. President Coolidge, a luxury cruise liner used as a troop carrier during World War II, or enjoy a serene canoe paddle to the Riri Blue Hole, a jewel-blue freshwater source surrounded by jungle. (B,L,D),
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01/01/2025 |
01/01/2025 |
Lo Island
Lo Island 01/02/2025
Arrive to the small village on Loh Island by Zodiac, meandering along a beautiful mangrove lagoon. Meet the lovely villagers and experience some of the local kastom dances. Hike across the island to a cave and look for wildlife along the way. If conditions permit, snorkel in along the beautiful fringing reef of the island. (B,L,D),
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01/02/2025 |
01/02/2025 |
Fenualoa
Fenualoa 01/03/2025
Visit Fenualoa, which is part of the Reef Islands in the northwestern province of Temotu. On shore we will be greeted by the local islanders and enjoy a tour of their village before snorkeling or swimming in the brilliant blue waters of the reef. (B,L,D),
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01/03/2025 |
01/03/2025 |
Utupua Island
Utupua Island 01/04/2025
Located in the Santa Cruz Island group, Utupua is a high volcanic island surrounded by a lagoon and a fringing coral reef. Travel by Zodiac to the village of Nimbau for a welcome song and dance performance. Take a walk through the village with the locals and see a display of their fantastic fishing canoes. Take a Zodiac ride along the shores, lined with dense mangroves and boasting a variety of wildlife. (B,L,D),
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01/04/2025 |
01/04/2025 |
Santa Ana Island
Santa Ana Island 01/05/2025
On the tiny isle of Owaraha (formerly known as Santa Ana), we're greeted with a traditional dance performed by villagers in elaborate costumes, body paint, and masks. Walk across the small island to Nafinotoga to see Spirit Houses containing the skulls and bones of ancient chiefs of the Snake Clan and the Turtle Clan. (B,L,D),
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01/05/2025 |
01/05/2025 |
Honiara
Honiara 01/06/2025
Our expedition concludes in Honiara, a former U.S. supply depot and a strategic WWII battleground. Tour around the outskirts of the city to see sites well known from the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942–43. See the shores of Red Beach and the vital airbase at Henderson Field. Visit the hills above Honiara, where some of the fiercest battles took place. Then transfer to the airport for our flight to Brisbane, where we will overnight at a local hotel. (B,L),
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01/06/2025 |
01/06/2025 |
Cruise Ends (Debarkation)
Cruise Ends (Debarkation) 01/06/2025
Our expedition concludes in Honiara, a former U.S. supply depot and a strategic WWII battleground. Tour around the outskirts of the city to see sites well known from the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942–43. See the shores of Red Beach and the vital airbase at Henderson Field. Visit the hills above Honiara, where some of the fiercest battles took place. Then transfer to the airport for our flight to Brisbane, where we will overnight at a local hotel. (B,L),
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01/06/2025 |
01/06/2025 |
Air Travel
Air Travel 01/06/2025
Our expedition concludes in Honiara, a former U.S. supply depot and a strategic WWII battleground. Tour around the outskirts of the city to see sites well known from the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942–43. See the shores of Red Beach and the vital airbase at Henderson Field. Visit the hills above Honiara, where some of the fiercest battles took place. Then transfer to the airport for our flight to Brisbane, where we will overnight at a local hotel. (B,L),
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01/06/2025 |
01/06/2025 |
Brisbane
Brisbane 01/06/2025
Our expedition concludes in Honiara, a former U.S. supply depot and a strategic WWII battleground. Tour around the outskirts of the city to see sites well known from the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942–43. See the shores of Red Beach and the vital airbase at Henderson Field. Visit the hills above Honiara, where some of the fiercest battles took place. Then transfer to the airport for our flight to Brisbane, where we will overnight at a local hotel. (B,L),
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01/06/2025 |
01/06/2025 |
Brisbane
Brisbane 01/07/2025
Depart this morning for your flight home, arriving the same day. (B),
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01/07/2025 |
01/07/2025 |