Windstar Cruises

Daily Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Papeete

   Depart 17:30

   French Polynesia

   

   Papeete is the spirited, slightly ragged capital of French Polynesia — not the languorous paradise of travel-poster imagination, but a working harbour city of fresh produce markets, baguette bakeries, and Tahitian outrigger canoe clubs that provides an authentic counterpoint to the pearl-still lagoons of Bora Bora and Moorea nearby. The daily Marché de Papeete is the city's essential experience, its stalls piling high with vanilla pods, monoi-scented oils, black pearls, and the most exuberant floral arrangements in the Pacific. Moorea, visible across the Sea of the Moon and just 30 minutes by fast ferry, offers a dramatically quieter alternative. The dry season, May through October, brings the finest weather.

2. Day 2

   At Sea

   

3. Day 2

   Raiatea

   Arrive 13:00

   French Polynesia

   

   Raiatea, the sacred ancestral homeland of Polynesian navigation and home to the UNESCO-listed Taputapuātea marae, offers an unhurried immersion into French Polynesia's deepest cultural roots. Visitors should not miss kayaking the Faaroa River — the only navigable river in French Polynesia — and crossing the shared lagoon to Taha'a's vanilla plantations and pristine motu. The dry season from May through October brings warm days, gentle trade winds, and optimal conditions for both lagoon exploration and open-ocean sailing.

4. Day 3

   Raiatea

   Depart 06:00

   French Polynesia

   

   Raiatea, the sacred ancestral homeland of Polynesian navigation and home to the UNESCO-listed Taputapuātea marae, offers an unhurried immersion into French Polynesia's deepest cultural roots. Visitors should not miss kayaking the Faaroa River — the only navigable river in French Polynesia — and crossing the shared lagoon to Taha'a's vanilla plantations and pristine motu. The dry season from May through October brings warm days, gentle trade winds, and optimal conditions for both lagoon exploration and open-ocean sailing.

5. Day 3

   Taha’a (Motu Mahana)

   Arrive 08:00Depart 17:00

   French Polynesia

   

   Taha'a, accessible only by boat within its shared lagoon with Raiatea, is French Polynesia's vanilla island — a roadless, airportless sanctuary where family plantations produce eighty percent of the territory's prized vanilla. Visitors should explore a working vanilla farm to witness hand-pollination and sun-curing techniques, then taste *poisson cru* dressed in fresh coconut milk at a waterside pension. The dry season from May through October offers the clearest skies and calmest lagoon conditions, ideal for small-ship circumnavigation of the island aboard Paul Gauguin Cruises, Windstar, or Silversea.

6. Day 4

   Bora Bora

   Arrive 09:00

   French Polynesia

   

   Bora Bora rises from the South Pacific like the platonic ideal of a tropical island — a volcanic peak ringed by a lagoon of impossible turquoise clarity whose beauty has made it the benchmark against which all other island destinations are measured. The overwater bungalow was effectively invented here, and the island's luxury resorts remain the definitive expression of that sublime form of hospitality. Snorkel or dive the outer reef's extraordinary coral gardens, or simply watch the shifting light transform Mount Otemanu's basalt silhouette through the long Pacific afternoon. Visit April through October for the calmest, driest conditions. Tahiti's Faa'a International Airport is a forty-five-minute flight away.

7. Day 5

   Bora Bora

   Depart 21:00

   French Polynesia

   

   Bora Bora rises from the South Pacific like the platonic ideal of a tropical island — a volcanic peak ringed by a lagoon of impossible turquoise clarity whose beauty has made it the benchmark against which all other island destinations are measured. The overwater bungalow was effectively invented here, and the island's luxury resorts remain the definitive expression of that sublime form of hospitality. Snorkel or dive the outer reef's extraordinary coral gardens, or simply watch the shifting light transform Mount Otemanu's basalt silhouette through the long Pacific afternoon. Visit April through October for the calmest, driest conditions. Tahiti's Faa'a International Airport is a forty-five-minute flight away.

8. Day 6

   Huahine

   Arrive 07:00Depart 17:00

   French Polynesia

   

   Huahine, often called the "Garden of Eden" of French Polynesia, is a lush twin-island paradise between Moorea and Bora Bora where ancient Polynesian marae temples stand among jungle-covered hills and turquoise lagoons remain blissfully uncrowded. Visitors should not miss the thousand-year-old archaeological complex at Maeva and a lagoon snorkeling excursion through pristine coral gardens. The ideal season spans May through October — the austral dry season — when skies are clear, humidity is gentle, and the southeast trade winds carry the scent of vanilla and tiare flowers across the water.

9. Day 7

   Moorea

   Arrive 07:00Depart 16:30

   French Polynesia

   

   Moorea is a volcanic island in French Polynesia, separated from Tahiti by a narrow channel known as the Sea of the Moon, celebrated for its twin cathedral-like bays, jagged emerald peaks, and lagoons of almost surreal turquoise clarity. Visitors should not miss savouring authentic *poisson cru* at a beachside roulotte and exploring Ōpūnohu Bay by outrigger canoe or guided hiking trail. The ideal season to visit is May through October — the dry, austral winter — when skies are reliably clear, humidity is gentle, and humpback whales pass through the surrounding waters on their annual migration.

10. Day 7

    Papeete

    Arrive 20:00

    French Polynesia

    

    Papeete is the spirited, slightly ragged capital of French Polynesia — not the languorous paradise of travel-poster imagination, but a working harbour city of fresh produce markets, baguette bakeries, and Tahitian outrigger canoe clubs that provides an authentic counterpoint to the pearl-still lagoons of Bora Bora and Moorea nearby. The daily Marché de Papeete is the city's essential experience, its stalls piling high with vanilla pods, monoi-scented oils, black pearls, and the most exuberant floral arrangements in the Pacific. Moorea, visible across the Sea of the Moon and just 30 minutes by fast ferry, offers a dramatically quieter alternative. The dry season, May through October, brings the finest weather.

11. Day 8

    Papeete

    French Polynesia

    

    Papeete is the spirited, slightly ragged capital of French Polynesia — not the languorous paradise of travel-poster imagination, but a working harbour city of fresh produce markets, baguette bakeries, and Tahitian outrigger canoe clubs that provides an authentic counterpoint to the pearl-still lagoons of Bora Bora and Moorea nearby. The daily Marché de Papeete is the city's essential experience, its stalls piling high with vanilla pods, monoi-scented oils, black pearls, and the most exuberant floral arrangements in the Pacific. Moorea, visible across the Sea of the Moon and just 30 minutes by fast ferry, offers a dramatically quieter alternative. The dry season, May through October, brings the finest weather.

Cabin Categories

Category A

Outside

188 sq ftMax 2A

Every inch of your stateroom is designed for comfort. Luxurious Egyptian cotton linens wrap you in pleasant sleepiness as you stretch out in your queen bed (can be separated into twins if you prefer). Your spacious bath features granite counter tops, ample storage, and a roomy shower with massage shower head. L’Occitane bath products invite you to indulge, while comfy waffle-weave robe and slippers entice you to relax. You’ll find fresh fruit and flowers always waiting for you after a day of sun or sightseeing. And, of course, everything else you need and expect — flat-screen television and DVD, private safe. And always at your fingertips, anything you wish from room service.

Toiletries ProvidedTVWi-Fi (Additional Cost)SafeHair DryerMini Bar (Additional Cost)+1

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Category AX Deluxe

Outside

188 sq ftMax 3AX

Every inch of your stateroom is designed for comfort. Luxurious Egyptian cotton linens wrap you in pleasant sleepiness as you stretch out in your queen bed (can be separated into twins if you prefer). Your spacious bath features granite counter tops, ample storage, and a roomy shower with massage shower head. L’Occitane bath products invite you to indulge, while comfy waffle-weave robe and slippers entice you to relax. You’ll find fresh fruit and flowers always waiting for you after a day of sun or sightseeing. And, of course, everything else you need and expect — flat-screen television and DVD, private safe. And always at your fingertips, anything you wish from room service.

Toiletries ProvidedTVWi-Fi (Additional Cost)SafeHair DryerMini Bar (Additional Cost)+1

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Category B

Outside

188 sq ftMax 3B

Every inch of your stateroom is designed for comfort. Luxurious Egyptian cotton linens wrap you in pleasant sleepiness as you stretch out in your queen bed (can be separated into twins if you prefer). Your spacious bath features granite counter tops, ample storage, and a roomy shower with massage shower head. L’Occitane bath products invite you to indulge, while comfy waffle-weave robe and slippers entice you to relax. You’ll find fresh fruit and flowers always waiting for you after a day of sun or sightseeing. And, of course, everything else you need and expect — flat-screen television and DVD, private safe. And always at your fingertips, anything you wish from room service.

Toiletries ProvidedTVWi-Fi (Additional Cost)SafeHair DryerMini Bar (Additional Cost)+1

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Category BX Deluxe

Outside

188 sq ftMax 3BX

Every inch of your stateroom is designed for comfort. Luxurious Egyptian cotton linens wrap you in pleasant sleepiness as you stretch out in your queen bed (can be separated into twins if you prefer). Your spacious bath features granite counter tops, ample storage, and a roomy shower with massage shower head. L’Occitane bath products invite you to indulge, while comfy waffle-weave robe and slippers entice you to relax. You’ll find fresh fruit and flowers always waiting for you after a day of sun or sightseeing. And, of course, everything else you need and expect — flat-screen television and DVD, private safe. And always at your fingertips, anything you wish from room service.

Toiletries ProvidedTVWi-Fi (Additional Cost)SafeHair DryerMini Bar (Additional Cost)+1

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Owner's Suite

Suite

220 sq ftMax 2OW

With an expansive 220 square feet, the Owner’s Suite gives you everything offered in a stateroom, plus lots more, including a beautiful sitting area and separate in-room dining space.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerBathToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTV+2

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