Ovation of the Seas - South Pacific: Noumea, Mystery Island & Port Vila

Where this cruise calls, day by day

5 ports and 4 sea days over 8 Nights.

1. Day 1

   Sydney

   AustraliaDepart

   Two terminals, and which one you get changes the day completely. The Overseas Passenger Terminal sits on Circular Quay east of the Harbour Bridge, with no air-draft limit and the Opera House directly opposite the gangway. White Bay, out at Rozelle, only takes ships that fit under the bridge, and it has no train, no ferry and no bus at the gate. Berths are assigned by availability, so nobody can promise you one.

   • Sydney Opera House backstage or architectural tour
   • The Bondi to Coogee clifftop walk, or just the Bondi Beach bus
   • BridgeClimb over the Sydney Harbour Bridge
   • Ferry across to Manly or Taronga Zoo for the harbour view back

   Getting ashore

   Docked either at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, five minutes' walk from Circular Quay's trains and ferries, or at White Bay about 6km out, which is taxi or rideshare only - 15-25 minutes to the CBD.

   Best months

   Oct-Apr (southern spring to autumn)

2. Day 2 · At sea

3. Day 3 · At sea

4. Day 4

   Noumea

   New CaledoniaPort

   Noumea is a French city that happens to be in Melanesia - bakeries, boules, French road signs and a nickel industry, on a peninsula in the southwest Pacific. Ships berth at the Gare Maritime right beside the centre, so you walk off into Place des Cocotiers. The beaches are on the far side of the peninsula, a short bus or taxi away.

   • Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Renzo Piano's Kanak cultural complex
   • Anse Vata and Baie des Citrons beaches
   • Boat out to Amedee Island and its 19th-century iron lighthouse
   • Place des Cocotiers, the Fontaine Monumentale and the Petit Train city tour

   Getting ashore

   Docked at the Gare Maritime on the Baie de la Moselle, five minutes' walk from Place des Cocotiers - though only one ship fits, so a second berths at the container terminal with a free shuttle and any others anchor and tender.

   Best months

   Sep-Nov and Apr-May (mild and drier; Jan-Mar is the cyclone season)

5. Day 5

   Mystery Island

   VanuatuPort

   Mystery Island is the cruise industry's name for Inyeug, an uninhabited 16-hectare coral islet about a kilometre off Aneityum in southern Vanuatu. Nobody lives there; islanders cross from Aneityum on ship days to set up stalls, run the boats and sing, then go home again. A grass airstrip takes up much of its length, and you can walk the whole perimeter in under an hour.

   • Snorkelling straight off the beach over the fringing reef
   • Craft and shell stalls run by Aneityum villagers, who also bring children to perform
   • Kayak, paddleboard and glass-bottom boat hire on the beach
   • Boat across to Aneityum for the Presbyterian mission ruins at Anelghowhat

   Getting ashore

   Tender onto the beach from an anchorage in Anelcauhat Harbour; there is no wharf, no shop and no shade beyond the palms, and swell cancels the call outright often enough to matter.

   Best months

   May-Oct (dry season; cyclone risk Nov-Apr)

6. Day 6

   Port Vila

   VanuatuPort

   Vanuatu's capital sits on a sheltered harbour on Efate, a mix of French and British colonial leftovers, Melanesian village life and duty-free shops. Ships berth at the wharf across the bay from the town centre. Note that the December 2024 earthquake caused serious damage in Port Vila and disrupted cruise calls for a time, so conditions ashore may still differ from older guidebooks.

   • Mele Cascades, a 35-metre waterfall with terraced pools you climb through
   • Hideaway Island marine reserve and its underwater post office
   • Port Vila Market, which trades produce and crafts and closes around midday
   • National Museum of Vanuatu for the sand-drawing demonstrations

   Getting ashore

   Normally docked at the cruise pier on Wharf Road, about 3km from the centre with shuttles and taxis at the gate - but ships have been tendering since the 2024 earthquake damaged the port, so confirm the arrangement for your call.

   Best months

   May-Oct (dry season; cyclone risk Nov-Apr)

7. Day 7 · At sea

8. Day 8 · At sea

9. Day 9

   Sydney

   AustraliaArrive

   Two terminals, and which one you get changes the day completely. The Overseas Passenger Terminal sits on Circular Quay east of the Harbour Bridge, with no air-draft limit and the Opera House directly opposite the gangway. White Bay, out at Rozelle, only takes ships that fit under the bridge, and it has no train, no ferry and no bus at the gate. Berths are assigned by availability, so nobody can promise you one.

   • Sydney Opera House backstage or architectural tour
   • The Bondi to Coogee clifftop walk, or just the Bondi Beach bus
   • BridgeClimb over the Sydney Harbour Bridge
   • Ferry across to Manly or Taronga Zoo for the harbour view back

   Getting ashore

   Docked either at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, five minutes' walk from Circular Quay's trains and ferries, or at White Bay about 6km out, which is taxi or rideshare only - 15-25 minutes to the CBD.

   Best months

   Oct-Apr (southern spring to autumn)