The trip
Overview
French Polynesia is the far side of the world from the Gulf — and that remoteness is precisely the appeal. This journey flies you into Papeete on Tahiti, gives you a night to land properly, then boards a smaller ship for a seven-night sailing through the Society Islands: Moorea's jagged green skyline, Raiatea and its lagoon, sometimes the Tuamotu atoll of Rangiroa, and Bora Bora, which earns its reputation the moment the ship enters the lagoon. It ends the way a trip like this should — three nights in an overwater or beachfront resort, going nowhere.
Small ships matter here. The lagoons and village quays these islands offer cannot take mega-ships, so this region belongs to vessels a fraction of the size — with tenders that drop you at beaches, paddleboards off the stern on some ships, and ports the big fleets never print. Which islands appear, and whether Bora Bora is an overnight call, depends on the sailing we quote; the routing we confirm always matches it.
Be honest with yourself about the flying: the UAE to Tahiti is a genuinely long way, via Paris and Los Angeles or via Auckland. That is why we build the itinerary with recovery nights at both ends, and why this is a honeymoon-and-milestone trip rather than an annual-leave habit.
Highlights
- ✦Seven nights on a smaller ship through the Society Islands
- ✦Possible calls at Moorea, Raiatea, Rangiroa and Bora Bora
- ✦Lagoon anchorages and tender landings the big ships cannot make
- ✦Three finishing nights in an overwater or beachfront resort
- ✦A Papeete arrival night to absorb the long flight before sailing
Who it suits
- ●Honeymooners and big-anniversary couples with the leave to do it justice
- ●Snorkellers and lagoon people — the water is the whole point
- ●Travellers who want the far Pacific once, done properly
Why this journey works
- ✓Small ships reach lagoon anchorages that mass-market vessels physically cannot
- ✓Cruise-then-resort ordering ends the trip at rest rather than in motion
- ✓Recovery nights at both ends absorb the longest flight route we sell
Day by day
Days 1–2
The long way to Papeete
Fly out of Dubai and cross most of the planet — via Paris and Los Angeles, or eastabout via Auckland. You land in Papeete in the evening, lose or gain a day to the dateline depending on routing, and sleep properly in a hotel above the harbour. The roulottes — Papeete's waterfront food trucks — are the right first dinner.
Days 3–9
The sailing — through the Society Islands
Board the small ship and slip out past Moorea, usually the first call — hike or 4x4 into the Opunohu valley, or snorkel the lagoon with rays gliding underneath. The week threads Raiatea, considered the cradle of Polynesian culture, sometimes Huahine or the Rangiroa atoll, and then Bora Bora, often as the finale and on some sailings an overnight. Days are lagoon days: tenders, snorkelling, village quays, and the ship's deck at sunset with Polynesian crews who treat the route as home. Ports always match the confirmed sailing.
Days 10–12
The resort — going nowhere at all
Disembark and transfer to your resort on Moorea or Bora Bora — overwater bungalow if the occasion demands it, beachfront if you prefer your money in the lagoon rather than over it. Three days of nothing scheduled: the reef off the deck, one lagoon excursion, dinner with the sky doing its evening show.
Day 13
Homeward
Fly back to Papeete by island hop, then begin the journey home to Dubai, arriving a day and a bit later. Build a soft first day back into your diary — you will want it.
Possible ports of call
Small-ship region — vessel size is what unlocks these lagoons. Line, ship, island rotation and any Bora Bora overnight are confirmed at quote stage.
When to go
French Polynesia is warm year-round; May to October is the drier, slightly cooler season and the most reliable window, while November to April is more humid with passing tropical showers and the occasional weather system. Sailings run all year, humpback whales pass through roughly August to October, and honeymoon-season demand peaks around European and Gulf summer — book overwater categories many months out.
Planning around seasons, regions and style? Read the full Australia destination guide →
What’s included
- ✓Return flights from Dubai to Papeete via Paris and Los Angeles or via Auckland
- ✓One arrival night in a Papeete hotel with breakfast
- ✓Cruise fare for the selected sailing and cabin category
- ✓Three resort nights after the cruise with breakfast
- ✓Transfers between airport, hotels and the ship
- ✓PCT travel consultant support before and during travel
Not included
- —Shore excursions and lagoon activities unless quoted
- —Drinks packages and gratuities unless quoted
- —Meals ashore beyond breakfast
- —Travel insurance
- —Visas or travel authorisations where required
Ways to extend it
- +Add two nights in Los Angeles or Auckland to break the journey
- +Extend the resort stay to five nights
- +Upgrade to an overwater suite with lagoon-facing deck
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