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Melanesia cruises

Melanesia One-Way via Thursday Island & Alotau

Thursday Island · Alotau · Samarai · Port Vila

Balanced itinerary with more sea time than port-packed variants. Covers Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu.

17 nights Darwin Melanesia 4 ports 13 sea days
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What this trip feels like

Easygoing, familiar and ship-focused

13 sea days give you plenty of uninterrupted time onboard, while Thursday Island, Alotau, and Samarai provide the trip's main day ashore. You're choosing this route for an easy break with minimal logistics, not destination variety.

Relaxed pace

4 ports in 17 nights

Plenty of uninterrupted ship time.

Broad destination variety

Thursday Island · Alotau · Samarai + more

Frequent changes of scenery across the itinerary.

Route logistics

Sails from Darwin

Check the exact departure and arrival ports before arranging flights.

Port experience

Alotau · Pick your date carefully

Cruise traffic varies substantially by date, so your specific port day can feel very different depending on when you visit.

Best for · First-time cruisers · Ship-focused trips · Easy short getaways

Think twice if · You want a port-intensive Melanesia itinerary

Best departures

Best upcoming sailings

Start here. These departures surface first because they combine stronger pricing, useful timing, or a notable warning signal for this itinerary.

Best overall value
Paul Gauguin Cruises

Paul Gauguin

Darwin → Thursday Island → Port Vila → Lautoka

Mar 29 · 17 nights

About average

$9,134 oceanview · $537/night

All departures

All upcoming departures

Compare all sailings for this itinerary.

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Itinerary pricing

What this itinerary usually costs

Typical pricing runs around $571/night, with most departures landing in the $500-$620/night band across 1 tracked sailing.

Typical price

$571/night

$9,712 total

Normal range

$500-$620/night

$8,505-$10,545 total

Lowest recent fare

Building history

$8,283 total

Comparison set

1 sailings

Used for itinerary baseline

When should I go?

Not enough departures yet to identify a reliable cheaper season.

Route overview

How this route is built

Compare sailings →

17 nights · 4 port calls · 13 sea days · 3 countries

4 port calls across Australia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu · Leans more toward sea time than a port-packed 17-night route.

  1. 1

    Embark in Darwin

    Embarkation ports can vary by sailing

  2. 2

    Thursday Island

    Australia · Melanesia

  3. 3

    Alotau

    Papua New Guinea · Melanesia

  4. 4

    Samarai

    Papua New Guinea · Melanesia

  5. 5

    Port Vila

    Vanuatu · Melanesia

  6. 6

    Disembark in Lautoka

    Disembarkation ports can vary by sailing

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Embark port
Disembark port
Port of call

Other routes to consider

Not quite the right itinerary? Compare routes that trade a little simplicity for more ports, different destinations, or a longer trip.

FAQ

What’s the best month to sail this itinerary?
It depends on weather and crowd levels. Use the sailing list to compare dates and prioritize port days with comfortable conditions.
Are these sailings all the same route?
They can be close but not identical. Look for differences in port order, arrival times, and sea day placement.
How should I choose between two similar sailings?
Compare: (1) ship, (2) port day timing, (3) number of sea days, (4) price vs cabin value, and (5) flight convenience.