Captains Log

We have just completed the 3 night Christmas Cruise during which we visited the Southern Yasawas.  All passengers aboard had a very pleasant and relaxing cruise. The highlight of the cruise was, of course, Christmas Day which we spent at the Sacred Islands.  We enjoyed a special Christmas Lunch while at anchor after which those who hadn’t eaten too much were able to do a little more swimming snorkeling before we left for the Yalobi Bay anchorage.  In the evening we enjoyed an on board  carol service and a short nativity play performed by the crew – a tradition developed over the 16 years that Captain Cook Cruises has been operating in Fiji – followed by a very pleasant buffet dinner served around the swimming pool with the tanoa and kava nearby – very pleasant and relaxing evening enjoyed by the passengers and crew alike.


Captain Chris

Day one started from Lautoka to Tivua and then the Captains Welcome dinner. Lovely to see so many dressed for the occasion.

Due to tidal conditions we altered venues around a bit and started day two with a trip to Mana Cay - a delightful little haven with a hut and about half a dozen palm trees but a lovely reef to snorkel and dive on. Then over lunch to Nanuyakoto island pearl farm and reef. There were many pearls on display and some passengers chose to purchase. In the evening the crab race was replaced with a traditional story telling and musical experience on the mat with the Tabua and cava drinking (apparently the crabs were cold and must have gone up into the island!!!!!). The traditional Fiji-style evening was really well received and everyone enjoyed themselves. A big thank you to the crew for putting it all together at the last minute.

Captain Brian

We departed Tivua Island during the early hours of Wednesday morning and steamed to Nananu-i-ra, an island on the far northern coast of Viti Levu where the passengers enjoyed a relaxing time on the beach or went swimming, snorkeling and diving. Over lunchtime we steamed northward to Yadua Taba Island, off the south western coast of Vanua Levu where we hoped to see some wild Fijian Crested Iguanas. Yadua Taba is a sanctuary for the Fijian Crested Iguana of which there are some 13,000 on the island - the largest single population of any species of iguana anywhere in the world. Unfortunately they proved elusive this trip.

Captain Chris

Today (Tuesday) we began our inaugural Northern Discovery Cultural Cruise which will take us on an anticlockwise circumnavigation of Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second largest island.

We departed the port of Lautoka at 1430 hrs on Tuesday 7th June, our first destination being Tivua Island just 30 minutes away. We had a total of 73 passengers and 44 crew (including trainees) aboard. Amongst the passengers were Anthony Haworth, CCC Director; Commander Semi Koroilavesau, Managing Director Fiji and six travel journalists hosted PR Manager Brooke Tolar. The Company Owner and Chairman, Captain Trevor Haworth, was on hand at Lautoka to farewell the ship and, no doubt, to make sure we got away alright!

Captain Chris