REGION-WIDE CRUISE

The easiest way to see a chunk of the South Pacific in one go is to hop aboard a cruise ship. Celebrity Cruises (0844 493 2043; celebritycruises.co.uk) has a 13-night trip scheduled from Auckland on March 16. Celebrity Solstice will work its way north-east to Fiji, Samoa (including American Samoa) and Tonga. Virgin Holidays Cruises (0344 739 2430; virginholidayscruises. co.uk) is offering the trip from £5,029 a head, with return flights from the UK to New Zealand. Raiatea is the hub of operations). Neither package includes flights. Air New Zealand (0800 028 4149; airnewzealand.co.uk) flies to both destinations (landing at Fa’a’a International Airport on Tahiti in the case of French Polynesia) from the UK, changing in

Auckland. (realistically, you need at least two weeks, if only to cope with the jet lag) in Hawaii are bountiful. Trafalgar (0800 533 5619; trafalgar.com) sells a “Hawaii Four Island Adventure” which calls upon Oahu (including Pearl Harbor), the Big Island (including Hawaii Volcanoes National Park), Maui and Kauai. This costs from £3,351 in its “first class” incarnation, although this price does not include flights from the UK. America As You Like It (020 8742 8299; americaasyoulikeit.com) dispenses a 16-night “Hawaii Island Hopper” which makes leisurely progress through Kauai, Maui and the Big Island from £2,229 per person, including international flights.