Follow Arcadia around the world

Arcadia has set sail on her 2025 Epic World Explorer cruise. Follow along each month as we dive into every port of call on her 99-night, globe-spanning adventure.

6 min 23 Jan 2025

Editorial Team

Author

If your New Year’s resolution was to see more of the world in 2025, you can do it vicariously through Arcadia’s Epic World Explorer cruise. This is Arcadia’s 15^th trip around the globe – her first world cruise was back in 2009 – so it’s safe to say she’s up to the task. Over 99 nights, from 3 January to 13 April, Arcadia will visit remote tropical beaches, glittering world-class cities and everything in between. Join us for the next three months as we follow in her wake, exploring incredible destinations and embarking on bucket-list adventures.

February: San Francisco to Darwin

31 January: Hilo, Hawaii, USA

Arcadia departed San Francisco and set a course for Hilo on Hawaii’s Big Island. It’s a land of flowing waterfalls, lush gardens and rugged volcanic peaks; a place where time slows down and the natural world reigns supreme. The geological impact of the island’s volcanoes can be seen everywhere, from waterfalls that cascade over a lava cave to black-sand beaches to the incredible formations at Lava Tree State Park. For a star-studded stroll, check out Banyan Drive and spot dozens of trees planted by celebrities, mainly from the 1930s, 40s and 50s, including Amelia Earhart, Cecil B DeMille and Franklin D Roosevelt.

1 February: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Honolulu is the intoxicating culmination of South Pacific culture, natural wonders and world history. There’s Lēʻahi (Diamond Head), a volcanic crater that looms over the landscape and delivers panoramic views. The memorial at Pearl Harbor is an important reminder of one of the most significant battles of the Second World War. Longing for the beach? On the south shore are world-famous ones like Waikiki, while the North Shore is renowned for its surf. And then there’s the food: from poké bowls made with freshly caught tuna to food trucks selling garlic shrimp to the local dessert of shaved ice topped with anything from condensed milk to azuki beans, it’s globally inspired yet uniquely Hawaiian.

6 February: Cross the International Date Line

You can add ‘becoming a time traveller’ to your world cruise bucket list! Crossing the International Date Line on a cruise ship is a unique experience. As Arcadia sailed over the imaginary-but-fixed line in the Pacific Ocean between stops in Hawaii and Samoa, she added 24 hours and effectively skipped forward a day in time.

8 February: Apia, Samoa

After a week at sea, it was extra-exciting to see Samoa come into focus on the horizon. Arcadia docked in the capital Apia, a gateway to the tropical treats of the island and a charming city in its own right. Nature is bursting with lushness in Samoa: rolling mountains, verdant forests, spectacular waterfalls and botanical gardens with colourful blooms and fruit trees. Along the coastline you’ll find interesting volcanic formations and black-sand beaches. There’s a bounty of traditional cultural experiences to enjoy, too, from fire-making and dancing to basket weaving and sarong printing.

10 February: Nuku‘alofa, Tonga

From one Polynesian pearl to another… Arcadia’s next stop was Tonga, a peaceful Pacific archipelago. The name of the capital where Arcadia docks, Nuku‘alofa, translates as ‘abode of love’ – a fitting moniker for the warmth and wonder that’s abundant on this island. Tonga has the oldest remaining Polynesian monarchy, and the white-painted Royal Palace and the Royal Tombs are where King George Tupou I, modern-day Tonga’s founder, rests. Beautiful beaches abound, of course, and the island is famous for its blowholes, said to be some of the most spectacular in the South Pacific.

13 February: Tauranga, New Zealand

Arcadia hit a trio of ports in Aotearoa, the first being Tauranga in the North Island’s Bay of Plenty. As New Zealand’s fifth-largest city, it’s got as much to offer by way of urban adventures as it does natural ones. For a dose of both, hit up the bars and restaurants along The Strand, then head to the neighbouring beach town of Mount Maunganui to hike up the mountain and cool off on the white-sand beach. It’s also easy to reach some uniquely New Zealand attractions from Tauranga, including the thermal wonderland of Rotorua and the glowworm caves and thermal pools of Lake Rotoiti.

The To Sua ocean trench is a swimmerâs delight, set on the edge of a tropical paradise with the South Pacific lapping at its shores. Surrounded by lush gardens, visitors wind along cliffside paths to the natural salt water pool sunken deep into the earth.

The western side of the ocean trench opens onto a small, sandy beach only accessible through a cave-like nook. Sheer rock faces of volcanic basalt disappear underfoot, leaving an epic ladder as the sole access point to the water below.

14 February: Auckland, New Zealand

Late summer was a beautiful time to be in the ‘City of Sails’. The waterfront Viaduct neighbourhood has been revitalised in recent years and is a vibrant place to soak up the scenery with a plate of oysters and a glass of local sauvignon blanc. The longer established neighbourhoods of Ponsonby and Parnell are chic and charming – stroll their streets and discover some of NZ’s best restaurants and boutiques. There’s also plenty of fun to be had in the harbour (the Hauraki Gulf): take the ferry to Waiheke Island for an unforgettable day of wine and waves, or head to Rangitoto Island, climb the region’s largest and youngest dormant volcanic and savour the views of Auckland and beyond.

15 February: Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Arcadia sailed northwards up New Zealand’s east coast for a stop in the beautiful Bay of Islands (called Taiamai in the Māori language), a subtropical archipelago of 144 islands and miles of peaceful, pristine coastline. Marine life thrives here, with whales, penguins and dolphins populating the sparkling seas, so snorkelling and kayaking adventures are a popular pastime. It’s also a significant region in Māori history and culture – Māori first arrived on these shores some 700 years ago, and the Treaty of Waitangi was signed with the British Crown here in 1840. This history and culture can be explored in towns such as Russell (New Zealand’s original capital), Paihia and Kerikeri.

18-19 February: Sydney, Australia

The first of five Australian ports of call on Arcadia’s itinerary was Sydney. The sail-in to Sydney Harbour alone is a holiday highlight, with iconic Australian sights – the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay – coming into view. The Rocks, with its cobblestone streets and sandstone cottages built by convicts, is a great spot for a pub crawl. Sydney and its surrounds have brilliant beaches, from quiet coves to glamorous Bondi, famous for its surfing and seawater tidal pool.

Some guests took their Aussie expedition up a notch with a once-in-a-lifetime shore experience: a three-day outback adventure in Uluru. Disembarking in Sydney, they were flown to Uluru where they were treated to two nights in a luxury hotel, luscious lunches and delectable dinners, days spent exploring otherworldly landscapes and evenings spent gazing up at the stars. The pièce de resistance was a truly unforgettable trip to Uluru at dawn, where they tucked into a breakfast picnic while gazing up at the sandstone monolith as the sun rose above it. A flight to Brisbane brought them back to Arcadia, ready for their next adventure.

21 February: Brisbane, Australia

Arcadia sailed up Australia’s eastern coast to beautiful Brisbane. The country’s third-largest city is sandwiched between the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, so unsurprisingly, it’s a mecca for all things beach: surfing, swimming and simply soaking up the sun. Stay in the city and put a towel down at man-made Streets Beach, or travel to North Stradbroke Island and discover hidden lakes, exotic wildlife and remote lookouts. Brisbane City is chock full of urban adventures. Enjoy your morning coffee amongst the palms at the City Botanic Gardens, discover First Nations culture at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, or dine out at a riverside restaurant.

23 February: Airlie Beach (tours to Whitsunday Islands), Australia

Continuing up Australia’s eastern coast, Arcadia’s next stop was in Airlie Beach, a popular holiday town and gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. There are endless ways to discover the many marine charms of this magical region – how about by catamaran, jet ski, jet boat, sailboat, high-speed RIB, sea kayak or glass-bottom-boat? Maybe an aircraft is more your style, soaring high above the sparking seas? Or perhaps you’d rather dive into the warm turquoise waters and swim amongst the reefs and sea life? When the landscape looks like this, you really and truly can’t go wrong.

24 February: Cairns, Australia

In tropical Far North Queensland, reefs and rainforests collide. Cairns is another gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, and if Arcadia’s guests didn’t see enough of it in Airlie Beach, they had many more opportunities here. But there are other wild wonders to discover from Cairns. Perhaps the most spectacular is Daintree Rainforest, the largest tropical rainforest in Australia, the oldest in the world and the inspiration behind the setting for the film Avatar. Its 1,200 square kilometres are home to rare plants and animals like the sugar glider and the tree kangaroo, and to the Mossman Gorge, a place of wild tropical beauty and Aboriginal history.

28 February: Darwin, Australia

Arcadia’s final Australian stop was Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory. The city is geographically closer to southeast Asia than much of Australia, and as such it has a vibe all its own. It’s multicultural, with strong Aboriginal, Asian and European influences. It’s laid-back, even by Aussie standards, with friendly locals and a social culture that centres on the outdoors – think alfresco dining, hiking trails and swimming holes. For a truly Darwin experience, take a cruise along the Adelaide River to see saltwater crocodiles. Don’t panic when you see these ones jump – they’ll launch themselves out of the water to snatch food offered by the tour guide.