Twelve nights. Eight ports. Hawaii, Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti... with a group of open-minded travelers who know that the best vacations usually include a few stories you can’t tell at work.
By day, there are volcanoes, beaches, reefs, rays, sharks and some serious bucket-list scenery. By night... well, sea days have never been our problem.
We like lifestyle travel... but we also like seeing the place we spent all that money getting to.
We start in Hawaii with volcanoes, beaches and optional scuba diving. Then come four sea days as Norwegian Spirit heads south toward French Polynesia.
The finale is Bora Bora, Raiatea, Moorea and Papeete... the kind of places people put on bucket lists for a reason.
There’s no requirement to dive and no requirement to participate in anything lifestyle-related. Come for the islands, come for the group, come for both. We’ve always believed vacations work better when nobody is being pushed into somebody else’s idea of fun.
Hawaii first. Four sea days. Then French Polynesia.
We sail from Honolulu and spend the first part of the trip exploring the Hawaiian Islands. After four days at sea, we arrive in Bora Bora and island-hop through French Polynesia before finishing in Papeete.
That gives us both kinds of cruise days... busy port days when everyone scatters in different directions, and sea days when nobody has a good excuse for disappearing.
A smaller NCL ship for a long, destination-heavy itinerary.
Norwegian Spirit carries a little over 2,000 guests and went through a major renovation in 2022. That makes it large enough to have plenty to do without feeling like we need a subway map to find dinner.
And for this trip, the real star is the route. Hawaii to French Polynesia is exactly the kind of itinerary where the ship becomes our moving hotel between places we really want to see.
Spirit Deck PlansThe fun is the same no matter what’s outside the window. The price... not so much.
The least expensive way onto the ship. Modern, comfortable and very dark when you want to sleep after a long night.
Includes: taxes, excursion credit, 300 Wi-Fi minutes and our $100 cabin credit. More At Sea packages are optional on this rate.
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Natural light, an ocean view and no need to open the TV channel just to find out whether it is daytime.
Good for travelers who want a view without paying balcony prices.
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Floor-to-ceiling glass doors and your own private balcony... which is particularly hard to argue with in Bora Bora.
Most of our group so far has leaned toward balcony or better. Apparently... size does matter.
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More room, a large balcony, butler and concierge service and plenty of extra perks.
Also priced accordingly. Some suites cost more than our first car... possibly several of them.
Ask About SuitesBut this is not a dive-only vacation.
We plan to scuba dive at several ports in both Hawaii and French Polynesia. The trip gives us a shot at coral gardens, rays, sharks and the kind of blue water that makes divers start checking airline baggage rules for dive gear.
Non-divers are welcome. There will be ship excursions and other shore options, so couples do not need to share the same hobby to enjoy the trip.
Four books of real travel, marriage, lifestyle adventures and the stories we probably should have kept to ourselves.
Marriage With a Flexible Guest List
Why is butter the key to the first date?
Destinations, Decadence & Bad Decisions
Is there a stripper in our bed?
Age Has Nothing to Do With It
What is a Grilled Dicky Award?
From Cootie Corner to Bora Bora
What is an Energizer Unicorn?
The short answers before you email us the long questions.
June 29 through July 11, 2027... 12 nights aboard Norwegian Spirit.
Honolulu, Maui, Kona, Hilo, Bora Bora, Raiatea, Moorea and Papeete, with four sea days between Hawaii and French Polynesia.
No. We plan to dive at several ports, but non-divers are welcome and can choose other excursions.
No. This is a lifestyle-friendly group traveling together on a regular Norwegian Cruise Line sailing.
Payments go directly to Norwegian Cruise Line. Hugh and Judy do not hold the cruise deposit.
Right here. Once the cruise ends, this page automatically changes to point visitors toward the daily reviews as we post them.
If Hawaii and Tahiti have been sitting on your bucket list, this is a pretty entertaining way to knock them both off at once.
The sailing may be over, but the stories are just starting. Follow the daily reviews as we post them.
