Blue Lagoon Cruises
The history of Blue Lagoon tells the story of a love affair with the islands of Fiji – and of a man who dared to dream about creating one of the most enchanting cruise experiences in the world.
Captain Trevor Withers, a young New Zealand stockbroker with a passion for the sea, founded Blue Lagoon Cruises in 1950. Withers and his friend, Harold Gatty, a renowned Australian aviator, came to Fiji at a time when tourism to the pacific nation was virtually unknown. Visitors to Fiji, for the most part, were in transit at Nadi Airport or were shipped passengers enroute between North America and New Zealand or Australia.
Withers and Gatty had a vision to establish a fishing industry in Fiji. To start the venture, the duo visited the islands to pay respects to the Chiefs. It was at the magnificent Yasawa Island, Waya Lailai, where they enlisted the help of a young villager, Epeli Voli, as an interpreter. With Epeli’s help, Captain Withers obtained the full support of the Yasawa people for his fishing venture and established firm friendships with the chiefs and the people of the Yasawa Islands.
After four years of effort, Withers and Gatty concluded that their hopes of establishing a tuna fishing industry in Fiji were not viable. However, both men had fallen in love with Fiji and wished to remain in the islands. Gatty went on to establish Air Pacific, the forerunner to Fiji's national airline, Fiji Airways. However, the future for Withers was not so clear. He still had his mind on the sea and began to dream of taking visitors on a cruise through the idyllic Yasawa Islands:
The M.V. Fiji Princess will be your home away from home for the duration of your cruise, except you’ll wake up in a different stunning location each morning. With nearly 70 years' experience cruising the islands of Fiji, we know all the best places to take you. Who better to show you their home than the Fijians themselves. We pride ourselves on having an all-Fijian crew and with a high crew member-to-guest ratio, you just know you will be looked after. Our crew will quickly know you by name and every way you turn there will be a big ‘BULA’ welcome.
The small size of Blue Lagoon Cruises' cruise ship, the M.V. Fiji Princess, is just one of the reasons why a cruise with us so special. Measuring 179 feet (55 metres), she can access bays and islands that would be impossible to reach in a larger ship – we can get so close to shore that we can tie off to a coconut tree and you can swim to the beach.
With a maximum of 68 passengers and up to 30 Fijian crew, you know you will be well looked after with true Fijian hospitality
Due to our small number of guests, no matter which beach or island we visit, you won’t be overwhelmed by crowds. Most of the time, our guests are the only people on the beach!
The vessels décor is fresh and nautical, with echoes of the romantic age of cruising gone by
You only need to unpack once and then let your floating hotel take you from idyllic place to idyllic experience – everyday somewhere and something different
Visit traditional Fijian villages, swim in crystal-clear lagoons and gaze out on tropical vistas you thought only existed in movies
Our guests often make friends for life, given the social atmosphere of small ship cruising
If conditions are rough due to winds and swells, it's easy for us to alter our itinerary to cruise on the sheltered side of the islands
Escape to Paradise - Roundtrip Denarau Marina - Fiji
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Explorer Cruise - Roundtrip Denarau Marina - Fiji
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Wanderer Cruise - Roundtrip Port Denarau - Fiji
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