--- title: "Raiatea Island Cruise Port" url: https://cruisello.com/destinations/pacific-islands/raiatea-island description: "The sacred island where Polynesia began" --- # Raiatea Island πŸ‡΅πŸ‡« Β· French Polynesia Β· Pacific Islands > "The sacred island where Polynesia began" ## At a Glance - **Avg. Ships/Day:** 1 - **Avg. Time in Port:** 11.2h - **Visiting Sailings:** 55 - **Cruise Lines:** 6 ## Peak Season Busiest months: Jul (10 sailings), Oct (10 sailings), Apr (7 sailings) ## About Raiatea Island Raiatea is the second-largest island in French Polynesia and is considered the cultural and religious centre of the Polynesian triangle. Ships dock at the Gare Maritime terminal in Uturoa, the main town. The UNESCO-listed Marae Taputapuātea, on the island's south coast, is an ancient stone temple complex that was the starting point for Polynesian voyages across the Pacific. It is the most important archaeological site in French Polynesia. The Faaroa River, the only navigable river in the territory, can be explored by kayak through dense tropical vegetation. Lagoon tours typically include snorkelling in coral gardens, a visit to a black pearl farm, and lunch on a motu (small islet). The neighbouring island of Taha'a, reachable by boat across a shared lagoon, has vanilla plantations that you can tour. Uturoa's market is busiest on Wednesdays and Fridays. French is the main language, and the currency is the CFP franc. ## Quick Facts - **Currency:** XPF (CFP Franc) - **Language:** French - **Timezone:** Pacific/Tahiti (UTC-10) ## Location Coordinates: -16.7225, -151.4472 - [Open in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/cruise+terminal+Raiatea%20Island/@-16.72252,-151.44725,13z) - [Open in Apple Maps](https://maps.apple.com/?q=cruise%20terminal%20Raiatea%20Island&ll=-16.72252,-151.44725&z=13) ## Things to Do in Raiatea Island Top-rated shore excursions that fit a typical ~11h port call. Prices are starting prices per person. | Tour | Rating | Duration | Fits Port Day | From | Provider | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Authentic Polynesian Experience](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/dd478c90-0f6c-458d-b094-411d4b955c37.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (626) | 7h | βœ“ | €120 | Viator | | [1/2 day Tahaa coral garden - departure Raiatea / ideal for cruise passengers](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/66bda5f2-4903-48b2-92c9-7b7d540dfd37.md?via=markdown) | 4.5β˜… (184) | 3h | βœ“ | €119 | Viator | | [Raiatea-Tahaa Snorkeling in our beautiful Coral Garden](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/c15bb06b-4c20-452b-9862-e6e7e0d6ea8b.md?via=markdown) | 4.7β˜… (72) | 4h | βœ“ | €119 | Viator | | [Guided tour of the island of Tahaa with Revanui Excursions](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/a40ae1d0-5dc2-4977-94e5-5d9bbcf6a1b9.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (96) | 6h | βœ“ | €140 | Viator | | [Half-day boat tour of Taha'a](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/63c3cd19-5ef7-4f6e-a861-339c83d3d7e0.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (49) | 3h 30m | βœ“ | €130 | Viator | | [1/2 day "Treasures of Raiatea" by boat - ideal for cruise passengers](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/26916454-e5f0-413b-8b62-883e2fb5fedd.md?via=markdown) | 4.6β˜… (54) | 4h | βœ“ | €119 | Viator | | [4x4 Tour – Culture, Crafts and Agritourism in Raiatea](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/ceef7a97-42cd-462e-b8e2-086a771b70d7.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (34) | 3h 30m | βœ“ | €69 | Viator | | [Raiatea Tahaa 1/2 day Coral Garden Snorkeling / Cruise Friendly](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/a5f6cb82-440d-4712-824c-c1644759478c.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (33) | 3h | βœ“ | €122 | Viator | | [Half day catamaran sailing in the Sailinity Lagoon](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/4267c64d-fbef-482e-8d4f-1981696ff476.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (33) | 3h 30m | βœ“ | €120 | Viator | | [Private flight, in a light plane over the Polynesian motus from Raiatea](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/1e4cfe00-bbe4-453d-b41f-df3bb0285623.md?via=markdown) | 4.7β˜… (40) | 1h | βœ“ | €60 | Viator | | [Discovery in Kayaking of the Faaroa River in Raiatea](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/4d008750-8696-46b0-96ba-29152f7f9b70.md?via=markdown) | 4.8β˜… (32) | 3h | βœ“ | €96 | Viator | | [3H Adventure in JET SKI Snorkeling and Tahaa Lagoon](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/7db02866-f44c-49b9-a4c4-6ab95a553448.md?via=markdown) | 4.7β˜… (31) | 3h | βœ“ | €305 | Viator | Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. ## Nearby Ports - [Bora Bora Island](https://cruisello.com/destinations/pacific-islands/bora-bora-island.md): 22 nm - [Huahine Island](https://cruisello.com/destinations/pacific-islands/huahine-island.md): 24 nm - [Moorea Island](https://cruisello.com/destinations/pacific-islands/moorea-island.md): 107 nm ## Cruise Lines Serving This Port - [AIDA Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/aida-cruises.md) - [Celebrity Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/celebrity-cruises.md) - [Holland America Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/holland-america-line.md) - [Norwegian Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line.md) - [Princess Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises.md) - [Royal Caribbean](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/royal-caribbean.md) ## Cheapest Available Sailing **[View this cruise β†’](https://cruisello.com/cruises/hibiscus-crossing-bora-bora-hilo~NCL-SPIRIT-20261024-12.md)** - **Price:** €983 per person (€1,966 total for 2 guests) - **Cruise Line:** [Norwegian Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line.md) - **Ship:** [Norwegian Spirit](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line/norwegian-spirit.md) - **Duration:** 12 nights - **Departure:** 2026-10-24 - **Itinerary:** Hibiscus Crossing – Bora Bora & Hilo ## Featured Cruises from Raiatea Island Prices are per person, two sharing, in the fare's own currency. | Cruise | Ship | Line | Departure | Nights | Price | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [South Pacific Crossing – Tahiti & Honolulu](https://cruisello.com/cruises/south-pacific-crossing-tahiti-honolulu~RCL-ANTHEM-20270414-16.md) | Anthem of the Seas | Royal Caribbean | 2027-04-14 | 16 | €1,765 | | [South Pacific Crossing – Tahiti & Hawaii](https://cruisello.com/cruises/south-pacific-crossing-tahiti-hawaii~RCL-QUANTUM-20270411-23.md) | Quantum Of The Seas | Royal Caribbean | 2027-04-11 | 23 | €2,470 | | [South Pacific Paradise – Bora Bora & Moorea](https://cruisello.com/cruises/south-pacific-paradise-bora-bora-moorea~NCL-SPIRIT-20261105-12.md) | Norwegian Spirit | Norwegian Cruise Line | 2026-11-05 | 12 | €7,785 | ## Browse Cruises - [All cruises visiting Raiatea Island](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?stopoverPorts=raiatea_island) (55 sailings) ## Browse - [Pacific Islands cruises](https://cruisello.com/destinations/pacific-islands.md) - [All Destinations](https://cruisello.com/destinations.md) - [All Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md)