--- title: "Rarotonga Island Cruise Port" url: https://cruisello.com/destinations/pacific-islands/rarotonga-island description: "The Cook Islands' mountainous tropical heart" --- # Rarotonga Island ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฐ ยท Cook Islands ยท Pacific Islands > "The Cook Islands' mountainous tropical heart" ## At a Glance - **Avg. Ships/Day:** 1 - **Avg. Time in Port:** 9.5h - **Visiting Sailings:** 25 - **Cruise Lines:** 4 ## Peak Season Busiest months: Feb (5 sailings), Oct (5 sailings), Nov (5 sailings) ## About Rarotonga Island Rarotonga is the largest of the Cook Islands, a volcanic island circled by a reef lagoon and a single coastal road. Ships anchor offshore, and tenders land at Avatiu Harbour in Avarua, the capital. The island is small enough to drive around in about 45 minutes, and a local bus circles the coast in both directions roughly every hour. Mopeds are easy to rent and suit the flat road well. Muri Lagoon, on the east coast, has shallow turquoise water over white sand and is the main swimming and snorkelling spot. The Cross-Island Track hikes through dense forest to Te Rua Manga, a distinctive needle-shaped rock peak, and takes about three hours. Saturday morning at the Punanga Nui Market in town is the busiest time on the island, with food stalls, produce, black pearls, and ukulele music. Most shops close on Sundays. The currency is the New Zealand dollar, and the island's three-dollar coin and three-dollar banknote are popular souvenirs. ## Quick Facts - **Currency:** NZD (New Zealand Dollar) - **Timezone:** Pacific/Rarotonga (UTC-10) ## Location Coordinates: -21.2292, -159.7764 - [Open in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/cruise+terminal+Rarotonga%20Island/@-21.22924,-159.77635,13z) - [Open in Apple Maps](https://maps.apple.com/?q=cruise%20terminal%20Rarotonga%20Island&ll=-21.22924,-159.77635&z=13) ## Things to Do in Rarotonga Island Top-rated shore excursions that fit a typical ~10h port call. Prices are starting prices per person. | Tour | Rating | Duration | Fits Port Day | From | Provider | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Half-Day Muri Lagoon BBQ Lunch Cruise including Snorkeling](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/5e32f1e4-a9c4-4df7-91c1-6c07136fdfd9.md?via=markdown) | 4.9โ˜… (1,897) | 4h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ59 | Viator | | [Eco Friendly Sea Scooter Turtle Tour in Rarotonga](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/26faba1a-dcfa-4cde-a3c0-e3d63d7410e8.md?via=markdown) | 5โ˜… (679) | 1h 30m | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ93 | Viator | | [Ariki Adventures: Premium Sea Scooter Turtle Adventure](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/294ada46-3a64-4ab3-be03-50d4787a1d52.md?via=markdown) | 4.9โ˜… (565) | 2h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ97 | Viator | | [Rarotonga Turtle Snorkelling with Lifeguard Supervision](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/30c9943e-a498-4978-a917-8a3c5d8332cb.md?via=markdown) | 4.8โ˜… (627) | 2h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ39 | Viator | | [Private Rarotonga Turtle Snorkelling with a Dedicated Guide](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/06f3bf3b-b70f-4967-87a3-05915368fdfe.md?via=markdown) | 4.8โ˜… (197) | 2h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ271 | Viator | | ['Discover' Rarotonga Cycling Tour with Lunch & Swim](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/ff0c27df-2e00-45d6-ab0f-f1284f0a818f.md?via=markdown) | 4.8โ˜… (149) | 4h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ64 | Viator | | [3-Hour Rarotonga Island Discovery Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/7e27020d-f4b9-44c9-a724-87711883239a.md?via=markdown) | 4.5โ˜… (130) | 3h 30m | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ59 | Viator | | [Cook Islands Turtle and Ray Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/7d374700-bf59-4584-8273-0e4c74a64e1a.md?via=markdown) | 4.1โ˜… (111) | 1h 30m | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ77 | Viator | | [Private Turtle and Ray Tour Rarotonga](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/ad176fec-e609-452b-86d8-f824f68285eb.md?via=markdown) | 4.6โ˜… (55) | 2h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ149 | Viator | | [4-Hour Rarotonga Going Troppo Nightlife Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/9ee8ac9a-1d72-457a-ade8-fd64b3cd310b.md?via=markdown) | 4.3โ˜… (164) | 6h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ48 | Viator | | ['Explore' Rarotonga Guided Bike Tour with Lunch and Swim](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/ea09200b-5541-40f8-affe-aac6d510e479.md?via=markdown) | 4.8โ˜… (74) | 5h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ77 | Viator | | [Swim with Turtles Rarotonga - Guided Turtle Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/8f4f6b2e-e6f1-4dad-924a-92400844e58c.md?via=markdown) | 5โ˜… (30) | 1h 30m | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ77 | Viator | Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. ## Nearby Ports - [Aitutaki Island](https://cruisello.com/destinations/pacific-islands/aitutaki-island.md): 142 nm - [Bora Bora Island](https://cruisello.com/destinations/pacific-islands/bora-bora-island.md): 537 nm - [Raiatea Island](https://cruisello.com/destinations/pacific-islands/raiatea-island.md): 545 nm ## Cruise Lines Serving This Port - [Costa Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/costa-cruises.md) - [Holland America Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/holland-america-line.md) - [MSC Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises.md) - [Norwegian Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line.md) ## Cheapest Available Sailing **[View this cruise โ†’](https://cruisello.com/cruises/lagoon-blue-silhouette-cook-islands-society-islands~NCL-SPIRIT-20270922-8.md)** - **Price:** โ‚ฌ1,522 per person (โ‚ฌ3,044 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:** 8 nights - **Departure:** 2027-09-22 - **Itinerary:** Lagoon Blue Silhouette โ€“ Cook Islands & Society Islands ## Featured Cruises from Rarotonga Island Prices are per person, two sharing, in the fare's own currency. | Cruise | Ship | Line | Departure | Nights | Price | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [South Pacific Escape โ€“ Fiji, Samoa & Bora Bora](https://cruisello.com/cruises/south-pacific-escape-fiji-samoa-bora-bora~NCL-SPIRIT-20270504-13.md) | Norwegian Spirit | Norwegian Cruise Line | 2027-05-04 | 13 | โ‚ฌ2,831 | | [Pacific Drift โ€“ Papeete & Easter Island](https://cruisello.com/cruises/pacific-drift-papeete-easter-island~COSTA-SERENA-20261112-27.md) | Costa Serena | Costa Cruises | 2026-11-12 | 27 | โ‚ฌ3,655 | | [Southern Latitude Odyssey โ€“ Rio to Sydney](https://cruisello.com/cruises/southern-latitude-odyssey-rio-to-sydney~MSC-MAGNIFICA-20270104-70.md) | MSC Magnifica | MSC Cruises | 2027-01-04 | 70 | โ‚ฌ17,219 | ## Browse Cruises - [All cruises visiting Rarotonga Island](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?stopoverPorts=rarotonga_island) (25 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)