Papeete Cruise Calls to Rise 25% in 2026 as Operators Add Ships
Silversea’s Silver Whisper is scheduled for seventeen voyages from April through September 2026, including Society Islands sailings from Papeete.
Papeete cruise calls are up 25 percent in 2026, and Tahiti Tourisme expects another 10 percent increase in 2027 as French Polynesia draws added deployments from international and local operators. The 2026 increase is being led by new entrants, while next year’s growth is expected to come from existing homeport partners expanding programs and adding vessels.
The forecast puts Papeete’s role as a South Pacific turnaround port at the center of a wider deployment increase across Tahiti, the Society Islands, the Tuamotus, the Marquesas and other regional destinations. Tahiti Tourisme did not release absolute call totals or passenger volume figures with the percentage forecasts.
New entrants add Silver Whisper, Evrima and Le Jacques Cartier
Silversea is sailing its first full summer season in Tahiti with Silver Whisper, scheduling 17 voyages from April through September 2026 to the Society, Tuamotu and Marquesas Islands. The 28,258-gt, all-suite ship carries roughly 388 guests.
The Silversea program includes a seven-night Society Islands itinerary round-trip from Papeete, calling at Moorea, Raiatea, Huahine and Bora Bora. A 14-day voyage continues beyond the Society Islands to the Tuamotu and Marquesas Islands.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will bring Evrima to the South Pacific in winter 2026-27 as part of an expanded schedule across French Polynesia, Hawaii and Asia-Pacific. Evrima, a 298-passenger yacht, is scheduled for 13 sailings of seven to 12 nights, including calls at Bora Bora, Mo’orea and Huahine.
Ponant is also adding French Polynesia capacity in 2026 by positioning Le Jacques Cartier in Polynesian and Pacific archipelagos from September 2026 through March 2027. The 9,976-gt ship carries 184 guests.
Papeete’s downtown berths support homeport calls
The additional programs place more activity at Port Autonome de Papeete, where cruise ships berth alongside in downtown Papeete and can handle both transit calls and homeport embarkations. The port authority says the harbor can receive four cruise ships at once, and the Te Anuanua cruise terminal provides a 2,700-square-meter passenger facility near the waterfront.
The downtown docking arrangement gives passengers direct walk access to central Papeete, including the market, waterfront, ferry connections, shops and cafés. For cruise lines using the capital as a turnaround point, the port’s alongside berths avoid tender operations for ships calling there.
Homeport partners add ships in 2027 and 2028
Aranui Cruises is adding Aranoa in 2027, giving the local passenger-cargo operator a second vessel alongside Aranui 5. Aranoa is planned for 198 passengers and will be dedicated to Austral Islands service, extending a mixed cargo-cruise operation that also transports supplies to remote French Polynesian communities. The ship’s maiden voyage is scheduled for March 2027.
Windstar Cruises plans to build on the 2027 addition of Wind Star by increasing South Pacific voyages in 2028 across Tahiti, the Tuamotus, the Marquesas, the Cook Islands and Fiji. That year, Windstar expects Star Breeze and Wind Star to operate year-round in Tahiti, with Wind Star sailing the seven-day Dreams of Tahiti itinerary.
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