Pacific / French Polynesia

Tahiti cruises resume after Covid-19 lockdown

12:11 pm on 20 July 2020

Cruise ship tourism has restarted in French Polynesia after a four-month interruption because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Paul Gauguin cruise ship Photo: supplied

The Paul Gauguin has embarked on a seven-day cruise out of Tahiti, touring the Society Islands, including Bora Bora and Tahaa.

The ship, which has a capacity for 332 passengers, was just under half full, with all travellers being locals.

There were Covid-19 protocols in place which the shipping company said exceeded international regulations.

Last week, French Polynesia became the first destination in the South Pacific to accept travellers without imposing any quarantine.

All arriving passengers have to prove that they are Covid-19 free three days before departure and self-test for the coronavirus four days after landing in Tahiti.