⚓ legtolegcruises.com BETA
← Port guides

Moorea: when your ship stops here

A famous bay under jagged peaks, a lookout over two bays, and one road all the way round.

Facts checked Nov 6, 2026, each with its source. No prices on this page.

Moorea is an island of 134 square km (52 square miles) in French Polynesia, 17 km (11 miles) northwest of Tahiti, with 17,718 people in 2017. A cruise port guide says some ships anchor off Papetoai on the west side, where the cruise terminal is a covered open-air pavilion on the wharf that opened in October 2016, is open only when a ship is in port, and sells locally made arts and crafts.

Sources: Wikipedia: Moorea; CruiseMapper (a cruise port guide site): Moorea

Top 3 things to do

  1. 1. Cook's Bay and Mount Mouaputa

    Wikipedia calls Cook's Bay, also called Pao Pao Bay, the most famous sight of Moorea, and says cruise ships regularly anchor there. Mount Mouaputa, 830 m (2,723 feet) high, rises behind it.

    Tip: The island has one road around it, so a taxi or tour is the way to reach the bay from where your ship lands.

    Source: Wikipedia: Moorea

  2. 2. The Belvedere lookout

    A lookout reached by the trail past the marae (an old stone worship platform). It looks over Mount Rotui, Cook's Bay and Opunohu Bay.

    Tip: Our sources give no time or distance for the trail, so ask the tour operator how long it takes.

    Source: Wikipedia: Moorea

  3. 3. The lagoon and the public beach at Temae

    A coral reef circles the whole island and makes a narrow lagoon along the shore. Wikipedia says the public beach is at Temae on the northeast coast, near the airfield.

    Tip: Humpback whales pass the island from July to October, and Wikipedia says whale and dolphin watching is offered.

    Source: Wikipedia: Moorea

What to skip

  • Planning on a beach on the northwest coast

    Wikipedia says most of the northwest beaches belong to hotels and are not open to the public. The public beach is at Temae, on the other side of the island.

    Source: Wikipedia: Moorea

Before you go ashore

You do not have to book a tour: you are free to go ashore on your own. Royal Caribbean sets the all aboard time about 30 minutes before the ship sails, posts it near the gangway, and says the ship does not wait for guests touring on their own.

Source: Royal Caribbean FAQ: Do I need to book a shore excursion?

Back-to-backs that stop in Moorea

Back-to-back cruises from these home ports have a stop in Moorea, from the Royal Caribbean sailings we track:

Sources

Read on Nov 6, 2026. Opening days, hours and rules change: check with the place itself before you go. legtolegcruises.com is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Royal Caribbean International or any place named here.

Find back-to-backs that stop in Moorea

Two or more Royal Caribbean cruises in a row, with a day in Moorea on the way.

Find your cruise ›