South Sea Sailing Day: A 78-Foot Catamaran Out of Port Denarau
A custom-built 78-foot sailing catamaran leaves Port Denarau every morning, anchors on a reef for snorkelling, ties up off a private sand cay and serves a buffet lunch designed by an executive chef. Two sellers list it: South Sea Cruises at $123 for seven hours and Rosie Holidays at $132 for eight. It is the same boat, the Sabre, and the differences are worth knowing before you pick one. Both sit alongside the rest of the day trips into the islands.
About the Day
Shaded canopies, booths, day beds, bean bags and trampolines
Seven hours with South Sea Cruises, or $132 for eight with Rosie Holidays
On the South Sea Cruises listing; the Rosie listing is new
Beer and house wine free for two hours from lunchtime
Snorkel stop plus swimming at a deserted cay, gear included
$10 adult and $5 child on top, collected by the operator
Check Dates and Availability
Live departures for the seven-hour South Sea Cruises sailing day. The boat runs daily from Port Denarau.
One Boat, Two Listings
Why the same day costs two prices
South Sea Cruises operates the vessel. Rosie Holidays, a Fijian travel agency, resells the same sailing day with a slightly different length and inclusions list. The hull, the crew, the sand cay and the buffet are identical.
South Sea Cruises sells seven hours at $123 and carries 197 reviews at 4.8. Rosie Holidays sells eight hours at $132 as a new listing with no reviews yet. The extra $9 buys an hour, on paper.
Book whichever slot suits your day. The one thing to check at booking is which transfer network you fall inside, because that differs between the two listings.
What sailing buys over a motor cruise
The catamaran is built for lounging rather than covering distance. Large shaded canopies run most of the deck, and the seating ranges from booths to day beds to bean bags and trampolines over the water.
Access to the sea is easy: drop-down steps off the front, plus a water slide for people who would rather not use them. Paddleboards come out while the boat sits at anchor.
The complaint in the reviews is the buffet queue rather than the boat. One family came back from the beach last and found the lunch picked over, which is a reason to watch the time when the crew calls it.
The Two Listings Side by Side
Same catamaran, same route. These are the differences that show up at checkout.
What the Day Covers
Reef, cay and lunch
The catamaran sails out from Port Denarau into the Mamanuca lagoon and anchors on a tropical reef for the snorkel stop. Gear is included and the crew helps anyone who has not done it before.
The second stop is a deserted sand cay, called South Sea Cay on the Rosie listing: a bare strip of sand with clear shallow water on both sides and no buildings at all. Passengers swim, paddleboard and drink there.
Gourmet morning tea comes out on the way, and the buffet lunch is served on board. Complimentary soft drinks and artesian bottled water run all day, local beer and house wine for two hours from lunchtime, and the licensed bar sells everything else.
- Snorkel stop on a tropical reef, gear supplied
- Swimming and paddleboarding at a deserted sand cay
- Morning tea, then a buffet lunch by an executive chef
- Soft drinks and bottled water all day
- Local beer and house wine free for two hours from lunch
- Water slide and drop-down steps off the front of the boat
Transfers, Fees and Ages
Getting to the boat
South Sea Cruises runs pre-booked return coach transfers from hotels in Nadi, Denarau, Wailoaloa, the Coral Coast, Natadola, Momi Bay and Sonaisali. That is the widest transfer net of any trip on this site, and it is included in the ticket.
Rosie Holidays lists return coach connections from selected hotels and resorts, which is a narrower promise. Confirm your pickup when you book.
Check-in closes 30 minutes before departure at the Port Denarau passenger terminal. Reviewers on both listings mention wanting clearer check-in directions, so allow time to find the desk.
- South Sea Cruises: Nadi, Denarau, Wailoaloa, Coral Coast, Natadola, Momi Bay, Sonaisali
- Rosie Holidays: selected hotels and resorts, confirm at booking
- Check-in 30 minutes before departure at Port Denarau
- Wear swimwear before boarding: changing space on board is limited
The surcharge and the age rules
Fiji's diesel prices rose sharply in 2026, and South Sea Cruises applied a mandatory fuel surcharge from 3 July 2026: $10 per adult and $5 per child aged 2 to 15. Rosie Holidays collects the same charge as FJ$10 and FJ$5 at check-in. Neither appears in the ticket price.
Age rules differ slightly in wording. South Sea Cruises does not permit children aged four and under and states the activity is for ages five and above. Rosie Holidays writes that children five and under are not permitted, and lists the trip as unsuitable for non-swimmers.
If you are travelling with a five-year-old, book the South Sea Cruises listing and confirm the age in writing.
- Fuel surcharge in force since 3 July 2026, paid direct to the operator
- $10 adult, $5 child 2-15 on the South Sea listing
- FJ$10 adult, FJ$5 child at check-in on the Rosie listing
- South Sea: age 5 and above; Rosie: over 5 only
- Rosie lists the day as unsuitable for non-swimmers
How the Day Runs
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Pickup
Your hotel
Pre-booked coach from Nadi, Denarau, Wailoaloa or as far out as the Coral Coast and Momi Bay.
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Check in
Port Denarau terminal
Desk closes 30 minutes before departure. Wear swimwear: changing space on board is limited.
-
Morning
Under sail
Out into the Mamanuca lagoon with gourmet morning tea served on deck.
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Stop 1
Reef snorkel
Anchored over coral with gear supplied and crew in the water.
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Stop 2
Deserted sand cay
Swimming, paddleboarding and beach time on a bare sand island.
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Lunch
Buffet on board
Chef-designed buffet, with local beer and house wine free for the next two hours.
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Return
Port Denarau
Music and dancing on the run home, then the coach back to your hotel.
Practical Notes
What to bring, what to leave
Bring a towel, a hat, sunglasses, reef-safe sunscreen and a change of clothes. Take a card for the bar, since anything beyond the included beer and wine is charged on consumption.
Carry the fuel surcharge in cash if you are on the Rosie listing, where it is collected in Fijian dollars at check-in.
The deck is shaded but the sand cay is not. Two hours on bare sand in the middle of the day is where people burn.
- Towel, hat, sunglasses, swimwear worn before boarding
- Reef-safe sunscreen and a shirt for the sand cay
- Card for the bar, cash for the surcharge at check-in
- Change of clothes: there is limited space to change on board
- Camera in a dry bag for the tender and the swim stop
Where the Catamaran Boards
Who the Sailing Day Suits
Suitable for
Families with school-age children, groups who want a bar and a sound system, and anyone who prefers a big stable platform to a small boat. The catamaran carries enough people for a party and enough deck for quiet corners.
It is also the best-value food on the water here: morning tea, a full buffet and two hours of included drinks for $123.
One reviewer with teenagers called it the best day of their trip. Another described lionfish, purple starfish and sea cucumbers on the snorkel stop.
- Families with children aged five and up
- Groups and friend trips: bar, music and space to spread out
- Anyone who wants lunch and drinks included in the ticket
- Travellers staying as far out as the Coral Coast, thanks to the transfers
Not suitable for
Children under five are refused on both listings, and the Rosie version also excludes non-swimmers. Both charge the fuel surcharge regardless.
If you want to land on named islands rather than a sand cay, the Monuriki and Mana Sand Bar cruise is the trip that does it. If you have half a day rather than a full one, take the snorkel and turtle sanctuary trip.
Seasickness is worth a thought. A catamaran is stable, but the outer lagoon chops up in a strong southeasterly.
- Children under five are not permitted
- Rosie listing excludes non-swimmers
- No landing on a named island: the stop is a bare sand cay
- Fuel surcharge is mandatory and collected separately
Questions About the Sailing Day
Are the two listings the same trip?
Same 78-foot Sabre catamaran, same route, same buffet. South Sea Cruises operates it and sells seven hours at $123 with 197 reviews at 4.8. Rosie Holidays resells eight hours at $132 as a new listing. The differences that matter are the transfer network and the age wording, not the boat.
What is the fuel surcharge and do I have to pay it?
Yes. South Sea Cruises introduced a mandatory surcharge on 3 July 2026 after Fijian diesel prices rose, at $10 per adult and $5 per child aged 2 to 15. Rosie Holidays collects it as FJ$10 and FJ$5 at check-in. It is not part of the online ticket price on either listing.
Is lunch really included?
It is. Gourmet morning tea and a buffet lunch designed by an executive chef, plus complimentary soft drinks and bottled water all day and local beer and house wine for two hours from lunchtime. Cocktails and spirits come from the licensed bar and are charged on consumption.
Can young children come along?
Not under five. South Sea Cruises does not permit children aged four and under and lists the day for ages five and above; Rosie Holidays writes that children five and under are not permitted. If you are travelling with a five-year-old, book the South Sea listing and confirm the age when you book.
Where does the catamaran go?
Out from Port Denarau into the Mamanuca lagoon, anchoring at a tropical reef for the snorkel stop and then at a deserted sand cay, named South Sea Cay on the Rosie listing. It does not land on Monuriki, Mana or any of the resort islands.
Do they pick up from my hotel?
South Sea Cruises runs pre-booked return coach transfers from Nadi, Denarau, Wailoaloa, the Coral Coast, Natadola, Momi Bay and Sonaisali hotels, which is the widest reach of any trip here. Rosie Holidays lists return coach connections from selected hotels only, so confirm yours at booking.
What Passengers Say
Easily one of our best days out the entire trip, it was well run, the staff are incredibly friendly, we never felt rushed and enjoyed a day on the water, jumping off the Catamaran, snorkling, having a few drinks on the island, using the paddleboards. The only pit fall was that we were last back to the boat and missed the buffet lunch so there wasnt much left for us to eat.
We had an absolute blast! The crew, the boat, the food, the activities, the views, everything was excellent! We especially loved the snorkeling. So beautiful! We saw beautiful fish, purple starfish, sea cucumbers, lionfish, etc. The staff had great energy and we had a blast dancing on the way back to the port.
Pleasant cruise out to our sand cay destination. Breakfast served on board. Snorkeling at the cay and met by staff with beer, wine and soft drinks. Lunch was quite a buffet, hard to imagine how so much good food could be presented from such a small kitchen. Lots of music and dancing on the return trip.
Verified GetYourGuide reviews for the South Sea Cruises listing, reproduced as written.