Rarotonga cruise port fast facts:

– Rarotonga is a tender port – There are several locations on the island where your ship can tender you ashore. – A port of call that is often skipped due to weather. Better to arrange shore side plans through the ship. Read all about your arrival locations and transportation options in the Cook Islands cruise port guide underneath.

Rarotonga – Cook Islands cruise port guide – tender port

The Cook islands do not have a pier available that is large enough for your cruise ship to dock. Therefore small tenders will ferry you to shore. At Rarotonga there are 2 different locations where your cruise ship can tender you to.

The primary location is Avarua, which is on the north side of the island. Avarua is the national capitol of the Cook Islands. The cruise tender dock is right in the town center of Avarua.

The secondary location is on the west side of the island. This part of island is known for its beaches, resorts and their cultural village.

Please know the Cook Island cruise port is known as a port of call that is skipped easily. This is because there are often heavy swells and sea conditions at the spot where cruise ships are able to anchor. This could make a unsafe tender operation and therefore it is often cancelled.

Shore Excursions

The Cook Islands are a wonderful destination to visit. At first look it might not seem like anything special, but some say the Cook Islands are even better than Bora Bora! Therefore we mark this cruise destination as the hidden gem of the South Pacific. Because a visit to this port of call can never be guaranteed we highly recommend you to buy one of the ship’s excursions. Most cruise ships offer a full refund if your port of call is canceled, because of the higher risk here we recon it’s better to opt for the ships tour because it will save you money and a lot of hustle if the ship really does decide to cancel its visit.

Taxis

There are a couple of taxis waiting for you at the cruise dock. Please know there are only a handful and therefore availability is never a guarantee. Taxis are also pretty expensive here. Expect to pay about 75 dollars per hour. Negotiate a price before you step in.

Local transportation

There is local transportation bus that you can catch to tour the island. It clockwise runs on the hour from Avarua. Counterclockwise rund on the 25 minutes past the hour from Avarua. Schedules change, so alway check this information as you come ashore. You can ask to driver fro the timetable. The cost is only a couple of NZ$ per ride.

Renting a car

Please know that if you are planning to rent a car you officially need to have a Cook Island drivers license. Some rental companies take care of this for you and some will not. Make sure to check this when you make a reservation. If you need to take care of your Cooks drivers license yourself you can pick one up at the local police station.

Currency

The official currency on the Cook Islands is the New Zealand Dollar.

Wi-fi

There is a wi-fi spot in Avarua and you will also find internet at many resort and restaurants.

Rarotonga cruise port

Rarotonga cruise port fast facts:

Rarotonga – Cook Islands cruise port guide – tender port

Shore Excursions

Taxis

Local transportation

Renting a car

Currency

Wi-fi

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