Stunning beaches, laid-back pace: ingredients of a tropical odyssey

The success of the vanilla farm at Mo'orea Tropical Garden is largely due to the efforts of farmer Mama Vanilla. The bees that pollinate the vanilla orchid do not exist on the island of Mo'orea so Mama Vanilla, as she is affectionately known, must perform the painstaking process by hand using a tiny toothpick-sized implement.

"Pollinating a vanilla pod takes a great deal of patience," explains Eyes of Mo'orea guide Reno Fayada. "The special bees that pollinate the orchid are native to Mexico and not found on the Islands of Tahiti so Mama must fertilise each flower by hand.

"The orchid only flowers once a year so there is only a very small window for her to successfully pollinate the flower," he says, while pointing out a tiny pod, lit by a slant of light in the greenhouse.

Paris-born Reno has been living and working on Mo'orea, in the Islands of Tahiti, for more than two decades. And today, he's sharing tips on how to compose our landscapes and portraits during a four-hour Eyes of Mo'orea shore excursion with Oceania's MS Regatta.

Mama Vanilla makes for a very agreeable subject, happy to smile and pose for photos in front of her stall selling everything from colourful hand-dyed pareo (colourful fabric) to organic jams, ice cream and dried vanilla beans, some of which we sample.

This encounter with Mama Vanilla is front of mind the next morning as I'm enjoying vanilla pancakes with a berry compote for breakfast in the Regatta's Grand Dining room. Oceania Cruises is highly regarded for its cuisine and so confident in the concept as a selling point that it's trademarked the term "Finest Cuisine at Sea".

Regatta's German-born executive chef Viktor Malek agrees showcasing local ingredients is the best way to connect passengers to each destination.

"It's my job to source local ingredients. Yesterday, I bought some yellowfin tuna from the local fishermen that was hauled in the same day. I also bought locally made charcuterie, coconuts, pineapple and vanilla," says Viktor, who works under Oceania Cruises' senior culinary director Alexis Quaretti.

The local catch made its way onto two themed menus during our Papeete-to-Papeete cruise: a Tuna Extravaganza feast at Polo Grill and the Polynesian Chef's Market in the ever-popular Terrace Cafe.

"I will always use fresh fish on the menu if I can source it. And the desserts are always going to be driven by coconut, pineapple and vanilla," he says.

Regatta, just like the other ships in Oceania's R-class, has five restaurants. These include the Grand Dining Room and Polo Grill, buffet restaurant Terrace Cafe, Horizons, known for its afternoon tea, and casual poolside venue Waves Grill, famed for its burgers. And a 10-day cruise around the beautiful Islands of Tahiti offers ample time to check them all out.

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Chef Viktor's personal recommendation is the Signature Olive Oil Tasting at Toscana restaurant. "I used to collect wine, but I now collect olive oils from all around the world. The olive oil tasting in Toscana is a signature offering and one of the highlights of an Oceania cruise," he says.

While food is always a good place to start when trying to connect with Tahitian culture, music is also at the heart of what it means to be Polynesian. That's according to Moana Adventure Tours' crew member Malaki Nikolas who says music reflects the laid-back attitude of locals. "Playing music is central to Polynesian culture and a vital part of the lifestyle," says Malaki, while strumming on a hand-carved Tahitian ukulele.

Malaki provides the soundtrack for the two-hour Bora Bora Sunset Sail cruise that glides through blue lagoons past the dramatic peaks of Mt Otemanu and sugar-white sands of secluded beaches and bays. The shore excursion is timed to coincide with sunset and our intimate group sits, shoulder to shoulder, in the glowing light, watching the sky radiate from fiery orange to red and yellow. In between his soul-stirring singing and strumming, Malaki touches on the term aita pe'ape'a (which means "not to worry") which he says also sums up what it means to be Polynesian.

"I love my islands," says Malaki. "I like the slow pace. There's no stress. It's a very simple life. We like fishing, we like dancing, we like to play music," he says, before launching into a version of Turei Papa Tu as the saffron sun sinks over the sea. Aita pe'ape'a indeed.

THE SHIP: Oceania Cruises' Regatta

THE SIZE: 349 staterooms, 698 guests, 181 metres long

GOOD TO KNOW: Oceania Cruises recently became the only major cruise line to boast two Master Chefs of France when senior culinary director Alexis Quaretti was inducted into the prestigious echelons of the Maitres Cuisiniers de France, joining culinary vice president Eric Barale. The executive culinary team creates about 300 new recipes every year.

GET ON BOARD: The Lands of Captain Cook voyage departs from Papeete to Sydney aboard Regatta's identical sister ship Nautica from February 19 to March 22, 2024. It overnights in Pape'ete, Bora Bora and Sydney and visits ports in French Polynesia, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, NSW and Tasmania. Fares start from $15,080 per person for Inside Staterooms, including specialty dining, unlimited Wi-Fi and shore excursion credit.

EXPLORE MORE: oceania.com

The writer was a guest of Oceania Cruises.

Pictures: Carla Grossetti; supplied