Fiji’s cruise liner Captain Cook Cruises has farewelled its oldest expedition cruise ship MV Reef Endeavour.

The 3,125-tonne cruise ship has been offering cruise trips around the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands for tourists and locals since 1994.

Yesterday, MV Reef Endeavour docked for the final, ending its final 950th cruise in Fiji.

Captain Cook Cruises chief executive officer Allison West said it was a bitter sweet moment for the Captain Cook vuvale, to say farewell to the ‘lovely lady’, the Reef Endeavour.

“There was never a ship of this size, nature, and quality in Fiji,” she said.

“There have had many marriages, many babies, and many families and by now grandchildren born out of that Captain Cook Reef Endeavour.

“There is some wonderful loyalty amongst our past passengers and we love that, and we appreciate it.”

The vessel was built at the Fiji Maritime Academy under the then Fiji Shipyard in Walu Bay, Suva and was launched in 1994.

She went to Australia and was stationed in Cairns and Blizzard Islands before it returned in 2010 to replace Reef Escape.

Captain Cook Cruises oldest expedition cruise MV Reef Endeavour.
Photo: Captain Cook Cruises

Ms West said Reef Endeavour was built, back in the day, for a joint venture with Captain Cook and Qantas Airways which was flying to the islands off the Queensland coast.

She said it was thought to be a good idea to have a ship to bring them together.

Captain Cook Cruises manager operations Alivereti Koroilavesau said everything on board was the handy work of Fijians and the technology used back then.

Mr Koroilavesau said MV Reef Endeavour held a very significant part in Fiji’s maritime history and tourism sector.

“We have served so many guests around the world as part of the tourism industry, she is an icon.

“She has not only tourism development but also helped develop community livelihoods of those that work with us.”

“We have had marriages, renewal of vows, birthdays, and other celebrations held on board, most of all, a new friendship we found between guests and crew, topped all events ever happened on the Reef Endeavour.”

MV Reef Endeavour over the years in Fiji:-

• Streamed approximately, 140, 000 nautical miles (circumnavigated the globe 6.5 times)
• Streamed 17, 227 hours (730 days, 1.96 almost two years continues steaming).
• Carried approximately 39924 passengers and 29, 015 crew members.
• She has assisted in providing employment over period of 12 years, close to 2500 crew and hotel staff in Fiji.
• She was anchored under the hood tied up under the Harbour Bridge during the Sydney Olympics as an accommodation venue for one of the American corporates.
• The vessel was part of the FEMAT operation during COVID-19, where she has been to the equator twice to repatriate the Kiribati seafarers thawhore stranded in Fiji
• Also took scientists to the Felix islands to look for the bones of Amelia Earhart. The vessel had quite a few adventures in her time and will go off to her next iteration with her new occupiers.-nShe was anchored under the hood tied up under the Harbour Bridge during the Sydney Olympics as an accommodation venue for one of the American corporates.
• The vessel was part of the FEMAT operation during COVID-19, where she has been to the equator twice to repatriate the Kiribati seafarers thawhore stranded in Fiji
• Also took scientists to the Felix islands to look for the bones of Amelia Earhart.

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