Lelepa

One village (also called Lelepa), bush and rainforest, palm-fringed beaches, a coral reef good enough that locals say it's healthier than most of Efate's, and Fels Cave — the death site of Chief Roi Mata, part of Vanuatu's first UNESCO World Heritage listing (Chief Roi Mata's Domain, inscribed 2008). The cave has petroglyphs of whales, turtles, and human figures, the oldest dating to around 900 AD. There is no resort, no cruise pier, no shopping street. That's the point.

No. Royal Beach Club Lelepa is exclusive to Royal Caribbean Group ships — that's Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea. P&O Australia was folded into Carnival Cruise Line in March 2025 (the Pacific Encounter became Carnival Encounter, Pacific Adventure became Carnival Adventure). Carnival Corporation ships don't have access. If you want Lelepa, you need a Royal Caribbean Group booking departing late October 2027 or later.

Yes — Lelepa's reef is in better shape than most Efate dive sites, partly because it sees less daily traffic. The signature snorkel spot for the independent tour is around the wreck of a Trislander aircraft that crashed in the channel in 1990 and now sits in shallow water; you'll see schools of tropical fish and, often, green turtles. Visibility is best in the dry season (May to October). Gear is included on the standard day tour.

Lelepa Island Tours is the only fully Lelepa-owned operator and they handle the whole day: hotel pickup in Port Vila around 8:30am, 30-minute drive northwest to Havannah Harbour, 15-minute boat to the island, two snorkel stops, kayaks, a beach BBQ lunch, a walk through Lelepa village, the bushwalk and Fels Cave visit, and back to Port Vila by mid-afternoon. Adult price is 10,900 vatu, children under 12 half price, cash only — they don't take cards. Confirm pickup the night before by phone.

Per Royal Caribbean's own page: tender transport from ship to island, beach access at the two main beaches (East Beach for families, West Beach for adventure activities) plus a quieter Adults Cove, loungers, umbrellas, towel service, two casual dining venues, restrooms, and beach games — all complimentary with your cruise booking. Premium cabanas and some specialty experiences will be paid add-ons, in line with how Perfect Day at CocoCay works in the Bahamas. The tender jetty is being built on the east side of the island, sized for Quantum-class ships.

The lease was negotiated with the customary landowners and Lelepa community chiefs, and the village remains in place; the development is on a separate leased section of the island, not a relocation. Vanuatu's tourism office and the Lelepa community publicly support the project as a long-term income source, and the existing family-owned tour business plans to keep operating alongside it. Reasonable people on both sides have raised concerns about scale and reef pressure when 4,000-passenger ships start calling — those are legitimate and worth watching, but the framework is consent-based.