Fiji in May - cruise or ferry??

I will be going to Fiji in May and will be staying in a timeshare from the 11th until th 19th. I would like to come a week earlier and either take a cruise or island hop on my own. I will be with a friend and we love to snorkel and take in the culture. Should we book a cruise or can we do even better by heading out on out own? Any and all suggestions are welcome. I do not hike much anymore, but I love the water.

Hi Stephany38, I recommend a trip to Taveuni Island. It's the 3rd largest island in Fiji and is north from the main island of Viti Levu. The snorkelling is fantastic in most areas on the island. There are many beaches that you can snorkel from and some resorts let you use the facilities and snorkelling for the day. I stayed at Paradise in the south of Taveuni and loved it. The snorkelling is great and you can go at any time and on any tide. The resort supplied free snorkelling gear and guides to it's guests. Nice people and you get a taste of the culture too. The resort put on Fiji night while we were there and we tried Fijian food, kava and watched the local village people dancing. There is a lot to do here or just snorkel and relax. My husband and I would recommend it to anyone.