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Most Americans have never heard of Vanuatu, and even fewer have heard of its capital, Port Vila. Yet Vila, as it is often called, is becoming a major cruise destination, with about 140 port visits planned by cruise lines over the next 12 months, or about one every two or three days. 

The vast majority of these cruise visits are one-day stops by ships of P&O Cruises (phone, in Australia, 1300 159 454), sailing out of Sydney and Brisbane on a one-week loop around the Coral Sea east of Australia, and Carnival Cruise Lines (888/227-6482), with similar...