P&O Cruises is talking to authorities in New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific about the need for updating old charts, with a view to opening up new destinations in the region.
Some date as far back as Captain James Cook, who mapped New Zealand, the east coast of Australia and islands from Tahiti to Vanuatu in the late 18th century.
A lecturer in British history at the Australian National University, Alex Cook, says developing more accurate maps could allow cruise ships to get to places they've never been before.
He says that would bring economic opportunities, though it could also cause environmental and social disruption.
"It will be much more possible for not only cruise liners like P&O but also supply vessels to reach some of the more remote places in the Pacific.
"I'm sure that would have all sorts of effects on the way in which groups interact and on culture and society in some of these islands."
