Pre-cruise (7-night Tahiti & Society Islands) - 4 or 6 nights in Moorea

Any recommendations for the 7 nights I have prior to a Tahiti & Society Island week-long cruise? (The cruise itinerary includes an overnight stay in Moorea)

Please chime in. Which would you choose and why:

Option A (6 nights in Moorea):

Night #1: Arriving late at night and must stay in Tahiti (InterContinental)

Nights #2-7: Moorea (Sofitel or InterContinental)

Then board PG

Option B (4 nights in Moorea):

Night #1: Arriving late at night and must stay in Tahiti (InterContinental)

Nights #2-5: Moorea (Sofitel or InterContinental)

Nights #6-7: Return to Tahiti (InterContinental)

Then board PG

Price is basically the same between the two options.

Post-cruise on disembarkation day, I will have a rental car and all day to explore Tahiti as my flight does not leave until 11:30pm at night.

Thanks for any advice!

If the price is the same.....I would go for a longer stay.

However do consider cost of food is not inexpensive.

Do you want to consider a two island stay?

4 nights is enough, unless you are just into relaxing. Are they really the same price? Yes food is very expensive. Moore's is wonderful!

However do consider cost of food is not inexpensive.

I've read that food is expensive in paradise but is it cheaper on Tahiti than on Moorea? Where is that $7 steak frites place? :-)

I think I'd rather pay the atrocious fee for a rental car and have mobility to eat wherever I please (including the deli at Carrefour or Champion Supermarket!) instead of being chained to a resort. Does anybody agree?

Do you want to consider a two island stay?

Do you mean another island, like Bora Bora? The flights are very full and outrageously expensive, plus the hassle. The cruise also includes an overnight stay in Bora Bora too.

You can find relatively cheaper food if you don't eat at the resorts. You can always get snacks and light meals from grocery stores. There are plenty of options available if you are adventurous enough to look around. You could befriend someone at the resort who would very likely point you in the direction of the better local places in order to feed more money into the local economy.

This time we arranged a hotel taxi to take us to the Carrefours and pick us up in an hour.i believe cost was 20$ or so. Twin and Gabelle walked there from the IC.

We were well stocked with French Cheeses and some snacks. We still ate a bit in the resort but breakfast at any rate was taken care off.

I was thinking of other islands. Marc at Huahine Nautique offered me a rental property quite reasonably including a boat. Yes I know the flights add up but then it's a different experience.

I love the Sofitel in Moorea. They have a breakfast and dinner package as well.

After reading the suggestions here (thank you!) and playing around with hotel availability, I came up with this:

Option C (4 nights in Moorea):

Night #1-3: Tahiti (InterContinental)

Nights #4-7: Moorea (Sofitel)

Then board PG

Much simpler, and can take the ferry from Moorea to Papeete and board ship without needing additional transportation?

I've read that food is expensive in paradise but is it cheaper on Tahiti than on Moorea? Where is that $7 steak frites place? :-)

 

I think I'd rather pay the atrocious fee for a rental car and have mobility to eat wherever I please (including the deli at Carrefour or Champion Supermarket!) instead of being chained to a resort. Does anybody agree?

.../QUOTE]

 

We just spent 3 days there in September, at a smaller resort. We mostly ate at our hotel (very nice, Les Tipaniers), but found a great snack counter "in town", quite near the Pearl I think, and another nice lunch place near the IC. They are around, for sure. I'll try to dig up a couple of names.

Keep in mind that there are no places to eat around the Sofitel.

However I still love this hotel's beach. If you swim a bit out near the reef there are a huge number of fish. We had a day room this year, OWB, and the fish were congregating in the area. Saw some huge ones.

If you have an AMEX plat makes sure you get the ACCOR platinum card which they offer to members. That will give you a room upgrade as well as a fruit plate and extra water.

We stayed at the IC Moorea and had lunch once at Les Tipaniers It was very nice. Didn't find any other nearby local spots, but didn't look closely.

On the road between the Sofitel and the Pearl there is a guy with a lot of rotisserie chickens that looked great.

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Keep in mind that there are no places to eat around the Sofitel.

This is why I think a vehicle would be very useful, even at confiscatory rental cost!

Also when you get off the Ferry at Moorea the Champion supermarket is a few minutes drive away. Around the Pearl, Maharepa village there are a few places to eat. Also keep in mind that you can ask restaurants for pick up/ drop off for dinner if you don't have a car all the days.

I've read that food is expensive in paradise but is it cheaper on Tahiti than on Moorea? Where is that $7 steak frites place? :-)

 

I think I'd rather pay the atrocious fee for a rental car and have mobility to eat wherever I please (including the deli at Carrefour or Champion Supermarket!) instead of being chained to a resort. Does anybody agree?

....

I agree that having a car is the best option for a lengthy visit. Keep in mind too, that many of the restaurants will come and pick you up from your hotel so you don't have to drive at night, or after you've been drinking. We rented from Albert's, but I know at least Avis is there as well.

The little place near the IC is Snack Mahana, east of the IC. Just a backyard place, perhaps not open for dinner, not sure. We had lunch there one day, me with my mahi mahi sandwich, yum! Very, very casual.

Les Tipaniers has two restaurants--casual by the water for lunch, and more formal, with some Italian dishes, at night. Quite close to the IC.

The other one was over in the town of Maharepa, so on the right-most "toe" of the "paw", as it were, close to the Pearl hotel. Lots of banks with ATM's there, and if you're passing through at lunchtime, try Snack Chez Didier, on the inland side, amongst the pearl shops and banks, just a counter with stools, serving some decadent things like subs, plus the usual fish and poisson cru (my fave.) Cheap, too.

After reading the suggestions here (thank you!) and playing around with hotel availability, I came up with this:

 

Option C (4 nights in Moorea):

Night #1-3: Tahiti (InterContinental)

Nights #4-7: Moorea (Sofitel)

Then board PG

 

Much simpler, and can take the ferry from Moorea to Papeete and board ship without needing additional transportation?

We stayed three nights precruise at the IC Tahiti and for us three nights in that location was too long. That is just how we felt. My husband emailed back home and said ---we have been in Tahiti for three days and we haven't even walked on the beach or been in the ocean!! ----because there isn't a beach---- The grounds and the sand pool area are very pretty. Loved Moorea===we were there post cruise!!

So I booked the Sofitel Moorea for the 4 nights and almost immediately I got an email from their "Revenue Management" team regarding their New Year's Eve extravaganza, at a cost of *only* 25000XPF per person. The email recommended that I reserve ASAP with my credit card to guarantee my reservation for this lovely meal, show, and fireworks.

Then I did more reading and noticed that most resorts have these events as MANDATORY(!?!) for guests staying over New Year's Eve, and in fact it is even very clearly stated on the Hilton Moorea website, for example. The email I received did not say anything about this being a compulsory charge (I hope it was not lost in translation), although there was mention that there would be no other dining facility open, and room service would not be available. I could not find any mention of a mandatory meal on the Sofitel website either. I have emailed to seek clarification. I sure hope I dodged this bullet and luckily as I will have a vehicle, I can leave the resort in search of food.

Any thoughts on this?

It just doesn't sound right. I can't see any hotel forcing you into this and keeping no other options open.

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Actually it's common practice and I have seen it in other parts of the world as well.

Hope you don't have this at the Sofitel.

It is mandatory for guests to purchase the New Year's Eve dinner at the Sofitel.

Gheesh, I'd be ticked about this. But on the other hand, it will probably be really nice, and a lot of fun. And every other restaurant on the island will be reservations-mandatory on that night, I would guess.

But then, if it's mandatory, why would you need to reserve in advance? Puzzling.

Buy stuff at a grocery store and spend the evening alone and quietly!

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Buy stuff at a grocery store and spend the evening alone and quietly!

 

 

It doesn't matter. The Sofitel will charge you for this dinner. The charge is mandatory. I don't know how you could get out of it.

Gheesh, I'd be ticked about this. But on the other hand, it will probably be really nice, and a lot of fun. And every other restaurant on the island will be reservations-mandatory on that night, I would guess.

 

But then, if it's mandatory, why would you need to reserve in advance? Puzzling.

I agree. OP should send an email to the concierge. He is platinum and they are very nice to the plat members.

It doesn't matter. The Sofitel will charge you for this dinner. The charge is mandatory. I don't know how you could get out of it.

How do you know that it is mandatory? I could not find this stated in writing anywhere.

I have a five-year-old. She eats dinner at 5:00pm (3:00pm in French Polynesia) and goes to bed at 8:30pm (6:30pm in French Polynesia), after which we don't really go out! I am sure if the New Year's dinner is mandatory they would like to charge for her too, which would truly be a ridiculous surcharge.

Did you check on their website?

Also if you booked thrown agent have the agent check for you.

On another note take plenty of bread ( ask for day old at breakfast) your 5 year old will love to feed the fish.