LA to Tahiti

I'm thinking about taking the round trip 28 day cruise from LA to Tahiti, and looking for reviews & comments on this cruise - it's got lots of sea days...

Also does Princess ever discount this one?

JR

While I've never done this itinerary (gotta wait till retirement in 2017), if you love sea days, this is the itinerary for you. Another plus for those of us lucky enough to live in So Cal (I live about 90 miles from the port:)) is no flying is involved. As far as discounting goes, this is a fairly popular itinerary so I doubt they would discount it that much. You might find a discount if you can get hooked up with a good T/A.....:):):)

Bob

Not as a rule.

I'm thinking about taking the round trip 28 day cruise from LA to Tahiti, and looking for reviews & comments on this cruise - it's got lots of sea days...

 

Also does Princess ever discount this one?

 

JR

Just got off this voyage on the Star. We liked it, but we like sea days. There are only 9 stops. We booked the March 26th, 2013 sailing in the fall of 2011. We watched and there were reduced prices about a year out. They never got that low again, but they did have promos. Some people booked in the last month, don't know if they got good prices or not. Hawaii stops are nice. Pago Pago, Apia, Bora Bora, Moorea, Tahiti stops all require more planning. In Pago Pago we took a nice tour of the National Park, booked with the NPS at the dock. There are a limited number of spaces on the small bus. In Apia we walked into town which is along the waterfront. It's about 2 miles, but very hot. Crowds of people between the pier and the town trying to sell you trips and stuff. Not much in town but local stores and a cultural center which had a nice free show. We stopped at Aggie Grey's on the way back for a cold beer. It's a beautiful circa 1900 hotel. There are both private and a few Princess trips in Apia. In Bora Bora we joined a 6 hour CC roll call trip with Patrick's Tours. It was organized on the roll call and filled up a year in advance. Swam with the rays, black tip sharks, snorkeled at a reef, BBQ lunch at a motu. Very very nice. Would recommend it. Check out Patrick's web site. Took a Princess 4 wheel jeep tour in Moorea. Really nice, but rough, steep roads. There is no town in Moorea. Just the dock area with some vendors and two general stores a 1/4 mile down the street. You have to take a trip somewhere. The island is very beautiful. Papeete is a busy city. We were there on a Sunday, as I guess you would be. Very little open. The crepe trucks are there on the dock on Sat. night when we arrived. It's a big local party. There is a nice park to walk along the waterfront. Would suggest a trip. In 2008 we took a trip to the interior of the island. It was pretty nice.

On board there were lots of different day activities as well as the lounge around the pool. All the normal type shows and events at night, but most nights the ship was fairly dead after 10PM.

I booked this cruise in December and last month got a big price drop and extra on board credit. Either you or your TA just have to keep checking the prices. We are going on the Sapphire Princess on 10/19/13. We have a roll call started and it's starting to get more active Here is the link if you'd like to take a look.

I also was on the Star Princess March 26th cruise. I love ever minute of this cruise. In kauai we tubed the ditch which was great fun. Maui we drove to Hana on our own and it was wonderful. But because of time restraints, we did not go all the way. Turns out our turning around was very wise as we encountered a major traffic jam. Never the less we got back in plenty of time. Even Princess excursions were late. The rest of the Hawaiian islands we simply did our own thing. Then in Apia we did a private tour organized by someone from CC. Same thing in Pago Pago, Bora Bora, Moorea, and Tahiti. Each of our tours were fantastic and well organized. We swam with sting Rays and sharks, went to a private home in Apia which was stunning, saw water falls, had beautiful lunches, and even shopped in Tahiti on Sunday as our tour guide knew of places that were open. After Tahiti, the 8 sea days were relaxing and most enjoyable. Because we had many friends on board, we had dinner in the speciality restaurants, cocktail parties and high tea. Never was I bored and thought this was the best cruise ever.

We are booked for the April 1, 2014 cruise on the Golden. We are already booked on Patrick's Tour and Tisa's Tour in Apia...

You should consider booking soon since the private tours get filled up quickly... I was lucky for Patrick's Tour. We were on the waitlist (a year away), but someone cancelled, and lo and behold, we are in.

Now, I am just not sure what to do in Papeete!

Took this cruise last October on the Sapphire. Great ship and you do have to like sea days.

Other posters comments about the ports and excursions are good. I'd like to add two things.

This is a very old crowd, average age on our cruise was 75 and I understand the average age on the Star this Spring was 85. There were only four children on our cruise. I'm not saying that's good or bad, just something to consider.

The other is that if you haven't already crossed the equator on a ship, you're in for a treat. You'll get to transition from a Pollywog to a Shellback in a very fun ceremony.

The other is that if you haven't already crossed the equator on a ship, you're in for a treat. You'll get to transition from a Pollywog to a Shellback in a very fun ceremony.

I thought we were crossing the international dateline, not the equator?

I do understand that the ceremony can be a lot of fun...

Currently we are booked on the October 2013 Hawaii/Tahiti R/T LA cruise and have some questions for those of you who have taken this cruise especially those of you who recently disembarked the Star. The private excursions that were organized looked great. Our roll call has been relatively quiet with only a couple of private excursions planned so I need to get to work and find/organize some other tours. I would like to hear your views on the various tours that you've taken and if you recommend them. For me this is a once in a lifetime cruise and I so want to get the most out of the beautiful Islands and not get stuck with tourist traps. Thanks

I thought we were crossing the international dateline, not the equator?

 

I do understand that the ceremony can be a lot of fun...

Crossing both..and more than once:)

Currently we are booked on the October 2013 Hawaii/Tahiti R/T LA cruise and have some questions for those of you who have taken this cruise especially those of you who recently disembarked the Star. The private excursions that were organized looked great. Our roll call has been relatively quiet with only a couple of private excursions planned so I need to get to work and find/organize some other tours. I would like to hear your views on the various tours that you've taken and if you recommend them. For me this is a once in a lifetime cruise and I so want to get the most out of the beautiful Islands and not get stuck with tourist traps. Thanks

Just returned from the Star Princess Hawaii-Tahiti cruise - March 26, 2013 to April 23, 2013. If you want to "escape completely" and you love sea days, this is the cruise for you. We have absolutely no coplaints of any kind relating to this adventure. It was not our first visit to Hawaii or the South Pacific and hopefully there will be more!

First of all, I would never refer to any of these ports as "tourist traps!" They are all beautiful places with wonderful kind and appreciative people hoping to please all who visit them. Here is what we did on this cruise:

Hilo - It was Easter Sunday. We cancelled the car we had reserved and visited Walmart to pick up a few things for the many remaining days of the cruise. We have been to Hilo many times before, so this was mostly a relaxing day onboard for us.

Honolulu - We took the Princess North Shore Excursion that included lunch at one of the shrimp trucks, stops at several Northshore beaches, the Bijodo Temple, Haleiwa. and the Dole Plantation. Transport was by small shuttle bus, and the guide was excellent.

Kauai - We rented a car and explored the Poipu area, Port Allen, the Spouting Horn, lunched at the beachside gril at the Marriott in Poipu. Relaxing day.

Lahaina - We rented a car and explored the areas from Kaanapali north to Napili, Kapalua, and beyond. Lunched on Kaanapali Beach. We much prefer the Seahouse Restaurant on Napili Bay and would not go back to the Kaanapali area. We love the beaches at Kapalua and Napili.

Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango) - American Samoa. Having taken Tisa's tour and visited her beachside restaurant on another trip, we opted for a Princess excursion that made an island tour, visited a small village where Samoan men put on a little show for us. Transport was on local open air buses - not the most comfortable for sure - but we enjoyed the scenery and the friendly Samoan people very much.

Apia - One of our CC roll call members arranged a tour to a Lalamanu Beach Resort. It was a beautiful but bumpy ride for part of the way but well worth the beautiful scenery and the gorgeous beach where we enjoyed a welcoming ceremony at the resort, a lovely lunch and time to enjoy the beach. Tour also included a stop at the Piula Cave(sp?) where you could take a refreshing swim. Again, the natural beauty of the island and it's people were enjoyed.

Bora Bora - We booked Patrick Taurua for his 3/4 day Lagoon and Lunch tour - two years in advance, I might add! It was a wonderful day. Patrick went all out for our large group, and we highly recommend Patrick and his team. It was fantastic.

Moorea - We took the Princess 4x4 tour here. The views were unbelievably beautiful. Be prepared for a bumpy somewhat "scary" ride up the mountainside! Very enjoyable day again with an excellent guide.

Papeete - We took the Princess Undiscovered Tahiti tour which included a visit to a beautiful island home where refreshments of delicious local fruit and juices were enjoyed. Several other stops were included, and again the beauty of the island away from the city of Papeete was wonderful to see.'

The Star Princess is a wonderful ship with a happy, always ready to please crew. The service was exceptional. In OP this was a perfect cruise. Even the ocean cooperated with smooth seas all the way to/from San Pedro. We would sail back and forth on this itinerary forever if that were only possible!!

Please be advised that the humidity in the SP can be a bit more than overwhelming! My favorite possesion on this trip was my "squirt bottle" - just a spray bottle filled with water to use on the open air bus or anywhere you are walking or standing for any length of time.

Wishing all who take this cruise enjoy it as much as we did - it's a very special trip to paradise. Aloha!

Bucky3 - thanks so much for your detailed report. Sounds wonderful. As soon as both kids are in college (soon!) we will be taking this trip.

There were last minute prices for the Star Princess March 26th sailing this year:

Inside - $2424

Oceanview/obstructed - $2624

Balcony - $3724

Minisuite - $5124

I'm thinking about taking the round trip 28 day cruise from LA to Tahiti, and looking for reviews & comments on this cruise - it's got lots of sea days...

JR

WOW! Thanks so much for posting about this cruise! Dumb me, missed seeing it listed.

We've been wanting to go back to Tahiti, but haven't wanted to do all the flying involved.

Cruising out of LA would work for us. We'd only need to fly to LA and back. :)

LuLu

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My husband and I were also on the March 2013 sailing of the Star Princess round trip from LA to Hawaii and the South Pacific.

First let me clear up any confusion regarding the average ages of passengers. I'm 56 and my husband is 61 and I'd say we were the average age. There was a nice mix of 50, 60, 70 and 80 year olds. Never once did we feel as though we were on a geriatric cruise! Mobility issues seems less on this cruise than many of the Alaska or Mexico cruises we have taken.

We took many of the same tours as Bucky3 (hey Bobbie and John) and were fortunate that one of our CC members (Cori from Williamsburg) spent a considerable amount of time planning several tours. I'd suggest reading our Roll Call for specifics. Patrick's tour on Bora, Bora and a similar one on Moorea were the highlight. Papetta was lovely but a city and we preferred the small unspoiled islands. Tisa's Tour on Pago, Pago was okay but not a tour I'd necessarily do again. She crowded too many people in a small place. Visiting Pearl Harbour and the Arizona was a very moving experience.

I can't say enough about the crew on the Star - without exception they were outstanding and like Bucky3, we would have gladly stayed on board and repeated this cruise without a second thought. You do have to enjoy sea days whether reading, lounging by the pool or partaking in the on board activities.

Hello all our 'Star Princess, friends and traveling companions - we so miss you! Jim and Gloria

I did this cruise on Sapphire Princess in 2011, and loved every minute :D

There are lots of sea days - which I really enjoy - so if you are someone who needs to be on the go all the time, this is something to consider.

My favourite port was Pago Pago - such warm, gracious and friendly people.

we did the 28 days on the sapphire last october...great cruise...loved everything....there were a ton of elite cruisers...us included...tisa'a tour was ok but Patricks was the BEST tour we have EVER taken...

A friend and I did this cruise in 2011, and IMO, it's the best itinerary ever!!!

Two things I would recommend ......

1. Doing Patrick's motu picnic for Bora Bora; That needs to be booked EARLY because it fills up quickly. If you are lucky, you will have the kind of wonderful roll call we did, and there were about 40 0f us that did this private excursion. Our group was so large that Patrick had to borrow extra boats to accomodate all of us.

2. Doing an island tour/native lunch/beach visit with Tisa, of Tisa's Barefoot Bar for American Samoa. Tisa is a really cool lady, and her bar is in a private little cove, with a lovely beach, a dining area and, yes, a bar!!! It is a unique experience.

Took this cruise last October on the Sapphire. Great ship and you do have to like sea days.

I understand the average age on the Star this Spring was 85. There were only four children on our cruise. I'm not saying that's good or bad, just something to consider.

 

Don't think it was that old. More like low 70's. To average 85 means half the people had to be 85 or over.

 

One infant about 9 months old, a couple of children around 10 or 12, and a few teens. Very few passengers were 40 or under. You would expect this because younger people work. Also quite a number of scooters, wheelchairs, and walkers.

We've not done this cruise, but we've done two transpacific cruises in the past stopping at these same ports. If Patrick's tour on Bora Bora is filled, do consider Top Dive for a very similar trip. They were also excellent. On Tahiti, I can't recommend Patrick's (a different Patrick) 4WD trip to the center of the island. He is originally from France, but loves his adopted home. On Pago Pago, it's hard to beat Tisa and Candyman. And we did a tour on Suva that still ranks in my top 5 anywhere...I remember swimming in an underground cave, among many other things. There are lots of independent options available.

Sandpiper13--Hi Friends this is one of the sisters(youngest one) as I was reading this post I'm like you I thought this was a wonderful cruise with so many great new friends and did not feel the average age was 85 if it were they sure looked young for there ages. The crew was so wonderful!!! Thanks for the many laughs you gave us!!!!

Whoops- I feel badly! I should have said that I CAN recommend Patick's our on Tahiti. I've done it twice and it was great both times.

Thanks to all for your comments - this cruise is on my bucket list!! :)

Whoops- I feel badly! I should have said that I CAN recommend Patick's our on Tahiti. I've done it twice and it was great both times.

Just to clarify: The two Patrick's that are talked about on these threads are two different people. This was very confusing to people on our 2009 Roll Call. There is Patrick in Bora Bora that does the snorkeling and motu picnic on his private island, and then there is another Patrick in Papeete who does a 4x4 on the island of Tahiti. Both Patricks are highly recommended for their two different tours on the two different islands.

I see some of our shipmates from our Star Princess March 26th cruise are beginning to chime in here. Hi everyone. Hope you all are enjoying happy memories of our great cruise together and that we may all meet again somewhere on the sea! Bobbie and John