First Timers

My DW and I are looking into sailing the PG in May of next year for our 15th anniversary. This will be our first cruise on a smaller ship and our first trip to Tahiti, a bucket list event for us! A few questions....

1. On our past cruises we have mixed tours from the ship with tours booked from other companies. Are those options available/suggested in Tahiti?

2. Because of flight times, we may do pre or post hotel stays. Over water bungalows are not a must. Any hotel suggestions?

3. My wife doesn't dive or snorkel. I snorkel...a little. I have seen a lot of footage of sharks (black tip reef sharks), in the shallows. Is it safe to even just wade and swim at the beaches?

I am a real novice having never been to FP and I don't like to base my opinion just on what I see online or on YouTube, so your suggestions will be welcomed.

It is very easy to arrange for excursions either privately or through the ship. This will be our fourth trip in June and we rarely use their arranged tours. As it gets closer many of us can suggest private options to the ships tours.

The travel time and cost is so high that maximizing your time in the region is a great idea. We try to spend a few nights (this time 4) on Moorea before the cruise. While the island of Tahiti does offer some things to do the beauty of the region unfortunately lies elsewhere. Moorea can be reached by a 30 minute and $30 ferry ride that is adjacent to the cruise ship terminal. On Moorea we have only stayed at the Hilton and love it. We do stay in an overwater unit which is spectacular. If you choose to go to any other island then you have to fly and the cost is about $450 per person roundtrip. You can get an airpass for a little more that lets you go to more than one island.

Most flights arrive in to Tahiti late at night and it is impossible to get to any other island after dark. The ferry and flights are not operating. For this reason it is common to have to overnight on Tahiti even if your plan is to head to another island. You can stay at larger places such as Manava Resorts or the Intercontinental or at a small pension such as the highly rated Fare Suisse for the one or more nights.

The black tip reef sharks are docile and it is fine to be near them. They will avoid you. Snorkeling is spectacular and if your wife has not tried it you should encourage her to. Going to this region and not being able to snorkel just does not seem right.

Presuming you don't have a ton of frequent flier miles most usually use the PG arranged transport as their fare includes the flights from LAX as well as transfers in Tahiti and day rooms when needed. If you don't use their flights they reduce the amount of the cruise by about $1,500 per person.

Since you are planning well in advance you may want to consider obtaining some points to make the trip a little less costly. The IHG branded credit card, when opened, give you one free night anywhere. This includes the Intercontinental on Tahiti. There are 3 or 4 different HHonors credit cards. One offers immedate Gold status which comes in handy if you choose the Hilton on Moorea as Gold comes with free breakfast and internet. Since breakfast is pricey ($35 or so per person), this does help. Other versions of the card give a lot of points and with your advance planning you could probably get enough points for a 2-4 night stay for free (we have 4 nights for free in June).

However you plan it this is a spectacular trip. On the PG many of us will suggest that you take a deck 3 or 4 cabin as they are the same size as the basic balcony cabins and save a ton of $$. While some love the balcony we use the ship as our balcony.

It is very easy to arrange for excursions either privately or through the ship. This will be our fourth trip in June and we rarely use their arranged tours. As it gets closer many of us can suggest private options to the ships tours.

 

The travel time and cost is so high that maximizing your time in the region is a great idea. We try to spend a few nights (this time 4) on Moorea before the cruise. While the island of Tahiti does offer some things to do the beauty of the region unfortunately lies elsewhere. Moorea can be reached by a 30 minute and $30 ferry ride that is adjacent to the cruise ship terminal. On Moorea we have only stayed at the Hilton and love it. We do stay in an overwater unit which is spectacular. If you choose to go to any other island then you have to fly and the cost is about $450 per person roundtrip. You can get an airpass for a little more that lets you go to more than one island.

 

Most flights arrive in to Tahiti late at night and it is impossible to get to any other island after dark. The ferry and flights are not operating. For this reason it is common to have to overnight on Tahiti even if your plan is to head to another island. You can stay at larger places such as Manava Resorts or the Intercontinental or at a small pension such as the highly rated Fare Suisse for the one or more nights.

 

The black tip reef sharks are docile and it is fine to be near them. They will avoid you. Snorkeling is spectacular and if your wife has not tried it you should encourage her to. Going to this region and not being able to snorkel just does not seem right.

 

Presuming you don't have a ton of frequent flier miles most usually use the PG arranged transport as their fare includes the flights from LAX as well as transfers in Tahiti and day rooms when needed. If you don't use their flights they reduce the amount of the cruise by about $1,500 per person.

 

Since you are planning well in advance you may want to consider obtaining some points to make the trip a little less costly. The IHG branded credit card, when opened, give you one free night anywhere. This includes the Intercontinental on Tahiti. There are 3 or 4 different HHonors credit cards. One offers immedate Gold status which comes in handy if you choose the Hilton on Moorea as Gold comes with free breakfast and internet. Since breakfast is pricey ($35 or so per person), this does help. Other versions of the card give a lot of points and with your advance planning you could probably get enough points for a 2-4 night stay for free (we have 4 nights for free in June).

 

However you plan it this is a spectacular trip. On the PG many of us will suggest that you take a deck 3 or 4 cabin as they are the same size as the basic balcony cabins and save a ton of $$. While some love the balcony we use the ship as our balcony.

Wow! Great suggestions. Thanks much.

newtexan has some excellent information and advice.

We did a pre-cruise on Moorea at the Hotel Les Tepaniers in September. A small family-run hotel, quite a bit different than the InterContinental, Hilton, Sofitel, etc. on the island. It suited our style perfectly.

We also rented a car in Moorea, so could bop around here and there at our convenience.

newtexan has some excellent information and advice.

Oops! The excellent information and advice was from FlightMedic555.

My favourite hotel on Moorea is the Sofitel. Has a wonderful safe beach.

Feel free to ask any questions and do read familygobostons long review of her 7 day cruise. My recommendation is however the 10 day plus pre cruise in Moorea .

As said above, the included air and transfers work great. I'm still trying to figure out if they are doing it the same as when we went in 2013 and it sounds like they are with the exception of the day going home it sounds like they are having people leave the ship early in the a.m. and taking a morning flight home.

As far as the sharks, we were lucky enough to be able to join our kids with most of their excursions they had in the Ambassadors of the Environment Youth program with two naturalists. There were only our two kids plus one other.

One of the things we learned is of the roughly 200+ types of sharks, only about 21 go after humans. The black tipped sharks aren't part of the 21 and they would stay maybe 30 feet away.

Snorkeling was fabulous and we didn't even end up using vests in the deep water. Rays came right up to pet and feed. Needless to say, we are going back next year. Hands down better than any other cruise line we have been on.

As said above, the included air and transfers work great. I'm still trying to figure out if they are doing it the same as when we went in 2013 and it sounds like they are with the exception of the day going home it sounds like they are having people leave the ship early in the a.m. and taking a morning flight home.

 

As far as the sharks, we were lucky enough to be able to join our kids with most of their excursions they had in the Ambassadors of the Environment Youth program with two naturalists. There were only our two kids plus one other.

 

One of the things we learned is of the roughly 200+ types of sharks, only about 21 go after humans. The black tipped sharks aren't part of the 21 and they would stay maybe 30 feet away.

 

Snorkeling was fabulous and we didn't even end up using vests in the deep water. Rays came right up to pet and feed. Needless to say, we are going back next year. Hands down better than any other cruise line we have been on.

So glad you had a great time!

2017 is likely a repeaters cruise in case you are interested. The last one was really enjoyable!

So glad you had a great time!

 

2017 is likely a repeaters cruise in case you are interested. The last one was really enjoyable!

Thanks for the invite. Not sure what we are doing in 2017. DD graduates from HS so we have to plan something special but we are doing the 10 day in 2016 so not sure what we will do.

Do you have any info on the general pattern of inbound and outbound flights? I did a separate thread asking but most people who answered were coming early or staying late so I didn't get a clear direction.

Specifically asking do they generally have people on the flight getting in at 5 a.m., go to IC until 1 p.m. then to ship and on the way home it sounds like they have moved to getting people taking a mid morning flight so you would go from ship to airport in the early a.m.

It is indeed safe to wade and swim in the islands. Just make sure to bring reef shoes (aka water shoes), since the coral is sharp and abounds along the shore.

I agree it would e a shame not to try snorkelling. I don't know if they still give an introductory lesson on Motu Mahana (the private island day), but if they do, take advantage.

Thanks for the invite. Not sure what we are doing in 2017. DD graduates from HS so we have to plan something special but we are doing the 10 day in 2016 so not sure what we will do.

 

Do you have any info on the general pattern of inbound and outbound flights? I did a separate thread asking but most people who answered were coming early or staying late so I didn't get a clear direction.

 

Specifically asking do they generally have people on the flight getting in at 5 a.m., go to IC until 1 p.m. then to ship and on the way home it sounds like they have moved to getting people taking a mid morning flight so you would go from ship to airport in the early a.m.

On our cruise the cost to go a day early was negligible so many went early to tahiti. Others were given the overnight flight and then a room at the IC with lunch included.

Some were put on the early morning flight on the way back but others were on the night flight so I would state your preferences and ask your agent to work some magic.

I also have to second David's recommendation of Moorea for a pre-cruise stay. The ferry is convenient and easy to navigate. Les Tipaniers was a lovely smaller hotel, and reasonably-priced for French Polynesia. Lovely little beach with not bad snorkelling, two really nice restaurants. Not your international resort hotel, no pool for example, more of a laid-back, beachy feel to it. Nice large bungalows nevertheless.

Hi Newtexan- I address a lot of this stuff with photos (because a picture is worth a thousand words!) in my review linked below in my signature.

We took a tour in Tahiti on our own that I have lots of photos of in the beginning of the review. We booked it at the hotel excursion desk after we arrived.

I also show photos and discuss the pros and cons of an OWB in Tahiti at the IC The consensus most of us came to was it's not really worth it in Tahiti, but adding on days in OWB in Moorea or Bora Bora can be a nice way to extend a tip (we unfortunately did not have the time to do that!) So if you are staying in Tahiti, you certainly won't be missing much if you book a regular room at a nice hotel.

Wading and swimming-

at Ta'aha (at the private motu/island) is very easy. But I recommend using some old sneakers, water shoes or amphibious sandals to protect your feet from the coral and invasive spiny urchins.

If you take the Bora Bora excursion that includes the sharks and rays (sting ray ballet and snorkel safari), what you will find is that the sharks are in deep water but even if you stay on the boat you can see them a bit below the surface. the area where the rays are is very shallow, you can get off the boat and stand in sandy waist deep water and have the rays swim all around. We had a newlywed who was very very fearful of the water and the animals and she had a great time. She did quick jump in with the sharks but didn't stay in long, her hubby supported her. She enjoyed the rays because it was very shallow. That excursion offered lots of water sightseeing and I think could be enjoyed by non swimmers too! You could also do the glass bottom boat tour of similar areas with no swimming!

The BB motu also has a nice beach with shallows, easily accessed from the beach.

Most of the excursions described on the PG site are really good about explaining if you'll need to swim in deep water or not.

I addition to my review, I just recently added PG ship tour photos to my website...here is the link or just look for "ships tours" at the top right, PG is listed there.

http://www.goseeittravel.com/paulgauguin/

So glad you had a great time!

 

2017 is likely a repeaters cruise in case you are interested. The last one was really enjoyable!

My antennae is up! That is our 30th anniversary year, and we've had to put off Antarctica due to work reasons...have you heard anything about dates yet? I'm feeling a return to PG would be a great way to celebrate now that the vacation time is freed up :D

BTW- if you get a minute...would you mine checking my memory on my PG ship tour?...to make sure I've got all the things on the right decks! I can make changes if I've misremembered!!

Family,

The date is not fixed yet but I had suggested Late June early July so our teachers can make it. Also suggested the Cook Islands itinerary with a full day in Rangiroa and hopefully two days in Motu Mahana.

Keeping fingers crossed as PG has a dry dock in the Far East earlier that year.

Miriam

How would Rangiroa be possible on a Cooks itinerary?

Family,

The date is not fixed yet but I had suggested Late June early July so our teachers can make it. Also suggested the Cook Islands itinerary with a full day in Rangiroa and hopefully two days in Motu Mahana.

 

Keeping fingers crossed as PG has a dry dock in the Far East earlier that year.

 

Miriam

Sigh...I'm happy for teachers, ( they deserve a repeaters when THEY can go! :D) but a summer trip probably won't work for us...we have one graduating from college that spring!! Our early summer trip will be a family trip with the kids to celebrate! We will probably go right around our anniversary in Sept or Oct again.

Sorry to hijack:(