First PG cruise / info & tips on Hilton Moorea post stay

We are life-long Floridians and experienced cruisers having traveled almost 20 different times on many of the "regular" lines. We are planning a Dec. 2011 trip on PG and based on the reviews it sounds like we are about to have our eyes opened! We want to include a post cruise stay at the Hilton Moorea....of course an OWB is what we think of first for our accomodations - but hope some of you can give us your thoughts and/or suggestions. Any dining/food ideas would also be appreciated - don't want to break the bank in this area - can be happy with wine, cheese and easy meals, etc. Looking forward to all your comments....L & J

I can't comment on the specific hotel, but you will love Moorea. This island is stunning. If you want lots of information, try the forums here: http://www.tahiti-explorer.com/forums . You can find comparative reviews of the big hotels there, and also mention of more modest hotels if you decide to go that route.

Some people who do this actually disembark in Moorea on the last afternoon of the cruise, instead of taking the ship back to Papeete and then ferrying back to Moorea. So this is definitely an option.

You will love the Paul Gauguin and the islands. Just bear in mind that French Polynesia is *very* expensive. Which itinerary are you taking?

We are doing the 7 night trip - from what many reviewers say, it is the best for a first visit to FP and will allow for a post stay on land....We do usually like to go for longer cruises but want to make the most of our time....trying to avoid too many sea days

Yes, I believe the 7-day Societies trip is the best for your first visit. In fact we did that route 4 times before we branched out. Involves very little time at sea, with maximum time out on the lagoons and wonderful islands. And perfect for combining with a pre- or post-cruise. I prefer the pre-cruise myself, but I'm sure either is good.

We stayed for four nights at the Intercontinental Mo'orea after our recent Christmas cruise, so can't give any info on the Hilton other than that people from our cruise loved it there. One tip, applicable to all the hotels, is to make sure that breakfast is included. The charge for a buffet breakfast was close to $40 US per person and that can add up quickly.

We tried some restaurants on Mo'orea rather than eat in the hotel every night. Most restaurants will send a car or taxi for you free of charge. All the guide books we read recommended Aito, but we had a terrible experience there. The restaurant we loved was the Mayflower - wonderful French cuisine and great service. For a slightly less expensive meal we had a great lunch at the Cafe Iguane in Le Petit Village. My son ordered a shrimp curry and it was the best he had on the island (he basically ordered it every chance he got) - about a 1lb of fresh shrimp, beautifully cooked for about $15 US.

We did 5 nights precruise at the Hilton this past July and it was spectacular. You can look at my lengthy cruise report on the reviews page and this includes the Hilton stay.

Post cruise is perfect as you can walk off the ship and take the ferry for the 30 minute ride to Moorea. The ferry pier is adjacent to the ships pier so no transport is needed. The fare is about $30 US roundtrip.

We were in the OWB and it was great. The Hilton has free mask/fins/snorkel for your use during your stay. Since I am sure your ship stops on Moorea as part of the cruise I would use that stop to see the sights and then spend the post cruise time at the hotel enjoying the world class snorkeling. It really only takes part of one day for the entire island tour.

We are doing the Hilton Moorea post cruise in just a couple of weeks. I will be happy to give you a full report. As far as the breakfasts, my suggestion is to apply for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card. Although there is a $75 annual fee, that will be more than offset by the free breakfasts included with your card. In addition, there are lots of other benefits included with the card, such as Hilton Honors Gold status membership for a year, airline lounge privilges, etc.