coconutmonkey

The boat that drops us off at the Motu leaves and goes back to the pier to pick up the next tour. Those on the first tour have the option of staying on the Motu and taking the boat back when it returns with the second tour. Not everybody takes the boat back, so obviously, the second boat will have additional riders on it. I cannot comment on how many were on the second boat back as we took the first boat back.

 

However, to the very best of my recollection, the ride back to the pier took no more than one half hour (if that). So, if for some reason the second boat was full, there would be plenty of time to unload and come back to pick up anyone left behind. As I have not heard of anyone having trouble getting back to the ship I assume that this really was not an issue.

 

Also, I don't think the ride out took three hours. The Motu is relatively close to the pier and the only stop was for a half hour or so to swim with the rays. Perhaps others on the tour can comment on this. Most of the time spent on the tour was on the beach - swimming, snorkeling, eating lunch, feeding the chickens - and apparently drinking lots of beer.

 

The only issue that I heard about was that the first tour drank most of the beer and that there was a limited supply for the second tour.:eek:

 

Hope all this helps,

 

Jack

Jack, thank you so much. Its good to know the pier is only 1/2 hour away from his motu. We will probably take the first tour back to the pier.

Regards, Joyce

Hello Sailorjack. We are really enjoying your detailed review. We are booked for the Hiro tour in November. We are concerned that there is enough seating on the catamaran for all the people who want to go back to the pier from the motu at 3pm. It seems he takes 3 tours in the morning but only 2 tours returning to the pier. Can you offer any insights on this?

Thanks

Wow!. Just came off a 10 day Oceania cruise in French Polynesia. The 3/4 day with Patrick is the best thing you could do on this island. We had the best time swimming with sharks, feeding rays, snorkeling in the coral gardens, and having a luau on Patrick's private island. An absolutely perfect day! I've been booking my own excursions for 20 years of cruising, and this was by far a real jewel. Do not miss this opportunity for a wonderful experience. http://www.maohinui.net/en/

Do you recall if Patrick had fins? Thanks

We did Patrick's wonderful tour on Jan 25. Patrick was not there because he had to attend his sister's funeral. The young men who took over for the day had been trained by Patrick and were wonderful. However, we were told that Patrick is selling his business and they didn't know what that would mean for the tour as the BBQ is on his family's private motu (which was marvelous by the way).

 

This may be why there have been some difficulties lately. You might verify the details before booking. I'm not sure when the change over will occur.

Does anyone have news about Patrick selling his business? Thanks

Is the upgrade from the classic drinks package to the premium drinks package the same price whether you book in advance of sailing or upgrade the first day onboard? Is there any incentive to pay for it early?

Thanks.

We will be visiting Falmouth in December. Does anyone know if you can walk off the ship and pay for a trolley ride of Falmouth from the pier? How much does it cost? How long does it last? Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks.

Yes, cabins 3112-3144 were added during the "solsticisation" and have the big windows

We are on the Infinity in 2 weeks. Does cabin 3104 has the oversized/big window? Thanks.

You get one setup for each leg. If the cruise could have been booked in two or more legs, you get one for each leg. I think you are on the Crown Princess to the South Pacific with us. Since there are no shorter segments offered, we will only get on setup.

Hi Paul. Yes we are on the same sailing. Thanks for the information. Joyce

I am booked on a 28 day cruise next October and was wondering if Princess does more than one Elite mini bar set up given the longer duration. Has anyone had experience with this? Thanks

Thanks for the replies. I'm looking forward to checking out their drink menu with my premium drinks package!

I am new to the s class ships. Does the Silhouette have a molecular bar? Do you have suggestions for any must have drinks? Thanks

Thank you for the link. The comments seemed positive!

Has anyone had any experience with getting a taxi tour roundtrip from LeHavre to Honfleur? Is this something that you need to prearrange a driver for or can you just get a taxi at the port to take you? There is a taxi company called radio taxi which offers 3 hours tours for up to 4 persons for 125 euros but I haven't had any replies to my emails. Has anyone dealt with them? Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Can anyone tell me if there is much to see at the Papeete marketplace? We have an overnight and full day there and I was thiniking of spending our full day there. Are the shops expensive? Are there food trucks during the day in the marketplace? Any recommendations for inexpensive food truck/restaurants? Any other things I should do or see during the day? Thanks

Does anyone know what is the charge for drinks over $10 on the Princess package? Celebrity's premium drink package charges you the increment plus tip. If the drink is $12, they charge you $2 plus tip.

Thanks.

Do you have any pictures of the new bistro menu. Is there a link I can go to to see the new changes? Thanks

RZ3, thanks for the information. I was trying to decide between an 12 person outrigger or the 48 person catamaran.

Can anyone tell me if Patrick uses a ladder to get in and out of the outriggers for snorkelling. I have limited mobility and would need steps to get in and out of the boat. Thanks.

Thanks to all of you for your insights. I feel more confident taking the bus to Whalers Village and finding chairs there. Can anyone tell me if there is much of a drop off when walking into the ocean? My husband has ankle problems and can't walk down steep inclines. Regards.

I have never been to Maui (Lahaina). I thought I would take the bus to Whalers Wharf which I understand has a nice beach with snorkelling and several hotels. My question is do they rent chairs and umbrellas on the beach? Has anyone spent time on the beach? How was the snorkelling? Could you have drinks and use washrooms at the hotels? Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I have attached the 2015 Aranui schedule. This came in the mail today. It's not on their web site so I thought I would post it.

 

Aranui 2015 Schedule

 

Thanks for posting the schedule. What currency are the prices in?

We love craft beers. We are sailing on the Infinity in October and wonder if the Infinity now has the craft beers moved in with the wine bar (can't remember the name of the bar but its opposite Bistro on 5). Anyone know?

Thanks

Hello. We are considering going on the Century for a March 8, 2015 Singapore round trip cruise. We are concerned that the Century is the oldest ship of the fleet and what peoples recent experiences have been. Is the ship scheduled for dry dock upgrades or is it being retired from the fleet? Has anyone sailed the Singapore round trip itinerary? Your insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Claire, I tried to make a booking with my TA this week for this cruise. She said there was a strong possibility that this cruise would become a private charter in which case Celebrity would refund my deposit. Perhaps this has happened.

Thank you for your replies. We are sailing on the Infinity. Should we go to the second level of the MDR outside the doors to check.