luvtahiti

Was the ship's casino open on the Midnight Sun cruise last year? Getting cash through the casino beats having to carry a large amount with us.

Thanks! email oztrip@ameritech(dot)net

Thank you so much for doing the Live From blog of the cruise. It will be very helpful to those of us doing this cruise next year!

Thanks for taking the time!:)

Raiatea and Tahaa share the same outer coral reef. We did the Coral Gardens Drift Snorkel on one cruise and the Vanilla Plantation / Pearl Farm on another. Both were excellent.

I agree that the coral garden snorkel can be more of a moderate snorkel. It depends on the tide. This snorkel is between two motus and depending on the tide can be a bit of a struggle to make some of the corners. If your fairly new to snorkeling be first in line to follow the tour leader. It will be much easier to folllow the route through the coral that way. There is pleanty of area on the lagoon side of the coral gardens to snorkel around on your own, if you do not want to try going back through the coral gardens the second time.

The Vanilla Plantation and Pearl Farm were entertaining and educational. The Vanilla Plantation is a really good place to pick up fresh vanilla beans. Bring 5 home and make your own vanilla extract. Your own pure vanilla extract makes a unique present (5 beans will make about 3 liters of pure vanilla extract).

When we were on the TP in 2006 they had the Children of Raiatea come onboard to dance for us one afternoon. The second cruise we had the Mamas & Papas of Raiatea do a show in the evening for us. The dancers were excellent the youngest of the children who danced was 3. Don't miss the show if it's offered!

luvtahiti