Marina Oceania Cruise 2/3/18, Tahiti ~ Snorkeling question

This will be our first time visiting the area and our only priority is snorkeling.

We don't care to do excursions that include the tourist site-seeing spots, vanilla, pearls, etc., just want a great beach at each port for snorkeling.

Can we do this on our own by getting off the ship and asking a taxi driver to take us to the best snorkeling beach, or is there possibly an excursion that would simply be a nice snorkeling trip?

We have done this in the Caribbean, but I'm not sure how it works in the Tahiti islands.

Thanks for any input!

Your best bet is to ask on the Paul Gauguin boards.

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This will be our first time visiting the area and our only priority is snorkeling.

 

 

 

We don't care to do excursions that include the tourist site-seeing spots, vanilla, pearls, etc., just want a great beach at each port for snorkeling.

 

 

 

Can we do this on our own by getting off the ship and asking a taxi driver to take us to the best snorkeling beach, or is there possibly an excursion that would simply be a nice snorkeling trip?

 

 

 

We have done this in the Caribbean, but I'm not sure how it works in the Tahiti islands.

 

 

 

Thanks for any input!

In many of the Polynesia ports, the best snorkeling is done in lagoons or by drift snorkeling, both requiring a boat trip of some sorts.

On Bora Bora, the "gold standard" of snorkel tours is

http://www.maohinui.net/en/

Check review sites like Trip Advisor and you'll look forward to booking a snorkel trip with Patrick.

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It's very hard to get to snorkeling without a boat. If you look at the various roll calls for the Sirena, you will get some ideas as to what people are booking. I would consider Pure Snorkeling in Bora Bora as well as site mentioned above. If you get a group together some of the operators will skip the shopping sites. It's late, I would start your booking soon as there are not many operators in some of these spots.

It's very hard to get to snorkeling without a boat. If you look at the various roll calls for the Sirena, you will get some ideas as to what people are booking. I would consider Pure Snorkeling in Bora Bora as well as site mentioned above. If you get a group together some of the operators will skip the shopping sites. It's late, I would start your booking soon as there are not many operators in some of these spots.

Agree on booking sooner than later and skipping tours with shopping.

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Our mission was the same and yes the best spots and usually only spots are offshore.

If you have not searched these boards and past roll calls (we went on the Marina April 2016 to FP) you should - lots of references

One tip - On Bora Bora we hired our own Boston Whaler 16 ft skiff and we jumped from spot to spot in two hours that took the excursion boats 6 hours.

Again search including Google

Thank you all for your input!

I'm wondering if it is necessary to pre-book the excursions?

Are there vendors when you get off the ship that will offer snorkeling trips at a reasonable price?

Particularly wondering this at the stops in Fakarava, Rangiroa, Huahine and Moorea.

Thanks again!!!

Thank you all for your input!

 

I'm wondering if it is necessary to pre-book the excursions?

Are there vendors when you get off the ship that will offer snorkeling trips at a reasonable price?

Particularly wondering this at the stops in Fakarava, Rangiroa, Huahine and Moorea.

 

Thanks again!!!

If you want to book with Patrick, Maohui Nui, you will need to prebook, the sooner the better as his company is quite popular. You might find some vendors at the dock.

Don't take a chance. You are going a long way, expensive cruise. Take advantage of the operators that really get good reviews. You want to see a the best and get back in time for departure. Not worth taking chances IMHO.

The Polynesian Island tours certainly do book up super fast.

I facilitated snorkelling tours in both Bora Bora and Moorea whilst on the Celebrity Solstice back in April/May this year.

Bora Bora- we used Patrick’s tour... as already mentioned. The tour was sensational. Our boat opted for a slightly longer day trip. This included a stop to see Manta rays and an extra long reef swim/ snorkel at an additional spot. The other boats didn’t do these extra bits.

In all, the CC board-roll call...booked up a total of 6 boats...

Moorea we used a fantastic company called Miti tours.

Highly recommend.

Both tours included amazing beach lunches ( you in-fact site on a table in the sea) with booze... ample time to swim and snorkel...

from memory the tours cost about £60-70 each...

I would book directly ASAP.. if they have no places, Ask them if their places are being booked by someone from CC roll call.

I had people constantly call my cabin asking if there were places free on each tour, right up until the tour set off.

These islands are small, so when a Hugh ship arrives..... there are more people than places...

There were people on both islands on the pier selling tours... from memory, they were not too expensive.

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Good info. We are booked on same cruise with two other couples. Hope to meet you there.

Jay Stone

Accept perhaps in Bora Bora, you will not find vendors at the dock. Book ahead. Check out Paul Gauguin boards. Most info will be there. Absolutely Pure Snorkeling in Bora Bora and Marc on Huahine. Both are excellent!

Again, Thanks All!!!

From further research, and please correct me if I'm wrong, we will be within walking distance to nice public beaches for snorkeling while in port at Fakarava and Rangiroa, and no need for snorkeling excursions.

?????

How did you arrange that?

Our mission was the same and yes the best spots and usually only spots are offshore.

 

If you have not searched these boards and past roll calls (we went on the Marina April 2016 to FP) you should - lots of references

 

One tip - On Bora Bora we hired our own Boston Whaler 16 ft skiff and we jumped from spot to spot in two hours that took the excursion boats 6 hours.

 

Again search including Google

This will be our first time visiting the area and our only priority is snorkeling.

 

We don't care to do excursions that include the tourist site-seeing spots, vanilla, pearls, etc., just want a great beach at each port for snorkeling.

 

Can we do this on our own by getting off the ship and asking a taxi driver to take us to the best snorkeling beach, or is there possibly an excursion that would simply be a nice snorkeling trip?

 

We have done this in the Caribbean, but I'm not sure how it works in the Tahiti islands.

 

Thanks for any input!

Beaches??? there are very fet and the ones that are are owned by the hotels for their guests... Snorkeling in the carribe it TOTALY different than Tahiti In Tahiti you want to steer away from any sand as the fish and coral are not there.. You must go to the reefs off shore by boat. Bora is not all that great Moorea is, Fakarava is best. Tahiti proper...a zero. Carribe snorkeling is far better So Is Kona Hawaii....

Just left some of those islands.Rangiroa does not have a good beach in walking distance.If you turn left when you get off tender there is a beautiful small area but a lot of dogs.You must walk up the road and see the pass that you sail through.Halfway back is a restaurant that will serve a lovely cold beer on a shade deck looking at the pass.Sharks there.The dive centre does trips.

Fakarava has a beach all along the right hand side of the road.Stop anywhere.

The good thing about pre booking private tours,is the fact that you get away quicker.If you rely on sorting it out when you get there,you inevitably have to wait for 4-6 more people to join you.

I'm a snorkel failure, but even I got to see fish in Rangiroa, in the area called The Aquarium in or near the Tiputa Pass. Two years ago we pre-booked with a vendor called "The Six Passengers." There were TONS of fish, even around the zodiac. (I didn't snorkel - stayed on while the others went.) IThe Aquarium is a very popular (and crowded) place. I believe there were some vendors on the pier offering trips out to it, but I would personally pre-book. As others have said, Rangiroa and Fakarava are small places.

We had arranged a private snorkelling excursion in Bora Bora but due to a schedule change, we did not get the updated info from our CC group and missed the excursion. Everyone warned us that we HAD to book in advance, but we walked off the ship and were immediately approached and asked if we wanted to snorkel. Yes! We ending up paying a very small fraction of what the CC group paid, went in an identical boat with far fewer passengers to same area. Although there was a sandy bottom and no coral, what we saw was totally amazing! Stingrays, manta ray, two types of "harmless" sharks, fish, and even a moray eel which the guides pulled (and pulled and pulled) out from under rocks. And all this aquatic life was within a very small area. Perhaps there was nothing unusual, but there was quite an amazing variety for one small area. It was wonderful and quite unike anything I have seen in the Caribbean!

While the other groups went for lunch on a private island, we went to the other end of the same island and had lunch with the owner, who happened to be our guide.

Again, Thanks All!!!

 

From further research, and please correct me if I'm wrong, we will be within walking distance to nice public beaches for snorkeling while in port at Fakarava and Rangiroa, and no need for snorkeling excursions.

 

?????

In Fakarava, go to the other side of the tender pier about 30 yards (other direction from the public beach) for great snorkeling. A local guy told us about this spot next to a dive shop and right off the tender pier. The water was clearer and the coral was great. No one was there but us and we felt OK leaving our bags under a palm tree. It's fairly shallow and the current wasn't that strong.

In Rangiroa we got a group together at the pier and took a boat out to the blue lagoon (one hour ride) and it was incredible. The snorkeling wasn't all that great but it's a black tip shark nursery in the tidal pools. You see the 3" long babies all the way to the "teenagers" just getting their colors. You just wade along with them and the sharks are everywhere and harmless. We ended up back at the Motu Nui Nui for awesome snorkeling, but very crowded. They charged $80 per person.