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Using up OBC


doug52
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So, as I have now finished lining up pretty much all private excursions for our upcoming Cook Islands cruise in May, I am now wondering how we will use up $500 in OBC, 200 from PG and 300 from our TA.

 

I have been looking back at old threads, so here are my options and questions:

 

Photos-. Does PG have a photo package and is it worthwhile?

 

Marina dinner- I know this just came up on the TBK thread. So my question, is the dinner just paying for the location and not a special meal? We have enjoyed an Ultimate Balcony Dinner when we sailed to Hawaii on Princess, but this was a special meal as well as an intimate dinner on our balcony. I am not inclined to spend $250 for just the location if the food is the same as at one of the restaurants.

 

Spa services- we both enjoy massages, is there one that is unique to Polynesia that you would recommend?

 

Laundry- I think I have read enough on this topic, but we will probably just use the service when we need it, not the package.

 

Casino- not a big fan of on board casinos, but can you play for a short while and then cash in chips to get some of your obc back in cash?

 

Gift shop- of course this is always a last minute possibility to use up obc.

 

Guest hosts- We will have an Italian cookbook author and an Italian Winemaker on board as guest hosts. Are their lectures and demos always included or would there be a charge to participate in their demos?

 

Extra shore excursion- I will be looking at possibilities to enhance our experience beyond our private excursions. Possibly a sunset cruise at Bora Bora or Moorea. The other option I am considering is the drift snorkel on Tahaa versus just enjoying the motu. We will be staying after our cruise for 4 nights on Vahine Private island resort off the island of Tahaa so I am inclined just to use the motu with PG. Also, I am concerned that we don't book too much, here is my current excursion list:

 

IC Tahiti- 2 nights getting ready and relaxing at their pool

Huahine- Marc's lagoon

Aitutaki- Teking lagoon

Rarotonga- renting a car touring, and spending most of the day at Muri beach

Bora Bora- day one Ranuii lagoon all day, day 2 Pure direct snorkeling then private PG beach

Tahaa- motu

Moorea- MAC combo tour - day one ATV, day 2 jetski -both tours are about 3 hour tours

Vahine- 4 days OWB and relaxing, snorkeling

 

 

Finally, what is the current policy of PG regarding returning obc from your TA? Is it refundable as it is on other cruise lines?

 

Feel free to just provide input on any of the categories I listed, looking for ideas from previous cruisers.

 

Thanks for any thoughts and advice,

 

Doug

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You can't use the OBC in the casino. Our TA will send us a rebate check after the cruise in lieu of their OBC. You should check with them directly. As an FYI, the pure snorkeling excursion is spectacular but you probably won't have time to get to the PG motu. You will be back at the pier at about 12:30, the ship at about 1:00 (at best) and then you may want to have lunch. The tender to the motu runs every hour on the half hour (I think) and takes 30 minutes to get there. If you do go to the motu you would probably have about an hour at most.

 

You can check with pure snorkeling to see if they will drop you off at the motu. They did drop us off at Bloody Mary's this past July. There is no food supplied by the PG on the motu.

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You can't use the OBC in the casino. Our TA will send us a rebate check after the cruise in lieu of their OBC. You should check with them directly. As an FYI, the pure snorkeling excursion is spectacular but you probably won't have time to get to the PG motu. You will be back at the pier at about 12:30, the ship at about 1:00 (at best) and then you may want to have lunch. The tender to the motu runs every hour on the half hour (I think) and takes 30 minutes to get there. If you do go to the motu you would probably have about an hour at most.

 

You can check with pure snorkeling to see if they will drop you off at the motu. They did drop us off at Bloody Mary's this past July. There is no food supplied by the PG on the motu.

 

FlightMedic, thanks for the info on the casino. We are also getting $1,000 rebate from our TA so the $300 has to come as an OBC for us.

 

And, I realize we may not get to spend much time at the Motu on BB but even an hour will work for us. But that is a good idea to see if Pure would drop us off at the Motu. Of course, then we would miss lunch.

 

Ok, so the casino is out for using OBC. Other thoughts from anyone?

 

Doug

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On a similar thought, I don't think you would have time for the sunset cruise in Bora Bora if you are doing the all day tour with Raanui first (assuming you mean the one with the motu lunch included). We had to meet in the lobby at 3:45pm for our sunset cruise, and I would imagine you will just be arriving back at the tender pier around that time if you spend some time at the motu for lunch. You might be able to meet the sunset cruise tour at the tender pier instead of in the lobby on the ship (saving you the time of a roundtrip tender ride), but then you wouldn't be able to shower and change after your all day tour. Trust me... you will want to shower after that tour! lol As much fun as it was to play with all those marine animals, our clothing smelled horrible and it took several washes through the machine once we got home to get rid of the fishy smell haha I can only imagine how the other people on our sunset cruise would have felt had we been on that boat with them without a shower!

 

Anyway, I'd recommend doing the sunset cruise in Moorea if you go that route as MAC will have you back on board with enough time for lunch and to get changed after the ATV tour. FWIW, I didn't want to do anything off the ship that first night in Moorea so I wouldn't miss out on the Polynesian Night festivities, but the sunset cruises got back to the ship around 6:30pm so you wouldn't miss much and could easily have dinner in L'Etoile that night.

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You can use the OBC in the shop on board. They have the typical shirts, bathing suits, logo stuff as well as pearls. I had to do that literally 2 years ago and yesterday I took the tag off of the shirt that I have and wore it for the first time. I don't drink but the wine served with meals is reported to be quite good. They do have a selection of premium wines that looked to be in the $75 per bottle range. If you a wine lover perhaps a bottle or two for a special night.

 

They will have a blackjack tournament (or two) as well as a roulette tournament (or two). I think the were in the $50 per person range and they can be charged to the cabin. You should be able to use your OBC for that.

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On a similar thought, I don't think you would have time for the sunset cruise in Bora Bora if you are doing the all day tour with Raanui first (assuming you mean the one with the motu lunch included). We had to meet in the lobby at 3:45pm for our sunset cruise, and I would imagine you will just be arriving back at the tender pier around that time if you spend some time at the motu for lunch. You might be able to meet the sunset cruise tour at the tender pier instead of in the lobby on the ship (saving you the time of a roundtrip tender ride), but then you wouldn't be able to shower and change after your all day tour. Trust me... you will want to shower after that tour! lol As much fun as it was to play with all those marine animals, our clothing smelled horrible and it took several washes through the machine once we got home to get rid of the fishy smell haha I can only imagine how the other people on our sunset cruise would have felt had we been on that boat with them without a shower!

 

Anyway, I'd recommend doing the sunset cruise in Moorea if you go that route as MAC will have you back on board with enough time for lunch and to get changed after the ATV tour. FWIW, I didn't want to do anything off the ship that first night in Moorea so I wouldn't miss out on the Polynesian Night festivities, but the sunset cruises got back to the ship around 6:30pm so you wouldn't miss much and could easily have dinner in L'Etoile that night.

 

Thanks for the input, the 3:45 meeting time pretty much settles it for me that we would not be up for doing the sunset cruise after an all day Lagoon Tour. Although we are in BB til 11 pm the next day, so I guess it could be a possibility for the second night after Pure Snorkeling.

 

On Moorea, I think we will stay on PG after the ATV tour, I am sure we will be tired. ;) And, we will want to participate in all the Polynesian activities that night.

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

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You can use the OBC in the shop on board. They have the typical shirts, bathing suits, logo stuff as well as pearls. I had to do that literally 2 years ago and yesterday I took the tag off of the shirt that I have and wore it for the first time. I don't drink but the wine served with meals is reported to be quite good. They do have a selection of premium wines that looked to be in the $75 per bottle range. If you a wine lover perhaps a bottle or two for a special night.

 

They will have a blackjack tournament (or two) as well as a roulette tournament (or two). I think the were in the $50 per person range and they can be charged to the cabin. You should be able to use your OBC for that.

 

Thanks FM, the wine suggestion is a possibility. We do enjoy premium wines and I can see buying a bottle to enjoy if we will be eating a non seafood entree. We are mainly red wine drinkers and we will be eating mainly sea food, so I would not be buying wine unless they have a nice French White that I could purchase to complement seafood.

 

Would PG let me buy a bottle and take it with me off the ship? Might be a thought as all drinks on our post cruise stay will be on us.

 

Now, that does get me thinking about our last TA cruise on Celebrity where we had a large OBC and I purchased a Louis XIII Cognac in their wine bar. Does PG carry Louis? Does anyone know? And, if so, does anyone know the price of a drink? On Celebrity it was $175 a shot. This was really a bucket list splurge on Celebrity but we had 2k in OBC so it wasn't a big deal. But, you never know, if I had some money left, I might do it again.

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

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Just a couple of quick notes on some of your items Doug52. In Rarotonga, the ship posted in the daily newsletter that transport to and from Muri beach was available between 10am and 4pm for $20 round trip (pp); provided by 'local authorities', whomever that is. Just mentioning as you mentioned planning on spending most of your time there, (and I would consider driving on the opposite side of the road anything but fun :o)

They do sell Tifaifais on the ship (on our Cooks cruise it was the last day,Moorea) during a discussion by the Gauguines regarding their history/custom. They were machine made and, I thought, a bit high in comparison to some others I have bought. There was a lovely orange/white one which was twin sized and I thought would make a nice wall hanging. It was about $300. They did have some nice designs and a variety of sizes, colors including bedspreads, pillow cases.

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Just a couple of quick notes on some of your items Doug52. In Rarotonga, the ship posted in the daily newsletter that transport to and from Muri beach was available between 10am and 4pm for $20 round trip (pp); provided by 'local authorities', whomever that is. Just mentioning as you mentioned planning on spending most of your time there, (and I would consider driving on the opposite side of the road anything but fun :o)

They do sell Tifaifais on the ship (on our Cooks cruise it was the last day,Moorea) during a discussion by the Gauguines regarding their history/custom. They were machine made and, I thought, a bit high in comparison to some others I have bought. There was a lovely orange/white one which was twin sized and I thought would make a nice wall hanging. It was about $300. They did have some nice designs and a variety of sizes, colors including bedspreads, pillow cases.

 

 

Sita,

 

While the shuttle would work on Rarotonga, I booked a car for only about $45 for the day. And, I plan on us touring the island and then spending the rest of the time at Muri. And, the car will give me storage for the day when we are on the beach.

 

I had read that my Wife might be able to get a quilt on the ship, but I think she is going to want a hand made one, not machine made. Is there a shop you would recommend for hand made quilts on Rarotonga or another Island?

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

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Cool, just wanted to mention it in case Muri beach was primary consideration in car rental. We did not find the Tifaifai shop in Huahine mentioned in the other thread, but then we were there on Sunday so perhaps closed. In Rarotonga we only found machine made quilts. Happy hunting!

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Sita,

 

While the shuttle would work on Rarotonga, I booked a car for only about $45 for the day. And, I plan on us touring the island and then spending the rest of the time at Muri. And, the car will give me storage for the day when we are on the beach.

 

I had read that my Wife might be able to get a quilt on the ship, but I think she is going to want a hand made one, not machine made. Is there a shop you would recommend for hand made quilts on Rarotonga or another Island?

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

 

I do not know of any shops, but it seemed to me that the quilts were a big deal on Raro. In fact, if you have a car, make sure to go to the little museum on the island. They had an exhibit of really beautiful hand-made, very intricate, quilts--not sure if it's a permanent exhibit, but you could ask. It's a tiny place, would take no more than twenty minutes of your time.

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Doug ....

 

When you come ashore on Rarotonga there are several vendors sitting next to the information area. I say quilts as well as pareos and other items. Not sure if they are locally made by hand but just ask, they are very pleasant and if they don't have them they will be more than happy to point you in the right direction ;)

 

Rarotonga%20-%20roaster%20at%20entrance%20%281%20of%201%29-X3.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/South-Pacific-Photography/i-32gnfxf/0/14477524/X3/Rarotonga%20-%20roaster%20at%20entrance%20%281%20of%201%29-X3.jpg

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I do not know of any shops, but it seemed to me that the quilts were a big deal on Raro. In fact, if you have a car, make sure to go to the little museum on the island. They had an exhibit of really beautiful hand-made, very intricate, quilts--not sure if it's a permanent exhibit, but you could ask. It's a tiny place, would take no more than twenty minutes of your time.

 

Great idea Wendy, and they would probably know of any shops that sell hand-made quilts. I will look it up and make sure we go there as we tour the island.

 

Doug

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Doug ....

 

When you come ashore on Rarotonga there are several vendors sitting next to the information area. I say quilts as well as pareos and other items. Not sure if they are locally made by hand but just ask, they are very pleasant and if they don't have them they will be more than happy to point you in the right direction ;)

 

Rarotonga%20-%20roaster%20at%20entrance%20%281%20of%201%29-X3.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/South-Pacific-Photography/i-32gnfxf/0/14477524/X3/Rarotonga%20-%20roaster%20at%20entrance%20%281%20of%201%29-X3.jpg

 

 

Great, thanks!

 

Doug

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If I had your $1000 obc I'd use it for both of you in the spa getting massages, nail treatments, hair etc. plus buy some premium wine (I had some upgraded after dinner drinks and a very special french red wine for dinner one night). Why not book your excursions through the ship? They are good and 1k will cover most of your excursions. Enjoy!

 

Would you email me regarding your booking agent? car bet at rocket mail dot com.

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If I had your $1000 obc I'd use it for both of you in the spa getting massages, nail treatments, hair etc. plus buy some premium wine (I had some upgraded after dinner drinks and a very special french red wine for dinner one night). Why not book your excursions through the ship? They are good and 1k will cover most of your excursions. Enjoy!

 

Would you email me regarding your booking agent? car bet at rocket mail dot com.

 

Cruisedreamer,

 

I will email you, however the OBC from the TA is only $300 and then another $200 from PG. And then additionally we will get a check from our TA once the cruise is completed for $1,000. The amount of the rebate depends on the cost of our cabin, we booked a deck 6 balcony. The OBC comes from our TA agent, so that is what she offered me in addition to the rebate from her company.

 

And to your first point, that is how we will likely use our OBC - on a massage and then the rest on wine or premium liquor. You mentioned having premium after dinner drinks. What did you have? Did they have Louis XIII?

 

And, as to our excursions, I have reviewed the ship excursions but we normally take private for a smaller group and less cost(no middleman to pay- PG). The risk of missing the ship with a private excursion does not appear to be an issue on these small islands.

 

One example of my decision-making: The PG lagoon cruise with bbq on the motu on BB(Patrick's) costs almost $100 per person more than the Raanui lagoon cruise with a bbq for a similar length of time. And, I know Patrick is the most discussed, but Deladane and Emdee both recently reported on Raanui and I like what they had to say about it. One difference is Patrick has the unearthing of his oven and suckling pig, but being originally from Kansas, a Pig roast is not that attractive to warrant that much difference in price. Plus, it has been reported that there is no guarantee Patrick will be the one to be on your boat and he seems to be a big part of the draw for his tour.

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If I had your $1000 obc I'd use it for both of you in the spa getting massages, nail treatments, hair etc. plus buy some premium wine (I had some upgraded after dinner drinks and a very special french red wine for dinner one night). Why not book your excursions through the ship? They are good and 1k will cover most of your excursions. Enjoy!

 

Would you email me regarding your booking agent? car bet at rocket mail dot com.

 

 

Could I ask for the same request regarding your booking agent?

L dot ro at rogers dot com

Many thanks and have a wonderful time. I look forward to reading your review!

:)Lisa

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Tagging on to this thread, could the OBC be used for post-cruise arrangement, i.e. day at the IC/transfer to airport?

 

Well, I am no expert as this is our first PG cruise, but I think it is doubtful that an on BOARD credit could be used at the IC(note the emphasis on the BOARD in OBC). Not sure on the transfers.

 

For us, we are letting PG handle everything except for our shore excursions.

 

If you are bringing this up for yourself, the best answer would probably come by calling PG directly.

 

Doug

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Before you leave the ship, you'll get your final bill, and at that point, the OBC's are reconciled with your ship charges. They won't carry over to the IC. If PG cruises provided your flights (rather than taking the credit and finding your own flights), then you'll leave the ship at 12 or 12:30, depending on whether or not you want the free 2 hour bus tour. You will have a hotel room between 3 and 8. You'll have free transfers back to the airport between 8 and 9 PM (depending on your flight time).

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And to Doug, if you are looking to use up your OBC, take the Maohi Nui tour 'Bora Bora lagoon excursion and Polynesian Feast' through the PG shore excursions. It's expensive, but it's worth it. It was our favorite shore excursion of those we've taken on the PG (the 12/2 cruise, and the Marquesas cruise last February). There were only 12 of us. Vai was our guide, and she was excellent. She grew in California, and returned to her father's business, and her family's motu, a few years ago. She was informative, funny and friendly. Our stops were slightly offset from the 'lagoon cruise only' Maohi Nui stops. We totally avoided the other larger boats from a different company that arrived just as we were leaving each snorkeling stop. Vai and Teddy (our captain and water escort, who steered the boat with his toes while entertaining us with his ukelele) convinced everyone on board to get in the water with the sharks and rays. We all enjoyed it, despite some of us being reluctant to give it a try. At the coral gardens, a woman who had just retired, went snorkeling for the first time, and loved it. The lunch at the family owned motu was excellent. In addition to the sucking pig, banana dessert, breadfruit, plantians, and chicken in the pot with spinach (one of the best things I ever tasted) cooked in the pit, we also had grilled lobster tails. All of the food was delicious. We didn't mind missing the PG lunch buffet. The champagne was Moet and Chandon. It was a special day that I'll remember always. Having a small group instead of a large one makes a big difference.

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