Good Morning from the PACIFIC PRINCESS

[Toto2Kansas]

From IC Bora Bora--I need to eat my words about Keanna Hut--It is now back to greatness--I'm sure we'll hit it at least one more time before the cruise

 

Nancy:D

 

Nancy, Wonderful news. Hope you are having great weather and enjoying your stay. ;)

[cruzgryphon]

Was on the 10 day cruise with Toto. Finally getting caught up on cruise critic stuff.

Thanks Toto:

- for all your pre-cruise advice (wish I had acted on more of it)

- For hosting us on the first sea day (for those who weren't there...WOW..Toto really looked after us, and having Ivono there was amazing)

- For keeping an eye on us during the week

- For being such a good sport at the Past cruiser's cocktail when we gave our spur of the moment, but well deserved standing ovation

 

For others - Toto has covered our cruise well so not really anything to add other than I really, really get why people rave about Tahiti.

Cheers,

CG

[Toto2Kansas]

SEAL-Just an FYI. I looked back on previous pictures of the TP suite balcony and it seems the balcony sizes are the same. It must have been all of that 'rain' from the sprinklers we received that made it appear smaller. :) Enjoy 'our' suite!

[jagoffee]

There are 12 albums now uploaded (I worked on them all last night). If you are interested, they are seperated into the different ports of call here: http://community.webshots.com/user/toto2kansas?vhost=community

 

Thank you for taking the time posting this information and pictures. I really enjoyed it. If you were to take the same cruise, would you chose Port or Starboard for an O.S. Any Deck better than any others? Thanks.

[Toto2Kansas]

Thank you for taking the time posting this information and pictures. I really enjoyed it. If you were to take the same cruise, would you chose Port or Starboard for an O.S. Any Deck better than any others? Thanks.

 

Believe it or not, I just emailed my TA for a quote on this same cruise for 2011, Hawaii/Tahiti/Hawaii, same suite. I know, I must be totally crazy, but we just love this itineary.

For us, we would choose the port side. We like seeing what is going on along the dock, as we get enough of just watching the ocean with all of the sea days. Since the ship backs into Papeete, that gives us a great view of what is going on dockside. There was only one port where this wasn't so, but to tell you the truth, I don't even remember which one it was.

Deck 6 has the largest balcony, but does have a bit of banging from below when pulling into port (not quite sure what the noise was, but it did take place at each port of call). I used it as my alarm clock to get up and watch the ship pull in. I have never talked to anyone that stayed on deck 7, so not sure about that deck. Friends from our roll call were on deck 8, and previous reports said there was noise from above in the buffet, but they said they didn't experience any of that on this Hawaii to Tahiti portion of the cruise. We enjoyed deck 6, and that is where we will book next time on this class of ship.

[Toto2Kansas]

My apology, I mean we requested a quote for the same itineary Hawaii/Tahiti/Tahiti not back to back Hawaii.

[Hflors]

Believe it or not, I just emailed my TA for a quote on this same cruise for 2011, Hawaii/Tahiti/Hawaii, same suite. I know, I must be totally crazy, but we just love this itineary.

For us, we would choose the port side. We like seeing what is going on along the dock, as we get enough of just watching the ocean with all of the sea days. Since the ship backs into Papeete, that gives us a great view of what is going on dockside. There was only one port where this wasn't so, but to tell you the truth, I don't even remember which one it was.

Deck 6 has the largest balcony, but does have a bit of banging from below when pulling into port (not quite sure what the noise was, but it did take place at each port of call). I used it as my alarm clock to get up and watch the ship pull in. I have never talked to anyone that stayed on deck 7, so not sure about that deck. Friends from our roll call were on deck 8, and previous reports said there was noise from above in the buffet, but they said they didn't experience any of that on this Hawaii to Tahiti portion of the cruise. We enjoyed deck 6, and that is where we will book next time on this class of ship.

 

Toto - I just checked my favorite site for cabins open and your is available for the Jan 28, 2011 cruise. We hope we see you on it. I also wanted to thank you for posting those wonderful pictures on Webshots. the water picture of Bora Bora has me soooo excited!

 

Thanks

 

Helen

[Toto2Kansas]

Toto - I just checked my favorite site for cabins open and your is available for the Jan 28, 2011 cruise. We hope we see you on it. I also wanted to thank you for posting those wonderful pictures on Webshots. the water picture of Bora Bora has me soooo excited!

 

Thanks

 

Helen

 

Thanks for the offer to join you all Helen, but we have decided to book the February 9th, 2011 cruise from Honolulu to Papeete, and stay onboard for the next cruise also around Tahiti. We visited once before in February and it was the best weather we had ever had in Tahiti that time of year with the warmest water also. Thought it was worth another try in February. Sorry, it would have been lovely to sail with another CC'er again. Hopefully, we will get a roll call going after the booking is confirmed. I see the TA has held my suite for both sailings, as it disappeared shortly after I sent the email. She is a bit under the weather this evening so I have told her to hold up on the booking until she feels better, as long as the suite is held, that is all that matters. ;)

[chamima]

Thanks for the offer to join you all Helen, but we have decided to book the February 9th, 2011 cruise from Honolulu to Papeete, and stay onboard for the next cruise also around Tahiti. We visited once before in February and it was the best weather we had ever had in Tahiti that time of year with the warmest water also. Thought it was worth another try in February. Sorry, it would have been lovely to sail with another CC'er again. Hopefully, we will get a roll call going after the booking is confirmed. I see the TA has held my suite for both sailings, as it disappeared shortly after I sent the email. She is a bit under the weather this evening so I have told her to hold up on the booking until she feels better, as long as the suite is held, that is all that matters. ;)

 

Toto

There will be another CC'er on your cruise. Us! We booked 7116 (the regular balcony cabin between the two suites) for both cruises. We are very excited for this cruise as we went to Tahiti 4 years ago and it was our favorite place! We booked this cabin the day the 2011 itineraries came out. (BTW - I thought we used the same TA from a discussion a while back but I guess not as our TA is currently out of the office on the Emerald)

[Hflors]

Thanks for the offer to join you all Helen, but we have decided to book the February 9th, 2011 cruise from Honolulu to Papeete, and stay onboard for the next cruise also around Tahiti. We visited once before in February and it was the best weather we had ever had in Tahiti that time of year with the warmest water also. Thought it was worth another try in February. Sorry, it would have been lovely to sail with another CC'er again. Hopefully, we will get a roll call going after the booking is confirmed. I see the TA has held my suite for both sailings, as it disappeared shortly after I sent the email. She is a bit under the weather this evening so I have told her to hold up on the booking until she feels better, as long as the suite is held, that is all that matters. ;)

 

Well I am sorry that we won't meet this trip, but who knows down the road. You will be boarding when we leave. I am sure you will get a roll call going as there is already one for the Jan 28 trip!

 

Helen

[Toto2Kansas]

Toto

There will be another CC'er on your cruise. Us! We booked 7116 (the regular balcony cabin between the two suites) for both cruises. We are very excited for this cruise as we went to Tahiti 4 years ago and it was our favorite place! We booked this cabin the day the 2011 itineraries came out. (BTW - I thought we used the same TA from a discussion a while back but I guess not as our TA is currently out of the office on the Emerald)

Karen, Well, that is great news. At least I know I won't be alone on the roll call this time. ;) Ahhhhhhhh Tahiti, it's very addicting isn't it? ;) Are you on both cruises, or just the Tahiti portion?

[vette]

Toto,

 

Just thought you might like to know that I have pulled out my suitcases and they are in the spare room. Just packed my snorkle gear. We have just over 3 week before we will be on our beautiful blue islands! Yay.

 

Vette

[chamima]

Karen, Well, that is great news. At least I know I won't be alone on the roll call this time. ;) Ahhhhhhhh Tahiti, it's very addicting isn't it? ;) Are you on both cruises, or just the Tahiti portion?

 

We're on both. I know this is really early to ask this but we usually go in a day ahead of time. Is it necessary on this trip?

Also thinking of staying a day at the end to avoid the lines at the airport.

[Toto2Kansas]

We're on both. I know this is really early to ask this but we usually go in a day ahead of time. Is it necessary on this trip?

Also thinking of staying a day at the end to avoid the lines at the airport.

 

 

Now that is great news!

We flew in the day of sailing from Honolulu, it was perfect as we booked Princess air and they had us arriving at around 11:30 and it took only minutes for us to transfer to the ship. We did fly into LAX the day prior, as coming from the midwest, and the flight for Honolulu leaving in the mid morning, it just made it easier for us. Not sure how we will handle the air this time, we may book it ourselves, but with these open jaw flights, it is usually more cost effective to just let Princess handle it.

 

As for the last day, we didn't have a problem one checking in at the airport at FAAA. It was an hour or less from getting off the bus, to sitting at our gate (compared to over three hours 5 years ago). And if you remember Tahiti, that is a record. They have it really organized now compared to the past, and I was very impressed. If you want to be one of the first in line, you can just take a taxi over early the last day of the cruise. But the check in doesn't open until 8:00, so you arriving early for your flight out just means a long wait no matter which day you leave.

 

I think we are going to stick with the way we did it this past cruise. Arrive in Honolulu either the day of the cruise, or possibly the day prior if we can arrange it (too early to tell what we will decide right now), and after being gone 22 days, we will fly home the evening the cruise ends.

Totally depends on what you are comfortable with. ;) But we had no problems at all with arriving the day the ship boarded, and returning the day the cruise ended.

[kevinandrenay]

Hey Sue,

 

I did not want to post earlier because I know you were very busy with everything. Thanks for the live from. It was great. The pictures were awesome and I think you convinced Renay to go. Glad to hear you are going again. You and Jim deserve it and I know you loved this cruise. In regards to the flights. Are you not worried about weather delays going to Hawaii?

 

Glad you had a great time,

Kevin

[chamima]

We're hoping to use miles to fly but I'm not sure what the open jaw rules are for that. It has to be further from one point to another (home to the space between the departure or arrival point or something like that :confused: ). At some point I'll call either Delta or Air Tahiti Nui and ask.

[Toto2Kansas]

Hey Sue,

 

I did not want to post earlier because I know you were very busy with everything. Thanks for the live from. It was great. The pictures were awesome and I think you convinced Renay to go. Glad to hear you are going again. You and Jim deserve it and I know you loved this cruise. In regards to the flights. Are you not worried about weather delays going to Hawaii?

 

Glad you had a great time,

Kevin

 

Nope, we weren't worried a bit. Plus, since the ship sails to several Hawaiian islands first, if something should happen, it is very easy to catch the ship at the next port, even the first several days until it leaves for Tahiti. ;) Since we have been to both Hawaii and Tahiti so many times, going pre or staying post cruise just doesn't interest us anymore, that is unless we are forced to arrive/depart that way for some reason.

[Toto2Kansas]

We're hoping to use miles to fly but I'm not sure what the open jaw rules are for that. It has to be further from one point to another (home to the space between the departure or arrival point or something like that :confused: ). At some point I'll call either Delta or Air Tahiti Nui and ask.

 

Karen, when you use miles, sometimes there aren't any other choices but to fly in early and fly out a day or two later. It all depends on what is available. But using miles, I am going to guess it would be very difficult not to have to do a pre and post cruise stay with this one. Miles have always meant being very flexible when we have used them. Especially with the ATN flights being so few out of Tahiti. Best of luck though, and let me know how that works out for you, please. ;)

[chamima]

For Toto and everyone else dreaming of Tahiti. Look what just popped up on my inbox :http://www.etahititravel.com/packages/packagedetail.aspx?packageid=Spe21

 

Ah-h-h-h !

[Toto2Kansas]

Karen, Ahhhhhhhhhhh yes that is gorgeous, the views are beyond description. No matter how many times we return, no picture I have ever taken, on all of our visits there, totally captures the beauty of Tahiti. You have to see if for yourself to believe it!

[Sailkeywest]

Love your review, hope to see photos! Thank you for taking the time to post :)

[Toto2Kansas]

12 Albums (one for each island) are available for viewing here: http://community.webshots.com/user/toto2kansas?vhost=community&vhost=community

[jfv379]

We're hoping to use miles to fly but I'm not sure what the open jaw rules are for that. It has to be further from one point to another (home to the space between the departure or arrival point or something like that :confused: ). At some point I'll call either Delta or Air Tahiti Nui and ask.

 

Karen,

 

The open jaw ticket with miles is very tricky. This was our experience.

 

We wanted to do this on our Panama cruise (FLL/LAX) and we couldn't do the leg from LAX/PHX because it was too short of a leg. Although they could not give me the exact numbers, it was something to the effect of "the shortest leg has to be at least 2/3 of the longest leg". Don't know how that would work for Hawaii and Tahiti.

 

Add to that, there is something about different regions, which did not figure in our PC trip, i.e., Hawaii is domestic and Tahiti is South Pacific. We couldn't use miles for the Panama Canal ACA/SJN because it started and ended in two different regions, Central America and Caribbean.

 

Hopefully that's not too confusing:confused:

 

John

[jagoffee]

Thank you for the information about the OS cabin choices. Much appreciated. Enjoy your next trip.

 

We have cruised twice in the F.P. in February. Once the weather was perfect and the other time it rained a lot. We enjoyed them both and it was warm. Your weather in October was nice, wasn't it?

[Toto2Kansas]

Thank you for the information about the OS cabin choices. Much appreciated. Enjoy your next trip.

 

We have cruised twice in the F.P. in February. Once the weather was perfect and the other time it rained a lot. We enjoyed them both and it was warm. Your weather in October was nice, wasn't it?

 

This is the second time we have visited in October. And as you, the first time was the middle/towards the end of October and it rained for 3/4's of each and every day. This time, only a few sprinkles, but it was earlier in the month. Yes, the weather could not have been more perfect for us this time. I packed 6 slickers on this trip, and never opened one of them. You just never can out guess Mother Nature. ;)