Tahiti tour after disembarkation

[markscarls]

I have read here that if we booked our flights through PG, there is an optional island tour when we disembark prior to going to a dayroom in a hotel until our late night flight.

Can anyone provide more info about where the tour goes and how long it lasts? Is there shopping time in Papeete?

Is it sufficient that we can skip paying for an island tour on our own during our pre-cruise stay? We'd be happy to just crash at our hotel.

Is our luggage taken to the hotel separately?

Thanks.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

It has varied over the years, but when I've taken it, there's no shopping time in Papeete at all. You get on the bus, and head on out of the city. We been to the Gauguin museum (lame), the anthropological museum (Tahiti and the Islands, very good), a waterfall, a marae (sacred site). You do get to see some of the island, and the buses are modern and air-conditioned, which is nice.

 

But, unless you're really interested in the history and culture of the islands, I would say it's not a "must do".

[Trend]

Wendy described it to a tee it depends on your interests, but compare it to a tour of your own it is not the same. One usually takes you into the interior out to the coast and up into the hills. The tour of P&G's when I went did take you to a small water fall with lush vegetation just not rugged like the interior.

It's your choice, there is a gift store in the museum of Gauguin.

[FlightMedic555]

The PG will probably dock in Tahiti the evening before you have to disembark. Most stay on the ship but you could visit the roulettes (sp?) which are right next to the pier that evening. If you do the tour you leave the ship at about noon and the tour takes 2.5-3 hours. Many get off the ship after breakfast and walk the 2-3 blocks to the market in the morning to do some shopping. There is plenty of time to go back to the ship (they do let you back on) and have an early lunch before your tour.

 

If you do not do the tour you can go directly by bus to the hotel and this usually leaves at about 1:00 pm. The hotel that was used last month was the Radisson but I heard it may be changing to a different hotel. At the Radisson we had to be out of the room by 6:00 pm and the buses left at about 8:00 pm. If you do the tour you will get to the hotel at about 3:00 pm which gives very little time to use the room.

 

IMHO the tour was not worthwhile. It went to the Hall House/Museum, a black sand beach that is public (to walk around, not to go in the water) and to a pretty waterfall. This last trip we did not take the tour and unfortunately someone who did the tour fell on the path at the waterfall and broke her arm.

 

The Radisson pool is very nice and we went straight to the hotel, checked in, got in our bathing suits and hung out by the pool for most of the day. their restaurant is very pricey and not very good but there is nothing else in the neighborhood.

[Emdee]

Flightmedic, the prices at the restaurant at the Rad was no different from that anywhere else in FP. But I agree the food wasnt good and we were bitten while eating there.

 

I think the tour is nice for a newbie. Once done there is no point in doing it again. I have met some people who loved it.

[markscarls]

What happens with the suitcases and carry-ons?

[MotuIslander]

What happens with the suitcases and carry-ons?

 

Well, it has been 6 sailings and 11 years since WE did the tour (shows how excited we were to do it again), but I think that your luggage goes with you, and you and it get dropped off at the hotel.

 

EVERYTHING is a letdown after being on the PG, but I would say crashing at the hotel is the least of the evils.

 

I didn't think about shopping between breakfast and lunch, but I am always very reluctant to leave the PG before they make me!

[Emdee]

Motu, the shopping between breakfast and lunch is a dcunha tradition. But the last time DD led the foray with friends and we just lazed on board -its evidence that we are growing old or lazy.

[Jetpuffed]

We were there in February and I really enjoyed the tour. It lasted about 2 - 2.5 hours.

Our bus was modern and air conditioned and we had an excellent guide on board.

We were taken to the James Norman Hall house, Venus Point, saw a gorgeous waterfall and stopped at various places to take in the views. My husband and I thought it was very worthwhile. Check in at the Radisson was at 3pm, so people who did not take the tour and went directly to the hotel did not have access to their rooms immediately. We got to the hotel around 3 pm and spent the afternoon at the pool. There isn't much else to do. The buses left for the airport at 8pm. I recommend the tour.

[dexddd]

Anyone have any updates recently - did the hotel change?

[charlottegirl]

We were on 14 day cruise at the end of April. We opted out of the tour and went straight to the hotel from the ship. The room was ready for our checkin. The room was decent, but the property itself is VERY tired. The pool is nice and there are some nice chairs available on the far side of the pool overlooking the beach.

 

It was a bit of a let down after pre-cruise stay at the Inter-Continental and the boat, but it was a short one. I don't recall having a choice in post cruise hotel, but if you do, I would certainly pay to go to the IC in lieu of the Radisson.

[Emdee]

I have been quoted $40 per person to switch last night to the IC.

 

I like it a lot so I was happy to pay the additional.