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Enroute to Hawaii & Tahiti on Dawn Princess - Any questions

Kinkacruiser

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rkmw

rkmw

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Thanks for your input. At present I'm booked on a coral drift snorkling excursion so was wondering if it was easy and obviously less expensive to pick up a similar tour dockside. So far all my other tours are private but if there wasn't going to be much available once off the ship I wanted to ensure I had a snorkling trip booked.

 

Bev, Anna had something arranged in Raiatea so she'll get back to you

 

bob

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Kinkacruiser Holiday Sharing Rare

Kinkacruiser

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Hi Bev,

Just off the Tahaa Island Resort ( NW coast) are the famous coral gardens and it's by far the best coral formation experince in French Polynesia. This is what I did in Raiatea. It's a 30 min boat ride out there and our guide took us on two drifts (about 300m each). You glide down canyons and see lots of carla and fish. Our last drift was more challenging, but exciting. Fins are OK and helps you in the drift current. There is abou 1ft-3ft between you and the coral, but here's not sharp bits. I actually used some of the smoother formations to help me manoeuver. Our guide had snorkel and fins onboard.

The Princess price was $140 which is overpriced, but I wanted to be sure of getting to this spot. Some of the ashore guide will take to an inferior and closer site for $40. The guide we had was a very nice Frenchman (contracted by Princess) but his boat had West Coast Charters (or tours?) signwriting. Maybe a google would help.

Bruno Fabre goes to Tahaa gardens and a few other places around Tahaa, otherwise be off the ship as early as possible and seek out a local guide but insist on the drift snorkel at Tahaa.

 

Hi Bob,

I'm sue we will cross paths again onboard. Enjoy your cruise.

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Bescotti

Bescotti

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Hi Anna

 

Many thanks for the info on the coral drift snorkelling. At this stage I might stick with the HAL excursion because I'm not high enough up the food chain (yet) to get early tendering at Raiatea so there will possibly be hundreds of others ashore ahead of me. The HAL excursion is US$129 so I'm happy to pay that to be guaranteed the coral drift snorkelling at the best location. I found West Coast Charters online but I know from past experience the operators the cruise lines use are generally entirely contracted to them for the day the ship is in port.

 

My cruise is in Bora Bora for 2 days and I'm doing different excursions with Patrick on both days so I look forward to reading of your experience there also.

 

Bev

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rkmw

rkmw

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Hi Anna

 

Many thanks for the info on the coral drift snorkelling. At this stage I might stick with the HAL excursion because I'm not high enough up the food chain (yet) to get early tendering at Raiatea so there will possibly be hundreds of others ashore ahead of me. The HAL excursion is US$129 so I'm happy to pay that to be guaranteed the coral drift snorkelling at the best location. I found West Coast Charters online but I know from past experience the operators the cruise lines use are generally entirely contracted to them for the day the ship is in port.

 

My cruise is in Bora Bora for 2 days and I'm doing different excursions with Patrick on both days so I look forward to reading of your experience there also.

 

Bev

 

Bev Raiatea is not a tender port...you dock there

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Kinkacruiser Holiday Sharing Rare

Kinkacruiser

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Hi Anna

 

Many thanks for the info on the coral drift snorkelling. At this stage I might stick with the HAL excursion because I'm not high enough up the food chain (yet) to get early tendering at Raiatea so there will possibly be hundreds of others ashore ahead of me. The HAL excursion is US$129 so I'm happy to pay that to be guaranteed the coral drift snorkelling at the best location. I found West Coast Charters online but I know from past experience the operators the cruise lines use are generally entirely contracted to them for the day the ship is in port.

 

My cruise is in Bora Bora for 2 days and I'm doing different excursions with Patrick on both days so I look forward to reading of your experience there also.

 

Bev

 

Hi Bev,

There's no tendering at Raiatea by the way. To travel so far and not experience the Tahaa Gardens Coral drift would be disappointing, so I'd stick with the Hal tour.

I can guatantee that Patrick's Bora Bora tour will be the best day of your cruise..at least the shorex side of it. Go with a group of friends/shipmates/roll call members, as you'll have more fun (just my thoughts). Patrick has the edge on all other circle lagoon operators as the men have great fun-loving personalities and are warm, sincere, informative and give the tour the ambiance it truly deserves.The tour also come with it's unique traditional packaging...decorated boats, traditional dress, cooking and local food (except for the French champagne). The website photos doesn't do the tour justice and yes, we did all of those things...ray feeding, snorkelling, swimming and feasting on a wide variety of hangi and BBQ foods. I'm giving this tour a 20/10 rating. I hope you enjoy it as much as our roll call group did. We filled 2 outriggers but I know there are 3 outriggers, each hold 12. The "bed" at the front on the outrigger is fabulous.

Anyone who misses this excursion hasn't expeienced Bora Bora.:D

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Kinkacruiser Holiday Sharing Rare

Kinkacruiser

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I guess most of you know that the Dawn is being spruced up in Brisbane at the end of this cruise. Some of the passengers are looking to extend the cruise by 2 days. The word is that the Dawn will be going to Japan next year and so will the Sun, but I have no idea what ships will replace her.

 

We ordered 2 seats on the bus to the airport ($29 each) and there is a Captain's Circle cocktail party tonight. No more Vista Lounge handshake, rather an Atrium affair.:rolleyes:

Tomorrow we are in Pago Pago, so I'll share the good oil with you from there. We have a private tour for 6 booked with Betty.

 

It's 6am and still dark, so me thinks our clocks will be going back from tonight.

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Gaznjo

Gaznjo

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I guess most of you know that the Dawn is being spruced up in Brisbane at the end of this cruise. Some of the passengers are looking to extend the cruise by 2 days. The word is that the Dawn will be going to Japan next year and so will the Sun, but I have no idea what ships will replace her.

.

 

gosh I hope not... she is suppose to take us to europe next year !!! :eek::mad::eek:

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Bescotti

Bescotti

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Hi Anna

 

I really appreciate you getting back to me about Raiatea and Patrick's tour. We've arranged two CC tours with Patrick, one the 3/4 day lagoon trip and the other an island jeep trip and lunch.

 

Really looking forward to it!

Bev

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Gaznjo

Gaznjo

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The Sun will be going to Japan ..Heres the article from Princess

 

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na1225

 

oh I know the sun is going... they cancelled the next years 75 pacific circle....

 

it is the rumour that the dawn is going too that is worrying me :confused:

 

I have already started my planning LOL

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Kinkacruiser

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Perhaps it's just 2nd hand information about the Dawn, so don't quote me. Dawn still has some work here after the refit. I know that 40 upholsterers from the USA will be boarding in Sydney.

 

Pago Pago (Am. Samoa) was disappointing. I'd slot it between Tonga and W.Samoa. We had an aircon luxury landcruiser for the 6 of us but not a whole lot to see. Markets at the ship were well stocked but somewhat pricey. $20 tours in the open air buses were popular and there were lots of taxi trivers at the port gate. It was very hot and muggy, so walking was not so confortable.

Just 2 more ports and we're home.:D I've just about whipped through our internet allowance too.

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Kinkacruiser Holiday Sharing Rare

Kinkacruiser

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Thanks for the updates on Bora Bora.....sounds like we chose the right tour!!!

Also on Pago Pago.....Havent got anything planned here.....Was the $20 US money..

 

Yes, that's USD 20 in Pago Pago, mummyrose.

 

Suva today...ship is refuelling, and I can't see any other reason for stopping here. No doubt it's lots better out of the city. Those craft stalls just over the bridge reminded us of the set up in Salvador, Brazil...kind of creepy.

 

It's drizzly and overcast, but getting cooler. Quite a lot of pax stayed onboard.....maybe 60%

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