Review: Tahitian Princess 6-13-05 Part I

[RNay]

Well, I am looking at getting back to reality tomorrow. We got back late Friday night and have had a couple of days to try to adjust. It's overwhelming and we have been pretty worthless these two days. I haven't written a review before, but I will give it a shot and if anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to try to answer. If I can't, I'm sure my friends Di and Jackie can!

 

Our cruise started on a Monday, but our entire first day was spent flying, as we live in the Midwest. The good part of that was when we got to LA, our baggage was being sent directly on to Tahiti, so we didn't have to stand in line (which got VERY long) to do that. Our Air Tahiti Nui flight was completely full, but the plane is very nice. The seats are as comfortable as they can get for an 8 hour flight, each with their own video screen showing movies, playing music or videogames. This flight includes two meals and a snack. They encourage you to drink plenty of water and that is available in the galley for you to help yourself. You also receive a little "goodie bag" with headphones, socks, a sleep mask, ear plugs and a wet wipe. Each seat also had a pillow and blanket. All beverages, including alcoholic are complimentary. I was not able to sleep the night before, which is typical. I am just too excited. So after that long day of flying, we left Iowa at 6:20 am and landed in Papeete at about 6:30 pm (adding in the 6-7? hrs time difference) I was exhausted. I also did not realize that the sun sets in FP at about 5:30 pm! We used Princess air arrangements and transfers. This went very smoothly, with a minimum of waiting.

 

My first impression of the ship was claustrophobic. This is the smallest ship I have ever sailed on. The lobby atrium is only two stories high and everything is on a smaller scale. We had a balcony, but not a minisuite. That being said, the ship is absolutely gorgeous. Not your typical modern Princess ship. The claustrophobic feeling did not last. The ship is so easy to find your way around and get from one spot to another in no time. Very rarely a wait for the elevator, even when returning in groups from excursions.

 

We went up to the buffet for dinner. This is the only night there is a dinner buffet, to accommodate the new arrivals. Our luggage had not arrived and we were discouraged from going to the diningroom dressed in shorts. I was exhausted and just crawled into bed and my husband explored the ship. Our luggage arrived shortly after that.

 

Our early night resulted in an early morning (4 am). I saw more sunrises on this trip than I have seen my whole life! The sun rises in FP at about 6:30 am. We had coffee and donuts in the buffet area and then set about exploring the ship and taking lots of pictures and video while it was so quiet. There is an open balcony area off the back of the buffet, which is a wonderful place to sit for any meal. After breakfast it was a more decent time of day, so I made my reservations for Sterling Steakhouse and Sabatini's, and also appointments at the salon for the two formal nights. My husband and I were celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary, so I had arranged for the Renewal of Vows ceremony. There was a letter requesting that I call and schedule that, so I did. She let me pick the evening and said the Captain would let us know the time. I chose the first formal night since we would be dressed up anyway.

 

We left the ship then to do some looking around. We didn't feel pressured to buy anything since we would be returning to this port for overnight again. There is a nice craft market area set up right off the ship and they have many beautiful and reasonably priced items. We went over to the Marche and that is an experience in itself. Fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and flowers in an open two storied building. Handcrafted items upstairs and down. I did buy a straw hat and pareo to wear during the cruise. The "tie dyed" type pareos ($10) are locally made, but the printed ones ($20) are imported. Be careful because some of the items, sometimes whole stalls, were imported items, made to look like local ones. Prices are as marked. There is no haggling. Only a couple of vendors were pushy. Most were just friendly. I bought a beautiful, large flower arrangement for our room, which only cost $20. I would be surprised if I could find this same arrangement in the States for less than $100. They stayed alive most of the trip. Ask for a pareo tying lesson when you buy one and good luck remembering the 20 different ways they show you to tie it ;) . I came to the conclusion that any way you could make it stay on was the right way to do it.

 

The direct sun was intense during this trip, but the temperatures were very livable until the last two days when it got very humid. There were a couple of rainshowers, which didn't last very long.

 

That evening we sailed for Huahine and the motion was pretty bad as soon as we pulled anchor. I have NEVER gotten seasick before, on any ship or boat, but I was violently ill that night. It was so bad that I thought it was something I had eaten. I sat through dinner, but didn't eat. Too late to take Dramamine once I was already ill, but I was fine lying in bed. I heard that many people felt ill. The next day I started taking the Dramamine, but I felt perfectly fine. For the remainder of the trip I could hardly tell we were moving. That is until the second formal night, when we sailed from Bora Bora to Moorea. I had stopped taking the Dramamine since I felt so well, but that night I missed dinner completely. Again, I was not the only one.

[lhbsurf]

Great review, thanks for sharing. I can't wait to hear the rest!!

 

Laura

[Kylie]

Thanks for the great review. We also need to fly from the midwest - Nebraska -(where in IA do you live?) so we are thinking about doing Princess air too. We are doing the Hawaii to Tahiti cruise next summer though so our flights won't be round trip so I'm sure quite expensive otherwise. We are thinking of paying the deviation fee so we can have some extra days before the cruise. Do you think that is wise to try to adjust to the time change? Were you happy with the flights that Princess set up for you? Which airport did you fly from?

I'll be anxious to read the rest of your review - thanks for the taking the time to write!

[TahitianVirgin]

KEEP IT COMING!

 

I feel like a junky waiting for his next fix!

Chuck

 

:)

[annag]

RNay:

 

Yes, thank you for taking the time to review your cruise, since so many of us are sitting here in high anticipation of our own Tahitian Princess experience, while others are always happy to relive their past ones.

 

I, for one, am a little concerned about sea sickness, although I have heard many times before that Tahitian Princess is not one of the more stable boats so I am on notice, so to speak. So, did you notice anyone wearing wrist bands and/or did you hear anyone commenting about wrist bands?

 

Thank you again,

 

Anna

[seetosea]

Hi RNay,

We are finally recuperating from the long flight and then 7 hour drive home. It was great seeing you onboard ship as will as Di and her family.

 

Be sure to ask RNay about her renewing her vows onboard the ship and about her husband's tattoo!

 

Highlights for us were:

1. Huahine - book independently through Marcs Motu Picnic. Cost is $80/person and you are taken on two snorkle dives and a picnic in the water. Lots of fun and a great way to spend the day in Huahine.

 

2. If you like to dance before dinner, go to the Tahitian lounge. My DH and I went to dance before dinner nightly and we were the only couple there (or perhaps one other). The band was the Seahawk Trio and they were very good.

 

3. Bora Bora - Get off the tender and find Simply~. He has his own taxi and is very knowledgeable about the island. He was a lot of fun and charged our group of 8 only $20/person. Great Day.

 

4. Moorea - Go to the Beachcomber hotel. ($3 by taxi each way). They have a beautiful beach and lounge chairs in the water as well as under umbrellas. Best Parasailing around - $65/person, but well worth it. If you just want to lie in the ocean and read, you can't beat a$3 taxi ride. Several people (including crew) got a real tattoo here. People wait until the end of the cruise for tattoos because you have to stay out of the sun and salt water once you get one.

 

5. Don't purchase Princess transfers. They cost you $25/person and you sit on a bus and wait. A party of 4 can easily take a taxi for $20 plus a dollar a bag. You beat the busses and are on the ship long before the busses arrive.

 

6. Keep an eye on your personal possessions. A ship reflects society. On our last full day aboard ship, my sister forgot her purse in the lounge area right before dinner. As soon as she realized it, she went back for it but it was long gone. Goodbye camera and all her vacation pictures, as well as room key, money, etc. Speaking of room keys, they have your Name and room number on it. That means, that if you lose yours, the finder can use it to purchase anything aboard ship because all they ask you for is your name and room number. BE AWARE. Also, if you lose something, you cannot file a report. They only log things in if they find them.

 

7. . For you geocachers out there, we found our 1000th find in Bora Bora. What a way to remember a milestone.

 

If you have any questions, just ask. This was our second time doing this cruise. The first time it was on the same ship only it was the Renassaince 4.

 

Snorkling was radically different this time around. In '99, we were amazed at the beautiful coral and variety of fish. Evidently, a scientific event occrurred in 2001 (warm water, monthlong winds) and the coral died. When the coral died, the fish disappeared. This time, when snorkling, we were disappointed.

 

Enjoy your cruise

__________________

[RNay]

Hey Jackie, good to hear from you! I'm glad you all made it home safe. We had another long two days of flying, but we slept most of the time. The connections were close, so we didn't have too long of a wait in the airport.

 

I wish we had done Marc's Motu Picnic also. We did an excursion through the ship on Raiatea, the Motu Otefaro Feast and Polynesian Show. I will warn anyone to stay away from this excursion. I felt like I had died and gone to Hell. There seemed to be a thousand people on this excursion, actually two tours thrown together, a very long wait, very hot. I know they bring the dancers onboard the ship and that would have covered the Polynesian show in a much more comfortable atmostphere. This was a very commercial venture, not the intimate excursion I was picturing!

 

Anna, if you have ANY concerns about seasickness, come prepared. I did bring Dramamine with me. They do sell it on the ship, but I'm sure it's more expensive and sometimes if the ride is bad, they will sell out. I saw one person wearing wristbands. I asked about the medical center and was told that they could give you an injection to stop the vomiting. This is a small ship and there is nowhere to go to escape the motion. On the bigger ships you can head for the middle, but not here. Take the Dramamine just in cast, is my advice, because once you're sick, it's too late. There is a less drowsy formula available.

 

Kylie, we live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I kept an eye on the Internet for cheaper fares, even just to LA, but I could not find any cheaper than what my travel agent gave me through Princess. We paid about $1285 roundtrip from IA to FP. I thought that was a great deal. I was a little nervous about arranging my own air even to LA, because I didn't know about the timing of the flights from LA to PPT. If you can afford it, I would go a day early at least because our whole first day was spent flying and I could not enjoy any of the ship that day. I think the time change adjustment is much harder on the way home. On the way out there, you are traveling back in time, but on the way home you are losing time. My sleep pattern is still very messed up.

 

I will write more about our trip this evening. I should be working right now :o

 

Thanks everyone for your comments. I know I was dying of excitement before I went and ate up any information I could get. If anyone gets a tip or two from me, that would be great.

 

Renee

[wyocruiser]

We also just returned from the June 13 cruise, and I enjoy reading what others have to say about the cruise.

 

As for seasickness, I took some ginger capsules (available in any health food store) and didn't have any problems.

 

We spent four days before the cruise at the Intercontinental Beachcomber in Moorea. It was a wonderful way to rest up for the cruise. I can highly recommend Albert's Tours on Moorea. The shark feeding, stingrays and motu picnic was fantastic as was the 4wd tour. We also did the parasailing at the hotel, which was very reasonable and the guys who take you out are great!

[got2go2mo2]

Thanks for the review! We've been away from the Princess Board for a while, but just booked the Tahitian Princess for Nov 30, 2005. This will be our third Tahiti Cruise (R3 in 2000 and Tahitian Princess in 2002). I read somewhere that Princess recently installed refrigerators in the deck 6 and 7 balcony cabins. That would be a big plus! Can you tell me what deck you were on and if you had a fridge in your cabin. Also, are the beds still hard? A foam pad was a necessity for us. We heard that some refurbishments recently took place and were wondering if they improved the beds. Sounds like you had a great time. Can't wait to get back to FP. :)

 

Kathy

[RNay]

Kathy,

 

All of the rooms now feature refrigerators. They are in the closet, above the drawers. We were on Deck 7, Room 7117 at the back of the ship. The beds are indeed firm. I doubt they refurbished that! We didn't get a foam pad as it didn't bother us too much. I didn't like the pillows (lumpy fiberfilled things) so I asked our steward for a "fluffier" pillow. I got a down pillow. Not fluffier, but more manageable. This being our first cruise on the TP, I don't know what else is new. You will be able to tell when you go in November.

 

Renee

[seetosea]

1. We were in the baclony room 6076 and had a refrigerator. Our room also had a shower that leaked and someone came down and confirmed that the shower leaked. So for our entire cruise, the carpet was wet in a samll area of the bedroom area. This was not something new as we noticed that the carpeting was discolored when we arrived.

 

2. Alcoholic drinks come in three sizes - small, medium, and large

 

3. Soda cards are $39.50 for the 10 day cruise. If you get your soda from the pool bar, ask for a large glass and you won't have to go back so often.

 

4. We pre ordered two bottles of vodka as gifts to ourselves and they were in the room when we got there.

 

5. Not a lot of action after 10 pm. The Australian group did their best to get people involved, but not many showed up. Example, I took part in the 50's and 60's night with my niece during the hula hoop contest and she won and I came in second - hey, I'm old..... The crew did their best, but not many showed up.

 

6. Dancing before dinner was available in the Tahitian Lounge. Usually, it was just my DH and my self, but sometimes one other couple showed up. The band was very good and played anything we wanted.

 

7. Also, think about using a taxi to and from the airport. The cost for 4 of us was a total of $30. ($20 plus $1 per bag). Through Princess, it would have been $100 ($25 per person). Not only do you avoid long lines and long waits, but you save a significant amount of money. To get a taxi, just grab your luggage and go out of the airport to your right. There are a number of them just waiting. You'll be at the ship before the first bus and having dinner when they arrive.

 

8. Initially, our group had two tables at dinner, even though we had requested a table for 8 and had booked ages ago. We politely asked the maitre 'd if there was anything that could be done, and by the next night we had a new table for 8 with a wonderful wait staff (much better than the one from the first night). So if you dining accomodations are not what you had anticipated, see the maitre 'd as soon as possible and he will do what he can to rectify it.

 

Any other questions, just ask. RNay or Di or myself can probably give you an answer.

 

Jackie

[seetosea]

Oops, posted twice

[annag]

Ladies, you are a great source of information, indeed! :D

 

RNay, thank you for the Dramamine tips and I will make sure that we begin taking these even before the ship sails. Actually, our son got us some Bonine, which I understand is largely the same thing. The thought of being too sick to eat dinner is just too scary!

 

Seetosea, thank you for the excursions tips. I did book Marc's Motu Picnic and it sure sounds like a winner! I am also in the process of confirming a reservation for a 1/2 day Tahiti Safari before the ship sails. Cannot remember with who but an independent operator. Maybe Albert's?

 

I will definitely stay away from the Raiatea Princess' fiasco, although I think I have a pearl/vanilla farm excursion already reserved through Princess. If you have any input regarding this excursion, just fire away.

 

Too bad about a leaky shower in your room, Jackie, although Ray is a plumber, so this would be a non-issue for me. Ha-ha!

 

Otherwise, just keep those reports and suggestions coming.

 

Anna

[RNay]

Anna,

 

That was the first bad experience I have ever had with Princess excursions. We are usually very happy. We did an Introductory Scuba in Bora Bora that was absolutely fabulous and I highly recommend it. It is a ratio of one instructor per 1-2 people (most people are in couples). It was our first time doing scuba and what an outstanding way to start. Those are the only two excursions I booked through Princess. We did start to do tours we just picked up onshore for the rest of the cruise and had great luck there too. Our tablemates, a young honeymoon couple, had 1-2 excursions EVERY DAY, all booked through Princess and they seemed happy with all of them.

 

Renee

[kootz]

Does anyone know if there is aplace in Papeete to buy soda before the ship sails. I need diet caffeine free and the ships usually only have Diet Sprite which I dislike. I usually bring a 12 pack on board with me but can't this trip as I am not lugging it from Florida...LOL

[wyocruiser]

(It doesn't sound like you're going to try my suggestion of ginger capsules for seasickness.)

 

In Raiatea, are you talking about the Hiro's Birthplace/Pearl Farm/Vanilla Plantation tour?

[annag]

Wyocruiser:

 

Here is what I am thinking about the ginger capsules, what if they do not work and it is too late to load up on Bonine? :confused: Do you know what I mean? Just in case I decide to stop hyperventilating on this subject, do you recall the name of these ginger capsules and perhaps the manufacturer?

 

I am also a little worried about my husband, who takes a load of regular medicines and I will need to find out whether Bonine affects any of his meds. So, at least Ray may end up taking the ginger stuff.

 

About Raiatea, I actually have two (2) excursions reserved, but I will definitely cancel one of them, like very soon. Just could not make up my mind whether I want to go early morning or in the afternoon. Sure hate to miss that 4:00 p.m. tea!

 

So, I have the Hiro/Pearl Farm/Vanilla Plantation reserved for 8:45 a.m. and Tahaa Pearl Farm/Motu Mahaea at 1:30 p.m. Does one sound better than the other from your hight of experience?

 

Also, Renee, since Ray is a cardiac person, he would not be able to do the scuba dive. At least this is what I have heard. And, he does not seem to be too interested either. But, the assertive wife that I am, I went ahead and reserved the 'yellow helmet bottom of the lagoon walk' in Bora Bora through Princess. Ray is complaining about it a little, but I think he will be o.k. with that. I heard it is a great excursion. We will do it the first afternoon we dock in Bora Bora, so that we would have the whole next day to do nothing which is deadline oriented. Take a ride to a beach, shop, etc.

 

Thanks much again, gals!:)

 

Anna

[NEW YORK LADY]

(It doesn't sound like you're going to try my suggestion of ginger capsules for seasickness.)QUOTE]

 

We have taken the Tahitian Princess twice before on this cruise and are planning on going back again in March, 06. I am very susceptible to sea sickness and found that taking Bonine PLUS ginger capsules was the way to go for me. I took the Bonine a couple of days before the cruise in the evenings before bed (just in case it made me sleepy) along with a ginger capsule. I followed this up by taking a ginger capsule in the morning and then another one before dinner and am glad to report all was well throughout our cruises. I just did this for my Grand Princess 12-day Med/Greek Isle cruise as well and it worked like a charm. I also carry both the sea bands (pressure type bands) and the Relief band (electronic impuse band) just in case, and I did have to use the Relief band on an excursion where we went into the open ocean in a small boat to swim with the sharks. Cleared any nausea up within 10 minutes and I was able to enjoy the tour. I actually put the Relief band on AFTER I got sick. Well worth the investment.

 

Anyone going on this cruise is in for an unforgettable time. Our cruise was active in the evenings, mostly from our group participating in the activities and hopefully we will have even more fun next time we go.

 

Jackie

NEW YORK LADY/NEW YORK LADY2

[RNay]

Anna,

 

I have heard raves about the helmet walk, especially from people who cannot dive. I'm sure you and your husband will love it.

 

I did take the ginger capsules with me, but I didn't start taking them before I got sick, so it was too late. I could not get an accurate idea of the dose. The bottle says 1-3 tablets 3x daily, but nothing mentioned about nausea. I bought mine at our GNC store.

 

Renee

[wyocruiser]

The ginger capsules that I have are from Nature's Resource 550 mg root. I would take two just before dinner (if we were sailing), and a couple of times I took two in the morning (before the 4wd excursion and before I went parasailing).

 

I went on the Hiro/Pearl/Vanilla tour and quite frankly I wouldn't recommend it. Our guide said absolutely nothing about Hiro. The talk at the vanilla plantation was interesting, but I'd already heard it on several other tours. The vanilla that they had for sale was the same price as the vanillia in the market in Papeete. The talk at the pearl farm turned out to be accurate 20 years ago (I found this out when I watched a video at the Tahitian Pearl Market), and we had about 45 minutes for shopping (which was 40 minutes too long since the prices were very high).

[annag]

Well, I am adding the ginger capsules to my list of things to buy for the cruise. An interesting phenomenon is that the more I buy, the longer my list gets. Now how do you explain this?!?

 

BTW, do people dress on the not formal nights? Like what did you gals wear for dinner on, say, a random Tuesday?

 

So, Renee, seems like the yellow helmet walk is a winner, ha? In my shopping basket it will stay.

 

Now, Wyo, I will probably not go on the Hiro one, since it does not sound interesting at all to me either. Maybe the other one with the Tahaa Pearl Farm would be better. Or, did anyone do anything which they would recommend on Raiatea? I just hate tourist traps, since in addition to them being a waste of money, it is also an incredible waste of precious vacation time. So, I resent this.:mad:

 

Anna

[RNay]

Anna,

 

I know what you mean about the list getting longer, the same thing happened to me! :p

 

We caught a tour on Raiatea onshore. There are several inside the open air building when you get off the ship, depending on what you want to see/do. We took the Faaroa River tour and we had an excellent guide. There were maybe a dozen of us, in a giant outrigger canoe. They took us to a pearl farm even though it was a Sunday and they were all closed. I thought it was an excellent up close learning experience. Luckily for my husband, I didn't bring my credit card! I thought the prices there were reasonable. They then took us up the Faaroa River, the only navigable river in FP. Then we went to a motu to snorkel/swim. Beautiful weather and a wonderful day. I believe the cost was $20-25 pp and the trip lasted about 3 hours.

 

Renee

[wyocruiser]

It sounds like Renee had an excellent tour and definitely reasonably priced. I think the Hiro/Pearl/Vanilla was around $60-$70.

 

Dress really varied on the non-formal nights. Some women wore slacks and blouses, some had sundresses, and some wore daytime pantsuits. On these nights (in general) the dress seemed a little more casual to me than on our other cruises.

 

The formal nights seemed pretty similar to other cruises we have been on with perhaps fewer tuxes.

[JRoeT]

Anna,

 

I know what you mean about the list getting longer, the same thing happened to me! :p

 

We caught a tour on Raiatea onshore. There are several inside the open air building when you get off the ship, depending on what you want to see/do. We took the Faaroa River tour and we had an excellent guide. There were maybe a dozen of us, in a giant outrigger canoe. They took us to a pearl farm even though it was a Sunday and they were all closed. I thought it was an excellent up close learning experience. Luckily for my husband, I didn't bring my credit card! I thought the prices there were reasonable. They then took us up the Faaroa River, the only navigable river in FP. Then we went to a motu to snorkel/swim. Beautiful weather and a wonderful day. I believe the cost was $20-25 pp and the trip lasted about 3 hours.

 

Renee

 

Wow! This is the first mention I've seen (In the two weeks I've been back doing research for our August '06 TP cruise!!!) of a canoe trip, which sounds different and right up my alley. A few questions for Renee and others:

Do you need to book this in advance? If so, do you remember the name of the company?

Also, you mentioned your guide was very good. Do you remmeber his/her name?

 

thanks!

[jan54]

Wyocruiser JRoeT We will also be on the T.P. on August 15th/06. Second time for us. As for your earlier question, we stayed in room 6057 last time and we did hear a door to the deck below slamming closed every once in awhile. Usually when we were in our room before the late dinner seating. After dinner we never heard it as most people had retired then. It did not bother us. We are on the same floor this time. Wyocruiser can you tell me more about your stay at the Beachcomber? Would you recommend an overwater bungalow, beach bungalow etc? How was the beach and snorkeling there? Where did you eat? Jan