TP Review - 08/02/05 with Intercontinental Tahiti

[Jazzycat]

My wife and I just posted our in depth review of our "cruise of a lifetime" aboard the Tahitian Princess (August 2, 2005/Cook Islands itinerary) under the "Reviews" section of this website. We did Marc's motu picnic, Bruno's tour and the Bora Bora Aqua Safari, just to name a few. Please enjoy, and if you have any questions, please reply to this thread and we will try to answer as many of your questions as possible. Thanks! :)

[Ninjachyck]

:) I read your review, and it's great that you had such a wonderful time! It makes me even more excited for our upcoming trip! I have been reading so much here on the TP, and some of the reviews seem unnecessarily harsh I was beginning to wonder if we'd made a mistake...but your review was amazing! We too have Marc and Bruno booked, and that was great tips about the restaurants and private sundeck!:D In Bora Bora we plan on doing an introductory dive, so that will be fun. Again, thanks for the great review, I hope we have just as great a time!:cool:

[Stranger1]

Outstanding review! We will be going next March and looking forward to our midship minisuite as well. I had already planned on doing Marc's Motu, and the Aqua Safari, but was unsure about Bruno's. But after reading your review, It may just be on the top of my list now. Thanks again for all the helpful information.

[Jazzycat]

Thank you both so much for taking the time to read our review. We're glad you enjoyed.

 

Ninjachyck - You will have a wonderful trip - enjoy the intro scuba! ;)

 

Stranger1 - Go with Bruno, you won't be disappointed. Enjoy your trip and the mini suite! :)

[nancyrg]

Jazzycat:

great review-I also thought it was a fantastic trip

I also loved the aqua safari & my stones massage with Moreen

 

thanks for posting the review!

Nancy

[got2go2mo2]

WOW! Great review! If you are not a writer for a travel magazine, better submit your resume. We have done this cruise twice before, and you have brought back all our wonderful memories. And are we ever looking forward to the next TP cruise in November! We were happy to hear that you liked Rarotonga. We fell in love with this little island and its wonderful people after our TP cruise in 2003 and returned for a 12-day land stay that same year. Thanks again for your comprehensive, well-written review!

 

Kathy

[Mai Tai Guy]

Jazzycat,

 

Thank you so much for the OUTSTANDING review! We thouroughly enjoyed it and now know we made the right choices for our hotel (OWB room), excursions, and restaurants. We booked last year while on the Sapphire Princess in Alaska, and had put our Tahitain trip on the back burner until just a couple of months ago, when the time came to start making our final plans. You have re-inforced our decisions and look forward to having as much fun as you and your wife did! Thanks again!! :D

 

John

[cgoingmom]

Thank you so much for the great review. You have even convienced my daughter who is afarid of the water to go on the aqua safari in Bora Bora. You did a wonderful job of describing everything! Thanks again.

[CSloan]

Ditto! Thanks for the great review. We're not going until November 2006.. but I plan on saving your review and using it as a reference. I'm glad to hear the snorkeling was so fabulous!

[never2late]

Your review was wonderful -- Answered so many questions I had. Makes me even more excited about going!!:D

[starsjohn]

If I died and went to heaven, the FP is where I would hope to wake up. Your review just confirms it even more. I have been there some 8 times and it just does not get any better any where in the world. I am going back for another 28 days in October.

 

John

[ljtinney]

jazzycat....thank you for a wonderful review. I'm so excited about our upcoming trip on the TP. Thanks for the tip on the sundeck. I will make sure I reserve early. Since all my research and reading wonderful reviews like yours, I told my husband a few night ago......"I know we haven't even got there yet and I already know that we have to go back":)

[aadaneboy]

What a great review! We leave in less than a month, and each time I read a review, I get more and more excited!!!!!!

 

We are celebrating our honeymoon there, with an OWB Lagoon at ICB, and a mini suite on the TP.

 

Any must do's while we are there?

 

Can't wait for paradise!

[Jazzycat]

Thanks again to all the other CC members for reading our review. We are very humbled by your compliments. My wife and I are in the process of planning next year's cruise:D and we are leaning towards the Grand Princess in the Mediterranean, however, every so often we look at each other and say, "Are you sure you don't want to go back to Tahiti?" What an awesome trip!:cool:

 

Update to our review...we recently learned from the Cruise Critic message boards that Princess is upgrading the bedding, linens and pillows in all mini suites and suites come September of this year. Thank goodness, that was a big negative with us (after all, what else could we complain about, everything else was practically perfect). We're glad to see that Princess is listening to its customers.

 

Nancy - Wasn't Moreen terrific? I meant to go back and have a second stone massage but I ran out of time.

 

Kathy - I wish a travel magazine would hire me, I'd be there in a New York minute! Until then, I will settle for Cruise Critic message boards, which I love! When you went back to the Cook Islands for 12 days, did you visit Aitutaki? We heard that Aitutaki is the Bora Bora of 30 years ago. We'll get there someday for sure. Have a ball in November!

 

John - You will have a blast on TP. And if you get to Bloody Mary's, make sure you kick back a Mai Tai or two. Something tells me that's your kind of drink...;)

 

cgoingmom - You and your daughter will love the Aqua Safari. One lady on our excursion didn't know how to swim but had the time of her life doing the helmet dive. Enjoy!

 

CSloan - We're honored to be cited as a primary source! Thank you and enjoy...your trip will be here before you know it. The snorkeling was like no where we've ever been before (including Cayman Islands and Hawaii, to name a few).

 

Nevertolate - I'm so glad we answered your questions. We hoped that we didn't leave out any important details.

 

Starsjohn - Is there enough room in your suitcase for us?!:D 28 days seems about right, enjoy!

 

ljtinney - My wife and I felt the same way before we left. You can reserve the private sundeck for the entire cruise for $100 pp or just the days at sea for $30pp, or any other day for that matter at $15pp. After our first sea day, we wanted to reserve it for the whole cruise, but we're glad that we didn't, because we only used it on the sea days. Reserve as soon as you arrive on the first day of the cruise. You'll be happy you did!:cool:

 

aadaneboy - Congrats to you and your spouse! Must-dos...hmmm...well, as you've seen there wasn't much we didn't love. I would say Marc's, Bruno's, Muri Lagoon (either tour or on your own, it was so clear and blue-green), jet ski (if you like that), helmet dive or intro scuba on Bora Bora, dinner at Le Lotus at ICB Tahiti. And a digital camera to take as many pictures as possible. We find ourselves looking at our pictures over and over again. Enjoy!

[oshuns42]

Me too, thanks Jazzycat for the wonderful review. I also printed it for reference and emailed to my sister and friend of ours, we will be on the TP Nov. 30, 2005 in a mini-suite.

 

Jazzy I was on the Paul Gaughin 2 years ago, it was really, really, really, nice. At that time the air fare from LA to Papeete was included in the price of the cruise. And, we had a special with free air from JFK to LA. Glad we did it, but this time (and we HAD to go back) we decided on the 10 day cruise with princess. We have been on princess cruises before and loved them.

 

We are so excited about the Tahitian Princess. I didn't know about the sundeck until I read your review.

 

I have a question. We booked a post cruise through princess at the Beachcomber in Tahiti. We booked a OW, but when I read your review I didn't realize there were different areas, motu and lagoon. I emailed the hotel and my TA, but no one could give me answer which type we have. If we have the motu bungalow, should we try to upgrade to the lagoon? Are the motus in real shallow water? Could you snorkel from them. We did see the Tahiti Beachcomber on our last trip. Radisson gave us a day room there before our flight. We stayed mostly at the beautiful pool, and they were just building the man made lagoon, not much fish in there, and no swimming.

 

Thanks for your help. Kathy

[Jazzycat]

Hello fellow Long Islander!

 

On the TP, you will find that there are few people from the East Coast, let alone Long Island. As one Aussie put it as we were embarking and he was disembarking, "This ship needs more New Yorkers!" We don't know exactly what he meant by that but we were flattered nevertheless since he and his wife were delighted to meet us.:) It's not everyday that people are so excited to see New Yorkers. :D I wonder if more people from the East Coast will cruise the TP now that Air Tahiti Nui has begun its nonstop flights from JFK. They don't know what they're missing!:p

 

The Paul Gauguin did seem like a lovely ship and I know we would've loved that cruise, too, especially the cuisine. Maybe next time! The TP's private sundeck is great not only for the view, but because it was pleasantly quiet. You cannot bring food out there, but when you return from lunch, your chaise lounge is waiting and ready for you.

As for the IRT OWBs, I'm surprised that nobody can give you an answer as to the type. The lagoon OWBs were also called junior suites on our reservation. So, it read "OWB Lagoon Jr. Ste." On the IRT website, you can see the layouts of both OWBs. They are both very spacious and I don't think you would be disappointed with the location of either one. The motu OWBs have great views of Moorea and are more centrally located. A few of the lagoon bungalows do not face Moorea, and luckily, we didn't get one of those. The lagoon OWBs were numbered 501-513, I think (we were in 503). So, perhaps you should call the hotel again and speak with a manager and ask him or her if you will be in one of those numbered OWBs. You can definitely snorkel in the water around the motu OWBs, but it's shallow (water is up to your hip, give or take), so you may have to wade a little to slightly deeper water for an easier snorkel. But we did see people snorkeling from the motu OWBs (and having a good time in the process). The lagoon in front of the motu OWBs is a real treat. I counted 5 stingrays hiding in the sand and plenty of tropical fish, some that were rather large. They have feedings twice a day, and you can even partake in the action. I hope you have a great time!

[Daw6id]

Jazzycat - thanks for the wonderful review. We're just back from a week on the Paul Gauguin, and I enjoyed reliving it through your review. I do not have any regrets about the PG instead of the TP - being nickeled and dimed rubs me the wrong way, and everything was included on the PG, including an incredible day at Motu Mahana in Taha'a and all the Diet Coke I could drink, in every venue on the ship. The international clientele [many French, Germans, even Russians] made for interesting traveling companions, and the honeymooners made for a lively group. The food is good too.

 

David

[lhbsurf]

Jazzycat,

 

I read your review and in fact had forgotten to check the review section lately and there were several I haven't read. I agree with all the posters, it was a marvelously written review and is getting me even more excited!!! We're heading there to celebrate my 40th. We will be in Bora Bora on my birthday and I'm reserving the Wave Runner Lagoon Tour - I can't think of anything in the world I'd rather be doing. We're planning to do Marc's also, but I hadn't really considered the 4WD part of the tour. My husband's not so adventurous - was it rough?

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to share with the rest of us - you definitely have a knack for it!!!!

[Jazzycat]

Hello David,

 

I'm sure the Paul Gauguin was wonderful, and perhaps we will sail on it one day. I'm glad you had a great time and enjoyed our review. I agree, my wife and I were shocked at how Princess charged for soft drinks. Honestly, how much could it cost, especially if the drinks are on tap? But we didn't feel too "nickeled and dimed" as one night my wife and I made a small killing in the casino and used the proceeds to pay most of the incidentals we had charged on board. :D

 

While the majority of TP clientele was American, it was nevertheless international as we met many people from Canada, a few families from Mexico and Spain as well as several people from England, Italy and even New Zealand, to name a few. On our first night at dinner, we sat with a lovely couple from Germany. We stopped whining about our jetlag after they told us that they had been traveling for over 24 hours! And of course, there were several honeymooners as well. I must admit, the TP attracted a very classy group of cruisers.

[Jazzycat]

lhbsurf - Glad you enjoyed our review! Congrats on your 40th birthday! There isn't a better way to celebrate than on a jet ski circling Bora Bora. It was truly amazing. My wife and I shared a jetski and I would have her pinch me every so often to make sure I wasn't dreaming. The scenery is beyond beautiful!:)

 

Marc's 4x4 was easy riding. All the roads that we traversed were well paved. As far I as can remember, Marc did not do any off-roading. It was a rather leisurely drive. On the other hand, the 4x4 in Tahiti was somewhat bumpy but nowhere near as bad as the one in Moorea. Moorea's 4x4 tour was so bumpy that my wife decided to sit in the front seat with the guide. Have a great time!

[Texas]

Jazzycat. I did this cruise in 2003 and 2004. I have read almost every review written on this cruise since its first cruise in December 2002. This is absolutely, the best review I have read on this board. I enjoyed it so much, I printed out all 20 pages! We love this cruise so much, we are going again in March 2006. Once you do this cruise, you just have to do it again and again. We are returning in March with CC friends from 2003 and 2004! Thanks for taking the time to post your review. Its a great read.

 

Angie

[laurieb]

what a great review! we have been twice, in 03 and 05, and are returning in 1/07. I had hoped to book with Bruno on our last trip but he was on holiday, hopefully he will be around for our next trip. I agree, Marc's trip should not be missed. Your review brought back lots of wonderful memories. We would love to have you join us!!

[land lover]

Just returned from the 8-22 sailing did 2 days post at the IC beachcomber

we had a problem on our check out bill too.....I think they have a problem with bookkeeping.:D We had a motu OWB and loved it...#490, h20 was about 4 feet deep but we had a large eel and several fish living right below us...and then I saw it a lion fish...this was my high light, it doesn't take much:) I spotted three during our stay maybe 20 feet away from our OWB and also a sea leech...I also found the lagoonarium to me awesome did you know it has only been opened for 10 months?

[Jazzycat]

Texas - Thank you for the tremendous compliment!:) We agree, this is one cruise we will definitely do again. We can't stop thinking about it! Enjoy your March cruise!:D

 

laurieb - Thanks for the offer, we would love to join you but January is a bad month for us, work wise. Enjoy and have a few Hinanos for us!:D

 

land lover - Funny you had a problem with your bill at the IRT, too. I'm glad you enjoyed your motu bungalow. I really don't think you could wrong with either type of bungalow. The lagoonarium was really terrific, and we didn't know it was so new. The pictures we took from the lobby of the hotel facing Moorea look like postcards. What a great hotel, we would certainly stay there again before another cruise or another land based vacation.:D

[kbmagic]

Thank you so much for your lovely review, I really enjoyed it, and it made me even more excited about our upcoming honeymoon cruise in December. We are going on the other cruise though, the one that goes to Marquesas islands.

 

I am curious about booking the excursions from non-cruiseline companies... sounds like a lot of you folks do this... is there a website you'd recommend to find these? Are you fairly comfortable that they'll work within the time limits of your shore-time?

 

It would be really scary to me, to be stranded at a port in a distant country!

 

Thanks again for your great review!