LIVE from the Pacific Princess. Cruise Tahiti with Sungirl. Glad to be back........

[KCSungirl]

We are still catching up on sleep and needed this sea day badly. The internet is very slow and unreliable. I find that early in the morning, between 5am and 8am, is a good time to surf the web and post. As elite members, PC and I get 250 free internet minutes. We bought the additional package, 850 minutes for $85. I can burn thru 30 minutes trying to connect and get no where.

 

We are enroute to Rangiroa, the largest atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago. We didn't stop in Rangiroa on our previous cruise.

 

The weather has not been good. The bad part about traveling the South Pacific during the US winter, is the austral summer in the islands. It's cloudy and rainy, with times of intense heat and humidity. Along with the moisture comes the mosquitoes. Everyday in the Princess Patter they are warning against Chikungunya. A mosquito borne sickness like Dengue fever. We have our DEET. We traveled to the Cook Islands on our way home from Sydney two years ago and had terrible weather with no TV, internet, or daily flights to the US! It's a risk I am willing to take though.

 

We started our sea day in the Panorama buffet for breakfast. All of the food has been fresh and warm. They have an omelette station. After breakfast we were dragging, so I thought we should go play some trivia to get our minds working. I love trivia, but didn't do so well today. They need to ask more questions from my news sources - TMZ, People Magazine, and Inside Edition. I didn't know the constellation on the Australian flag, the first element, or Harry Potter questions. But I did know who wrote the music for Cats/Phantom and who was the voice of Elsa in Frozen Trivia did not boost my confidence. Let it Go, let it Go...................

 

It was time for lunch, but i am not bouncing back from jet lag. I went back to bed! News Flash - I missed a meal! After a four hour nap, it was time to get ready for our first formal night. Another News Flash - PC agreed to formal wear. We usually never cruise with formal wear, but due to the holiday, it seemed appropriate.

 

Before dinner, we went to check out the elite happy hour lounge upstairs on deck 10. it was boring. We are dining early at 6pm. We have a table for 2 near a window. Service is fast and efficient with a table for 2. Large tables take way too long to be served. we enjoyed beef tips and lamb chops tonight.

 

The featured entertainer tonight was cabaret/soprano Jennifer Fair. We lasted two songs. Opera is not our thing. I was also freezing in the showroom.. Needed a parka.

 

Thanks for coming along with me and I appreciate your comments. I will answer questions a bit later when I get rested and have better internet. Special shout out to Sunset Beach gal and Aussie Gal. Love u girls!

 

Goodnight and make it a Chikungunya free holiday.

[Aussie Gal]

What a pity we weren't on board as we could have helped with Trivia. Between the four of us we could have sewn it up. Do hope the jetlag disappears soon and you can start to enjoy the cruise to its fullest.

Jennie

Edited December 22, 2014 by Aussie Gal

[sunsetbeachgal]

Well I probably wouldn't have helped much with trivia, but could have helped spice that Elite Cocktail hour up a bit! :p

 

Hoping that weather improves! But nothing gets between me and a meal either! ;)

 

Wishing you and PC a wonderful Christmas!

Edited December 22, 2014 by sunsetbeachgal

[dickinson]

Do I read you correctly…. it only cost $85 for 850 minutes for the internet???? Is this something special because you are Elite? This is a lot less expensive than what is listed on Princess.com. We will be Platinum on our 15 day to Hawaii in February. I wonder if we will get special prices.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[KCSungirl]

Greetings from Rangiroa. The weather is not cooperating so we will tender to land and see what happens. Every stop on the cruise is a tender ride to shore except Papeete. Rangiroa has the best snorkeling and diving in French Polynesia. We don't want to miss it. There are a few excursions that shouldn't be missed on days with perfect sea conditions - the Pink Sands Beach and the Bleu Lagoon. They have to be booked independently because the ship does not offer them. Both are almost 3 hour Rt boat rides and I am not up for that after my bad experience going to the Similan Islands off the coast of Phuket, Thailand last year. Rangiroa also has the exciting drift snorkel thru the Tiputa Pass with a really strong current. It was not manageable today and the tide was not going the correct direction. We opted for an easy two hour lagoon snorkel booked directly with the ship. I recommend booking thru the ship as I didn't see tour operators that looked as safe. Top Dive is the scuba operator on the island. The lagoon snorkel was one of the best I have done. Sharks, eels, and fish of every color. The guides were feeding the fish, so it wasn't completely natural. After the 10:30am snorkel, we motored down the pass to see the dolphins ride the swells. I didn't know dolphins liked to surf. They do like to play in the wake of the ship. They are usually around when the ship is entering and leaving the pass. By the time we returned to the dock from our excursion, the sea conditions were getting worse. The remainder of the day's excursions were canceled. We decided to walk around and took off down the only road on he island. Rangiroa also has a large pearl farm with free shuttles from the dock. The pearl farming conditions are perfect. We walked about a mile and half to Hotel Kia Ora, the only "resort" on the island. Rangiroa has no beaches. I can't think of any reason to stay on the island unless you were a diver. We had Diet Cokes at the overwater bar and enjoyed the view. Diet Cokes $5, view priceless. We walked back to the tender dock and by now I had thigh burn and PC had a blister. We are quite a pair. The sea conditions were worse and I think at this point, the Captain probably had wished he had canceled the port. I was very happy he did not.

 

We came back to they ship to clean up for Island Night. I brought the Ellen and Clark Griswold matching Christmas Hawaiian shirts once again. I bought these shirts at Walmart in Kona many years ago. I love getting a chance to wear them because they are so perfectly festive and tacky.

 

We stopped in the elite happy hour lounge once again to see if we could get a party going, but it is very subdued. My new friend PescadoAmarillo, warned me about the very rough seas tonight and tomorrow. The crew closed all of the portholes on the deck 3 cabins. Lord help me. On our way to the dining room, the crew was singing Christmas carols in the atrium. We joined in. We ate in the dining room again. SHOCK! After dinner we went to the comedy show - Scott Harris. He was ok. The island night party was canceled due to weather. It became a rock and roll party in the Pacific Lounge. That is quite appropriate because the ship is rocking and rolling like crazy. I am not feeing motion sick, but it is keeping me awake. I have never experienced such movement before. You definitely can't walk a straight line or stand without holding on to something.

 

It's almost 3am and the ship's movement from our cabin up front is like a Disney rollercoaster. I know I was born to be in front, but this is not what I had in mind. Night!

[sunsetbeachgal]

Those seas sound downright scary! I do hope it calms down!

 

I am so glad you met PescadoAmarillo. I have had the pleasure to sail with Jeanne and Greg before, so please tell her that Carole said hello. I know my friend Pat (not the same Pat I was with on the Crown when I met you) will miss seeing her on the Royal this January (Pat helped her locate a new IPhone on turnaround day when hers "drowned" one year). We will be on the Regal in three weeks...can't wait!

 

Happy cruising!

Carole

Edited December 23, 2014 by sunsetbeachgal

[KCSungirl]

Five days in Tahiti and I haven't seen the sun yet. A tropical depression is keeping Mr. Sun from appearing. Hopefully the sun will come out tomorrow....

 

The movement of the ship in front is waking me up early. I am a late sleeper normally, but I think I am still a bit tired because I have been asleep by 9pm also. I am usually a night owl.

 

I am very busy today. That is the double edge sword of cruising. I run around crazy like I am at home because I suffer from FOMO. Fear of Missing Out. It's a psychiatric disorder and it's real! I don't want to miss anything on the ship. Poor PC, he wants to R&R, and I have him running all over. He must love me to be able to live with my FOMO.

 

We started our day at the Most Traveled luncheon. I couldn't wait to see what that was all about. The 40 Elite passengers with the most days traveled get invited to lunch with the Captain. Officers host tables. We were seated with Simon, the staff engineer. He was a great host. If there are not enough elite passengers for a luncheon, the ship has been giving out vouchers for the specialty restaurants. I would prefer that option, unless I was the MOST traveled passenger. My new goal in life. They server wine with lunch and there were two entree choices - sea bass and filet.

 

After lunch I ran to the laundry to do three loads. I get free laundry as an Elite, but I am careful with my clothing and prefer to launder myself. Except socks and underwear! You now charge laundry to your key card and are given tokens for the machines. A woman in the laundry kept putting quarters in the machines and for detergent. Read the directions people!

 

I left PC in charge of laundry and I took off for the afternoon wine tasting. Wine tasting is $9.50, but free for Elites. I joined my friend Pescado Amarillo. I didn't like any of the wine, but I got a free souvenir shot glass.

 

After wine tasting I ran to Bingo to meet PC. He had finished the laundry. PC had never played Bingo on a ship so he got to experience the "cult like" intensity of Bingo. He had no idea about this underworld. We weren't lucky today. No Bingo.

 

We stayed in the Cabaret lounge to attend a Christmas prayer and carol service. Very nice. It was led by cruise director, David Bradshaw. David has a very cute, jolly way about him. I like him a lot. He is also a talented singer/performer.

 

After the service we went to the dining room. SHOCK! three days in a row in the dining room. PC must have gotten a brain transplant. The food has been in the acceptable range, but nothing that has wowed me.

 

After dinner I wanted to go see the production show - Motor City. Even though I have seen these shows dozens of times, they seem new with a different cast. I just could not make it. I had worn myself out running around all day.

 

I fell into bed and was out before my head hit the pillow.

 

We have started to enjoyed the rollercoaster ride up front. I think my motion sickness probably had more to do with jet lag and exhaustion from the schedule I was keeping before I left home. The obstructed view over the bow and noise from the anchor would definitely prevent me from booking this cabin ever again, but the novelty of trying something once is fun. We are laughing about the noise from the anchor going down and coming up. It seems like a thirty minute process from start to finish. It is deafening. Have you seen the movie "My Cousin Vinny"? A train goes by the hotel at 4:15am and Joe Pesci complains about the noise to the manager. The manager says that's the only day the train comes at 4:15am. Next day the train comes again. Joe complains, and the man says "the rest of the week it's at 3:15am. The anchor coming down is not pleasant on a daily basis.

 

Onward to Raiatea and hoping for some sun.

[KCSungirl]

It's Christmas Eve in Raiatea and we have not seen sun yet. Something that resembled sun kind of appeared before a lot of downpours of rain, followed by showers, followed by downpours, and on and on and on. This tropical depression doesn't seem to be lifting. Dear Santa, please bring sun for Christmas. Nevertheless, it's still warmer than home and I don't have to cook, clean, or shop. The Captain announced we had to shorten our stay in Raiatea due to high winds forecasted. Should be a wild ride tonight.

 

Raiatea is the second largest island in FP next to Tahiti. Population around 12,000. We docked in the "city" of Uturoa. It was family day for the most part so many shops and offices were closed. Raiatea is a beautiful lush and mountainous island surrounded by a lagoon. Like Rangiroa, there are no beaches on the island. You have to get out to the motus to find sand.

 

Every island in FP offers the same types of excursions - an island tour which may or may not include stops at pearl farms and vanilla plantations, 4x4 rides that will take you up a mountain, and snorkel/scuba excursions. Raiatea was no exception. We didn't prebook a tour, but I knew which options I wanted. There are tour operators at the port if you don't want to book ahead. Between the weather, the motion sickness, and the colds we are coming down with, we didn't want to make any commitments.

 

There are two snorkel trips - a motu snorkel very close to the ship which has continuous water taxi service and the Tahaa Drift snorkel which is a 45 minute ride in a speed boat. I would recommend the drift snorkel. We got lazy and snorkeled the motu which was disappointing. PescadoAmarillo told me the snorkeling was also excellent at the hotel close to the cruise ship, named the Viking or something?? The weather wasn't cooperating and everything was pretty stirred up due to seven days of rain.

 

We secured an excursion with a young man named Ty, inside the arrival area Ty's family are tour operators from South Africa. They have a contract with the ship. We paid $50/pp and a similar tour would cost $139/pp on the ship. There is a lot of profit in most of the ship's tours. Ty gave us a ride up the Faro river, the only navigable river in FP. People live along the river. Very lush and scenic. Ty pointed out that every ten miles around the island is a municipal building, a school, and fire brigade. I am all set, except for a Target store. After the river tour, Ty dropped us off at the motu with his helper, Raphael, to watch out for us. That was nice to have someone to watch our belongings. The snorkeling was ok, but the weather was terrible. It poured as we were getting ready to leave.

 

I was destined for a head cold because I have been freezing for the entire cruise. I don't know how someone like me with lots of blubber can get so cold. The air conditioning kills me. Especially the fan blowing on me in the cabin. All of the public areas and dining rooms are cold. I wear long sleeves and sweaters. I have been like this all of my life. Someday I am going to vacation someplace with no air conditioning. I think I have the perfect place picked out. Stayed tuned this summer.

 

We returned to the ship after a short half day on land, ate lunch in the buffet, and went to the cabin to nap. I went to the Folkloric dance show with kids and adults at 2:30pm. I saw these kids perform 15 years ago. They are now the parents of the kids dancing today. WOW! Very cute show

 

I napped a while longer after the show until I had to getting going for dinner and our evening activities. We ate in the dining room again! OMG. Now I am beginning to wonder if I am with an imposter. I enjoyed a Christmas Eve dinner of spaghetti and meatballs. I am a little homesick for mom's food this time of year.

 

After dinner we went to a show in the lounge - "A Liberace Christmas" performed by one of the guest entertainers on the ship - pianist Jere Ring. I have a thing for piano men, especially the gay ones. They are talented, funny, and have lots of stories to tell. Jere is no exception. He has a very colorful history performing for Hollywood royalty. When Jere is not on ships he resides in Palm Springs. Along with my other piano man, Ron Pass. Ron plays at the La Quinta Resort.

 

We tried to make midnight church, but just could not keep our eyes open.

 

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.

[windsor26]

I also was cold all my life until at 49 I got my thyroid checked out and it was not producing enough Pills put me right and now I am the same as those around me for the temperature

[sunsetbeachgal]

Loving your blog but I think the constant high seas you are experiencing have killed my desire to do this cruise...:confused:

Edited December 26, 2014 by sunsetbeachgal

[Aussie Gal]

We did this cruise in March, 2004 on the then Tahitian Princess (Ocean Princess) and then the Tahiti to Hawaii cruise in June, 2007, again on the Tahitian Princess. Both times we had great weather. In fact we were able to tender off Rarotonga in the Cook Islands which was a bonus as very few times was the ship able to do that due to the sea conditions.

 

The reason that Paige is having such bad weather is that it is the monsoon season which commences anytime from November and goes through until the end of March. At this time of the year it is hot and humid with a high percentage of rain.

 

A few years back, the Tahitian Princess was doing the cruise around Tahiti all year round but unfortunately Princess now only has the ships there in the rainy season which is a pity. Other than cruising on the Paul Gauguine which is based there all year, there is a huge chance that the weather will be disappointing if you go at this time of the year.

 

Jennie

[KCSungirl]

Merry Christmas from Bora Bora. Truly paradise on earth. The mystique, mountains, flora and fauna, lagoons, and white sands make Bora Bora very special and definitely different than any other island in the world. It's price tag is pretty high on the hotel rooms, so it attracts the wealthy. It's not commercial or developed.

 

Last time we visited Bora Bora we booked a jet ski excursion thru the cruiseline. Those days are long gone. Cruise lines don't assume liability for jet skis anymore. We booked directly with Moana Adventures. Ridiculously expensive - $300 per jet ski. Worth every penny, however. PC insisted on his own jet ski because last time all I did was tell him to slow down. It was the right decision. We could both cruise at the speeds we wanted. Jet skis are not quite in the scooter category for accidents, but you need to be a confident driver. We circled the entire island checking out the luxury hotels on the motus. We ended the tour at the Hilton Bora Nui. Nice hotel, but the over water bungalows are horizontal across the the beach and obstruct the view. The day pass is $150/pp, including lunch. You take their shuttle boat from the tender dock to get back and forth.

 

Since we were anchoring overnight in Bora Bora, we thought long and hard about staying overnight on land. Several cruisers got off the ship to overnight in overwater bungalows. The Four Seasons was $1400/nt. We were feeling very lazy and unmotivated. We decided to stay on the ship as we would waste precious sun/water time just getting there, checking in, and checking out. I can save that $1400 for another adventure. I would say the average price for a overwater bungalow would be around $1000/nt

 

Back on the ship it was formal night for Christmas. The dining room was serving traditional turkey and beef medallions. The evening entertainment was a Christmas theme production show with some of the guest entertainers and the singers/dancers. Very fun show. After the show we went back to the cabin to start clearing he Christmas decorations and I packed a suitcase. I hate leaving all of the packing o the last night.

 

We finally got to watch an in cabin movie - Million Dollar Arm.

 

Can't believe another Christmas has come and gone. Time goes too fast. STOP IT!

[KCSungirl]

Good Morning Paradise. We are not moving too fast in the in mornings. We hopped a 10am tender to shore. We took the $5 shuttle to Matira Beach, the only public beach on Bora Bora. The Intercontinental Moana Hotel is adjacent to Matira Beach, but faces east instead of west. We bought day passes for $75/pp which included lunch (a feast). Lucky for us, a sweet family we met on the ship had stayed overnight in a water bungalow and we got to spend some time enjoying the experience. Such an awesome experience to have a platform and ladder to jump off into the water from your bedroom. We were very conflicted when deciding to spend the day at the beach in lieu of a snorkel excursion. That is a hard call to make because both are great ways to spend the day.

 

After a wonderful beach day, we took the beach shuttle back to the tender. We were sailing away at 5pm. Goodbye Bora Bora, I hope we meet again.

 

Back on the ship we had a full evening of entertainment. The dining room was featuring lobster tails and beef wellington. After diner we went to the Captain's Circle cocktail party. Free drinks!! They recognized the three most traveled passengers. The most traveled woman had 67 cruises and 778 or so days. I will never make it. UGH! I have a dream.........

 

We went to the production show "Stardust". I couldn't recall this show, but I am sure I have seen it. My Mom's/ Grandma's music.

 

I am totally smitten with the Jere, the piano man. So fun, funny and GAY. He is singing songs you don't hear from every piano man. Remember Helen Reddy and "I Don't Know How to Love Him"? Haven't heard that one in a long time. PC is tolerating the show tunes, barely. Jere did sing my favorite song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow for me.

 

Speaking of gay, I like going to the LGBT gathering at 5pm everyday to find the fun people with flair. Unfortunately no one shows up so I have a straight one girl get together. I will keep trying.

 

One last show to end the evening - Dancing with the Stripes. Princess Cruises version of Dancing with the Stars. Really clever and fun. The ship's dancers pair with a non-dancing crew member to perform. The guest judges are the featured entertainers.

 

One more port tomorrow - Moorea. I am tired. Thank goodness my three weeks at Mexican Melrose Place is in the near future.

[Woobstr112G]

Good Morning Paradise. We are not moving too fast in the in mornings. We hopped a 10am tender to shore. We took the $5 shuttle to Matira Beach, the only public beach on Bora Bora. The Intercontinental Moana Hotel is adjacent to Matira Beach, but faces east instead of west. We bought day passes for $75/pp which included lunch (a feast). Lucky for us, a sweet family we met on the ship had stayed overnight in a water bungalow and we got to spend some time enjoying the experience. Such an awesome experience to have a platform and ladder to jump off into the water from your bedroom. We were very conflicted when deciding to spend the day at the beach in lieu of a snorkel excursion. That is a hard call to make because both are great ways to spend the day.

 

After a wonderful beach day, we took the beach shuttle back to the tender. We were sailing away at 5pm. Goodbye Bora Bora, I hope we meet again.

 

Back on the ship we had a full evening of entertainment. The dining room was featuring lobster tails and beef wellington. After diner we went to the Captain's Circle cocktail party. Free drinks!! They recognized the three most traveled passengers. The most traveled woman had 67 cruises and 778 or so days. I will never make it. UGH! I have a dream.........

 

We went to the production show "Stardust". I couldn't recall this show, but I am sure I have seen it. My Mom's/ Grandma's music.

 

I am totally smitten with the Jere, the piano man. So fun, funny and GAY. He is singing songs you don't hear from every piano man. Remember Helen Reddy and "I Don't Know How to Love Him"? Haven't heard that one in a long time. PC is tolerating the show tunes, barely. Jere did sing my favorite song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow for me.

 

Speaking of gay, I like going to the LGBT gathering at 5pm everyday to find the fun people with flair. Unfortunately no one shows up so I have a straight one girl get together. I will keep trying.

 

One last show to end the evening - Dancing with the Stripes. Princess Cruises version of Dancing with the Stars. Really clever and fun. The ship's dancers pair with a non-dancing crew member to perform. The guest judges are the featured entertainers.

 

One more port tomorrow - Moorea. I am tired. Thank goodness my three weeks at Mexican Melrose Place is in the near future.

 

Sounds like a great day on land and on ship. Thanks for your continued reports.....:):):)

 

Bob

[sterling2]

Enjoying your reports very much. Thanks for taking the time to do these.

 

Sue

[Waimea'sMom]

Thanks very much for your reports - I really enjoy reading them as we board the Pacific on January 7th. May I ask a question? Do they have the buy one get one free happy hour onboard the Pacific Princess? We really enjoyed it on the Grand and I am hoping the Pacific does it as well.

[Aussie Gal]

Sungirl,

 

Have really loved your reports. After seeing and spending time in Bora Bora, I am sure you can now see why I love it so much. To me it is paradise and I cannot imagine anywhere else as perfect as that beautiful lagoon.

 

Jennie

[Colo Cruiser]

Sounds like a great day in paradise. :)

[KCSungirl]

Good Morning Moorea. WOW! Our entrance into Cook's Bay was great. Mt. Belvedre in the background. A sunny day. Thank you weather Gods. I have been eating breakfast every morning in the buffet and love sitting outside on the back and enjoying the views. I have eaten the same thing everyday - scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage - heart attack special or the Atkin's special, which ever way you look at it. I don't make time for breakfast at home, so it's a treat for me.

 

We planned to spend the day at the beach and snorkel. I debated between the Sofitel and the Hilton. The are both great options. I had been to the Sofitel previously, so I decided to try something different. The Sofitel doesn't sell ay passes, but if you go and spend money they will let you hang out. The Intercontinental may also sell day passes. The Hilton was fabulous. Much better than our experience in Bora Bora. The cab ride from port is $20 one way. The day pass was close to $100/pp which included a feast of a lunch. Worth every dime. The snorkeling off the beach was fantastic. The service and food was 5 star. We missed Captain Kirk and his family. They just checked out before we arrived. I am dying I missed a photo opportunity with a celebrity! It wouldn't have been as interesting as my encounter with Pierce Brosnan last year in Thailand, however. The overwater bungalows looked large with nice swimming platforms. We appreciate the hotels that offer day pass options. It's great to check out properties for future travels.

 

We returned to the ship on one of the last tenders around 4pm. It was a quick hop, skip, jump back to Papeete. We are safely in our berth for the evening at 8pm. Some guests are getting off tonight to fly home on the 11pm flight. Since we ate a huge lunch a the Hilton, we skipped the dining room tonight. We attended the Variety Show in the lounge featuring the guest entertainers - Jennifer Fair, Dan Riley, and the singers/dancers. I loved all of the entertainment. Dan Riley was excellent. Farewell shows are bitttersweet. It's a little different on the smaller ships because you connect with more people and everyone feels like family. I know I probably won't see them again. I hate goodbyes. We had also thought about going out in Papeete. Saturday nights are lively. There are food trucks set up in the park very close to the ship and I hear it is a good time. Decided not to miss the fun on the ship and saying goodbye.

 

My cruise wouldn't be complete without one more date with Jere Ring at the Casino Lounge piano bar. He is fantastic entertainer and he thinks PC is cute. I will stalk him. He was so great to sing an entire list of Peter Allen songs for me. I really love that song "Arthurs Theme". When you get lost between the moon and NYC..........................

 

It was our latest night out and about (11:30pm) and PC even stayed awake for all of the fun. SHOCK! I usually run around by myself after 9pm. The Pink Panther slot machine was kind to me. I played everyday in the casino for a few minutes and only lost $20, I think.

 

The crew works hard to make sure everyone on board has a wonderful cruise experience. I enjoy getting to know the crew and sometimes I fall in love. I fell in love with Daniel from Budapest - A Michael Buble' lookalike. He works in room service. I would call every morning and ask to speak to him and make sure he delivered the coffee! He thought it was funny that I would call and ask for him, like we had known each other for years. I am a little crazy! In a good way, not scary crazy. I am thinking Viking River cruise to see Dani!

 

Tomorrow we disembark. DISLIKE. We are staying a few extra days so I will keep writing. I hope you had a good time coming with me.

[sunsetbeachgal]

I have loved your blog and so glad that weather has started to cooperate. KruzPrincess Said that this is the monsoon season in Tahiti!

 

Have fun during the rest of your stay and wishing you and PC a Happy and healthy New Year with a lot of fun memories waiting to happen! ;)

[Woobstr112G]

Good Morning Moorea. WOW! Our entrance into Cook's Bay was great. Mt. Belvedre in the background. A sunny day. Thank you weather Gods. I have been eating breakfast every morning in the buffet and love sitting outside on the back and enjoying the views. I have eaten the same thing everyday - scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage - heart attack special or the Atkin's special, which ever way you look at it. I don't make time for breakfast at home, so it's a treat for me.

 

We planned to spend the day at the beach and snorkel. I debated between the Sofitel and the Hilton. The are both great options. I had been to the Sofitel previously, so I decided to try something different. The Sofitel doesn't sell ay passes, but if you go and spend money they will let you hang out. The Intercontinental may also sell day passes. The Hilton was fabulous. Much better than our experience in Bora Bora. The cab ride from port is $20 one way. The day pass was close to $100/pp which included a feast of a lunch. Worth every dime. The snorkeling off the beach was fantastic. The service and food was 5 star. We missed Captain Kirk and his family. They just checked out before we arrived. I am dying I missed a photo opportunity with a celebrity! It wouldn't have been as interesting as my encounter with Pierce Brosnan last year in Thailand, however. The overwater bungalows looked large with nice swimming platforms. We appreciate the hotels that offer day pass options. It's great to check out properties for future travels.

 

We returned to the ship on one of the last tenders around 4pm. It was a quick hop, skip, jump back to Papeete. We are safely in our berth for the evening at 8pm. Some guests are getting off tonight to fly home on the 11pm flight. Since we ate a huge lunch a the Hilton, we skipped the dining room tonight. We attended the Variety Show in the lounge featuring the guest entertainers - Jennifer Fair, Dan Riley, and the singers/dancers. I loved all of the entertainment. Dan Riley was excellent. Farewell shows are bitttersweet. It's a little different on the smaller ships because you connect with more people and everyone feels like family. I know I probably won't see them again. I hate goodbyes. We had also thought about going out in Papeete. Saturday nights are lively. There are food trucks set up in the park very close to the ship and I hear it is a good time. Decided not to miss the fun on the ship and saying goodbye.

 

My cruise wouldn't be complete without one more date with Jere Ring at the Casino Lounge piano bar. He is fantastic entertainer and he thinks PC is cute. I will stalk him. He was so great to sing an entire list of Peter Allen songs for me. I really love that song "Arthurs Theme". When you get lost between the moon and NYC..........................

 

It was our latest night out and about (11:30pm) and PC even stayed awake for all of the fun. SHOCK! I usually run around by myself after 9pm. The Pink Panther slot machine was kind to me. I played everyday in the casino for a few minutes and only lost $20, I think.

 

The crew works hard to make sure everyone on board has a wonderful cruise experience. I enjoy getting to know the crew and sometimes I fall in love. I fell in love with Daniel from Budapest - A Michael Buble' lookalike. He works in room service. I would call every morning and ask to speak to him and make sure he delivered the coffee! He thought it was funny that I would call and ask for him, like we had known each other for years. I am a little crazy! In a good way, not scary crazy. I am thinking Viking River cruise to see Dani!

 

Tomorrow we disembark. DISLIKE. We are staying a few extra days so I will keep writing. I hope you had a good time coming with me.

 

Sounds like a great day, albeit the last one to be on the ship. Thanks again for taking the time to post about your great cruise....:):):)

 

Bob

Edited December 28, 2014 by Woobstr112G

[dickinson]

Thanks for the "live". I've enjoyed your travels!

[Lynda90]

Thank you so much for taking us along on your cruise. Really enjoyed your "Live" posts. Enjoy the rest of your trip! :p

[Aussie Gal]

So glad you loved the smaller ship. You can now see why we enjoy our time on the Ocean Princess so much though our cruise on her in April will be the last one as she is now. She is off to Oceania in March, 2016.

 

Thanks so much for your very enjoyable and fun blog of your trip around Tahiti. It has brought back many happy memories of our time in those lovely islands.

 

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip.

 

Jennie

[RetiredNTraveling]

My wife and I have so enjoyed your insightful and entertaining review! We are just a couple of JHawk'sNExile living in of all places Stillwater, OK. Believe us when we say that we look foreword to future reviews. Next Oct we are taking the 28 day Hawaii & Tahiti cruise. Neither of us is up to flights longer than 5 hrs. Just to old, I guess. Thanks again!

 

Previous Cruises:

Alaska, May '07! ~Alaska, Sept '12!~Hawaii, Mar '13!~Can & NE, Oct '13!

Booked '15 Crown Princess 28 day Cruise ~ Hawaii, Samoa & Tahiti!

 

We are just,

“RetiredNTraveling”!(Mike & Betty)

Edited December 28, 2014 by RetiredNTraveling