Tahiti: Tight connection between cruise arrival and flight departure

[nzstuart51]

We are booked on Seabourn Odyssey to arrive in Papeete (Tahiti) at 7.00 am. The only flight to New Zealand or Australia is scheduled to depart Papeete at 9.10am on the same day. After that flight, the next flight is not for another 2 days.

Accordingly, I am very keen for us to get on the same day flight. I feel confident we could organise expedited disembarkation and would ensure we had all of our luggage with us when leaving the ship. Despite all this, the connecting time is extremely tight.

The cruise we are on visits three Tahitian islands before arriving in the capital Papeete. Those stopovers are in Raiatea, Moorea and Huahine. Question: will all customs and immigration formalities be completed before we get to Papeete thus meaning we can avoid any formalities in Papeete? Secondly, are taxis readily available at the cruise berth in Papeete and what is the travel time between town and the airport?

Any other guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

nzstuart51

[Aus Traveller]

This is an international cruise and I think there is little chance that the French authorities will do their customs/immigration checks at a previous port. Even if they did, the connection time would be too tight. The airport is only about 5km from Papeete, but for an international flight to Aust/NZ, you would have to check in probably two hours ahead of departure. Sorry to say it, but I think you will find yourselves enjoying Papeete for two days. ☹️

[Hogbay]

You can downline , ie disembark the port before and get a inter island ferry or enjoy your extra days in papeete .  

[cruiser3775]

If you could disembark in Moorea, then there is a fast inter-island ferry that only takes 30 minutes and runs 7 to 10 times per day.  But I don't know if you can do this and clear customs/immigration in Moorea.    

If you do end up spending two extra days in Papeete, there is plenty to see and do. I recommend a 4WD tour of the inland of the island, which goes into some wild tropical jungle and through a tunnel into the crater of an extinct volcano.

The waterfront gardens are beautiful, and there is an excellent black pearl museum.

The best place to eat with the locals is at the famous food trucks that set up each night at Place Vai'ete near the docks. 

[Aus Traveller]

19 minutes ago, Hogbay said:

You can downline , ie disembark the port before and get a inter island ferry or enjoy your extra days in papeete .  

That would work if they will allow passengers to leave the cruise in Moorea.

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

This is an international cruise and I think there is little chance that the French authorities will do their customs/immigration checks at a previous port. Even if they did, the connection time would be too tight. The airport is only about 5km from Papeete, but for an international flight to Aust/NZ, you would have to check in probably two hours ahead of departure. Sorry to say it, but I think you will find yourselves enjoying Papeete for two days. ☹️

I would check the check in deadline for your flight from Papeete, Tahiti, with your airline.  I suspect This would confirm that you would need to book the next flight two days later.  I think two extra days in Tahiti at the end of your cruise would be a perfect end. if you didn't want to stay in Papeete, you could stay in Moorea.

[geoff2802]

We enjoyed a couple of days at a resort on Tahiti afer the cruise when faced with this same decision.  Enjoyed it immensely, although it is expensive.  I seem to recall an orange juice was $10 and this was more than 20 years ago.  The local beer is more reasonably priced.  😀

[cruiser3775]

Yes, Tahiti is not a place for budget visitors. The whole economy is propped up by French public servants sent there. Because of the distance form France, it is a "hardship posting" and they are paid extra.  There is very little local growth or manufacturing of goods, so everything has to come a long way. I was astounded to see that basic things like toilet paper and bottled water were imported from France.  If you can find self contained accommodation and make your own breakfasts and maybe other meals, it will help the budget.  The Roulettes (food trucks) I mentioned before are a good way to eat without breaking the budget.

[MMDown Under]

59 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said:

Yes, Tahiti is not a place for budget visitors. The whole economy is propped up by French public servants sent there. Because of the distance form France, it is a "hardship posting" and they are paid extra.  There is very little local growth or manufacturing of goods, so everything has to come a long way. I was astounded to see that basic things like toilet paper and bottled water were imported from France.  If you can find self contained accommodation and make your own breakfasts and maybe other meals, it will help the budget.  The Roulettes (food trucks) I mentioned before are a good way to eat without breaking the budget.

It is a long time since our family stayed in Tahiti, but you can live less expensively like locals, by eating at the food trucks, and riding on le trucks (forms in back of a truck).  I recall we even went to an island night at a top hotel, where we just had to buy a drink, rather than the expensive island night meal package.  

[buchhalm]

Hmmmm. I don't think that for some one travelling Seabourn, COST of an extra night or two in a hotel is the main factor here.

🙂