Live Review Koningsdam Feb 17-March 23, 2024. Hawaii/Tahiti

[seeriteR]

On 3/23/2024 at 10:39 PM, DJ Cruisers said:

We went back to the BW Yacht Harbor.  We waited an hour for the shuttle. 

 

Anybody that remembers Jasmine who was on the desk before the cruise, well she's gone.  She was quite helpful.  Evidently too helpful.  The fellow on the desk said "she promised people things she wasn't supposed to and she's gone".

 

In case you can't tell yet, I'm just now trying to finish reading all the posts. I have 8 pages to go! 

 

I remember Jasmine and when we got to BWYH (after the hour shuttle wait), I was surprised that I didn't have to pay for parking. The desk guy said, "Nope! If it wasn't on your bill when you checked out, you don't have to pay." Nice! But that could also be the reason Jasmine is gone. Although I didn't know the backstory on that and was totally willing to pay what I thought was due and had agreed to (which was $5 day for 34 days), I didn't argue with him and just said "Thank you."

Edited April 23 by seeriteR
Had to add 3 to make it 8 pages to go!

[seeriteR]

@BermudaBound2014

Cheryl,

We hope you enjoy your Hawaii time! You're missing all the daffodils and tulips here in Michigan...and the snow! Yup, a light flurry Saturday afternoon! Give us a shout when you get home. We'll get together and share pics a beers!

Jim and Pam

(FYI...we live only 20 minutes from Cheryl!)

[ljgordon54]

12 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Those videos look blank on my phone- can someone please let me know if you can view them? 
 

Also let me know if you just want me to stop. I feel like this is now a groundhogs day review. 🤣

The videos are short but very clear. Please don’t stop. You have been a valuable source of information. Janet

[Haljo1935]

16 hours ago, julia said:

The videos are fine... crisp and clear. 

And, do not stop, do not pass go, do not collect $200.  Continue with this review right up until you step on the ship in Feb 2025, then you can start a brand new one. 😂

This

This

And this!!

[SonuvaBeach]

18 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Jim,I finally got some time to watch every single video (Maui is still keeping me busy, whale season ended last week but several whales didn’t get the memo). These videos are exceptional and a wonderful reminder of the trip. Thank you so much. I was fun to spot me in so many. I shared a few with DH so he could see what he missed. We really did do a lot of excursions together! Goes without saying that I will hold you and Toni’s friendship near and dear for life :).

We hd such a great time with you! We are currently boring all our friends and family by making them sit through all 35 days of videos!! kidding...only the videos of the  ports...okay and a few sea days.  Toni just looks so GREAT on formal nights, we have to make people watch those videos too!! We serve them lots of wine and vodka, so that helps...

[Hogladyrider]

@BermudaBound2014..videos look great on my Chromebook - oh that water!

[BermudaBound2014]

19 hours ago, seeriteR said:

@BermudaBound2014

Cheryl,

We hope you enjoy your Hawaii time! You're missing all the daffodils and tulips here in Michigan...and the snow! Yup, a light flurry Saturday afternoon! Give us a shout when you get home. We'll get together and share pics a beers!

Jim and Pam

(FYI...we live only 20 minutes from Cheryl!)

Ha! Golf league starts tomorrow in Michigan. High 48. There’s a reason I miss the first 3 weeks of the season (although my neighbor just sent me a pic of my magnolia tree in bloom which is lovely). 
 

Meanwhile my current situation includes

watching this whale from my Lanai. Apparently some of the whales are refusing to head back before May also :). GMTA

 

Excited to share those beers! Give Pam my best 🙂

 

 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

22 hours ago, 0106 said:

@BermudaBound2014Your videos are outstanding. Thank you!

 

What are your recommendations for tours on my Hawaii cruise. TYIA

There are lots of Hawaii experts here, but if you have never been this is my recommendation. 
 

Hilo- volcano national

park

 

Kahalui in Jan- head to Ma’alea bay for a whale watch

 

Honolulu- Polynesia cultural center

 

Kauai- Waimea canyon 

 

Kona- this is a hard one. Before covid Kona was a cool little town to just stroll thru. Now many of the shops have gone out of business. I read Kona brewery is now doing tours, that place is ok. If you are a golfer the Kona country club would be my choice for how

To spend that day. 

 

 

 

[0106]

@BermudaBound2014 Thank you for this thread and for your recommendations.

[BermudaBound2014]

On 4/22/2024 at 1:06 PM, canadianbear said:

@BermudaBound2014
Videos so far are great!  Wish we could have done them from the ship-you had premium & it still didn’t work right? 

That is correct. Premium did not allow videos to be posted to cruise critic (although I could post them to my social media pages). I think it’s mostly a cruise critic problem. I’m going to set up my own YouTube channel like Jim because I think links load better.

 

I loved the sharks too! I swam with them 5 times. The first was the deep sea cage dive on the North shore of Honolulu. Totally different than those tame little blacktips in Moorea and Reatea -

 

 

I’m thrilled I did this (even though I heaved my cookies along with half the boat as it was super rough). We were completely surrounded by a couple dozen 15-18 footers! Perfect for this adrenaline junkie

 

 

 

 

 

Ps this was my first attempt with my new GoPro and the waves were HuGe making it even more challenging. Sorry, I’m just not a videographer. But if you want to swim with sharks I can hook you up!!

 

 

 

 

[SonuvaBeach]

11 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Ha! Golf league starts tomorrow in Michigan. High 48. There’s a reason I miss the first 3 weeks of the season (although my neighbor just sent me a pic of my magnolia tree in bloom which is lovely). 
 

Meanwhile my current situation includes

watching this whale from my Lanai. Apparently some of the whales are refusing to head back before May also :). GMTA

 

Excited to share those beers! Give Pam my best 🙂

 

 

FullSizeRender.MOV 11.98 MB · 5 downloads  

 

AWESOME!!

[BermudaBound2014]

Continuing on with more snorkeling videos. These are also from Raitea (I was on the same trip as @canadianbear and @SonuvaBeach). 
 

 

For what it’s worth, to me French Polynesian is all about the water!! I will do zero land trips here next year. The coral reefs are still alive (although obviously some evidence of coral bleaching). Plus, it’s super hot on land. He** hot like nothing I have ever experienced.
 

 

For a first time visitor, some land trips make sense, but if you like the water like I like the water, this itinerary is PERFECT for you!!!

 

 

 

That shark swam directly underneath me! 

 

 

 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

Here is some more from a snorkeling trip Raitea. The snorkeling trips circle the island of TaHaa. You can elect to see the vanilla and pearl plantation, or skip those and just spend more time in the water. You know what I picked :). 

 

 

Our gorgeous Motu for lunch (I didn’t particularly like the food but I have the palette of a toddler). I was perfectly happy just spending time here. 
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

Edited April 24 by BermudaBound2014

[oakridger]

Your pictures are getting me so excited to go there but I have to wait until May 2025!!!  I'm happy to look at anything you have videos and pictures of!!  Thank you!

 

~Nancy

 

[canadianbear]

Just now, oakridger said:

Your pictures are getting me so excited to go there but I have to wait until May 2025!!!  I'm happy to look at anything you have videos and pictures of!!  Thank you!

 

~Nancy

 

We loved the cruise-I want to do it again in 2025 (shh…Mr Bear still doesn’t know I have a deposit already down on it!!)   The water is spectacular and we both loved our snorkel excursions.  I’m still in awe of the sharks-I had one coming straight at me & wasn’t quite sure what to do-move or stay-since I had my camera in front of me figured it would hit that first but he veered off! 

[Hogladyrider]

WOW...thank you thank you for this report.  We are water folks as well.  Now I know we would love this cruise.

 

When I tried researching, via reading fellow cruisers posts, I thought "naw not for us" but you have changed my mind 100%.

 

We would rather be in the water!   

 

One of the many things we do love about cruising is just looking out from the ship at the horizon and how vast and huge the ocean is....wonders upon wonders.

[BermudaBound2014]

4 hours ago, Hogladyrider said:

WOW...thank you thank you for this report.  We are water folks as well.  Now I know we would love this cruise.

 

When I tried researching, via reading fellow cruisers posts, I thought "naw not for us" but you have changed my mind 100%.

 

We would rather be in the water!   

 

One of the many things we do love about cruising is just looking out from the ship at the horizon and how vast and huge the ocean is....wonders upon wonders.

It’s not that the islands aren’t beautiful, but it’s the water surrounding the islands that draws me to return. French Polynesia reminds me of what Hawaii was like when I first moved to Oahu back in the 80s.

 

There are lots and lots of days to just gaze out at the ocean (and by lots I mean LOts). I would not recommend this itinerary for anyone who doesn’t absolutely LOVE sea days, but since you love the water and sea days I’ll go out on a limb and suggest this is a perfect itinerary for you. 🤙

 

The color of this water in FP is UnEarthly. Picture yourself gliding across this stretch on the way to lunch on your very own Gilligan’s Island. What’s not to love?

 

 

 

[TableGirl]

On 4/23/2024 at 2:17 PM, Hogladyrider said:

oh that water!

Yes!  Thank you again @BermudaBound2014 for those videos.  Ah to be in that crystal clear (and warm?) water!

[Hogladyrider]

@BermudaBound2014...we love sea days for sure!   We often stay on the ship when in port as well depending on the port.

 

We had this cruise you were on booked originally and I hesitated when I could not find water activities (guess I did not look in the right places).  Plus I was hesitant that 35 days away might be a lot so we switched to 18 days San Diego to Hawaii the cruise before yours.  NOPE 18 days was not too much.

We had a great time!

Edited April 25 by Hogladyrider

[BermudaBound2014]

19 hours ago, TableGirl said:

Yes!  Thank you again @BermudaBound2014 for those videos.  Ah to be in that crystal clear (and warm?) water!

oh yes, the water  was VERY warm. Much warmer than Hawaii was (even yesterday and we are getting close to May).
 

Unfortunately the warm water is expected to create a large bleaching event in FP like what happened in 2019  😭. Like forest fire, reefs can comeback from catastrophic bleaching but it takes sooooo much time. But, if there is a bright side, you will not need to wear skin and it’s not even a bit chilly getting out of the water and there is evidence to show just how much the reef has returned.

 

Edited April 26 by BermudaBound2014

[BermudaBound2014]

Let’s finish with the rest of the black tip shark videos. As most of you know there are very few blacktip attacks on humans. It’s almost unheard of.
 

With that, I wouldn’t recommend splashing around on the surface like an injured fish. I watched a local “call in” a shark on motu Otefro and used my new skill to call one in at the blue lagoon on Fakarava. By calling in I just mean making repeated circular splashing patterns at the surface of the water to get the shark to abruptly turn around and come check out dinner. It’s fun 🤙

 

This is snorkeling with black tips in Moorea which was my favorite because we were on a very small tour (only five of us). The bottom was Sandy and shallow so we could stand and this lent itself to a much more stable encounter.

If you are looking to snorkel with black tip, reef sharks, I can highly recommend either Raitea or Moorea. But if you don’t know how to snorkel and just want to get in the water with black tip brief sharks, you can probably do that easier in Moorea where no swimming is involved and you can stand for the encounter. Just Look at this guys eyeball ….. 

 

 

 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

Doesn’t look like the video loaded properly…let’s try this. These videos were taken with my GoPro. No zoom.  The sharks aren’t more than a few feet away.

 

 

 

 

[ljgordon54]

4 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

This is snorkeling with black tips in Moorea which was my favorite

I hate to say it, but black tip shark is a great dinner too!

[canadianbear]

2 minutes ago, ljgordon54 said:

I hate to say it, but black tip shark is a great dinner too!

Just glad none of us was their dinner!

[BermudaBound2014]

 

 

I know I’m jumping around a bit but I want to wrap this “live” up while I’m still on Maui. Once I head back to Mich there will be lots and lots of tasks to catch up on.

 

 

Tahiti/Papeete was much different than the rest of our stops in FP.  There are no great beaches there and the snorkeling isn’t terrific either, so I recommend this is the stop to experience a FP bustling city and do a land tour.

 

I used Eden Tours found on trip advisor. An air conditioned van to circle the entire island. Some tours only do either the east half or the west half but this was a full day tour that did the circle. We stopped at many waterfalls, a black sand beach, a blowhole, a grotto, you get the jist. I would highly recommend this guy again and with various discounts (rakuten, targeted Cc offers, TA discount code) I believe the price was less than $50 pp -  a far cry from the Hal tours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are beautiful colorful street murals

scattering the city. I was told that Papette holds one of the largest street mural competitions annually and it shows.

 

 

 

 

 

There is also an international market across the street from where the ship docks. I picked up an amazing bunch of flowers for $10. US dollars accepted everywhere on this trip.