Tips for booking a Tahiti (TP) cruise

[tory707]

Hi All...I am a past Princess cruiser but am new to the world of Tahiti. I am from the Philadelphia area and I am looing for any booking tips you can provide. (ex: what time of year to go...My 50th is Nov 20th but not sure if they have Hurricanes or storms at that time...how to get there from the east coast...where to stay before the cruise etc...) would i be making a mistake not getting a balcony on that cruise? Any info is appreciated.

[caribill]

I can only relate our own experience.

 

We went this past December. It poured on embarcation day in Papeete, but the locals said that much rain was unusual. The next 10 days had perfect weather and smooth sailing.

 

Pre-cruise we came in a day early and stayed at Le Mandarin which is located downtown a short walk to the cruise pier. However, if you want to arrive earlier than that and want the Tahiti experience of fancy resorts and over the water bungalows, that is not the place to stay.

 

Air Tahiti Nui is the best way to get to Papeete. From the East coast make your way to LAX and then a non-stop to Papeete. Allow at least 3 hours connecting each way at LAX. You may want to overnight on the way at LAX so you can take the flight to Tahiti that arrives about 6:30 PM instead of 1 AM. Definitely go at least one day early.

 

A balcony is always great, especially if you are celebrating a big occasion such as your 50th. However, if you spend very little time in your cabin during cruises, it is not essential.

[WeBeGone]

Hi All...I am a past Princess cruiser but am new to the world of Tahiti. I am from the Philadelphia area and I am looing for any booking tips you can provide. (ex: what time of year to go...My 50th is Nov 20th but not sure if they have Hurricanes or storms at that time...how to get there from the east coast...where to stay before the cruise etc...) would i be making a mistake not getting a balcony on that cruise? Any info is appreciated.

 

We loved our b2b which was Nov 20 to Dec 10. The weather was great although it rained one day in Bora Bora and both days in Raitea. We purchased air through Princess, Miami round trip. At the time it was less expensive than I could find on my own. We also booked one pre night stay through Princess and stayed at the Intercontinental. Having done that once, the next time we go I'll book my own hotel as the Intercontinental, while gorgeous, was very expensive. In my opinion, if you can afford a balcony, book one. We were on our balcony almost every minute we weren't eating or sleeping. If you need to book an inside, just be prepared to get up early so you can be outside for all the arrivals.

[notentirelynormal]

Just make sure if you want to see Papeete that you DO go in early. We flew in the same day (please don't tell me we should have gone earlier, it was not possible for us on this trip)... We arrived when it was dark, took the bus ride to the ship, wanted to at least check out the market but it was already closed. What did we see of Papeete? The airport and the pier.

[5:00_Somewhere]

We did the 12-day Tahiti to Hawaii cruise on the TP this past September, and it was one of the most wonderful vacations ever! As I've posted elsewhere, the ship is small but beautiful and nicely appointed; the staff and crew were wonderful; and we met some of the most fantastic people ever on this trip!

 

Oh, and there's the ports, of course. Some of the most beautiful places in the world!

 

I highly recommend a balcony cabin, just because there's so much to see so much of the time. The views coming into port each morning at each island are not to be missed.

 

I agree with the post above, too: find your way to LAX and then Air Tahiti Nui to Papeete, and leave at least 3 hours in between flights or stay over. We had 2 hours and made it only because American Airlines is affiliated with ATN and we were able to check our luggage all the way through to Tahiti. However, many people had to get their bags in the domestic terminal and then wait in an EXTREMELY long line to re-check baggage in the International terminal at LAX, before waiting in another extremely long line to get through security.

 

Also, we flew straight through the same day. It made for a long travel day, but the ATN flight was so nice (even in coach) that it really wasn't so burdonsome, after all. We arrived after dark and stayed at the Intercontinental. The next morning we got to the ship as early as possible so that we could check in and drop our luggage first thing (the opened the check in lines at 11:00 a.m.), then we boarded the ship briefly to look around and grabbed beach towels from the Purser's desk and went on a 4-hour tour of the island (with a group of people we met on this board.) It was wonderful!

 

I cannot recommend a Tahitian cruise on the TP highly enough. You'll have a wonderful time, I promse. :D

[cruzegirl]

Hi All...I am a past Princess cruiser but am new to the world of Tahiti. I am from the Philadelphia area and I am looing for any booking tips you can provide. (ex: what time of year to go...My 50th is Nov 20th but not sure if they have Hurricanes or storms at that time...how to get there from the east coast...where to stay before the cruise etc...) would i be making a mistake not getting a balcony on that cruise? Any info is appreciated.

 

Hi Tory,

Ok, you could always come join us on our October 20th sailing! lol.. We have a roll call started..

What I have learned and heard from others is that the prime time to go is from April to the end of October. That is there dry time (less chance of being rained/stormed out) and not boiling hot. I am on the west coast but my cabin mates are from the east. So, they are coming here first. Staying overnight with me. Then we all fly on to Papeete. We are going 4 days early but most folks just come in 1 day early. But we are staying on Moorea for a few days. I've heard it's a "must" for a balcony. Which we booked. I'm a diver so I can't wait for all that it will bring.... The other thing is that whatever you decide, you must book by Dec. 2008. The cruise line is leaving Tahiti after that and won't be doing the Tahiti itinerary roundtrip.

Good Luck on your choice and have a great time.......:D

[ewlj]

We cruised the TP on December 20th. Just one warning: on our itinerary they are scheduled to go to Rorotonga, but due to rough conditions we couldn't go there and supposedly this happens more often than not. One lady on our cruise had done the itinerary 3 times and NEVER went to Rorotonga. It's disappointing and there was no ship credit offered. I recommend an intinerary that avoids Rorotonga.

 

Other than that, I highly recommend the cruise. I wouldn't recommend doing Tahiti purely by land as it's very quiet and very expensive. The cruise is a good value and provides your entertainment and meals without the hassle.

[kruzingtogether]

We didn't have a balcony and really didn't regret it. We spent some lovely evenings on the open decks sailing away from the islands. Since the ship doesn't have as many passengers as most other cruise ships, we never found the decks to be too overly crowded.

[MoonPet]

If you can get to New York, TN has a direct flight JFK-PPT that will save you the hassle of having to connect.

 

We flew this route this past summer, stayed three days in Le Meredien Tahiti prior to the cruise, and then returned to Bora Bora after the cruise.

 

It was truly an outstanding trip.

[cflutist]

Definitely go in 1 - 2 days early if you can. The ATN plane was only half full from LAX to PPT. Got to strech out over 5 seats and snooze.

Both times we flew from OAK(Oakland CA) to LAX a day early using Southwest so we wouldn't have to stess about missing the ATN flight out of LAX. In 2004 we booked our own air on ATN because Princess was using the Omni Charter at the time which we read was a "cattle call". In 2007 we used Princess Air since we knew they had switched to ATN and offered a better fare than we could get on our own.

 

We went in 2004 (Cook Island Itinerary) and 2007 (Marquesas Itinerary). Loved it both times but if forced to choose, would prefer the Marquesas.

I understand Princess is planning to scrap both itineraries (due to rough tender landings) to add Rangiroa (beautiful snorkeling/diving spot) instead. We were lucky in that we went ashore in both the Cook Islands, Niku Hiva, and Hiva Oa.

 

We have stayed at the Sheraton (2004) and the Intercontinental (2007). Both are nice hotels with a slight edge to the Intercontinental.

 

It rained a lot in Jan 2007 but was sunny the whole time in April 2004.

 

Visit the Marche if you can. They have beautiful tropical flower arrangements for $10 - $20 USD that are probably about $150 back home. You can take them aboard ship with no problem.

 

My hubby is a camera buff and maintains a website with all of our cruise pictures. There are links to pictures of both Tahitian Princess cruises in my signature. Here is an additional link to the Jan 2007 cruise which is sorted by island:

http://www.websailor.org/Tahiti_2007.html

[tory707]

Thank you all for the great advice. Feel free to keep it coming...

[dot73]

I did a btb TP in late January 2007 to celebrate my 50th birthday. It was the best trip I have ever taken. Don't even think twice about booking it, just do it.

I stayed four days at the IC before the cruise. Fabulous hotel. The grounds and the pools were great. If you can afford an over the water bungalow, go for it. Make sure you book it directly through the IC website. It is much cheaper than buying from Princess. The cab ride to the hotel was only $25. You can buy a transfer to the ship from the hotel concierge. As for weather, from what I have read, it can sometimes be a bit of a crapshoot. I went in the "rainy" season and had a few days of rain at the IC and then only 3 rainy days on the TP. The rain is so warm, that my favourite thing to do was to swim in the pool and have a shower at the same time.

 

cflutist: I see that you have a picture with my all time favourite waitress Juvi. Wasn't she a sweetheart. I had her and Ferdinand in the dining room for both cruises.

[TexasMom2]

I'm from Texas so I can't help with getting there from the east coast, but here are my thoughts:

 

We had a 3 hour layover from Houston, landing at LAX Terminal 1 then walking our luggage outside all the way down to Terminal 6 which is at the opposite end. Not a problem at all, it was great to stretch our legs after a 4 hour flight. The lines were long at ATN counter but not unbearable. Once you check in, they direct you to the luggage screening line on the right side of the counter. We stood there for 20 minutes without the line moving before noticing a 2nd line on the left side of the counter. We moved to that line and were through in about 5 minutes. Still had about 1.5 hours left to wait. The flight on ATN was late, but the plane was comfortable except for the cold temperature (no individual controls) and the food and free wine were awesome. This was the day the drug bust of ATN stewardesses was announced and they were short employees, but we didn't know about it until we got back.

 

Tip -- if you book air through Princess, seats are assigned at the airport. Insist that you get seats either on the left or right aisle and not in the middle. Also, don't take the first seats they offer, especially if it backs to a bulkhead because you can't recline (this happened to us on the return and it was impossible to sleep sitting straight up.) Take the seat map with you and make sure you like the seats before you accept your assignment.

 

Sign up for the ATN sale emails and you may find a price you can live with. We made the mistake of passing up $900 airfare from LAX because we thought it would go down, but it actually went up.

 

We were there end of June/first half of July 2007 and the weather was great. We stayed one night on Tahiti at the Sheraton and 2 nights after on Moorea in an OWB at the Sheraton. It was the nicest room we've ever stayed in and we loved the overwater experience in Bungalow 109, the horizon view OWB at the end of the pontoon. $850/night booked a year in advance and worth every penny and then some.

 

I would recommend going straight to Moorea if you're staying before the cruise. On check-out day, you can take your time getting to Papeete and boarding the ship then go back out to sightsee. That gives you 1/2 day plus the next day to see Papeete before the ship sails.

 

We had a BA balcony aft and it was the best decision we've ever made. The view leaving Raitaiea and passing Ta'haa was breathtaking and while at Bora Bora, the ship was anchored with the stern facing the island. It was so beautiful and we were there 1.5 days - incredible. Never made it to Rarotonga so the 3 sea days were more than I can handle. All in all a wonderful trip and we will go back for a land trip some day.

 

Have a good trip!

[tory707]

thanks for all the help...keep it coming. Cfutist...great photos!

[chasetf]

I did a btb TP in late January 2007 to celebrate my 50th birthday. It was the best trip I have ever taken. Don't even think twice about booking it, just do it.

We did a B2B in Feb 05 to celebrate retirement. And I would add to everyone elses "do it". We had a great time... some rain and more overcast clouds... but we it was always warm and never hot.

 

The water is unbelievable and the scenery is spectacular.

 

I have posted some of my pictures at:

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/561472081qBAujB

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/561472087cZkDow

[sunsurf]

We did a B2B in Feb 05 to celebrate retirement. And I would add to everyone elses "do it". We had a great time... some rain and more overcast clouds... but we it was always warm and never hot.

 

The water is unbelievable and the scenery is spectacular.

 

I have posted some of my pictures at:

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/561472081qBAujB

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/561472087cZkDow

 

WOW!! Thanks for posting you pictures! They are really beautiful. We're looking at a Tahitian cruise for our honeymoon in Feb. 09, but I'm hesitant on booking because of the time of year. I keep reading that it rains alot during that time.:( This may sound silly , but being that we're from Ontario, our vacations are all about sun (lots of sun), sand/beach and ocean. We need to escape our winter:eek:

[Toto2Kansas]

sunsurf, You had better check the Tahitian Princess schedule before you star dreaming. If I am not mistaken, it is leaving Tahiti in December 2008, and right now, Princess doesn't have any other ship slotted for the Tahitian Itineary. But who knows what the future might bring?

[Seal]

We did a B2B in Feb 05 to celebrate retirement. And I would add to everyone elses "do it". We had a great time... some rain and more overcast clouds... but we it was always warm and never hot.

 

The water is unbelievable and the scenery is spectacular.

 

I have posted some of my pictures at:

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/561472081qBAujB

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/561472087cZkDow

 

 

Thanks for the photos--been on the TP twice to Cook Islands--will be going again mid-March this year--I couldn't find labels--they could have been there but I'm not smart enough to find them--a couple of questions--the motu picnic in the water--Huahine???Princess excursion???--we did that one the first trip and then did

Marc in May--going to try Princess again--your picture makes me think I'm there right now--also, the OWB--were those at the IC Bora Bora--I'm probably wrong on both of these--would love to know about the picnic and the OWB

 

Thanks for your information

 

Nancy

[sunsurf]

sunsurf, You had better check the Tahitian Princess schedule before you star dreaming. If I am not mistaken, it is leaving Tahiti in December 2008, and right now, Princess doesn't have any other ship slotted for the Tahitian Itineary. But who knows what the future might bring?

 

 

I know:( Go figure! I've also been looking into Regent but they don't seem to have anything for Tahiti in Feb '09 either.:confused: Our 2nd choice is a B2B Southern Carib with a week land based. Either way, I know we'll have a great time!!

[tory707]

Not to sound stupid but what is a B2B

[twin123185]

Back to Back cruises !

Just got back from my second TP cruise - awesome !!!!

 

Larry

[Are we there yet?]

Not to sound stupid but what is a B2B

 

I believe it is "back to back", which means the same cruise twice in a row.

 

 

cflutist, I loved your pictures! The pictures of the flowers in the buckets at the market are lovely. Do you remember if they had an arrangement in a holder with the flowers in front of the picture so that I wouldn't need to take a vase?

[sunsurf]

Not to sound stupid but what is a B2B

 

 

don't worry...I just figured it out a while back myself :D It's a Back to Back cruise.

 

 

oops! didn't realize the answer was already posted!

[chasetf]

I believe it is "back to back", which means the same cruise twice in a row.

The best B2B is when the ship does alternating itineraries or completely different ones. But you can do a B2B that has the exact same itineraries and catch what you missed on the second time around. :D

[cflutist]

I believe it is "back to back", which means the same cruise twice in a row.

 

 

cflutist, I loved your pictures! The pictures of the flowers in the buckets at the market are lovely. Do you remember if they had an arrangement in a holder with the flowers in front of the picture so that I wouldn't need to take a vase?

 

Not sure what you are asking exactly, but they do sell flower arrangements so you don't need a vase. They come arranged in florist "foam" in a container just like back home. They also dump the water out so you can carry it back to the ship ... just add water when you get to your cabin.

If I recall correctly, the arrangement we bought in 2004 (different tropical flowers) was $20, and the one in 2007 (red ginger) was just $10 (it was more to begin with and I would have still bought it at that price, but while I was standing there pondering all of the beautiful arrangements, she said how about $10 ... sold ... and they take US dollars too. I guess she just wanted to make a sale.

 

http://www.megapathdsl.net/~websailor/tahitian_princess/photos/P1010099.JPG

 

http://www.websailor.org/Tahiti_Cruise_2007/Tahitian_Princess/images/tahiti_2007_8_002.jpg