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South Pacific Cruise Observations


Blue262
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I just got back from a 14 day Paul Guaguin cruise through the south pacific. We stopped at Tahiti, Moorea, Taha'a, Bora Bora, Aitutaki, Tonga, Savusavu Fiji, Suva Fiji, Beqa Island Fiji and Lautoka Fiji.

 

The Paul Gauguin is an incredible small ship delivering 100% on the promise to bring you in to small islands bigger ships can't get to. This ship is the best value in a cruise ship I have ever done.

 

The south pacific islanders are the kindest, most generous people I have ever met. If you ever get a chance to do this trip do it just to met the most incredible people you will ever meet.

 

All said and done, Anguilla, Exuma and Turks and Caicos are the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. Bonaire and Turks and Caicos are the most beautiful snorkeling I have ever done.

 

I'm now satisfied that for flying 3 or 4 hours to the Carribean, versus 14 hours to the south pacific and for 25% the cost, the carribean is my paradise.

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I wish the Caribbean was only 3-4 hours away... for me coming from AZ with no direct flights, it took me 12 hours to get to Puerto Rico on one trip and 16 hours (with a ferry ride, and not including the overnight stay in St. Thomas) to get to Tortola on another trip. I do get that the longer flights can be tiring, especially for those of us who can't afford to fly anything but coach. I'm grateful though that I can afford to travel and see the world, as not everyone has that opportunity. We splurged on this trip and are going to FP with the assumption that we won't likely go back (only because we rarely return to the same place more than once anyway). I'd like to check out Turks and Caicos though some day, so may have to make a plan to do that. Glad you found your paradise, and glad those with the FP flu have found theirs too! :cool:

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It's apples and oranges ...

 

If you were to go on a small ship in the Caribbean, all inclusive from lets say LAX, include the bar tab and gratuities, go to smaller ports of call on small islands for 14 days ........ the price would be a bit less than the South Pacific and going on the PG., but not much. For us in Southern California it's only 8 hours to French Polynesia. I've been to the Caribbean several times and yes the beaches are beautiful but the warmth of the Polynesian people capture many of us to return to the South Pacific.

 

BTW, the best snorkeling in French Polynesia is on the atolls such as Rangiroa or Fakarava ;)

 

As I said, apples and oranges, both are good, just different.

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Blue, thanks for your endorsement of the Paul Gauguin ship and the South Pacific.

 

I agree that French Polynesia (and presumably Fiji) are not about beaches. They're about lagoons and motus.

 

I also had a great snorkeling experience recently in Bonaire (off Klein Bonaire) just last winter. Snorkeling these days is fraught--there's what there used to be, and there's what's left. It's very sad.

 

My first and second snorkel experiences were in Harbour Island, near Eleuthera, in the 80's. Wow. My next one was in the Tuomotus, Manihi, French Polynesia, in the year 2000. Again, "wow".

 

Since then I've watched the reefs die in FP over the years. And elsewhere. Same trip this winter I snorkeled in Martinique and it was pretty sad really. I've only snorkeled once in Grand Turk and frankly it wasn't memorable, but that's a one-off. The Tuomotus does seem to have the best remaining reefs for snorkeling in FP. Sorry to hear Aitutaki is not that great either.

 

I would say that I feel privileged to have seen some of the reefs before the degradation was obviously. But I still have some hope we will have the sense to turn this around.

 

I love FP and prefer it to anywhere I've been in the Caribbean. But I admit that perhaps I just haven't found the right alternative.

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