skinsmom

45 minutes ago, RLK33853 said:

Linda and Michelle

 

Ann and myself would be interested in Ato's tour that day.   Do you have any more information other than what is on TripAdvisor?

 

You can reach me at rlk33853@hotmail.com 

 

Thanks

 

Ray and Ann

Excellent!  It will be a great day!  Sent you a message.  

On 8/8/2023 at 10:45 PM, FlightMedic555 said:

Fakarava Yacht Services seems to be the vendor for bikes and ATVs at the tender location. 
 

info is in the picture below

Great info!  Thanks so much!

Is it reasonable to rent an ebike and go to PK9 beach and snorkel from there?

On 8/29/2022 at 6:41 AM, Petoonya said:

I'm with Dbld777. And was still in Tahiti last week on Wind Spirit.

1) Bora Bora (by a long shot!) And as Dbld777 says H2O Bora Bora is the ultimate snorkeling outfit anywhere. Be sure to book early. They have two boats- one can accommodate 4 and the other 6 so their capacity is limited. And everyone wants them!

2) Raiatea (Taha'a) Te Mara Nui. https://www.te-mara-nui.com/en/  Terrific and they'll take you to the Coral gardens which comes in second to Bora Bora's coral gardens.

3) Moorea (not nearly as many fish as the as the others, and snorkel spots visited by many operators are very crowded.) But one of the better is Moorea Ocean Adventures https://moorea-ocean-adventures.com/    or Dr. Poole for whales/dolphins. http://www.drmichaelpoole.com/tours.htm

 

I'd advise snorkelers to use independent operators. Most, at least the ones who have relatively high ratings on Tripadvisor, are going to be better than what you will get on your ship's snorkel tours. By and large ship's tours visit areas that are "over snorkeled"- too many people. Or visit areas where fish are fed which is really not ethically or eco minded. If you choose a well recommended snorkel tour company from Tripadvisor, they are generally mindful of getting you back to the ship on time so they can keep their good reputation intact.

 

Again, book early to get the best.

 

 

Hi there!  We'll be there in November and visiting some new to us areas.  We've already booked H20 Bora Bora.  I agree private vendors are normally better than the ship's tours.  Do you have any specific snorkel tour vendors/recommendations for Rangoria or Huahine? Thanks so much!

Please post the next 2023 brochure when available!  Thanks!

9 hours ago, Ombud said:

From my PVP this morning:

"As your Princess Cruise Vacation Planner, I am excited to share with you our 2023 Summer Caribbean and Canada New England program release. As an Elite Captain Circle member you have early booking savings available on Tuesday, May 4th."

 

Yeah .... not sure as I've got 5 booked. 

I hope someone will post the brochure when they get it.  Although I'm in the Elite, I never seem to get the notifications and like to be able to review and know what I'd like to book.  Thanks all!

19 hours ago, minabruuke said:

I was so ecstatic at this news that I immediately texted both my parents to let them know.  Then I told my husband the second he got home and he brought me back to reality by asking if I'd rather go on Princess or Paul Gauguin.  And I then realized that Princess' return to French Polynesia (10 day itineraries) had come too late for me.  I'm forever spoiled! When Princess stopped their 10 day cruises in the F.P. we splurged and tried Paul Gauguin and as much as I love Princess there is no going back.  In the French Polynesia I'll take a port hole room on the Paul Gauguin over a suite on Princess.  

 

I don't share this to spoil this news for anyone as it really is great news and I think a good & exciting move on Princess' part.  Rather, I noticed that someone mentioned that the dates available for the Princess sailings wouldn't work for them and I want to encourage anyone in that situation to check out the Paul Gauguin.  Their prices look high at first but their oceanview rooms are actually priced fairly and you can get a great deal if you can take advantage of one of their 2 week sales.  When you consider their rates include airfare (we take the ~$1600/p air credit instead), transfers & a day room (unless you take an airfare credit), gratuities, specialty dining and beverages the overall price of your trip may not be that much more on the Paul Gauguin.  I do find the price difference between OV and balcony rates on that ship to be absurd, especially since on such a port intensive itinerary most people don't seem to get much use out of their balcony.  

Good information.  We’re currently booked on Paul Gauguin and now I see this.  We have a 13 day itinerary and it is more expensive but as you say, airfare is included.  I have to put them side by side to determine our best course of action.  

I feel like I'm late to the party, but know we're all here to help each other out :). Our cruise isn't until Sept 2019. We're near the DC area and can take advantage of the labor day holiday, so we'd actually have about 6 days before our cruise. I've been trying to figure out what we'd like to do with that time. The ferry to Moorea certainly sounds like an interesting idea. Our cruise will have just one day there. From the thread, it seems the transfer from the airport to the ferry to Moorea is easy. Is a car needed?

Thanks all!

Taking pictures in the South Pacific can be a bit tricky. Most cameras are not made for the incredible dynamic range, meaning dark shadows and bright light in the same composition. I will share a few pointers that most will get something out of. No this isn’t a class for the avid amateur photographer or one that makes their living shooting professionally….

 

 

Thanks for this advice. We're travelling there next year and are currently looking at the Canon EOS 80D. For underwater, we have the Fuji FinePix, but I've seen some Nikon photos which look much brighter so I may consider replacing that as well. Any and all hints you have on photos or what not to miss are welcome! Thanks!

Welcome all! Starting a new roll call for this amazing journey!

We were on the Coral a few weeks ago and the ship is in great condition.

Great to hear! We're onboard in February!

Lots of great info in this thread - thanks all for providing your thoughts!

 

We're doing the partial transit on the Coral for Xmas this year .... so we're hoping our excursion through the rain forest lets us see some in the wild. We're planning on snorkeling in Aruba, an aviary in Colombia, sting rays in Grand Caymans. ...

Thanks again original poster for starting this - I also didn't find much trying to query on Coral.

Hi there! Your cruise (now completed) sounds almost identical to ours. We have my dad (80) and aunt (75) with us. Doing the Coral partial transit. Snorkeling in Aruba, Aviary in Columbia, Rainforest and Gatun Lakes & Lock cruise, Veragua Rainforest tour, & Turtle Farm at Grand Cayman.

Having returned, what tips do you have? what was the best thing you packed or worst thing you forgot (wished you'd had)? Can't wait to hear more about your experience! Thanks!

Thank you so very much for your review. We're onboard Feb 16-26 for the same itinerary so always good to hear about it. 🙂

A few questions...

Which nights were the formal nights?

How late in the evening was the stargazing?

Did you get up at 4am to see the canal entry? Where did you view from?

Were the port talks on the morning you were getting into the port?

What activities were great on the 1st two days(sea days)?

I will probably think of more later lol. Thanks again for your review and your willingness to field questions.

We normally do anytime dining but as we will have my dad (80) with us on our next cruise, we thought traditional may work better. From reading this thread, I think our 5:15 find time will actually mean that when we get our cruise card, we will be told the real time and dining room. Is that correct? Thanks!

Great review! We're preparing for this trip with my dad (80) and aunt (75) so we'd like to figure some of it out before going. Your review was very helpful!

Did you do this tour? How was it? How much walking?

Thanks!

Just returned from our Hawaii trip (we stayed on after the cruise). The ship is different (we're Princess cruisers), but I have no real complaints. Want to say first off that our interactions with the crew were awesome, they were friendly and attentive. Not sure where other's concerns lie, but we are also there to be happy and have fun.

We loved the islands and this itinerary was great!

A short list then our narrative:

Recommended - Brazilian steakhouse onboard, attending some events hosted by Hawaiian Ambassadors (they are great), snorkeling if you like, rent a car to drive around Kauai.

Notes - our room was very small, but we weren't there much, no plugs on the bed side of the room (CPAP users, make sure you have an extension cord!!!!)

Arrived a day early and did Waikiki Beach and Hard Rock Cafe - the manager there is SO friendly! Arrived at port around noon, boarding took 45 min or so (usual) and no surprises. Roamed the ship waiting for room to be ready and went to Meet and Greet. 1st day in Maui went to Wailena Beach and saw many turtles while snorkeling from the beach swim out to the rocks early, it gets strong in the afternoon.

We then went to Haleakala national park for sunset. Overall a great day!

2nd day in Maui, did the Molokini Crater Snorkel. Lots of folks there, but great viewing. The 2nd stop was cancelled due to strong currents, but it actually was the same spot off the beach we'd been to the day before.

Hilo - saw lava splash, did some tourist stops, hiked the lava tubes, saw rainbow falls. LONG bus day, but worth it. Listen to your driver and get back on time, it's a tight itinerary and some were left behind.

Kona - Catamarin sail and snorkel - again lovely water and wildlife. Great crew!

Kauai - drove to Waimea canyon - with a rental car you can go all the way to the top and it's definitely worth it. Drove down, went to Puka Dogs which was YUMMY! Then went to Spouting Horn.

Parked and snorkeled at Poipu Beach - from the bathrooms, snorkel to the right (a lot more there). But turtles came up for a nap on the left so we enjoyed seeing those also! Nice to have a car and some time to ourselves and flexibility this day.

2nd day - did the movie tour - fun! Cruise the Napali coast - beautiful. Recommend listening from your stateroom TV if you're on port side.

Enjoy your trip!

The deck certainly gets crowded. We wound up near some chatty folks which sadly made it hard to hear the narration. Hopefully, the cruise will work on the volume, but if you're on port side, you might consider listening from the TV in your room. The views are awesome!

We are on the May 21 sailing. Thank you so much for your thorough review and pictures. All you have done helps with planning and knowing what to expect. We typically cruise on Princess but wanted to do the islands here.

Linda

"Our only saving grace was the Global Entry passes we got from Customs a couple of months before our trip. If you haven’t done this, I highly encourage you to. The fee is $100 and, after completing a long application and a face-to-face interview with a Customs agent, you get a special sticker that allows you to skip the lines at Customs."

Can you please tell me more about this? Where did you go to get it? etc.

Thanks!

YOur reviews are an invaluable resource in planning! Thank you so much for all of your planning and congratulations on your weight loss (DH lost 115, I lost 70 but have backtracked some due to surgery)

We are booked for next year. I can't thank you enough for all the information you are providing. It's a great help!