Leela

Not sure if this is still the case but the Polynesian Cultural Center used to do bus pickups in Waikiki with their own bus.

Hali'imalie General Store is about a 15 minute drive from the cruise ship dock in Kihei, highly recommended. You can book them via Open Table.

I just canceled a Bermuda cruise: partly because of covid, but only partly. I think cases and variants will ebb and flow. I recently traveled internationally for the first time since 2019 and didn't find the entrance testing for my destination or for returning to the US onerous, once I understood the requirements and figured out when and where to obtain the correct tests.

I have just returned from French Polynesia and let me tell you I am SO GLAD I was paranoid about the COVID-19 testing requirements. We departed from Kona, Hawaiʻi, on Saturday April 9th...connecting in Honolulu to the weekly Hawaiian Airlines flight to Pape'ete. There was supposed to be a (informal, traveling on separate reservations) group of 14 of us traveling to Tahiti for two weeks.

Because I had read so much confusing and conflicting information regarding what was required for entry to French Polynesia, and because the rules seemed to be changing every week, I decided to follow the most strict/pedantic interpretation of the rules so as to lessen the chance of some misinformed airport agent or harried immigration bureaucrat denying us boarding or entry. We opted for RT-PCR tests, done at a medical clinic, within 24 hours of the departure of our first flight leg (from Kona to Honolulu). My boyfriend and I made sure our tickets were all on a single reservation, and also verified that the test we would be taking was a nasal test and not a saliva test.

When we checked in at Kona we had absolutely no problems. We handed the agent the results from our tests, along with our vaccination cards and our passports. ETIS had just been ended, so we had to fill out an attestation regarding the rules etc. of entry into French Polynesia. The agent put all of this information into their computer, wrote OK TO BOARD on our boarding passes, and off we went.

When we got to the gate we only saw two of the other people we thought were traveling. EVERYONE who had used the eMed proctored at-home antigen self-test was denied boarding! One lady had tried to check in so early that she managed to be able to run and get an instant antigen test from the same medical clinic where we had gotten our RT-PCR tests, so she made the next flight to Honolulu and got there in time to board the connecting flight to Pape'ete. Everyone else had to cancel/move all their plans for the first week, and rebook their flights to Tahiti for the next Saturday because Hawaiian Airlines only flies to Pape'ete one day per week. Somehow, two other people who *had* taken the Abbot Binax Now test via eMed WERE allowed to board; they have no idea why they were let on while the other people were not, and were worried all the way to Pape'ete the they'd be turned away at the border...but somehow that all worked out.

My boyfriend and I had an AMAZING time in French Polynesia. We went diving in the Tuamotos the first week, then went back to Pape'ete for an outrigger canoe racing camp. Camp capped off with my boyfriend and our friends competing in a outrigger canoe race off Teva I Uta.

Good luck in your travels, everyone! 

2 hours ago, gwenmarie said:

I used the emed test for our flight to Tahiti today on Hawaiian Air. No problem with the test and I printed the results.

Thank you for the update! Now I'm thinking I'll cancel the RT-PCR test because I don't really want to drive over an hour each way to the testing clinic the day before our departure to PPT.

My favorite casual place to eat in Lahaina is Star Noodle. They've moved from a warehouse area down to a waterfront spot next to the Old Lahaina Luau.

Thanks for posting that email. I'm going to call the testing clinic I'm scheduled with and double-check that the test is done via nasal swab and not saliva.

It really bothers me that none of this is spelled out if you go to https://tahititourisme.com/en-us/covid-19/ 

On 3/8/2022 at 9:50 AM, dandee2 said:

I have a similar question. We are flying to LAX from Canada. We usually arrive from Toronto the day before the ATN flight (at16h) to PPT. Tahiti needs a covid test 24 hours before departure. Is that right? Does it means that if the test is done 25 hours before the flight it is no good?

 

Take a look at the Tahiti Tourisme web site, it differentiates between travel on connecting flights that are all flown on the same ticket, and other ways of getting to Tahiti where you do a stopover en-route. How you are ticketed affects when the 24 hour clock starts. 

7 hours ago, Mercruiser said:

I think Leela is having to get a PCR test because that is what's available in Hawaii. On the mainland, antigen tests are widely available and are acceptable for travel, if performed by the right lab/clinic.

I live in a remote rural area of Hawaiʻi and I didn't want to get tripped up by whatever the definition is of "the right lab/clinic" for an easier-to-obtain and less expensive antigen test, so I'm going with an RT-PCR being done in a medical clinic. Based on my reading of various web sites, and the lack of clarification from any official source, I figured overkill was the best solution for my case. 

4 hours ago, USNA 72 said:

Both Air Tahiti Nui Airlines and the French Polynesian tourist bureau.

Meanwhile Hawaiian Airlines told someone I'm traveling with that the proctored Binex test *is* accepted, and when I emailed the COVID-19 questions address for Tahiti Tourisme to ask if that was true they never replied. This is why I'm going the full step of getting an RT-PCR test done at a medical clinic within 24 hours of my departure. It may be overkill, but it's perfectly clear to me on the Tourisme Tahiti web site that the test I'm taking is acceptable. I live in the boondocks and can't afford logistically to mess this up.

I don't have an answer for you, DanDee2 😞 Tahiti Tourisme never answered any of the emails I sent them a week ago, either. Fortunately my question has a happy resolution: the travel testing clinic that told me they could only book testing three days out called me today and asked me if I wanted to book for next month. Of course I did, so now we have appointments at a medical clinic to get RT-PCR tests within 24 hours of our departure to Tahiti.

The Aulani is out in Ko'olina, in the far west of O'ahu, and traffic between there and downtown Honolulu can be brutal during commute hours. I suggest you use a driving app like Waze to predict how long it will take to drive anywhere during the times you are thinking of moving about. You will most likely have to pay to park at the Aulani.

As far as getting an Uber cost estimate, you can open up the app and set your pick up and drop-off points. It will give you an estimate on the cost without you actually having to be in Hawaiʻi or having to book the ride.

By the way, parking in Waikiki is not always free, easy, or fun. 

There's a bathroom and an information booth. Pre-COVID there was also a small gift shop and a place to get shave ice and soft drinks. I do not know if those are still there.

Depending on what time your incoming flight arrives at Honolulu, perhaps you can schedule yourself an appointment at the airport. The County of Honolulu runs a testing site outside of security, so pick up your baggage first. It's only open from 9am-5pm though, so if your flight gets in too late that won't work for you. They do RT-PCR tests for $140 each for non-residents of the County.

Go to https://oahucitypass.lumisight.com and scroll down and look for "For Non-Prepaid by City and County of Honolulu."

1 hour ago, gwenmarie said:

I’m in this same situation as you are but we are from Oregon doing an overnight in Honolulu to take the one day a week flight to Tahiti. Our Sheraton hotel in the area has given me a few possibilities including a walk in clinic that may work. Very stressful 

I have an answer that may help you! If your flight from Oregon gets in early enough, you can get tested at the airport (after you've picked up your baggage). 

This web page: https://www.oneoahu.org/covid19-testing has all the info. From it, I see that for $140 you can get a fast PCR test, taken from a nasal sample, with results in about six hours. It's from the County's mobile testing laboratory, so that should't split any hairs that I have been obsessing about. 

The only catch is that they are only open 9am-5pm. Take a look at the web page and if it fits your schedule make an appointment as soon as possible (it's a busy testing site that books up fast).

Good luck! I wish this would work for me, I really don't want to change things to have to fly in from Kona the day before 😞

Right, I read that...I can get an RT-PCR test and I thought I that would be fine until I read on the Paul Gaugin web site that certain RT-PCR tests aren't actually accepted by Tahiti...so which ones are accepted and which ones are not? Even the Tahiti Tourisme web site isn't clear -- in some places the say that you just need a PCR or RT-PCR test and don't put on any other restrictions other than time frame...but in another place they say that saliva-based tests are not accepted. I'm trying to get a definitive answer so I don't take a test that isn't accepted. So far I know to stay away from Abbot ID NOW and anything saliva-based, but what else are they not specifying? 

Like, what does it mean that the test has to be administered by a medical center or screening center or medical analysis laboratory. Does the pharmacy that gives an RT-PCR with results returned under 16 hours count as an acceptable place to get tested, or do I need to go to an actual doctor's office or a place like Diagnostics Labs of Hawaiʻi or Clinical Labs of Hawaiʻi?

Am I overthinking this? Probably. But there's a lot of unrecoverable money riding on this if I mess up. 😞

If I find out anything I'll let you know: I emailed Tahiti Tourisme's COVID-19 questions address, and I also asked the woman organizing the trip to Tahiti I am going on.

I could be overthinking the entire thing...but I don't want to mess this up!

Hello,

I have been researching this topic literally for months and I cannot get enough information to make me feel confident that I will not have issues entering Tahiti. I'm hoping someone here will help. Please do not tell me to contact my airline because all Hawaiian Airlines has on their web site regarding travel to Tahiti is a link to the Tahiti Tourisme web site. I've studied the web site and still have questions.

I see that I have to present the negative results from a PCR test taken within 24 hours of my departure. I understand that. What I'm worried about is if there is actually a list of acceptable test providers that I don't know about that will trip me up? Or, is there a certain way the results must be presented to the airline during the boarding process so that I will be able to fly? I do not want to inadvertently get an unapproved test or have it presented in a way that the airline will not accept.

I live in a remote rural area of the Island of Hawaiʻi, and it's been difficult to find any place that can guarantee me a PCR test in under 72 hours, let alone under 24! The first one I found only takes appointments three days in advance of travel because they cannot guarantee a supply of available tests. (What if I cannot get an appointment from them?!!) I just found another place that will do RT-PCR tests with a four-week-advance-booking and a guaranteed 16-hour turnaround, but unlike the first place they do not SAY that they are a travel clinic so I'm worried about being trapped in some bureaucratic nightmare where my test won't be accepted. When Hawaiʻi started their "Safe Travels" program last year, some of people got tripped up by not using an approved provider and were turned away upon arrival in Hawaiʻi. I'm trying to find out if Tahiti is like that or not.

Thanks for any help.

Laura

I looked into this when I was over in Honolulu this past December. If you're staying in the Waikiki area, your best bet is to make an appointment at a major drug store (Longs, CVS, Walgreens) in Honolulu. Many testing options I found there, however, require you you do it on a drive-through basis. So, if you're not renting a car and can't find a walk-in option, get a taxi to take you over there and go through the drive-through. (And I specifically mean taxi, because I don't think a ride share app is set up to pay the driver for the wait time at the drive-through.)

You can also do a proctored in-home test from your hotel room, assuming it has decent internet.

On 2/24/2022 at 8:50 AM, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

Quick question now that I'm making plans... LOL... We're only in Hilo 8am to 5pm. Is that still enough time to rent a car and drive up to Volcano National Park? I've seen some great tours on TripAdvisor, but they last 11 hours and visit so many other places.

Definitely! It's about a 40 minute drive from Hilo to the entrance area of the Park. Even if you only have a short time there you can still view some great things there like the Nāhuku (Thurston) Lava Tube, the steam vents at the sulfur banks, and the overlooks at the main crater (Halema'uma'u) and Kīlauea Iki. Just keep an eye on time so you get back to the ship okay.

There's so much to see in the park, though, so it's best if you look at the park's web site to prioritize what you want to see. Although I enjoy going to see the Petroglyphs near the bottom of Chain of Craters road, a person on a tight time schedule will probably do better skipping that. Also, those on a tight time schedule might want to take a pass on driving Hilina Pali Road out to the Hilina Pali Overlook.

On the other hand, when you go to the Sulfur vents, it's worth it to walk up the trail toward the crater. There will be far fewer people -- most just stop in the parking lot and look at the vents right there -- and you'll see fern-edged vents in the woods along the crater's edge as you walk.

There are some great pull-offs with picnic tables along the magnificent mountainside of Chain of Craters Road, and not really any food facilities in that part of the park, so bring a picnic lunch to enjoy.

The Island of Hawaiʻi (also known as "The Big Island") is large and diverse. It's impossible to see everything, or even get highlights, in one day. So, I suggest starting out by deciding what you are most interested in. There are trips up to the Volcano National Park that will take most of the day but will show you things you might not ever see elsewhere. If an active volcano in a cloud forest isn't your thing, perhaps you would enjoy culinary tours: the Kona area grows coffee, cacao, vanilla, and other crops, there are many great farm tours available. Or maybe you just want to see waterfalls? There are tours that will take you to visit several (although, like going to the volcano, it's a long day of driving). 

Pour one out for Horizon. I miss her and Zenith.

I always have glass-lensed masks. Sometimes you have to do the toothpaste thing more than once, so maybe that's what you need. It won't hurt to do it again.

Also, I've found that because I use my mask a lot, random stuff seems to build up on the lenses such that every year or so I need to re-clean with toothpaste.

San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront is reliable, has a free airport shuttle, and is located a short walk along the Bay from several restaurants. It's not in a very interesting area -- just an area of small businesses, warehouses, and other hotels -- but it's right on the Bay and is pleasant and convenient for one night. 

If you can take public transit after the cruise, you can take BART to SFO, then pick up the Marriott's shuttle from in front of the upstairs of the International Terminal (which is basically where BART lets you off).

The Hotel Union Square is a cool place to stay.