YoPhilly

Hi there. First time to the South Pacific and I'm trying to find out how to get to one of the motus of Bora Bora for a beach day. The ship is charging $130pp to take us over and back - nothing else. I figure there must be water taxis or something like that available at the tender pier, but I can't find any information at all. I've searched this forum, but came up empty. Any experience or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. For decades, I've dreamed of swimming in that stunning lagoon, and I want to make the most of my visit.

I've read that bikes are available to rent on Rangiroa but I can't find any information on it. For those of you who've been there, did you see any rentals near the pier? Any info would be appreciated.

This is so helpful for first-timers like me. Thanks, Petoonya!

Yep. One has to wonder if O's communications team deliberately tries to confound their audience! 😁

It would appear that cruise-only (no O Life) doesn't apply.

We booked the same cruise, but boarding on the 10th in Copenhagen.

I'm glad to hear this. We're on the 30-day LA to Auckland segment of the next ATW, and I was a little concerned about this very thing. Thanks for posting.

We visited Santorini on O back in 2009. I don't remember how many ships were in port, but the island was OVERWHELMED with visitors. Crowds everywhere. I took the funicular up but my husband chose to walk. He enjoyed the walk but we both took the funicular down. I'm sure the situation is even worse these days with more massive ships. In fact, I'm surprised the Greeks don't limit ship visitors the way Venice has done. Santorini is such a stunning island, but I won't recommend it to anyone anymore.

9/10 leaves from Copenhagen. Yes, it’s a terrific itinerary I especially like the overnight in Stockholm. Are you on the CruiseCritic roll call for the sailing? I’ll join it as soon as I am booked. Till we meet again! 😁

I’m looking at the September 10, 2024 sailing. You too?

Alyssamma, please post your impressions next month. 😀

This is so helpful. Thanks very much for taking the time to respond. Of course, I’m not expecting Oceania-level, but I was getting the impression MSC may have a similar experience as Carnival. 🥴.

I've been cruising for ~35 years, with 1 HAL, 2 Carnival, 9 Princess, 10 Celebrity and 3 Oceania - pretty much in that order. Much as I love Celebrity and Oceania, for a very port-intensive 11- night Baltic cruise, I'm drawn to the prices on MSC Poesia. I may do this cruise as a solo, or possibly with my husband. What can you tell me about Poesia - the make-up of fellow passengers, crew, dining (only what's included), cabin comfort, etc. Please give me your pros and cons. Thanks!

Thanks for the info. My husband isn't wild about snorkeling. Is Rangiroa a good place for swimming? What else did you do there? Is there a swimming beach near the tender port?

I'd love some help in understanding how to visit Rangiroa. We tender of course, but I can't figure out where on the atoll we would disembark from the tenders. Are there good swimming beaches near the port? DIY snorkeling? Or, are there boats/cabs available to go to a good swimming beach? We're scheduled from 8-5 in port. I'd love some recommendations and/or general experience here. Thanks.

Thanks, Bruce. Do you know if a ticket is required for the shuttle bus?

Do you know how to get from the Arizona to the Aviation Museum?

That’s great to know. Thanks!

Thanks, Bruce. My husband used to fly airplanes and is an aircraft aficionado. That’s why I was thinking the aviation museum. Have you visited it?

We'll be calling at Honolulu this coming January, and my husband has one request - to visit the USS Arizona Memorial. I've searched and read through many CC posts to find the answers, and I'd greatly appreciate if someone would check my plan for gaps and/or errors in planning. Thanks very much! 56 days prior to Saturday, January 20 - Buy tickets at https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/233338/ticket/16. Each ticket costs $1.00 Ship docks at 8AM, grab a cab or Uber to Pearl Harbor. Arrive at least one hour before the time of the ticket. Watch the (free?) movie and view exhibits at the visitor center. Board the free boat to the USS Arizona. Explore the memorial. Have any of you then visited the Aviation Museum? What are your thoughts on that attraction?

We were on Marina for two weeks this past December and had no complaints at all. After reading many comments about the air conditioning, I did recall that our cabin was very cold. However, it would never occur to me to complain about it. I simply adjusted the thermostat. We found plenty of delicious food options in every dining venue and were rarely disappointed. I asked our cabin steward for a lounge chair on our small veranda, and he appeared with one within the hour. As far as I’m concerned, that’s excellent service. Maybe we are simply easy to please…. Definitely not high maintenance passengers! That was our third O cruise, and we are looking forward to 30 days on Insignia in January. What’s important to me is the small ship experience. Personally, I can’t see how anyone can accurately compare the O experience with an elite cabin on a mega-ship. Apples and oranges. We all have our own priorities.

The poster said Silversea, not Seabourn.

Has anyone come across low single supplements on SE Asia cruises in 2024-2025?

One would expect to have flying cigarette embers in an outdoor smoking area, so it’s curious that there are velvet seat covers. 🤷‍♀️

Thanks so much for taking precious vacation time to share your photos and experiences onboard. Much appreciated!