alexand278

Thanks, Dreaming. It worked like a charm! Alexandra

Thanks so much! I didn’t see this option. Since we owe a lot, my husband and I will both buy cards to try to get the whole balance done under the deadline.

Maybe an GC newbie question, but how do we use them to pay off our cruise balance? We booked directly with Princess. thanks, Alexandra

How physically did you use the cards to pay for the cruise? FedEx them or to they give you serial numbers? thanks, Alexandra

Can’t wait for your live trip posting. We’re doing a similar cruise in early September. Alexandra

Thanks so much for sharing all about your cruise. We’re going on a similar one on the ground and late August/early September. Your advice will be so helpful, and I’ll be sure to bring lots of cough drops. Alexandra

We’re trying Princess Plus for the first time after doing the math for the WiFi, gratuities, fancy coffees and a couple drinks a day. We figure to come out out ahead with the free room service, which we love in the morning. Alexandra

We left the ship around noon and missed the welcome band and the arrival flowers that were passed out to guests leaving earlier. It was Saturday, so the Market started to close up around noon and was completely closed by 1 pm, along with most nearby shops. If you want to maximize your Saturday Shopping Experience – get started by 10 am to have a couple of hours to visit most shops. On Sunday, the Market closes around 9 am, but double-check before you arrive. A great day ahead in Papeete If you didn’t have a tour booked – there were still about ten vendors selling tours along the sidewalk on the way to the market. Plenty of last-minute tours are available. However, you can’t check the reviews in advance – so buyer beware. I haven’t heard of any bad experiences with these last-minute tours – but use your judgment. The local tourist information center is across the street on the way to the market. This may be a temporary location – once construction is complete – it may be closer to the piers On the west side of the Market, there is a row of lei stands – we always enjoy picking some up – usually around $5 – $10 USD, and we can get them to last 4-5 days back on the ship. Most of the stands sell similar leis but check them all out before you buy We bought our leis from Bernadette Inside the market, most vendors were still open, but they were starting to get ready to close. At 12:30 there was a loud gong, which was the official sign that it was time to head to the exits. Inside the market Judy picked up an inexpensive black pearl before everything closed up. Judy found a nice pearl right before closing time Today is Chinese New Year’s Eve – so there were a lot of shops decorated for the occasion. Decorations for Chinese New Year Most of the shops in the area were already closed by noon, but one nearby shop that remained open was H and V Boutique-Import, 6 Rue Albert Leboucher. They sell loose pearls and fabric, and other items to make clothing. The pearls are in shoebox-sized bins, arranged by price – ranging from 100 CFP (about $1 USD) to 20000 CFP (about $200 USD). The bins are inside a closed display case, and once you select a bin for closer examination, they will weigh the bin and then dump the contents on a cloth laid on the counter. After you are finished, they weigh the bin again, and if the weight is different, you may be charged for the difference. Google Translate alerted us to this practice as it was posted in French on a sign. Another reason to use Google Translate. The pearls are in bins sorted by price These are the $20 pearls. This sign in French warns you that they weigh the bins of pearls – use Google Translate This is a screenshot of the Google Translate sign above Judy selected the 1200 CFP Bin, which weighed in at 992.8 grams, and combed thru the pile before selecting two. Having them drilled and a “finding” attached was an extra 1200 per pearl. Each pearl ended up costing 2400 CFP ready to hang on a necklace. It wasn’t obvious that this store sold pearls, as we stopped inside to look for buttons. So if you are looking for pearls – stop by H and V Boutique and check out the bulk bins – you will have a better feel for the prices before you head into the Market. Judy is making her final selections. We decided to walk a big loop back to the ship, stopping by a convenience store, Toa City, and the Super Bazar – as they were about the only stores open after 1 pm. We enjoy Tim Tams, the delicious cookies from Australia, and we picked up a couple of packages at Toa City to eat later on the ship. We found Tim Tams at Toa City I stopped by an ATM to get some local currency – the cost for 15,000 CFP was $138 – the price on the ship was $148 – so you would save $10 by using an ATM (assuming zero transaction fees etc.). Not a huge difference, and unless you make a large cash purchase – it may not be worth it to you. Most vendors will exchange USD at a rate of $1 per 100 CFP – so the price for 15000 CFP, in this case, would be $150. On the way back to the ship, most restaurants were closed, and the few open shops were those selling T-Shirts. Notre Dame Church Inside Notre Dame Church Every thirty days you need to complete another muster drill. As before, no more standing around and all you need to do is find your station, listen to a quick refresher brief and watch the safety video in your cabin Papeete Roulottes One of the highlights of a late departure is the chance to sample the Papeete Roulottes or Food Trucks. They start setting up around 5 pm in Place Vai’ete (right next to the ship) and are open for business around 6 pm. There are usually about six trucks, each with it’s own outdoor dining area, but they appear to be working together and don’t seem to mind if you buy food in one area and eat in another – but I would ask first. We had several in our group who wanted to try different items, but we still wanted to sit together – it was OK. There were six food trucks this evening Most food trucks have a Chinese food-style menu, but one sold hamburgers and another crepes. The food is about 1400 -1700 CFP per meal – Cash only (USD or Francs) but no credit cards, and they don’t serve beer or wine. Take your time – browse all the menus – then make your choice, find a waiter and order. You will pay after the meal, and they will not rush you along, and you will have to ask for your bill. It’s not gourmet food, after all, it’s still a food truck – but it is a fun experience and highly recommended. Table 89 takes its show on the road The Spirit of Tahiti Back on the ship, a group of local entertainers performed “The Spirit of Tahiti on the Mainstage at 7 and 9:30 pm. This is a high-energy, colorful show, with great dancing and singing. Don’t miss it! Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us. Am I right that the black pearl earrings ended up costing about $80 US? Alexandra

The Pink Floyd was surprising good. Looking forward to them on our cruise later this month. Alexandra

Thanks so much! Alexandra

Is there some type of quiet pool area like the Solarium on the RC cruise ships? We loved that on our last trip. Alexandra