A question for HAL Bora Bora veterans

[localady]

I have a question for those of you that have been lucky enough to travel to Bora Bora with HAL. Do any of you remember whether they docked with the Port or Starboard side facing the dock? If you have been blessed enough to have done this more than once, did they dock on the same side both times?

Thanks soooo much, I appreciate any and all feedback, doing some dreaming about upcoming potential voyages and cabin placement!

[fqtvguy]

You may want to double-check, but I'm pretty sure you need to tender into Bora Bora.

[rkacruiser]

We did not dock at all. The ship anchored in the lagoon. The ship seemed to swing around the anchor during the day or the Bridge Officers purposely changed the ship's position.

 

Beautiful island! You will enjoy!

[localady]

Fair enough, thanks for the great answers! :D

That makes total sense, it's not a large port, and actually makes the scenery nicer from both sides of the ship.;) :D

I know it sounds like a silly question, but I do think about all those things when planning a trip as special as a possible Hawaii/Tahiti cruise!!

[rkacruiser]

localady,

 

May I recommend a visit to Bloody Mary's? Great drinks, excellent fish and chips, with unusual atmosphere. Where else can one dine/drink in a restaurant whose floor is sand?

[GeriatricNurse]

Fair enough, thanks for the great answers! :D

That makes total sense, it's not a large port, and actually makes the scenery nicer from both sides of the ship.;) :D

I know it sounds like a silly question, but I do think about all those things when planning a trip as special as a possible Hawaii/Tahiti cruise!!

 

I've done a 30-Day Hawaii/South Pacific HAL cruise onboard the Ryndam. :) It was a great cruise & one that should be strongly considered to take. ;)

[iflyrc5]

Go to the Ports area for Bora Bora to get the contact info and take an excursion with "Patrick" absolutely the best excursion we have ever done!!!:D:D:D This was by far the best of our 11 cruises so far.

[Spender Nui]

Been there but not on HAL. As previously stated Bora Bora is a tender port. We rented a car and drove around the island ... twice. This was the island used as Bali Hai in the movie south Pacific.

 

It's hard not to enjoy it.

[azrose]

I second the "Patrick" excursion!!

[weluvcruisin']

Go to the Ports area for Bora Bora to get the contact info and take an excursion with "Patrick" absolutely the best excursion we have ever done!!!:D:D:D This was by far the best of our 11 cruises so far.

 

I agree we booked with Patrick probably was the highlight of the cruise, great time

[localady]

Thanks for all the fantastic information! I have written it down in my 'notes to self'. I appreciate all the information and tips, thank you all very much!:D

[cruisinjudy]

Yes yes yes! Patrick's tour! Absolutely not to be missed.

 

Bora Bora is where we dropped a tender into the water. The line snapped while lowering.

[localady]

Yes yes yes! Patrick's tour! Absolutely not to be missed.

 

Bora Bora is where we dropped a tender into the water. The line snapped while lowering.

 

Hopefully the anchor was retrieved! But if not, I am sure the beginnings of a nice coral colony is beginning to grow!:rolleyes:

[iflyrc5]

Bora Bora is where we dropped a tender into the water. The line snapped while lowering.

 

You can't stop with just that statement - what is the rest of the story? Was it just being held by one cable then or did the second on break too? Was the crew ok? Tell us more of the story!

[cruisinjudy]

OK I will tell the rest of the story. Luckily as I hear it there was no one on it. I believe the Volundam tender incident in Australia came first so maybe safety directions had changed. The tender fell into the water and was damaged. We were not able to get off in Bora Bora for a while until they settled out the complications.

 

We ended up staying in Bora Bora overnight so they could get the lifeboat back up onto the ship so we could carry on. We sailed for Moorea in the morning. It was not usable for the rest of the cruise.

 

In San Diego it was downloaded and accompanied by assistant boats it was taken somewhere to be fixed. I didn't hear any more about it so I don't know if it was repaired before the next cruise.

 

Since it was our lifeboat we were instructed, if necessary we were to still report to the same lifeboat station and that there was enough life boat space on the ship to accommodate us.

[twodogmom]

Yes, do Patrick's tour. I've done it both times I have been there. It is the best tour I have ever been on. Also consider going to Bloody Mary's Both times I have been there it has been closed. I've heard great reports on it, and Patrick will let you off on the way back.

 

Have a great trip.

[Arwen]

Go to the Ports area for Bora Bora to get the contact info and take an excursion with "Patrick" absolutely the best excursion we have ever done!!!:D:D:D This was by far the best of our 11 cruises so far.

 

I totally argree with you! Out of all the shore excursions on 9 cruises, Patrick's excursion was and remains the highlight of my travels! Such wonderful memories and the food was soooo good!

[cruisinjudy]

Part of our lunch on Patrick's tour

[iflyrc5]

Here is a photo of Patrick playing while we are motoring from one snorkel stop to his private family Mutu.

[localady]

Wow!:D

That looks amazing!! ;) Thank you so much for posting those amazing pictures. Did you get a chance to snorkel at all during the tour??? I really want to snorkel in Bora Bora also.

[iflyrc5]

When we were there in 2010 - Patrick had 3 boats with 12 people per boat. He picked us up that the tender pier and the first stop was for snorkeling - very good - then around the bay to a stop with waist deep water where we swam with the stingrays (lots of them) - then outside to the ocean where we swam with some black tips sharks (large one) - then further around the bay to his private Mutu (island) for a fantastic lunch and wading in the crystal clear waters (you could go out about 400 feet and still be only waist deep). Following lunch a final stop for a swim. Just an outstanding excursion and as I recall the price in Jan 2010 was $110 us per person and worth every penny. BTW - the crew on the other boats were excellent as was Patrick himself.:D:D:D

 

 

If you like snorkeling I would also recommend Ugo and his Bleu Lagoon tour in Rangiroa. 2 snorkeling stops (the second one was just outstanding) and lunch on a deserted island at the Bleu Lagoon with small black tips sharks that were swimming in about 1 foot of water - very interesting. I think this was also about 10 to 12 people and was $100 per person.

 

As I have said before - this was the best of our 11 cruises so far and we will be doing it again - maybe in 2013!!

[cruisinjudy]

The snorkeling was amazing! I never saw so many fish and so many kinds of fish. We almost missed the snorkeling due to a huge downpour when we headed to the snorkeling sight, but we went to lunch instead and snorkeled later when the sky cleared.

[cwn]

Thanks for all the fantastic information! I have written it down in my 'notes to self'. I appreciate all the information and tips, thank you all very much!:D

 

We did this trip last fall on the Rotterdam...it is an absolutely wonderful cruise. We are diviers and did a dive in Bora Bora. Also rented a car for 1/2 a day...drove round the island twice too...first time just to see everything then the second time to stop and shop.

 

We also booked a tour with Ugo, but I won't recommend him...He did not deliever as agreed to and left a group of us on the dock waiting for his other boat???? what a mess...we did finally get a boat (one of his buddies) and followed his two boats to the Mutu, but it wasn't a great (safe) experience... buyer be ware.

 

If you are intersted what the cruise is like day by day with pictures, go to our blog...scroll down though older posts and click on older posts to get to the first of the blog and read forward. The last ones are the ones you see when you open the link. Rangiroa is at the end of that page if you want to read our story on our CC group and Ugu.

 

www.southpacificsojourn2010.blogspot.com

[Kween Karen]

Patrick's tour is phenomenal! check out the Bora Bora pages on my South Pacific Blog for pictures....

http://dreamcruise.kweenkaren.com/

[localady]

Thanks to all for the all the marvelous information, it was more than I was hoping for !!!! :D