Rare SandyR5 Posted April 7, 2013 #1 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Hi - I'm curious as to what time you arrived in Papeete IF you used Oceania's air and did NOT do air deviation. I certainly wouldn't want to arrive in the evening right before sailing and lose that entire day. If you used air deviation did you leave the evening before and arrive in the a.m.? Recently booked and looking at options now. Starting to lean towards coming in a day early and staying in hotel before cruise. Would love to hear some comments from past travelers. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
latsyrc Posted April 7, 2013 #2 Share Posted April 7, 2013 I am booked on no deviation air to Papeete for 4/18. The book says we may board the ship @ 6PM but our flight arrives @ 7PM. This is why I decided against going a day early, arriving at 5 AM the hotel would charge you for an extra day, departing at 5:30 PM hotel would charge for an extra day so it seemed we would be staying 1 day and paying for 3. Didn't spend a lot of time checking into it once I learned of Oceania's exorbitant charge to deviate. It was impossible to get to Tahiti on 4/18 without using Oceania's charter. I asked my travel agent to check on using their air only from LAX but they still wanted the same $1000. In an ideal world, I would fly to LA leisurely, check in to a hotel overnight then go on. As it is we're leaving EWR @ 7 AM which involves overnight in Newark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook1 Posted April 7, 2013 #3 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Ait Tahiti Nui arrives 7pm and Atlas 8.35. PPT not a good embarkation or debarkation port for flights to and from US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no fuss travel Posted April 7, 2013 #4 Share Posted April 7, 2013 As stated previously the two flights for our cruise this past February, one arrived at 5:30 am and the other arrived at 8:30 pm. The people that were on the 5:30 flight were allowed day passes to the ship but could not go to their cabins until 6 pm when general boarding started. The people on the late flight basically got off the plane, cleared customs, gave their luggage to Oceania personnel, boarded a bus and went to the ship. The morning arrivals were too tired to see anything of Papeete and didn't have anywhere they could rest, the night arrivals came in to late to see anything of Papeete. Both groups were really too tired to enjoy the next days port. My spouse and I came down three days earlier and arrived on the late flight with Air Tahiti Nui. We got to our hotel at 1 am by the time we cleared immigration and got our luggage. The next day was a bit of a write off as we got up late and the weather was not at all great that day. The next two days were good and we saw quite a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted April 7, 2013 #5 Share Posted April 7, 2013 To many arriving in the romantic town of Papeete in Tahiti just sounds so romantic and wonderful.... Then you see what Papeete really looks like a crowded, dirty industrial mish mash of people and urban clutter San Pedro with pineapples..."this Is Tahiti", you ask as you are charged up the wah-zoo for everything any anything? It is the gateway to the real Polynesia .. a place to depart. Having been there 5 times I can tell you the less time you spend there the better. The hotels so-so and tired ;the prices so high, Getting in a 0500 and waiting till 6pm is going to set you back a cool thousand bucks or more . TRUST ME... arriving at night and going direct to the ship is a blessing in disguise Flying from EWR to PPT via LAX will for the most part all seem like one long day as it will be daylight for 95% and it will not feel all that bad. Like flying London to SFO is way easier as it is all in daylight. Flying back is brutal If it sounds too grim...take the money and get a up grade to Business.. it will cost about what your 5 am to 6 pm rook would have cost ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Caroldoll Posted April 7, 2013 #6 Share Posted April 7, 2013 My husband paid $18 USD for a FRUIT DRINK without liquor in it. The best way in Tahiti as you have pointed out is the Paul Gaugain, and most people won't do this, but it gets in Saturday and you can make the night flight back to the mainland with no problem. People stay until Sunday and then have to get a day room and spend a lot of money until the flight leaves at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no fuss travel Posted April 7, 2013 #7 Share Posted April 7, 2013 If you eat at the market or Les Roulottes, it is not that bad price wise. Yes, it is not perfect, i.e. there is garbage on the streets, but if you go with an open mind and a good attitude you can enjoy Papeete. We enjoyed walking along the waterfront through the park and perusing the city market. We enjoyed the day tour we took around the island and saw some sights that we hadn't seen in over 30 years. Yes, some things have changed and others have not. If you are a people watcher, Papeete is an interesting stop, albeit expensive. Remember everything comes from France or at least that is what they tell you, so it is expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted April 7, 2013 #8 Share Posted April 7, 2013 If you eat at the market or Les Roulottes, it is not that bad price wise. Yes, it is not perfect, i.e. there is garbage on the streets, but if you go with an open mind and a good attitude you can enjoy Papeete. We enjoyed walking along the waterfront through the park and perusing the city market. We enjoyed the day tour we took around the island and saw some sights that we hadn't seen in over 30 years. Yes, some things have changed and others have not. If you are a people watcher, Papeete is an interesting stop, albeit expensive. Remember everything comes from France or at least that is what they tell you, so it is expensive. You can do that, and it works on day 2 or 3 but not day 1.:o However, my point is that after flying for 16 hours, plus dealing with a 6 housr in time zone changes and arriving at what your body feels like is 1 am, schlepping your luggage in through a hot humid tropical day and dealing in a French speaking port, is not going to be a walk in the park. More power to ya' after a combo flight and time change all I want is a bath and a bed.. even in business class... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weluvcruisin' Posted April 8, 2013 #9 Share Posted April 8, 2013 If you eat at the market or Les Roulottes, it is not that bad price wise. Yes, it is not perfect, i.e. there is garbage on the streets, but if you go with an open mind and a good attitude you can enjoy Papeete. We enjoyed walking along the waterfront through the park and perusing the city market. We enjoyed the day tour we took around the island and saw some sights that we hadn't seen in over 30 years. Yes, some things have changed and others have not. If you are a people watcher, Papeete is an interesting stop, albeit expensive. Remember everything comes from France or at least that is what they tell you, so it is expensive. The key is as you said "a good attitude". We arrive in Papeete in 8 days, looking forward to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelerThom Posted April 8, 2013 #10 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Ait Tahiti Nui arrives 7pm and Atlas 8.35. PPT not a good embarkation or debarkation port for flights to and from US.I have been told directly by Oceania, that when the US switched to Daylight time (second Sunday in March) the scheduled Atlas arrival in PPT became 7:35pm [TN remaining at 7pm scheduled arrival]. This agrees with airline schedule times generally remain fixed in the country the airline is from, but upon daylight time changes moving in the "other" country. I guess I'll find out for sure next week. Thom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook1 Posted April 8, 2013 #11 Share Posted April 8, 2013 That may be true. But if it is it will a the first since airline future arrival times are stated with any time changes due. Utter confusion if they weren't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted April 8, 2013 #12 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Hawaii and Tahiti do not, along with Arizona. go to or use daylight savings time We are on HST here When non daylight savings Hawaii and Tahiti are 2 hours different, When Daylight savings is in then the difference is 3 hours This is all from Pacific time zone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindrift Posted April 8, 2013 #13 Share Posted April 8, 2013 We did the Papeete to New Zealand in February. O's air had us departing Houston at 8 a.m. and leaving us with a 7 hour layover at LAX before boarding Air Tahiti Nui. Not a real pleasant flight. We arrived Papeete at around midnight and it was around 1 a.m. when we arrived at the hotel (in pouring down rain I might add). O required we book 3 nights due to the arrival time in Papeete; we had only wanted one or two nights. Extra cost. The Intercontinental Hotel is definitely showing its age. We had been there before, and it was quite different this time with mildew quite heavy in the bathroom. Breakfast was approx. $50 per person as O did not include it with the room this time. We have always flown in two or three days ahead of sailing for assurance of luggage arrival and to begin to get used to the time changes; however, if you can get in the day of sailing from Papeete, that is a great idea. As described above, we found Papeete quite dirty and industrial. We had been there several years back on a Princess trip, and we felt Papeete had gone down hill since then. Their arrangement to board he ship at 6 p.m. and being taken to City Hall was not pleasant. Also City Hall had one man's restroom and one woman's restroom for several hundred people. Anyway, in spite of what appears to be all negative to this point, the trip was lovely and we had a wonderful time enjoying all the lovely islands (it was just the getting there and Papeete itself which was the downer of the trip). Going home Bus. Class on Air New Zealand was lovely. And of course, who can complain about being on Oceania. Once onboard, it was the usual and wonderful crew, food, comfort and all the spoiling we could ever want. Let me add that in Auckland since our flight was not leaving until around 10 p.m., we went ahead and took the tour to kill time. We had been in Auckland a couple of years before for several days, so the tour was really a duplicate EXCEPT it wasn't really a very good tour. After visiting the museum, we were dropped off downtown near a shopping mall to shop if we wished and have lunch on our own. We found a food court in the mall (real exciting, huh). We were then taken to the Stamford hotel where we had been told we would be able to freshen up, have some refreshments, and rest a bit before departing to the airport. Well, not so. The hotel had a room just off the lobby with 3 big round tables and straight backed chairs. They had coffee only and no water. Just coffee. Management finally let us use the lounges and chairs in the lobby for a bit more comfort for 3 to 4 hours. I hope if they offer you this type of preflight tour that there have been some improvements made. Even the agent in Auckland was shocked. Book your own tour if you have a late night flight. Just a few hints to maybe help your trip be a bit better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare SandyR5 Posted April 8, 2013 Author #14 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Thanks for your responses. Still not sure what we will do 'cause I can't imagine arriving in Papeete right before the ship sails after flying ALL day. Will speak to O and see what their "package" is. Thanks for letting me know we will not be arriving in the Paradise I thought we would see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted April 9, 2013 #15 Share Posted April 9, 2013 From experience flying in the day of departure and going direct to the ship is THE best experience. know you worry about that but it is hands down the best. If you want to break up the trip do so in LA for a few dollars at an airport hotel and gat some rest and in the process save at least $1000. Or.... fly into Tahiti get the flight that arrives at 5 am and connect direct to Moorea where it is everything that Papeete is not. Then take the ferry back to the ship.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gui888 Posted April 9, 2013 #16 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Or.... fly into Tahiti get the flight that arrives at 5 am and connect direct to Moorea where it is everything that Papeete is not. Then take the ferry back to the ship.... This is what we want to do. But, only the AF flight on Sat is a morning arrival. TN morning arrivals are only WED, THU & FRI. I think the air will be alot higher on AF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindrift Posted April 11, 2013 #17 Share Posted April 11, 2013 HawaiiDan has the best recommendation by far. As I said earlier, we always fly in early, but for this trip--fly in and board the ship. Everyone who was on our trip that did that were extremely pleased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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