?'s about P.G. cruise and post or pre lodging, 2 week sale

[Dunner]

1. I have read that the dates that are typically offered in the 2 week sale are weeks that aren't filling up as fast as others--are the dates that they offer usually only a couple months out from sailing?-- in which case it would be difficult to get a pre or post room that you wanted. Do they ever offer dates in June or October or just rainy season months? They had a two week sale in Feb. so would the next one be around OCT.?

 

2. Read on one of these posts that the flights from L.A. leaves at 1 P.M. 4 P.M. AND 11:50 P.M. Are there any advantages or disadvantages to leaving at any of the times in your opinion? I realize that you will fly all night on the 11:50 flight.

 

3. Wanted to do an OWB on Bora Bora ,but read that the flight is $450 is that return? Wanted to stay at the 4 seasons but...

 

4. I think I have this right???: The Sofitel, the Hilton and the Pearl on Moorea are close contenders for an OWB. The picture I saw of the Pearl looked like the OWB were sitting in the middle of a pool!!! OMG!! Do they all look like that? How would you compare the following things--price, fish under the OWB and at the shore where you could just walk in and see tons of fish---we have a friends that MAY go with us (not sure) that has a bad back and might not be able to snorkel(he might not go so just looking for info), the pool area, things to do if we decided to stay a number of days. 5. Since we will be in Moorea and Bora on the cruise is there another place that is close to Tahiti so it won't cost that much to get there and it would be somewhere we have not been ---that have awesome OWB or should I focus on Moorea if I can't afford BORA?

Sorry-- these are wordy sentences.

[Tikiintahiti]

1. I have booked a 2 week 8 months prior, you just never know.

 

2. I prefer the 11:30 pm flight but some others enjoy the late afternoon flights.

 

3. Yes that is 'return'

 

4. For an OWB the correct order would be Hilton, Sofitel, Pearl, IMO and I've stayed at all of them.

 

5. Moorea is your only choice for cheap transport to outer island.

[FlightMedic555]

The overnight flight, I believe, is only offered once or twice a week.

[Dunner]

Thanks once again for your prompt responses! I am so pumped for this trip and I haven't even booked it yet. I told people at work about it and lots of them are now interested plus many friends that I have told about the trip. My husband just said ---one day you will be on these boards helping someone else out.

Tiki--I see you are from California--if you are in the L.A. area or if you stay a night before your cruise in L.A. do you have a particular hotel that you would recommend?

[Tikiintahiti]

I live about 230 miles from the airport and as we usually take the red eye we just take our time driving down the California Coast, stopping here and there enjoying the trip. We park 30 minutes from LX and shuttle to the airport.

 

I have used a hotel for a night but unless your going to spend a good amount of money none of the hotels real close to LAX are fantastic. There are a few like the Crown Plaza but then your spending a good deal of money.

 

The nicer hotels are not close to LAX except a few expensive ones.

 

90% of the hotels close to LAX are 2 - 3 stars. Maybe someone else who has done this several times might chime in, as I said I usually don't spend the night.

[Tattoo boy]

Dunner,

I have stayed at the 4 Points Sheraton at LAX. The rates are about

$145 per night. I use the park sleep and fly program.

It is about 100 yards from LAX and they have a airport shuttle both

to and from LAX

[Emdee]

I cannot speak to the parking part but we usually stay at the Hilton. Didn't like the radisson when we stayed there. Once stayed at 4 points Sheraton. So far the costs were around the same for all.

 

All three had airport shuttles.

[Tikiintahiti]

Emdee is correct. As previously mentioned I rarely stay around LAX overnight but when have I've stayed at the Hilton, Sheraton, Radisson & the Holiday Inn.

 

I would rank them:

 

1. Hilton & Sheraton

2. Rasisson & Holiday Inn

 

AS prviously mentioned to really get a nice room the Crown Plaza is the way to go but twice the money as the ones mentioned which typically run from $135 - $165.

[Gardening Girl]

We are spending the night in LA before our flight to Tahiti. We didn't want anything fancy or expensive because we are spending $$$ on our PG cruise & 3-night pre-cruise & 3 night post-cruise hotel stays. We went onto Trip Advisor & chose Holiday Inn Express LAX, it costs $123/night with either AAA or AARP, and had very good comments on TA, it does have an airport shuttle too. It sounds like it is a nice, basic & clean hotel with all the amenities needed for a one night stay. GG

[FlightMedic555]

I would bid for a 3.5 star hotel on Priceline. You should get the Hilton or Radisson for $65 - $70.

[Emdee]

Wow thats great Flightmedic. I have always paid closer to 145$

[Familygoboston]

I'll comment only on the stuff I know about (or am just opinionated about;))

 

Flight time: We found that taking the afternoon flight from LA allowed us to in Papeete arrive late at night and go straight to bed at the IC- which really helped wit the jet lag. We tried to mostly stay awake (sleeping on the plane is miserable anyway) watching movies etc.

 

However, if you are planning onward travel to one of the other islands, it would be better to arrive in papeete earlier so you can include your onward travel in that same v. long travel day and not have to "waste" and overnight in Papeete in order to make a flight or ferry in the morning.

 

LA hotel- one thing I liked about the Hilton, is they will let you actually book a room as a day room if you don't need it over night. Something to think about if you are coming in same day. I paid close to what Emdee did for a day room ; around 120 ish.

 

I dunno about the OWB; they just don't seem worth it to me...the price diff is huge and many are not all that private; you have this image of this room all by itself and so many of the BB resorts looked like a condo complex over water- you mostly will be looking at other peoples OWB. Once you get past the cool factor of diving in off your porch and seeing fish in your bathroom, it's really not all that differnet than any other room ( caveat- I haven't stayed in one, but this is my observation of several of the OWB at the resorts)

 

You will love PG!! Its an amazing trip!!!

[loungelizard61]

I got my LAX room via Priceline too; the Westin was around $78. The downside is that I don't get the same privileges with gold status using a third party to book the hotel - or am I able to accumulate more points.

[FlightMedic555]

You can and should look at www.biddingfortravel.com (and www.betterbidding.com) before you bid for a hotel on priceline. People who bid on priceline commonly post on this site what they paid for a room and what hotel they received. In this manner you can make an educated decision as to how much to bid. Also, the site lists the names of the hotels in each star level. When you bid on priceline you can "win" any hotel at that star level or above. This means that if there are 5 hotels at the level you are bidding and there is one that you absolutely don't want to stay in you should not bid. Once you bid you automatically pay for the room and it can't be changed.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We've stayed at the Hilton in LA a couple of times but it's quite isolated. We stayed at a very nice Doubletree once that was cheap and had a shuttle to and from the airport. I'd look at tripadvisor.com if I were you.

 

Moorea really is your best option for pre- or post-, unless you want to spring for the big bucks on Bora bora. I have known people who did the post-cruise to disembark the ship on Moorea the last afternoon of the cruise, rather than spend the night in Papeete on the ship then take the ferry back. It's also true that if you take the plane to Moorea, check baggage allowances carefully. There is a luggage storage facility at the airport in PPT, so you could store you "cruiseware" there and just take enough for your hotel adventure (which would not be much, believe me.) Also have a look at when Air Moorea starts flying in the morning--that might dictate your arrival time at PPT--we once spent most of an entire night waiting for the first flight out on Air Tahiti after coming in around 3 a.m. from L.A.--that was not pleasant.

[Tikiintahiti]

Air Moorea as of October 2010 quit flying between Tahiti & Moorea ....

 

Air Tahiti is the only carrier at this time

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Ah, do they still have a separate terminal then for the Moorea flights? Presumably the same restricted wrt baggage and schedule still apply.

[Tikiintahiti]

Different area of the terminal than where you went for Air Moorea.

 

44lbs checked bag

 

small carry-on more like a large purse of under 7 pounds.

[Dunner]

WOW --lots of great ideas==thanks! Never tried Priceline or bidding for travel etc. How far in advance can you do this?

 

What time does the ship leave Moorea in the afternoon?

 

I know there is a ferry to take you back to Moorea for $30 ---does anyone know what time it leaves in the morning and what time you arrive?

 

Not really sure how big Moorea is-- if we stayed at the Hilton, would we be able to go and look at The Pearl and the Sofitel just for interest sake. Are they close enough to take an hour out of the day to take a look? Cost to get there?

 

Would we be able to do the same thing in Bora Bora--take a peek at the Four Seasons, the IC, St Regis etc. Wouldn't want to spend a ton of time-- just want to take a look to see if in the future if we came back to the area would we like to stay there?

 

Also read in a few spots that land stays are a big let down after the P>G. cruise and that you should do that pre cruise. What is everyone's opinion?

Are there lots of interesting things to see and or do in Papeete if we did a pre-cruise there? We are active and like most things except not a huge fan of museums and tours of historical buildings and things like that. I really appreciate all ideas.

 

I have spent so many hours already reading what can. I still find I have so many questions as I try to plan this trip--is it just me or did everyone find this an huge undertaking?

[Tikiintahiti]

Ship leaves Moorea around 5:00pm

 

Moorea ferry schedule

http://www.aremiti.net/

 

The "Big 4" resorts on Moorea are all spread out, unless you have a rental car forget about trying to visit them all.

 

On Bora Bora You can't go from resort to resort easily unless you have a skiff rental of your own, about $200 for the day.

 

I enjoy both the resorts and the ship. The ship has the added value of being all inclusive (well that is true of the PG). Staying at the resorts can be expensive for the eats and bar tab.

 

As far as Tahiti the best things to see are the inner water falls, water front roulottes, Black sand Beach and the Le Marche.

[FlightMedic555]

For Priceline you can bid as soon as you are 100% sure of the date. When you bid you enter your credit card number and if you "win" you immediately are charged. If you bid and the bid is not accepted you can wait 24 hours and try again. When you bid you will see that the Los Angeles area is divided in different geographic zones. You want to bid only for the LAX zone and Priceline will show you a map of the area.

 

Again, before you bid look at www.biddingfortravel.com. Look under California/Los Angeles and check out the hotel list. This is the hotel list, by geography that Priceline uses for hotels. Below is that list. I paid about $50 for the Crowne Plaza a couple of years ago. This same website lists what others have bid and what has been accepted.

 

I would suggest you bid $60 for a 4 star hotel. If you don't get it you can immediately bid again if you change either the date (which you can't) or the star level. I would change to the 3.5 star level and again bid for $60. If that does not work wait 24 hours and try again raising you bid in $5 increments. Remember that although a hotel may not be on this list it could be used by Priceline but it is very unlikely. Also, if you look at the 4 star list and absolutely don't want to stay in one of the hotels do not bid.

 

BTW, for clarity, the ferry from Moorea to PPT (or visa versa) is about $15 each way or $30 roundtrip.

 

Los Angeles Airport (LAX)

 

4 Star

Crowne Plaza [reviews]

Renaissance Los Angeles Airport

Westin LAX [reviews]

 

3.5 Star

Embassy Suites LAX North [reviews]

Hilton LAX [reviews]

Marriott LAX [reviews]

[/url]Radisson LAX

Sheraton Gateway LAX [reviews]

3 Star

Courtyard by Marriott Century Blvd. [reviews]

Four Points Sheraton LAX

Custom Hotel

 

2.5 Star

Holiday Inn LAX [reviews]

Quality Hotel LAX [reviews]

La Quinta Inn & Suites LAX [reviews]

Possible: Holiday Inn Express LAX

2 Star

Super 8 Los Angeles/LAX Airport

Travelodge Hotel at LAX

[twin123185]

I always stay at the Crowne Plaza. Always happy.

[Dunner]

FlightMedic55---Thanks for the detailed info--this bidding thing sounds like it could be sort of fun. Once I know my dates I might just give this a try.

Also, that is a couple of votes for the Crown Plaza if I want to spend extra cash.

[makai 7]

Just an FYI... when we did our Tahitian Princess a few years ago we spent one night at the Rennaissance near the airport, and booked a club level room.

 

They offered free shuttle service to and from the airport at that time, and the breakfast and afternoon snacks were very good- the money we paid for an upgraded room more than made up for getting breakfast at the hotel (or somewhere else).

 

It's been a few years, so I can't speak to the current level of service, but we would definitely stay there again. Our vacations start the moment we leave the house...:)

 

Beth

[Dunner]

For Priceline you can bid as soon as you are 100% sure of the date. When you bid you enter your credit card number and if you "win" you immediately are charged. If you bid and the bid is not accepted you can wait 24 hours and try again. When you bid you will see that the Los Angeles area is divided in different geographic zones. You want to bid only for the LAX zone and Priceline will show you a map of the area.

 

Again, before you bid look at www.biddingfortravel.com. Look under California/Los Angeles and check out the hotel list. This is the hotel list, by geography that Priceline uses for hotels. Below is that list. I paid about $50 for the Crowne Plaza a couple of years ago. This same website lists what others have bid and what has been accepted.

 

I would suggest you bid $60 for a 4 star hotel. If you don't get it you can immediately bid again if you change either the date (which you can't) or the star level. I would change to the 3.5 star level and again bid for $60. If that does not work wait 24 hours and try again raising you bid in $5 increments. Remember that although a hotel may not be on this list it could be used by Priceline but it is very unlikely. Also, if you look at the 4 star list and absolutely don't want to stay in one of the hotels do not bid.

 

BTW, for clarity, the ferry from Moorea to PPT (or visa versa) is about $15 each way or $30 roundtrip.

 

Los Angeles Airport (LAX)

 

4 Star

Crowne Plaza [reviews]

Renaissance Los Angeles Airport

Westin LAX [reviews]

 

3.5 Star

Embassy Suites LAX North [reviews]

Hilton LAX [reviews]

Marriott LAX [reviews]

Radisson LAX

Sheraton Gateway LAX [reviews]

 

3 Star

Courtyard by Marriott Century Blvd. [reviews]

Four Points Sheraton LAX

Custom Hotel

 

2.5 Star

Holiday Inn LAX [reviews]

Quality Hotel LAX [reviews]

La Quinta Inn & Suites LAX [reviews]

Possible: Holiday Inn Express LAX

 

2 Star

Super 8 Los Angeles/LAX Airport

Travelodge Hotel at LAX

When you bid for a hotel is there anyway to request 3 people to a room so you would have two beds? Would you be able to find out if breakfast is included, if there was an outside pool etc. Or do you just get what you get? These might sound like stupid questions ,but I have never done this before and not sure of all the ins and outs.