Disembarking the Marina in Tahiti

[Sailing Grandma]

We will be on the Marina Jan. 23 - Feb. 4 (Tahiti to Tahiti). Our flights and transport to the airport have been booked through Oceania. Here is the problem:

 

We will disembark the morning of Feb. 4th and be taken to the airport, but our plane does not depart until 10:00 PM! Any suggestions on what to do or how to handle this. We do not want to sit in the airport all day.

 

Thanks,

Pam

[TERRIER1]

On our cruise you were allowed to remain on the ship till 5 pm but had to vacate the cabin by noon.

 

You might want to consider renting a car and going around the island. Just be aware that if your disembarkation is a Sunday you need to get the car back by 5 pm.

[airheadfan]

The Intercontinental offers a day room for people in your situation. Not sure of the cost, but it is popular.

[Sailing Grandma]

Thank you for your help and suggestions. I checked with the travel agency today and they confirmed what TERRIER1 mentioned, that we can stay on the ship until late afternoon. Rooms must be vacated by 11:30am, but lunch will be served and we will be given a pass to leave the ship to explore the Marche, etc. if we would like.

[shipcat]

The Intercontinental Tahiti offers 2 kinds of a day pass

 

Tiare Pool

included Lunch at Tiare Restaurant based on International Cousine

Monday-Friday with 2 course Lunch for 6110 cfp

This is Saturday and Sunday not available.

 

Lotus Pool

included Lunch in the French Gourmet Restaurant

Monday-Friday with 2 course Lunch for 8500 cfp

This is Saturday and Sunday not available.

 

Each package includes acess ONLY to the choosen pool.

[gogo:)]

Hi Pam,

We are on the same cruise .. Maybe see you aboard

Grace

[Sailing Grandma]

The Intercontinental Tahiti offers 2 kinds of a day pass

 

Tiare Pool

included Lunch at Tiare Restaurant based on International Cousine

Monday-Friday with 2 course Lunch for 6110 cfp

This is Saturday and Sunday not available.

 

Lotus Pool

included Lunch in the French Gourmet Restaurant

Monday-Friday with 2 course Lunch for 8500 cfp

This is Saturday and Sunday not available.

 

Each package includes acess ONLY to the choosen pool.

 

 

Shipcat, do you know if these day passes also provide for a changing room?

[oceanbill457]

Another option is to book transfers with Oceania for the day of departure. I understand from my TA they take you to a hotel (no access to a room). Your luggage is taken care of all the way to flight departure. It is $129 per person, but may be worth it for the convenience.

[Sailing Grandma]

Another option is to book transfers with Oceania for the day of departure. I understand from my TA they take you to a hotel (no access to a room). Your luggage is taken care of all the way to flight departure. It is $129 per person, but may be worth it for the convenience.

 

 

Thanks for this info, Oceanbill. We just received our final documents from the travel agency yesterday and did indeed find out that since we had purchased the transfer through Oceania, that they will take us to a hotel in the late afternoon and then transport us to the airport in the evening.

 

I guess I should have waited for the final docs before I posted my question :)

 

Thank you again to everyone who took the time to offer suggestions.

Pam

[Sailing Grandma]

Just a follow up on our experience. Oceania did not follow through on their pre-cruise information of our being allowed to use our stateroom until 11am and stay on the ship until 4:00pm. Everyone traveling in alumni groups with our travel agency had to leave the ship at 8:30am and spend 10 hrs. at the Radisson hospitality room. As you can imagine, there were a lot of "unhappy campers."

 

I do not fault Oceania for doing this, but for promising one thing and changing it at the last minute when it was too late for us to make alternate plans.

[Big Easy]

Just a follow up on our experience. Oceania did not follow through on their pre-cruise information of our being allowed to use our stateroom until 11am and stay on the ship until 4:00pm. Everyone traveling in alumni groups with our travel agency had to leave the ship at 8:30am and spend 10 hrs. at the Radisson hospitality room. As you can imagine, there were a lot of "unhappy campers."

 

I do not fault Oceania for doing this, but for promising one thing and changing it at the last minute when it was too late for us to make alternate plans.

 

We were on same cruise and allowed to stay onboard until 4:00PM, but had to vacate our room by 9:00AM - Mike

[Tansy Mews]

We booked a day room at the Meridien. We had a hotel room where we could shower, nap, whatever. Shallow pool, loungers, etc on the resort property. Bar and a good restaurant. We walked to the Tahiti museum from the hotel. The day room, booked through the cruise line, included transfer from the ship to the hotel and a transfer from the hotel to the airport. Probably cheaper to do on your own. You can email the hotel concierges of the Meridien and the Intercontinental.

[JimandStan]

We booked a day room at the Meridien. We had a hotel room where we could shower, nap, whatever. Shallow pool, loungers, etc on the resort property. Bar and a good restaurant. We walked to the Tahiti museum from the hotel. The day room, booked through the cruise line, included transfer from the ship to the hotel and a transfer from the hotel to the airport. Probably cheaper to do on your own. You can email the hotel concierges of the Meridien and the Intercontinental.

 

If you've been reading my posts for a while, then you probably realize how difficult it is for me to say "I told you so". :rolleyes:

 

I did advise, however, nearly twenty months ago, that a day-room would be the best alternative given the difficulties of flying out of Polynesia.

 

It's unfortunate how people will let the want of another $250 put an unhappy blemish on a fifteen or twenty thousand dollar memory.... :cool:

[ronrick1943]

Right on Jim & Stan. It's surprise's me how many people take a bus, then a train and another bus to save a few dollars (when a car or taxi rally isn't that much more for two people) and you don't have to mess with the luggage two or three times.

[tvmovielover]

On Jan 15-25 cruise, you did indeed have to leave room by 9am but if air was booked by Oceania, you could leave luggage outside room by 10 pm the night before (ours was a little late but was still taken) and reclaim whenever you arrived at the airport. We did this and took backpacks and rented a car for the day to do circular road around the island. We enjoyed this more than we would have enjoyed sitting around a hotel, pool,or beach but the fact is there are several choices. Some options are cheaper, some less so but all are good. We liked not having to cram the luggage in the small rental car and kudos to Oceania for that option. I would not have minded staying on the ship if there were not rentals available but since that only killed time until 4, rental was a better option. Tahiti away from Papeete (also not nearly as awful as what I read here) was a different island and very pretty and absolutely worth a look. Try it, you might like it!

[cottagelover]

On Jan 15-25 cruise, you did indeed have to leave room by 9am but if air was booked by Oceania, you could leave luggage outside room by 10 pm the night before (ours was a little late but was still taken) and reclaim whenever you arrived at the airport. We did this and took backpacks and rented a car for the day to do circular road around the island. We enjoyed this more than we would have enjoyed sitting around a hotel, pool,or beach but the fact is there are several choices. Some options are cheaper, some less so but all are good. We liked not having to cram the luggage in the small rental car and kudos to Oceania for that option. I would not have minded staying on the ship if there were not rentals available but since that only killed time until 4, rental was a better option. Tahiti away from Papeete (also not nearly as awful as what I read here) was a different island and very pretty and absolutely worth a look. Try it, you might like it!

 

We are planning on the car rental option next month when we disembark in Papeete as our flight dies not leave until 9 pm or so. Who did you rent with? Any suggestions from your experience? What time did you pick up the car and how long did you spend touring outside the port ?

I hope Oceania offers the luggage option again

Thank you

[Hawaiidan]

The Intercontinental offers a day room for people in your situation. Not sure of the cost, but it is popular.

 

The cost is about $300 and a rip off The Taire hotel...right by the pier 800 ft from the gangway charges $160 I am staying there in April..pre cruise you can walk to it and save a taxi