Considering 28 day Cruise to Tahiti, Hawaii, Samoan islands - questions

[Coral]

I am considering the cruise on April 1st on the Golden.

 

I have yet to go to Hawaii, Tahiti or Pago Pago. I doubt I would ever pay to fly to Tahiti due to the high cost of hotels, food and airfare.

 

For those who have done this cruise - is it worth it? Did you feel like you saw enough of Tahiti and Hawaii? Would you recommend it? If you have done it and did not enjoy it, I am curious as to why.

 

Were the sea days too much? For the most part - I enjoy sea days but have never had this many. I am perfectly content with finding a deck chair in the shade and reading. I probably should look and see who the CD is supposed to be. I usually don't depend on them for entertainment but have never had that many.

 

How are the seas usually during this transit?

 

I wasn't specifically looking at this trip and came across it this week and the price is quite reasonable considering I only have to pay for air to LAX. I need to make a decision fairly quickly though.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice and recommendations.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Coral

[Alessandrina]

I really enjoyed this cruise and I love sea days - which there are a lot of, as you know. You seem to get into a certain rhythm during the days back. I did not find the seas too rough.

 

As for seeing a lot of French Polynesia, cruising gives you a taste. I wish we could have stayed in each port longer. That being said, we did fully enjoy our port time with our excursions.

 

You are right, the cost of airfare is so high to Tahiti. This way, on a cruise, we got to see and experience a bit of paradise from an easy port of LA.

 

Go for it!

[melody hounddog]

While I can't comment on the 28 day trip, we just did the 15 rt from LA to Hawaii. Seas were calm the entire trip and we loved all the sea days. We started every morning with breakfast on our balcony. I am dying to do the 28 day trip but we are still working at this point.

 

Book it! You won't regret it. Then come back and write a review!

[Gunner22aa]

If you decide to take the trip please join our roll call. Been going foe over a year and is very active. Lots of stuff planned.

 

It was called the Pacific because of its calm nature. Haven't been past Hawaii but our last cruise there was very smooth.

 

Hope you join us. Others have noted on our roll call that they found a site with some very good prices at the moment. Check it out

[giselleacttwo]

We went last October/November and had a wonderful time. The seas weren't too bad (and our cabin was all the way at the front of the ship, we were underneath the bridge) and the ports were great. I would have loved more time in the ports, but they were all wonderful. It definitely whet my appetite and I want to go back for more. We loved all the sea days, but we tend to flock to itineraries with lots of them anyway. We have done the 15 day Hawaii itinerary as well, and in a similar fashion the first two days out of and the last two days into L.A. were overcast, windy, and a bit chilly. But once you get closer to the islands there is lots of sun to be had. :) It was a wonderful trip, highly recommend.

[Astro Flyer]

I enjoyed an October 2009 cruise from Sydney to LA which included Samoa, Fiji, French Polynesia & Hawaii. Except for some bad traffic in Papaette Tahiti it was a wonderful cruise. Each island had some things different than other islands & we enjoyed the differences. We go to Maui & it's enjoyable to island hop on a cruise without flying. We rent cars on each Hawaiian island except on Oahu where traffic can be bad...USA Today recently ranked Honolulu #2 for the worst US traffic just behind LA.

 

We enjoy relaxing sea days & for us it was a good combination of ports & at sea. :)

[Baatman]

I am considering the cruise on April 1st on the Golden.

 

I have yet to go to Hawaii, Tahiti or Pago Pago. I doubt I would ever pay to fly to Tahiti due to the high cost of hotels, food and airfare.

 

For those who have done this cruise - is it worth it? Did you feel like you saw enough of Tahiti and Hawaii? Would you recommend it? If you have done it and did not enjoy it, I am curious as to why.

 

Were the sea days too much? For the most part - I enjoy sea days but have never had this many. I am perfectly content with finding a deck chair in the shade and reading. I probably should look and see who the CD is supposed to be. I usually don't depend on them for entertainment but have never had that many.

 

How are the seas usually during this transit?

 

I wasn't specifically looking at this trip and came across it this week and the price is quite reasonable considering I only have to pay for air to LAX. I need to make a decision fairly quickly though.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice and recommendations.

 

We have done two crossings on the Pacific to Australia and the seas were fine both times. Enjoy.

[Buck Turgidson]

We did 36 day's to the South Pac last year, great cruise but a long one. Nice ports except Papaette :( had more graffiti per sq mile than LA,

[Astro Flyer]

We did 36 day's to the South Pac last year, great cruise but a long one. Nice ports except Papaette :( had more graffiti per sq mile than LA,

And bad traffic...I could see the ship & could have walked faster than staying on the bus. It was at the end of an enjoyable tour but they wouldn't allow us to walk back to the ship instead of being stuck in traffic jams. Thankfully no such problems on the other islands.

[Pam in CA]

We did 36 day's to the South Pac last year, great cruise but a long one. Nice ports except Papaette :( had more graffiti per sq mile than LA,

I did a 32-day cruise from Sydney to LA a few years ago and concur. Papaette and Tahiti was my least-favorite. I would love to go to Morea which I haven't before and that's on your itinerary. Loved Pago Pago. Did a tour with Tisa's Barefoot Bar which included lunch and beach time. In Bora Bora, I did a MOTU picnic tour with Patrick that was unforgettable. I'd book the round-trip out of LA in a heartbeat. The sea days were always busy with lots to do. Usually, there's a large roll call for these cruises with a lot of events planned. It's definitely on my "To do" list.

[RetiredNTraveling]

Haven't taken the 28 day Cruise to Tahiti, Hawaii, Samoan islands trip! :( But it is on the top of my "Bucket List"! ;) Looking forward to seeing your review if you take it.

[Ethel5]

What follows is just my opinion. Your experience may vary.....

 

I did the 28 night RT from LA on the Star last March and had mixed feelings. I was on tours arranged by the roll call members and they were OK. One of the outstanding ones was the Blue Hawaii charter we did for snorkeling. On that one, we saw and followed a pod of whale.

 

I was disappointed and saddened at the number of sick, mangy, half starved animals running loose on the outer islands.

 

The private tour to Tisa's was a flop for me. Vastly over rated and drinks way overpriced.

 

I love sea days and can entertain myself-darn good thing because the CD we had was next to non-existent. Most of the "entertainment" consisted of the lose weight, look younger, whiten your teeth demos. There was one excellent speaker on board that packed the theater. He came on board prepared with a bunch of lectures and was only allowed to give 5 or 6 of them The other lecturer who had people walking out in droves, was given preferential treatment. Who cares why Russia has Tzars? Another example of the lack of a qualified CD.

 

Again, I enjoyed the people I met and enjoyed seeing the islands but now that it's done, I wouldn't do it again.

[Coral]

Thanks everyone.

 

I actually was concerned about the 2 days in Papette - I wish they were elsewhere in Tahiti.

 

A friend who had done a Tahitian cruise several years ago mentioned the starved animals and being an animal lover, that would definitely break my heart.

 

I am in a weird situation as I hadn't considered this cruise previously but happen to have a ton of vacation time and the prices are extremely reasonable so the cruise sort of jumped at me. The concept of seeing Tahiti and not having to fly outside of the US is definitely appealing.

 

I hope to make the decision this weekend. Not sure if I can be away from my dog for a whole month.

[gingera]

A couple years ago, we did the Tahitian cruise which included Papeete, Moorea, Bora Bora a and a couple other islands....we have signed on to the cruise you are looking at on April 1. We stayed precruise on the island of Moorea and right next door to the dolphins. Loved those 4 days. We ate cheese and drank French wine.

 

The islands and waters are so incredibly beautiful! And, we enjoyed snorkeling, feeding the sharks and the inner islands.

 

Hope you sign on for the April 1 cruise..

[Mom33]

I enjoyed an October 2009 cruise from Sydney to LA which included Samoa, Fiji, French Polynesia & Hawaii. Except for some bad traffic in Papaette Tahiti it was a wonderful cruise. Each island had some things different than other islands & we enjoyed the differences. We go to Maui & it's enjoyable to island hop on a cruise without flying. We rent cars on each Hawaiian island except on Oahu where traffic can be bad...USA Today recently ranked Honolulu #2 for the worst US traffic just behind LA.

 

We enjoy relaxing sea days & for us it was a good combination of ports & at sea. :)

 

We were on that cruise also and enjoyed every day of it. One of our favorite cruises. We had great lectures and entertainment on the sea days. The islands themselves were scenic and beautiful. We were fortunate to have lovely weather and smooth seas for most of the cruise. The Tasman Sea gave us a ride, but you wouldn't be sailing it on your itinerary.:D

[cormike1]

We did the 2-week Hawaiian cruise out of LA and loved it. There was lots to do on the sea days if you wished to do it. The thing I loved most about it though was we didn't have jet lag! Every day we turned our clocks ahead or back and never felt tired. That was a plus for me as far as I am concerned. It gave us a taste of Hawaii. We are looking at the one your are talking about but not until fall of 20015 if they are still offering it as our friends are celebrating their 50th and want to do that cruise. I hope it will be still on the agenda....not posted yet on the Princess website. Enjoy!

[puppypundit]

Thanks so much for starting this thread, Coral. I, too was really interested in this sailing because I'm an avid snorkeler and usually a solo traveler since they don't let parrots on board. :(

 

It seems that a body could go bonkers for so many days at sea with no opportunity to get *into* the sea. Didn't there used to be a cruise line that would set up some kind of net swimming pool in open water? I would love that!

 

Keep the responses coming…I'm interested in hearing more.

[giselleacttwo]

Thanks so much for starting this thread, Coral. I, too was really interested in this sailing because I'm an avid snorkeler and usually a solo traveler since they don't let parrots on board. :(

 

It seems that a body could go bonkers for so many days at sea with no opportunity to get *into* the sea. Didn't there used to be a cruise line that would set up some kind of net swimming pool in open water? I would love that!

 

Keep the responses coming…I'm interested in hearing more.

 

 

This cruise is a snorkeling lover's paradise. I went on snorkeling excursions at Molokini, Moorea, and Bora Bora as well as on my own in Hilo. My husband's favorite port was Apia because he went to an absolutely stunning beach there, though he didn't try snorkeling as he was with our toddler that day.

[mr green]

We did the 2-week Hawaiian cruise out of LA and loved it. Every day we turned our clocks ahead or back and never felt tired Enjoy!

 

We did a cruise to Hawaii with HAL a few years ago, and true, the clocks did go back, BUT at 2.00 PM!!! It was explained that it gave the staff more time to work at night. I told HAL that IMO passengers came before staff in this instance, since it wreaked havoc with several afternoon activities, to say nothing about those of us on early seating. I added that if this ever took place on dry land it would result in utter chaos!

I was informed that it was up to the captain as to when times were changed, but I have not heard of anything like it since.

 

john

[mr green]

We did a cruise to Hawaii with HAL a few years ago, and true, the clocks did go back, BUT at 2.00 PM!!! It was explained that it gave the staff more time to work at night. I told HAL that IMO passengers came before staff in this instance, since it wreaked havoc with several afternoon activities, to say nothing about those of us on early seating. I added that if this ever took place on dry land it would result in utter chaos!

I was informed that it was up to the captain as to when times were changed, but I have not heard of anything like it since.

 

john

 

For BACK PLEASE READ FORWARD. :o

 

john

[DrivesLikeMario]

Coral, to solve the problem of Tahiti, just book the Artemis V ferry (super fast) to Moorea for the day. It's inexpensive and Moorea is much, much nicer than Tahiti.

 

I've been to almost all the Hawaiian islands many, many times. The time of year you're looking at is a really good time to go as far as weather goes. Hope you can do it - it'll be a great experience! Bring lots of books though. ;)

[Hulagirl]

That was the ferry I was trying to remember! Agree that Moorea is so pretty and nice. Papette is a city and not the best. Truly, it was our last favorite island, like I told you. Now the jeep tour was fun, but the poor animals did bother me and always will. I just don't understand people!!!

 

I understand where Ethel5 is coming from also. Truly I was so glad I canceled that cruise she was on. That was a good move on my part, for many reasons.

 

I have thought about doing this again just because it saves on air. I would say take the cruise if you can. Basically because you can relax.

 

Good luck with the decision!

[caribill]

Nice ports except Papaette :( had more graffiti per sq mile than LA,

 

Papaette and Tahiti was my least-favorite.

 

You need to get out of Papette to enjoy Tahiti. One of the best shore excursions we ever had was to the interior of the island. You can see pictures of it by going to http://fp.caribill.com/ and clicking on the "Tahiti" photo.

 

(You can also see pictures of Papeete by clicking on the "Papeete" photo. There are some interesting sights there.)

[Loreni]

It is true about the starving dogs and cats. We saw this on Samoa, American Samoa, Bora Bora, Moorea, and Tahiti.

 

It is heartbreaking. And so difficult to understand. As is the amount of litter on American Samoa and the amount of graffiti in Papeete.

 

Otherwise the trip was fantastic and we would love to do it again. The sea days were wonderful. Snorkeling on Moorea and Bora Bora were incredible. Hawaii was lovely. In Honolulu, we like to take a cab to Fort Derussy and rent an umbrella there..they have a nice deli open to the public. There is a pretty good beach walking distance from the port on Kauai (or take free shuttle). On Maui, we head for Sheraton Black Rock to snorkel. A guided excursion to the Volcano is a good bet on Hawaii. On our trip a few people stayed overnight in an overwater bungalow on Moorea and took a ferry the next day to join the ship at Papeete; I wish we had done this. Tisa's was nice, but I would try something else next time. I hope there is a next time.

[Loreni]

You need to get out of Papette to enjoy Tahiti. One of the best shore excursions we ever had was to the interior of the island. You can see pictures of it by going to http://fp.caribill.com/ and clicking on the "Tahiti" photo.

 

(You can also see pictures of Papeete by clicking on the "Papeete" photo. There are some interesting sights there.)

 

We did this too! DH loved it. I liked it, but would have preferred the Moorea bungalow and catching the ferry the next day.