TP Review - 08/02/05 with Intercontinental Tahiti

[trixie54]

1st off, thanks for such a terrific review! I have 2 questions that perhaps you and any others might help me with:

1) my 55 yr. old DH has congestive heart failure & his stamina & breathing are quite limited, although he thinks he can snorkel if he takes frequent breaks - do you think the helmet dive (Bora Bora) would be do-able for him? (Did you notice any difficulty or difference in breathing?) Also along the same line, do you think he could enjoy the jet ski tour, or is there a lot of exertion required?

2) We are considering a couple days' pre or post cruise stay at one of those wonderful OWB's, & friends have encouraged us to travel to Moorea vs. staying on Tahiti for this - what's your opinion?

Thanks!

[Stranger1]

Trixie54, The helmet dive, as far as breathing difficulty, is much like standing in a pool with the water up to your neck. There is a bit of pressure on your chest from the water and of course the natural resistance of the water so as you walk around you might tend to get out of breath a little easier. All I can say is that I'd be "concerned" if I had stamina and limited breathing issues.

[Jazzycat]

kbmagic - I'm glad you enjoyed the review. And thanks, too, for the compliments! The Marquesas should be a great cruise!:D My wife and I were also very leary of booking with non-Princess approved tour operators, but for some reason, it's not only very popular on these South Pacific cruises, but it seems to work out very well. Marc and Bruno seemed very reliable. You can get their contact information in my review (e-mail). Miki Miki, our jet ski operator, was also very good. So, we would recommend all three.

 

We always worry about missing the ship, but we didn't have a problem at all this cruise. Bruno's tour returned at about 5pm or so, but the ship didn't leave Raiatea until 6am the following morning. Marc's tour ended at 3:30pm or so, and the ship didn't leave until 4:30. The jetski tour was in the morning, ended at noon, and we didn't leave Bora Bora until 4:00pm. My advice would be to check out any independent tour operators on Cruise Critic or www.tahitiexplorer.com and see what other experiences fellow cruisers had. If at the end of your research you're still really uncomfortable with a particular return time and think you'll be cutting it too close, you might wish to choose a Princess excursion as they were well run and informative, and guarantee a timely return. Bon voyage and enjoy!

 

 

Trixie54 - You're welcome!

 

(1) Princess required everyone to sign a medical waiver (which was printed on the shore excursion ticket) for the helmet dive. I believe a heart condition would've precluded a person from participating. I am not a physician, but I wouldn't recommend the helmet dive (or any scuba dive) given your DH's condition.:( The flow of oxygen was good, but your heart does race and respirations do increase significantly as you ascend and descend the boat and get used to your underwater surroundings. Also, should the flow of oxygen be temporarily interrupted for any reason, this might cause a serious problem for your DH. The jetski did not require much physical effort, but the ride was fast and exhilirating, and there's always the possibility that you could fall off at high speed. For this one, I'd ask your physician for his thoughts, because our impression would be no. I was having palpitations just trying to keep up with the crazy loon in front of me who later accidently knocked my wife and me off our jetski while we were parked by the motu (long story). :eek:

 

(2) My wife and I would've stayed on Moorea (pre-cruise) if we had at least two nights to spend there. Our flight arrived on Sunday night, so that day was shot and to our understanding, there were no flights or ferries to Moorea after 6pm. We spent Monday at the IRT adjusting to the time difference and by Tuesday afternoon, we were on the TP. Since you will most likely have to spend the arrival night in Papeete, we would only recommend Moorea if you can spend at least two nights there (pre or post cruise). This way, you will have time to enjoy Moorea, the resort and the OWB. If you have three or four nights to spend (pre or post cruise), you might want to check out the Bora Bora Nui or Le Taha'a, both of which were out of this world! Have a great time!:D

[tsb2]

Jazzycat - I also enjoyed your review. Did you do a jet ski lagoon tour in Bora Bora with Miki Miki? What did it include, cost, and how did you like it? Thanks

 

tsb2

[Mr.Man]

Where do i find the "reviews" section?

[Jazzycat]

tsb2 - Glad you enjoyed our review. We reserved our jetski tour through Miki Miki (see our review for the e-mail address). They picked us up on the dock where the TP tenders at 9:15 a.m. Then, they drove us to their facility which was located next door to the Intercontinental Bora Bora. The tour began at 10am, and my wife and I shared a jetski. The tour circles the entire island of Bora Bora and takes approximately two hours. Half way through the tour, we stopped on a motu for a little hike and a coconut demonstration. We spent about a half hour on the motu. There were five jetskis on our tour, and we followed each other in a line formation. We were the last jetski in the formation but we had little difficulty keeping up with the others. It's a fast tour with bumps and thrills but it's great fun. We loved it and would highly recommend it to those who love adrenaline rushes and adventure. The price we were originally quoted was $228 or 20,500XPF. After a payment mix up (more details are in the review), we only paid 14,000XPF, which we thought was a good price for this type of tour. If you book through Miki Miki, we suggest that you confirm the payment details with them before arrival (via e-mail) so you'll know exactly what you're paying and what forms of payment they accept. We paid in cash with XPF but I think they can arrange to bill a credit card if you prefer. Miki Miki does request a credit card to confirm your reservation. Happy travels!:)

 

Mr.Man - If you look at the top of this webpage where it reads "Cruise Critic" and then glance towards the right, you will see the heading entitled "Reviews" after the heading for "News." Click on "Reviews" and find the box that reads "Find a Review." Scroll down for the Tahitian Princess and click. On the new page, click "Member Reviews" and you'll find a whole bunch of reviews from fellow TP cruisers, including ours. Enjoy!:)