Big Ships in FP - Yikes

[Dbld777]

We are booked to sail on the Star Breeze in March of 2022, a 7 day itinerary, Thursday to Thursday RT Papeete. Our first stop is Moorea on Friday and I just found out, when I inquired with an excursion provider about availability, that the HAL Zuiderdam is porting in Moorea on the same day. In fact, they are due to port in Papeete on Thursday, the same day we are embarking. Does anyone have experience with being in the same port, either during embarkation or for a port day, when a ship as large as the Zuiderdam is in port? I believe I've seen a couple of posts in the past(TBK?) that caution about the islands being overrun with visitors on days when the big ships are in port. I would imagine that excursion providers in Moorea will be fully booked and many passengers will be locked out of an excursion while in Moorea. Should we just plan on staying on the ship? We are planning to visit Moorea pre-cruise, so staying on the ship won't be the worst thing in the world, but with just a 7 day itinerary, we hate to pass on any time ashore. Recommendations? Thank you!

 

Edit: TBK, just read your post about big ships in FP on another thread. Is it possible that FP will limit ship size sometime soon? Fingers crossed.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Dbld777
New info.

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

1 hour ago, Dbld777 said:

We are booked to sail on the Star Breeze in March of 2022, a 7 day itinerary, Thursday to Thursday RT Papeete. Our first stop is Moorea on Friday and I just found out, when I inquired with an excursion provider about availability, that the HAL Zuiderdam is porting in Moorea on the same day. In fact, they are due to port in Papeete on Thursday, the same day we are embarking. Does anyone have experience with being in the same port, either during embarkation or for a port day, when a ship as large as the Zuiderdam is in port? I believe I've seen a couple of posts in the past(TBK?) that caution about the islands being overrun with visitors on days when the big ships are in port. I would imagine that excursion providers in Moorea will be fully booked and many passengers will be locked out of an excursion while in Moorea. Should we just plan on staying on the ship? We are planning to visit Moorea pre-cruise, so staying on the ship won't be the worst thing in the world, but with just a 7 day itinerary, we hate to pass on any time ashore. Recommendations? Thank you!

 

Edit: TBK, just read your post about big ships in FP on another thread. Is it possible that FP will limit ship size sometime soon? Fingers crossed.

 

The discussion to ban large ships was speaking of Bora Bora and potentially starting in 2022  ... however, with covid tourism is way down and that my postpone any change in policy  ... we shall see. some other outer islands have thought about the same thing so it is a topic that has some wheels to it. 

 

This is one reason Why I love Paul Gauguin. The captain can change the itinerary when there is a concern about a large ship visiting the same day. I've had this happen a few times where 2 islands were reversed to make sure we were not there when a big ship in in port. 

 

Moorea has some pretty good infrastructure and can handle a larger ship better than many other islands.  Tahiti has large ships visit often so probably no big issue. But smaller, less populated islands do not have a large infrastructure. Islands like Huahine, Raiatea, Fakarava, Rangiroa and the Marquesas have less population therefore a limited infrastructure. Bora Bora is marginal and a large ship or 2 medium size ships in port the same day may be a concern.  

 

Many of the islands are big supporters of cruise lines like Paul Gauguin, Windstar and Aranui. All use smaller ships and are much more eco friendly. 

 

Imagine an island with only 850 local inhabitants getting a visit from a mega ship. Do you think there might be a problem? 

 

Bottom line: I think a ban on large ships will eventually happen but as mentioned because of covid it may be awhile but hopefully sooner and not later.

[Petoonya]

@Dbld777

Hi again!

You might want to book excursions for Moorea soon if you  haven't as yet. But I'd save booking a car, if that's what you were planning, for your pre-cruise Moorea. Obvious that the roads will be busy on your WS Moorea day. And yes staying onboard isn't the worst thing in the world, as you say, with the watersports deck. It's discouraging to discover that you won't be just 300 passengers but more like 1800. Years ago we visited Santorini when there were THREE big ships along  with our 300 passenger ship. It was hideous. We'd visited a couple times before and so stayed onboard.

 

There's a great website that allows you to see what ships are in various ports when you plan to be. Cruisemapper.com. Enter the FP island or any world port, bring up the date you'll be there, and you can see what's shaking.

Best wishes.

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

A good rule to be incorporated should be something like the amount of cruise passengers on any given day be capped at no more than 1000 or no more than 5X the amount of inhabitants on the island (Pitcairn) when that number is less than 1000, whichever is less .... food for thought. 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Tahitianbigkahuna

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

Just checking what big ships (over 1000 passengers) will be visiting Bora Bora in 2022  ... Some of these ships are carrying close to 5000 passengers plus another 1300 crew  ... yikes. Remember when these big ships visit Bora bora they usually visit Moorea and Tahiti and sometimes a few other islands  ... 

 

Bora Bora schedule of big ships  ....

 

February 19th - Fred Olsen Borealis

February 25th - Costa Deliziosa

 

March 14th - Zuiderdam

 

April 19th - Ovation of the Seas 

April 20th Quantum of the Seas 

 

May 4th, 9th & the 29th - Norwegian Spirit 

May 8th - Coral Princess

 

June 2nd - Norwegian Spirit 

 

September 28th - Coral Princess

 

October 19th - Celebrity Eclipse

October 11th - Radiance of the Seas

October 15th - Ovation of the Seas

October 16th - Grand Princess

October 21st - Quantum of the Seas

October 23rd - ms Noordam

October 29th - Norwegian Spirit

 

November 2nd - ms Zuiderdam

November 3rd - Norwegian Spirit

November 10th - Norwegian Spirit

November 16th - Norwegian Spirit

 

December 6th - Norwegian Spirit

December 10th - Norwegian Spirit

 

 

 

 

 

[Dbld777]

Thanks for the info TBK. We're going to look at moving up or back a week to avoid the Zuiderdam. Just don't want to lose a day in any port due to 2000 other visitors being there.

[Petoonya]

@Dbld777

Bummer that you had to switch everything but betting that you'll be  lot happier in the long run.