September 24th cruise anyone going

[tropical dreams]

Final payment is almost due. This cruise has already been rolled over from last year. My understanding is that the Cook Islands are closed. We are probably just going to cancel because I have lost confidence with communication from my ta. I don’t want to roll it again because I heard prices are going to be all over the place, similar to airline pricing. Is there anyone who is still planning on sailing?  Have you been given any information about ports to replace the Cook Islands? Thank goodness I was able to do this cruise  11 years ago.

[azdrydock]

16 hours ago, tropical dreams said:

Final payment is almost due. This cruise has already been rolled over from last year. My understanding is that the Cook Islands are closed. We are probably just going to cancel because I have lost confidence with communication from my ta. I don’t want to roll it again because I heard prices are going to be all over the place, similar to airline pricing. Is there anyone who is still planning on sailing?  Have you been given any information about ports to replace the Cook Islands? Thank goodness I was able to do this cruise  11 years ago.

I spoke to PG Agent early last week and she seemed pretty much in the loop. They (PG) is still working with both the Cook Island and NZ authorities for an exemption and hoped to have an answer by the end of last week. She also said the ship will definitely sail and if not the Cook Islands, they will have an alternate itinerary that does not involve additional sea days. Stay tuned

[MrRandal]

We are also booked on this cruise, ( Sept 25). I've called Paul Gauguin numerous times regarding the itinerary, and their standard answer is "we just don't know" about the Cooks. I can almost say with 100% certainty that the Cooks will not be open and IF, and that's a big IF, this cruise sails, it will be an 11 day Society/Tuamotus cruise with the same itinerary as their Dec 4 cruise. The Cooks haven't opened to any travelers with the exception of some people from the New Zealand bubble since the pandemic began. If your heart is set on the Cooks, I wouldn't hold out hope for this cruise. My biggest worry, and the reason we will almost certainly cancel and rebook in 2022 is the extreme rise in cases in FP over the past 3-4 weeks. They went from zero cases to 1300 cases on Friday and a 7 day average of over 800/day. They didn't release numbers for the weekend yet and won't release new numbers until tomorrow. But if, as I suspect, they are still rising, there is, in my opinion, a much greater chance of FP shutting down again to tourists long before we were due to return from this trip. Just my $.02

Edited August 16, 2021 by MrRandal

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

I look at the cup as half full  ...

I don't see FP closing to tourist  ... heck they just made a major change on the entry requirements for those that have had covid but are vaccinated.

Yes there could be a 2 week lockdown in the works to nip covid in the bud for the local population but this would be well before your cruise.

The big question is the Cooks  ... will they open for the Paul Gauguin. Not sure .... but my advise is to look at it as an adventure. In March of 2020 we didn't know the itinerary until we got to the ship as the Cooks had just closed. We knew we were not going to the Cooks but looked at it as an adventure ... sometimes the unknown can be rewarding.  

[MrRandal]

There are a lot of things that I look at as the cup being half full, but an extremely expensive vacation in a U.S. State Department Level 4 Covid Zone (Do Not Travel to this Country), with cases on the rise every day, with a population that is less than 30% vaccinated, and very limited hospital capacity, is not one. To me, it is a massive gamble, with huge stakes, and all of the odds against me. And if I'm not mistaken, your March cruise was cut in half, you had to return to PPT, and fly back to the states because French Polynesia closed to tourists. That is precisely what I am not willing to gamble on.

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

The unknown was an adventure  ... and you aren't completely correct. Yes the cruise was cut short ... and some did leave and headed for the airport for a early flight back. However, we stayed the whole time on the ship, our floating hotel. We made days trips to Moorea and around Tahiti ... we had a great adventure. Wasn't busy either  ... it was enjoyable. And to top it off we received a FCC for another future cruise ... gee, a trip to French Polynesia for only the cost of the airfare with was $760 R/T. Not bad for a cheap adventure 😉

 

I simply was answering the OP's question ... have a good day

Edited August 18, 2021 by Tahitianbigkahuna

[Host Jazzbeau]

After 18 months without any chance of international travel, I would find TBK's adventure exciting.  But I know plenty of people who wouldn't take the chance.  Both choices are valid, and 'choice is good.'

[MrRandal]

 

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

After 18 months without any chance of international travel, I would find TBK's adventure exciting.  But I know plenty of people who wouldn't take the chance.  Both choices are valid, and 'choice is good.'

 

Yes, one man's adventure is another man's worst nightmare. 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 minutes ago, MrRandal said:

 

 

Yes, one man's adventure is another man's worst nightmare. 

 

One man's meat is another man's poisson...

 

I'm here all week.  Try the veal.  Tip your waiter...

[ACRECL]

We are booked on the 9/25 cruise and are anxious to go again.  We also were booked on the cruise in March 2020 that was cut short.  We were able to enjoy 9 of the 11 days before having to take a flight home (not every airline operates every day).  We rented a car and saw ALL of Tahiti and took the ferry to Moorea and saw everything we wanted to see.  We decided to get back on the travel wagon in July and live our life while taking precautions. Since then we have been to Alaska twice (one of the trips on a cruise) and we are headed to Hawaii in two weeks for 5 days.  Everyone has a different risk tolerance and I respect their decisions.  In our case we have chosen to get vaccinated, travel prudently and will get the booster when it becomes available.  We have a full schedule of international and domestic travel in 2022 and we are looking forward to it. 

[ACRECL]

Copied from the latest Tahiti Tourism notice.  I wonder what this does for the 8/28 cruise and the prospect for our cruise.

 

Reinforced restrictions in The Islands of Tahiti

 

As part of the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in French Polynesia, the High Commissioner and the President of French Polynesia announced during the speech of Friday August 20 their speech of Friday August 20th their decision to reinforce the current restrictions as of Monday August 23rd: TRAVEL AND ACTIVITES RESTRICTIONS IN THE SOCIETY ISLANDS ONLY:  As of Monday August 23 until Monday September 6 2021, travel will be restricted to compealing reasons only (work, family, health and essential goods purchase). These measures may be renewed depending on the evolution of the sanitary situation. The borders of The Islands of Tahiti remain open and commercial flights can continue to operate. Tourists who are already in our islands can continue their trip, as long as they comply with the restrictions in place. Are allowed: Travel within tourist accommodations. Activities in hotels remain accessible to clients beach /pool / lagoon, as long as the authorized areas have been delimited). Travel to and from the airport or ferry terminal remains authorized (curfew and lockdown certificates are available on the High Commission website). Visitors who have an itinerary that implies a change of accommodation can travel and take the domestic flight on which they are booked.  These reinforced travel restrictions do not apply to the other Islands. ALL CRUISES ARE SUSPENDED throughout French Polynesia THE CURFEW is modified to 8pm to 4am throughout French Polynesia  Further precisions regarding these measures will be given in another communication tomorrow.

[beachmimi]

We are booked on the 9/25 Society Islands cruise also. We hope it will sail! We were on the March 2020 cruise that was interrupted and had a wonderful time seeing a lot of Moorea. We have a pre-package in Bora Bora and a post package in Moorea. We'll be watching what happens on Sept 6th! 

[MrRandal]

3 hours ago, ACRECL said:

Copied from the latest Tahiti Tourism notice.  I wonder what this does for the 8/28 cruise and the prospect for our cruise.

 

All cruises are suspended August 23 through September 6, so the August 28th cruise will not sail according to this information. 

 

3 hours ago, ACRECL said:

These measures may be renewed depending on the evolution of the sanitary situation.

 

There is a chance that these measures will be extended until French Polynesia can get their case numbers down. They only need to extend the measures for an additional 3 weeks to cause the 9/25 to be cancelled.

[ACRECL]

PG now saying on their website the first cruise will be 9/11. It will be a seven day cruise followed by another 7 day cruise on 9/18 then our cruise on 9/25.  Watching and waiting to see what happens. 

[MrRandal]

That will be the case if French Polynesia reopens on the 6th, which I find highly unlikely. However, if I'm not mistaken, you are using a FCC from your shortened March 2020 cruise, so you paid for this cruise in full a year and a half ago. And like your shortened cruise, you will most certainly not be headed for the Cooks. Depending on how you booked your flights and possible pre/post hotels, you really have nothing to lose, which is different than someone who needs to rebook or make their final payment to PG in the next 4 days.

[ACRECL]

I respectfully disagree.  While our cruise was booked with FCC, we in fact paid for a cruise we never fully received in late 2019.  So PG has had our $ for 2 years. We also have to deal with flights and hotels already paid for and the respective cancellation terms if it comes to that.  We are all in this together whether we've paid already or our final payment is now due. 

[ACRECL]

Our TA reached out to PG this am. PG confirmed they are changing the itinerary for the 9/25 cruise due to Cook Island restrictions.  The new itinerary will be published when its completed.  No ETA was given. PG also said the cruises after 9/6 are scheduled and they hope to make them happen. It all depends on the FP government.  We will watch and see. 

[MrRandal]

7 hours ago, ACRECL said:

I respectfully disagree.  While our cruise was booked with FCC, we in fact paid for a cruise we never fully received in late 2019.  So PG has had our $ for 2 years. We also have to deal with flights and hotels already paid for and the respective cancellation terms if it comes to that.  We are all in this together whether we've paid already or our final payment is now due. 

 

Sorry, I believe I acknowledged that you had already paid for this cruise in it's entirety a year and a half ago. And I also acknowledged it depended how you booked your air and possible hotels that you may or may not be looking at any cancellation terms. I was not trying to be disrespectful. I received an email this morning from Paul Gauguin, with the new itinerary, it is similar to the Dec 4th, 11 day Society/Tuamotus cruise, same ports, but not in the same exact order. However, we actually rebooked our cruise today for the fall of 2022, too many uncertainties, too much stress, too much to possibly lose. I wish you the best.

Edited August 23, 2021 by MrRandal

[ACRECL]

We received the updated itinerary also.  We are staying with it and hope it goes as scheduled. I understand your decision. Best of luck in the future.