Just back from the PG july 11th cruise

[Zitdoc]

We just returned from our trip and OH MY was it awsome. This was our first cruise and first time to tahiti but wow. This is the first vacation that went WAY beyond any of my expectations. Weather was perfect, excursions were great, diving was fantastic, room was spectacular and If you have the means to do the butler service with balcony on deck 8 DO IT!!! My biggest recommendation is to book flights and hotel through regent and you will save when you calculate the cab rides and nickle and dime stuff that adds up when you don't. We did not book through regent and will not make that mistake again. Siglo was AWSOME. The food was not great but good and a lot of fun. If anyone has any questions, I will recheck this post over the next few days and fill anyone in but I am on the east coast, jet lagged and need some sleep.

Our excursions included diving in huahine, jungle hike in Riatea (sp???), diving in rangoria, jet ski in Bora Bora (do the jet boat instead if you can), diving at night and during the day in Bora Bora (Tupa, Table top), parasailing in Moorea, coral garden drift in Tahaa, diving in Moorea (ledges and shark gallery). My wife was not dive certified so she did the discover scuba in Huahine and loved it and did several dives with me after the class.

In conclusion, this was the best vacation I have ever taken and will be going again soon.

[catmommy]

We just returned from our trip and OH MY was it awsome. This was our first cruise and first time to tahiti but wow. This is the first vacation that went WAY beyond any of my expectations. Weather was perfect, excursions were great, diving was fantastic, room was spectacular and If you have the means to do the butler service with balcony on deck 8 DO IT!!! My biggest recommendation is to book flights and hotel through regent and you will save when you calculate the cab rides and nickle and dime stuff that adds up when you don't. We did not book through regent and will not make that mistake again. Siglo was AWSOME. The food was not great but good and a lot of fun. If anyone has any questions, I will recheck this post over the next few days and fill anyone in but I am on the east coast, jet lagged and need some sleep.

Our excursions included diving in huahine, jungle hike in Riatea (sp???), diving in rangoria, jet ski in Bora Bora (do the jet boat instead if you can), diving at night and during the day in Bora Bora (Tupa, Table top), parasailing in Moorea, coral garden drift in Tahaa, diving in Moorea (ledges and shark gallery). My wife was not dive certified so she did the discover scuba in Huahine and loved it and did several dives with me after the class.

In conclusion, this was the best vacation I have ever taken and will be going again soon.

 

Can you fill me on the Discover SCUBA and how that worked? I am really thinking about getting certified but would love have details on how that worked. I thought you could only do Discover SUBA and no go on any of the other dives.

 

And Tahiti is wonderful; looking over my pictures I sometimes have to tell myself "Yes, you were there! It happened."

 

Caroline

 

Thanks!

Caroline

[etmanch]

Welcome back Zitdoc. Glad you had a really great experience. You will forever be spoiled from this experience and you sure put the bar high for any future cruises :D

 

I just booked my hotel through Regent at the Radisson and thanks for putting my mind at ease with letting Regent take care of the air/hotel. I am sure as you add up all those "little" expenses they end up costing you a lot in the end.

 

As for the food.....what was not really great about it? I am somewhat disappointed to hear that the food was not GREAT for the price I am paying for this trip. The food to me is a big part of the cruise experience :(

[twa1011]

Zitdoc: Welcome home. Glad to hear you had a great time. My wife and I are also going on our first cruise, and first trip to FP next month. Why did you think the jet boat would be better than the waverunners? Thanks.

 

Ralph

[cavalier2]

Glad to hear your trip was terrific. We are looking forward to our first cruise and trip to Tahiti next year. We have debated about Category C versus Category B. We ultimately chose Category C, but there is still availability in Category B if we wanted to switch. I'd like to know more of your thoughts on the cabin, and whether you had a chance to see any of the Category C cabins to compare. Thanks!

[Cowgirlup]

We were also on the July 11 cruise - we never ran into you, Zitdoc! Maybe you were hanging out on your balcony! :) Anyway, I agree this was the BEST vacation EVER. My daughter is still crying because she misses it so much. I thought the food was somewhere between good and great; didn't like La Veranda as much as L'Etoile or Le Grill. They did a good job varying the lunch buffets - a different "country" everyday (we got a kick out of their interpretation of "American"). We thought the crew was wonderful - funny, cheerful, and so helpful. My husband and daughter did the waverunners around Bora and Bora and loved it, but would like to hear about the jet boat as well. We did the Intercontinental pre-cruise and thought it was terrific; day room at the Radisson was pretty good, but felt like a wasted day - next time I would take the early morning flight home instead of prolonging the agony (apparently there is an 8:00 flight to LAX which we didn't know about until other people on the cruise told us they were on it).

 

Looking forward to hearing other opinions from fellow ship-mates!

[RachelG]

We are on the Aug 4 cruise. We are signed up for the jungle hike in Raiatea. I am planning on bringing my hiking shoes (not boots). Will this be enough? How muddy is it and how was the mosquito population? We are big hikers, but I want to have the right shoes. I am planning on wearing long hiking pants and loose shirt.

[timberchop]

We are on the August 22nd sailing. Would love to hear about your night dive. My husband and son and friend will be doing that dive in Bora Bora. They've only done night dives in Ontario lakes. Not quite the same!

 

How was the parasailing. Did you book as excursion from the ship or on your own. My daughter and friend want to try that. I thought we would investigate it in Bora Bora as we are staying there the week prior to sailing. Curious to know price if you booked on your own.

 

Thanks!

 

Sandy

[windsurfer77058]

We will be sailing in January. We haven't heard anything about the windsurfers. Are they still available? Did you see anyone windsurfing off the dock in back?

[minxtabb]

yes, the windsurfers are available when the conditions are deemed suitable, hardly anyone seems to use them though.

 

Roz

[Zitdoc]

I'll see if I can remember all the questions. Spent all yesterday with the kids so I haven't checked this board until this morning.

My wife did the discover scuba class the first day in Huahine. It took the entire morning. After she completed the class, she was eligible for all the dives that were labeled beginner and was lead by the PG. Any dives labeled as outside guided dives she could not do. The beginner dives were still great and included Nui Nui in Rangirora, Table Top in Bora Bora, and Shark Gallery in Moorea. The beginner dives stay above 30ft. I actually dove both the advanced and beginner dives in the Shark Gallery. The beginner was actually better since the sharks were more prevelent then and we swam with a very tame sea turtle about 3ft in diameter that loved to play with the divers and we were able to feed him. The deeper you go, the less color there is and the less sealife present (except the lemon sharks which were only seen on 45-50ft in the advanced dives.

I loved the night dive on Bora Bora. It was beautiful and the colors at night are amazing and the activity on the reef is spectacular at night. Strongly recommend it. In rangirora we swam with three beautiful manta rays about 15ft in length. Amazing!!!

We did the parasailing excursion offered by the PG in Moorea. It was a blast. Whether you schedule this with the PG or not, I believe it is the same crew so schedule through the PG.

I did the jet ski around Bora Bora and although previous comments on the message board said otherwise, I would suggest the jet boat excursion. Unfortunately, the only rain we had was in Bora Bora. The jet skis went around the island and stopped for a brief snack. The jet boat group went around the island, stopped for a snack, and also stopped to my understanding to swim with the stingrays, something I really wanted to do but did not have a chance do with the the extensive itinerary with my wife.

The best excursions my wife and I did was on our own with another couple where we got off the boat in Bora Bora and Moorea and rented dune buggies and toured the islands on our own. It cost about $70 dollars for 4 hours and we loved it. The rental sites are through eurocar rentals and the set up right at the docks where the tenders go so you can't miss them.

The jungle hike in Raitea was alot of fun but the warning that this is a physical excursion was an understatement. We were traversing very steep terain with climbing ropes. Definately wear good walking shoes, hikeing boots are not necessary, just something with a rubber sole with good grip. Wear either cool pants or shorts b/c it is hot and definitely where sunblock and insect repellant. The waterfall is gorgeous and the pool to swim in at the top is stellar. Also bring some extra bottled water from the boat.

As to the food, it was in my opinion good but not great. With that being said, it was a lot of fun trying new dishes. I don't think the food was a negative, just not the best part of a stellar trip. I enjoyed the grill and the main dinning room the best as well. The Veranda restaurant was okay.

Smart move to book travel through regent. Your life will be much easier by doing so and the Raddison was a nice hotel but I agree that it seems like a wasted day just sitting at a hotel room waiting for the away flights.

Another piece of advice.... Get to the airport a little earlier than you normally would since the lines to the checkin counter are extremely long!!!

Enjoy your trips everyone and I am already planning our next excursion.

As to the cabin choice, we loved the B cabin for a couple of reasons. To begin with, most of the cabins are on deck 8 which is where all the action is close to the pool, bars, and bands etc. The balcony was awsome and my wife and I scheduled room service every morning for breakfast and ate on our deck looking out at paradise. The butler was a nice perk but not the main reason to book a B cabin. He was always at our beck and call but most of what he provides is also provided by the normal staff just not as readily and personalized according to other couples on our trip with lower cabins.

Another piece of advice... On the forward part of deck 8, there is a little known observation platform that looks out over the bridge and is a spectacular place to watch the boat going into and out of port. No one new it was there until we made comment on it and my wife and I loved the spot to watch the dolphins follow the boat into Rangiroa.

Hope this helps.

[cavalier2]

Thank you for all of the great information!

[Cowgirlup]

RE: the windsurfing, we were told you could take one out if you were skilled enough to make it back to the marina! In other words, they did not have windsurfing lessons like they did water skiing. My daughters both tried the waterskiing for the first time ever and Stephanie, the boat driver, was a terrific teacher. Although the boats they use are a bit slow, making it hard to get up, she was very encouraging and they had a blast. The kayaks off the marina were fun too, even though you have to keep within sight of the marina the whole time (in case you need to be rescued).

[windsurfer77058]

Your description of the diving sounds great. We haven't dived for 10 years but may consider going the "beginner" route. Do they furnish all the gear? Was the course your wife took similar to a refresher? Did she sign up before the cruise or on board? Was it taught in the pool or off the island? Any info would be appreciated and thanks for the windsurfing information. Sounds like you had a fantastic trip.

[parisbully]

Please tell us about the food. Why just good??

[drifting_away]

Tell me more about the room!! Which deck 8 room did you have? How was your view? Did you have enough space? We are staying on deck 8 next summer and can't wait!!

 

Does anyone know if they wakeboard or wakeskate, or do they only waterski?

[Zitdoc]

Lets see if I can get to all these.

The diving was fantastic. I have always been IDEA certified to dive but have not dove in 10 years so I went back approximately 1 month before our cruise and recertified with PADI. My wife was not certified and I had to beg her to take the first discover scuba class on Huahine. She spent approx. 2 hours with the dive staff in the pool and from that point she was ready to dive any of the beginner dives labeled on the excursion list which include Nui Nui, Table Top, and the Shark Gallery. The difference between the advanced and beginner dives at the same locations is only the depth that you go. The advanced goes to around 60ft and the beginners stay above 30ft. I did both the beginner and advanced dives at the shark gallery. In the advanced we dove down to around 60ft, saw the lemon sharks which are nocturnal and deep then came back up and saw all the black and white tips. The beginner was almost better because we stayed more shallow, dove with the sea turtles, black and white tip sharks, and the coral was better at 30ft. I signed up for every dive except the mushroom patch on Raitea. The best dive for me was the shark gallery and the fingers on Moorea but the night dive in Bora Bora was pretty amazing as well. Definately do the discover scuba dive, sign up for the first beginner dive on Nui Nui or the Mushroom patch and you will be hooked.

WARNING..... THE EXCURSIONS WILL FILL UP QUICKLY FOR EVERYTHING IF YOU WAIT TO SIGN UP ON THE BOAT!!! SIGN UP AHEAD OF TIME ON THE INTERNET AND YOU CAN CANCEL ON THE BOAT IF YOU NEED TO WITH 24 HOURS ADVANCED NOTICE PRIOR TO THE EXCURSION.

The food was not a negative on the PG it just wasn't its strongest positive. I was not thrilled with every meal but each meal was fun. The service was spectacular. The selections were good, but most of the menu stays the same with the exception of the main dining room which changes each day. The grill and the Veranda have the same menu each day with the addition of one special that changes each night. My favorite part of the dining was breakfast each morning on our balcony. Very special.

We stayed in room 817 which is the first room on the starboard side when you enter deck 8. The room was fantastic. The size was perfect for 2 people and we had plenty of room for our things. One note, the bathroom does not have an outlet so you need to use the outlet at the bed side to dry hair etc. There is a mirror at the desk near the outlet. Remember the observation deck at the bow of the boat on deck 8 is a spectacular place to be when going into any island. The views are outstanding. We found that several of the mornings, a sign was up saying "wet paint" which we all ignored and never saw any wet anything. I believe the place that sign each night to discourage people from being on that deck late at night. All in all we loved the B cabin and would do it again in a heart beat. The butler service was cool but not the main reason to get that room. The location is perfect, immediately adjacent to the pool, bars, entertainment, elevators, and the grill and aft lounge.

Have fun

[Zitdoc]

Forgot to mention that the PG will supply everything for your dives ( mask, snorkle, fins, shorty wet suit, tank, BC, regulator). The beginner course is similar to any resort course with a 2 hour intro into diving then the beginner dives at several ports. The views from deck 8 are spectacular. Skiing on the PG was ok but remember they are pulling you behind a dingy and while you can ski its not great for wakeboarding etc do to not having a wake tower and the water is at times rough.

[Zitdoc]

Forgot to mention that the PG will supply everything for your dives ( mask, snorkle, fins, shorty wet suit, tank, BC, regulator). The beginner course is similar to any resort course with a 2 hour intro into diving then the beginner dives at several ports. The views from deck 8 are spectacular. Skiing on the PG was ok but remember they are pulling you behind a dingy and while you can ski its not great for wakeboarding etc do to not having a wake tower and the water is at times rough.

[egret]

Windsurfer,

I had not dived in 30 yrs after being certified while in college. I stopped by and talked to the dive master on the PG the first day and showed him my card. I had to get cleared by the ship physician and then one of the dive staff conducted a refresher for me and a couple of other guests in the ship's pool. Everything went great and I had a ball.

 

Having said that, if I were you I would get "reacquainted" to diving at a local dive shop before going to FP. There is so much to see and do while on the PG why spend time in "school"?

 

My two cents.

[drifting_away]

Hey Zitdoc thank you for the info on the room and waterskiing:) Did you feel like the views were better on the starboard side? Especially for breakfast in morning? I have read so many different opinions on the matter, but I think it depends on the itinerery. Would love some input from someone who did the same itinery. Would you choose starboard again? :rolleyes:

 

What side did they tender off of during overnight stays at Bora Bora and Moorea?

 

Thank you again!!!:D

[drifting_away]

Hey Zitdoc will you post any of your pictures? Would love to see one of the room.

[Zitdoc]

With the exception of Riatea, the boat is ancored at sea and the views tend to change depending on the direction that the ship faces during currents in or out of the island so the side of the boat did not matter in regards to view. We loved the view from our ship and the fact of the matter is... once in port, you are rarely in your room. I did not go into a cabin on the port side so I can not state that the views there were not as spectacular as the views we had. The tenders go in and out from the starboard side but this did not matter to us in the least. We never heard the tenders in the morning because we were on the top deck and deck seven juts out slightly below our deck blocking the view of the tenders. If you were on a lower deck, this may be an issue.

I will try to post pictures of our dives and the islands but I am a computer idiot and rely on the wife to do that sort of thing. I'm not sure if I can post them on this site but if you go to snapfish, most of the people diving stated they were going to post on that site which should have a plethera of photos on the cruise.

[Cowgirlup]

We were on the port side and thought we had spectacular views from there so I think either side is great. A few times the tenders left from the port side (I think!) and they were never a nuisance (we were on Deck 4). The only thing I would say is that we were in the front 2 cabins and a couple nights while we were at sea my daughter really felt it - got very sick the first night out. I could even tell the difference between her cabin (in the very front) and ours (right next door). However, we did not feel any vibration in the front and often could feel it in the restaurants, which are in the back of the ship. Next time I would request a mid-ship cabin, knowing that she tends to get sick (the rest of us were ok).

[windsurfer77058]

Thanks for all of that great information. I think we'll try the refresher diving course here. I doubt you would know this but I'll try this question anyway. As windsurfers, we use a harness to hook in while sailing. It's pretty bulky to pack so do any of you know if they have harnesses to use? I think my main concern should be having the energy to do everything I want to do. :)