Embarkation Time in Tahiti?

Hi everyone! I've just booked my first Windstar cruise - Dreams of Tahiti! - and was reading through the itinerary. I noticed embarkation is any time after 6:59 pm. Is that true? I know other cruises I've been on have a suggested time but you can usually board much earlier.

Thanks in advance for your insight!

Hi, be prepared for a great trip! I never heard about that for an embarkation time, usually it is at 1 pm ( 13 hours ). Call WS that is a mystery. We did that cruise I think everyone had to be on by 4 pm ( 16 hours ). Have a great time. Susanne

I think this is likely correct. Several of the upcoming itins show a departure time of 11:59pm!! For anyone who gets the joke, Turkish Airlines must have taken over their scheduling.

I just returned from this cruise and embarkation was at 1pm.

Thanks for the information!

pteague, how was your cruise? I'm so excited! Tahiti has been on the bucket list for way too long.

It was wonderful! It was my first Windstar cruise and I will never go back to the giant cruise lines. You cannot compare the experience - they are like apples and oranges to me. The staff was so friendly and attentive and the food was far superior to the mega-cruise food.

Also, it was nice that the excursions involved small groups.

Great to hear! I've cruised on Sea Dream before so I'm sure the experience is somewhat the same. My plan was always to see Tahiti from the PG, but since I'm solo (hubby doesn't like to cruise), I couldn't pass up the excellent deal they are offering right now.

Great to hear! I've cruised on Sea Dream before so I'm sure the experience is somewhat the same. My plan was always to see Tahiti from the PG, but since I'm solo (hubby doesn't like to cruise), I couldn't pass up the excellent deal they are offering right now.

WOW, how can he pass up going to Tahiti??

WOW, how can he pass up going to Tahiti??

Actually - he doesn't even know I've booked it yet!! This is part of an extended solo journey I have planned. The dates just worked out perfectly. He also isn't a fan of cruising, so this way I'll get to cruise, and in the future we can do a land trip.

We cruised Tahiti with Windstar in 2014. We highly recommend booking the shore excursions with Windstar as there's little on offer from independent operators. We were never disappointed with the Windstar offerings though we always book swimming/snorkeling trips over the land itineraries.

Don't forget that the swell in the Pacific can cause seasickness. On the first short leg out of Papette I suffered and turned green! Towards the end of the cruise I'd found my sea legs and enjoyed the sea motion. But be forewarned and take medication if necessary.

Great information all. Thank you. We are on the Wind Spirit 2/3/2017. We are planning on bringing wine on board. Is it 2 bottles per person or 2 bottles per cabin? Do they keep track? If you purchase wine in a port, do they take it or let you keep it?

The Tahiti cruise is spectacular. We hardly ever take tours but on that trip we took the WS tours because we had a very difficult time reserving the tours ouselves. With my reading I read that you really needed tours on the islands. We reserved great tours with WS: snorkeling, Dr. Poole, the historic tour on Huihani ( spelling ? ). Also we found the wine so extremely expensive in Papeete we never bought any. Have a great time, it was fantastic. Happy Sailing.

I am also interested in how much wine you can take on board. My husband and will also be on the 2/3/17 voyage

Hey beachlovers84 - Can't wait for February. Where are you from? I wish someone would respond to the wine question. Let me know if you find the information elsewhere on these boards.

I am also interested in how much wine you can take on board. My husband and will also be on the 2/3/17 voyage

This information is right on Windstar's webpage:

http://www.windstarcruises.com/voyage-plan/faqs/#Alcohol

"For voyages of 7 or fewer days guests may bring 2 bottles of wine or champagne per stateroom or suite for their enjoyment on board. For voyages of 8 or more days, guests may bring 3 bottles per stateroom or suite. All additional alcohol, including those bottles purchased at ports of call along the cruise route, will be kept by the ship’s purser and delivered to your room the last evening of the voyage. Guests may consume the outside beverages in the dining room, but a small corkage fee will be applied to the guest's onboard account."

Carrefour is where you want to go for wine. NZ SB's are dirt cheap as was unclassified Bordeaux. Champagne was hideously expensive.