cruisin' honeys

This concerns me: 

Our vocation as sailors is to take you traveling the seas of the world, and we know your cruise is an important event that you look forward to with pleasure and anticipation long in advance. LONG IN ADVANCE?

3 minutes ago, vlthom said:

 

Where did you hear/see this?  And on what island?

French Polynesia has announced the first case of Covid-19 in Tahiti, the first confirmed case of the coronavirus across the Pacific Islands.

President Edouard Fritch, said that French Polynesian politician Maina Sage had been confirmed with the virus after returning from Paris on 7 March. Sage is resting at home in self-isolation in Papeete.

French Polynesia, which comprises more than 100 islands, the largest of which is Tahiti, is a French overseas collectivity. Sage is French Polynesia’s representative in the French National Assembly.

During her time in Paris, Sage served on a National Assembly commission with France’s culture minister Franck Riester, who has also been confined in France after contracting Covid-19.

Announcing the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in Tahiti, President Fritch reassured people about government plans for monitoring, testing and isolation. He stated, however: “I invite the population to avoid travel outside the country.”

yes this is true. I believe it is on the FP govt website, all ships must begin in PPT. Also yes, you need a doctors note dated no more that 5 days when you get on the plane to FP, but if you are sailing from CA I don't know how that works, maybe a doctor on board. BTW FP has its first case of coronavirus today.

23 hours ago, SWFLAOK said:

I'm not the Moderator, but this isn't the roll call list, it's the board, so you can post and ask what you want about corona virus.

 

For those of you on cruises through the end of July, there's an update on the PG website today about policy updates. As you might have noticed, no one on the current cruise had anything to say about their cruise being a French Polynesia only itinerary, or what that cruise entails. Is this a non-disclosure situation, or just people onboard who don't really care that others were asking them about it. Maybe the ship has turned off the WiFi. But, I'll keep their lack of posting in mind before participating on this board in the future.

 

For those of us who are unfortunate enough to be on the March 28 and June 11 sailings,  we've decided that we're going unless we want to lose a lot of money. We would get a future cruise credit (minus a 10% penalty, and an unknown loss for airlines and hotels that they booked)  that can only be used on the PG, and not other Ponant cruises.The only reason we booked this cruise was for the stops that we made between Fiji and Bali. Today's update says that the itinerary for the March 28 and April 11 sailings are unknown,  but we can trust them to do their best, but that situation is fluid.

 

Having kept track of the situation so far,  the March 28 sailing will not stop in the Cook Islands since they have closed their ports until the end of April. Tonga is also closed and has been for some time,  but having been there in September on PG to Fiji, it's no loss. Cruise ships should just avoid Tonga in the future. In the past few days, Fiji allowed a last minute stop by Silver Whisper on it's World Cruise, with last minute stops arranged at Suva, SavuSavu and Laveu Island before their scheduled stop in Laukota. Kudos to Silver Sea for arranging this, and for Fiji keeping their country safe enough for smallcruise ships to travel to. Silver Whisper was supposed to stop in the Cook Islands (and announced onboard that they would stop at Rarotonga instead of Atutaki, apparently not knowing that they were both part of the same country and under the same restrictions), and several very small islands in Tonga. They were not allowed to stop in these places despite having only spent port time in Papeete, Bora Bora, Moorea, and Pitcairn Island (population 50 with no airport), in the last 2 weeks.

 

We hope to make it from Florida to Fiji where we have 3 nights at the Pullman. From there, we would be surprised if we stop anywhere on our way to Bali,but hope to spend a few nights at the IC, including a significant Birthday celebration. If we need to be quarantined in Bali, we have credit cards for that. We had a cruise scheduled on a different cruise line later in May. They reached out to us an offered the ability to reschedule within the next 2 years. There was no penalty for the cruise, and no penalty  for airfare or the pre or post hotel.   We rescheduled at no cost to us so we have no worries about getting home.

 

According to today's update, the Captain is responsible for arranging alternate stops. That does not instill any confidence in me since that is not part of a Captain's job. I'm watching fo Silver Whisper stopping in an alternate port in Vanuatu. If they make it, we might. Papua New Guinea has no cases of corona virus, so they may not allow any crew shiip entry if that's still the case. Bali has had passengers with corona virus passing through their airport. So far, none of them stayed in Bali, and tourists who were on those flights have been quarantined.

 

PG booked us through Hong Kong on the way back from Bali, and would not change it when we expressed concern about it. We had to book our own flights back through Sydney, and get a refund from PG. If we cancel and reschedule in the future, we could lose that entire business airfare, and that's a significant amount of money.  We did purchase insurance for the trip, but it doesn't cover everything we would lose.

 

If we were cruising in June or July on the PG, which might be a much better situation at that point, we could cancel and get a future cruise credit valid through 2021, without a penalty, and that's what we would do.

 

Sorry for the long rant, but it's been very frustrating with no information from PG, or this board,  and the cruise I looked forward to a year ago now keeps be awake at night.

Is PG charging a 10% penalty to cancel for credit? 

8 minutes ago, Petoonya said:

Yes,

I'm on the April 14 Tahiti-Hawaii-SF portion. Hoping we all get to go!

hmm on Paul Gauguin? April is the Fiji to Bali itinerary?

oh! I see , you are on Oceania - sorry, we have a FB messenger group for the PG upcoming sailings, If you are just going to Hawaii and FP you will be fine.  We have port closures on our itinerary that are a concern.

20 hours ago, Petoonya said:

Just a reminder to anyone cruising

Just an FYI for anyone who is cruising to Tahiti in the next little while. There are a lot of rumors on Cruise Critic about Tahiti. Be sure you ask whoever is providing information to give a source. I've gotten my panties in a bunch over some things that ended up being inaccurate. It's an evolving situation and new info needs to be examined closely.                                                    

Hi are you on one of the upcoming cruise? we are on the march 28 sailing.

Candlesmith- we are also on the march 28 sailing. 

On 3/7/2020 at 3:01 PM, Candlesmith said:

We’re booked on the Paul Gauguin “Society Islands, Cook Islands, Tonga & Fiji” cruise that leaves Pape’ete on March 28 & likewise has planned stops throughout French Polynesia in ports that have announced closure to cruise ships.  There WAS a Travel Advisory across the top of their website until today, (when it disappeared from our tablets and laptop!) but we have received nary an email from PG Cruises.  There hasn’t been one word from them about the fact that:

1. Several ports are now closed to cruise ships
2. They (PGC) now require a health questionnaire filled out and brought to embarkation.

Or even...

3. That FP is requiring a health certificate for boarding a plane to fly to the Pape’ete for    
           embarkation! 
 

I called Paul Gauguin Cruises this morning when the missing Travel Advisory meant I couldn’t even download their (required) Questionnaire.  The agent implied that they, and they alone, were responsible for French Polynesia extending the required date for the medical certificate to March 9 (from March 2) and that they were “working with the governments” of the various islands that have closed their ports to cruise ships.  The implication, of course, being . . . .  There was no answer to my query about plans - or cancellation/refunds - in the event that a significant number of ports did not agree to allow the ship to call.

 

Of note, Viking leads the industry with an extremely generous cancellation policy (right up to 24 hours before embarkation & for cruises booked until 4/30/2020) with two years to use vouchers.....and were the first to announce that they were doing so.  We have received an email for every cruise we have booked. Regent’s “Reassurance” is less generous (30 days before embarking and vouchers good for one year) but they’re out there with something. From Paul Gauguin, who tout themselves as “World’s Best”, nothing.

Candle Smith we are also on the march 28 sailing - we have a messenger group of you would like to join. Give me your FB name 

Does anyone know what time you can disembark in Lautoka Fiji? We are on the march 28 sailing .

On 12/5/2018 at 8:03 PM, justmeindustland said:

We like the rooms behind but near the stairs.  We do hear the anchor but it never bother us. 

thank you we chose 416 right next to the stairs.

oh , looks like you will be on the cruise just before ours, we sail May 18, 2019!

On 12/4/2018 at 2:39 PM, FlightMedic555 said:

Agree with Wendy.  We like the odd numbers, no real reason, and choose 427 or 429, or as near that as possible.

thank you!

On 7/29/2018 at 12:20 AM, FlightMedic555 said:

We got off the ship today after the 10 day cruise. This was our 6th time and would definitely suggest the 10 day option. The E cabins are perfect and much more economical. Let the ship be your balcony. .

Hi - I am booking a Cat E on an upcoming PG cruise. I would appreciate any cabin number advice? 418, 420 or 416, 413 more forward? thank you! paula pstolicny@gmail.com

On 11/30/2018 at 2:04 PM, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

In my case, when we had the deck 8 balcony, it was the hot sun.  When anchored, the ship slowly turns around, and sometimes your balcony is in the shade, other times in the sun.  When you're moving, on a sea day, it's either sun or shade, morning or afternoon.  It was just too hot when the balcony was in the sun, and even sometimes when it was shady. Out on the pool deck there's almost always a breeze, but not necessarily on your balcony.  Deck 8 is great, btw, since it's just a stroll down a short hall to the pool deck. 

Hi Wendy, I am booking the PG and would appreciate any recommendations for cabins on deck 4, Thanks, Paula

pstolicny@gmail.com

On 11/28/2018 at 7:54 AM, DavidTheWonderer said:

I see that you asked the same question on the Oceania board, an excellent idea, and have some good replies there.

 

Here I'll add one thing that seems to be important to you: cabin size.  On most ships and itineraries we find cabin size and balconies to be important.  On the PG, it is not an issue.  The whole ship becomes your cabin and balcony.  So, although we once stayed in a penthouse on deck 8, we usually stay in the "tiny perfect cabins" on deck 4. We are far from the only PG folks with the same opinion.

Hi David, I am booking a cruise on PG in 2019. Cat E deck 4. Do you have a recommendation for which cabin on deck 4? They are pretty much all open on our sailing. I was thinking either 418, 420, or 416, 413 in the front. I appreciate any advice, my email is pstolicny@gmail.com

My husband and I just booked our 2nd PG cruise. We had a balcony on the first cruise which I loved, but felt it wasn't necessary on this ship (since you are never in the cabin and the outside spaces are so nice) so we booked a CatE deck 4. 

We aren't going until May 2019, almost all cabins are available on this sailing. Does anyone have recommendations for location? I was thinking the cabins just forward of the reception near the elevator and staircase? But do those cabins have more noise from the anchor? 

any suggestions welcome - and thank you! Paula