kayakbob

Thanks so much to all who replied.  Sounds like I'll be fine with internet.

I've read several postings about wifi and the Platinum credit.  From this I infer that I can use my credit to purchase 3 non-consecutive days of service and that I can use my wife's credit to purchase another 3 days.  Do I have this correct?  Thanks, Bob

My wife and I are both Platinum.  Does anyone know if we can combine our two $80 internet credits to purchase one internet package?  Thanks, Bob

The "World Club Benefits" page on the Cunard website still has the 4 hours of free internet:

"

"On completing seven voyages, or 70 nights on board, you will be awarded Platinum Level membership. You will continue to receive all of the great Gold Level benefits plus much more:

• An additional two hours of Complimentary Internet"

Lunch in the Golden Lion has been excellent.  I've really enjoyed the fish & chips, ploughman's lunch, sausage with mash and onion gravy, and the curry.  No charge unless you order a drink.

I can't find a way to "search within this forum".  Am I missing something?

Thanks so much!

Does the evening show precede late dinner or is it after?  Thanks

Our excursions:

--Papeete pre-cruise: I booked a full day tour to the east coast and the Papenoo Valley in a 6-person 4WD vehicle. Our guide was the owner Oliver who is an authentic French Polynesian who is very passionate about his heritage. He sponsors a dance troupe and invited us to watch the group practice later that evening. I highly recommend his tour.

--Huahini: We booked Marc’s Moto Tour. There were about 20 passengers on a covered boat that was quite comfortable for this excursion. We visited 3 different snorkeling sites. Lunch was actually very good. We were served freshly prepared poisson cru,salad, rice, bbq chicken and bbq fish. The fish was especially tasty. We enjoyed this excursion and I recommend it.

--Bora Bora day 1: We used Pure Snorkeling for our first morning in BB. Haiku was an excellent guide and there was only one other couple on the boat. First stop was for a manta ray sighting. He found this quickly. The 6-8 foot manta circled a coral head for quite some time so we had an opportunity for decent photos. Our second stop was called Aquarium where we saw a variety of tropical fish. Our next stop was a sandy area with some eagle rays. The group started at seven but grew to 11 before we left. Our final stop was the Coral Garden which had lots of healthy coral. Lots of blue lipped clams and Christmas tree worms. Our tour was about 3.5 hours in duration and we were completely satisfied.

--Moorea day 1: we booked the ship’s ATV excursion in the morning. The stops were a bit disappointing. The juice factory stop consisted of tasting a few juices and a wander through a gift shop. The agriculture school was a tasting of a few jellies and nothing else. The view from the Belvedere was nice. The ATV was easy to drive and fun.

--Bora Bora day 2, Rangiroa, Taha’a, and Moorea day 2: scuba diving booked through the ship.

--Papeete post-cruise: with nothing to do after our disembarkation and until our 11PM flight, I booked a full day west coast tour with Tracey at Unique Tahiti. Tracey was able to accommodate our luggage in her comfortable Mercedes van and we toured with 3 other couples. We visited a fishing encampment, an old church, a marae where we got to observe a dance practice, a botanic garden and a scenic lookout point high on Tahiti Iti. Lunch was at a restaurant on a black sand beach on Tahiti Iti. Post-tour Tracey arranged an accommodation where we could rest, shower and check email. She provided our transfer to the airport. I highly recommend Tracey’s services.

Pre-cruise: I initially planned to go to Moorea for 2 nights but our first day in Papeete was on a national holiday and I couldn’t sort out the ferry schedule. We ended up staying at Hotel Tiare Tahiti, directly across from the cruise port. This budget hotel probably doesn’t meet the standards of most PG cruisers but the room was quite adequate and the location was perfect for exploring Papeete. Internet is $5/hour and a bit quirky. A nearby restaurant/bar, Le Retro, offers 30 minutes of free internet for every drink purchased. But be aware that water is more expensive than Hinano!

There are already two excellent comprehensive reviews on this board, one by Deladane and the other by Tahitianbigkahuna. I won’t attempt to rehash items included in those reviews.

While we have lots of experience with large ship cruising and small-ship adventure cruising, this was our first experience with smaller ship near-luxury cruising. This cruise met my expectations and exceeded them in some areas. There are a few rough edges that I didn’t expect on a cruise at this price point.

What we liked:

--Food and service: really enjoyed the main restaurant and both specialty restaurants. On the first day we could make two reservations for each specialty restaurant, one each for the two menu offerings. This may have been because we were on a 10-night itinerary and the ship wasn’t fully booked. For lunch I sometimes used the buffet for a starter and ordered a hot sandwich with fries from the menu. If the bacon in the breakfast buffet looks limp, you can order crispy bacon from the menu. In the main restaurant we always asked for a shared table but this didn’t seem possible at the specialty restaurants.

--Diving: I was concerned about the dive program as there was little feedback here at CC. The diving is very expensive but very well organized and the dive sites delivered quality dives. I was very pleased and have written a detailed review posted here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2614361

--Cabin: we booked a deck 4 window cabin. I thought that the supplement for a balcony was excessive and the difference in price covered our excursions for the trip. The window cabin was very comfortable and the deck 4 location was super convenient.

Shortfalls:

--Lack of early baggage drop: if you don’t book your air through PG you are treated like a second class citizen. That you cannot drop you luggage prior to the 3PM check-in is not commensurate with a near-luxury product. And why can’t they keep your luggage for awhile post-cruise? I will post more on this topic in a separate posting.

--Wine in the bars is marginal: for the most part it tasted like $5 bottles from Trader Joes, the ones that you buy to try but don’t buy again. The one exception is the Villa Maria sauvignon blank from New Zealand. My solution was to drink cocktails (which I never do at home) or beer. I did find the dinner wine generally quite good. If you aren’t pleased with the daily white or red selection, ask the server for a recommendation for a different bottle. The wine stewards were quite helpful and eager to please and there is a variety of good wines that aren’t on the extra-cost list.

--Enrichment program was weak. The port lecturer did a decent job. I would have liked a few lectures on history of the area. There were a few lectures provided but they were poorly organized and rambling.

Dive Details:

--Bora Bora, Tapu site: 80’, 54 minutes. 13 divers in 3 groups. Tapu is outside the reef. We immediately saw black tip sharks and sawthem regularly during the dive. Onelarge lemon shark and a small free swimming moray eel.

--Rangiroa, the first dive was 63 feet and 48minutes. Went outside the reef near thegap. Tons of tropical fish, a white tipshark, grey reef sharks, a sea turtle and a tiger shark at the end. The second dive was 68 feet and 56minutes. Fish even more plentiful. A sea turtle, lots of grey reef sharks, a seaturtle. Towards the end we encountered a“freeway full of tuna” that seemed to go on forever.

--Fakarava, 58 feet and 53 minutes. About 15 minute ride to just outside thereef. Several grey reef sharks, a crownof thorns starfish, large “balls” of large snapper. Coral seemed healthy.

--Taha’a We were offered the choice of doing two dives outsidethe reef or a drift dive back into the lagoon and a second dive outside thereef. Unfortunately we ended up with thesecond choice. The first dive was 95feet and 39 minutes but there was virtually nothing to see. We spent lots of time below 80 feet, probablyto burn off our air before the drift was concluded. Our surface interval outside the reef wasaccompanied by an amazing downpour of rain with wind. We were glad to return to the 84-degreewater. The second dive was 72 feet and46 minutes and it was much more productive. We were immediately greeted by black tip sharks that hung with us formost of the dive. Lots of nice coral andtropicals plus a huge Napoleon wrasse.

--Moorea, the Canyons, was 66 feet and 59 minutes. Black tip, white tip and lemon sharks. A smallish sleeping sea turtle. Nice coral with many tropicals includingseveral clownfish swimming through anemones. This was very nice way to end our diving excursions.

Scuba diving from the PG far exceeded my expectations. My wife and I are PADI Advanced OW divers with just over 300 dives each. I was initially concerned about the dives because they are very pricey. Also because scuba dives from a large cruise ship tend to be short “dumbed down” dives targeting the relatively inexperienced diver. I booked 7 dives under the assumption that I would cancel several if the first few dives did not please us.

My fears were unjustified; the PG dive team delivers a quality product. The rental equipment, included in the price of the dives, was modern and in very good repair. The program is extremely well organized and everything proceeded properly. We dove with two dive masters that were excellent,friendly and helpful. Our 7 dives consisted of 3 single tank dives done with the PG staff and 2 two-tank dives done with an outside vendor but booked through PG. These 7 dives cost $768/person. In March the water temperature was 84 degrees at each site.

For experienced divers I would recommend the 10-night itinerary over the 7-night itinerary because the diving at the two Tuomotu sites was excellent. We could have participated in an additional dive at Bora Bora and three more at Moorea but we chose not to do this. With the 7-night itinerary you could participate in as many as 8 dives (2 BB, 2 Taha’a and 4 in Moorea).

The PG dive boat is a large zodiac with a tank rack down the center. There is virtually no space to store anything so you are encouraged to leave stuff in storage racks at the marina. Your equipment is already on board prior to boarding the boat. The boarding process is done according to the equipment layout with dive buddies adjacent to each other. The rides to the sites were generally short. At the site you put on your fins and straddle the zodiac pontoon. The divemasters assist with your BCD/tank. You enter the water using an unusual “side roll” technique. Groups are small, typically 4 or 5 in our dives.

The two-tank dives were conducted by outside vendors using their equipment. The Rangiroa zodiac was smaller and had no tank rack. Riding to the site you sat on the pontoon with your BCD/tank between your legs. We entered using a traditional backroll. Climbing back into the boat was a challenge as the ladder wasn’t anchored near the bottom and it tended to swing under the boat. Equipment wasn’t as new as the PG equipment; in particular a few reported problems with their BCDs. They had no room for the tanks for the second dive so we went to their dive shop to refill the tanks. The surface interval was something over an hour in a pleasant covered patio that had a nice breeze.

The Taha’a dive vendor was based out of the nearby island of Raiatea. Their dive boat was a larger aluminum boat with a complete shade cover. Tank racks contained our equipment and the tank for the second dive. The boat was comfortable for the 10 divers and two dive masters. Entry was via a traditional back roll. The ladder to reboard was secure. At the conclusion of the second dive we were taken to the PG motu for the BBQ lunch.

Just back from the 10-day Mar 7 cruise. We used Pure Snorkeling for our first morning in BB. Haiku was an excellent guide and there was only one other couple on the boat. First stop was for a manta ray sighting. He found this quickly. The 6-8 foot manta circled a coral head for quite some time so we had an opportunity for decent photos. Our second stop was called Aquarium where we saw a variety of tropical fish. A guide from another company fed a moray but our guide (and I) feel that this is inappropriate. Our next stop was a sandy area with some eagle rays. The group started at seven but grew to 11 before we left. Our final stop was the Coral Garden which had lots of healthy coral. Lots of blue lipped clams and Christmas tree worms.

Our tour was about 3.5 hours in duration and we were completely satisfied.

I thoroughly enjoyed your detailed review and great photos. My wife and I are scheduled for the same itinerary in early March.

Like you, I am a compulsive trip planner. I am sure that by reading your review I have saved myself several days of planning and the result will be a much better trip!

I was struggling with what to do with a few days pre-cruise. After reading your review I decided that a few days in Moorea would be the best approach. And “what to do with the suitcases”post-cruise? I even considered the overpriced PG Dayroom option. But your solution makes the most sense. Your SW flight delay recap convinced me to fly down to LAX the day ahead to avoid any flight drama with a SW to ATN connection.

You mentioned that you enjoy dressing for dinner. You should consider booking a Cunard Queen Mary 2 transatlantic voyage, preferably westbound. You could combine it with a visit to London. You would be among the youngest passengers onboard but you would find lots of things to keep you occupied during the six sea days. It is a very civilized way to return from Europe.

If you have any spare time in February we would love to buy you guys lunch or dinner some day. We travel a lot and it would be fun to exchange tips. You can reach me at kayakbob at Comcast dot net. Meanwhile, thanks again for your great efforts.

With the UBD, can I use one of my 'brought onboard' bottles with dinner or am I expected to order off of the Princess wine list? Thanks, Bob

I highly recommend the Lulu Lobster Boat excursion. The owner, Captain John, knows a lot about marine biology and does a great job of sharing his knowledge. Do a google search for a link to his site. We also enjoyed the Ollie's Trolley trip into Acadia. We visited October this year on the Queen Mary 2.

For the QM2 transatlantics signups begin on the morning after boarding at the tour office. The tour office opens at 9AM. I woke up early and wandered down at 7:30AM with a book to read. I was first in line. By about 8:15 the line was long. Did this July of this year. It is an excellent tour, well worth doing.

Thanks to all that replied. When I did a crossing last month I forgot to go down and check out the King's Court specialty area, hence my question. I have discouraged him from booking the QM2 unless he is willing to bring a coat and tie. He was interested in a particular sailing based on sailing date and departure port. I suspect that he will switch over to Princess.

One of my friends wishes to go sail on the QM2 but doesn't want to dress for dinner.

From a recent QM2 Daily Programme: "'any guest wishing to dress more casually are welcome to dine in 'the Kings Court buffet . . .

The King's Court also has the $10/person "specialty a la carte" area that rotates between Italian, Indian and Asian cuisine. Does anyone know if diners are expected to wear coats in the 'specialty' portion of the KC on formal nights? Thanks, Bob

This sailing boarded at the City Cruise Terminal. We arrived at 11:35 and quickly got our room cards. At just before 12 they started boarding Grills passengers. Platinum was called about 12:10 and we were in our room by 12:20. Our luggage was delivered at 12:30. This was quite amazing.

BTW, the requested boarding time was 3:30 PM but this didn't matter at all.

Lanie,

Thanks so much for your very thorough review! My wife and I are experienced Princess cruisers that are booked on the Golden Princess Nov 23 sailing.

I particularly enjoyed your comments on the 'Aina tour in Hilo. I've been in contact with Gil and I'm working out details for a trip for us. BTW, you misspelled their name in post 313 (ania rather than aina); perhaps this can be edited.

I was very impressed with your food photography. I often attempt it but have been frustrated. Without a flash the picture looks too dark. But the flash bouncing off of the white plate tends to wash out my pictures. Are you using manual mode or doing exposure correction?

We are also in CA, in Saratoga near San Jose. Thanks again, Bob