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Day room not through PG? Don't want the island tour


trk_koa
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We haven't flown to another island on disembarkation day, but if it's a flight you made reservations for on your own, rather than through PG cruises, I would expect that you need to leave the ship by 10 AM, and you will need to find your own way to the airport. If you made reservations through PG for an after cruise flight and hotel room, then they'll take care of your transfers and will give you a personal disembarkation time while onboard.

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Just as a matter of clarification. You CAN book the day room and transfer through PG even if you don’t do their air. We are flying on Hawaiian Airlines and have booked and paid PG for our post cruise day room and transfer.

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Just as a matter of clarification. You CAN book the day room and transfer through PG even if you don’t do their air. We are flying on Hawaiian Airlines and have booked and paid PG for our post cruise day room and transfer.

 

Thanks for this info. However, I'm still wondering if you can pay for this option with OBC?

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No you cannot use OBC. OBC is to be used on board as the name implies.

 

 

 

Actually, in most instances, OBC is limited to purchases made onboard. This includes things like excursions off the ship. Thus, it may be possible to arrange once aboard. No harm in asking.

 

 

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Actually, in most instances, OBC is limited to purchases made onboard. This includes things like excursions off the ship. Thus, it may be possible to arrange once aboard. No harm in asking.

 

 

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Yes! I feel it may be possible too. We have purchased excursions in the past and it gets billed to your on-board account. My thinking is that we can make the post-cruise arrangement this way. We shall see ;p

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So, on a related question about debarkation day, what is the normal time to debark when you are traveling to another island on inter-island air? We will be traveling to Raiatea and I am wondering if we will have a leisurely morning or will we have to get moving early to be transferred to the flight?

 

I know it does depend on airline schedules, but what has been your normal schedule when you have a post cruise stay under the PG program?

 

Thanks and I know this is a little off topic for the thread,

 

Doug

 

Doug, I can't answer that exactly but I know that Air Tahiti (the internal carrier) doesn't fly in the dark. That means no flights before dawn, which is about 6 or 6:30. If you look at their website you can see that there are a reasonable number of flights to Raiatea starting at 6:30. I would presume that they wouldn't book you too early, since you wouldn't be able to check in at your hotel, but I don't know that. The website is: https://www.airtahiti.com/

 

Are you staying on Taha'a? That means a water taxi I presume, from Raiatea.

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Doug, I can't answer that exactly but I know that Air Tahiti (the internal carrier) doesn't fly in the dark. That means no flights before dawn, which is about 6 or 6:30. If you look at their website you can see that there are a reasonable number of flights to Raiatea starting at 6:30. I would presume that they wouldn't book you too early, since you wouldn't be able to check in at your hotel, but I don't know that. The website is: https://www.airtahiti.com/

 

Are you staying on Taha'a? That means a water taxi I presume, from Raiatea.

 

Thanks Wendy, that is helpful. I see that Air Tahiti has several morning flights for both directions.

 

We are staying on Vahine Island which is a small island off Taha'a. I think PG recently added this resort to their group of land based resorts. The resort has a boat that will pick us up on Raiatea and bring us to their private island.

 

Doug

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Hi TKB, regarding the following

'Typically if you purchased a day room from PG and you do not wish to take the tour you will stay on-board until after you have eaten lunch.'

On our 12/2 cruise, the debarkation paperwork said everyone off by 10am. Wondered if that was just for our cruise or ? as in the past could stay until after lunch.

Did not matter to us as we debarked at 5:30a to catch our AF flight.

There were some people who hadnt bought air thru the PG who were staying on for the lunch. PG was forced to police this. We have always left around 10 ...actually 10.30 this July when we bought our own air. Only stayed for lunch when we bought PG air.

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Thanks Wendy, that is helpful. I see that Air Tahiti has several morning flights for both directions.

 

We are staying on Vahine Island which is a small island off Taha'a. I think PG recently added this resort to their group of land based resorts. The resort has a boat that will pick us up on Raiatea and bring us to their private island.

 

Doug, that sounds enticing! Looks like an amazing "desert island" experience. Nice that they've added this--don't see any of their website right now, seems they are reworking the hotels available.

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Thanks Wendy, that is helpful. I see that Air Tahiti has several morning flights for both directions.

 

We are staying on Vahine Island which is a small island off Taha'a. I think PG recently added this resort to their group of land based resorts. The resort has a boat that will pick us up on Raiatea and bring us to their private island.

 

Doug

 

BTW Doug .... right next to this resort is pretty decent snorkeling ... see attachment

PDF Vahine.pdf

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BTW Doug .... right next to this resort is pretty decent snorkeling ... see attachment

 

Nice, the resort has a beach boy(their term, not mine;)) that meets with you daily and arranges snorkeling tours every morning that are included with your stay.

 

Doug

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Doug, that sounds enticing! Looks like an amazing "desert island" experience. Nice that they've added this--don't see any of their website right now, seems they are reworking the hotels available.

 

Wendy, yes very private with only 9 bungalows, three of which are OWB's. Since they are on their own island breakfast and dinner are included in the cost.

 

I just checked and they are listed on the Shore Extension portion of PG's website. They are the last resort on their list, after Fiji. Also, check out the fabulous reviews(virtually all 5's) on TripAdvisor.

 

Doug

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Nice, the resort has a beach boy(their term, not mine;)) that meets with you daily and arranges snorkeling tours every morning that are included with your stay.

 

Doug

 

Yes I've heard that but they like to stay fairly close to the resort ... your not going to get them to zip over to the drift snorkel area on the other side of the lagoon ;)

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Wendy, yes very private with only 9 bungalows, three of which are OWB's. Since they are on their own island breakfast and dinner are included in the cost.

 

I just checked and they are listed on the Shore Extension portion of PG's website. They are the last resort on their list, after Fiji. Also, check out the fabulous reviews(virtually all 5's) on TripAdvisor.

 

Thanks. I missed finding them on pgcruises.com because I was looking at specific cruises, instead of the top level menu item.

 

Funny, I wonder if PG owns this resort. They seem to be going fairly exclusively to offering their own resorts only, where they exist. So no more "Le Taha'a", for example. Too rich for my blood in any case.

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Yes I've heard that but they like to stay fairly close to the resort ... your not going to get them to zip over to the drift snorkel area on the other side of the lagoon ;)

 

You are right, their included excursions are around their island, very likely in the area you highlighted on your picture. If a guest wants to go to Taha'a and tour there is a charge for their boat to take you over there. I have read some guests go to the Vanilla Plantations on Tahha'a and the resort will plan it for you but obviously that would involve a cost. And, I am sure that also applies if a guest wants to go to the drift snorkel area close to the Taha'a resort. Not even sure they will arrange that excursion.

 

Or, I use my excess OBC to do the PG drift snorkel when we are on the Motu day. Still weighing that option versus just enjoying the Motu.

 

Doug

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Thanks. I missed finding them on pgcruises.com because I was looking at specific cruises, instead of the top level menu item.

 

Funny, I wonder if PG owns this resort. They seem to be going fairly exclusively to offering their own resorts only, where they exist. So no more "Le Taha'a", for example. Too rich for my blood in any case.

 

I don't think PG(or Beachcomber) owns it. PG said it was a new relationship and they were working on the 2018 contracts when I contacted them about staying there after our cruise. And, we are splurging since this is our first trip to French Polynesia.

 

Doug

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You are right, their included excursions are around their island, very likely in the area you highlighted on your picture. If a guest wants to go to Taha'a and tour there is a charge for their boat to take you over there. I have read some guests go to the Vanilla Plantations on Tahha'a and the resort will plan it for you but obviously that would involve a cost. And, I am sure that also applies if a guest wants to go to the drift snorkel area close to the Taha'a resort. Not even sure they will arrange that excursion.

 

Or, I use my excess OBC to do the PG drift snorkel when we are on the Motu day. Still weighing that option versus just enjoying the Motu.

 

Doug

 

Doug ... the drift snorkel on Tahaa starts around 9:00 am and the boat delivers you directly to the motu around 12:30 pm. The motu doesn't really get going until around 11:00 am. By 3 pm the crew is pretty much loaded everything back on the tenders. My point is you will still have 2 - 3 hours to enjoy the festivities on the motu. By 3:30 everyone is heading toward the tenders.

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After having done all day at Taha'a's Motu Mahana twice, we're thinking of doing the drift snorkel excursion next time we go. The lunch on the motu is very good, and the motu itself is nice to walk around, with some drift snorkeling between that motu and the one next to it. But earlier this month, there were way too many kayaks drifting out of control in that same area, so there was really no where to snorkel safely in an area where you could see anything. There's plenty of shallow water for walking, with rays and small coral heads and some small fish, and fantastic views, but a few hours are enough. Others on the cruise were happy with the drift snorkel excursion before coming to the motu BBQ. There also seemed to be much more seating available on the motu than there was back in February, so late arrivals had no problem finding a place to sit.

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Doug ... the drift snorkel on Tahaa starts around 9:00 am and the boat delivers you directly to the motu around 12:30 pm. The motu doesn't really get going until around 11:00 am. By 3 pm the crew is pretty much loaded everything back on the tenders. My point is you will still have 2 - 3 hours to enjoy the festivities on the motu. By 3:30 everyone is heading toward the tenders.

 

Thanks TBK, great input. So, we would only miss about 1.5 hours at the Motu but would gain a 3 hour excursion starting around 9 am. And, up to 3 hours at the Motu in the afternoon will be plenty for us.

 

And, I can use some of our OBC for this excursion. Win win!:D:D

 

Doug

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After having done all day at Taha'a's Motu Mahana twice, we're thinking of doing the drift snorkel excursion next time we go. The lunch on the motu is very good, and the motu itself is nice to walk around, with some drift snorkeling between that motu and the one next to it. But earlier this month, there were way too many kayaks drifting out of control in that same area, so there was really no where to snorkel safely in an area where you could see anything. There's plenty of shallow water for walking, with rays and small coral heads and some small fish, and fantastic views, but a few hours are enough. Others on the cruise were happy with the drift snorkel excursion before coming to the motu BBQ. There also seemed to be much more seating available on the motu than there was back in February, so late arrivals had no problem finding a place to sit.

 

More great input, as I just responded above, your input and TBK's settles it for me.

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

Edited by doug52
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