HAL or PRINCESS 28 DAY CA to Tahiti RT

Just recently retired and have always wanted to do the California to Tahiti and back to CA, usually 28 days. Looks like Princess & Holland America are the only ones to do this and I don’t want to pay for flight to Australia since I am out of frequent flyer miles so a one way is currently out of the question. Has anyone done this on both lines who can give the positive & negatives of each. Looking for a standard balcony & probably in early 2019. Thanks Charlie

We have not done this specific cruise. But have cruised both Princess and HAL.. very similar lines. Suspect you can't go wrong with either one.

Good luck finding someone who has sailed this, long, exotic cruise on both cruise lines. That is asking a lot!!

Lots of people of sailed both cruise lines, like ourselves. Both are good, we prefer HAL.

I've sailed this type of cruise but not with each line. I have sailed with each line.

I would read the reviews about each ship and use that as input for your decision.

Keith

I did this itinerary with Princess several years ago and absolutely loved it.

Be aware that you need to be a serious fan of consecutive sea days because there are 8 of them in a row from Papeete to LA.

I am, so it was no problem at all for me ..... give me a good book, a seat on my balcony or a lounge on the pool deck, the smell of the ocean breezes, and I'm a happy cruiser. Some passengers got a bit restless during those 8 days.

I cannot offer a comparison because I am a Princess loyalist, and have never set foot on a HAL ship.

We haven't been on HAL, but this was the third year in a row that we have done this cruise on Princess. It is very popular. There were so many this year who had done it before, that we were nicknamed the "Tahiti Repeatee"

Have you checked out Paul Gauguin? You will pay more for the cruise but it’s all inclusive (including air to pappete and hotel). Hands down the absolute best way to see French Polynesia!

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Just recently retired and have always wanted to do the California to Tahiti and back to CA, usually 28 days. Looks like Princess & Holland America are the only ones to do this and I don’t want to pay for flight to Australia since I am out of frequent flyer miles so a one way is currently out of the question. Has anyone done this on both lines who can give the positive & negatives of each. Looking for a standard balcony & probably in early 2019. Thanks Charlie

Haven't cruise this itinerary on both lines, but do have this cruise booked on HAL in the future.

We have cruised both HAL & Princess and agree that both would be fine. We just preferred the HAL itinerary over the Princess one for the time frame we were looking at.

Just recently retired and have always wanted to do the California to Tahiti and back to CA, usually 28 days. Looks like Princess & Holland America are the only ones to do this and I don’t want to pay for flight to Australia since I am out of frequent flyer miles so a one way is currently out of the question. Has anyone done this on both lines who can give the positive & negatives of each. Looking for a standard balcony & probably in early 2019. Thanks Charlie

Like many of the others, I've also sailed both lines....just not on that itinerary. What specific ships are you looking at? Perhaps we can give the pros and cons of each ship.

I haven't done the 28 day, but I did a 10 day in Tahiti on the Tahitian Princess and it was fantastic!!!!! Less stoic than HAL.;)