Flying home

[jody]

We are unlucky enough to be on the last flight out of Papeete on 2/22 (12:15 a.m. - thanks Princess air) and I'm wondering when we should try to get to the airport. I want to take a taxi and avoid the Princess bus transfer crowd, but many of them will be on the earlier flights. Are there separate lines for each flight or do they check in the flights one at a time? I don't want to sit around the airport for hours waiting if I don't have too, but I also would like to 'beat the rush' for those on my flight. Any thoughts from those of you who already survived the experience??

Thanks!

[Toto2Kansas]

That might be a bit of a problem since you are on the late flight. We had friends that tried to 'beat the rush' for their late flight and they were not allowed to even claim their luggage from the holding area until the earlier flights were checked in. It does make it kind of hard. But if you arrive early, and they are handling this the same way they did in October, which I am sure they are. You will be turned away at the airport and told to return later. Our friends had to go to a hotel and sit in the lounge for several hours until they were allowed to claim their luggage and check in.

Sorry, don't shoot the messgenger PLEASE!

[jody]

Thanks Toto. I was afraid of that! I think the flight before us leaves at 11:30 or something, so there isn't much time between that flight and ours, so I'm not sure how they handle that.

[Toto2Kansas]

We had the earlier flight jody and I think it was 11:15-11:20. But I know our friends really got into it with the security guards when they insisted they wanted to claim their luggage to check in early, and they didn't win the battle. It is a very small airport by U.S. standards and the way they do this baggage and check in is, for lack of a better word, horrible.

Not sure if you can swing it, but IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, it would be best to spend one extra day in Tahiti and fly home the next day.

 

If that can't happen, then just take along plenty of patience, and hang in there. If gives you a good chance to visit in line with other passengers. :)

 

They don't allow any of the later flights passengers to claim their luggage until all of the early flight has theirs. :(

[laurieb]

if you don't do the Princess transfers, you don't need to worry about not being able to claim your luggage. we arrived about 2 1/2 hours before our flight and had no problem. there were also folks that showed up 1/2 hour before the flight and had no problem.

[HaloV]

That is one of the reasons why we chose Radisson over Princess. I read a lot of people complaining about the flights. RSSC gives you a day room at a local hotel the last day. It is very nice to relax before that long flight home. Maybe your post will help out future cruisers. I agree to bring along your patience. Those TSA people can be pretty nasty in Tahiti.:eek:

[Toto2Kansas]

The one big point here is NOT to let Princess take your luggage. IF you take it yourself to the airport, then you won't have a problem checking in. It is that holding area that makes things so difficult that they put the Princess luggage in.

 

I think you could probably check it the last day up in Sterlings where others will check their carry ons, depending on how much you have. But just remember, chances are you will have to take the luggage off the ship yourself unless you can bribe a room steward to assist. The Taxis are at the end of the pier and their are no luggage carts available, so make sure to take luggage on wheels if you decide to do it this way.

 

It is the only way I can see around the hassle at the airport.

You would have thought by now that Princess would have come up with a better system for that last evening but I have been told that this is the way it always has been done and it isn't the greatest way to end a cruise.

 

As I said before, take your patience and keep smiling, the cruise is lovely. :D

[seafish]

Those TSA people can be pretty nasty in Tahiti.:eek:

HaloV - FAAA had their own security/customs, etc., but - I don't recall TSA agents being there. Is that new? SeaFish

[jody]

What do people with a post-cruise stay do with their luggage? Is there a holding area outside the ship for the luggage that isn't going to the airport? I definitely want to avoid me and my luggage being stuck in the cruise transfer crowd. We do have wheels on our luggage, so if putting it out the night before means we won't see it until the airport, I will plan to keep it all and check it at Sterlings for the day. Thanks for all the advice everyone. I know the last day will be challenging, so I'm hoping to make it as easy as possible.

[Toto2Kansas]

jody, YES, if you place your luggage outside of your door the night before, it will go in the holding area on the pier.....BUT you will not be able to take it out of there and will not see it again until the long lines at the airport where it is transferred to. I would definitely suggest checking that luggage at Sterlings and then claiming it right before you disembark the ship on the last day.

I wish I would have thought of it before our TP cruise, it will save you a lot of waiting in lines and furstration.

If you take your luggage yourself, the only problem you will have is killing some time at the airport. But there are lots of shops to look through there so at least there is something to do.

We arrived at the pier at around 7:45-8:00 (by Princess transfer) and believe it or not, we got to the gate 15 minutes before our plane boarded doing it Princess' way. Nope, your plan would be much much better.

Enjoy!

[laurieb]

I think that you might want to contact Princess and see if you can claim your luggage yourself. we stayed over another night in Papeete,and had our own transportation arrangements, so our tags were a different color. they may only let bags with that color out.

[ChrissyC]

We're going to get off the TP and then just walk down the pier to catch the ferry over to Moorea where we'll be staying for another 4 nights. What will we do with our luggage? I don't want to get separated from it. Do we have to stick it outside our cabin or can we just haul it ourselves the day we get off the ship? Sorry, newbie cruiser. Thanks.

[Toto2Kansas]

I think laurieb has a great idea, as things do change all of the time. But I would not bother calling Princess, I would wait until I boarded the ship. If you call Princess 6 times, you will get 6 different answers. Safest bet is to check towards the end of your cruise to see if they will allow you to claim your luggage at the end of the pier. Unless things have changed since October, I think I already know the answer to this one. :D

 

Chrissy, If I were you I would also contact the purser's desk once onboard to see if they have changed the rules. That way you will know for sure what the best way to do this will be.

 

I would just hate for any of you to put your luggage outside your door without checking first, then find that you can not get it back until it is unloaded at the airport. :mad:

[laurieb]

we put ours outside the door and then claimed it on the dock the next day when we were ready to leave. as I said, if you have your own travel arrangements, they give you a different color tag than everyone who is flying out with Princess( ours were red, I expect yours will be too). They will keep them safe until you pick them up. the ferry is right next to the ship which is really convenient. there are bins to put your luggage in for the ferry ride so you don't have to haul them up the steep steps.

[Debi_D]

Hi Everyone- we are staying at the Beachcomber 3 days before our trip in November. I have read somewhere that if you stay there before you cruise then you can come back to the hotel after your cruise and before your flight out that evening. Now if that is the case then would I hold on to my luggage and just take it with me to the hotel? We then are going to take a taxi from the hotel to the airport, if we do this then would that keep us out of the crowd coming from the ship? This way I think we will be able to check-in earlier....

 

Deb

[laurieb]

the Beachcomber will hold your luggage for you in a secure room. what they will offer you, I believe, is the use of a day room for no charge if you have stayed there previously. you can use the resort facilities, and then shower and get ready for your flight home. We stayed there for one night after the cruise, and we were able to check out late for only 100.00 more than we paid for our room, we didn't have to check out until 8pm. we are so glad we did that, it made the last day very relaxing.

[Toto2Kansas]

Yes, the Beachcomber will give you a day room. The day room is a shared shower room only. You get the key, shower and change, and then turn the key back in. We checked it out with friends who stayed there pre-cruise. They had thought they actually got a small ROOM, but it is actually only a place to shower and change. It is a nice large shower room with stacks of towels. But is not an actual hotel room as you know it.

The Beachcomber allows you to use the facilites that last day and they will hold your luggage for you while waiting for your flights.

[Debi_D]

Thanks for the inside I think that is what we will do before I flight home......

 

Laurieb- though about doing that. But doesn't it cost you extra for air from Princess. How was the flight the next day, was it a light load?

 

Deb

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I think you should be aware that there are lots of other flights coming and going, and it's a bit of a crapshoot at the airport. We take Radisson, which means flying home Saturday. The last time we had a late flight, and got the airport on the shuttle bus to find a long line of travellers winding its way through the terminal. Most of these people were divers, not cruisers, although they groaned when they saw the cruisers coming. It was not fun, especially in the heat. It took at least 2 hours just to check in.

 

This time I think we'll take a cab somewhat in advance. But I still think it's a gamble. I guess one could check the flight schedules for all the airlines, Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui, Air France--any others? And then act accordingly.

[ChrissyC]

Laurieb, where is your trip report?????? We'd all love to hear it....

[laurieb]

I promise I will post one soon!

[10X]

We're on the same cruise as the original poster, Jody, but we have the 11:55 p.m. flight out. We do not have Princess transfers to/from the airport. Is our luggage handled differently? I assume we will be responsible for getting it to the airport. If that's the case, can we just store it at Sterlings and just take a cab to the airport to beat the crowd? How soon is too soon/too late to get to the airport? It would be nice to be a few mintes ahead of the big crowds so we can get through the check-in and kick back for a while until the plane leaves.

[Toto2Kansas]

Princess will have information delivered to each cabin telling the times that debarkation will begin. If you use this as your guide, you can be clear of the ship before they begin. That way you can arrive at the airport at least 30 minutes before they start the busing process. It should help you avoid the hassle of the long lines at check in. You will have quite a long wait for your flight though as Princess usually begins about 4-5 hours or more before the first flight leaves.

The wait for your flight is far less frustrating then the long unorganized lines at FAA.

[MVPinBoynton]

Toto2Kansas,

I thought your avatar was telling us that we could just click our heels together and get to the front of the line. Are you telling us that it doesn't work in Tahiti, since we are already in paradise?

[Toto2Kansas]

About half way through the check in line at FAA in October, one of our CC friends mentioned the same thing. They all held on and I clicked and clicked and clicked, but it didn't do any good. :( LOL

Maybe it will work for check in on our next cruise.............worth a try I guess. :D