Back from Royal Princess Tahiti/FP Cruise 11/28 – 12/10/2010

[sassystyxfan]

Can't wait to read the last installment. We did a b2b on the Tahitian 4 years ago and did almost all the same excursions you did. Our dream now is to someday spend 6 months in Tahiti. It is my most favorite place I've ever visited. Your writing just brings it alive again. Many thanks. (BTY, I bought one pareo on each island with the island name printed on it for $10. You need to post a photo of a $70 pareo. I can't imagine.)

 

Uh yeaaaahhh, the pareo. Well, I picked it because it had embroidered flowers and the colors just struck me. And...when I touched it, it felt better because it is 100% rayon. I thought the cotteny ones felt too stiff and I've had two that wrinkled too much. Funny - when we got home my husband said something surprising. "You know it was made in Indonesia, right?" How did he know that? So I washed it on "delicate", hung it to dry and started ironing it. I looked at one of the tags that said, "Designed in Tahiti". And there was the other one..."Made in Indonesia". So I cut that one off and hung my beautiful new pareo in my closet! Yep - I can't wait till Winter is over...

 

I'll post a picture of the pareo...later.

[sassystyxfan]

The ship headed back to Papeete after a full day in Moorea. We decided to end the cruise properly with the friends we missed as our dinner companions after the first night’s open seating. The Lewis’ were with us this time and we got a table for 8 in Sterling Steak House. I thought the specialty dining was worth the cover charge. Steaks and family style sides were excellent and the service was great. The company was the best, though. Too bad we had to finish packing.

We had a teary breakfast the next morning after checking our carry-ons into the steakhouse for safekeeping. It’s odd that passengers are permitted to remain onboard until later in the afternoon since flights depart later at night. I remember fantasizing about getting to the hotel earlier to hang out on the beach and relax. Then we met all of our new friends from different parts of the world, along with meeting our buds from the UK, and we didn’t want to leave. So we hung out at the Royal pool as long as we could knowing that leaving all of them would be sad – especially for the criers…me and Karen.

BUT – our vacation wasn’t over yet. Donned in my new pareo (no I didn’t sleep in it) we headed to the Radisson Plaza. Check-in was a little less chaotic, but we did not get the “upgrade” like our first night. We hauled our luggage into the room and something caught my eye in this one-story version in the same building we were in previously. A reflection of a large Jacuzzi tub…sure enough…behind a curtain was another little room with a tub and windows with shutters offering a beautiful view of the beach below. Radisson…don’t ever upgrade me again, ok? We liked the standard room much better.

We couldn’t figure out why the room wasn’t staying cool. We got it that you have to put your room key in the slot by the door…an energy-saving feature. We just couldn’t figure out why the unit’s green light kept going out. It turns out you can’t open the balcony door without the unit shutting off. SO – we started taking the remote with us and turning the air-conditioner back on from outside! Ahhhhhhh….

The next morning we re-organized our luggage to prepare for the flight home. I said, “they can’t make me leave this room”. So we went downstairs and asked for a day room, as our flight wasn’t until 10:00 p.m. They didn’t have any vacancies. So we kept a bag each with clean clothes and toiletries for use in their spa later (all free of charge) and checked our luggage into their storage room. We wore our swimsuits so we could hang out at the infinity pool all day.

We went to the little boutique to look around. There was a lady with beautiful white hair sitting in front of the cashier purchasing what looked like gifts. She looked at me and said, “nice pareo”. I can’t make this stuff up. Seriously, she said she had never seen one like it. We got acquainted and she said she was from “there”. I asked, “If you are from here, why are you HERE?” She said she had just gotten her hair done. Then she asked, “Have you ever heard of John Norman Hall who wrote Mutiny on the Bounty? He is my dad. Have you been to the museum? You must see it…Do you have a car?” After answering no, she said, “What are you doing right now? We’ll drop you off”. We met her husband and daughter-in-law who introduced herself as such and followed them to their niece picking them up in front of the hotel.

Mrs. Nancy Hall Rutgers, the daughter of John Norman Hall, dropped us off in front of her dad’s house, the museum, we kissed her goodbye and went to the door. As instructed, we told the hostess of the museum that we were sent by Mrs. Rutgers. We still didn’t know if this lady was real. The hostess explained that Nancy is the kindest person and she does stuff like this all the time. Nancy was driven around the back, up the hill that she owns (her parents are buried there as well), to her beautiful home. She comes to the island every other year and stays for 3 or so months at a time. The hostess asked, “Did you meet her at the Radisson? She was getting her hair done for the trip back to the States to spend the holidays with her children.” We took a tour of the house, read the timeline of Mr. Hall’s life, saw the library and typewriter that he wrote Mutiny on the Bounty on and killed some time in a great way! The man was very interesting and he had a very kind, warm and beautiful daughter!

Mrs. Rutgers also told us it was a short walk back to the hotel – 10 minutes. Well, maybe if you are a distance runner that also happens to be used to the HUMIDITY! The only thing I would change is taking a cab back to the Radisson. The sidewalks are very narrow, the Mercedes garbage trucks and other cars are zooming by and did I mention the humidity? Take a cab. If you fall off the sidewalk, you will be just a memory instead of your trip!

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool. Lovely day, great service at the pool and a perfect way to end our trip. Then we took our bags up to the spa, showered and changed and went to the airport. We got to see our friends for the last time there and I had my last Hinano beer – I thought. We even saw a slide show of our trip that one of our friends had already put together on an iPad. Mrs. Rutgers and her husband were there and waved John over to thank us for going to the museum and writing in the guestbook. All because of a $70 pareo…

[BridgeMates]

Hi Laura, so much fun reading this, I felt like I was there with you.... OH, I was there with you!! Kidding aside, it was a great trip and especially the tours with the cc group. As the weather turns colder here in Dallas, I'm going to go back and re-read your review and remember those beautiful islands the wonderful warm, clear water and the fabulous snorkeling we did.

Hope to run into you again one day.

Sandy and Bruce

[scranger]

Thanks for the great review. We'll be on the same ship and itinerary next month. Assume you flew back through LAX and wonder what your experience was processing through Immigration and Security there?

[sassystyxfan]

Thanks for the great review. We'll be on the same ship and itinerary next month. Assume you flew back through LAX and wonder what your experience was processing through Immigration and Security there?

 

Sandy and Bruce - it was so nice meeting you! Glad you made it home safe and sound. :)

 

We did fly back thru LAX. Everything was smooth, and all our luggage arrived with us despite Southwest and going to the other terminal. Absolutely nothing was like getting thru Customs in Papeete. That was a real drag for over an hour.

[gingera]

Thanks so much for your story...it brought back wonderful memories from our trip.

One of the things I loved about the trip was that on disembarkation day we didn't have to leave the ship till mid afternoon, so we enjoyed the pool and a movie later on. It was like having an extra day.

[sassystyxfan]

Thanks so much for your story...it brought back wonderful memories from our trip.

One of the things I loved about the trip was that on disembarkation day we didn't have to leave the ship till mid afternoon, so we enjoyed the pool and a movie later on. It was like having an extra day.

 

Thank you Gingera! Yes, that was great and, surprisingly, it didn't feel like the next batch of cruisers was coming aboard. I thought the airport would be less crowded leaving the next day, but it wasn't. Our flight was late - I don't know what the 11:00 p.m. flight was like. It was great, though, because we got to spend more time with our friends. We didn't "party" on the plane because we all wanted to sleep! LOL

[Bucky3]

Thanks so much for your great review. Now, where is that pareo? Can't wait to see the picture of it!

[Kinkacruiser]

Thankyou for allowing me to relive my fondest FP cruise memories. We did this cruise at the same time of year in 2008. Each Christmas, we make the rum punch that we enjoyed on Marc's picnic. There will defintely be a repeat cruise.

Anna :)

[u2cruiser]

What an interesting and entertaining review. I have really enjoyed reading your story. Thank you :)

[sassystyxfan]

Thanks so much for your great review. Now, where is that pareo? Can't wait to see the picture of it!

 

Here it is...(It's way brighter than the picture and the netty looking red flowers are the embroidered ones)

 

[sassystyxfan]

Thankyou for allowing me to relive my fondest FP cruise memories. We did this cruise at the same time of year in 2008. Each Christmas, we make the rum punch that we enjoyed on Marc's picnic. There will defintely be a repeat cruise.

Anna :)

 

Your welcome...how do you make it?

[sassystyxfan]

What an interesting and entertaining review. I have really enjoyed reading your story. Thank you :)

 

I am glad everyone enjoyed it and actually read it! It was fun being there and fun to re-live it.

[west coast cruiser]

Here it is...(It's way brighter than the picture and the netty looking red flowers are the embroidered ones)

 

 

I love the colors.

WCC

[erewhon]

Thank you for your very interesting review.