Why am I paying double for an Ic Tahiti room booked through PG?

[Leejnd4]

Thanks Leeanne. The manager said that PG cruises would not pay for my transfer from the airport to the hotel but that they would pay from hotel to the ship. I believe that I was due 1 transfer because I did purchase the cruise and airfare through PG.

 

Also, I believe that the IC tahiti is 2 miles from the hotel so the taxi should not be that much.

 

Too bad they didn't cover the transfer from airport to hotel, and leave you to pay for the other one! :p Yes, it's a short taxi ride from the IC to the pier. The higher ticket ride will be from airport to hotel. I'm drawing a blank on how much it was when we did it - $30? $40? Someone who's been there more recently can tell you I'm sure.

 

Either way, you are saving a bundle by canceling that exorbitant night through PG, so you'll come out ahead.

[MONYMONY68]

Today, I called my TA to ask about 2 nights post cruise at the IC Tahiti. I told her I wanted an OWB either lagoon view or motu view. I didn't really care as long as it is OWB. She put me on hold and then came back on the line. PG quoted her $740 per person for the lagoon view OWB or $980 pp for the motu view OWB. So, for double occupancy for 2 nights, it would be $1480 or $1960.

 

No, thank you. I booked direct via TC website and saved a bundle. I am paying $1130 total for an OWB motu; saving me over $800.

[Leejnd4]

Today, I called my TA to ask about 2 nights post cruise at the IC Tahiti. I told her I wanted an OWB either lagoon view or motu view. I didn't really care as long as it is OWB. She put me on hold and then came back on the line. PG quoted her $740 per person for the lagoon view OWB or $980 pp for the motu view OWB. So, for double occupancy for 2 nights, it would be $1480 or $1960.

 

No, thank you. I booked direct via TC website and saved a bundle. I am paying $1130 total for an OWB motu; saving me over $800.

 

I'd ask your TA where she got that pricing, because that doesn't at all match what's on PG's own website. Here's the link: http://www.pgcruises.com/extend/tahiti If you click the pricing links on that website, you can see that PG's prices match much more closely with what you got on your own. (The slight difference being that thru the PG, the transfers and breakfast are included.)

 

I would not be pleased with a TA quoting me way higher prices than what's on PG Cruises' actual website.

 

Even though the prices are significantly less on PG's website, I still find it odd that the prices for the post-cruise nights are so much higher than pre-cruise. I wonder why that is?

 

Oh, one other thing to mention - note that the difference between the Lagoon OWB and the Motu OWB is not just view - the lagoon bungalows are actually jr. suites, and are significantly bigger than the motu bungalows. So the lagoon ones are (normally) a lot more expensive. So I'm really curious why your TA quoted the moto OWB's as more than the lagoon ones? Strange, to say the least...

[Emdee]

Donna, I am glad you found a resolution to your problem.

 

I too dont get why the pricing is so different from the website.

Last year we paid $850 for the Panoramic room for 3 for 1 night. We didnt quibble with the price as we didnt want to pay the deviation x3 and the room included breakfast and lunch as well. We ended up buying our own transfer to the ship rather than wait in the line up. Sometimes we even jump into a cab rather than wait for the bus to fill at the airport. When we get to that point we cannot wait to be on the pG.

 

Donna I hope that everything going forward is going to be wonderfully smooth and you have a great trip!

 

Miriam

[Trend]

A good agent will look into all this before booking. We have booked pre cruise in Fiji with P&G and post cruise in Tahiti at the IC. Post is usually more money not sure why but I compared both prices with online companies and it came out a better deal each time with P&G but I was doing their number of days once you deviate they zing you for it.

[D-ma]

Thanks Miriam. I just finished with PG and I am happy with the results. Now I need to book shore excursions-Look out below. lol

[Cruisedreamer1]

If one books a precruise stay through the PG do you get both breakfast and lunch for the 2 night stay? Thanks.

[Leejnd4]

If one books a precruise stay through the PG do you get both breakfast and lunch for the 2 night stay? Thanks.

 

Hi Cruisedreamer - we're doing the 2 night pre-cruise stay, and we were told we only get breakfast. Which is fine by us - we're planning on spending our days out and about anyway, so we wouldn't get to take advantage of it.

[MONYMONY68]

I'd ask your TA where she got that pricing, because that doesn't at all match what's on PG's own website. Here's the link: http://www.pgcruises.com/extend/tahiti If you click the pricing links on that website, you can see that PG's prices match much more closely with what you got on your own. (The slight difference being that thru the PG, the transfers and breakfast are included.)

 

I would not be pleased with a TA quoting me way higher prices than what's on PG Cruises' actual website.

 

Even though the prices are significantly less on PG's website, I still find it odd that the prices for the post-cruise nights are so much higher than pre-cruise. I wonder why that is?

 

Oh, one other thing to mention - note that the difference between the Lagoon OWB and the Motu OWB is not just view - the lagoon bungalows are actually jr. suites, and are significantly bigger than the motu bungalows. So the lagoon ones are (normally) a lot more expensive. So I'm really curious why your TA quoted the moto OWB's as more than the lagoon ones? Strange, to say the least...

 

My TA and I called PG again today. If you look at the prices quoted on the website, there is some fine print "Air/Sea Guests post-cruise" I booked my own air, so that's why they are quoting me a higher price. I got the prices backward. You are correct; the lagoon OWB is the more expensive bungalow, but PG repeated the same price to me today as yesterday. What a rip off!

[Leejnd4]

My TA and I called PG again today. If you look at the prices quoted on the website, there is some fine print "Air/Sea Guests post-cruise" I booked my own air, so that's why they are quoting me a higher price. I got the prices backward. You are correct; the lagoon OWB is the more expensive bungalow, but PG repeated the same price to me today as yesterday. What a rip off!

 

Ahh...that explains it. Yeah, the prices go way up if you're not buying the air from them too. That's not uncommon in the cruise industry. In fact I normally NEVER buy my air or pre/post hotels through cruise lines, even on my earlier PG cruise - I can always do far better on my own .

 

My upcoming PG cruise is the very first time I bought my flights and hotels through the cruise line...and I only did that after I did a ton of research and was stunned to see that it was actually cheaper to do it all through PG Cruises!

 

Maybe I just got lucky.

[Emdee]

When we went last year we got lunch on day of embarkation. This was in the fine print of the cruise docs that came and was brought to my attention by Mighty Quinn. It was an excellent a la carte lunch and nothing reminiscent of the lunches at the TIC which used to served in Regent days.

 

The hotel maintained a list of names who qualified but if you didnt know this no one told you about it. So check your printed documents - this is where we found it.

[Leejnd4]

When we went last year we got lunch on day of embarkation. This was in the fine print of the cruise docs that came and was brought to my attention by Mighty Quinn. It was an excellent a la carte lunch and nothing reminiscent of the lunches at the TIC which used to served in Regent days.

 

The hotel maintained a list of names who qualified but if you didnt know this no one told you about it. So check your printed documents - this is where we found it.

 

THANK YOU! I will look for this in my cruise docs! We're fine not having lunch at the IC on the first full day as we'll be out touring around, but it really would be a great convenience on embarkation day - Charlie and I are going out to do a dive with Top Dive that morning and then come back to the hotel to shower and pack. We figured we'd take Le Truk into town or something for lunch (I recall the food at the IC is so ridiculously expensive we just didn't want to pay such inflated prices - $28 for a simple sandwich!). But if we can eat lunch at the IC without breaking the bank that would be great.

 

This board is awesome - the things we learn!

[Emdee]

Leeann,

The food at TIC is excellent now. I know the sandwiches are expensive but they are quite substantial. If you dont get lunch you may want to share something . PG has a high tea at 3 when you embark so that should take you through dinner.

 

On the costs at FP hotels- I dont find food prices that costly any more except breakfast. Just back from South America ( and did Asia last year) and prices were very close to Tahiti and in some cases more expensive. Last year at the Moorea sofitel I had a mammoth sized Croque monsieur which included both a salad and fries for about 26$. I think service charge and taxes were included so pricing not that high really. Even in a moderate restaurant in Toronto a nice sandwich would be $16.00 Plus salad would be $8.00 . the 13% tax plus 15% tip is more.

 

The only problem in FP is the lack of alternatives!

[Leejnd4]

That's one thing I remember very well about our time in Tahiti - food was super expensive, and frankly just not very good. But then you don't go to French Polynesia for the fine dining, right? :p And we're going to be so spoiled on the PG, really who cares?

 

Good to hear that the food has improved at the TIC. I do recall their breakfasts being FANTASTIC - best meal of the day! And I also remember being highly relieved that it was included, because the price was jaw-dropping.

 

We did eat lunch there a couple times (as I mentioned), and were not impressed -- with either the food or the portion sizes. But if they've gotten more generous with portion sizes, splitting an order is a good option. Thanks!

[aeronan]

I've got to comment that this "deviation" rule PG has imposed is pure nickel & diming the passenger.

 

If you book your flight through PG which gets in Papeete at an ungodly hour and PG are willing to offer the day service hotel as a result, they should also offer the same service if you fly in 24 hrs earlier. The passenger should therefore only have to pay for 1 night accomodation.

 

I find it amazing that PG are able to get away with this. In fact it is probably to their advantage to get passengers in the day before to avoid any issues on sail date with flight delays.

 

Shame on you PG!!

[Leejnd4]

Um...just for the record, aeronon, charging a deviation fee for flying a non-standard flight is not by any means unique to Paul Gauguin. Many other cruise lines do the same thing. I'm not saying that makes it right, but if you're going to say "shame on PG", maybe it should be "shame on the cruise industry" because it's actually a pretty common practice.

 

I don't know what the reasoning behind it is - perhaps they charge it because they buy seats on the standard flights in bulk, and have to pay more for flights other than that? Or perhaps they're just charging a fee for no reason because, well, they can. All I can say is, your anger specifically at PG Cruises seems a little strong considering how common this is among other cruise lines as well.

[aeronan]

This is the first time I've booked air & cruise together. So I never knew this deviation policy existed. So my first encounter with this was through PG. So in hindsight, if that be the case then "shame on the cruise industry".

 

Fortunately I now say "hats off" to PG as they have waived my deviation fee & rectified the situation. To me that's sound business, they were willing to listen to the customer & do what they could to rectify the issue.:)

 

This is a new experience for me as in the past I haven't found that the cruise companies listened to the passenger very well. :o

 

So now all my cruise port/excursions research begins. I'm so excited!! Can't wait!!

[Leejnd4]

I have found PG Cruises to be more than willing to do what's necessary to satisfy their customers. Glad to see that you are now experiencing the same thing, and I'm glad it all worked out.

 

All's well that ends well. And it looks like we're on the same cruise! I see you joined our roll call. I know there are a bunch of posts in there, but if you read through them you'll see that many of us have booked private excursions. We'd be happy to help you plan yours, or have you join us on ours! Talk to you in the roll call. :)

[Trend]

This is the first time I've booked air & cruise together. So I never knew this deviation policy existed. So my first encounter with this was through PG. So in hindsight, if that be the case then "shame on the cruise industry".

 

Fortunately I now say "hats off" to PG as they have waived my deviation fee & rectified the situation. To me that's sound business, they were willing to listen to the customer & do what they could to rectify the issue.:)

 

This is a new experience for me as in the past I haven't found that the cruise companies listened to the passenger very well. :o

 

So now all my cruise port/excursions research begins. I'm so excited!! Can't wait!!

 

Not sure if you have a T.A. that you use but they would have alerted you to this detail (like it is always the fine fine print!) and would have taken care of this so you would not have frustrated yourself. Glad it is resolved but having had an experience with stolen luggage it was wonderful having a T.A. in Toronto to fight for us while we tried to enjoy the cruise.