recommendations for 10/6 cruise

[niksirs]

our long awaited cruise is 6 weeks away. I surprised my husband last year booking this trip for his birthday. Wanting to know what excursions are worth it and if I should also look for other excursions besides what the cruise offers. Are some of the islands better if we just rent a car and do our own excursions?

[Emdee]

niksirs

I think there is a wealth of information on this board so suggest you read some of the reviews and questions first.

Then decide what kind of excursions you like and go on from there with specific questions.

Planning is part of the fun!

[Escriteur]

We went with PG excursions for Raiatea, Taha'a, and Bora Bora; my husband did the golf excursion on Moorea, but other than that we did our own thing on Moorea. Overall, we were very happy with the ship's tours, though we probably paid a little more than people who booked private tours. If you'd like our feedback on a few of the ship's tours, read on...

 

Our Raiatea excursion (Raiatea Highlights Tour) was probably my least favorite of the bunch. We saw some great sights, but our tour guide wasn't very good - she didn't provide information at each stop, which was especially disappointing at the marae, where she just directed us to read the signs along the grounds. Because everyone was wandering around doing their own thing, it took ages for them to corral everyone back on the bus. It was supposed to be a 3-1/2 hour tour. We left at 1pm, and didn't get back until 5:45pm - 15 minutes AFTER we were supposed to be back aboard the boat! (Thankfully, they'll hold the boat if a ship's excursion runs late.) Be aware that most of the shops in the port area on Raiatea are closed on Sundays, so there isn't much to do there if you don't have an excursion booked.

 

On Taha'a, we did the Exploration of Taha'a tour. The ascent/descent of the mountain at the beginning of the tour was very bumpy and quite harrowing at times (steep dropoffs and muddy roads); but the views were spectacular, and we enjoyed fresh fruit and a mini performance by our drivers/guide. The pearl farm and vanilla plantation visits were both very interesting. Thankfully, this tour ended on time, so we were able to spend the entire afternoon at Motu Mahana. A lot of people don't even bother booking an excursion on Taha'a, and just spend the whole day on the motu. We wanted to see some of the island since it was our first visit, but when we return, we'll probably just do the motu thing.

 

On Bora Bora, we did the circle island tour (Bora Bora by Le Truck) on Day 1. It was a nice way to see all of the major sights and get some good photos, and we stopped at Bloody Mary's for a drink at the end of the tour. Just be forewarned that "Le Truck" isn't air conditioned, and the hard plastic seats aren't very comfortable. Our favorite excursion of the trip was the Stingray Ballet and Snorkel Safari, which we did on Day 2. We swam with rays and black-tipped reef sharks in shallow waters, then moved on to a coral garden. I also spent some time on the Bora Bora motu the afternoon of Day 1. It doesn't have all the amenities of Motu Mahana (lunch, full bar, beach chairs, restrooms), but the beach and the view are stunning. Plus you can wade/swim out quite a distance from shore without encountering all of the sea cucumbers and spiny urchins that surround Motu Mahana.

 

On Moorea Day 1, we did our own excursion to Tiki Village (http://www.tikivillage.fr/en/accueil.html), which is open 11am-3pm and costs only 2500 francs per person. You can either arrange transfers through Tiki Village, or if you're renting a car, you can go there on your own. If you are thinking of booking a car on Moorea, be sure to book one at the ship's travel desk in advance. We tried to book one the morning we docked there, and were informed that all of the Avis cars were already reserved. On Moorea Day 2, my husband did the Golf in Paradise outing (he wasn't very impressed with the grounds and said they weren't very well maintained, plus he didn't get to finish all 18 holes because his fellow golfers moved at a leisurely pace). I did a spa treatment on the ship that day. It was nice having one day of downtime after our hectic excursion schedule of the previous days!

 

So that's just one couple's perspective of the excursions offered by PG. I'm sure others will chime in with their own recommendations regarding the private tours; I've heard very good things about some of them. Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll both have an amazing time in paradise!

[niksirs]

Thanks so much for all the info, great help!

[Familygoboston]

Hey, Nikki! I see you did find our roll call. We just returned yesterday from Ecuador and are looking forward to this one now! Glad to see someone else booked and posting here, it's been a quiet RC and I was wondering how many will really be cruising!;)

Just to give you an idea of what we planned ( so you can avoid us if you want :p;))

Raiatea- we chose the ships kayak tour of the Faaroa River. We enjoy kayaking in Maine, and we want some " interior" island experiences too. This seemed to fit the bill!

Tahaa-relax at the Motu

BB- (first day) Patricks half day lagoon excursion, with another couple from PG and a newlywed couple from one of the BB hotels ( second day) we have the ships BB off road adventure booked, but are still debating whether to rent bicycles instead. At least one afternoon at the B B motu.

Moorea- (first day) Ships tour - Trails of the Ancients ( second day) ships tour- Dolphin watching

 

Again, these we chose after reading these boards extensively for the past year plus, and all the great advice of others. We may be heavy on the ships tours due to it being our first trip, but I based this itinerary on that advice and wanting to balance water and land activities, relaxing and active days and exposing oursleves to the culture and history of the region since its our first trip.

Can't wait to meet you and your DH- only a few weeks now...should be fun!:D