Pacific Mysteries Live report

[sacarr]

A week in to our Pacific Mysteries cruise and I thought I would share some comments. As I write this I note that I am getting long winded so I will break up the report into a few posts

 

We arrived one day early and stayed at the Papeete Inter continental. Our flight from LAX arrived at 5:30 A.M. on Wednesday April 17, 2013. It was very slow getting through Passport Control - probably an hour and half. Since we weren't getting in our hotel room that early any way it was not such a big deal. When we finally got to the baggage carousel our bags were there waiting for us as was a car to take us to the hotel. We used one of the hotel's "in transit" rooms to shower and change and went to the pool. We relaxed, swam a little, and around noon went to the restaurant. On other threads travelers have said that the food in the hotels on Tahiti was expensive and that certainly is true. After lunch we went to our room. Even though we had slept well on the flight we had no problem falling asleep. We awoke at 5 or 6 and made reservations at Lotus, the French restaurant at the hotel. The food was fine but certainly costly. The hotel was fine for our purposes. Our room was clean and the grounds are beautifully landscaped. Papeete is not a place to spend much time, however. There are so many other beautiful islands in the area.

 

For some reason Oceania was not allowing guests on board until 6 P.M. After checking out at 11 A.M. we went to the hotel's pool and just hung out for a few hours. We took a taxi to the City Hall at about 2:30 where we left our luggage and checked in, receiving our "World Cards." Oceania had a large room at City Hall with drinks and snacks. We met up with a couple we had met at dinner the night before and enjoyed conversation. After a while we left and walked around town for a while and finally arrived at the pier. We boarded the ship at about 5:30. While we would have rather boarded earlier, Oceania did handle the situation as well as I think they could. Our bags were at our room when we arrived and we unpacked.

 

Our butler made reservations for us in Jacques and we joined another couple for a wonderful dinner. For an appetizer Meg had "Terrine de Foie Gras" and I had the Molten Goat Cheese Soufflé. Both were outstanding. For an entrée we both had the peppercorn filet steak with light brandy sauce. This was even better than the appetizer. For dessert we split an order of Crepe Suzette. We washed this all down with a Cabernet, and had no problem finishing the bottle. This was truly a fantastic meal. The bar has been set awfully high

 

Next Huahine and Bora Bora

[sacarr]

The next day we anchored off of Huahine. I was on a treadmill in the Fitness Center as we neared the island. The fitness center is large and very nice with plenty of cardio machines as well as weight machines and free weights. There is also a fridge with water and sports drinks.

 

After breakfast we picked up tender cards and with very little wait were on the tender to the Huahine. Huahine is a small hilly island. We took a shuttle from the tender pier to town. The town is only 6 miles from the pier but negotiating the hills and curves took the shuttle about 25 minutes. The drive was very beautiful going through the thickly forested island with occasional views of the beautiful coastline. This island seemed a little cooler and maybe a little less humid than Papeete We walked around the town for some time before taking the shuttle back to the pier and the tender back to the ship in time for lunch. We had lunch in the Dining room. When we are not rushed for time, we prefer the table service and quiet atmosphere of the Dining Room. Meg had the Canyon Ranch Spa cuisine (spaghetti with clams) while I had the Philly Steak sandwich. Both were very tasty.

 

That evening we had dinner in Red Ginger. We both started our meal with Tuna Tataki. We have had this in other restaurants but really enjoy it at Red Ginger. Meg had Miso Glazed Seabass, the house specialty. We have had this before at Red Ginger and it is outstanding. I had the Seven Spices Crusted Rack of Lamb. They were both wonderful.

 

Saturday morning we arrived in Bora Bora. I woke up early and went to the fitness center for a work out and watched us sail in to this beautiful island port. Bora Bora has a reputation for being stunningly beautiful and it is well deserved. The island is almost completely surrounded by a coral reef creating a lagoon. This makes for calm water and beautiful beaches. The center of the island is dominated by two mountains: Mt. Otemanu and Mt. Pahia and is covered with lush tropical vegetation.

 

We booked an over-water bungalow at the Le Meridian Hotel for the night. Marina overnighted there, spending two days at Bora Bora. In the morning we took the ship's tender to the island and then took a Le Meridian shuttle boat 30 minutes to the resort. This is a beautiful, romantic and sybaritic place. Our over water bungalow was beautiful. Bora Bora is a very popular honeymoon spot, and it seemed that more than half the couples we talked to were indeed on their honeymoon. I would say that 90% of the guests at the Le Meridian were in their 20's or 30's. Very little gray hair was in evidence. We had a great time there. I will be happy to answer any questions about our experiences at Le Meridian.

 

Back on the Ship, Sunday night we had dinner in Toscana which was great. We both started out with "Carpaccio di Manzo" - We then both had a spinach salad with goat cheese, kalamata olives and a lemon oregano vinaigrette. For her entrée Meg had Veal scaloppini al Limone and I had the seared tuna which was the nightly special. The tuna was great and the accompanying green beans and sun dried tomatoes was perhaps even better.

 

After dinner we went to the show featuring Dale Kristien. A very good singer. She did songs from musicals (Phantom & Cats) as well as some standards.

 

After leaving Bora Bora we finally had a sea day. I think a lot of folks were looking forward to this. There are two lecturers on this cruise: Paula Smith an Historian who is giving us lectures appropriate to this part of the world, and Norman Caisse who is an astronomer and is teaching us a little about those stars we can see so well in the middle of the ocean.

 

Also there are cooking demonstrations on sea days. A kitchen is set up on stage in the Marina Lounge and the executive chef and some other chefs prepare some of the dishes that will be served on the ship. They put on an interesting and entertaining demonstration. This is a unique experience to watch (and smell) the food being prepared that you may order later that night. It is interesting to observe the chef's techniques. We are also given sheets with the recipes to follow along and bring home.

 

This cruise is rather different from most other cruises we have been on. On past cruises there were usually many cultural sites to visit and learn about. This cruise is more about beaches, sun, relaxing and enjoying the ship. This is an 18 day cruise with 9 sea days. The large number of sea days was a factor in choosing this particular cruise on Oceania Marina. The last couple of cruises we have taken were very port intensive. While we enjoyed them we were looking for something that would allow us to relax a little bit. We are often asked if ship life on sea days isn't boring. That is really not a problem on Oceania. There are lots of activities, so many that one cannot really enjoy but a fraction of the available events. If one wants to just relax by the pool and soak up the sun that is of course always an option also. You can be as busy as you please.

[computerworks]

Nice work. Please continue as your voyage unfolds.

 

I believe we are doing your itinerary somewhat in reverse at the end of the year... so these details are much appreciated

[Paulchili]

Enjoying your reports - please continue as your time allows.

Thanks.

[mringenoldus]

Looking forward to hearing more! We are on a similar Papeete to Lima cruise in April 2014.

 

Did anyone rent a car on Bora Bora to visit the old military sites? If so, did they enjoy the day?

 

Thanks,

Maureen

[Paulchili]

Looking forward to hearing more! We are on a similar Papeete to Lima cruise in April 2014.

 

Did anyone rent a car on Bora Bora to visit the old military sites? If so, did they enjoy the day?

 

Thanks,

Maureen

 

I don't think that's a good idea. Most of these site are on hilltops and not easily accessible. You need a 4 wheel drive and lots of courage - hard enough to negotiate for local drivers in good weather, next to impossible in mud. To drive a stick-shift on those very steep hills is beyond my capabilities (or desires) :D

This is one place where you should "leave driving to us - i.e.the locals"

[JimandStan]

I don't think that's a good idea. Most of these site are on hilltops and not easily accessible. You need a 4 wheel drive and lots of courage - hard enough to negotiate for local drivers in good weather, next to impossible in mud. To drive a stick-shift on those very steep hills is beyond my capabilities (or desires) :D

This is one place where you should "leave driving to us - i.e.the locals"

 

I second Paul's emotion! Another aspect to consider is that many of the military sites are located on private property (albeit farmland). The locals know how to secure the proper permission, and you haven't lived until you have torn up somebodies field with the tires of your jeep.

[mringenoldus]

Thank you so much for that input! I will look into securing local assistance.

[Keith1010]

Very nice reports. Continue to enjoy.

 

Keith

[MimsandMarkie]

Thanks for the very interesting posts! Please keep them up, if possible. Are their Cabanas on board?

What all do they include?

[sacarr]

Thanks for the very interesting posts! Please keep them up, if possible. Are their Cabanas on board?

What all do they include?

 

No there are no cabanas on the Marina. This is a different ship design from the "R" ships but the general area where the cabanas would be is a private deck for the Suites and Concierge guests. This deck has 2 hot tubs and lounge chairs. It is a little different on Riveria.

[sacarr]

Last night we had a wonderful dinner in La Reserve. This is a 24 seat restaurant on the ship operated in conjunction with Wine Spectator Magazine dedicated to wine and food pairings. Over the course of this cruise the ship is offering 3 wine dinners each with different menus. We did this last summer on the Baltic Cruise. The dinner was outstanding! Those not interested in food please skip the following section.

 

They say that there are 7 courses and 7 wines but we are given a pre dinner drink with a small appetizer before entering the restaurant. (a small raspberry tart with Chambord served on a spoon)

 

1. Our first actual course was A bay scallop cooked on a hot lave rock. The scallop is served on the rock! This was a accompanied by a Prosecco from Veneto Italy. (Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine)

2. Stuffed Brioche with Duck Foie Gras and Truffle Jelly. This was served with a French Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley. Wow! Was this good!

3. Risotto Primavera with Scamorza di Bufala. Risotto with vegies and buffalo cheese. This was served with an Italian Gewurztramier. This was a dry white.

4. Grilled Turban of Wild Salmon and Turbot. This was served with a California Chardonnay. The fish was delicious and went perfectly with the buttery, oaked Chardonnay.

5. Chateaubriand with Bordelaise sauce and Roasted Baby Potatoes. This was served with a Grand Cru from Bordeaux The meat was perfectly cooked (rare) and the wine was a perfect accompaniment to the beef. The potatoes were wonderful also.

6. Napoleon of Poached Pear and Melted Gorgonzola. Gorgonzola and pears are a classic combination. This was served with a Fonseca Port which always goes well with Gorgonzola.

7. Finally "Gold Bullion" of Valrhona Kivara Chocolate Mousse. This was served with a Maoscato d'Asti. There are a couple of words in that dessert that I have never heard of before but this was a most beautiful and delicious dessert.

After 8 glasses of wine over 3 1/2 hours I'm glad that we were not driving! I uploaded some pictures of the food and the restaurant.

 

After all that wine last night we slept quite well. I was up early and went to the fitness center for a workout on the treadmill. Following the workout I picked up a couple of cups of coffee in the executive lounge and brought them to the room. We eventually made it to the Dining Room for breakfast.

 

Around 8 O'clock our ship anchored in the lagoon off Fakarava which is an atoll in the Tamotu group in French Polynesia. The island has a population of 855. The atoll is rectangular, very low, and nowhere does it appear to me to be more than a couple hundred yards wide. Around 9:30 A.M. or so we made our way to the tender deck and rode over to the island. We were greeted by friendly locals offering the ladies a flower for their hair. Meg went to the shopping kiosks set up near the pier and I sat in the shade of a covered pavilion and talked to some of the other guests while their spouses were also shopping. We had quite a bit of Polynesian Francs and I believe that this is the last port where they will be of any use. Everything is terrifically expensive in these islands, probably at least 3 -4 times what one would think items ought to cost. As a result, Meg had no problem getting rid of the currency.

 

We then walked down the one paved road to the beach. We saw a number of the guests from the ship on the beach and in the water. We brought our swim suits and towels but decided to pass. We continued on the road and eventually came to the Catholic church. It was small but quite nicely decorated. On the way back we walked down a gravel road a couple hundred yards to the other side of the island. There was a breeze on that side of the island and it felt somewhat cooler. We ran into Dottie the Cruise director and talked for a minute. I mentioned that we looked forward to seeing her husband perform latter that night. She seemed to be quite well and in good spirits. We finally made it back to the pier and arrived back on the ship around 1 P.M. It was rather hot and of course humid on the island and the first thing I did after getting back to our stateroom was to open a Hinano, the local beer I bought in Tahiti. We eventually made it to the dining room for lunch. Meg had penne pasta with mushrooms and I had a delicious roast beef sandwich on a baguette

 

Before dinner we enjoyed the bottle of champagne that was in our room the first night with another couple. We also had some sushi from the Terrace Café. The sushi was really very good! After this we made our way to the dining room for a light dinner. For dinner Meg & I both had Caesar Salad and a little Steak Tar Tar. After dinner we went to the Marina Lounge for the show which was quite good. We had expected to see Tom Drake, Dottie's husband perform, but the assistant CD came on stage and said that Dottie left for Papeete for medical reasons (Tom went with her) and he hoped that she would be back on board when we reached Easter Island. He then sang a set of show tunes from the 1940's through the 1980's he had a great voice and we really enjoyed it. We have asked but have not heard anything about Dottie that we could confirm. We certainly hope and pray that she will be fine and that she can rejoin the cruise.

[sacarr]

Yesterday it was announced that: "Because of a serious medical emergency involving one off our guests we are canceling our call in Pitcairn tomorrow and proceeding full speed to Easter Island"

 

The quoted text is from a letter we received yesterday.

[JimandStan]

No there are no cabanas on the Marina. This is a different ship design from the "R" ships but the general area where the cabanas would be is a private deck for the Suites and Concierge guests. This deck has 2 hot tubs and lounge chairs. It is a little different on Riveria.

 

 

Deck 16, the "top of the ship" location which corresponds to Deck 11 on the R ships (where their Cabana's are) is NOT a Private area!

 

I believe that the "Private Deck" that you are referring to is the Spa Deck, which is located forward of the Gymnasium facilities on Deck 14. The R ships have a similar, though smaller facility on their Deck 9.

[sitraveler]

We join the ship in Lima.

 

Hope & pray all is alright with the Drakes.

 

Please keep us posted.

 

Thank you.

[sacarr]

 

Deck 16, the "top of the ship" location which corresponds to Deck 11 on the R ships (where their Cabana's are) is NOT a Private area!

 

I believe that the "Private Deck" that you are referring to is the Spa Deck, which is located forward of the Gymnasium facilities on Deck 14. The R ships have a similar, though smaller facility on their Deck 9.

 

Yeah, as I said the ships are of different designs, But this area certainly reminds me of the area where the cabanas are on "R" ships.

[sacarr]

uesday night we had to set the clock forward one hour. We hate to lose an hour but at least it is a sea day. We were up rather late last night and I found it hard to get up & go to the fitness center but managed to get there, albeit a little later than usual. With the time change there were noticeably fewer guests on the machines. I might mention that the ship has great fitness center. They have quite a few cardio machines (treadmills, ellipticals, bikes and other things.) There must be at least 20 of these as well as weight machines, free weights, and lots of other stuff I would have no idea what to do with. The treadmills have TVs with all sorts of videos. I usually just watch the ship's bow and stern cameras (they alternate every 15 seconds or so) and listen to the music on my I pod. I find the fast music keeps me going and I enjoy watching the changing sea and sky.

 

Wednesday morning Meg went to an art class and then a lecture on arthritis. I met with some other guests and took care of some business. Later in the morning I went to the Cooking demonstration. It featured some of the food served in Toscana the Italian restaurant on board. The lecture was certainly entertaining and even a little instructional.

 

Meg and I met back in our room around noon or so and went to lunch in the Dining Room. Meg had the pasta special and I had a Caesar Salad with a grilled chicken breast. The chicken was very tender, moist and tasty. I continue to be impressed with the food on this ship. After lunch I went to the "Wine Bazaar". This offers guests to purchase wine at a discount now for future dinners. I did purchase some wine there.

 

After this it was time to go to Dr Paula Smith's lecture: "The Truth About William Bligh." Bligh was of course the captain of the Bounty and was the victim of the famous mutiny. Paula takes a very kind view of Bligh and says that he was not the sadistic monster portrayed in the many movies about the mutiny. Our next scheduled port was to be Pitcairn, where the mutineers settled. The ancestors of the Bounty mutineers still live on the island.

 

Later in the afternoon there was an astronomy lecture by Dr. Norman Caisse. His topic was "The Southern Skies." Norman's is a congenial gentleman and his lectures are interesting .

 

The ship has been rolling since we left Fakarava. In my work out on the treadmill this morning I had to keep one hand on the machine for stability.

 

Wednesday evening we had dinner in Jacques. Meg had lobster with caviar for an appetizer and I had the Foie Gras. For an entrée Meg had the Scallops and I had the Lobster Thermidor. Both were excellent. Mine was in a delicious but very rich cream sauce and I was only able to eat half. We skipped dessert but had some coffee.

 

The astronomy lecturer had a star gazing session Wednesday night. I intended to go but I believe that it was too cloudy.

[sacarr]

Very nice reports. Continue to enjoy.

 

Keith

 

Keith, you inspired me to hit the gym in the morning (although not as early as you!) I used to wait till mid morning or afternoon but often got busy and found it too late to get the workout in.

 

Sorry no pictures, I enjoyed yours but I can't figure out how to add them on this forum.

[Acrusa]

Great report .We will be on Marina Feb 2014 going in the other direction.Papeete to Sydney.

Did you ever find out from O why the delay in your boarding time?

We are coming into Papeete 2 days before sailing, looking foward to board around 11 Am.

This will be our first time on Marina, we did 5 R ship sailings.

Looking to use all the restaurants,and your food reviews are really fantastic as was Computorworks last week.

[jpalbny]

Sorry no pictures, I enjoyed yours but I can't figure out how to add them on this forum.

 

It's a pain to do, and with the (presumably) slow bandwidth onboard, you may want to wait until you're home and make an addendum...

 

You have to first upload your pictures to an online album (I use Picasa, but others use photobucket, shutterfly, etc.) Then you go to that site, choose the picture you want to insert, and find the direct link to the picture. Copy the link, and then come back to cruise critic. Click on the add picture icon (yellow mountain, under the undo arrow), paste your link, and hit OK. The picture should then display. You can add up to 6 images per post.

 

It's persnickety but with time, patience, and trial/error, it eventually works. There was a helpful forum about this over a year back that I read, and finally figured out how to do this. Try searching for Picasa on the forums. With Picasa, you have to tweak a few settings to get the link formatted properly to work with CC.

 

PS - even without pictures, enjoying your review very much. Looking forward to your visit to Easter Island; we're looking at spending a few days there in the next year or two. Hoping for calm seas so that tendering is not a problem!

[Paulchili]

 

The ship has been rolling since we left Fakarava. In my work out on the treadmill this morning I had to keep one hand on the machine for stability.

 

I sincerely hope that the seas will be calmer by the time you arrive to Easter Island as otherwise tendering may not be possible; that would be a real shame.

Here is hoping for fair winds and following seas for the rest of your cruise.:)

[JandJ25]

Yesterday it was announced that: "Because of a serious medical emergency involving one off our guests we are canceling our call in Pitcairn tomorrow and proceeding full speed to Easter Island"

 

The quoted text is from a letter we received yesterday.

 

SACARR,

 

Your running commentary is very thoughtful and much appreciated. We had to cancel this cruise, so it is almost like being there...sans the food.

 

Am sure there is some disappointment about missing Pitcairn, but certainly understandable under the circumstances.

 

Can't wait for your impressions about Easter Island. Enjoy.....

 

John

[CintiPam]

Wednesday evening we had dinner in Jacques. Meg had lobster with caviar for an appetizer and I had the Foie Gras. For an entrée Meg had the Scallops and I had the Lobster Thermidor. Both were excellent. Mine was in a delicious but very rich cream sauce and I was only able to eat half. We skipped dessert but had some coffee.

 

Almost two years later, I still have wonderful gastronomic memories of my lobster thermidor at Jacques (on Marina). Just one of the many wonderful food recommendations provided by Jim (of Jim&Stan) before our cruise.

 

Thanks for the excellent trip reports, sacarr; I am enjoying your trip immensely! :)

[grmmybtty]

Did you ever find out from O why the delay in your boarding time?

We are coming into Papeete 2 days before sailing, looking foward to board around 11 Am.

A lot has been written on these boards about the late boarding in Papeete. Since most, if not all, flights from PPT to LAX leave close to midnight, Oceania is allowing disembarking passengers to remain on the ship until the afternoon and delaying the embarkation of new passengers. Supposedly this works for the new passengers arriving on Oceania air flights (since they arrive in the evening), but inconveniences those who arrive earlier. So no 11am boarding, even for the higher suites.

 

Thank you Sacarr for your posts. We will be sailing on the Valparaiso to Papeete December 2013 cruise, so we really appreciate the port information. I hope that the seas are calm and that you will be able to tender in to Easter Island. I have one question about Bora Bora and Fakarava: Were there drivers or tour vendors at the port or were prior reservations for tours the only option besides walking around on your own?

 

We were on the Marina last year and your food descriptions bring fond memories. I can still taste the miso glazed sea bass in Red Ginger.

[sacarr]

 

I have one question about Bora Bora and Fakarava: Were there drivers or tour vendors at the port or were prior reservations for tours the only option besides walking around on your own?

 

 

At Bora Bora we took a boat to Le Meridian from the tender pier and I really did not pay a lot of attention, but as I recall there were some vendors selling tours.

 

At Fakarava I know some friends we met on the trip took an independent all day snorkel trip that sounded really wonderful. (Oceania did not offer excursions on Fakarava) The guides caught some fish and and then cooked it for them on shore for lunch. The whole trip sounded very nice. I do not know the name of the tour company and I am not sure that they do. We simply walked around the town and Meg shopped for some gifts.