Avalon007 and everybody else with help Trans Pacific

[yvet]

Hello,

 

I saw your reply in the radiance trip report thread that you were willing to help out with information but didn't want to hijack the thread.

 

We are on our first RCI cruise this april for the transpacific cruise from Australia to Hawaii.

Ports: Picton, Wellington, Moorea, Bora Bora, Tahiti and Maui.

 

Any and i mean any tips are welcome about the ship, ports or whatever you can think of.

 

Thanks for your help

 

 

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[avalon007]

Hi Yvet,

 

Ok Ports:

 

Picton NZ - is a very small town famous for it walking track - it was raining when we were there but we ended up going to a museum about 5 minutes walk from the ships shuttle bus drop off - it was nothing much from the outside but has the remains of the 9th oldest ship in the world & the only convict transport out of 1040 ships to survive.

If you like sailing ships even a bit it is very worthwhile, once inside the ship's hull it is quite impressive.

 

It's called the Edwin Fox museum & was only $10NZ to enter.

 

Wellington NZ - downtown is an easy 15-20 minute walk from the ship or you can pay to take the city shuttle.

 

I recommend once in town taking the cable car (funicular) up the mountain to the top of the botanic gardens for a great view of Wellington.

It is about $6NZ one way.

 

You can then visit the planetarium which is a short walk from the cable car station within the gardens - we enjoyed it, or walk down through the gardens back to town which is also nice. The cable car also returns if you prefer that.

 

Then make your way to the Te Papa Museum down on the waterfront , a bit of a walk but a short taxi ride from downtown. It is free to enter & has a lot of exhibits about the NZ Maori culture & NZ history.

 

Tahiti - Moorea, the most dramatic of the Islands & my favourite. We scuba dived here, but I recommend you take a tour if you don't dive, from the ship or from the locals at the dock to see the ancient stone standing rocks. They have small market set up at the dock - it's a tender port.

 

Bora Bora is very pretty as well, if you are new to snorkelling & want to see some sharks, stingrays etc you can take the Lagoonarium tour which is very tame. You get a nice boat ride around to the other side of island & get to snorkel with the sealife inside netted off areas.

 

Don't do this tour though if you are at all an experienced snorkeler or diver as it is very much for the beginner.

 

This is also a tender port & there is a cheap bus that takes you down the coast a little to a swimming beach, not much there in the way of a town though.

 

They have lots of tours available at the dock or from the ship, the 4 wheeler tours into the islands interior were popular.

 

Maui - we stopped at Lahaina in Maui for 2 nights & went to the sea horse farm which was a great excursion. In the evening we had pre booked online the Old Lahaina Luau which was excellent, a very lovely setting & easy to get to by local bus that departs behind the main street shops & you can easily catch a taxi back to the ship.

 

On the other day we went snorkelling at black rock, you can catch the bus to there as well.

 

You need exact money for the bus as they don't give change so carry small notes.

 

Regards Radiance, she is a lovely ship with loads of glass for sea views from most public spaces.

 

I'm not sure what to tell you as I don't know if you cruised before?

 

Let me know & I'll be able to offer more info based on your past cruise experience. :)

[Royalty X]

Don't buy any meals whilst ashore in Papeete. It cost us $88 for two salads, a beer and a coke when we were there! So not worth it! Eat on the ship!

 

While in Picton, head into the town centre and ask the locals where the best fish and chips are. They'll be able to point you in the right direction!

 

Enjoy! :)

 

 

 

 

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[jmf123]

We love the Radiance and your itinerary is amazing. Moorea is our favorite as well. We (and four new friends from the ship) rented cars and explored this lovely island. We booked a waverunner excursion for Bora Bora, and had an unforgettable time circling the entire island.

 

You may want to check out the Ports of Call forums here:

Pacific Islands: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=104

Hawaii: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=62

 

Also, you may want to check for the Roll Call on your sailing.

[yvet]

Thanks very good information!!

 

I have cruised 8 times before but always with DCL and never with any other cruise line.

 

We have gotten a D1 stateroom after a huge upgrade thanks to the upgrade fairy.

 

I'm participating in our cruise roll call and also for the Meet & Mingle.

I have checked the cruiseport forums but couldn't find a whole lot of information. We just booked this cruise a month ago so i have the feeling that i have to discover everything in such a short time.... Normally i'm way way way overplanning ot all want to know everything there is to know...

 

So all the info is welcome!!!!

 

We aren't real swimmers more culture lovers. A beach is a beach....

Any info about day passes for hotels in Bora Bora or Moorea??

 

We are in Tahiti during Eastern would that give problems??

 

How easy is it to book an excursion at the port itself for Bora Bora/Moorea/Tahiti?

 

We are only 1 day (long day 8-11.59) at Maui.

Do we need to go thru immigrations at Maui on the ship (how is the process)??

 

Thanks again for all the help!!!

 

 

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[avalon007]

Hi Yvet,

 

Bora Bora & Moorea in the Tahitian Island group both have lots of people selling excursions at the docks where the tenders pull up.

 

Not sure if Easter will affect you as I believe many islanders are Christian, but a cruise ship arrival is also a big chance to make some probably much needed income, so I doubt it will affect excursions being available, although some shops may be closed - but to be fair the shops are not really anything worth visiting.

 

The biggest seller in Tahiti are black pearls & if you are interested in those I'm sure the ship will know which shops are open.;)

 

Although you aren't swimmers I would highly recommend you try snorkelling or at least a glass bottom boat tour as there is so much beauty to see below the water in the South Pacific.

 

Are you also doing Papeete in Tahiti? If so we hired a car & drove around the island with stops to see grottos & standing stones which should appeal if you like cultural heritage & also did some snorkelling.

 

Papeete is the capitol of Tahiti & is a small town/city with a lot more 'proper' shops etc than the other islands.

 

You will find the Pacific islands very untouched & basic compared to the Hawaiian islands which are very tourist oriented in comparison. No ABC shops on every corner in Tahiti.

 

To me Tahiti has always fit that image of the idyllic tropical paradise you imagine.

 

In Maui it was treated like any other port of call, we are not on US passports either & had no trouble. US customs came on board the ship & checked our passports on a sea day.

 

I haven't cruised with DCL so can't fairly compare, but Radiance I think you will find less 'gimicky' - no cartoon characters like the DreamWorks shows they have on some of the other Royal ships. Radiance is elegant with a lot of artwork on display & has more sophisticated décor in public lounges like the Colony Club.

 

Radiance does have some of the only self levelling billiard tables at sea as well, rock climbing wall, mini golf & a nice covered adults only solarium pool area with café.

[travelbuddies]

I cruised your itinerary in 2004. Prepare for the trip of a lifetime. Because the ships are smaller to get into these little islands you may feel the ocean waves more than usual so make sure you have plenty of motion sickness meds. The black pearl farms are very popular. I fell in love with all the tropical fabrics which are used for everything from sarongs to car seat covers. I was happy that I popped into a local fabric store in Papeete and brought home a couple of yards of my favorite which is a fond reminder of this itinerary. Lei or flowers for your hair is a must if you are allowed to bring them back on the ship. Make sure to verify. If you can't it's still worth getting a plumeria lei first thing and wearing it all day. Back then the stores were closed on Sundays.

 

This is what I enjoyed when I visited

Papeete - Papenoo Valley Rainforest And Waterfall By 4wd swim at natural pools. Pause at the surfing beaches and black sand before returning to the ship.

Bora Bora, Polynesia- Day pass at Intercontinental where the bungalows are over the water.

Moorea, Polynesia- Tour Moorea and then get a taste of old Polynesia at a dramatic recreation of traditional island life.

Maui - Road to Hana, Mama's Fish House, a Hawaiin Lua

 

This is from some of my research

Tahiti

 

Moorea

 

Bora Bora

 

Maui

 

Wellington

 

PARKS AND BOTANICAL GARDENS

Marvel at Tahiti's botanical wonders as you wander through one of Tahiti's parks or botanical gardens.

Breathe in the fragrant scents as you experience some of the amazing diversity of tropical foliage unique to the French Polynesian islands. Tahiti has the worlds most diverse and numerous species of cultivated orchids on the planet, among many other fascinating plants and flowers.

 

It is no myth when your hear this statement: The Tahitians love their flowers!

 

MAHANA PARK

(TERRITORIAL PARK OF PAPEHUE)

PK 18, 5, Paea, buside lagoon.

PO. Box 330 011 Paea- TAHITI

Telephone- (689) 48.19.99, Fax- (689) 48.24.31

Contact: Mrs. Tiare PATACCONI

This seaside park includes a white sand beach where you can rent paddleboats, surfbikes, and kayaks. "La Mangue Verte" is an open air restaurant/ snack-bar. Public bathrooms are available.

Free Admission

HARRISON W. SMITH BOTANICAL GARDEN

PK 51, 2 Papeari, adjacent the Paul Gauguin Museum

PO. Box 330 011 Paea- TAHITI

Telephone- (689) 57.11.07

340 acre tropical garden park containing a tremendous diversity of trees, shrubs, plants and flowers.

Open daily 9 am to 5 pm.

Free Admission

MATAOA GARDENS

PK 34, 5 Papara, PO. Box 12 500 Papara- TAHITI, Contact: Mr. Alain MENARD, Telephone- (689) 57.37.24, Fax- (689) 57.36.49

Garden and greenhouse of tropical flowers including the colorful Bird of Paradise, Anthuriums, Orchids, and Vanilla plants. Also on the grounds is a pineapple plantation and various other plants. Visits to the gardens will include a welcome with flowers, a guided tour of the grounds, fruit tasting, free brochures, and a leis

 

I bet you can tell my hobby is gardening, Susan

[yvet]

Love love the responces!!!!

Keep them comming the more info the better....

 

THANK YOU!!!

 

 

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[avalon007]

Don't be concerned about the ship size being small as mentioned by travel buddies, as Radiance is 90 000 tonnes & not a little ship. I have never been seasick on her yet after 4 cruises & the roughest water is usually between NZ & Sydney, we had 8-10 metre seas (26-33ft) last cruise in that crossing.

 

Larger ships access many of the smaller islands nowadays using tenders to ferry passengers to shore, so small dock facilities are no longer an issue.

 

To get a full understanding of what sort of tours are on offer from Royal, go to their website, then to the ports section & if you look up each port from the listing they will have a link to view shore excursions for that port.

 

The locals will be offering mostly similar tours, usually at a slightly cheaper rate but Tahiti isn't the cheapest of places.

 

I recall the Paul Gauguin museum was closed for renovations when we were there a few months back & was supposed to reopen mid 2014, so check on that if you intend to visit.

 

I don't recall Royal stopping people bringing flowers back on board, but be aware that in NZ & Australia you are strictly prohibited from bringing any plants, fruit, unpackaged food etc ashore. You may encounter sniffer dogs at the port as well. It's these strict laws that have kept NZ & Australia free of many disease & bugs that could otherwise wipe out our agricultural & livestock industries.

[yvet]

Thanks again!!!

 

How does it works with the timechange during this cruise??

I know when we went TransAtlantic Eastbound we lost an hour each sea day...

 

 

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[mo&fran]

But then you gain a day when you cross the international date line.

[yvet]

But then you gain a day when you cross the international date line.

 

 

TransAtlantic you only loose or gain (depends on ev or wb) 6 hours.

 

This upcomming cruise is TransPacific and then you gain or loose a day (again depends on which way you cruise).

But that isn't a timechange you just have a different date bit the time stays the same....

Between Australia and Hawaii you not only crossing the dateline but also have some timechanges and i was wondering how RCI handles that...

 

 

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[avalon007]

Hi Yvet,

 

You just lose a day altogether is what they do.

 

You go to bed on say the 10th & wake up on the 12th!

 

It was a bit of a joke on board with the cruise director asking if anyone had a birthday on the day we would skip & telling them they wouldn't get older that year!!:)

 

They also have the traditional crossing of the equator ceremony out on the pool deck, with the captain dressed up as king Neptune & volunteer passengers who hadn't previously crossed known as pollywogs getting covered in all types of stuff & having to do silly things - a tradition at sea & lots of fun.

[yvet]

You just lose a day altogether is what they do.

 

You go to bed on say the 10th & wake up the 12th.

 

 

In our case (from Australia to Hawaii) we gain a day!!

We have twice April 15th this year so if somebody on our ship has his or her birthday the 15th that's a 2 day birthday this year!!

 

But there are also the noemal timeOne changes. Like between Australia and New Zealand...

 

 

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