2016 Itineraries Come Out When?

[tymike]

Sorry if this is a question that is often asked but I am wondering when the itineraries for 2016 are published? I am trying to plan my honeymoon on a PG cruise for that summer and am chomping at the bit to book!

 

Thanks for any guidance! :)

[twin123185]

They've been out for a year almost. Did you mean 2017? Any day for those.

[tymike]

Oops! Yes, I did mean 2017!! Thank you! :o

[twin123185]

I can't keep track anymore either!

[pgcruises]

Sorry if this is a question that is often asked but I am wondering when the itineraries for 2016 are published? I am trying to plan my honeymoon on a PG cruise for that summer and am chomping at the bit to book!

 

Thanks for any guidance! :)

 

Greetings tymike,

 

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

 

Our 2017 itineraries will be announced and on our website in early January 2016. However, bookings are now being accepted on most sailings. Your travel agent can contact our reservations department.

 

We hope to welcome you aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin for your honeymoon and make your voyage very special for you.

 

All the best,

Paul Gauguin Cruises

[Burpelson]

Hi tymike, have a great time!

[Kamfish642]

My wife and I were on the Paul Gauguin in May 2009 for a 7-day Society Island cruise, when she sailed under the Regent Seven Seas flag. My wife has decided that she wants to return to the Paul Gauguin for a Society/Cook Island sailing in the February 2017 time frame for her 60th birthday. I'm glad to here that 2017 sailing will be published soon.

 

When we sailed previously we cashed in all our Holiday Inn points to stay in an over water bungalow at the Intercontinental Hotel. Can someone provide me there recommendations on hotels, since we will likely go with the Land & Sea Package if offered.

[tymike]

Hi and thanks all! I am working with a TA that PG connected me with. We are looking at the 10 day cruise in early July, 2017.

 

Quick question...if we fly into Tahiti a couple of days prior to the cruise, does that mean that we won't be eligible for the 'free' airfare from LAX?

 

Along those same lines, if we upgrade from economy to business class for flights to and from LAX is there any credit given for the air cost or do you pay rack rates for the whole thing?

 

Finally (for now at least! :)), how much difference does having a butler on the ship make? It's a pretty port intensive cruise, with two overnights and one full sea day. This is indeed a bucket list trip, so I want to make really thought out decisions about what we book.

 

Thanks so much!! :)

[twin123185]

My wife and I were on the Paul Gauguin in May 2009 for a 7-day Society Island cruise, when she sailed under the Regent Seven Seas flag. My wife has decided that she wants to return to the Paul Gauguin for a Society/Cook Island sailing in the February 2017 time frame for her 60th birthday. I'm glad to here that 2017 sailing will be published soon.

 

When we sailed previously we cashed in all our Holiday Inn points to stay in an over water bungalow at the Intercontinental Hotel. Can someone provide me there recommendations on hotels, since we will likely go with the Land & Sea Package if offered.

 

 

Hotel recommendations for which islands?

[tymike]

Hi tymike, have a great time!

 

You too! You beat me to it for booking! Still waiting on pricing everything out. :)

[Burpelson]

My hunch re flights is that you have to pay to get to LAX on your own dime.

 

It appears that you can upgrade and/or set your own schedule, but that you lose the perk of ground transpo; also the FAQ alludes to the possibility of a credit, but is not clear. See below.

 

In any case, I notionally looked up delta.com for 2016 dates late June to mid july 6/30 to 7/13). You can get business class on delta (from say NYC) to LAX for $4600-5100, and when you transfer to Air France (delta codeshare) for LAX to PPT, you stay in business class. Economy is $2k, comfort class is $3.4k.

 

From the FAQ:

Guests using an Air/Sea Program may upgrade to Business or First Class air service subject to space availability by the airline used in conjunction with the itinerary, and upon payment of the applicable airfare. PGC does not redeem airline accrued frequent flyer mileage for Air/Sea upgrades. The possibility of such redemption is at the sole discretion of the airlines and must be handled directly with the participating carrier.

 

If you deviate from the Standard Air/Sea program, you will need to secure your own transportation to the ship or hotel.

 

If you have made your own arrangements for air transportation, ground transfers, and/or hotel accommodations, you are designated as a “cruise-only” guest of PGC. You must make independent transfer arrangements to the hotel or ship if you haven’t pre-booked a transfer with PGC.

 

http://www.pgcruises.com/faq?subjects=343

 

Your TA should be able to fill in more. Have fun! My TA said that one can't book flights, hotels, etc. until 9 months prior to departure. Worth a double check. "As for flights, reservations, pre/post cruise stays etc. We won't have any information on that until the fall of 2016. The earliest anything is determined or loaded into booking systems is 9 months prior to the dates."

[Burpelson]

Voyla! Not quite the question you asked, but you do get a credit if you don't fly PG/ATN: "No worries. We flew Air France when we traveled because it was less than the amount PG credited us. However, they have more limited flights available." http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2283101

[Emdee]

PG will give you an air credit for your LAX to Tahiti return fare. This varies according to time of year etc but is between 1200 to 1700$

 

Transfers are quite reasonable and although we usually have them included we have been known to hop into a taxi at the airport to get to the ship before others.

 

If you just want to go down a couple of days earlier then consider the PG air sea package. It can be a good value. Otherwise do your own hotel booking and pay the deviation fee if necessary. Would suggest the IC in Tahiti if you want a couple of pre cruise days. However if you want to go a few days earlier then suggest visiting Moorea or Bora Bora.

 

Shop the market on the business class fares. The deals can be better than PG. if you have a AMEX platinum it is possible for you to get a decent price with Air France business fares.

 

Any other questions?

[tymike]

Thanks so much for all the information so far!!

 

I'm afraid I'll continue to have questions for the next year and a half!

 

Does anyone have any particular feelings or experiences with Air France vs. ATN from LAX to Tahiti? I have read that economy on ATN has very uncomfortable seats. Is this still the case? In all honesty, the word uncomfortable is not something I have in mind for this particular trip!! :) Is it worth the extra money to upgrade the flights to and from LAX/Tahiti? Opinions welcome!

 

Thanks all!

[Emdee]

According to DD ATN is very uncomfortable. She bought herself a cushion in Tahiti for her return journey!

 

I haven't taken a long flight on Air France for years. As of now neither ATN nor AF has flatbed. Rumoured that AF will have flatbed by 2017.

 

We went via Hawaii last year so had United flatbed on the long sector. I liked the route but DH says it sets too many vacay days especially because we have booked b2b for 2017. 17 wonderful days on the PG....cannot wait.

[tymike]

17 days sounds like an amazing time to me! I'm totally excited about the ten day cruise!! Maybe our next PG cruise will be a reunion cruise!

 

Thank you for the information regarding the flights. I need to research AF as I haven't even touched that yet. I have looked at the available reviews of ATN and they seem fairly mixed.

 

I'm glad to be planning so far out. I had a cruise on NCL this coming summer which was to disembark one week before the wedding, but now I'd rather throw my research and $ resources toward PG for 2017!

[Emdee]

17 days sounds like an amazing time to me! I'm totally excited about the ten day cruise!! Maybe our next PG cruise will be a reunion cruise!

 

Thank you for the information regarding the flights. I need to research AF as I haven't even touched that yet. I have looked at the available reviews of ATN and they seem fairly mixed.

 

I'm glad to be planning so far out. I had a cruise on NCL this coming summer which was to disembark one week before the wedding, but now I'd rather throw my research and $ resources toward PG for 2017!

 

Why don't you come on the reunion with us? PG goes all out and newbies are welcome.

 

However, I have to say one of my favourites is the Tuamotu 10 day trip. It's the perfect mixture of islands and Atolls.

 

Ask away.....

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We used Air France last year and intend to do the same next year.

 

Their plane has the "new" seats, which are hardshell (the ones that slide up and down rather than recline), and some find them too hard. But we fly Premium Economy (which is very nice, btw), so I can't comment on Coach seats. I had heard they were hard and I took a cushion. I really didn't need it, and probably won't bother taking one next year.

 

The one big issue is timing--they only fly over Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and only fly back Wednesdays, Fridays and Sunday. We adjust to this by doing a pre-cruise stay, and an overnight after the cruise if necessary.

[tymike]

Why don't you come on the reunion with us? PG goes all out and newbies are welcome.

 

However, I have to say one of my favourites is the Tuamotu 10 day trip. It's the perfect mixture of islands and Atolls.

 

Ask away.....

 

The reunion cruise is seriously tempting but I think we want to to enter into the PG world being more invisible for our honeymoon. I DO, however, want to be a 'reunion-er' the next time there is a reunion cruise...because I seriously expect that we will be back!! Thanks so much for the invite though..and I agree with you that the itineray with Tuamotu seems very amazing!

[tymike]

We used Air France last year and intend to do the same next year.

 

Their plane has the "new" seats, which are hardshell (the ones that slide up and down rather than recline), and some find them too hard. But we fly Premium Economy (which is very nice, btw), so I can't comment on Coach seats. I had heard they were hard and I took a cushion. I really didn't need it, and probably won't bother taking one next year.

 

The one big issue is timing--they only fly over Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and only fly back Wednesdays, Fridays and Sunday. We adjust to this by doing a pre-cruise stay, and an overnight after the cruise if necessary.

 

Thank you so much for the information!

We are starting out from NY so the flight comfort is kind of a big deal. As we are both school employees and we have summer vacation, we probably have a great deal of flexibility with regard to our flight dates (and yes...I am grateful for that !).

 

Where does AF fly from?

[twin123185]

Thank you so much for the information!

 

We are starting out from NY so the flight comfort is kind of a big deal. As we are both school employees and we have summer vacation, we probably have a great deal of flexibility with regard to our flight dates (and yes...I am grateful for that !).

 

 

Where does AF fly from?

 

 

Last year I flew Hawaiian Airlines from JFK to Papeete with a one night stopover in Honolulu. It was cheaper than flying ATN or AF from LA. However HA only flies to and from Papeete on Saturdays so it will depend on your cruise if this is feasible. It's worth checking out. AF leaves from LAX. I miss the ATN non stop to Papeete from JFK!

Edited December 17, 2015 by twin123185

[tymike]

Thank you!!

 

I love this board!

[twin123185]

Thank you!!

 

 

 

I love this board!

 

 

I will be looking into this again in 2017

[Emdee]

I will be looking into this again in 2017

 

Me too though I don't know if I can convince Colin to go via Hawaii again.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thank you so much for the information!

We are starting out from NY so the flight comfort is kind of a big deal. As we are both school employees and we have summer vacation, we probably have a great deal of flexibility with regard to our flight dates (and yes...I am grateful for that !).

 

Where does AF fly from?

 

Well, they fly from Paris actually, but pick passengers up at LAX. If you have lots of flexibility, and it is your honeymoon after all, I suggest staying overnight in Los Angeles before your further flight. We always do and it makes a big difference when you're coming from the east coast.