TP: Best Bora Bora & Moorea Excursions

[Deluzy]

I have been having a blast reading many of your trip reports and ideas on excursions! Thanks so much to all of you who write reviews!

 

I'm trying to make a list of some of people's favorite shore excursions for when they are on Bora Bora and/or Moorea.

 

Do you have one that you recommend? How did you book it (online, at shore, etc.)

 

Thanks for the info!

 

~Suzy

 

"Our" Maiden Voyage: Tahitian Princess Aug. 25

[karen_cpa]

By far, the best excursion we took was the Bora Bora 4x4. We booked it through Princess. It was one of the greatest days of our lives!!!!! We had a great driver and the other 3 couples with us were a blast! The 4x4's went up mountains like you couldn't believe. On top of the highest point, the drivers had set out a beautiful display of fresh fruit for us to enjoy.

 

We also enjoyed the snorkeling excursion on Moorea - we unexpectedly ended up snorkeling with little sharks! It was a nice surprise and ended our trip on a high note.

 

Trying to remember what else we did - I "think" we went snorkeling on our second day in Bora Bora, but honestly, I can't remember

 

Voyager of the Seas - 05/04

Tahitian Princess - 10/03 (Our Honeymoon)

Carnival Paradise - 08/02

[klauer]

We loved the champagne sunset cruise in Bora Bora. We booked through Princess, but maybe it is available independently. The scenery was unbelievable, and the crew provided entertainment and unlimited champagne and fruit drinks!

[Commodore Suzy]

I thought Shark & Ray feeding in Bora Bora and helmet diving in Moorea were THE BEST. I arranged both of these before departing home, neither was a ship excursion.

 

You can read about it and get the contact info if you read my Wind Star cruise review found on the CC cruise review page and the Wind Star page.

 

Tahiti is GREAT! You'll have fun!

 

Suzy

 

NEXT --> Diamond Princess 5/1/04 Coastal Who's with me?

Monarch family weekend 10/15/04 & Grand Galveston 12/11/04

Star Princess 10/18/03 -- Wind Star Honeymoon 11/14/03

Star Princess Wedding 9/24/03 -- Mercury 10/5/03

Vision of the Seas 10/28/02 -- Amsterdam 4/22/03

Sun Princess 5/10/02 -- Star Princess 6/15/02

Carnival Holiday 9/8/00

[Deluzy]

Thanks for those ideas. The champagne cruise sounds nice, but at $100/pp, I'm not sure that we will be able to do ot.

 

Suzy Cruisy, I will check out your review - thanks!

 

~Suzy

 

"Our" Maiden Voyage: Tahitian Princess Aug. 25

[Mr. Phil]

It just goes to show, different strokes for different folks. I found the sunset cruise the big letdown of the cruise for us. The cost was more than a whole day excurison with Marc or Bruno. The excursion was over in 2 hours even though it was listed as 3 hours(we also left late). We were taken back to the ship without any notice (rather than back to the port) which meant if you wanted to do something in the port you needed to take a tender back. In addition, they sold beer and soda at 3 buck a piece. Whick felt kind of cheesey to me. Considering it is one of the most expensive excursions offered by princess, I felt it was not worth it. (and only one of 2 we did not do on our own (snorkle/picnic in rarotonga was a great deal in my mind) I tried to book something on our own, but we were there on a sunday, and this was the only sunset cruise offering I could find. BTW we complained to Princess and they credited our shipboard account $50 the next day. I was pleased with the speed and response to our complaint.

 

We used topdive for our ray/shark feeding and had a great time with them.

[Aussie Gal]

We had a big let down in Bora Bora. We had booked a private Sunset Cruise at less than half of the ship's cost.

 

I had booked it months before and also reconfirmed before we left home. I had to ring on the morning we arrived in Bora Bora which I did. I was told it was cancelled as their main sail had broken!

 

We were so disappointed. It was too late for the ship's sunset cruise - it had closed. It turned out to be a perfect night for the cruise!!

 

So it doesn't always pay to go with independent operators, though we did do a good 4x4 with Myriam in Moorea.

 

Jennie

 

The next cruise is always the best!

 

3RD OCTOBER, 2004 PRINSENDAM

[Joyce B.]

We also vote a big "GREAT" for the 4x4 ship tour on Bora Bora. As previously posted, it was a BLAST! You got to see many things you could not have seen on the other tours.

 

On Moorea, we booked an independent tour on shore. There are people there as you get off the tender to take you on tours. I think ours was about $20/person. Had a really cute, English-speaking guide. Very nice tour.

[cruising cat]

In Moorea we just found a taxi to take us and 2 other couples around the island. The great thing about this is that you get to see the highlights and get your photos before the coach loads of Princess excursions arrive. Also you can spend as much or as little time at each of the stop offs.

 

In Bora Bora we did the same thing had an excellent day even got to have a look aroung the Bora Bora hotel! Again we got to places before or after the tour buses!

 

Both of these trips cost approx $20 a lot less than the Princess excursions.

 

Jayne

 

until we cruise again........Golden 9/1

 

[tobytoby]

We found Stephane of Mata tours on the wharf at Raiatea. He provided us with an unforgetable experience, smimming with sharks and Stingrays, snorkelling and swimming at his own private Island. All for $50US per person. He also provides morning and afternoon tours on Bora Bora. IF YOU GO WITH HIM YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPOINTED.

 

'67 Australis.Syd-Southhampton.

'68 Oriana.Southhampton-Sydney.

'92 Horizon. Eastern Caribbean.

'93 Majesty oftheseas.Caribbean

'94 Crown Princess. Alaska.

'96 Horizon. Panama Canal.

'97 Century. Caribbean.

'98 Crown Princess. Hawaii.

'99 Century. Mediterranian.

'00 Century. Caribbean.

'01 Enchantment of the Seas.

'01 Crown Princes Tahiti-Hawaii

'03 Regal Princes Syd -Auckland

'03 Sun Princess Mexico.

'04 Pacific Princess.New Caledonia

'04 Tahitian Princ.Cook Islands

 

[NEW YORK LADY2]

We have been to Tahiti twice now, this year and last year. Plan on going again in 2006. It is a wonderful vacation.

 

On Bora Bora we did a 4X4 the first year we went and it was a great way to see the island. Bumpy but we really enjoyed it. This year we did Sharkboy which was not that great for the money. We also did a Sunset Sail which was arranged by one of our CC group with an independent tour guide which was wonderful.

 

On Moorea this year we went with Captain Haifera and did snorkeling in an archelogical site, stingrays, sharks, barracuda, (you can also see whales in season), and a wonderful extra cost lunch at a restaurant at Pineapple Beach. This was $75/pp with the lunch extra and a really wonderful tour. We will do this again the next time around. You can read my trip report for the March 8 curise we did this year here on the CC board. It gives contact info for many of the tours we did and all of the ones that I did the bookings for.

 

Have a wonderful time in Tahiti. We are doing the Med/Greek Isle in June, 2005 so Tahiti has to wait for 2006 for us to do it again. We already have a fairly large groups of CC buddies going on that one.

 

Jackie

New York Lady/New York Lady2