Papeete Flight

[Mickey Mantle]

We are part of a group travelling on the Maasdam Oct. 14, 2018 cruising for two weeks in the South Pacific. Our return charter flight (booked with Holland America) does not leave Papeete until midnight. We leave the ship in the morning. The cruise line has made no arrangements for us the day of departure nor are they willing to do so. Are there hotels in the area that will allow us to spend the day there? Any places/areas to avoid? Not sure that a private excursion is the answer, given that we'll probably be up all night travelling. I feel that Holland America is completely irresponsible in not providing something...even at a cost. Given that our flights are Holland America charters, our fellow fliers must also have the same dilemma. What to do?

[OlsSalt]

We are part of a group travelling on the Maasdam Oct. 14, 2018 cruising for two weeks in the South Pacific. Our return charter flight (booked with Holland America) does not leave Papeete until midnight. We leave the ship in the morning. The cruise line has made no arrangements for us the day of departure nor are they willing to do so. Are there hotels in the area that will allow us to spend the day there? Any places/areas to avoid? Not sure that a private excursion is the answer, given that we'll probably be up all night travelling. I feel that Holland America is completely irresponsible in not providing something...even at a cost. Given that our flights are Holland America charters, our fellow fliers must also have the same dilemma. What to do?

 

There are also 7:30 am flights out of PPE back to the US. These would mean a very early departure from the ship on the last morning. Not sure how that would work but you could look into that if you can still make a flight change.

 

We have arranged a room in a close-by "youth hostel" to use as a day room before our own midnight flight. Some are even flying to NZ and then back to the US because of the lower fares. Others are spending a few extra days in PPE and taking some of the less frequent but better timed airlines back to the US - I believe Hawaiian is one that offers only a few flights per week which did not coordinate with the disembarkation date.

 

You can look at what HAL offers guests who do continue on the cruises after the PPE stop to get an idea of what types of shore excursions you might be interested in arranging on your own. Yes, it is a shame HAL did not arrange some sort of accomodating transfer under these circumstances, but they did not. Good suggestion to make. But this is a very new route and experience for the Maasdam, so it does remain a work in progress.

 

Or you can book a hotel room near the airport and just use it to relax before your flight. Maybe a group of you from a Roll Call can share in the expense. Agree, this is not an optimal situation but it was a known factor up front before signing up for these cruises.

 

Getting past the sticker shock of the one way ticker out of PPE to LAX was hard enough. Then figuring out what to do in this town for the time in between was the next adventure. Two oldsters sharing a day room in a youth hostel (that got good reviews)....remains to be seen how well this will work or not, but the price was right. Sorry I won't be able to report back with any recommendations - or warnings.

[sammiedawg]

I would cancel the cruise line air and rebook. OldSalt is correct, there will be 7:30 am flights certain days of the week, Air France to LAX often has this flight. Hawaiian Air is worth checking.

We hate red eyes and gladly pay extra to avoid one.

 

If you stay with the current flight, the Intercontinental hotel is a good choice. They might not offer a day rate but if you book the hotel for that night you should get into the room mid afternoon. Relax at the pool prior to getting into your room.

Don’t try to kill the day in Papeete.

[sammiedawg]

I thought of one other option. If your ship gets in a day early and stays overnight in Papeete, change your flight to fly home the night before. The cruise is really over by then. Eat dinner, pack up then disembark. Take a taxi to the airport. We’ve done this a few times in exotic areas with limited flights.

The airport is fifteen minutes away and is tiny.

This option avoids killing an entire day after a morning disembarkation.

[thinfool]

Dunno if it .helps at this point but two airlines now fly PPT>SFO.

 

One is United, the other is French Bee...a new low cost carrier.

 

This is new service that began in the last couple of months.

[RDC1]

Intercontinental does rent day rooms.

[cwtravel]

My father is on this cruise and we decided to have him fly back on Air France (departs 8:30am) to LAX so he can connect to a redeye back to the east coast a few hours after his LAX arrival. I believe Air Tahiti also departs late evening.

[liamur14]

Intercontinental does rent day rooms.

Please tell us more, thanks

[RDC1]

Please tell us more, thanks

 

Just contact Intercontinental. They do rent day rooms, at least they did when I was last there two years ago. Best to get details from them.

[DougandEric]

Just contact Intercontinental. They do rent day rooms, at least they did when I was last there two years ago. Best to get details from them.

 

We also booked a day room at IC. We were on Princess but stayed there 3 nights before our cruise and the day room after. They even arranged a driver to meet us at the ship. We were able to stay onboard until noon since the ship didn't depart until the next day but left about 10:30AM. The room was ready when we checked in. The hotel and grounds are beautiful. The restaurant is pricey but everything in PPT is so just accept it. It was nice to have dinner before cleaning up and leaving for the airport. Just call them and ask about the day room rate and availability.

[OlsSalt]

Just contact Intercontinental. They do rent day rooms, at least they did when I was last there two years ago. Best to get details from them.

 

Just called IC 1-800 number, and got connected to the actual Papeete front desk - no day rooms was the "official" reply.

 

Something might get arranged onsite - they might be more flexible on the actual day if they have rooms available. But that is taking a chance if one is planning on using them for a day room rate layover.

[sammiedawg]

Papeete is hot, the air is still. Make sure your hotel has AC.

Don’t get to the airport too early, no AC. Snack bar type eateries. Check with the carrier to find out when the check in counter opens, plan to arrive then.

We’ve not had luck with day rooms.

Book a nice place so you can spend the day in comfort. Hopefully you will have room access mid day, or earlier.

[lacy20]

Mickey Mantle, we are on the same charter flight, but our schedule shows the flight leaving Papeete for LAX at 7:00 pm, not midnight.

[Wehwalt]

I might consider the Pearl Beach resort. I stayed there twice when it was a Radisson. There always seemed to be people with bags around. I do not know if they rent day rooms or offer other deals, but it is very pleasant, has a beach right there, several pools, and I always liked their breakfasts.

[Lyndihop]

FYI: If you are flying business class; there's a AIR CONDITIONED lounge upstairs at PPT.

[habenicd]

When we were there a few years back, the Le Meridian had day rooms.

They have an amazing sand bottom pool too.

[OlsSalt]

Were you able to book the day use rooms near the airport ahead of time online for those hotels suggested, other than the Intercontinenal who officially has told us no? Thanks for the tips.

[Wehwalt]

Of course, you can always rent a car and do a loop around the island. There's a really nice bathing pool just off the road at the southern tip of Tahiti. The area close to the airport (Faaa) isn't that wonderful, so best to go somewhere. There are I think three Carrefours that are nice to kill time at, each at a shopping mall.

[OlsSalt]

Of course, you can always rent a car and do a loop around the island. There's a really nice bathing pool just off the road at the southern tip of Tahiti. The area close to the airport (Faaa) isn't that wonderful, so best to go somewhere. There are I think three Carrefours that are nice to kill time at, each at a shopping mall.

 

We are renting a car for the Circle Island Drive - Avis apparently has a kiosk at the cruise ship dock and will take you to their downtown office. Cleaning up before the midnight flight back to the US was the concern after being out all day. I have a back up cheap hostel room downtown but we may not want to go back into town and then out to the airport late in the day. So cancelling the cheap hostel room (AC???) and getting a decent hotel day room near the airport is looking like the better alternative.

 

Tell me more about your circle island drive - we thought we would follow the clockwise route, but also do not want to miss the South Pacific Museum which closes around 5:30pm. So that may change. Maybe we can get there the day before. Also wanted to take one of the side extension routes down into "Little Tahiti" . Did you worry about anything left in your locked car when you stopped along the way? Luckily it will be Sunday when they say the dreadful Papeete traffic should be a lot less.

[sammiedawg]

Check museum hours on Papeete. Per our experience on other FP islands, museums, attractions, some stores and restaurants close on Sunday.

 

It is a normally a fifteen minute taxi ride from downtown Papeete to the airport.

[Wehwalt]

Not sure where you are renting the car, whether in Papeete or at the airport, but there's not much to see between them (or in Papeete) so don't worry if you miss that little section. I spent eight days on the island with a car in October 2014. Little Tahiti is interesting, flat and grassy, totally unlike the rest of the island ... The swimming hole I speak of is about a mile west of Papara, as I recall. There is a parking lot on the seaward side and the pool itself is on the landward side of the main road. There are four Carrefour's. One of them is on the Southeast side of the island, near the road to Little Tahiti, and is a good place to take a break (washrooms, for one). If there are any French items you want or wine, that is your place, though don't expect bargains. If you stop at the one in Faaa, there is a store just south of the mall (not in it, but across the parking lot to the south) that crushes sugar cane for juice, which of course is yummy.

 

I would certainly go to the Faarumai waterfalls. They are spectacular, spray everywhere. You'll be lucky if the path is open. It was open on my first trip in February 2014, closed on my second trip in October of that year, and I see from Google, closed again in 2017. Seems open right now. I liked Venus Beach, very historic (there is a monument) and because you can watch the locals fish, swim, etc. It was also a good healthy hike from my hotel over the hill!

[Wehwalt]

One more thing. The area near the airport is not the best, so be sure your cheap day room, if you decide on it, is at someplace good.

[OlsSalt]

One more thing. The area near the airport is not the best, so be sure your cheap day room, if you decide on it, is at someplace good.

 

The cheap hostel room is a few blocks from the port - Paul Gaugin Street - looks like it is between the ship and the downtown Avis office. It was so cheap for a two person room, we can take a walk on the reservation if it looks too bad. But it does get good travelers reviews for both location and services.

 

Checked the website and the Pacific island Museum is open on Sundays. Thanks for the reminder tip.

 

How bad was the driving once you left the city itself - there are various reports in guidebook from deadly to benign. 3 hours to go a few miles during workday rush hours - which this will not be thank goodness. Any time estimates for the trip - only 75 miles or so, but some say this is a full day adventure. Is that because of the stops one will want to make or because the roads and traffic are so bad.

[Wehwalt]

The cheap hostel room is a few blocks from the port - Paul Gaugin Street - looks like it is between the ship and the downtown Avis office. It was so cheap for a two person room, we can take a walk on the reservation if it looks too bad. But it does get good travelers reviews for both location and services.

 

Checked the website and the Pacific island Museum is open on Sundays. Thanks for the reminder tip.

 

How bad was the driving once you left the city itself - there are various reports in guidebook from deadly to benign. 3 hours to go a few miles during workday rush hours - which this will not be thank goodness. Any time estimates for the trip - only 75 miles or so, but some say this is a full day adventure. Is that because of the stops one will want to make or because the roads and traffic are so bad.

 

I never saw any serious traffic beyond Papeete. I might have been lucky but that's what I saw. Some slowdowns through villages, nothing unexpected. Take your time, stop often. The museum was great, I did go on both my trips. I remember a bit of construction traffic in the NE of the island.

Edited August 5, 2018 by Wehwalt

[RDC1]

Just called IC 1-800 number, and got connected to the actual Papeete front desk - no day rooms was the "official" reply.

 

Something might get arranged onsite - they might be more flexible on the actual day if they have rooms available. But that is taking a chance if one is planning on using them for a day room rate layover.

 

Guess they might have changed since we used them a couple of years ago. Back then, they not only did them, but they were actually pushing them. We stayed there for a couple of days prior to our cruise and they asked several times if we were on a late flight and wanted a day room good until we had to go to the airport when we returned from our cruise.

 

The Papeete airport is a good example of chaos in the evenings prior to the night flights. Lots of people fly out late, and limited seating space. Would not plan of getting anything to eat there prior to departure.