French Polynesia to limit cruise ships by size starting Jan 2022

[nocl]

7 hours ago, Daniel A said:

That is exactly what I was thinking would be as an option for Patrick.

The only problem is that the size of boats Patrick uses for his tour inside the reef is not optimum for traveling to the neighboring islands.  Locals do it, but it is often a bit rough for tour passengers.  Best to use a larger boat to make the transfer and then move to the smaller boats.

[FBM1963]

Good to know - Thank you!

 

Do you think they will start planning other stops in place of Bora Bora, I would be disappointed if they turn it into two more sea days or over nights in Hawaii.  I really want to see more of FP.

[Daniel A]

As an American, it wouldn't bother me to go to American Samoa instead of Bora Bora.  I'm just interested in exploring.

[sambamama]

If HAL had anticipated this, they may have kept the Ryndam or the Maasdam.  I did a 20 day South Pacific cruise with a fairly rare list of ports on the Maasdam where we started and finished in Auckland.  I went to Tahiti, got off the ship there, took the ferry to Moorea, spent the night at the IC Moorea ( had about  1 3/4 days there) on a free hotel night, got back on in Moorea, and did the Patrick tour in Bora Bora. This picture is from that trip-it's sunset from the cruise ship as we sail away from Bora Bora.  I use it as my background when I Zoom. That may have been the best cruise I ever had!

[Daniel A]

3 hours ago, nocl said:

If the cruise line operates as in the past, they will not change their schedule until the law actually goes into effect.  Even then maybe not until they are officially notified by the port that the call will not be allowed.  

 

For example the Venice law was changed, notice that it was going to change was known for weeks and cruise lines did not change schedules on the first few ships impacted until a few days before the cruises were to leave from Venice.

 

As long as they have not been officially denied the port call, they can always claim that there might have been a chance to call so no reason to change. Especially if they expect a number of people will cancel before full payment date if the change is announced.

 

I would guess which do you trust more, the FP government and their statements about port restrictions or the cruise lines still having the calls on their schedule.

I don't mean to be argumentative, but what if all the cruise lines notified booked PAX that they weren't going to be stopping at Key West because of a new local ordinance?  Things change, and I wholly agree with the idea of waiting until the ship is refused entry.  A lot can happen after a new regulation is put forth.

 

What if all the cruise lines decided not to offer Alaska cruises this year because the PVSA precluded it?  Things are always fluid except death and taxes (and we keep working on the death thing....)

[nocl]

18 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

I don't mean to be argumentative, but what if all the cruise lines notified booked PAX that they weren't going to be stopping at Key West because of a new local ordinance?  Things change, and I wholly agree with the idea of waiting until the ship is refused entry.  A lot can happen after a new regulation is put forth.

 

What if all the cruise lines decided not to offer Alaska cruises this year because the PVSA precluded it?  Things are always fluid except death and taxes (and we keep working on the death thing....)

A bit different when a country specifically makes a change to limit the cruise stops as Venice and FP. Is doing. They should atleast notify the passengers of the change and what the results will be. Otherwise you are saying that what the cruise line is doing is right and passengers should not complain if they get last minute notification.

 

As far as Alaska is concerned that it was fairly common knowledge that a change would have to happen before Alaska cruises could commerce. The ones that were sold were done with the hope that the virus would fade and Canada would open up. 

 

A bit different than a permanent law change 

 

As far as Key West that one has not resolved yet with the city looking at work around of the state law.

[kazu]

25 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

I don't mean to be argumentative, but what if all the cruise lines notified booked PAX that they weren't going to be stopping at Key West because of a new local ordinance?  Things change, and I wholly agree with the idea of waiting until the ship is refused entry.  A lot can happen after a new regulation is put forth.

 

They have already notified some passengers on some cruise itineraries that they can’t stop at Key West.

[kirtihk]

On 9/25/2021 at 1:02 PM, nocl said:

Bora Bora is not the largest port, Papette is. There is one other Island thst you actually dock at as well, the rest are tender 

 

Bora Bora is the most attractive and valuable tourist location.

I don't think so.  Fakarava is more attractive (was there on "Paul Gauguin" 4 years ago and cruised around it on March 22, 2020 on Ponant Le Soleal when we were restricted from stepping off the ship on it - so sad!)  - so unique with some of the most pristine and undisturbed coral reef ecosystems in the world.

Edited September 30, 2021 by kirtihk

[dchip]

36 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

I don't think so.  Fakarava is more attractive (was there on "Paul Gauguin" 4 years ago and cruised around it on March 22, 2020 on Ponant Le Soleal when we were restricted from stepping off the ship on it - so sad!)  - so unique with some of the most pristine and undisturbed coral reef ecosystems in the world.

I love, love, love Fakarava but it really isn’t an island for a ship with 2,000 passengers. Talk about destroying a pristine place!! 

[zelker]

45 minutes ago, dchip said:

I love, love, love Fakarava but it really isn’t an island for a ship with 2,000 passengers. Talk about destroying a pristine place!! 

Denise, I hear what you're saying but still, am glad to hear you love it!  Assuming our February cruise happens, we'll be visiting there.  🤓

[nocl]

1 hour ago, kirtihk said:

I don't think so.  Fakarava is more attractive (was there on "Paul Gauguin" 4 years ago and cruised around it on March 22, 2020 on Ponant Le Soleal when we were restricted from stepping off the ship on it - so sad!)  - so unique with some of the most pristine and undisturbed coral reef ecosystems in the world.

The context of my comment was in terms as attractive to tourists generating large amounts of revenue in the FP. As such the FP is not willing to risk the location by over running it with large numbers of cruise line passengers (relatively low revenue) negatively impacting the attraction to the land based tourists.

 

As I stated earlier there are many islands that from a physical beauty point of view are good alternatives to Bora Bora.

 

Certainly we have found snorkeling better in other places in and around the FP.

Edited September 30, 2021 by nocl

[dchip]

3 hours ago, zelker said:

Denise, I hear what you're saying but still, am glad to hear you love it!  Assuming our February cruise happens, we'll be visiting there.  🤓

Barb, I sure hope we make it in February because it isn’t on the itinerary for October. I have never snorkeled there. We just walk up and down the island roads. The church there is not to be missed!!!

 

It is not for everyone. I have heard so many complaints on board as to why in the world are we here. If you are looking for shopping or restaurants, you aren’t going to find them on Fakavara. 

[dchip]

3 hours ago, nocl said:

 

Certainly we have found snorkeling better in other places in and around the FP.

Not FP, but if we end up going to Kona there is some of the best snorkeling I have ever done there. I was just back there in June  🤗

Denise

[zelker]

24 minutes ago, dchip said:

Barb, I sure hope we make it in February because it isn’t on the itinerary for October. I have never snorkeled there. We just walk up and down the island roads. The church there is not to be missed!!!

 

It is not for everyone. I have heard so many complaints on board as to why in the world are we here. If you are looking for shopping or restaurants, you aren’t going to find them on Fakavara. 

I know we're not going there in October so am glad we'll "hopefully" get there on the first one.  We're booked to do the Blue Lagoon snorkel trip ... seems somewhat similar to what Patrick offers on BB and there are a bunch of us booked to do it.

[zelker]

28 minutes ago, dchip said:

Not FP, but if we end up going to Kona there is some of the best snorkeling I have ever done there. I was just back there in June  🤗

Denise

Where?  We've never found any snorkeling we thought was that good on the Big Island compared to Maui.  John does enjoy diving with the mantas there though.

[dchip]

Just now, zelker said:

Where?  We've never found any snorkeling we thought was that good on the Big Island compared to Maui.  John does enjoy diving with the mantas there though.

Captain Cook for one. We snorkeled up and down the coast at little beach stops. Fish everywhere and easy entry. 

[dchip]

3 minutes ago, zelker said:

I know we're not going there in October so am glad we'll "hopefully" get there on the first one.  We're booked to do the Blue Lagoon snorkel trip ... seems somewhat similar to what Patrick offers on BB and there are a bunch of us booked to do it.

By the way, that was a collective “you”. I know you aren’t going to Fakarava to shop. 😂 

[zelker]

5 minutes ago, dchip said:

Captain Cook for one. We snorkeled up and down the coast at little beach stops. Fish everywhere and easy entry. 

You're right!  We did have an awesome day snorkeling in Captain Cook.  Did it via a catamaran, they provided a great lunch, saw awesome eels wrapped around coral heads, among other things.  So cool.  Had forgotten about that - it was on our very first trip to the BI which was many years ago.

[nocl]

1 hour ago, dchip said:

Not FP, but if we end up going to Kona there is some of the best snorkeling I have ever done there. I was just back there in June  🤗

Denise

Just spent the last two weeks on the Kona side of the big Island.  Found snorkeling to be a bit poorer than I remember from previous visits, near Captain Cook memorial used to be outstanding.  Not so much this year.  Coral in rather poor shape. Tried several other areas along the coast (two step, Keauhou Bay,  Kahalu'u Beach Park, etc. again most ok but not exceptional. The number of fish were good, but variety limited.  In most places the coral was not in good shape.

 

Night snorkeling with the stingrays still an experience, but a lot of boats and people.  More than it seemed pre-Covid.

 

I have found some excellent snorkeling around Isle of Pines, around New Caledonia, and Fiji.

[nocl]

55 minutes ago, zelker said:

Where?  We've never found any snorkeling we thought was that good on the Big Island compared to Maui.  John does enjoy diving with the mantas there though.

A few year back the Big Island used to have great snorkeling with great visibility due to the large areas of lava instead of beaches.  This year seemed far more coral damage, good number of fish, but no much variety.

 

Have spent a lot of time snorkeling around Makena Beach, as well as Ahihi cove out past Makena. Honolua Bay has usually been good as well, but has tended to get more crowded the last few years.

 

As far as FP is concerned Rangiroa  just inside of Tiputa pass has impressed.  Of course that needs to be when tide is flowing into the Atoll or when it is neutral.  Snorkeling there when the tide is flowing out is a good way to find out just how big the ocean is and not in a good way.

 

If one is into snorkeling one can spend a lot of time around the Palliser Islands. 

Edited September 30, 2021 by nocl

[nocl]

1 hour ago, dchip said:

Barb, I sure hope we make it in February because it isn’t on the itinerary for October. I have never snorkeled there. We just walk up and down the island roads. The church there is not to be missed!!!

 

It is not for everyone. I have heard so many complaints on board as to why in the world are we here. If you are looking for shopping or restaurants, you aren’t going to find them on Fakavara. 

Same as with many islands in the South Pacific.  If you want beaches. snorkeling and diving.  Wonderful.  If you want shopping, bars and fine dining not so much.  Though lots of fresh fish.

[dchip]

48 minutes ago, nocl said:

Night snorkeling with the stingrays still an experience, but a lot of boats and people.  More than it seemed pre-Covid.

Getting in the water with the Manta Rays was a dream!! There were many boats and people but once my head was it the water it was me and the Mantas. 🤗 On our 2016 SP cruise. Several people left the ship in Kona to dive with the Mantas. They met back up with us in Samoa. I guess I was so happy with all the fish in Kona, that I overlooked the coral. Unfortunately it is taking a beating in so many places.