Has anyone disembarked a day early?

[Princess-of-Quite-alot]

We're thinking of disembarking in Moorea on the day before arriving back in Papeete. Is this allowed? Do we need to notify the ship ahead of time? What were your experiences with this?

[Spikesgirl]

My understanding is that you can, but there's some sort of penalty unless its an emergency. My advice would be to go into Papyette and just take the ferry back. They run every half hour or so and take only a few minutes. The cruiseship docks right beside the ferry, so there's no real traveling involved, just get off and get back on. The cost is low and you would save yourself many headaches that way.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Charlie

[Princess-of-Quite-alot]

That was our original plan, but since we were in Moorea anyways, we just figured to stay on instead of spending the last night on the ship and then heading right back again. We were planning on taking the ferry over and then upon returning home, taking the airplane back from Moorea to the airport in Papeete. Just weighing our options....

On another note (sorry, but I am too lazy to look up past posts), is the weight limit on the Moorea to Papeete flight 44lbs per person? If we are over our weight, I guess we will have to taxi to airport first, leave excess luggage behind in lockers and then fly RT to Moorea. Unless we ferry RT with all our stuff and then taxi back to airport on our way home. Are there lockers at the ferry too? So much to think about.............

[Bsan1221]

We're thinking of disembarking in Moorea on the day before arriving back in Papeete. Is this allowed? Do we need to notify the ship ahead of time? What were your experiences with this?

 

 

Yes, you can do that. :)

 

There was a group of over 60 people who got off in Moorea. The cruiseline will put a notice outside your door while you are in Bora Bora and it will ask you about your disembarkation plans. If you get off in Moorea the cruiseline will tender your luggage to the pier and you can pick it up there :)

 

I never heard about any type of penalty or anything.

[captbill]

My understanding is that you can, but there's some sort of penalty unless its an emergency.

 

 

The penalty you refer to is imposed for violations to the Passenger Services Act (often mistakenly referred to as the Jones Act). The PSA does not apply to either the Tahiti/Cook Islands or the Tahiti/Marquesas roundtrip itineraries out of Papeete. It would apply to the Tahiti/Hawaii itineraries though.

 

I've had recent experience with this, as we disembarked one day early on 3/19/06 while anchored off Moorea, though our cruise wasn't scheduled to end until the next day in Papeete.

 

To the OP, it is a good idea to notify the Purser's Desk at some point during your cruise. Their biggest concern seemed to be ensuring that my bill was paid before I left the ship. Even though I was on "express checkout" for the next day, they went ahead and formally settled my account before sending someone up to our cabin to cart luggage down to the tender.

[Princess-of-Quite-alot]

Thank you all for the replies! We are still weighing our options between staying one extra night in an OWB vs paid for ship dinner and night's sleep in the cabin. At least we have some options.....:D

[MVPinBoynton]

Several people did get off on our cruise. If it were me, I would take off some luggage in Moorea and leave it at your hotel to hold till the next day. Then spend the night back on the ship and enjoy your last night on it and then get off the next day. Getting back to Moorea on the ferry is a piece of cake, but the least luggage the better.

[CruiseTrainer]

Just wanted a clarification...I'm on the Cook Island itinerary in November 06 and want to know if we'll be able to disembark early enough to catch an 8:50am flight (Air France) on the day of disembarkation. The TP arrives in Papeete the evening before. Will we be able to disembark at 5:00am or so?

 

Thanks for your replies!

[captbill]

The TP arrives in Papeete the evening before. Will we be able to disembark at 5:00am or so?

 

No worries! :)