Hawaii or Tahiti? What would you do?

[cruzin2paradise]

Ok, so our next cruise is on the Crown and DH and I will be celebrating 20 years of marriage. In talking tonight, DH said he'd like to do a Hawaii cruise for our 25th anniversary. I was looking at prices, obviously not for 2012, but for as far out as we can go, and not including air, it's cheaper to take the 10-day Tahiti cruise than the 15-day Hawaii cruise.

 

So, since I have a couple of years to research this very important issue I figured I'd start getting thoughts on this now.

 

My problem is that I would love to go to Tahiti but I'd also love to go to Hawaii . . . can't afford both just yet. If we do the 15-day Hawaii, we can fly to L.A. (about 2-1/2 hours), if we do Tahiti, we need to add another 8 hours of flying . . . don't know about that.

 

Oh, the choices we have! I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

[willysgrandma]

Check the difference in the airfare price before you decide. When we cruised in Hawaii, we flew there for the cruise and the airfare was less than $600 per person. But the 13 hours in the air was a killer.

 

I would bet the air to Tahiti might be a lot more expensive, and your flying time very long.

 

Having been to Hawaii - I'd opt for Tahiti if I had a choice. I think it is much more exotic.

[2manyplaces]

Tahiti in a heartbeat! and you must have a balcony! We were there on the Paul Gaugin a year ago and it was by far the best vacation we have ever had.

[Seal]

Have vacationed a lot in Hawaii--but, not a cruise--Have been to Tahiti twice once 2 months ago--on a cruise--before that a land trip about 25 years ago.

 

You might easily be able to combine your trips to Hawaii and Tahiti.

 

I know that the cruise we were on went from Papette to Hawaii--So you could fly to Hawaii cruise from there to Tahiti--This year the Tahiattian Princess did this.

 

This is a small ship about 670 pax--for me I would prefer a larger ship--more stable for me--I am easily seasick and always wear a patch which works for me. For me the constant rocking of the Tahiattian Princess was irritating but I was not ill from it.

 

check this out, you may be able to work the trip out for both.

 

Good Luck

 

Safe Travels

 

Nancy:)

[cruzin2paradise]

Check the difference in the airfare price before you decide. When we cruised in Hawaii, we flew there for the cruise and the airfare was less than $600 per person. But the 13 hours in the air was a killer.

 

I would bet the air to Tahiti might be a lot more expensive, and your flying time very long.

 

Having been to Hawaii - I'd opt for Tahiti if I had a choice. I think it is much more exotic.

 

I know that the cost of air is going to be substantial, for the mere fact that we can fly from here to Los Angeles for a reasonable fare, however, in checking flights from here to Tahiti, they were $1400 per person. Now, obviously nothing is accurate due to the fact that I can't even put in exact dates, but if the price difference in the cruises is substantial enough, like it looks now, then it will balance out a bit. I just figure you only celebrate your 25th once so I may as well go somewhere extremely awesome and exotic, right?

 

:)

[cruzin2paradise]

Have vacationed a lot in Hawaii--but, not a cruise--Have been to Tahiti twice once 2 months ago--on a cruise--before that a land trip about 25 years ago.

 

You might easily be able to combine your trips to Hawaii and Tahiti.

 

I know that the cruise we were on went from Papette to Hawaii--So you could fly to Hawaii cruise from there to Tahiti--This year the Tahiattian Princess did this.

 

This is a small ship about 670 pax--for me I would prefer a larger ship--more stable for me--I am easily seasick and always wear a patch which works for me. For me the constant rocking of the Tahiattian Princess was irritating but I was not ill from it.

 

check this out, you may be able to work the trip out for both.

 

Good Luck

 

Safe Travels

 

Nancy:)

 

 

 

Oooooooh, good idea - the best of both worlds! I like it!

[cruzin2paradise]

Tahiti in a heartbeat! and you must have a balcony! We were there on the Paul Gaugin a year ago and it was by far the best vacation we have ever had.

 

 

Our last cruise was our first balcony . . . can't cruise without one now. Boohoo, NOT! :D

[Bucky3]

Were you checking air prices on your own or through Princess. Princess may have special air fares for their Tahiti cruises. If you have not been to either place I don't see why it matters what one you choose. Hawaii is wonderful. So is Tahiti, but you could save it for another important anniversary!! Have fun planning!

[partybarbie]

I have done two Tahiti/Hawaii cruises. The first time was on the original love boat (Pacific Princess). We flew to Tahiti and cruised back to San Pedro, 16 days total.

 

The second time we flew to Tahiti and flew home from Oahu, 12 days total. This was on the Regal Princess.

 

I would highly recommend the 12 day trip. If you want to stay longer in Tahiti or Hawaii, the 12 days gives you that option and you won't have the long Pacific crossing back to San Pedro.

 

If I had to pick just one, it would be Hawaii. I prefer that my travel dollars support my own country's economy and the people are much friendlier.

[NAS-KARR]

We're booked on the Tahitian Princess for a June 07 cruise embarking in Papeete,Tahiti with stops in Moorea,Raiatea,Bora Bora,4 sea days,Christmas Is.,Hilo,Lahaina,Kauai & Honolulu.

You could spend pre and post cruise days in Tahiti or Moorea and Honolulu at the other end and really make a very full cruise out of it. It's a 12 day cruise. We're flying non-stop JFK to Papeete(which should be a butt bone killer,12 1/2 hrs).Might this be something you're looking for ?

 

CIAO,

[JLC@SD]

Ok, so our next cruise is on the Crown and DH and I will be celebrating 20 years of marriage. In talking tonight, DH said he'd like to do a Hawaii cruise for our 25th anniversary. I was looking at prices, obviously not for 2012, but for as far out as we can go, and not including air, it's cheaper to take the 10-day Tahiti cruise than the 15-day Hawaii cruise.

 

So, since I have a couple of years to research this very important issue I figured I'd start getting thoughts on this now.

 

My problem is that I would love to go to Tahiti but I'd also love to go to Hawaii . . . can't afford both just yet. If we do the 15-day Hawaii, we can fly to L.A. (about 2-1/2 hours), if we do Tahiti, we need to add another 8 hours of flying . . . don't know about that.

 

Oh, the choices we have! I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

There is no comparison.......Tahiti without question........the islands and water are beautiful.........we will go back to Tahiti before going back to Hawaii. The flight is worth it........only 3 hours more for us from LAX.

[JLC@SD]

There is no comparison.......Tahiti without question........the islands and water are beautiful.........we will go back to Tahiti before going back to Hawaii. The flight is worth it........only 3 hours more for us from LAX.

ps........ cruzin2paradise..... ='s....... Tahiti.........:)

[Times Prince]

Ok, so our next cruise is on the Crown and DH and I will be celebrating 20 years of marriage. In talking tonight, DH said he'd like to do a Hawaii cruise for our 25th anniversary. I was looking at prices, obviously not for 2012, but for as far out as we can go, and not including air, it's cheaper to take the 10-day Tahiti cruise than the 15-day Hawaii cruise.

 

So, since I have a couple of years to research this very important issue I figured I'd start getting thoughts on this now.

 

My problem is that I would love to go to Tahiti but I'd also love to go to Hawaii . . . can't afford both just yet. If we do the 15-day Hawaii, we can fly to L.A. (about 2-1/2 hours), if we do Tahiti, we need to add another 8 hours of flying . . . don't know about that.

 

Oh, the choices we have! I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Why choose? For our 35th anniversary we took the Pacific Princess II from Tahiti to Hawaii (there is typically one cruise this direction and one back each season). It was FANTASTIC !!! The ship is great, and the itinerary was outstanding - Papaheete,Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Christmas Island, Maui, Lahaina, Nawiliwili, ending in Oahu. We took mostly aquatic tours in Polynesia, and land tours in Hawaii.

So our recommendation - TREAT YOURSELF, and DO BOTH in one cruise !!!:)

[marites161]

I have taken a cruise to Tahiti and I have also stayed in 2 islands in Hawaii. The comparason between the 2 places is like comparing platinum to white gold. Due to the exchange rate, your money will go farther in Tahiti especially if you use your credit card. When you look down from the pier in Tahiti, it looks like you are looking down an aquarium. Papeete is just like any big cities in the US or Oahu in Hawaii. It is a very busy island in Tahiti but the rest of the islands you're going to visit is paradise. The people are so friendly and the each island is colorful. I wish I could afford to go back to Tahiti.

 

Snorkeling in Hawaii is nice but snorkeling in Tahiti is like swimming inside an never ending aquarium. On most of the snorkeling sites in Tahiti, the water is so shallow that you are able to just stand there and watch the fishes swim past you. The color of the water is different shades of blue and is so clear. We also went swimming with Manta Rays and Brown tip sharks. Hopefully, this answers your question.

[cruzin2paradise]

WOW - thanks for all the wonderful insight. Obviously I have a ways to go, but planning is so much fun!

 

I like the idea of the Tahiti-Hawaii cruise - the best of both worlds. But, between now and our 25th, is a long time and cruises can change, so we shall see.

 

Either way, it'll be a dream vacation for DH and me no doubt.

[aring75]

I'm so glad you brought this up. I've been wrestling with the same dilemma. This will be the cruise we take after our HUGE Alaskan expedition - which so far is up to 21 days (a NB 7-day on one ship, a 7-day trip around Alaska, then a 7-day SB on another ship with a slightly different itinerary). Can't come soon enough!

 

Then I'll have to start planning Tahiti. Now that I've read these responses, I'm thinking about combining Tahiti and Hawaii. I love reading the experiences of past cruisers! I get so many fantastic ideas!! (Including the Alaskan expedition, LOL!) :D

[Toto2Kansas]

If a Hawaii to Tahiti cruise is not an option you could consider (done it several times and it is the best of both worlds for us). I would first visit Hawaii. Once you have sailed around Tahiti, Hawaii is a disappointment as far as we are concerned. Tahiti is so beatuiful, it puts Hawaii to shame. Only thing we could see that they have in common is palm trees. LOL

 

So, if you think you will get to Tahiti some other time, Hawaii to start would be your best bet. Otherwise, when you finally get to Hawaii, if you visit Tahiti first, you will be kicking yourself for not just going back to Tahiti. IMHO of coarse.

[WeBeGone]

We've been to Hawaii 5 times on land vacations (we used to live in Seattle so it was close and cheap). From what I've read, Tahiti is light years beyond Hawaii in beauty - hence we're leaving in a month for the back to back on the Tahitian for our 25th anniversary. I'd say do a land vacation in Hawaii first, then cruise Tahiti. It difficult to "go back" after you've seen the best. It's like having a balcony mini-suite then booking an inside!! Of course the best bet is to do them both!!

[willysgrandma]

I like the idea of the Tahiti-Hawaii cruise - the best of both worlds. But, between now and our 25th, is a long time and cruises can change, so we shall see.

 

That is what I'd do - the best of both worlds and you have plenty of time to save up!

[PescadoAmarillo]

Just remember that, if you do choose to do a pre- or post-cruise stay in Tahiti (either on Tahiti or Moorea), the cost is so high it's like adding a "0" to the end of the number. Well, not quite that bad, but it's really high (like $45 for lunch for one person). So if you're doing a one way cruise, you might want to do the pre- or post-cruise stay in Hawaii (preferably NOT on Oahu) for probably half the price.

 

I also second the Tahiti cruise. We've been twice now (only on transpacific cruises, so we've only been to Tahiti, Bora Bora and Moorea), but the water on Bora Bora alone is worth the trip. Another option (one that we're considering for 2008, our 25th anniversary) is to do the Tahitian Princess Cook and Marquesas Island cruises back to back, with no pre- or post-cruise stay. It's actually fairly reasonable to do it that way, and we're justifying the length of the flight with a second cruise.

[Burt]

We have been to both Tahiti and Hawaii with Princess. Which one to choose? It all depends on what type of cruise experience you are looking for. Tahiti is very layed back whereas Hawaii can be very hectic. Fewer people go to Tahiti due to the travel distances involved. We flew from Atlanta to Papeete - 15 ½ air hours plus layover. For Hawaii it was under four hours to L.A. then aboard the ship for 15 days.

 

If you are looking for nightime activity it Tahiti, there isn't any. Hawaii is just the opposite. I would suggest that you do both a pre-cruise and post-cruise in Papeete if you opt for a Tahitian cruise. You will need the rest before you sail and you won't feel rushed to get to the airport the day you finish your cruise. Unless Princess has changed its policy, both embarking and disembarking passengers share the ship for one day on each cruise. It is a little crazy onboard on that day. We sailed on the Tahitian Princess. All Princess ships are beautiful, the Tahitian Princess is both beautiful and elegant. A lot of dark wood and marble aboard. It is our favorite in the Princess Fleet. We sailed on the Island Princess to Hawaii. It was a great experience.

 

We really enjoyed the smallness of the Tahitian Princess (under 700 passengers) Everything was convenient on the ship and there was not a lot of walking to get anywhere on the ship.

 

We found the Tahiti cruise more relaxing than Hawaii; though I would do each one again in a heartbeat.

 

Whichever one you decide upon, you will have a great time.

[tantalos60]

I know that the cost of air is going to be substantial, for the mere fact that we can fly from here to Los Angeles for a reasonable fare, however, in checking flights from here to Tahiti, they were $1400 per person. Now, obviously nothing is accurate due to the fact that I can't even put in exact dates, but if the price difference in the cruises is substantial enough, like it looks now, then it will balance out a bit. I just figure you only celebrate your 25th once so I may as well go somewhere extremely awesome and exotic, right?

 

:)

 

Hi!

I just came from the Princess site--doin' a mock-up reservation for Tahiti in feb. of 2008. Tahitian Princess. They quoted $1200.00 + for air pp.---from Columbus, Ohio. I sent the same request to *****.com for the same cruise--with and without airfare. I can check back here tomorrow with some results, if you wish. J :)

[cruzin2paradise]

I checked the Princess site and did a "booking" for next September (just for grins) on the Tahitian Princess. It's for the Hawaii-Tahiti Cruise so air is from KC to Hawaii and then Tahiti back home. The whole cruise, 12 days, with air, transfers, etc. and for two of us was $7400 -- not too bad, but we'll see.

[cruzin2paradise]

I checked the Princess site and did a "booking" for next September (just for grins) on the Tahitian Princess. It's for the Hawaii-Tahiti Cruise so air is from KC to Hawaii and then Tahiti back home. The whole cruise, 12 days, with air, transfers, etc. and for two of us was $7400 -- not too bad, but we'll see.

[dazee8]

I agree, combine both cruises and go to both Hawaii and Tahiti. For next summer we decided to do just that and are going on the 12 day Tahiti to Hawaii on the Tahitian Princess.

 

A couple of other tips...

 

Make sure you get some additional Future Cruise Credits while on-board your next cruise. These will help you book your Tahiti-Hawaii or Hawaii-Tahiti cruise without putting down the HUGE deposit. Plus you get the additional shipboard credit when you book.

 

Book as early as you can for this cruise. Check the boards here at cruise critic to know when they are going to open the schedules. SuzyCruisy is a good person that usually give us the "heads up." Just so you know, many people on our cruise (that we are taking next year) didn't get the cabin they wanted and were SOL. Don't be disappointed.

 

Do your research by checking the Roll-Call boards of the people that are going next year. Usually they are doing a lot of research too and you can glean a lot of information from them about hotels, tours, etc.

 

Yes, Tahiti is expensive all around and so will be this trip. But, you have time to start putting together your hotel points or mileage points to get a break on what is to come if you decided to book this cruise. That is exactly what we did and are getting a couple of days free hotel and free business/first class tickets to Tahiti and back from Hawaii.

 

Best of luck and happy cruising,

:)