Tahitian Princess: Advise and Guidance Please!

[jjantonini]

My wife and I just booked a trip on the Tahitian Princess for next August. We recently returned from the Diamond Princess in Mexico and need some advice and comparison from others who have taken this trip:

-PORTS: Are the ports worth seeing in Tahiti. We love resort life and do not need tons of activities, however, we hate getting stuck in poor or dirty tourist ports.

-FOOD/SERVICE: We were disappointed with the food and service onboard Diamond particuarly at dinner. Is this more attentive on a smaller ship like the Tahitian?

-ROOM: We opted for an aft Balcony cabin on Deck 8. Fun idea? Or are there issues with aft balconies. Our TA told us they were desirable.

As always, we appreicate the great advice from others on Cruise Critic!

[dennbr9]

We are doing the TP in April 08, there are a lot of Reviews listed in CC, I have read a lot of them and heard a lot of good things. Usually people want to do it again, even with the flights and airport hassles.

[spindrift]

Well, you won't find the ports dirty and uninteresting. What a fabulous trip. I had been there many years ago aboard the wonderful Vistafjord and had a great time. We did the Tahitian Princess and were more than pleased. Lovely ship, service, islands, just everything (except the charter flight home, but that doesn't exist w/Princess anymore).

 

Definitely do this trip. A wonderful experience. We were on the Marquesas trip as I had done the Cook prior thereto. We, however, enjoyed the trip so much that we will return and do the Cook Islands as well.

 

We were in a PH, and it was wonderful. In this case, it doesn't make any difference as to whether you are starboard or port (we always do starboard).

[Joyce B.]

Tahiti is wonderful! Will go back again!!

 

You will love the smaller ship. We met some very nice people. You tend to see the same people and everyone was very friendly.

 

We did the Marquesas. The people are very proud and friendly. The islands are not third world. The French take good care of them and the infra-structure is modern.

 

If you do not take the ship tours on some of the islands, you will not get to see very much. The islands we were on did not have tour buses. The local people contract with Princess to take you around their island. This was neat!! On one island the tour bus was a school bus!

 

The islands are very pristine and undeveloped. We loved it! Bora Bora was more developed. We did the 4x4 tour and got to see a lot of places that the other tours could not go to see. It was a little rough, but FUN!

 

Don't know anything about the aft balcony cabins. We got upgraded to a full suite!!! It was FANTASTIC!!!

 

If you have further questions, just let me know!

[JotWorld]

My wife and I just booked a trip on the Tahitian Princess for next August. We recently returned from the Diamond Princess in Mexico and need some advice and comparison from others who have taken this trip:...................................................................................

 

 

-ROOM: We opted for an aft Balcony cabin on Deck 8. Fun idea? Or are there issues with aft balconies. Our TA told us they were desirable.

 

As always, we appreicate the great advice from others on Cruise Critic!

 

No Issues with the Aft Balconies, very private, 2 on 6, 7 & 8, Between the Owner's Suites. We Always go AFT, there is no other Place to be so Private & Quiet!

My Best!:)

Bill

[JotWorld]

Double Post, Sorry! :(

[TexasMom2]

We are also going on the TP next summer. Long, expensive flight, expensive hotels/meals pre & post-cruise notwithstanding, it is a place we've dreamt about visiting for years. I'm hoping the dream of French Polynesia isn't built up so much in my mind that I'll be disappointed. Nah!

 

The only comment I can make is about your cabin location. We are in an aft cabin on the 7th deck and declined a similar cabin on the 8th deck due to the buffet right above, which could generate some noise, which might be problematic, especially early in the morning.

 

I fully expect to be so worn out as you can fit two excursions at most of the ports, that I won't hear a thing at night. :)

[CSloan]

We were on the Pacific Princess (sister ship) a few years ago in an aft balcony on deck 8. It was a great room, with a good size balcony. The only thing I did not like about it is the railing is solid from the floor to the top of the railing. So, if you're sitting down on the balcony, you don't really have a view of the water.

[ssbeagle]

We have been on the Tahitian Princess twice and wouldn't mind going again. We were on deck 8 towards the back and we didn't hear any noise at all in our cabin. The ship is well insulated. The service on board the ship was excellent as well. On our first trip we had a problem getting from the airport to the ship and the purser was really kind and helped us get a refund on our transfers. Our second trip we had no problem getting to the ship. It takes maybe 10-15 minutes from the airport to the port. Boarding goes very quickly.

 

One thing I did to beat the high cost of flights was to book our own air to LAX and then use Princess air to Papeete. They fly Air Tahiti Nui mostly and it's a good airline.

 

The people in Tahiti are friendly and everywhere we went was clean and tidy. I have never seen a more beautiful place after the Norwegian Fjords.

[Jacqueline]

This is the trip of a lifetime. If I were to ask my family which of all the trips we have taken would they choose again, the response would be Tahiti. We live in NYand it is a long and tiring trip.

The ports are the best. I have been to the Carribean more times than I can count and FP is another world. There is no comparison !

We had three aft cabin sand one OS.

You will love everything about this trip. Take the time to research the ports to take best advantage of them based on your interests !

PS- I single handedly took 3 kids from NY . Don't worry there will be few of them on the cruise !

[gvre]

Just got off the Tahitian Princess after 20 day, B2B. This was our 5th and 6th cruise on the TP in French Polynesia.

It is one of the most beautiful places on earth with some of the most friendliest people.

 

We booked 2 more B2B on the TP.

 

Go and you will return again:D!

 

Richard

[dog]

French Polynesia is a water person's paradise. You must go on the water excursions. I found the independent ones we arranged offered more for our money than the Princess ones we took. ( Marc's Motu Picnic-Huahine, and Bruno's full day excursion on Raitea/Tahaa).

[chasetf]

It is difficult responding to your questions not knowing what specifically you were disappointed with. As you can see from the previous posts, many people including us loved Tahiti. See my comments below.

My wife and I just booked a trip on the Tahitian Princess for next August. We recently returned from the Diamond Princess in Mexico and need some advice and comparison from others who have taken this trip:

 

-PORTS: Are the ports worth seeing in Tahiti. We love resort life and do not need tons of activities, however, we hate getting stuck in poor or dirty tourist ports. Tahitian ports are not the big city type ports. Most ports are tendered and you are landing at the local docks. As far a the definition of poor, if expecting Cadillac limos being available to pick you up, that won't happen. You can get a great feeling about the ports from other traveler's posted pictures. They will give you the best idea if it will meet your desires and expectations.

 

-FOOD/SERVICE: We were disappointed with the food and service onboard Diamond particuarly at dinner. Is this more attentive on a smaller ship like the Tahitian? Again, not knowing specifics, all I can say is we find in our experiences the service and food to be pretty consistent. As far as service, that can sometimes be the luck of the draw as to which waiters you get. If the Diamond experience was a complete disappointment I cannot say the Tahitian will be a complete "turnaround". Whatever bother you, your waiter should have tried to "fix" and if he couldn't the maitre'd or table captain should be notified.

 

-ROOM: We opted for an aft Balcony cabin on Deck 8. Fun idea? Or are there issues with aft balconies. Our TA told us they were desirable.

 

As always, we appreicate the great advice from others on Cruise Critic! We have never had an aft cabin, but I can see the appeal. I would certainly choose it over a bow cabin. Only negative I can think of is funnel ash on the balcony furniture can be a possibility.

[2ndsailing]

We are doing the TP in April 08, there are a lot of Reviews listed in CC, I have read a lot of them and heard a lot of good things. Usually people want to do it again, even with the flights and airport hassles.

 

We're booked for April 28, 2008 on the TP....can't wait. We decided to go all out and we booked an OS.

[JotWorld]

We're booked for April 28, 2008 on the TP....can't wait. We decided to go all out and we booked an OS.

 

Good Choice, you'll Love it, which one did you book?:)

We are in OS 6091 on the WC in 2008 on Her Sister PP.;)

My Best!

Bill

[gvre]

We just spent 20 days in OS 6091. it's the best and biggest cabin on the ship!! We booked it again for B2B 2008.

[2ndsailing]

Good Choice, you'll Love it, which one did you book?:)

We are in OS 6091 on the WC in 2008 on Her Sister PP.;)

My Best!

Bill

 

We're in 7114....

[2ndsailing]

We just spent 20 days in OS 6091. it's the best and biggest cabin on the ship!! We booked it again for B2B 2008.

 

 

When in 2008 did you book? Are we cruising at the same time?

 

April 28, 2008

[2ndsailing]

We just spent 20 days in OS 6091. it's the best and biggest cabin on the ship!! We booked it again for B2B 2008.

 

 

When in 2008 did you book? Are we cruising at the same time?

 

April 28, 2008