Tahitian Princess Port Question

[ryndam]

My partner & I are sailing from Papeete next month on the Tahitian Princess. We are staying overnight in Tahiti before the cruise. We can board the ship on sailing day at 11:00am and the ship does not sail until about 4:00am the next morning. Since this is the only overnight port stay, we are interested in doing some local bar-hopping in Papeete. Does anyone have any suggestions? Or do we just restrict our bar-hopping to the bars onboard? Any recent experiences or recommendations would be most appreciated.

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

I'm interested in this too as we are doing the same thing in September.

 

Ryndam, if no one chimes in, can you at least let me know once you get back.

 

Have a great cruise!!

[TheNightDawg]

Hi-

I did this cruise aboard the Tahitian Princess when she was still one of the beautiful Renaissance ships - - - and it will always stand-out as my hands-down favorite cruise! :) The ship is intimate and elegant; so much so, that when Princess bought her, she didn't change much about the ship at all, other than freshen her up in "Princess colors."

Now, here is the part that I hope doesn't burst your bubble...... Of all the places you are going to visit on that wonderful cruise, Papeete is BY FAR the ugliest port!!! :( Think of San Pedro, California (if you have ever been there). It is the main port for ALL the local islands, so it is very, very industrial, the port is not your picture-postcard idea of what Tahiti looks like (although every other port will be that perfect mind-photo, PLUS!!). The people of Papeete weren't particularly friendly and the only people we really enjoyed meeting while there were other crusie-folk. Now, that absolutely isn't true when you are on Moorea or Bora Bora, etc. LOVELY FRIENDLY PEOPLE!

I guess this is my way of suggesting that you maybe spend two-hours at the local (and very costly) open market in Papeete, then get aboard and enjoy the wonderful Tahitian Princess until you get to real Paradise at your first stop!!!

ENJOY!!

[RMS Olympic]

There is a bar down town called Le Piano. You should be able to find this on the web. It is where anyone who is gay or gay friendly will hang out. Note it is a late night bar. The port does get busy in the evening with lots of people choosing to dine from one of the small truck food vendors that are there...the food is great. The shopping is mixed......some very upscale shops mised in with locale vendors. The market is a great place to buy locally made nick nacks and sarongs........tons of them at great prices. No, the port does not look like St Thomas....but I think its very interesting. Buy a French roll or piece of pastry and go exploring. I am going back in December ti sail on the paul Gaugiun and spending a 2 night stay before boarding. You will have a great time. Suggest you go on line and look up the tahiti board of tourism....there in plenty of info.

Tom

[rwdtgb]

Tom

 

We have been on the Tahitian Princess twice, if you don't mind please let us know what you think of the Paul Gaugan. We are always looking to try something new.

 

Tom

[RMS Olympic]

Paul gauguin..... Fab.....U......lous.

I sailed in Tahitian waters years ago on the Wond Song.....now gone below the waves. About about three years ago I sailed on the Paul Gauguin because I have a thing about Regent cruise line. Well I loved the ship, the food, the service...everything. I must admit the one week trip was too short. So I am sailing on her this December on an 11 day cruise with a 2 night precruise at the Radisson Hotel. I love the Beachcomber to death but am going to try the radisson and this time book a 4x4 day tour to the interior of tahiti. The ship itself is very nice...although I have not seen her since she was refurbished. The size of the ship is wonderful, and the rear sports platform is great for sports. Its the Regent Service that is wonderful. Evenings are low keyed, most people are pooped after all day activities. Food is great, open sitting when and where you want. I have avoided the Princess ship (I am a Captaons Circle Platinum member so I am not anti Princess) because the ship is too big and too many people. Having only about 300 people is so much better in such a wonderful place like French Polynesia.

The PG as she is refered to, is an upscale small operation. Very gay friendly as are all Regent Ships...but this one more so.

I have yet to read any bad things about the experience one has on this ship....and that is why I am going back. I love Princess, but in Tahiti...Its the PG for me. If you have specific questions, just ask.

Tom

[Oppgaard]

When are you going to be on the TP in Feb.? I have some friends who will be on the 2/25 sailing.

[EagleRockers]

"My partner & I are sailing from Papeete next month on the Tahitian Princess."

 

 

 

- I would love to hear what you liked/disliked about the cruise. My partner and I are going in August.

 

Have a great cruise!

[ryndam]

Le Piano Bar in Papeete was very easy to find. Right across the street from the evening food vendors. Unfortunately, the bar appeared to be closed and/or out of business. Of course, it was a Monday night, but other surrounding bars were open and Le Piano's front doors were literally boarded-up with plywood.

 

There were many gay couples onboard (passengers as well as crewmembers who had their BF's onboard), as well as a very accommodating staff and general passenger mix. Less than half the passengers on this cruise were from the US. Many folks from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, UK and France. Every day a "LGBT/Rainbow/Friends of Dorothy" (they had all the acronyms listed, just to make sure) meeting was listed in the Princess Patters. With only 650 passengers onboard, we all met each other by first day and really didn't need the organized gatherings after that, even though it continued to be posted everyday.

 

We stayed pre-cruise at the Intercontinental Beachcomber. We were in the new wing, ground floor, directly across from the Lotus infinity pool, and it was magnificient. There is a great supermarket about a 15 minute walk from the hotel (go right) where we bought breakfast and lunch at a fraction of the price of the hotel's very costly restaurants.

 

Positives: excellent tendering service; ship is very easy to get around; great bar service; very fairly priced bar & wine selections; plenty of chairs around the pool; we enjoyed our private balcony; on return to Papeete, you can stay onboard (and come-and-go) until your return flight home (our flight left at midnight; we left the ship at 8:00pm, although we had to check-out of our cabin at 10:00am).

 

Negatives: the entire ship needs a good redecorating; very tired and worn-out carpets and upholstery; miniscule bathrooms; cheap cabin furnishings in need of refurbishment; bring reading material, there are very few activities on sea days (unless you like napkin folding, bingo and vegetable carving demonstrations); serious abuse of the ship's public address system - the annoying cruise director read the daily activities aloud every 2-3 hours. The only room that one was spared the aural intrusion was in the bathroom!

 

Overall Impression: Good value for the price paid. Adequate "Princess-standard" amenities, service and cuisine (we are Princess Captains Circle Platinum, too). Our previous cruise in French Polynesia was on the WindSong, and we did not expect the same type of cruise on a 650 pax ship as on a 138 pax ship. We were not disappointed, came home well fed, tanned and rested, and based on the price we paid for the cruise, our expectations were met.

[JoeAndMichael]

Any suggestions as to economical places to stay in Papeete before or after the cruise?

Thanks,

Joe & Michael

[ryndam]

There is nothing "economical" about anything in French Polynesia. It is a beautiful part of the world, but it is not for the budget-minded. Our room at the Intercontinental cost over $300/night. We spoke with others who stayed at the Sheraton, Sofitel or the Raddison who paid over $250/night and were very disappointed with their accommodations. There are very few hotels under $100/night. A quick google search for "Tahiti hotels" will give you several good websites that list all available accommodations on Tahiti. Be wary of properties that don't have pictures....there is usually a reason for that!

[RMS Olympic]

I dont see the port as being that bad...it is what it is...a working port for the biggest city in French Polynesia. If you travel alot, you will see that the port isn't so bad...especially the pier the ships use....it is not a regular cargo pier that smells...like some other places in the world.

As for the island itself.....I think it may be getting a bad reputation needlessly. Most people fly in, go to the ship and only see the town, which is not a dramatic picture as compared to the other islands. But what about the rest of the island? In December I intend to take a 4X4 tour into the center of the island.....from the pictures I have seen on the internet, the natural beauty is much more than just beach coast line beauty. Mountains, lush foliage and waterfalls that most cruisers never get to see let alone know about. So I look forward to this tour and standing under a water fall.

As for hotels...I agree with the comments about the prices....everything is exspensive. The beachcomber is a beautiful hotel....I recommend it. This time though I am trying the Radisson...it is further out away from the city , but less exspensive.

I suggest looking at the web sites for the various hotels on Tahiti...at times there are much better deals besides those offered by the cruise line. The only thing you pass up is the ground transfers if you book yourself.

There is a web site...Purple Roofs, check them out for logging offerings in distant lands....they list gay owned or gay friendly establishments.

French Polynesia...still the most beautiful destination I know of...extremely romantic too. Now to find a husband to share it with .....