Early arrival at dock in Papeete

[Cruising Librarian]

Greetings-

 

I tried posting this on the Ports of Call BB, but didn't get any responses, so thought I'd try here....

 

We will be arriving in Papeete early morning (6:00 AM) the day we depart on our PG cruise. We plan on taking a taxi to the dock and waiting there until they will let us on the PG, most likely around noon.

 

Does anyone recall if there is a passenger terminal or any kind of covered seating near the ship? The Jan Prince book on Tahiti mentions a passenger waiting area, but I don't remember seeing anything like that on our trip there last year. The TA thinks the crew of PG will let us drop off our luggage, but just wondering if there is a facility nearby.

 

Thanks in advance for any insight.....

[laurelguy]

Went on PG two years ago and don't remember any real sitting area before cruise. I think they let you on in the afternoon sometime. If you're booked on PG's air program, they get you and your luggage to ship at an appointed time. The Air Tahiti flights get in in the evening. If you are coming on your own, however, I'm sure the ship could make arrangements to hold your luggage while you scout around town..

 

Good luck!:cool:

[Wendy The Wanderer]

There's not much, really. If you persuade them to take your luggage, then there's places to stroll around along the dock area, and there are probably seats of some kind (can't remember for sure), but nothing indoors that I recall.

 

It sounds like kind of a gruesome way to start your wonderful cruise, but perhaps you can find a cafe or restaurant for a leisurely breakfast and just sit and people-watch.

 

BTW, this could have changed, but I have never known them to let people on much before 3 p.m.

[missouri_girl]

Hey Cruisin Librarian

 

I like your name ... I too am a "Cruisin Librarian". We are scheduled to go on the Paul Gauguin in March. Can't wait!

 

I would check to see if you can get a day room, someplace, for those 9 hours. At least you could shower and take a nap. You are going to be very tired when you arrive. April is the off season so you may be able to get a deal on a hotel room. You wouldn't need anything fancy. There is the Hotel Le Mandarin in Papeete - I have never stayed there but it may work.

 

Missouri Girl

[Wendy The Wanderer]

That's an excellent suggestion, Missouri girl. I haven't stayed at Le Mandarin either, but a little air conditioning and a lie-down for a few hours sounds exactly right. If you're going in April, it's even more important since it's going to be muggy and hot as the day gets started.

[Texed]

Or, if you are not too tired, drop off your luggage and make the town. They have the best shopping there in Papeete. Also, the market is a great place to get an inexpensive floral arrangement to last throughout the cruise.

[Cruising Librarian]

Thanks for your input, everyone. I just remember seats in the open air near the dock and no shade, and was hoping I'd missed something. I am going to look into a day room/hotel room downtown. Again, the Jan Prince book has some reasonable options. And Missouri girl, have a great trip in March! A fellow librarian in the South Pacific:o

 

I'm not particularly looking forward to it, but the alternative was to arrive at midnight the day the cruise departed! This is through the Regent package, by the way. I really don't like how if you don't take the precruise options you don't get to the boat til late evening. I mean, we are supposed to depart from Papeete on the 11th , and we don't even take off from LA til 7 PM that evening? So we paid a couple of hundred dollars extra and get to leave on the red eye the night before. We figure we can sleep on the plane, and we will be on board at least 9 hours before we would have with the standard air. We're happy with the way it turned out!

[missouri_girl]

Did you ask Regent what they are proposing for you to do? It does not seem that much different from having a day room at the end of the cruise when you are waiting for the late night departure.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Cruising Librarian, I'm reading that you decided *not* to do RSSC air, right? Because you don't want to get there at midnight (don't blame you.) So in that case you're on your own before embarkation. Your approach sounds sensible, given that.

[Cruising Librarian]

Actually, I am going through the Regent package. However, when I found out we were getting in so late on the departure day, I asked my TA to get me on the redeye the night before. Regent allowed me to take the earlier flight for a $200 nonrefundable change fee, and with the caveat we would be on our own until the ships departure. We thought it was worth the money to get on in the afternoon and be able to rest and enjoy the ship.

The scheduled flight for non precruise customers leaves LA at about 7 Pm and gets into Papeete about midnight. With customs I expect we won't get to the ship until 1 AM at the earliest. So we opted to get in at 5 AM.

 

At first we thought we'd tough it out at the dock, but the potential combination of heat, unchecked luggage, and lack of shade changed but I did reserve a room downtown so we can sleep and shower before boarding at about 2.

 

Hope this isn't too boring (I can't find a boring icon) but

[Cruising Librarian]

Actually, I am going through the Regent package. However, when I found out we were getting in so late on the departure day, I asked my TA to get me on the redeye the night before. Regent allowed me to take the earlier flight for a $200 nonrefundable change fee, and with the caveat we would be on our own until the ships departure. We thought it was worth the money to get on in the afternoon and be able to rest and enjoy the ship.

The scheduled flight for non precruise customers leaves LA at about 7 Pm and gets into Papeete about midnight. With customs I expect we won't get to the ship until 1 AM at the earliest. So we opted to get in at 5 AM.

 

At first we thought we'd tough it out at the dock, but the potential combination of heat, unchecked luggage, and lack of shade changed but I did reserve a room downtown so we can sleep and shower before boarding at about 2.

 

Hope this isn't too boring (I can't find a boring icon) but