Tahiti Wrap Up

 

I wanted to write a summary of things I loved and things I could have done without!

1. The IHG in Tahiti.  ***** stars! The hotel was just gorgeous and I would not hesitate to stay there again. The garden room I was given was lovely. There was also a balcony. It had a view and the room itself and the furnishings were top notch. There were plenty of outlets and USB ports to charge all of your devices. 

The bed was king sized and very plush and comfortable. 

The bathroom was quite nice. No tub, but a great shower with a rain head and a hand held attachment as well as a setting to just let the water come out normally as if you were filling a tub. (Handy for washing sandy feet)  The towels were a thing of beauty! Huge bath sheets that covered me to my feet!

The pools were magnificent. A zero entry infinity pool, a quiet pool (did not use) and a lagoonarium where you could snorkel. A brilliant design allowing water and smaller fish to pass through. 

There was a nice lounge and an adjacent dining room. The food was good. The drinks were quite expensive but they did have a happy hour. 

I know they have a dinner show with hula dancing and fire batons etc. But I did not attend. 

They do have a few over water bungalows here.  Friends on the ship stayed in one and said it was gorgeous and spacious. 

I would have loved to stay longer.  This room was booked for free with IHG points. 

2. Hilton in Moorea. **** 1/2 stars. I paid cash for the 2 nights I stayed here. I found a pretty good deal and booked immediately. But, also kept an eye on prices. They did not go down. I booked an oceanfront bungalow. Not over the water but it was the same layout as the overwater rooms. Steps led down to a shallow area. 

I was upgraded to an true over water bungalow as I am a Hilton Honors member with their credit card. The upgrade was worth the yearly cost of the credit card for just a 2 night stay. I got free breakfast ($35 xpf per day), a free minibar and free wi-fi.  The minibar was stocked with wine, beer, several kinds of soda, water and cookies. Plus the upgraded room!  

There was a small bar area and all types of wine glasses, a corkscrew, an electric kettle and a Keurig coffee machine with pods. 

There were not any USB ports. And you will probably need an electric adaptor. I ended up unplugging a light to get a plug to charge my devices. 

The room was stunning and included a plexiglass floor near the sofa where you could look at the fish! The bed was king size and incredibly comfortable.  The bathroom was large, with 2 sinks, (and an outlet to the side of a sink where I also charged devices), a separate toilet, a huge open shower and a deep claw footed tub. The tub was showing wear as it appeared they recoated it at some point and the coating was peeling off. Minor though. 

There was a large covered balcony with 2 chaise lounges and a table for 2. Steps went down to another small deck with an outdoor shower and a ladder to the water. I was about one third of the way out the boardwalk to the rooms and the water was over my head and there was a ton of coral all around and underneath my room. 

The beach and the pool were unremarkable. The pool was small as was the beach. Obviously it's all about the OWBs here. They do have other rooms--some with small splash pools, but to me, it would be an OWB or nothing. 

The food and drinks were quite good. They had a couple of venues to choose from and one of the bars had a happy hour - buy one drink get one free.  

Both resorts had free snorkeling equipment and the Hilton also had paddle boards. 

Overall, I think the resorts are too close to call a winner--I would stay at either one again. 

3. La Tahiti Pearl Beach Resort.  I would not recommend this resort. It's a bit run down and for the cost of a room, you would be better at the IHG.  I read Hilton opened a resort in Tahiti recently but I didn't have a chance to stay there.  (Review of the Pearl in the last post.)

4. Windstar Star Breeze ****** I loved absolutely everything about this sailing yacht. I believe it is the perfect size and there are enough different venues to enjoy and several dining options every day. 

The weeks I was aboard there were 98 and 140 people aboard--not even half capacity. But there would have been plenty of room and 'personal' space even if the ship sailed full. The restaurants and lounges seemed fairly empty on my voyages. 

My room was a dream. I had upgraded to a room with a Juliette balcony for both weeks and was quite glad I did. The balcony was only big enough for you to step out for some fresh air and enjoy the view. It was maybe 18 inches wide and about 4 1/2 feet long. You could also keep the balcony doors open and listen to the water at night, which I enjoyed.  

I offset a big chunk of the cost of the cruise using Barclay Arrival points and Capitol One points--about $1500 all together. So that helped me afford this cruise. Plus, my original 11 night cruise was cancelled and I let my money stay for a future cruise and got 125% of all money paid as a credit.  So, I paid for both weeks of the cruise, drink package, etc etc and still have a credit for a future cruise! Yay me!

The room contained a large walk-in closet with a safe and shelves. There was also a sitting room with a bar set up---all the different glasses you would need to serve wine in your stateroom. The bed area could be closed off with curtains and was near the balcony door. 

The bathroom was a nice size, with 2 sinks, toilet and a large shower. Fancy rain shower head and a separate jetted sort of attachment. The amenities were L'Occitane. Shower gel, Shampoo and Conditioner in the shower and individually wrapped bars of hand soap and moisturizer. Very nice touch! 

The television was interactive and they carried a variety of TV shows and movies. You could also see daily menus, activities and your onboard spending. 

For the first week, the package I bought included a beverage package, internet (that was surprisingly good) and gratuities for $79 a day. A bargain really.  Week two included the cruise only. However, I purchased the package, once I saw everything added in (tax and tip) for one drink--- it was costing me $16. So I ended up adding the same package.  It was just nice knowing the only things you would then owe would be if you got spa treatments or spent in the gift shop.   

They had 2 different music groups aboard. A duo and a 5 piece band called Queen of Aces. I absolutely loved that band and they learned a Tom Petty song for me! And performed it later on in the cruise.

The thing that really drove this cruise line over the top in my mind, was the service. It was impeccable. Every single person I interacted with knew my name the second time we met and they seemed genuinely happy to be there.  And these people work hard. Most have their primary job and a second job for a few hours.  I gave extra tips at the end of the cruise. 

Oh and the second week that was booked, I was given free laundry. This is not your mass cruise ship laundry. The laundry came back on hangers and everything looked to have been ironed.  Underwear came back in a small bag, neatly folded.  Definitely worth the money.  I could have packed in a carry-on. really. 

They also give snorkeling equipment to use for free. They fit it to your face and foot size.  It comes in a very nice bag.  Next time, I would leave my snorkeling stuff at home.  

The water sports platform was a thing of beauty. One of my favorite features of the ship. What a feeling to be swimming around or laying on a floating mat in 90 feet of crystal clear water. 

We were not allowed to serve ourselves in the buffet. A crew member handled the plate and then served you the food you asked for.  Drinks were brought to your table and ice water was refreshed often. 

Every crewmember was double masked as well. A paper mask underneath the cloth Windstar mask. I felt very safe.  We were asked to mask while walking about the ship. You wore a mask to dinner, but then removed it.  You had to wear a mask on the dance floor. You could remove your mask on the open deck when you  were lounging, but many people chose to wear theirs then as well.   There was no drama at all.  It was refreshing!  

The crew was tested regularly (every other day) and there must have been someone that contracted it because the passengers were tested one day early in the second week. I was talking to the band guys and they said there was an instance of Covid on the ship but it was handled and they themselves felt safe too.  I don't know if any passengers tested positive. But we were not tested after that--until we got off the ship.  

Only 2 things I didn't like---again, the snack thing. They need to stock things in their shop. And the Cruise Director. He was so obnoxious. We couldn't stand him.  He thought he was all that and a bag of chips----not even a little bit.     Very minor and no points taken away because of those things. 

All in all, this was the best trip of my LIFE! And that is saying a lot because I've been some amazing places and had wonderful experiences.  I'm saving my money to take another cruise on this ship!

jilly

Papeete - December 30th, 2021

 I had purchased transfers to the hotel and airport as well as a day pass to La Tahiti - Pearl Beach Resort. My flight wasn't until almost midnight so I had a day to kill. The stomach blah-ness continued so I only had some tea this morning before leaving the ship. 

After I picked up my luggage, we got aboard a giant bus to head to the resort. I was impressed at the open air lobby where we checked in. I had a bell boy take my luggage to my room for me.  I found the resort to be a confusing hodge-podge of corridors and hallways. And it never made sense to me even after being there all day. 

There was a black sand beach as advertised though, although there was no reef here to protect the shore, so no real swimming. And the noise of that surf hitting the shore was deafening. I'm serious. So loud, that if you wanted to sleep with the patio doors open, you would be kept awake. 

After checking in, I looked around the room. At 1st glance it looked nice, but after settling in, I began to notice things. The entire building was quite old--it appeared like it was maybe hotel from the 60s that was revamped. But things didn't make sense.  

Like why would you have a glass partition at the commode? And a phone in there?   

The shower was not easy to get into - if you have mobility issues, I would not recommend. And there is no way to start the shower without getting into the tub to adjust the water temperature.  After the ship, I found the amenities provided in the shower were quite inferior in quality. The towels were adequate--but again, stepping out of the tub was awkward. 

I could also see areas on the floor that were missed in cleaning---and there were a few long black hairs on the floor. 

The mattress was about the quality of a Motel 6. Quite thin and not very comfortable and the pillows were the old foam filled kind.  

There was no ice in the room and no directions on where to find some. The glasses and barware were very dusty. 

The room had a large deck, part sun and part covered. I would not walk in bare feet though, it was splintery.  The view was OK. 

The grounds were lovely though.

The pool was not large and for the number of people the resort could hold, would not be adequate. 

I ordered food in the only restaurant and despite asking several times, felt they were very stingy with the ice!  

And another weird thing--they had no sundry shop. Not one place to buy snacks for your room. I was hoping to get some crackers or something for the plane. I was told I'd have to call a taxi and be taken to a grocery store.  WHAT?  I'll be hungry. 

The shuttle ride to the airport was uneventful and we arrived pretty early for our flight. I did get in line to check-in so I could rid myself of most of my luggage.  After that, I headed over to a restaurant for some dinner. The food was decent, prices were OK and I think I drank a gallon of ice water. This place knew their ice! LOL

I made my way to the security line and spotted my new friends! Security was not too bad and then I was inside the 'terminal'.  As I remembered, it is unairconditioned and also has an outside area. I found a seat with others on our flight (the Hollywood couple and a few others) I did go into the duty free stores to get some cool air but didn't buy anything.  Thankfully, I did have water. It was sweltering in there at 9PM.  

I was on the United flight to San Francisco and, of course, it was late. Finally, it was time to board and thankfully, I was in the 2nd boarding group. I booked the aisle seat in the center section of the plane, hoping the middle seat would stay open. Of course, it did not. But there was a young girl sitting in the middle seat--so not bad at all.  We did have a decent amount of turbulence and I did manage to doze off and on. United provided one of those U shaped neck things - disposable I think and a blanket.  

We had 2 unforgettable meals and landed about 8 1/2 hours later in San Francisco in the early morning hours.  Customs was a breeze and NO I did not have my Global Entry interview. After asking some TSA men where I needed to go, they instructed me out of the secure area and to a place that was only doing applications. Thanks guys!  (So now, I have to make an appointment at TPA or travel out of the country again. HA)

I eventually got situated and found out my flight to Tampa had been cancelled. They did Email me ahead of time but I wasn't really reading Emails while I was cruising. Soooooo, my flight to Tampa wasn't for 16 hours and I was connecting through Chicago. GREAT, just great.  

Thank God for lounge passes. United had given me 2 of them when I signed up for their credit card. Time to cash in one of them.  I found a lounge right next to the gate where I would be leaving and settled in. There was the usual variety of pre-packaged food, a soup of the day, snacks, one of those million flavor soda machines AND an ILLY coffee machine dispensing a variety of tasty drinks. 

I read, I drank coffee, I ate, I snacked, I read and finally they announced the lounge was closing in 30 minutes. It was only 6:30pm. Hmmm. Then I asked and was told there was another lounge around the corner. So, off I trekked. This lounge was open until 11:30. It was much larger than the first lounge and you had to ride an escalator to reach it. (Fancy)   Same food and drinks though.  Just 4 more hours until I could get on the plane.  Sigh. 

I was actually waiting on the taxi-way when the clock struck midnight in San Francisco. Happy Freakin' New Year. LOL

Boarded the plan and headed to Chicago. We arrived to gloomy, cloudy weather and a snow storm moving in. Great, just great.  Once again, I headed to a lounge to wait for my flight. The same Illy coffee machine and various breakfast items and juice.  After a few hours, I left and boarded my flight to Tampa.  Almost there!   

Aaaaand the flight boarded late. And it started to sleet. Great. 

Finally, finally, we were ready to take off. And in a few hours I was back in Tampa--where my flip flops were acceptable dress in the airport.  I ubered home and tried to unpack. My neighbor, Jan, saved me from starvation by bringing me a gigantic serving of her homemade chili. OMG It was so good. I was so thankful.  I ate and face planted onto the bed about 8pm.   

And so ends my first fabulous semi-Covidless adventure!!

I am so grateful I got to have this adventure. The experiences were unforgettable and memories I will have for the rest of my life!

Thank you for following along! I love sharing my adventures with you!

jilly

Huahine 2nd Visit

 I know! I know! I am dreadfully late posting this. But after you hear the whole story, I think you'll understand!  

We woke up to cloudy/rainy skies this morning. Oh no! I was hoping the skies would clear as the sun shining down on the water makes everything come alive. But it was not meant to be.  Makes me regret even more forgetting my underwater camera last week when I was here. Oh well. 

We got off the ship and boarded a tender to the dock. Then we made our way immediately onto the tour boat.  It was the same Captain - Jean Pierre - except this time he had a "mate".  A lovely woman it appeared he was training. 

We rode the same route and under the bridge that separate Huahine from Huahine Iti (small).  And to the same fabulous snorkeling location. My new friends, Kathy and Mark, were on this trip because I just gushed about how great it was last week. 

Once again, the time passed in the blink of an eye. And this time I have photos to share with you! The water seems murky--due to the lack of sunshine I think!

A huge area of Staghorn Coral. The tiny fish were all around it.

I love these fish. So beautiful and colorful. 

Clam like coral. It actually opens very slowly and I guess absorbs nutrients that way!

So much healthy coral. It was amazing!

Look closely! There a beautiful orange and black fish there!

More of the cool orange fishies!

Not a great picture--but the clam-like coral is gorgeous!

brain coral

another picture of the clam like coral!

I love these fish too! 

Well, you see I could post pictures for days, I have that many. AND now that I'm home, it doesn't take forever to upload a picture. It's almost instant!

After snorkeling, we went over to the private island again and spent time at the beach, in the soft rain. I found some interesting treasures for my collection!

And this is why I shouldn't wait to write a post---I honestly cannot remember what I did for the remainder of the day before dinner. I may have gone to the water sports platform or just chilled in a lounge chair.  Whatever I did, I know I enjoyed it! LOL

I do remember having some lunch and after that, not feeling all that great in my stomach.  Hmm. And the reason I remember that is because at dinner that night with Mark and Karen and another couple (their names escape me) my stomach was still feeling blah. So, I went with the crabcake starter as an entree and had soup and another starter.  I couldn't even enjoy the good wine Mark ordered.  Sigh. 

We had been hanging around this couple off and on all week and she stated she was an event planner. She and her husband lived in Hollywood. Well at dinner on that last night, it came out (her husband brought it up) that she was currently working on the set of some TV show and after more conversation, it turns out she KNOWs all these celebrities.  OMG The pictures she showed of her with all of these different people at award shows and private events. Karen and I just sat there with our mouths hanging open looking at these pictures.  

She was very down to earth and you would have never guessed who their friends are. But the biggest thing she impressed me with was her picture meeting and speaking to Barack at a fundraiser prior to him running for a second term at Gwyenth's house.  Yes, that Gwyeth.  Karen and I looked at each other, then back at the picture, then back at each other.   I honestly don't think she would have ever mentioned anything if not for her husband just casually mentioning something about one of their neighbors (another star).  

She had apparently gone to college somewhere in the East with all of these kids wanting to work in theater and Hollywood. But OMG   Very, very lovely couple--no airs about them at all. They flew home on United economy plus just like I did. 

So yeah, that was my last evening on the ship! Ending with great food and conversation! (And in case anyone cares, I did notice my stalker sitting alone that last night. Apparently the word had gotten out. 

And so, off to bed I went---my last night in that magnificent bed. (I don't think I've slept as well since) Rocking gently as the ship sailed to Papeete where I would be forced off the ship against my will. Sigh. 

I have one more post about the day room at the hotel in Papeete and the trip home. Then maybe a summary of things I loved and did not love!!!

it's good to be living my name once again. 

gypsy jilly!