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