Awoke early this morning to get ready to disembark the ship.
Vacated the cabin by 8AM and left my cabin steward a nice surprise (a good
tip). She was so friendly and my cabin was always made up perfectly. I had
several nice conversations with her about her home in Romania. Lovely woman.
I went up to the Panorama Buffet for a last breakfast. It
was, of course, very crowded, but I asked to sit with a couple from Australia
and we chatted for about an hour until they kicked us out to get ready for the
next group of people boarding. (Jeannie
and G will be in MY cabin---sigh)
Then I went to the Club Bar to wait until 10:30 when I had
to disembark. That was very interesting. There were no constant PA
announcements calling groups to disembark. We received a schedule several
nights ago with tags and a list of times. This was based on the information we
returned to passengers services. I don’t know if it’s like that on all Princess
ships, but I LOVED it. They let you in peace to finish your book or chatting
with new friends or whatever and just assumed you were intelligent enough to
make your way off at your appointed time. Easy Peasy!
I made the short walk from the ship to the ferry terminal
next door and I swear my bags are heavier than when I left and I only bought a
jar of jam and some vanilla. Once at the terminal, I made my way to the ticket
counter and bought a round trip tickets for 3000 XPF ($30)
I asked the girl at the ticket counter what to do with my
luggage and she pointed to this gentleman standing near an open crate of
luggage. He gestured to me and I went over saying 12:45 ferry? Yes, yes. Ok. So
I give him my large bag, he gives me a receipt. I hope it will be there when I
get there.
They have a large open-air lounge for people waiting for the
ferry. There is a bit of a lunch counter and a bar. So, it’s 11:15 and I am
waiting for the 12:45 ferry.
The ferry ride went smoothly and my luggage arrived safely.
The driver was there to transport me to the Intercontinental, Moorea. Check-in
was painless. And because I’m platinum status, they had a little area to sit
down and brought a cold cloth and flowers and a glass of pineapple juice while
check-in was completed. A porter drove up in a golf cart outside and whisked me
to my room. It’s on the 2nd floor as requested and has the view I
requested.
The room itself is nice but smaller than I
imagined—certainly large enough for me though. The bathroom is showing some
wear and has a bit of a moldy/musty smell. Nothing serious—but noticeable. The
room appears to be reasonably clean. There was dust on the arms of the chair.
(I know so picky) I have a balcony that is a nice size. The porter did not show
me around the room and I had a devil of a time figuring out how to turn on the
air conditioning and how to turn off all the lights.
Also, I have an ice bucket, but no ice. The book I found in
the drawer of the desk says there are self-serve ice machines at various spots
or you can get it from the bar. DISAPPOINTED that a resort of this caliber does
not keep the ice bucket full.
There is also a hot water machine and packets of tea and
coffee, but no instructions on how to use it. There is a large bottle of water
on the counter, but no indication if this is free or what.
Knowing what this place charges for 1 night, I don’t think
these things are acceptable. But, that’s just my opinion.
After settling into the room, I went outside and walked
around. The grounds are nicely kept. I went to the outdoor bar/restaurant for a
late lunch/early dinner and got chicken skewers with pineapple rice and a
ginger ale. Sodas are $5 each. My bill was $30. I definitely won’t be eating
here much. I am going to rent a car tomorrow and find a market and buy some
food. There is a mini bar in the room. I will just empty it and put my own
stuff in there.
The pools are gorgeous as is the beach and the water. More
on that tomorrow!
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