Kathy,

Does your pre-cruise include any meals? I think for our 2-day we get breakfast and one lunch.

Yes, it's very expensive. You can save money by trying the roulottes some evening, if you go into Papeete. Haven't gotten to try them myself. They are fast-food trucks that congregate around the main square by the water. A meal plan might also work out to be cost-effective, especially if you are going to stay close to the hotel anyways.

I have been trying to remember what we paid for lunch or dinner at the Royal Tahitien in 2003--I'm thinking that lunch was about $50, and dinner $100, can't remember exactly--nothing fancy or lavish, but a very nice restaurant, fully of locals, not tourists. You can get an idea by looking at some of the meal plan prices on the web. Here's from the Beachcomber website:

Prices listed in CFPs and EUROS
Continental Breakfast 2160 18,10
Full American Breakfast 2 630 22,00
Lunch (Set Menu) 3900 32,68
Dinner (Set Menu) 5820 48,77
Meal Plan / Half Board (Full American Breakfast & Dinner) 7830 65,61
Meal Plan / Full Board (Full American Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) 11230 94,10

With 1.00 USD currently buying 91.5243 CFP,
and $1 buying about .76 of a Euro right now.

I have only ever had the lunch buffet at the Beachcomber (included with the dayroom). Not particularly impressed, but I'm sure if you are actually paying they do better by you.

Can't remember what your pre-cruise actually is.