Ken just loaded Susans pictures from her stay at the new Radisson hotel. For those that dont know.

http://www.ofoto.com/Welcome.jsp

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Then select "my friends albums" then pick KEN from the list.

Bathrooms are nice, but I'm underwhelmed...what do others think?

That's a gorgeous hotel ... love the bathrooms!

Masaki

I agree with Andi. Then again I've never been to Tahiti so I don't know what the other resorts look like. However, my general experience has been that resorts/hotels in tropical areas have a hard time maintaining furnishings that one would expect at hotels of a certain caliber. Then again, Ritz-Carlton has no problems with maintaining great properties in high heat/high humidity locations such as Singapore where it's about 90% humidity year-round and in Florida at place like Amelia Island and Key Biscayne. When most people go to Tahiti, do they typically stay on land or do they all go on the PG? I was under the impression that most people went on the PG...

I would think that most people do land vacations to Tahiti - only a fraction of those people would be on cruises (Tahiti Princess, PG, etc.) But don't know the actual breakdown - we would need a TA with a lot of Tahiti experience to be able to tell.

Masaki

About 1/4 of the cruisers I met on my cruise spent a few nights before and after on land. It's such a long way, and a back to back requires 2+ weeks, most folks opted for a 10-12 day cruise with some on land.

That being said, a number of these folks opted for places on other islands and not in Tahiti.

Ngaire, what is your experience? My experience is with one btb cruise experience only.

Well, from my brief experience (two visits), the islands have lots of hotels, especially Bora Bora. And they are more or less "full" of people who are not cruising. My last trip back, the airport was jammed with divers, particularly. A much younger crowd than the cruising set. Then there are the honeymooners.

Of course, you would have to look at the actual hotel capacity of the Societies and Tuomotos, and then find out the occupancy rate, to really tell.

But no, not everybody cruises.

These pictures give me a really good idea of the hotel, thanks Ngaire. I think it looks very nice.

By the way, I have stayed nearby, on a similar black sand beach, and they are really spectacular. Not for swimming, probably, but walking--stunningly beautiful. I took some pictures of the black sand in Tahiti last time, and use one of the shots for my wallpaper!

I thought the bedroom looked small and thought that was the entire room. Where is the bedroom in relation to this living room? Is this a suite? Are all rooms suites?

If so, the decor may be a bit stark for me, but that is my taste. I guess my first impression was slanted by the size of the bedroom and the starkness of decor. The balcony size, the proximity of the pool to the beach are all larger than the other Tahitian properties that I have seen.

Thanks for posting the photos. Is there an additional shower that is not seen in the bathroom photos? Or do persons who prefer a shower need to use the hand held showerhead and do their best not to get water all over the floor?

Wendy is correct, there are lots of visitors to Tahiti who are not cruising. I would guess that the cruisers are in the minority. Check out the website www.tahiti-explorer.com and you'll get an idea. One of their least used sections is “cruises”.

Bill and I did not take our first cruise until we were in our 50's. We preferred doing things on our own and definitely wanted to stay away from the large crowds of mega cruise ships. Then we happened to discover RSSC and got spoiled. I do have to admit that I miss the private resort beaches free from crowds we used to frequent in the Caribbean before increased tourism and other factors killed off so much of the coral there.

I was really not anticipating that this hotel would be any better than the Beachcomber. You cannot compare the cruise line with the hotel chain. It is simply a refurbished hotel.

Yes, the pictures I took were of a suite. Ken was kind enough to post them for me as I am technologically challenged. I spent one day pre-cruise in a single room and then had a suite on Saturday post as a day room waiting for the late night flight. Some people stay pre or post cruise, but most at least spend part of the Saturday after disembarkation because the Air Tahiti flight doesn't leave until 10 p.m. at night. The room versus suite has a large king bed, desk, small seating area, but nice large bathroom and balcony. I have stayed at the Beachcomber, Le Meridien, Sheraton and now the Radisson waiting for the flight. I would agree with Ngaire that the Tahiti hotels are not much to write about and certainly do not hold a candle to the Radisson cruise.

Kathy,
Sorry I forgot to mention that the bathroom I took was in the suite where there was a separate shower also. In the single room I had there was a nice shower. Neither was hand held.

Susan,

Of the Beachcomer, Meridien and Radisson, which was the best hotel? Was it because of service, property or room?

I guess you could have three different answers.

Thanks,

Andi

Andi,
I don't mean to be evasive, but each property has its pluses and minuses. None of them have the quality of service I prefer. French Polynesia has different standards on service. The Radisson is the newest and therefore cleanest, but is a smaller property and not a great beach property. The pool is freshwater and quite nice though. I think the restaurant is better but food at all three is quite pricey if it is not included in your package. The Beachcomer has a nice beach but I rarely have seen it used and I think the pool was saltwater. Many of the rooms have been remodeled and were just fine. Le Meridien is a beautiful property but I liked the rooms and the restaurant the least. Again,I think it is all personal taste. The Radisson is the furthest from the airport. It is on a totally different part of the island from the Beachcomer and Meridien. Unless you are booking a pre or post cruise package, if you purchase your air through Radisson they will assign a hotel to you post-cruise.

Thanks, Susan. I expected that there may be no "overall best." We were assigned to the Meridien and, while the pool and grounds were nice, were not impressed with the food or service. In fact, we were treated very rudely and others had some losses from their luggage (cameras).

We were sent here because we were in a certain class of room. Others in the "lower" classes, were more pleased with their Beachcomer day rooms and experience.

We've just returned from a South Pacific cruise and spent one night at the Radisson. We thought it was lovely. The shot of the room showing the bed does not do the room justice -- we had a standard double and it is much larger than the photo shows. The balcony is large -- room for 2 chairs, table and chaise with side table. Bathroom is good, except that shower is part of a rather deep tub -- problems getting in and out and tend to get floor wet. Food surprisingly good and although pricey, portions are large enough to share. We did a meal plan and probably would not do again. Service is good. By no means is this a world class hotel, but it is far and away the best in Papeete.

rta - thanks for the information and welcome to LCT!!

Masaki

rta, I second both of Masaki's comments. This is very helpful info. Thank you for your insights.

rta, thanks, that is really encouraging. We're doing a 2-day pre-cruise there in May, and having experienced the two alternatives, wanted to try something new. Anything that you particularly enjoyed while you were there?

Wendy,
Hopefully you will be there Friday evening. They had a free dance show with a local Polynesian group that was excellent. I also loved the great balcony and the ocean views were great. It is also nice that they have a shuttle to town twice a day. They have a wonderful spa and workout facility if you have an interest.

Wendy, a 2 day stay in Papeete will be pretty dull. I would suggest a day trip to Moorea -- overnight would be even better! We went to the "Bounty" museum in Papeete ($11 one way cab fare from the hotel, but I understand there is a bus) which was mildly interesting. The museum of Papeete (can't remember exact name, but NOT the Gauguin one) is very interesting and worth a visit -- don't know cab fare or bus availability.

rta, why do you say "a two day stay in Papeete will be pretty dull?" We were just planning on relaxing in the pool, lagoon, OWB, and maybe going on one or two snorkeling trips. Is Papeete that bad?

Marc, NO, I don't think Papeete is that bad. We rented a car and drove around the island, and went to the market...and we hung out at the pool. I enjoyed myself so much that I am booked on my third pre cruise at the Tahiti Beachcomber.

If the prices were all the same, I might consider another island for a pre cruise, but is is so much cheaper in Tahiti! I don't think you will be disappointed.

rta,

Yes, we've been to the main museum, "Museum of Tahiti and Her Islands". I thought it was great, in fact I was going to recommend it to people here, if they are going for the first time, if you are interested in anthropology at all.

But I agree with Sheri that two days is fine. It's the first time I have spent more than a night there, and I am looking forward to it. I want to perhaps rent a car and see Tahiti Iti, maybe catch a bit more of downtown Tahiti when it's not shut up tight, maybe go back to the little oceanside restaurant at the Royal Tahitien Hotel where we stayed last time--they had really great food, and nice laid back ambience.

Or maybe, as Marc says, just relax and laze around the pool drinking Hinano!

I agree that Moorea would be nice--if I thought I could swing it, we would do a pre-cruise there instead, but if we do the back-to-back as we are currently booked right now, we'll be seeing plenty of Moorea--I want to rent a car there too, maybe some of we fellow Pipsters can share!

Oh, and Susan, yes, we will be there on Friday night. So we have the Polynesian dance show to look forward to. Great.

Perhaps I am guilty of comparing Papeete to the other islands. For me, 2 days hanging out by the pool would be boring, but that is just me. Downtown is pretty depressing -- again, just my opinion. I am not familiar with snorkeling in Papeete as I have not checked it out, but I seem to recall that there is not much? Again, I may be completely wrong.

A day trip to Moorea is now possible on a high speed ferry. I don't know the price, but should be less than flying. I believe they now make the trip in about 30 minutes. I can't believe Moorea would be more expensive than Papeete, but again, I don't know for a fact.

I was commenting on the difference in the hotel pre cruise packages only. As far as the RSSC packages are concerned, the prices are about twice as much on the other islands. The ferry was fun, so a day trip to Moorea might be a great idea. As RTA said, it isn't a long ride at all.

We think that the island of Tahiti is wonderful. We are really glad that the Radisson (well, anyone actually)decided to build on the unique, special black sand beach below the old Hyatt. It is a magical location and quite breath taking at sunset, with the view over Moorea. We are planning our 7th trip to FP in April and have decided to spend several nights at the Rad simply because it IS on the black sand beach. Now, regarding things to do on Tahiti: rent a car by all means and get yourselves to circumnavigate the island including Tahit Iti. There is a lovely little Lac on Tahiti Iti that makes for a terrific picnic spot (get wine, cheese, bread, fruit, and pastries at the village at the crossroad..can't remember the name but you can't miss the supermarche). Take a panoramic photo at the lac, looking back onto Tahiti Nui and Moorea for a photo op of a lifetime. The churches, the beaches, and the villages are wonderful as well as the people as you travel around. Papeete is a very under-rated place in our opinion. We love the marche and of course the roulettes that line the waterfront in the evenings. The locals come out to promenade and dine and dance and it is very fun to participate or just observe! If you have enough time, go to the Notre Dame Cathedral right in the center of town for a mass. We were lucky to be standing on the corner across from the Cathedral last year over Easter (waiting for our favorite restaurant Lou Pescadou to open for dinner) when we observed a procession gathering outside the church. It was the clergy from the islands in FP there to celebrate an Easter mass which was quite awesome and the singing unforgettable. That was an unplanned event but will live in our minds forever, even for us non-church going regulars. So, we totally recommend the island of Tahiti for folks wanting a stopover on their way to the other islands, a restover after a long flight, or a destination to see a hub of commerece and daily South Pacific life. Oh, husband is adding a recommendation which I second: as you drive around the island, yes do this, stop at MacDonald's and get the Passionfruit Parafait because it is something INCREDIBLE (don't let that put you off on any of our other recommendations AND after your experiences, give us your critique on Passionfruit Parafait). Bon Voyage and Bon Chance and Ia Orana to the most beautiful place in the world!

Hi Libby,

Welcome to LCT - thank you for posting. We are going 4 nights to Tahiti pre-cruise at the Beachcomber. Definitely will rent a car and drive the island. I figure that it will take me a few days to get into the island pace before I board the ship, making the trip very special. Thank you for your suggestions!

I second Kathy - welcome to LCT, libby, and thanks for your post!

Masaki

Thanks Libby, for your thoughtful post. The last time we were there, we stayed just one night at the Royal Tahitien, one of the "lesser", three-star hotels. I really enjoyed it, and we both thought that there would be lots to see and do on the island of Tahiti. We enjoy poking around and finding hidden treasures.

As for driving, I should warn people planning to rent a car. From what I have heard, you will pay alot more for an automatic, and they may be hard to find. So, if you can drive stick, you are in good shape. Luckily, we have both always driven standards shifts, so it's no problem for us. :cool:

Thanks for the Heads up Wendy. I drove a stick for 12 years and I am sure I can get back into it if necessary. I don't think Frank has driven a Stick shift....and he ususally does the driving when we're gone.

5 months and counting our way down to FP!

Can you give me step by step instructions on how to view the pictures of the Radisson Resort? I am new with using a computer, I would love to see the pictures. I tried on my own, but was not successful. Thanks

Welcome mounds!

Click here.

For the email address, enter: cruise@yahoo.com
For the password, enter: CC

Click the sign in button

Then select "my friends albums" then pick KEN from the list.

Thanks Karen, I did it!!

mounds, are you planning a visit to the Radisson hotel?

Yes Karen, we are.

I would love to hear your opinion when you return! As of now, we have not received many reports of the resort.

Me too!

Masaki