I recall reading somewhere on this forum that the drill when one disembarks at Papeete is as follows: Disembark in the morning and even though your flight leaves at 10 PM, you travel to the airport and check in your luggage. Then you can come back to the ship and have your meals there until you catch your flight in the evening. Or one can do some tours in that port. My question, if this is the case, is what does one do with their carry on luggage during this time? I can't see dragging it all over Papeete. Anyone know what the rest of this drill is?
Frank-in-CA
Do you recall if it is secure? One keeps medicines and valuables in their carry ons and I'd be reluctant to leave such items unless they were somehow secured.
Frank-in-CA
recall reading somewhere on this forum that the drill when one disembarks at Papeete is as follows: Disembark in the morning and even though your flight leaves at 10 PM, you travel to the airport and check in your luggage. Then you can come back to the ship and have your meals there until you catch your flight in the evening. Or one can do some tours in that port.
IIRC, we went around on this once before but I can't find the old thread -- which probably drifted off topic its original and consequently has an unrelated title. In any case, this arrangement applies ONLY to the Omni Airlines charter flight from Papeete to Los Angeles. Passengers ticketed on either normal commercial flights or on other charter flights go to the airport only once, with their luggage, about three hours before the scheduled departure and check in normally for their flights. I don't understand why the Omni Airlines charter has the weird arrangement, but it does.
My question, if this is the case, is what does one do with their carry on luggage during this time?
Aboard MV [i] Tahitian Princess, the ship operated a check service for hand luggage in Sabatini's Trattoria for the whole day and well into the evening. IIRC, it operated until the last bus left for the airport. I expect that MV Pacific Princess will set up a similar arrangement. So long as you are returning to the ship, you can check your luggage there and reclaim it before final debarkation.
Anyone know what the rest of this drill is?
If you are on a flight other than the Omni Airlines charter, you stay aboard the ship until disembarkation. The tours of Tahiti are available if your schedule allows sufficient time for you to take them. Otherwise, you have full use of the ship's facilities. Since your shipboard account closes at midnight, you have to pay for bar beverages in cash (which the bars do accept).
The evening meal schedule also is a bit unusual during a Papeete turnaround. They serve the "Sailaway Dinner" that's customary on the first night of the cruise, but the main dining room operates a split open seating -- from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM and again from 9:00 PM until 10:30 PM. The latter seating is intended to accommodate passengers who arrive on the incoming Omni charter or on other late flights. If you are on the Omni charter, you will have time to eat dinner before final disembarkation, although the people who are on the first few buses to the airport do need to arrive in the dining room right at 6:00.
FWIW, the Omni Arilines charter takes only about half of the passengers who are returning home on disembarkation day, so your odds of being on that flight are about 50/50 if you book your flights through Princess. Most of the other passengers seemed to be on standard commercial flights operated by Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui, Air France, and other major carriers, depending upon the day of the week.
Norm:
I was looking for that link as I recall the previous discussion because it was I that asked the question. I should have copied it at the time as I did now. What triggered the search and question was that my TA said the flight information wouldn't be known until about 30 days prior to leaving. The TA only mentioned the charter - I think I know a lot more than she does just form being on this forum. And too much information can be dangerous.
You're half right for the last day drill on the TP, Frank. What you read is correct if you're flying on Omni, Princess' charter airline. On the other hand, if you fly Air Tahiti Nui (they put people on both), you do whatever you want in the daytime, and simply go to the airport at the designated time in the evening. ATN flies out an hour or so later that Omni.
As far as hand carried luggage, they allow you to check it in for the day at the optional restaurant on deck 10, Sabbatini's. You can check it in during the am, and out again later, but they won't let you check it in and out and in and out and in and out--so you'd need to keep the swim suit, sun screen, water, and anything else you need in a backpack or something that you'll carry around.
BTW, they have a very nice arrangement that last day. You can do what you please, go where you want, eat all your meals aboard, and then head for the airport. We found the best place to spread out and relax was in the Night Club on Deck 10; there are four or six long couches where one can even lay down and catch some shuteye. It's also nice and cool.
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Papeete disembarkation
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