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Tahiti - The ultimate cruise guide

No one knows Tahiti better than our team at 6 Star for Less.


I have personally been visiting Tahiti for over 40 years.


My career with the airlines and as a VIP host on high-end cruise ships has taken me around the world and to most of the island chains in the Pacific. Tahiti is the most beautiful and sublime place on earth. So much so that I chose to celebrate my 50th birthday there.




Why is it so special?

Other Pacific islands have similar volcanic peaks as Tahiti, but no other chain has the blue lagoons that ring all its main islands. This makes for the most spectacular images in tourism. Still, the shallow lagoons create the perfect environment for snorkeling and watersports but have also permitted the construction of their iconic overwater bungalows.


Weather - the best time to visit

Outside the wet season between November and February, Tahiti is blessed with the most fantastic weather, similar to Hawaii. This is a place you will want to be in the water every day. It is, therefore, a perfect family holiday for those who like active holidays. Alternatively, if you dream of sitting under a palm tree for a week drinking fluffy cocktails, this is also the perfect holiday for you.


Getting there and back

Most people from Australia fly into Auckland, where there are a lot of cheap options, and then out to Papeete on either Air Tahiti Nui or Air New Zealand. Because most of these flights involve crossing the date line, if you leave Australia on Monday morning, you will arrive in Tahiti on Sunday night.


You don't need to plan for too much time in Tahiti before your cruise, as the most scenic places you will visit on the cruise. Papeete is a bit like a run-down pirate town, not unlike Suva in Fiji. If time is tight, you can easily plan for just a day or two before the cruise and then fly back home on the last day. But the date line will lose you a day on the return journey. You could easily do a 7-day cruise with 10 to 11 days of leave.





One of the most expensive places on earth


The very things that make it so special—its remoteness, being smack bang in the middle of the Pacific—also make it insanely expensive. Overwater bungalows routinely sell for over $2500 USD per night, without taxes, food, alcohol, or entertainment. As the individual resorts are usually not connected to the main islands, guests are captive to the hotels, which charge at a rate similar to the accommodation fees.


Therefore, unless you can afford to spend $20/30,000+ on a 7-day stay, Tahiti is beyond the reach of most of us, which is a shame as it really should be on everyone's bucket list.


But we have a solution that will let you enjoy the best that Tahiti has to offer at a fraction of that price: a cruise. And there are two ways to cruise Tahiti.


1/ Include Tahiti on a transpacific voyage between Hawaii and Australia. These run ex Australia in March/April and around October in the reverse direction.


All the leading brands have been offering these for many years. They used to be extremely cheap, but as Australians have not become savvy cruisers, these routinely sell out, so last-minute deals are to come across. Booking two to three years in advance is the best way to secure discounts.


Please be aware that the government of Tahiti has recently banned the bigger ships from visiting the Bora Bora lagoon. So if Bora Bora is on your ultimate bucket list (and it should be), most of the Trans-Pacific itineraries offered by Brands like Roya, Celebrity, Cunard, and Princess will likely not be able to include Bora Bora due to the size of their ships.


2/ Fly into Tahiti for a 7-day or 10-day cruise to visit the main islands. This is much preferable to being landlocked in an overwater bungalow, where you don't get to see all the other islands.





Two operators' home port ships year-round in Tahiti and run almost identical itineraries that repeat each week. They are:


Paul Gauguin Cruises. They are uber boutique as they only have one ship that sails only in Tahiti.


Windstar is another small brand with only 5 ships. It, too, bases one of its ships year-round in Tahiti.


Both have been sailing the Islands for decades and do it exceptionally well. The onboard abiance, service, and Polynesian cultural emersion is almost identical on each. The Islanders are some of the happiest and friendless on earth, which, when combined with aquamarine waters, fresh local produce, iconic music, and hula dancing, will ensure Tahiti will be, without question, one of your best holidays ever.




Both brands also offer longer 10- or 12-day voyages to the outer Marquesas and, lately, even the Cook Islands. These will obviously be more expensive, but as you have had to fly so far to get there, if you have the time and money, you really should consider this option. If you don't go while in Tahiti, the chances are high that you will never be able to get back there.


Paul Gauguin Cruises - 6 Star


Paul Gauguin is a small, intimate ship with only 330 passengers and 215 crew. The line was recently purchased by Ponant, who has given her a multimillion-dollar makeover, which is not reflected in the video above. She was always gorgeous, but now she looks and feels like a Noosa beach house.



PGC is all-inclusive and after the Ponant purchase now includes free-flow Charles Heidsieck champagne. Specialty dining, which features a French degustation restaurant is all included in the fare.


There is an incredible aft water sports marina that is tailor-made for the exotic lagoons of Bora Bora. PGC includes a beach BBQ and a day at their private Muto (island).


The lead-in cabins have port holes, and on the upper decks are traditional balconies.




Windstar - 5.5 star


Windstar has recently based their newly refurbished ship Star Breeze to Tahiti year-round.


Windstar has invested heavily in refurbishing its entire fleet, products, and service improvements. They are absolutely sensational and are almost at the 6-star level, but with a much more relaxed vibe.


View our Windstar Tahiti Album featuring Star Breeze.



She carries 330 passengers, and the refurbishment mentioned above is not reflected in this video. However, the level of service and vibe are very similar across the fleet. The smaller Spirit obviously has reduced dining and entertainment options, but again, you are in Tahiti.


Windstar has three of these larger ships in its fleet. These were originally built for 6 Star Seabourn and still feature many Seabourn signatures, such as being an all-suite ship with separate sitting areas, marble bathrooms, and walk-in robes, as shown in the images below. Their non-sailing vessels also offer French balconies, but these are not wide enough to sit on.



Tahiti - highlights



A day on a private Muto (private island) - a feature of both PGC and Windstar itineraries.



Main Island - Day trip circumnavigation.


I have a great day trip I am happy to share with clients that takes you all around the main islands. You can swim at deserted black volcanic sand beaches, visit Teahupo'o, the home of the biggest surf break in the world, have lunch at a restaurant with a sand floor on the beach, visit mountain outlooks, swim in waterfalls, visit vanilla farms, and end at Venus Bay, where history was made both by Captain Cook and Willaim Bligh of the Bounty mutiny.


Accommodation


Tahiti is the name of the country, but it is also the name of the largest Island that is home to the capital, Papeete.


Although Tahiti can be outrageously expensive, there are many affordable accommodation options, such as Airbnbs. These can be very basic, but they can certainly help if your budget is tight, starting from as low as $150 per night. Slightly more will get you a basic shack close to the beach,


I recommend using booking.com to find and book affordable hotels. Personally, we will often choose a garden room rather than a pool or ocean view, but we will still get to enjoy the gorgeous waterfront pools.


There are only one or two resorts with a limited number of overwater bungalows. Most of these are located in distant Bora Bora or Moorea, which is closer.


The airport is located on the main island of Tahiti, from which cruises depart. The airport is only 15 minutes from town, and you should choose accommodation on this side of the island or downtown in Papeete, as taxis are expensive.




Three or four-day extension.

If you have the time, I'd suggest that you head across the evocative Bay of Moons to Moorea, where there are many more over-water bungalow options, some of the most affordable in Tahiti. It is a quick one-hour ferry ride, and as the ferry returns to the main cruise pier, you can easily step off the ferry and walk straight onto your ship.




Again, if you're on a budget, book a garden room. Even if you can't afford to book the bungalows, you can still enjoy the lagoon pool and view.


Pricing and how to bag the biggest discounts


As stated, Tahiti is one of the most expensive places on the planet, and consequently, fares are priced accordingly. Paul Gauguin fares usually start at $6000 and rise up to $12000 USD per person for a balcony. Windstar fares are 'generally' slightly lower than this, but they can be priced over $20,000 per person at a full rack rate.


However, being a remote location, they have trouble selling unsold cabins at the last minute. If you are strategic and take our advice, we can secure many thousands of dollars in discounts.


We traditionally see the most significant drop in prices in March or early April, and we'd expect it to be in October. There will be the odd months through the year when they may also offer the odd voyage at substantial discounts.


Ask us for our predictions if you have a target month.


For those who are in a position and ready to travel in March, we expect to see heavy discounting from early January through February.


How low might they go?


If we are exceptionally lucky, Paul Gauguin might drop to nearly $3/3,500 USD per person.


Windstar will likely come closer to $2,500, maybe even lower in March. Note that Winsdstar fares are lower as they don't include drinks and tips. You can upgrade for only $89 per person daily and receive a full open bar, minibar, wifi, and paid tips.


As always, our closed Interline rates will be even lower, although PGC will always have fewer on offer.


If you need to book a milestone event, especially a honeymoon or something similar, talk to us about your price expectations and strategies for securing the lowest possible pricing.


View our Tahiti photo album from when we cruised this year on Windstar and Star Breeze.


There is simply no other place on earth like Tahiti


If you have more questions, contact us here.



FAB - Step-by-step guide to find your perfect cruise

FAB Last Minute and Interline Cruises

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