In the wake of Captain Cook and others

• Cruise Line:Princess Cruises
• Cruise Ship:Royal Princess
• Destination:South Pacific

• Date Sailed:January 2011
• Age Range:

I write this review some months after our cruise in January 2011 and subsequent to the old Royal Princess being handed over to P&O, to be subsequently recommissioned as the Adonia. Therefore, this review will be more relevant in considering the smaller ships that remain in the Princess fleet, as well as the delightful ports of call in French Polynesia

Embarkation/Disembarkation: Efficient.

Adequate Cabin: A little small but with balcony okay.

Public Areas: Generally a lovely feel about the vessel, but of course being a smaller ship there was less to offer than on large cruise ships.

Management & Communication: One of the virtues of a small ship is that service is more personal and officers more accessible.

Dining and Food & Beverage: The dining experience was not bad - food was not 4 star, but great efforts to accommodate dietary requirements. As usual the experience was more enjoyable in the formal restaurants, rather than the buffet, although the latter was more relaxed on a small ship.

Service: Dinner service and room attendants were excellent; breakfast and lunch were satisfactory, bar service was generally good.

Activities Team: Rather low key, but unobtrusive.

Formal Entertainment: Pretty average - had hoped for better.

Health & Safety: Low key.

Shops, Photography, Excursions: Photo service was pretty good, but otherwise generally poor range of on board shopping - only a few shops on board.

Valuing Customers: As to be expected on a ship catering mainly for the American market, one was made to feel valued. However, the benefits of the loyalty scheme seem pretty meaningless.

Team Spirit: the Royal Princess appeared to be a very happy ship and all crew members we spoke to gave the impression of being very content to be working for Princess Cruises.

Summary of the Islands: French Polynesia is an exotic destination - fabulously beautiful and tranquil, with lovely people. But it is so, so expensive. To stay on land for more than a night or two would be beyond our budget. However, it is affordable by taking a cruise - excluding flights our balcony cabin cost us about £130 per person per night for full board (c. US$200 pppn). An over-the-water bungalow with all meals would have cost at least three times that amount, and inter-island travel would have been extra. So clearly, a Princess cruise is the way to do it!

We are British – husband & wife in our mid 60s and quite widely travelled. This was our eleventh cruise; our first with Princess. This was among the smaller ships we have sailed on (gross c. 30,000 tonnes with about 700 passengers) and it was more like a ‘proper’ ship than a floating apartment block! I like ‘small’, my wife prefers ‘big’ as she feels safer, but she was pretty satisfied with the Royal Princess.

We booked this cruise as part of a ten week around-the-world trip. After the cruise we flew on to New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong, before returning to UK.

Travel to Port & Embarkation

Flights: We flew by Virgin Atlantic from London to Los Angeles, where we had a two night stopover before continuing to Papeete aboard Air Tahiti Nui. The long flights were just about sufferable - 12.5 and 8.5 hours respectively. However, it was worth it - LA in mid-January was the first sun we had seen since October, and we would enjoy this for the rest of our trip! For us we could not contemplate a journey of this length without having at least one stopover to break the journey.

Transfer & Embarkation: There are not many benefits of being a citizen of the European Union, but at Papeete Airport we sailed right through without stopping, whilst our North American cousins had to line up to go through formalities!

As we were not on a Princess fly-cruise package (they don’t do RTW flights!), the cruise company was unable or unwilling to help us with a transfer from Papeete Airport to the ship. However, by being part of a Cruise Critic Roll Call for this cruise, we were able to link up with a couple of friends from Canada, who had pre-booked a private taxi from airport to ship. As it so happens, especially by being first through the airport formalities, we could have picked up a cab easily enough, but we halved our cost. It takes no more than 10 - 15 minutes to drive to the port.

Princess has a marquee at the quay, where we presented our credentials and were smoothly processed for an easy embarkation. We had left our luggage at the dockside and this arrived at our cabin within 30 minutes - so all pretty painless.

Accommodation & Public Areas

State Rooms: We had an outside cabin with balcony at the front of the ship on Deck 7. It was a little bijou, but perfectly clean and comfortably furnished and decorated. There was a queen bed and settee plus TV and fridge stocked with mini-bar.

The washroom was somewhat compact, but with shower and thoroughly clean - perfectly adequate for our needs. We were provided with bath robes, which were very useful. Storage in the cabin was just about adequate for a 10-day cruise, but a little more challenged for what we had brought for 10 weeks!

We chose a cabin facing forward as this maximised our opportunities to enjoy sunrises/sunsets. The aspect was clear and unobstructed, but I believe the same cabin on the deck below (6) would have been partially obstructed by the prow of the ship. Much to the annoyance of my wife, as I was extremely jet-lagged, I was up at dawn for most of the cruise clicking away with my camera on the balcony! The balcony was okay in size and nicely sheltered from the wind, but my one criticism was that it had a solid steel facia - we would have much preferred glass or railings to provide more sunlight.

Prior to sailing, we had read some reviews citing noise and turbulence at the front of the ship. Sure enough, when she dropped anchor you heard it, but given we were up long before this it was no issue. Whilst my wife felt a little vibration and rock’n’roll at times, I personally felt very little ship-movement throughout the cruise. Being on a mid-level deck and abeam, there was little sideways movement and whilst a relatively small ship there was little up/down motion. Had we have encountered heavy seas this may have been different.

Sun Deck Public Areas: Deck 10 has a fitness track, but it is very small - it becomes a little tedious doing circuits, if you are trying to walk or jog a couple of miles! Deck 9 has a small open air pool, stage and bar. On a cruise such as this, with only two full sea days, this was okay, but on a cruise with a lot of days at sea it would have been a bit inadequate. There are ample sun beds.

Interior Public Areas: Decks 4 houses the Reception & Excursions Desk. Deck 5 contains the Club (formal) Restaurant , a few shops, the photo gallery, a couple of nice bars, the casino and the cabaret lounge. The decor was a little reminiscent of an English Edwardian country house - conservative and under-stated with lots of mahogany panelling. The cabaret lounge was used for all formal events and shows and was comfortable, adequately sized and with clear views of the shows. The restaurant was bright, comfortable and relaxed. Most tables accommodated 6 or 8 guests.

Forward of the pool area on Deck 9 was a large card room and the well-equipped fitness centre and spa. Aft of the pool area was a better than average buffet restaurant with a good selection at all times. A feature was the lovely outside balcony area at the rear. Above this on Deck 10 were the specialist Italian and Steakhouse restaurants, which never seemed particularly well frequented. Also here was a most impressive library - large, well stocked and very comfortable. Forward on Deck 10 was the internet cafe and the lovely Royal Lounge - a good meeting point with panoramic views over the ocean.

Communication & On-Board Information

English is the language of the ship and as is common the cruise was mainly crewed by Indonesians and Phillipinos, with a smattering of other nationalities. The senior officers were mainly European and the entertainments team were mainly British, American and Commonwealth people.

Our cabin attendant was Philippino and had excellent English skills. Most waiters were Indonesian or Philippino and their command of English varied. The head waiter was Polish and spoke good English.

Most TV channels were in English (including BBC World News service) and there was an advertorial programme featuring the excursions available on each island, with other port information.

Each evening a ‘Daily Program’ was distributed to every cabin outlining the on-board activities for the next day, and so-on. Similarly each day a port information handout was delivered with adequate information on the next place to be visited.

The internet service was extremely expensive and very slow. We took an iPad which needed several interventions from the internet manager before we could get any external communication at all.

Dining & Service

We had quite high expectations of Princess, from what we had gleaned from people who had previously sailed with them. Sadly, we were a little disappointed. Whilst the food was tasty enough, properly cooked and adequately portioned, it was clear that although sailing in the South Seas we were actually being fed with provisions frozen or chilled in California and shipped out to Tahiti for each sailing! Yet on each island we visited we could just pick the abundant fruit from the trees, whilst we had to wait until New Zealand, before we could enjoy the wonderful fish of the South Pacific.

For Dinner we had a good table for 8 in the Club Restaurant. We shared it with other British couples. But it is so frustrating that cruise ships the world over tend to group people from the same country on the same table. We can understand the logic, but one of the joys of speaking English is that so does half the world! Rather than being constrained with others from the same nation, out of choice we would have preferred cultural mixing over dinner with English speakers from North America, Australasia, etc.

To rate the food I would say that dinners ranged from 3* to 4*. But what did impress was that on the first night our senior waiter picked up that my wife has an aversion to garlic. Henceforth, the Head Waiter came over at the end of the meal to discuss the next evening’s menu with my wife, selecting items that could be prepared according to her needs.

We were disappointed that no wine package was available. However, we enjoyed surprisingly good Californian wines, which were reasonably priced.

When not ashore, we normally took our daytime meals in the buffet restaurant as it was pleasant and offered a good choice of freshly prepared items. We did not use the premium speciality restaurants, although we heard good reports.

Bars - we are not heavy drinkers and generally just had one pre or post dinner drink in a bar each evening, choosing the more relaxing settings. During the day we used a coffee package, which we discovered by accident - the feature not being promoted. This package provided first class beverages at a fraction of the normal shipboard or Starbucks price!

Service: We had an excellent senior waiter at dinner, who had a good sense of humour and nothing was too much trouble. His assistant was a little dour, but this was probably due to his being less confident in speaking English. As previously stated, the Head Waiter was most obliging and he and the Maitre D were always accessible - unlike some ships we have been on.

Service in the bars and the buffet restaurant were generally of a very high standard.

Our cabin steward was the best we have ever had. She was so attentive to our every need, and considering the number of people she was looking after, we were so impressed that from the outset, wherever we saw her, she remembered and addressed us by name - a real skill.

Service Charges

Princess, like most cruise lines, has a policy of adding a fixed amount per passenger per day, which is added to the bill at the end of the cruise. They then share this among all crew members, both the seen and unseen. In the past we have sometimes objected to this and opted out, preferring to tip for exceptional service from specific individuals. However, on this occasion there were no mutterings from other passengers and we decided the fixed amount to cover everyone was okay, especially as the standard of service across the board was good. Pleasingly, nobody was hankering for a little extra, and surprisingly, we did not see anyone tipping in addition (the majority of passengers being Americans, whom we always regard as overly generous tippers!).

Activities, Hospitality & Entertainment

Shows: There was a show in the cabaret lounge most evenings – two performances, one for each dinner sitting. We attended most evenings, but sadly we were not much impressed although a number of passengers were seemingly very happy.

Other Entertainments & Activities: In Raiatea Polynesian dancers came on board - children in the afternoon and adults at night. The kids in particular were charming! Overnight in Bora Bora there was a champagne fountain and dance party on deck, which were really good fun. There was other stuff going on, but we did not seek it out and did not really encounter it - so nothing further to comment.

Apart from the evening shows there was little going on apart from gentle music in the bars. This was fine for the likes of us who just wanted a peaceful and relaxing evening. But this was no cruise for high octane night ravers!

Fitness & Spa: We did not use it on this occasion, but we heard good reports.

Cocktail Parties: The Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party took place on the second evening and it was a nice, friendly affair in the cabaret lounge.

The Cruise/Entertainments Director and his team were always friendly and active

The Cruise Critic Gang: We had signed up to the roll call for this cruise on the Cruise Critic website. We arranged a Meet & Greet after leaving Tahiti. Not all showed up but those that did all got on famously - 6 couples from USA & UK - joined by others on occasions. Over the duration of the cruise we met several times for informal drinks. We also joined together on various excursions. Friendships were made, photos exchanged and email correspondence continued after the cruise.

Health & Safety

Lifeboat Drill: This important procedure was carried out in the cabaret lounge. No longer, it seems do cruise lines carry out this instruction on the lifeboat deck, which we used to think quite distinctive.

Maintaining a Healthy Environment: There were a few hand-sanitisers around the ship, but there was no reminder to use them and they were not necessarily in the most strategic places - i.e. on entering the restaurant!

Disembarkation

As many passengers were taking a night flight back to the USA, people were allowed to stay on board and use the ship’s amenities all day - so there was not the usual issue of their trying to get everybody off as soon as possible. We disembarked with ease, at our pace. However, some friends of ours, who were staying at our hotel in Tahiti, and who hoped to join our island tour, were not so lucky. When they disembarked they could not find their luggage at the quay. It transpired that it had been put in a bonded container by mistake, intended for passengers taking the night flight out. It took them most of the day before somebody with the appropriate authority released their bags - hence they missed the excursion. This was the only mishap we were aware of.

Shore Excursions & Destinations

The cruise went at a leisurely pace, visiting 6 islands in 10 days, with two days at sea. The distance travelled was a mere 1015 nautical miles (1167 statute miles or 1880 kms). We did our own thing at some destinations, but used the ship’s excursions in others.

French Polynesia is reputedly the third most expensive territory in the world, so whilst the Princess prices for excursions were high, so too were the dockside alternatives. Where buying from the dockside, it was best to pay in French Pacific Francs (XPF) or Euros. US Dollars were of course accepted gladly, but operators tended to load the exchange rate by about 10%. Even so, these local providers were probably about 70% of ship’s equivalent tour prices.

The islands (over 200 of them in a number of island groups), in total, have a population of about 250,000. Around half live on Tahiti and half of this half live in Papeete. Therefore, nowhere is crowded. History books paint a picture of warring cannibals, etc; but visitors today will find that Polynesians are a lovely, gentle and friendly people. French is the lingua franca throughout the islands, as people from one island will find it difficult to understand the Polynesian dialect of those from the next island.

We hadn’t fully appreciated before we went, what a haven the islands are for diving, snorkelling and generally enjoying marine life. Many of the excursions are therefore water-based. I had done very little snorkelling in my life, but bought cheap goggles and snorkel for the trip - I’m glad I did, because equipment is not necessarily available locally. My wife doesn’t swim, so our choice of off-ship activities was a compromise of land and sea.

Tahiti - our first and last days were here. On the morning after our arrival, we were pretty travel weary and simply took a morning stroll around the capital Papeete. The harbour front enjoys lovely views towards the neighbouring island of Moorea. Papeete is not much more than a large town. It is a curious mix of French colonial and Polynesian. It is a friendly place and quite safe. Some passengers took ship’s tours of Papeete or the island of Tahiti and were generally pleased (although one group got stranded in their bus by an avalanche, following a sudden downpour!).

After arrival back in Papeete on our final night, we took an after-dinner stroll along the waterfront - perfectly peaceful. The next day we checked into the excellent Radisson Plaza Hotel, before our onward flight to Auckland the following morning. From here we took a private tour of the island with some of our Cruise Critic friends - it was a fabulous day with a lovely mix of stunning island views, shimmering seas, lush vegetation, a beautiful waterfall, the Gauguin Museum, and beautiful mountains.

Huahine - this was our first port of call after leaving Tahiti. It is a small island - very rural, lush and green, with low mountains. We tendered from ship to shore and joined a half-day ship’s excursion by 4x4, travelling through dirt-track countryside to a beautiful beach for refreshments and a swim, before driving alongside lovely lagoons and reefs, visiting a marae (polynesian temple), then returning to the ship. It was a delightful introduction to the islands with an excellent guide. The next day was spent at sea, before reaching our next destination.

Rangiroa - this is an atoll, rather than an island. In fact it is amongst the largest atolls in the world. The ship entered the atoll through one of the gaps in the coral reef (a pass) and anchored in the lagoon - whence we were tendered to the little wharf from where excursions departed. As with most of the excursions on this cruise, they are very much water based. Great if you swim!

We had prearranged with our Cruise Critic gang to take a full day trip to the Blue Lagoon on the opposite side of the atoll, a private trip operated by Te Reva. There were 15 in the group and we took a small flat-bottomed boat with roof and open sides powered by a big outboard motor. We skimmed across the small waves and an hour later we arrived at our destination on the far side of the atoll. We enjoyed a lovely morning on a tiny motu (coral island) and did snorkelling and watched small sharks and sting rays. As we settled down for our picnic lunch we noticed the sky getting darker and darker. The boys running the trip seemed oblivious. Then as the wind got up and the rain came down they decided we had better go.

We struggled back over the corals to our boat and clambered aboard - already soaking wet! Then we set off in our little flat bottomed boat against the wind with waves ranging from 4 to 6 ft high. Hair-raising - an under-statement! My wife and several others did not swim - they were more than a little scared. After about an hour we got to a pass, where we were meant to have done some snorkelling in one of the best spots in the world. But already rocked by the alarming ride, and with the wind and rain unabated, the majority just wanted to get back to the ship, so on we pressed. Eventually we were back on the good ship Royal Princess with a tale to tell, but readers - be warned!

Makaroa & At Sea - as we cruised towards our next port of call, we passed the large and almost unpopulated island of Makaroa. It is apparently an ‘uplifted coral island’ - that is to say that when Tahiti was formed by volcanic action some millions of years ago, the weight on the earth’s crust was so immense that it pushed the hitherto subterranean corals of Makaroa some 130 ft above sea level. And thats how it is today with sheer cliffs all around.

Raiatea - we did our own thing. The ship docked at Utoroa, the second largest town in French Polynesia, and the only port, other than Papeete, to have a dock large enough for the ship to get along side. We took a gentle stroll around the sleepy little port and then my wife went back to the ship, whilst I took a small boat out to a nearby motu to do some snorkelling. After lunch I took a walk up a hill at the back of the town to enjoy a magnificent vista over the port and lagoon, the neighbouring island of Tahaa, and the distant iconic twin peaks of Bora Bora. In hindsight, given the heat of the day it would have been better to do this in the morning - ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen . . . .‘ Late afternoon, back on board the Royal Princess, we had the treat of local children coming aboard (with mamas and papas) to entertain us with their polynesian dancing. Then, after dinner before setting sail, a young adult troop came aboard to give us another dance show.

Bora Bora - we approached in the early dawn towards the majestic twin peaks of Otemanu and Pahia. After passing through the coral barrier reef we anchored in the lagoon for two days and a night, taking a tender ashore whenever we chose to. The first morning we took a ride by local 4x4 around to Matira Beach for a lovely swim in a turquoise sea. We looked in at the adjacent InterContinental Hotel with its over-the-water bungalows - quite common in this part of the world! Our ride back took us past the famous Bloody Mary’s restaurant and bar. Before researching this trip we had never heard of it, but it was quite neat, so I resolved to return the next day to have a drink and buy the t-shirt!

Next morning we bought a round-the-island tour at the jetty by 4x4 with 4 other people. As elsewhere, this was considerably cheaper than the ship’s identical offering. Bora Bora, like the other islands, is lush and green and has an amazing barrier reef surrounding it. The colours of the sea have to be seen to be believed. Towards the end of the trip we of course stopped at BM’s again, and - yep - we had a beer and I bought the T!

Moorea - this was our final island before returning to Tahiti - it is in fact very close - just a couple of hours’ ferry ride away. We moored in Cooks Bay and tendered ashore. In the morning I joined with CC friends to snorkel off the reef by a small hotel - in return for a little bar business, they were happy to permit us to use their jetty.

In the afternoon we took a ship’s excursion - an around-the-island trip by coach. We had lovely views over Tahiti as well as fantastic sights of Mt Mauaroa (aka ‘Bali Hai’ of South Pacific fame) and other mountain and coastal panoramas. Moorea and Bora Bora vie for which is the most captivating - my vote goes to Moorea - just.

The excursion was a little spoiled by the tour guide taking us to his father’s black pearl shop at the end of the trip - nobody wanted this uninvited liberty.

Conclusion - this holiday in French Polynesia was not cheap, but was a once in a lifetime experience and the fulfilment of a dream, held since my childhood reading of Mutiny on the Bounty, Captain Cook, Robinson Crusoe, etc. We are so glad we did it, and would recommend it to anybody that enjoys God’s natural creation.