Polynesian Dreams on the Oceania Regatta
7/29/2025 to 8/18/2025

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Page 1 – Pre-Trip in Honolulu, Embarkation, Ship
Page 2 – Ship (Continued), Cabin, Activities, Entertainment
Page 3 - Ports of Call: Nawiliwili, Kauai; Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Page 4 - Ports of Call:    Nuka Hiva, French Polynesia; Rangiroa, French Polynesia; Raiatea, French Polynesia; Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Page 5 - Ports of Call:   Bora Bora, French Polynesia - Day 2; Papeete, Tahiti

Ports of Call (Continued)

Bora Bora, French Polynesia – Day 2

From the ship we could see the small church in town.

For our last day in Bora Bora and on the cruise, I booked another snorkel excursion, but this time a private one. From the description of the previous day’s ship tour, it sounded more like it was just a stop on a motu for swimming where you could then snorkel if you wanted to. I wanted a better snorkel experience. The company I booked H20 Bora Bora (https://boraborah2o.com) had outstanding reviews on TripAdvisor and only did groups with a maximum size of 4 or 6 depending on the boat they used. When we got to the dock for the tour, we hadn’t realized that the two couples joining us were Cruise Critic roll call friends that we did the private Volcanoes National Park with. We had a great captain and guide named Wilson, that I so regret not taking a photo of. The boat was more of a cruising boat than a dive boat which made it so much more comfortable with seats rather than just benches. They did have fins and snorkels if needed.

As we headed out for our first destination, everything looked beautiful, but the clouds were threatening. When we saw the rainbow, we knew that rain wasn’t far away.

The clouds did make for a dramatic photo of the Regatta in the distance.

By the time we arrived at the snorkel location, the rain had started. With us dressed to snorkel, getting wet wasn’t a problem. I decided to not bother with the waterproof bag for my iPhone, since I didn’t want to be fiddling with trying to take photos rather than just enjoying the amazing aquarium below us. I’m so glad I did. This was the prettiest one of the four snorkel tours we took. The clearest water, the prettiest coral and the most fish. Just amazing!

The rain had pretty much stopped, and the sky had gotten brighter while we were snorkeling. The next spot we went to was one where Wilson dropped us off and told us to swim to an area closer to the beach to see where eagle rays hang out. After we enjoyed them enough, we could wave to him and he would come pick us up, since he wasn’t allowed to stop in that location. As we swam toward the spot he told us about, we could see some movement up ahead. As we got closer, we could see the graceful movements of the beautiful spotted Pacific eagle rays. Below is a photo of what an eagle ray looks like that I got online. They do have a very different looking head than any rays I have previously seen. But then again, I have never been able to spend so much time looking at eagle rays.

At first, I tried to follow them but soon realized that they would come back to where we were. There were about eleven of them constantly moving around, sometimes alone or in a group with others. It was quite a treat to see.

Our next spot to visit was a manta ray cleaning station. I have always been fascinated with manta rays. Being a diver, I always dreamed of seeing one on a dive. I saw my first one on a Rangiroa dive trip 20 years ago. I was so thrilled that I almost got one of the manta ray tattoos that many people had. They are the largest of the rays. They can get quite large and have a wingspan up to 29 feet. Below is a photo I found online.

Wilson said that they normally see manta rays there, but it isn’t guaranteed. He said that there are four cleaning stations around the island. A manta ray cleaning station is a place where the rays come to have a certain type of fish perform cleaning services for them. The manta rays hover while the cleaner fish remove parasites, dead skin, and bacteria from their bodies, mouths, and gills, allowing the mantas to stay healthy and the cleaner fish to get a meal.

The water wasn’t as clear as the other spots we visited over the last two days, so we couldn’t see any rays in the far distance. In a few minutes, everyone was shouting for others to look at the single manta ray coming towards us. We could certainly see it clearly as it got closer. This was so cool. They are such gorgeous, graceful creatures. The little fish were doing their jobs making the rays happy.

Soon after, we saw another one coming our way, but it was more than one. There were six of them heading towards us in a group. Wow, we didn’t expect anything like this. What a treat to be watching seven manta rays gracefully swimming around below us. Wilson said that they normally don’t get more than two or three. This was an unbelievable experience I will never forget.

On the way back to the ship, we stopped at another place to just enjoy the sandy bottom and relax in the water if we wanted to. When we returned to the tender dock, we thought it strange that dogs were lying around on the ground sleeping with all the commotion going on around them.

As the tender returned to the ship, I was surprised to look out the tender’s door to see a local speeding along riding our wake in an outrigger.

After lunch, we returned to the island to do some exploring and shopping. I was able to get a photo of a wake rider on the tender returning to the ship.

Our main interest was to see the actual Hōkūleʻa, the double-hulled canoe we previously saw the video on and heard so much about during the cruise. It was docked on the other side of the dock we were on behind a building. We couldn’t believe how fortunate we were to be able to see it. I read after we got home that it was in Bora Bora from Aug 11-18 preparing the boat, getting supplies and waiting for favorable weather conditions for their trip to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.

It had lots of supplies in sight, but it didn’t look like there was a lot of places to move around or sleep on it. I’m sure they figured out.

There was a map displayed on the side of the boat showing where they have been and/or were going. This is their website: https://hokulea.com

I was hoping that Cathy would be able to find some pearl jewelry as a souvenir of the wonderful vacation we were having. There were plenty of pearl stores along the main road next to the dock. I did a Google map search to see the highest rated ones. We walked down the street to one that had been recommended to us, but they were closed. On the way we came to the church we saw earlier from the ship. The front door was locked, so we continued our pearl quest.

We went into the Tahiti Pearl Market (https://www.tahitipearlmarket.com) and met a very knowledgeable salesman named Morihei.

He was very helpful in explaining the different quality and grading system, but more so even in helping Cathy to pick out the best bracelet for her. What we appreciated was that he wasn’t pushing her to get larger more expensive pearls but ones that he thought would look best on her. After deciding on what she liked the best, we told him we wanted to see what was available in some other shops before we decided. He also thought that was a good idea. I guess he knew his competitors. We went to several, but none were quite what she was looking for and they were more expensive. We returned and bought the one she loved. It was the perfect souvenir!

Papeete (Tahiti), French Polynesia - Day 1

The cruise to Papeete was only 151 miles from Bora Bora. We were in no rush to get off the ship, since we were spending the night in a hotel so we could catch an early morning flight home. With a 3:00 PM check in time, we requested the latest time off the ship, 9:00 AM. Most international flights from Papeete leave around midnight, so many were taking tours through the ship that would drop them off at the airport around 5:00 PM. Some people booked their own tours or day rooms. Looking out our balcony window, I liked the multi-colored cranes across the water.

It was easy to find our luggage in the terminal since we were the last group off the ship. As we left the terminal, we couldn’t take our eyes off the massive private yacht docked next to us.

I couldn’t get the whole boat in one photo it was so large. It was IJE Yacht by Benetti. It is 354.4 feet long and cost $357 million to build in 2019. The luxury yacht can be rented for $2 million dollars per week plus expenses. Here is a LINK to the yacht that includes photos of this amazing floating palace. It is worth looking at the photo gallery.

OK, now back to reality. We were spending one night at the very popular Intercontinental Tahiti Resort & Spa (https://tahiti.intercontinental.com). I stayed there in 2005 and thoroughly enjoyed the hotel. I read that the taxi fare to the hotel would be around 2,500 CFP. With the French Pacific franc having an exchange rate of about 1 cent each, the taxi ride would cost about $25. There was a group of people waiting for taxis outside the terminal. It was pretty organized, so it didn’t take long to be on our way to the hotel. When we arrived, there was already a line of people waiting to check in. Everyone did their paperwork and were told that check in was at 3:00 PM. They would email or text them when their room was ready. We left our bags and began our walk around the resort. Across the lobby was a great view of the pool area and the island of Moorea just 11 miles away. Their Te Tiara pool that looks like a beach was closed for renovation from February until September, so the view isn’t as nice as normal. But it still isn’t bad.

Along the terrace on both sides are a bar/snack areas. We decided to have a coffee and just enjoy the view. We then checked out the rest of the resort beginning downstairs at the Te Tiara restaurant we booked for dinner. It is a large restaurant with a nice outside area. It is a shame that the view of the pool area is blocked by the construction walls.

We then headed down the path along the water. So pretty.

We then came to the Lotus Pool, which is like what the main Le Tiara Pool looks like when operating. The main difference is that the Lotus Pool is smaller, and it is an infinity pool.

I like pools with swim-up bars. The tiki hut look fit in very well with the environment.

We next came to the fancy French restaurant, Le Lotus. It is in a lovely setting and is supposed to have great food. We thought about booking it but just wasn’t up for a fancy dinner with a tasting menu.

We continued our walk towards the end of the property where there were more overwater bungalows and beautiful views.

We headed back to the terrace area for lunch. It is such an enjoyable place to just sit around and view the beauty of the area. The first thing I wanted to do was to have a Hinano Beer. I enjoyed this Polynesian beer on my first visit and had several already during the cruise. I even bought a Hinano Beer t-shirt 20 years ago that I used on this trip. It is a good beer.

For lunch, Cathy ordered a grilled panini with chicken and burrata, and I had a beach club sandwich. Both very good.

Just after we ordered our lunch, I checked my email and saw that our room was ready. The email was sent at 12:15, so they got it done very early. We were thrilled. After lunch, we got our bags and went to the room. It was comfortable and quite attractive.

We really appreciated the shelf where we could put our two large suitcases. We already had our next day travel clothes separated in the bags, so nothing needed to be put up.

The bathroom was very roomy with a nice shower.

When we checked in, we were told that we were upgraded to a garden room. When we walked out on our balcony, we understood what that meant. It was a nice amenity, but not something that would be used for our one-night stay.

On the path from our room was a large banyan tree. The hotel must have been built around it since the roots were showing.

Next to the La Tiara Pool was another pool that was being used as a marine sea turtle rehabilitation center.

We got a kick out of the baby turtles with numbers on their backs.

There was a large turtle swimming around as well as a couple of others that had covers on their shells. They were probably recuperating from injuries of some sort.

From there, we could also see the other side of the La Tiera Pool and the dry swim-up bar.

We could also see the over-water bungalows on this end of the resort.

On the other side of the turtle rescue pool was another swimming pool with a sandy beach. There were some people swimming, but with the wind and the temperature around 80 degrees, it might have been too cool for some. We laid down on the chaise lounges for a while just enjoying the environment. It was most pleasant.

With sunset being just before 6:00 PM, we went to the terrace bar for happy hour. It was the perfect place for the sunset. Since it was the sunset of our vacation, we were glad to have such a nice one behind the mountains of Moorea.

Before dinner we went down to the Tiki Bar to listen to some music that we could hear from the terrace. It was a very good group.

Cathy had grouper with vanilla sauce and coconut rice. I had sweet & sour pork ribs. Both were quite tasty.

Papeete (Tahiti), French Polynesia - Day 2

The hotel concierge ordered a taxi for 5:00 AM for our 7:40 AM flight. With it being less than a ten-minute drive to the airport, we would have plenty of time. The check in and security can get very backed up, so I understood why we needed to be there that early. I do think it is probably a bigger issue at night when most of the international flights leave.

When I contacted the hotel before we arrived in Papeete, they told me they could order a ride to the airport for us for 47,000 CFP or $47; or we could get a taxi that would cost 15,000 CFP plus 1,000 CFP per suitcase or a total of 18,000 CFP, $18. Kind of a no brainer. Even after tipping the first taxi to the hotel, I had more than enough from the 50,000 CFP I took out of the ATM. The second taxi driver got a better tip, since I didn’t want to take any CFP home.

Everything went quickly at the airport check-in. Security moved pretty fast, but I couldn’t believe how thorough they were. I have never had anyone want me to take out a CPAP machine to check. We were glad to see that this small airport had a nice lounge for us, since we would be sitting around for a while. From the lounge, we had a nice view of Moorea in the distance.

We were very pleased with the Air France A350-900 we were taking to LAX. The seats were nicely arranged and very comfortable. The food and service was also excellent.

In order to have enough layover time between flights in LAX, we had to have a flight to Detroit before flying to Miami. It wasn’t the best itinerary, but it was a low stress one. We would need to claim our bags and recheck them to Detroit/Miami. It was easy. I normally check out how to get from one terminal to the other for connections, but I hadn’t for this one. I should have. We followed the signs to get to the other terminal, but it took us outside the building. I then saw online that there was supposed to be a path through the secured area. We never saw any signs for that. With us having a 3.5-hour layover, we weren’t concerned with missing our flight, but we would have preferred being in a nice lounge rather than standing on the sidewalk waiting for a terminal transfer bus that we just missed. The next one finally came almost 30-minutes later.

When we walked to the TSA-Pre security line, we were told we had to wait in the regular line because our flight wasn’t showing as TSA-Pre. I showed her where it was, but the Air France ticket had both flights on the boarding pass with only the first flight being TSA-Pre. Good Grief! Another delay for us. It took about 20-minutes to get through security.
We then followed signs to the Delta Sky Club lounge. We were tired from the flight and running around the airport. When we got to the lounge, an attendant named Keenan welcomed us. When he looked at our tickets, he smiled and told us that we should go to the much nicer premium Delta One lounge. We asked how far away it was. He told us he would walk us to it, since he wanted to see our expressions when we walked in. What a great guy! He smiled and chatted with us the whole way there. When we arrived, he was right, this was very nice lounge. I only took the one photo, since our waiter brought us a food and drink menu.

Cathy and I both ordered some Sushi and shared a pizza. It was a very comfortable lounge. They had some delicious looking desserts, but now that the vacation was over, we had to think about our upcoming diets before the next cruise.

The next two flights were on time, and we arrived at Miami around noon. At that time of day, the drive from Miami is much faster. We were glad to be home after another wonderful vacation.

Recap

This was a major bucket list trip for Cathy. I was so happy that we had such wonderful weather for the trip. Other than rain one morning in Bora Bora, it only rained at night on occasion. The daytime high temperatures were pleasant in the low 80’s, although it could get hot standing in the sun. We were very pleased with the two hotels we used in Honolulu and Papeete. I would happily stay in them again. We had some excellent excursions with very good friendly tour guides. The cruise itself was most enjoyable. We thoroughly enjoyed the great staff, excellent food and enjoyable entertainment. Everything wasn’t perfect, but we don’t expect perfection, so we aren’t disappointed when something doesn’t go perfectly. I wish we could have gone to Maui and Hilo, but Oceania came up with good alternatives for us.
A most important part of any cruise is your fellow cruisers. We met some great people on our CruiseCritic roll call before the cruise and then many more during the cruise. The bottom line is that we had an awesome vacation and are so grateful that we are still able to go on these most memorable cruises.