Princess offers new Tahitian voyages
Tahiti is one of those alluring destinations that just seems to lend itself well to exploration by cruise ship. The islands of French Polynesia are awash in vibrant colours, tropical breezes and lush history.
Years ago, Princess Cruises (cruise.center/princess) used to operate a petite little ship called Tahitian Princess in the South Pacific. In an area dominated largely by luxury lines, the pretty Tahitian Princess offered a fantastic itinerary and all of Princess’s usual charms at a price that wouldn’t break the bank.
Princess stopped offering its Tahiti voyages in 2015 and Tahitian Princess left the fleet in 2016.
But there’s good news on the horizon: Princess Cruises will offer five new departures in Tahiti and French Polynesia in the fall of 2020 aboard Tahitian Princess’s sister ship, Pacific Princess.
Pacific Princess is something of an anomaly in the ever-growing Princess Cruises fleet. It carries just 670 guests and its relatively small size allows it to enter ports of call that would be off-limits to most of the line’s fleet of vessels that carry 2,000 to 4,000-plus guests.
The nimble ship, built for Renaissance Cruises back in 1999 as R Three, has made a name for itself as Princess’s globe-trotting explorer. But it’s still big enough to offer all of the contemporary elegance and charms that Princess builds into its larger and newer vessels.
Pacific Princess will sail just five departures in Tahiti and French Polynesia, each lasting 10 days. All voyages sail round trip from Papeete, Tahiti, and include overnight calls in that city plus romantic Bora Bora and a late-evening stay in Raiatea. Other ports of call include Huahine, Rangiroa and Moorea. Pacific Princess will sail from Papeete on Oct. 5, 15 and 25, as well as Nov. 4 and 14, 2020.
“Tahiti and French Polynesia lure travellers from all over the world seeking pure unspoiled paradise, snorkelling, swimming adventures and relaxation,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. “With our return to Tahiti in 2020, Princess Cruises offers the best way to explore this remote island life aboard our intimate Pacific Princess.”
If you read this column frequently, you’ll know what
I am going to say next: With only five departures on offer for 2020, these sailings will sell out quickly. They’re open for bookings right now, so if you’re at all interested in these, best to put a deposit down on a stateroom now before they’re all gone.
What’s particularly great about this announcement is that it demonstrates Princess’ growing commitment to really pushing the envelope when it comes to crafting creative itineraries. This August, I’m hosting a special voyage to Greenland and the Canadian Maritimes aboard Caribbean Princess that leaves round trip from New York (cruise.center/greenlandwithaaron). It’s an amazing one-off voyage with no equal; most cruises that stop in Greenland are transatlantic crossings that require long flights and expensive airfare. To cruise to Greenland from New York without the long-haul flights, and explore Eastern Canada, is a very special thing indeed.
Princess is also doubling-down on its innovative itineraries on the West Coast of Canada and the United States, and the line offers some of the most interesting voyages to Northern Europe and the British Isles of any “mainstream” (read: big ship) line.
Back to Tahiti: For an even more exotic adventure, Princess offers longer sailings that visit Hawaii and Easter Island, famed for its mysterious Moai statues. You can hop on a 19- or-29-day Tahiti Grand Adventure cruise that departs from Vancouver on Sept. 16, 2020. A month in paradise sounds like something that’s worth planning for.
Happy cruising.