With under a month to go, it's time to start going over important pre-cruise information. I hope you are as excited as I am! Please take a moment to review this posting and make note of any changes in the Scuba Cruise Group Planner. If you have not already done so:
- Visit the Princess Cruise Personalizer at the cruise line's website; enter in your Passport Information and Flight. Print out your Boarding Pass and Luggage Tags.
- Set Aside your C-Card and Dive Insurance Info
- Check your dive gear
- Complete TopDive paperwork & pay for your dives
- Email Suzi, the Group Leader with the following Information: 1) you cabin number 2) your phone number of cell you will take with you, 3) your flight schedule if different from Suzi's, 4) if you want a group tee shit, what size and type.
Suzi & Mike will be heading down to Los Angeles on a Southwest flight the night we fly out to Tahiti. We will be on flight SWA 1115 arriving in LAX at 8:35pm. We will change terminals and see those of you on the Delta/Air France flight that same night when you get there. I don't anticipate any issues; however I wanted you to know that if we encounter a flight delay or other emergency, I will attempt to contact you. Those of you NOT on my flight, please keep me posted as to your progress. I will be emailing everyone our contact information, including our cabin number and SKYPE number. I think I have everyone's old cell phone number, however, if your number has changed within the past two years, please include it in your reply. Please note that Mike and I will not have regular cell phone service once we land in Papeete; but we will have internet access and also have SKYPE. We can receive international calls from ground lines and cell phones as well as from SKYPE anywhere in the world. Calls made on SKYPE to other SKYPE numbers is free; SKYPE calls to ground lines anywhere is not free, but very cheap. If you plan to take your smart phone, tablet or computer with you on the cruise, it would be good for you to have SKYPE, as it will make keeping in touch with you easy in the event of an emergency.
Six in the group will be arriving in Papeete at 6:25am on the same Delta/Air France flight. I know others in the group will also be arriving around the same time; keep your eyes out for us!. I am looking into making arrangements to commission a van to transport all of us (a total of 8 if I include early arrivals) over to the ship; thus far, I have not had much luck with the locals. But we still have a month to go. Those of you who have been to Tahiti before, can you post your airport experience at our Facebook Group? Things like how long it took you to go through Immigration and to get your bags would be helpful. We might have to wing it, but it would be great to get your input.
Mike and I are scheduled to fly back to LAX on March 2nd; We are on flight 8467 departing at 8:35am. I believe at least four other group members are on the same flight. Mike and I have plans to spend the night with a local couple, who live about 40 minutes from the ship; they will be picking us up at the pier and taking us to the airport the following day.
Because of a staggered debarkation and embarkation schedule which can take up to 48 hours, the Ocean Princess will remain in Papeete for 2 days before leaving the port. You will see both new and old passengers on the ship the day you check in. It is my understanding that all passengers on the previous cruise have to be out of their cabins by 10am; passengers with late flights or groups with a late disembarkation schedule will be in the public areas of the ship. It is my understanding that check-in begins around 10am. Online, I have read about passengers arriving on early flights being able to check in as early as 8am; check-in seems to be at the discretion of the ship. Staterooms are not always ready by noon. It's been recommended that if you can carry on your bags yourself you do so. Security is very lax in the tent where your luggage will be stored and it can take a long time for you to get your bags. At least, carry on all your dive gear!
After you check in, you can come and go as you wish both on the ship and off. I would recommend, if you are able to carry on your bags, that you unpack, then go to a leisurely lunch that will be available in the buffet as well as in the restaurant. Dinner that first evening will be open seating in the dining room. That first night, there won't be much in terms of activities scheduled on the ship; there are no group activities scheduled for that day either.
Group Leader Communication while on the Ship
Mike & Suzi will be in Cabin 3009;please make note of this. The group leader along with several group members, will be checking in early and embarking the ship together. If we miss you at check-in, please leave voice mail on the ship or a note for Suzi so we know what's going.
Pre-Dive Orientation & Bon Voyage Party All-In-One
Day two of the cruise will continue with new passenger embarkation; if you checked in the day before, you can come and go off the ship as you choose for much of the day. The lifeboat drill is scheduled for around 4:15pm. You should plan to be back on board the ship by around 3:30pm. Our Bon Voyage Party & mandatory Pre-Dive Orientation is scheduled for 5pm; the location is still pending cruise line scheduling. Both divers and non-divers should plan on attending. This year's Pre-Dive Orientation will be brief and those divers new to the group will quickly be oriented to our group's procedures, which have remained the same for 10 years. The purpose of this meeting is to celebrate Bon Voyage, catch up with old friends and meet those new to the group! We will have our annual raffle and complementary champagne to toast the cruise!
We have a small group of divers this year, most of whom are familiar with the debarkation procedures; we will review the schedule at the meeting, check-off your C-Cards on the Dive Boat Manifest and collect any paperwork from TopDive. There are three ports in the dive package this year; but not everyone will be diving in each port. We also have made arrangements for non-divers to "ride-along"; all non-divers will also be on the dive boat manifest and must attend.
Each island we are scheduled to go diving is a tender port this year. Please pack up your dive gear the night before and go to breakfast. Head over to the lobby on Deck 4 five minutes before the published meeting time in the Scuba Cruise Group Planner. Please note that the departure time might be different in the Planner due to last minute changes, so it is recommended you bring it with you to the Pre-Dive Orientation. Suzi, the Group Leader will escort the divers and any non-divers off the ship. A dive shop representative will meet you at the pier in each dive port; please make note of the revised meeting time in the Scuba Cruise Group Planner:
Rangiroa Atoll
9:15am Dive Group Meet in Lobby on Deck 4
Note: Dive Operator “TopDive” will pick up the dive group at 09:45am on the cruise dock.
Day Eight Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Bora Bora
8:00am Dive Group Meet in Lobby on Deck 4
Note: Dive Operator “TopDive” will pick up the dive group at 8:30am on the cruise dock
Day Ten Friday, February 28, 2014
Moorea Island
8:00 am Dive Group Meet in Lobby on Deck 4
Note: Dive Operator “TopDive” will pick up the dive group at 8:30am on the cruise dock
Group Photos
I have made arrangements for a group photo to be taken at 4pm on February 22, 2014 on Day Four which is a sea day. This would be a good opportunity to wear your group tee shirt if you bought one. The location is still pending, however, I anticipate the photo will be taken outdoors. A reminder with the date and location will be sent to your cabin the night before. Divers and non-divers in the group should plan to attend.
Non- Diving Tours
Debbie is organizing a Motu Picnic in Huahine on Friday, February 21, 2014, day 3 of the voyage; she will review the details at the the Pre-Dive Orientation . I am sure that the tour group will follow a similar disembarkation procedure as the dive group. There is information about the tour at our Facebook page; however feel free to contact Debbie through Facebook if you have any questions.
Debarkation & Flight Home
It is my understanding, per Princess Cruises, that if you made your flight arrangements and/or transfers independent of the cruise line, you have to be off of the ship by 10am on March 1st. This is what is published by the cruise line and I have no other information on hand to confirm that you will be able to remain on the ship past this time. I will however, be in contact with the group coordinator on the ship; there are exceptions made for groups - it's in writing and up to the discretion of the ship's group coordinator. Therefore, if you would like to disembark the ship in the afternoon, please let me know so I can make arrangements to do so with Guest Relations.
Group Tee Shirts
I have made arrangements to have group tee shirts made for the group; you are not under any obligation to purchase one. I do not yet have any pricing information, however, once the design is done (it should be done early this week) I will email you the details. We will be offering traditional tee shirts as well as, tank tops, polo shirts, long sleeve and sweat shirts. Similar to last time, I will be taking care of the shipping and sending your parcels off myself to insure you get them in time. Don''t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions; the guy doing our tee shirts is local guy - the same one who did the tee shirts last time.
Conclusion
Please don't hesitate to contact Suzi, the group leader, if you have any questions. See you soon!
Take care!
Suzi
It is my understanding, per Princess Cruises, that if you made your flight arrangements and/or transfers independent of the cruise line, you have to be off of the ship by 10am on March 1st. This is what is published by the cruise line and I have no other information on hand to confirm that you will be able to remain on the ship past this time. I will however, be in contact with the group coordinator on the ship; there are exceptions made for groups - it's in writing and up to the discretion of the ship's group coordinator. Therefore, if you would like to disembark the ship in the afternoon, please let me know so I can make arrangements to do so with Guest Relations.
Group Tee Shirts
I have made arrangements to have group tee shirts made for the group; you are not under any obligation to purchase one. I do not yet have any pricing information, however, once the design is done (it should be done early this week) I will email you the details. We will be offering traditional tee shirts as well as, tank tops, polo shirts, long sleeve and sweat shirts. Similar to last time, I will be taking care of the shipping and sending your parcels off myself to insure you get them in time. Don''t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions; the guy doing our tee shirts is local guy - the same one who did the tee shirts last time.
Conclusion
Please don't hesitate to contact Suzi, the group leader, if you have any questions. See you soon!
Take care!
Suzi
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