Sail with us to Tahiti!

Join us on a dream filled vacation in the South Pacific on a yacht like sailing ship through French Polynesia’s Society Islands. Described (and confirmed by Linda) as the most beautiful islands in the world! The Star Flyer pampers only 170 passengers. Wind blowing on 16 sails stretched across her 360 ft length allowing her to glide through these pristine archipelagoes. Swimming pools on deck, tropical bar, elegantly appointed dining room serving fine international cuisine, piano bar and breathtaking scenery will enhance every moment.

Our voyage will take us from the port of Papeete on the island of Tahiti to her sister islands of Bora Bora, Taha’a, Huahine, Raiatea, Moorea and back to Papeete. Water sports enthusiast can enjoy scuba diving, snorkeling, wind surfing, water skiing and Hobie Cats. A variety of day tours will be offered on each island as well as the option to explore on your own or stay on board the yacht, maybe curl up with a good book from the on-board library.

Debbie & Bob Zahrowski, Linda Edwards & Mike Stevens along with Suzie Parker and Tim Alexander have personally selected this relaxing and intoxicating mode of transportation for their vacation. We’d like to extend the invite to you, a select group of our friends, to share our South Pacific experience.

We are holding a group of cabins at the best price Star Clipper has to offer. Cabin selection is on a first come-first serve basis.

The following rates are based on seven nights aboard the Star Flyer, including travel insurance and port taxes.

Airfare to Tahiti and pre/post hotel stays are available, more information is on this web site.

*Star Clipper has the right to modify the cruise only price unless you are under deposit, then it is guaranteed. Port taxes, which are charged by the government, can be changed without notice and any increase in taxes is paid by the passenger.

To confirm your Tahiti sailing with us, contact Debbie Zahrowski at 503-645-8914 or toll free 1-800-323-2988.

A $525.00/deposit confirms your specific cabin, guarantees the cruise price and purchases travel insurance to cover the cruise only.

DAY

7 NIGHTS

Sunday	Papeete, Tahiti
Monday	Huahine, Society Islands
Tuesday	Raiatea, Society Islands
Tuesday	Tahaa'a (evening), Society Islands
Wednesday	Tahaa'a, Society Islands
Wednesday	Bora Bora (evening), Society Islands
Thursday	Bora Bora, Society Islands
Friday	Cook Bay, Moorea, Society Islands
Friday	Opunohu Bay (evening), Moorea, Society Islands
Saturday	Opunohu Bay, Moorea, Society Islands
Saturday	Papeete, Tahiti (evening)
Sunday	Papeete, Tahiti

Water Sports and Diving

Zodiac boats will take you to islands and beach areas where complimentary water toys come out for you to play ~ Sunfish Sailing, Banana Boat rides (for the kid in all of us), Water Skiing, Snorkeling and maybe even a little Windsurfing. For certified scuba divers, the opportunity to dive in 80 degree plus waters with 100ft + visibility will be where you’ll find Mike and Linda. Diving runs $65/per dive, gear included (rate subject to change). Night dives may also be offered. Mike and Linda, who have had prior experience diving in French Polynesia (’92, ’96, ’97) are really looking forward to splashing in for more underwater adventure. The great thing about diving from the Star Flyer is their dive team will take you early in the morning by zodiac to pre-scouted dive sites. A spectacular two tank dive and your back to the ship a couple of hours later so you can still enjoy the bulk of the day with family/friends and the other tours and activities offered.

Airfare
Debbie can offer round-trip airfare from Portland (or most any city) to Tahiti using Air Tahiti Nui, via Los Angeles. Portland is $1,495 per person round-trip plus approx $197 in taxes/surcharges. This is a cruise line negotiated rate and it must book in conjunction with your Star Clipper reservation.

As you probably are aware, there are several different ways to research airfare: 1) with a travel agent; 2) spend hours searching the internet; and 3) frequent flyer programs. We wanted to give you an idea of the options so that you can make an informed decision on booking your flights to Tahiti. Debbie is available to give you the most current air options through her resources, including Star Clipper’s contract and published fares with the airlines. When you have two airlines involved to get you from point A to point B, the lowest fare may not always be the best in case there are any flight delays or cancellations, so we recommend that you discuss with her first. Debbie has 30 years experience as an international travel consultant.

Getting to Tahiti is fairly simple with daily non-stop service (less than 8-hours) out of Los Angeles (LAX) to Papeete (PPT) on Air Tahiti Nui.

The other options are Air France from LAX to PPT currently being offered on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with return service on Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday. For those traveling from Portland or any major city, there are a lot of options to fly into LAX to make a connection. And the final option is Hawaiian Airlines with non-stop service from Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL) to PPT on Saturdays, only (once a week). From Portland and Seattle there are non-stop flights on Hawaiian to HNL to make a connection.

If you want to burn some frequent flyer points, you will need to call Delta Sky Miles for Air France and American AAdvantage for Air Tahiti Nui or Hawaiian Air. It’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 75,000-80,000 frequent flyer miles for one economy class ticket to Tahiti, based on space being available….always the challenge.

Travel Insurance provided through Travel Guard Group Protection Plan
Insurance coverage premium for your cruise is included in your $525.00 deposit.

Group Coverage and Service Information ~ Maximum Benefits per person
- Trip Cancellation & Interruption............. Up to the cost of your cruise only
- Trip Delay – maximum of $150/per day.......................................... $750
- Accident & Sickness Medical Expenses....................................... $10,000
- Emergency Medical Transportation.......................................... $100,000
- Baggage & Personal Effects........................................................ $1,000
- Travel Guard Assist / 24-hour emergency hot line....................... included
- Pre-existing medical conditions are waived

The above is a summary of coverage only and not the complete details. A group policy will be provided upon receipt of your deposit. The policy is where you will find detailed information such as the covered reasons for canceling a trip, interruption of a trip and other unforeseen circumstances. Insurance coverage reimburses you for non refundable, additional costs and/or losses of a trip and does not pay up front to a 3rd party.

Important Notice on Group Insurance Claims: Because this is a group insurance policy, insurance claims can only be filed after the return date of this trip. For example, if you should need to cancel due to a covered reason, anytime before departure, and you have cancellation penalties, you cannot submit the claim until after the cruise has returned, as all claims are handled collectively as a group after return date. The reimbursements by Travel Guard will go to you, the individual policy holder that filed the claim.

Pre/Post Tours
(sailing dates: Sunday May 25th departing around 10pm, return Sunday June 1st around 7am to/from the port of Papeete)

Once you figure out your airline tickets, you will then know your travel dates. We do suggest you plan to arrive at least 1-day prior to our sailing. This will allow for any flight delays so you don’t miss the ship. And gives you a chance to get settled in Tahiti and start unwinding ~ Polynesian Style. Debbie can assist you with your pre/post stays.

If you have the time, please come early or extend your stay to enjoy more of French Polynesia. For example, there are many island that we don’ t sail to that you may want to spend some land vacation time on. Go all out and stay at one of the unique and very romantic overwater bungalows on Bora Bora. Pamper yourself at a spa resort, of which there are several to choose from. Head out to the Tuamotu’s for some intensive scuba diving. Even hanging your hat on the island of Tahiti as a home base, you can do some fun day adventures including taking the ferry over to Moorea, the next closest island. Other islands would require an inter-island flight.

Star Clipper has put together some very fine pre and post hotel package stays from which to choose. Debbie can send you a brochure with several different ideas.

French Polynesia enjoys warm, tropical weather year-round. Cooled by the gentle breezes of the Pacific, the climate of these islands is sunny and pleasant. The average ocean temperature is in the low 80’s. Because Tahiti and her Islands are below the Equator, the seasons are the reverse of those in the Northern Hemisphere.

Roughly speaking, there are two seasons: May through October the climate is cooler and drier with daily high temperatures of about 82F and lows of 70F at night. November through April the climate is warmer, more rainfall and more humid, with daily high temperatures of about 85F and lows of 70F at night. Finally, high islands (such as Tahiti, Moorea or Bora Bora) feature micro-climates related to their altitudes and exposition.

Time difference from Portland, Oregon: 3-hours earlier. If it’s 9am in Tahiti, it’s already noon in Portland.

2. A return airline ticket to their resident country or to at least two more continuing destinations.

The Pacific French Franc (CFP) is the currency used in French Polynesia. The average value of the CFP in relation to the US Dollar has been running: US $1 = 100 CFP.

Normally, the best exchange rates are received when you pay by credit card. Traveler checks are widely accepted. Generally, a better exchange rate is given for traveler checks than for cash. Banks will provide the best exchange rate. Banks are located at Faaa Airport (Papeete) and on most islands. Hotels also exchange currency and traveler checks but may give a less favorable rate. U.S. currency may be accepted as direct payment in hotels, restaurants and large shops, but will get a low rate of exchange. ATM machines are available but often malfunction with U.S. issued bank cards. Therefore, we do not encourage the use of ATM machines in the islands.