Noordam in Tahiti

It seemed like a tight squeeze to get a cruise ship through the narrow entrance to the harbor in Papeete, Tahiti, but the Noordam docked next to the much larger Ovation of the Seas so apparently even a large ship can fit. The dock crew on land seemed quite a lot more skillful than some of the ones in Hawaii, who had great difficulties with the lines. The ones in Papeete had no trouble at all.

Noordam entering the port at Tahiti

The ship docks right in town in Papeete (pronounced Paw-pee-eh-tay by some of the locals, but others say it differently). The main language there is French, but a lot of people speak at least passable English. As we got off the ship there were people just outside the gate with signs for last-minute taxi or bus tours around the island. Just across a very busy street there’s a visitor’s tourist information center where people can find options for a variety of things to do. Lights and crosswalks assist in crossing that very busy street.

little boat takes dock crew guy out to a cleat beyond the dock in Tahiti

There are two cruise ship piers next to each other in the harbor. We stayed overnight there. The first day Ovation of the Seas was at the other pier for awhile until it left, but the second day it was just us. The pier we were on looked like it could take another ship on the other side, but nothing was there at the time. After Ovation left we could see a huge luxury private yacht on the far side of that pier.

Ovation of the Seas at the dock in Tahiti

You can book tours at the visitor’s center, or online pre-cruise from a variety of other sources. Things like diving, snorkeling, and whale watching can be found that way. If there’s space available you can even book last minute diving or snorkeling directly from the providers. After the dive excursion I took, the 3 other people all booked an additional excursion on the spot for later that afternoon through the same people that took us diving, an outfit called Fluid.

Visitor’s Center

You can walk to shopping or restaurants from the port. There’s a whole bunch of places on the busy street that runs past the pier. Taxis are available for anyone who wants to go farther.

local entertainment at the dock

Currency in Tahiti is the pacific franc, but tour operators were happy to accept American cash for payment and tips. Cards are also acceptable most places. If you are looking for pharmaceuticals, French Polynesia is a great place to find them. You don’t need a prescription for some things that you need one for elsewhere, and the prices are pretty low. You won’t find even basic things like Tylenol or Advil at a grocery store, just in an actual pharmacy.

last minute island tour sign

Tahiti has a warm tropical climate with the warmest temperatures during the rainy season from March to November. It has about 3000 hours of sunshine per year, but also an annual rainfall of over 69 inches. December is generally the wettest month and August the driest. Temperatures range from 70 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, with the average at 80.

people with tour signs at a little park next to the port

Excursions from our ship at this port included a sunset sail, island tours, catamaran sail & snorkel, lagoon tour & swim, and a 4-wheel drive tour.

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