#79461 - 03/12/09 01:20 PM
Re: Is the current crisis affecting Moorea ?
[Re: Pago]
|
Gary & Cath
Expert Advisor
Registered: 04/01/06
Posts: 1243
Loc: Wollongong, Australia
|
Well put islandboy. We have been saving for this next trip for two years and our jobs are secure (for now). Like I said - two years of not going out, not entertaining, scaling back from two cars to one car and motorbike, setting funds aside and Cath's 40th birthday and our 10 year anniversary. We like the seclusion and privacy when in FP, so we don't mind less tourists - as long as our resorts are still open!
(New paragraph, Pago)
Snowboader - good point. If you can get the people there with cheap flights and accommodation, then they will get SOME occupancy. Keep jobs and the guests will still spend something there. Like islandboy said - better to run at a lesser loss than to not run at all.
(New paragraph, Pago)
About the airfares - we paid nearly AU$1200 each for our return flights. We can go to Phuket (Thailand), Fiji or Bali for AU$300 return (kinda like the southern hemisphere version of Hawai'i or Puerto Rico). We could have a holiday for three weeks in a four star resort at any of the above destinations with meals and drinks included for what it costs at Thalasso for 4 nights (brochure rack rate). Where do you think all of the Aussies are going at the moment? No wonder ATN cancelled the Sydney - Papeete direct flight!
(New paragraph, Pago)
Hope this all picks up sooner rather than later.
_________________________
Is there anything better than a sipping a Tahitian Mai Tai on an Overwater Bungalow in FP?
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#79466 - 03/12/09 07:38 PM
Re: Is the current crisis affecting Moorea ?
[Re: Gary & Cath]
|
holte
Expert Advisor
Registered: 11/19/04
Posts: 2365
Loc: Duluth, Minnesota
|
Gary&Cath and islandboyatheart-I enjoyed reading your posts. I can feel the passion for FP in your posts. I'm thinking of the Moody Blues song that says something about from the darkness we will build a new day.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#79468 - 03/12/09 08:25 PM
Re: Is the current crisis affecting Moorea ?
[Re: holte]
|
Finnano
Member
Registered: 12/25/05
Posts: 188
Loc: Novato, CA
|
Gary&Cath, we recently returned from a trip to Hong Kong and Thailand, and it's true you can get a lot for your money in Thailand. What happened though was that we ended up spending almost as much money as we would have in FP - for example we were buying those frou-frou coctails before & after dinner, whereas in FP we would've had our own bottles of gin and Campari to mix drinks from!
The trip was planned last summer when times were better, and I'm glad we saw that part of the world, but everything paled in comparison to FP and now it'll be a long time before we can afford another FP trip, which makes me very sad..
_________________________
* Life is a beach *
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#79470 - 03/12/09 09:57 PM
Re: Is the current crisis affecting Moorea ?
[Re: holte]
|
islandboyatheart
Expert Advisor
Registered: 07/19/05
Posts: 1368
Loc: Florida
|
Gary & Cath your post cracked me up!
Holte, I don't know whether I'm foolishly optimistic or not but I believe their are a number of other people out there that remain passionate about traveling and hopefully about traveling to FP. I feel strongly about FP and it's frustrating to see the drop in tourism numbers and the impact it's having. I hate to see the business closures and hate to watch good places and good people disappear. However, I do agree with a comment Pacific Andy made that a lot of this doom and gloom becomes self-perpetuating. If someone is in a comfortable situation and comes to these sites excited about planning a trip, I'd hate for them to read topic after topic of "everyone is scared and noone is traveling". I think they might start to question their plans. So, someone who was in a position to travel and have a wonderful trip, now changes their mind unnecessarily. I think it is important to hear of the various closures so that people can plan accordingly but I believe there is still every chance that the industry can take measures to turn things around a bit. If my wife wasn't expecting in a couple of weeks, we would be going back again this year. I only hope that 2 years from now when we return, there will still be some familiar places to stay and some familiar shops and restaurants around the islands.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#79471 - 03/12/09 10:24 PM
Re: Is the current crisis affecting Moorea ?
[Re: islandboyatheart]
|
holte
Expert Advisor
Registered: 11/19/04
Posts: 2365
Loc: Duluth, Minnesota
|
I think you are right about the doom and gloom affecting everyone. I feel pretty greedy thinking about traveling when other people are wondering about where they will have shelter. But then people where we travel need the income as well, so I justify it that way. I love to travel and MOST of all to FP. There just is no place like it for us, although wherever we go in the world, we meet fabulous people. But the beauty and ambiance of FP is unmatched in my opinion. It's a wonderful world out there filled with such interesting people committed to making this world a better place. So I encourage people to travel because you might be hit by a bus tomorrow. Living life afraid is no life at all.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#79472 - 03/12/09 10:54 PM
Re: Is the current crisis affecting Moorea ?
[Re: holte]
|
Gary & Cath
Expert Advisor
Registered: 04/01/06
Posts: 1243
Loc: Wollongong, Australia
|
Hey islandboy, you took the words right out of my mouth - I too was feeling a bit down after reading so much negativity. Like Gary said, we have been planning this trip for 2 years (for our 10 year wedding anniversary and my 40th).
(New paragraph, Pago)
We actually have two pairs of honeymooners (getting married this year) and they were trying to scale back their plans until we convinced them that they just HAVE to go to FP for their honeymoon. We even went as far as burning DVD's of everything we have ever seen on the Travel Channel about BB. So needless to say one is now booked and due to fly out in 3 weeks and the other one is well on her way to booking for November.
(New paragraph, Pago)
We are so passionate about FP that our travel agent (who is not even engaged yet and has been everywhere in the world except FP) wants us to organise her honeymoon because she gets "ear-bashed" by us every time we come back from each vacation and she knows how much we love it!!
(New paragraph, Pago)
As Pacific Andy says, Once You Go You Get It
_________________________
Is there anything better than a sipping a Tahitian Mai Tai on an Overwater Bungalow in FP?
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#79474 - 03/13/09 10:17 AM
Re: Is the current crisis affecting Moorea ?
[Re: Gary & Cath]
|
marshamouse
Advisor
Registered: 03/01/04
Posts: 527
Loc: Boise, Idaho
|
Yep - we get it! So much that it's hard to plan a trip anywhere else in the world. We're going to branch out this fall and spend 2 weeks in the Cook Islands and then 1 week back on Fakarava. We have to save for 5 years for a trip, but it's so worth it. Hopefully there will be some discounts to take advantage of once we start planning. A previous post by Barbi recommended not making plans too far in advance during these "troubling economic times" because there might be better deals down the road. So we haven't. We retire in July, so we'll have alot of flexibility. And the funds are there - woohoo - so worth waiting for for us.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#79475 - 03/13/09 11:21 AM
Re: Is the current crisis affecting Moorea ?
[Re: marshamouse]
|
BarbiJKM
Supreme Advisor
Registered: 02/14/07
Posts: 6042
Loc: Mesa, AZ
|
Gary and Cath,
Yep, we "get it" too, and will be making our usual long-stay this summer to Moorea. We had to cancel one interim trip this year, mostly to save up for the longer trip, but we will NOT stop going, even if we have to eat beans and rice for a year!
I agree with you all that the doom-and-gloom is overdone by the media, and can become self-prophesing... And I also agree that we can be hit by a bus any day, so carpe diem!
Marsha, don't wait TOO long to plan; with the flight cut-backs, availability during July (high season) might be more limited. I wouldn't wait longer than about 90 days out. I'm still waiting to hear a follow-up on that TA post about ATN not honoring no-fee changes on cancellations for reservations made more than 90 days in advance -- it just seemed so STUPID of them! I can't believe they would continue that policy.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#79477 - 03/13/09 11:44 AM
Re: Is the current crisis affecting Moorea ?
[Re: BarbiJKM]
|
Patti.
Expert Advisor
Registered: 03/28/04
Posts: 2376
Loc: Las Vegas, NV
|
LOL! Okay, okay...I'll stop with the doom and gloom. :-)
I guess because we personally are currently at ground zero because of this economic cruch, I am looking at it through much different eyes. I will try to have a more positive outlook when discussing vacation planning in the future.
Thanks for the wake up call. I did kind of need it. :-)
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#79481 - 03/14/09 06:45 AM
Re: Is the current crisis affecting Moorea ?
[Re: Patti.]
|
marshamouse
Advisor
Registered: 03/01/04
Posts: 527
Loc: Boise, Idaho
|
Hi Barbi,
OK - I'll heed your advice. I have a family issue I have to know is going to be OK here at home before I'll be able to really enjoy time away without worry. November seems like a long time away right now, but I know it will sneak up on us. Right now I'd just like to go see my daughter and family in the San Diego area for some R & R. We were going to be there 3/20 - 3/29, but had to cancel the trip due to what's going on with my mom. I know you've been through this loop with your family too, so you know what I'm going through. Thanks for keeping me on track.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Moderator: BarbiJKM, hamara, DenverJoe, Poehere
|
6653 Members
15 Forums
10176 Topics
90579 Posts
Max Online: 98 @ 03/09/11 04:15 PM
|
|
1 registered
(Patti.)
and 10 anonymous users online.
|
|
|
