Bourbonexplorer

Can anyone traveling to French Polynesia in the next day or two let me know if PCR is no longer required on arrival? I’ve been following closely hoping it might be dropped before we fly in a little over a week and it seems today they removed the second test requirement. Takes a bit of worry off if that is true.

Traveler Dave

No longer needed coming from US

https://en.calameo.com/read/00346150...38f04b5?page=1

They dropped ETIS too.

Can someone tell me where you get the “sworn statement” that needs to be singed?

phasher99

It's linked in the doc you linked above : https://www.airtahitinui.com/sites/d...nd_france_.pdf

Charlie9

The sworn statement is easy to do, therefore you should, but it is also the one form I was never asked for - by anyone.

SFOvacations

Finished a 7 night stay on points. 5th night free + 2FNC. Our hope was a Diamond Ugrade would net us at least a garden villa so rolled the dice with no pre-arranged upgrade. 2 days prior noticed "overwater pool villa" on the app. Held our breath and indeed that is what we got on arrival. They mentioned at check-in Diamond upgrades are usually limited to 1 or 2 categories, but we got lucky due to inventory. From my guess, probably ~75% full. But it doesn't feel full outside of happy hour and at the polynesian dinner show.

Rooms are probably due for a refresh and big one is planned to begin Q4 2022 into 2024. Quoted SF includes the outside space so the room does feel a bit small. Suites and some land villas have a TV wall between sleeping and living space. Villas on the water (aside from Royal and Presidential) is just one big room. There are only 3 or 4 garden villas (and of course all the suites) that don't have private pools.

Diamonds got free breakfast buffet, menu items are an additional charge of 1200xpf. The buffet itself was more than enough, very large selection of pastries and rotating 8-10 hot items.

Concierge is wothless with food recommendations offsite and frowned on us for booking excursions on our own (made little effort to help us secure babysitting)

Food and drink is generally expensive onsite, $40+ for entrees, ~$10+ for beer and wine and ~$20+ for cocktails and hard liquor. There's 4 cocktails on happy hour for $15 at the pool bar from 3-4pm everyday. One thing not advertised is kids under 6 eat free off the kids menu with the adults. This allowed us to order menu items at breakfast for no charge since there was no breakfast kids menu.

Polynesian dinner show was a steal at 14000xpf, kids under 6 also free. The buffet was pretty good and they also had a raw bar which you won't get at a traditional hawaiian luau. Dancing was shorter than we hoped (~45 mins).

Pool was mostly empty outside happy hour, 4 cabanas at the main pool, first come first serve. Pleanty of beach chairs, small cabanas/day beds available. Water equipment rentals were on the cheap side, plastic kayaks and inflatable SUPs. They do have a couple of tahitian va'as which were a pleasure to use. They host a traditional outrigger invite once a week where one of the beach boys take couples out on the 3 man va'a.

Kids club was awesome, free and they do a bunch of traditional arts and crafts with the kids. Officially 5+ without parents but they took our younger one. Lady there also came in early one morning to watch our kids so we can go diving (when the concierge failed us). We ended up tipping her what the babysitter would have cost us.

We had a blast with Bora Bora H2O on a snorkling tour around the island and a dive trip. Their shared tours are practically private since they only take 6 max on snorkle tours and 3 max on dive trips.

The shuttle is 15000 rt pp from airport, to vaitape is 2200 rt pp, 4900 rt pp for dinner hour and 7500 rt pp on arrival and departure days. Not worth dealing with luaggage to go through vaitape on arrival.

For Americans bring your own etest, the line for testing at PPT could be long on nights with multiple departing flights. Air Tahiti Nui Lounge at PPT also refuses priority pass on nights with multiple departing flights.

brodielayne

Great detail and to the point, just how I like to read reviews. Thanks!

Traveler Dave

Where do you get the statement to sign?

TD

Cynapse

Thanks for the review! I was actually surprised to see the ATN lounge was even available to priority issues holders. You're saying just assume if I leave on a Wednesday in May at 11pm with another flight leaving at 11:45pm that I’m not getting in? I’ll just pre-purchase lounge passes if so, or maybe just get them at the door if they deny PP users. $60 seems worth it for free drinks, wifi and having 3 hours to sit in air conditioning before a red eye. I’m flying premium economy but don’t think that gets you in for free and you have to fly Business.

SFOvacations

Correct, it's a contract lounge for all the other carriers for their business class passengers. So if there is a TN flight and a contract airline flying out around the same time, they will not take priority pass.

Charlie9

I have a saved copy on my computer, but finally found one to download:

https://www.airtahitinui.com/sites/d...sures_-_pf.pdf

Chris Cheng

Where can you book excursion on your own? Is it cheaper?

coolbeans202

We're here now and arrived at PPT on the 25th. I saw a mention of the sworn statement somewhere a while ago and then couldn't find a reference for it again so just didn't do it. There was no reference in my ETIS documents or in the United Travel Ready Center. Not one person anywhere asked for it, nor did we see any reference to it on any arrival form or in the arrival hall.

Everything SFOVacations says tracks with our experience (except the upgrade and sort of the concierge). We paid to upgrade from the standard award room to the Horizon Pool Villa (which is amazing!). There is some sort of company incentive trip here for two days in the middle of our stay that filled out the resort, so they offered to upgrade us to a deluxe overwater villa for the first two nights. We decided to just stay with what we have as we have done an overwater before in the Maldives (it's cute, but not a must-have for us) and didn't feel like moving in the middle of our stay. On the concierge, we were working with one that wasn't great, but then got another that has been much better.

The food situation here leaves something to be desired. I'll follow up when I have a little more time. It's not bad, by any means, but I could us a little more variety and options.

italdesign

Are you still required to submit a registration (?) 30 days in advance to enter FP?

Traveler Dave

No

Majuki

Are the mosquitoes still bad at Iriatai? In January they were horrendous even with insect repellent.