Could You Cope With a 28-Day Cruise to Hawaii & French Polynesia?

Now you have probably just read the title of this blog post and thought what a silly question! Of course, I could cope with a 28-day cruise to Hawaii & French Polynesia! It sounds a dream.

A long cruise to Hawaii and French Polynesia are dream locations, but are you ready to go on a 28-day cruise? It sounds fantastic, but the reality can be a lot different.

You have probably been on 7 – 10 cruises and loved them and now think you are ready for the dream cruise to Hawaii and French Polynesia. Here are the things to really need to know!

What you need to know before you book a Hawaii & French Polynesia Cruise

I loved this 28-day cruise, but it does have a lot of days at sea. The itinerary we did had 18 days at sea and 9 ports (not including the embarkation day).

We embarked in Los Angeles, sailed for four days, spent four days in Hawaii. We went to the islands Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai (one day in each).

After the port days in Hawaii, we had four more days at sea before arriving in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

After two more days at sea we arrived in French Polynesia and went to Bora Bora for two days, then one day in Tahiti and one day in Moorea.

The ports were fantastic, but after visiting all the paradise islands, it was eight days sailing back to Los Angeles.

For some people, this is just too many days at sea! For others, it is a dream! I sit on the fence, I like four sea days in a row, but eight days feels like forever.

This is something you must be prepared for as if you easily get bored these eight days will feel like hell! If you love keeping busy with the ship activities or lying by the pool the days go by.

Top Tips for a Long Cruise

• My tips for booking a long cruise is book second seating (doors opening 7.30 – 8 pm) in the dining room, as most people want to eat on first sitting (doors opening 5 – 5.30pm). Even if you book any time dining, it doesn’t mean you can really eat at any time. My advice is to book second seating then you always know you have a table when you want it, otherwise you may be either waiting a while.
• Pre-book your tours online through the cruise line or privately (allow lots of time to get back to the ship) so you get the tour you would like to go especially for American Samoa and French Polynesia, as they get booked up quickly.

• Go to the late shows as most people go to the early shows or the show before dinner if that is an option.
• The weather is tropical, so you may get rain and it is always hot and humid. Bring a small umbrella and a lightweight raincoat or jacket.
• Bring comfortable shoes to walk around and no-slip soles, flip-flops are fine for the beach, but not walking around all day long.
• Download lots of books on your tablet as you will have the time to read them.
• WIFI is not free onboard so remember to download any books, magazines, music, podcasts or games.  Some apps will not work when not connected to the internet. You may enjoy reading my ‘How to Use Your iPhone on a Cruise Ship’, for top tips!

Could you handle a 28-Day Cruise?

Do you think this is the cruise for you?  Long cruises are very relaxing and if you are mentally prepared for how long it is you will enjoy it.

When I went on a world cruise for 111 days, I knew how long it was going to be and I was prepared, and I did not get bored. On this 28-day cruise, I enjoyed it, just a little fed up on the last few days at sea, but I kept busy!

You may also enjoy reading:

FRENCH POLYNESIA IS WHERE TO FIND PARADISE!

WHAT TO SEE IN PAGO PAGO AMERICAN SAMOA

WHY YOU MUST VISIT PEARL HARBOUR IN HONOLULU HAWAII USA

Have you been on this cruise? What is the longest cruise you have been on?

I hope you enjoyed reading about could you handle a 28-day cruise. Please share on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest so your friends and family can read too. Sharing is caring!

Happy Cruising!