According to our paperwork, we are going on the Pa'ati Reef Island Tour so we get up at 6:00am. This is a tender port meaning that we have to get a tender ticket for the first tender out this morning. We arrive at the tender ticket location with a half dozen people ahead of us. Since there's chairs for the first few, the Russian guy who we had dinner with and speaks little English grabs himself and Mom a chair while I go for coffee and a roll. It's 6:...

Yes, another water activity. These last few islands are said to be the best for underwater outings so we are concentrating on those activities as we wrap up our adventure. Today we are booked with Hiro's Tours. It's been cut from an all day trip to just four hours because weather conditions are restricting boats to the lagoon, staying within the protection of the reef. First, however, we must get off the ship to the shore. The usual drill: 6:30am wake up...

We arrive in Papeete today. Papeete is the capital of Tahiti and houses all the government offices as well as several historical landmarks. Our plan is to wander the cafes, shops, narrow streets and busy waterfront of this Polynesian paradise, which lured artist Paul Gauguin and writer Robert Louis Stevenson to its sandy shores. The heart and soul of the South Pacific, Tahiti is the largest in a chain of islands that make up French Polynesia. The name can either...

It's 6:30am. I know because our wake up call. Outside I can see it's cloudy with drizzle. We are scheduled today for another snorkel tour, this time with Bruno's. These last half dozen stops are prime spots for water activities and great opportunities to see sharks, rays, turtles, eels and all kinds of tropical fish. Since Mom likes boats and we both like the warm, clear ocean water, it made sense to book the majority of our ocean activities during th...

Another early morning. We're still in Bora Bora, having anchored here overnight. The tenders have been running all night, once every hour on the hour for those wishing to hang out on the island. There isn't much here in Viatape, the port town on Bora Bora, and unless your staying at one of the resorts on the island like Hilton or Intercontinental, the island goes to sleep after dark. We are booked on another water tour out in the lagoon including a Polyn...