Get Ready
VACAYA LUXE POLYNESIA CRUISE ON PONANT LE BOREAL
OCTOBER 12-27, 2023
Our journey across the Pacific begins in:

We’re often asked, “What should we expect from a VACAYA Luxe experience?” Our Luxe vacations are an unapologetically exclusive celebration of the wonders of our planet – welcoming to all, of course, but built for discerning travelers seeking intimate experiences, splendid accommodations, and unparalleled service. They’ll reach the far corners of the globe – giving VACAYA guests an opportunity to expand their horizons in completely new ways.
The VACAYA Luxe rhythm is… Bold. Refined. Intimate. Exotic. Treasured. Calm. Cool. Grand. A chance to live life to the absolute fullest.
PAGE DIRECTORY
AIRLINE DISCOUNTS
AIRPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
CURRENCY
OCTOBER 12 DOCKING LOCATION – Added January 23, 2023
OFFICIAL FACEBOOK GROUP
PRE-CRUISE HOTELS – Added March 24, 2023
SAFETY PROTOCOLS
TRAVEL INSURANCE
ONBOARD
BORA BORA HOTELS – Added March 24, 2023
ENTERTAINMENT PREVIEW
EXCURSIONS – Added January 23, 2023
GRATUITIES
INCLUDED BEVERAGES
LAUNDRY
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT ONBOARD
PARTY THEMES
ROOM KEY
SMOKING ONBOARD
THIS IS ME COMMUNITY BOARD
TOILETS
WEATHER
WHAT TO WEAR
WIFI ONBOARD
POST-CRUISE
OCTOBER 27 DOCKING LOCATION – Added January 23, 2023
POST-CRUISE HOTELS – Added March 24, 2023
MISCELLANEOUS
AIRLINE DISCOUNTS
As a VACAYA guest, discounts are available to you with various air carriers when booking your flights using our Group Codes/Links. Those codes/links, as well as the instructions for booking, can be found HERE.
AIRPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
Honolulu, Hawaii’s main airport is Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HHN).
Papeete, Tahiti’s airport is Fa’a’ā International Airport (PPT).
BORA BORA HOTELS
If you’d like to book a hotel in Bora Bora – whether that’s a fantastic overwater bungalow or a beach-side escape – for any of the nights between October 22-24 while Le Boreal overnights in this picture-perfect paradise, just use THIS SPECIAL LINK.
CURRENCY
The currency of Honolulu, Hawaii is the US Dollar.
The currency of French Polynesia is the CFP Franc.
1 USD = 110 CFP Francs
1 CFP Franc = 0.009 USD
American Express, MasterCard, and Visa are widely accepted. You’ll find that ATMs are readily available at the airport and in the city centers.
EMAIL ARCHIVE
All emails to our Booked Guests are available here:
ENTERTAINMENT PREVIEW
We’ll preview your entertainment here approximately 30 days before our cruise.
EXCURSIONS
Excursions will be sold onboard Le Boreal. On Day 1, the Shore Excursions Manager will present all the available options and booking will take place shortly thereafter.
GRATUITIES
You have pre-paid basic gratuities. However, if someone goes above and beyond for you, you are more than welcome to offer them a few dollars (or more if appropriate) as an extended note of appreciation and grace. Collectively, those small thank yous add up and can make all the difference in the lives of these hard-working crew members.
INCLUDED BEVERAGES
Standard drinks are included for all guests. That’s house spirits, beer, select wines by the glass, sodas, juices, bottled waters, and specialty coffee drinks/teas.
Wines by the bottle are available for purchase from any of the bars or from your sommelier in the main restaurant.
PONANT sells a premium beverage package onboard that gives guests access to several available top-shelf alcohols (as designated in their bar menu onboard). That upgrade is 25 Euro per person per day (subject to change up until our sail date) and can be purchased from any bartender on Day 1.
LOST & FOUND
Lost & Found is located at Reception on Deck 3. If you’re missing anything, be sure to check there first. And of course if you find anything, be sure to turn it into Reception so they can get it back to its owner with haste.
LAUNDRY
Laundry services are available aboard Le Boreal.
You’ll find laundry pricing, bags, and slips inside your stateroom. During your entire cruise, your steward or stewardess will be available for laundry and ironing services, which will be completed within 48-72 hours. You can contact PONANT for specifics on pricing at 888.400.1082.
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT ONBOARD
PONANT is renowned to have health care’s latest generation of equipment onboard their ships.
They also go beyond industry standards with the following additional provisions:
- The onboard Medical Team consists of one Physician and one Nurse, but the team can be scaled up at any time, if required. The inhouse Medical Team is available 24/7.
- Rapid diagnostic medical equipment in an isolated environment, with mobile laboratory terminals, allowing to test all common infectious diseases, potentially dangerous or contagious, tropical diseases, as well as cardiac distress syndromes.
- “Shore-hospital-like” professional diagnostic equipment: ultrasound, radiology, and blood biological analysis.
- Facilities for the management of respiratory distress
- 3x 40ltr bottles of O2 to last 80 hours to 5 ltr/min or 200 to 2 ltr/min distributed in fixed general circuit
- 5 portable 5-l bottles to last 6 hours to 2 ltr/mm
- 1 O2 extractor
- 2 respirators
- Intubation kits
- Intubation drugs
- Resuscitation solute
- Pharmacy, which has been leveled up with specific Covid-19 dotation
- Specific training and drills performed regularly
- EVASAN (evacuation) plan ready at all times in case of emergency
- Infrastructure
- 1 resuscitation bed
- 1 intra-hospital isolation room
- Additional COVID Considerations
Continuous Control of Temperatures: Two thermic cameras will check the body temperature of all passengers and crew when passing by. Both will be placed at maximum transit points of guests and crew.
Two PCR Test Biologic Devices available onboard, with enough reactant for testing all guests.
The PCR testing of guests and crew will be implemented only if necessary. The doctor will be in charge for conducting the sampling and use of machine for testing. The positive results of diagnosis will be shared with CCMM (Maritime Medical Coordination Center in Toulouse, France), who will decide the next steps for managing the patient and their evacuation.
MONKEYPOX
Monkeypox has been making its way through the LGBT+ community over the past year and has become somewhat problematic for gay men in some areas of the world. Monkeypox is a virus that includes a painful rash, which may look like pimples or blisters, and flu-like symptoms. Monkeypox spreads through close, personal, skin-to-skin contact.
We advise that you take all necessary preventive measures to avoid contracting or spreading the infection, including vaccination if currently available in your area. While the monkeypox vaccination can be hard to come by in some regions, we’re seeing an increase in production and availability that should continue to expand over the coming months.
The CDC says that if you were vaccinated against smallpox as a child that that inoculation offers someprotection against monkeypox. You can learn more about monkeypox and monkeypox vaccinations HERE.
If you’re experiencing symptoms suggesting you may have monkeypox, please see your healthcare provider immediately for treatment and be sure to limit your close contact with others.
OCTOBER 12 DOCKING LOCATION
On October 12, Le Boreal will be docked at Pier 10/11- 23 Aloha Tower Dr, Honolulu, HI 96813.
OCTOBER 27 DOCKING LOCATION
On October 27 at the conclusion of our cruise, Le Boreal will dock at Quai Epi Sud 3 – Papeete 98714, French Polynesia.
OFFICIAL FACEBOOK GROUP
For each of our adventures together, VACAYA hosts an Official Facebook Group. This group is your chance to connect with other Venice cruisers before we meet each other in-person. You can join the group HERE.
PARTY THEMES
We’ll have a complete list of cocktail party themes approximately 120 days before our cruise. In the meantime, know that we’ll feature the following 2 signature parties:
THIS IS ME
Our signature Night 1 cocktail party brings all our guests together for the very first time. This is your chance to meet, mix, and mingle with fellow travelers. Wear a little somethin’ somethin’ to let us know where you’re from.
BATHROBE GALA NIGHT
In one of our favorite VACAYA Luxe traditions, you’ll throw on your bathrobe at 6pm and wear it all night long – to pre-dinner drinks, to our gala dinner, to the show, and to our after-party!
POST-CRUISE HOTELS
We are now featuring an all-new way to book our recommended hotels in each of our host cities. For Papeete, Tahiti, our recommended post-cruise hotel is the Hilton Hotel Tahiti.
You can book the Hilton Hotel Tahiti using THIS SPECIAL LINK.
PRE-CRUISE HOTELS
We are now featuring an all-new way to book our recommended hotels in each of our host cities. For Honolulu, Hawaii, our recommended pre-cruise hotels are the Royal Hawaiian (luxury), the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort (mid-level), Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach (mid-level), and Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach (economy).
You can book our recommended hotels using THIS SPECIAL LINK.
ROOM KEY
Your onboard magnetic card (we point out it’s magnetic to warn against placing it too close to your mobile phone, which could erase the information), which will be handed to you upon boarding is your room key. It’s also your onboard charge card and you’ll be asked for it to make onboard purchases. Whenever you leave the ship or re-board it in our ports of call, you’ll show your card to Security when leaving/returning.
When you board, you’ll want to register a credit card with Reception to cover any onboard purchases. You’ll receive a final invoice in your room on the last evening of your cruise. Assuming all of the charges are correct (and if not, be sure to speak with Reception), your card on file with PONANT will be automatically charged the morning of disembarkation. If you’d prefer to pay cash to close out your account, you will need to do that on our last night before they charge your card the following morning.
SAFETY PROTOCOLS
ALL GUESTS ARE NOW WELCOME, REGARDLESS OF THEIR COVID-19 VACCINATION STATUS. NO PRE-CRUISE TESTING IS REQUIRED.
All of PONANT’s current protocols can be found HERE and they are, of course, subject to change at any time. Wearing a mask onboard is not required, but if wearing one makes you feel more comfortable, by all means… you do you.
MOST of these protocols are happening behind the scenes to minimize interruptions to the experience. So know that whatever the protocols end up being on our cruise, we are going to have a great time exploring together. #AdaptToLive
SPA & FITNESS CENTER
The Spa’s beauticians and massage therapists are at your service on Deck 5 Aft and offer a wide range of treatments that can be booked once onboard. The Spa is typically open 9am to 8pm, but that could change slightly depending on our time ashore. Check your Daily Program (delivered to your stateroom each night with the following day’s schedule) for exact times.
Le Boreal’s Fitness Center, also on Deck 5 near the Spa, is open 24 hours a day and contains several cardio machines for your use. There are no free weights in the ship’s Fitness Center. We recommend packing lightweight stretch bands that are great for resistance training, if needed.
SMOKING ONBOARD
Le Boreal is a NON-SMOKING ship. Smoking – including eCigarettes & Vape Pens – is not permitted in staterooms, on balconies, or in any public rooms. A small smoking area will be available onboard and we’ll point that out during our Day 1 Orientation.
And of course NEVER throw cigarette butts overboard. They can easily get sucked into the ship’s ventilation system and cause a fire.
THIS IS ME COMMUNITY BOARD
VACAYA is all about connections. To help strengthen the bonds between our guests, we’re creating a “This Is Me” Community Board where pictures and fun facts of each of our guests will be featured. We’re hoping this new board will be a welcome addition to your VACAYA Luxe experience.
While participation is certainly not compulsory, we hope each of you will choose to join us. If you’d like to be included, please send the following to us prior to Friday, September 29:
- A Photo of you as an Individual or as a Couple (the orientation of the pics will be portrait, so think about that as you choose the best pic). Be sure the photo you choose is a clear face pic and no larger than 5MB.
- Your Name (or Names if a couple. Please indicate who’s who in the pic.)
- Your Hometown
- Your Relationship Status
- Occupation
- Family Info (children, pets, etc.)
- Interest/Hobbies
- Social Media Handle
You can send your photo and the above information to V Team Member Jen at jen@myvacaya.com. Simply click on that pink link to connect with Jen.
Please note that we won’t be able to add anyone to the board after the deadline. Shortly after September 29, the information we’ve received will be laid out by a graphic designer and the boards completed. Also, each This Is Me board is independent from past boards. So even if you’ve sent in your information for a past cruise, it won’t carry forward to this one. So, you’ll need to send it in again.
This Community Board will be posted near the ship’s Lobby.
Here is an example of what your entry will look like on the board:
TOILETS
PONANT ships have a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant onboard, which helps preserve the pristine waters through which we sail. To assure it can properly do its job, we need your full cooperation.
- Only use the biodegradable toilet tissue provided.
- Do not flush facial tissues, sanitary wipes, feminine hygiene products, condoms, cigarettes (you shouldn’t be smoking in your bathroom anyway), or any other materials, as they can affect the entire system and may cause embarrassing backups in your room AND in your neighbors’ rooms.
- Keep the toilet lid closed when not in use, and be careful not to drop towels, wash cloths, or personal grooming articles (including floss and Q-tips) into the toilet while flushing.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
In today’s ever-shifting world, it’s imperative to protect your hard-earned vacation dollars. You can do that by insuring your investment. VACAYA partners with Travel Guard.
If you ever need to make an adjustment to your Travel Guard policy (for example, if your travel dates have shifted or you’ve added to your travel plans beyond our cruise), you can submit a policy modification request via Travel Guard’s online modification form. Modification requests must be submitted prior to your travel dates. Through this form, you can also change or add any pre- or post-cruise travel days or add additional trip costs (flights, hotel, etc.). Adding coverage for other items beyond your cruise (if that’s all that was covered in your original policy) may incur additional premium costs.
If you have questions, we encourage you to visit Travel Guard’s Resource Center, where you’ll find answers to many frequently asked questions. You can also speak with a licensed Travel Guard insurance agent by calling 800.826.5248.
A NOTE ABOUT TRIP INTERRUPTION INSURANCE
If you’ve not purchased trip interruption insurance (that helps defray costs of hotel accommodations in case of a positive test result at the end of the trip), there’s still time to add it to your existing policy or originate a policy with most travel insurance carriers. Although we can’t consult on insurance, we are pointing out that these policies offer peace of mind for a reasonable price.
WEATHER
Weather in this region is typically hot and humid year-round, with occasional mid-afternoon heat-generated thunderstorms providing a bit of a cool off.
WHAT TO WEAR
Although our super yachts are quite elegant, we maintain a relaxed comfy vibe onboard.
Shorts/swimsuits and T-shirts are the go-to wear during the day, with long pants, collared shirts, and sundresses the norm for dinner and the show.
WIFI ONBOARD
Complimentary WiFi is included. However, please keep in mind that the speed is more akin to old-school dial-up.
When you check in, you will receive ONE WiFi passcode for one device. This is done to ensure there’s enough bandwidth for all guests. If you need access on multiple devices, simply log out of one and log in to the other.