Tahiti & Society Islands

I will start this review with the thought of kicking myself. Why didn't we sign up for the more extended cruise on Paul Gauguin to visit all the outlying islands and extend what was the trip of our life. We thought seven days of beautiful warm water would be enough, oh how wrong we were. We were only getting started and the cruise was over. Now we are back to MA with snow and freezing weather. When possible we would like to book for 2018 on their January/February 14 night Marquesas, Tuamotus & Society Islands. Let me know.

Sorry for the delay in this review, as the holidays got in the way. November was a wonderful time to visit the islands. (I believe any time would be good). We flew to LAX and stayed over two nights. Then onto Papeete, great flight on Air Tahiti Nui. Had the feel of already being there when we got on the plane.

The ship was magnificent. Spotlessly clean (I am OCD on that issue). The service, the attitude, the general overall ambience of the ship is top notch. Every staff member is with a smile. They are gracious and make you feel special.

Our day at Motu Mahana was heaven on earth. We had lounge chairs under the swaying palm tress protected from the sun. We snorkeled on such clear blue water. We bought and learned how to tie a pareo which I wore for the rest of the trip. Beach BBQ and drinks from a unique floating bar. We did not want to leave. And then the next day another private beach in Bora Bora. It just kept getting better and better.

We did some excursions which were pricy but everything on the islands is pricy. We felt the cruise was a way to save money over hotels on each island. Besides being a such better way to travel. We saw a few big ships not sure what they were. But, we felt special in our small ship that only sails the islands. With only one focus to display and explore the islands while educating us on the culture and sea life.

We enjoyed every aspect of the trip and felt well prepared by you Linda, as what to expect. We brought the correct clothes for the weather. Yes did buy some black pearls that are gorgeous. Taking them to our local jeweler to have them set in a ring and necklace.

We loved it, what more can we say. Working with you was a pleasure. Again, keep us informed when to sign up for 2018.

—Margaret M., Boston, MA

Returning from paradise is not easy. You didn't prepare me for THIS part of the trip!! Husband and I and our two grown daughters were on the August sailing of the lovely ship Paul Gauguin. We had two "E" Category staterooms, non balcony which was fine since we were not in the room all that much. The stateroom was actually larger than we expected, with lovely furnishings, colors, good towels and sheets. The best was our room steward, tip top and wanted to take him home with us, We were told it was not a full ship, sailing prior and sailing after ours was sold out but for some reason we had about 15 open staterooms.



Food was delicious and good varied selection. Besides the American items, we found French flavor and Pacific Rim options as well as fresh fish and healthy options. Our family all have some diet limitations not to mention trying to stay away from the stuff that makes the statement, everyone gains weight on a cruise. We were very happy with the open buffets so we could make our own choices of what and how much on our plate. We did eat in the specialty restaurants for the experience and they did not disappoint. As you mentioned to us, we made reservations as soon as we got on the ship and we had our choices of days and times.



We partook in many shore excursions, all of which added to our fun and adventure. We did not pre book these and found a few already sold out. Not an issue, we always found those to our liking. Seemed the very high activity ones sold out, but not sure about that. Everyone on the islands who we interacted with spoke English of some sort. Knowing French would add to the enjoyment of being able to interact with the locals who were not connected to the tourist part of the islands. Time at the private beaches were a "lazing in paradise experience".



I know we read this from other reviews and we have to agree, the crew so adds to what makes this experience so enjoyable. Their sense of happiness, joyfulness and wanting to please is very contagious. The French Polynesian way of life. The hiring process and the training process of this ship should be packaged and sold to many companies in the US that could turn around their questionable customer service attitude.



On board we enjoyed the entertainment at the Piano Bar and the La Palette Lounge. We did not partake in any Spa appointments but seemed to be a popular spot. We ignored the little casino on board and saved our money. We sat by the pool on Deck 8, in the water surrounded by water in every direction.



Our one week flew by way to fast. We took home some information on the Moana which I believe starts the end of the year. We would like to do the Panama Canal sailing the first of the year and will clear our calendars and give you a call. This will be for Will and I only. The girls are back to work. Thank you Linda, you have been a joy to work with.

We loved our PG experience. We are "small ship people" having sailed on Cruise West in Alaska and Costa Rica. We were concerned about the size of this ship and the overall atmosphere, as we are NOT big ship personalities. You have always steered us right in the past so we went with your recommendation.



Cabin The whole reservation process went smoothly. Category "D" cabin. We booked nine months prior and had a decent choice of cabin availability. Our cabin was lovely. Brochure says 239 sq feet including balcony. We had a queen bed, very comfortable mattress. Loads of closet and shelf space, nicely arranged with storage space on either side of the little dressing table with mirror. We had a sofa for sitting and could watch TV from the space. Refrigerator stocked with everything and replaced as soon as we used something. Bathroom was a good size, we had a tub, did not use, towels and shampoo were good quality, and we had a hair dryer. Balcony was good for two chairs and little table, large enough to enjoy.



Flight We flew the cruise line air. Air Tahiti Nui. It worked well. We checked prices on doing our own air, it was not worth it. We arrived in LAX a few hours early and took the 11:30pm flight arriving Tahiti early the next morning. 8 1/2 hour flight (one movie beyond Hawaii) was pleasant enough. We had good seats picked by PG and all went well. The staff changes into "island clothes" once into the air.



Arrival Once off the plane, it is Polynesian music for the next seven days. The smell of Gardenias in the air, sky of blues, gray and oranges. We are truly not in Kansas any longer. Airport was as little hectic, hot and humid, a we were tired. Our luggage came, our PG transfer was right there waiting for all of us. They ask you to identify your luggage before it goes on the bus, a little hectic and could have been done better but it is on Island Time. Off to the Intercontinental Hotel which we believe is owned in some form by PG. Gorgeous hotel, wish we had the time to come in a few days early. We didn't wait for our luggage we had our swim suits, our plan, swim and then sleep. We slept some, breakfast and were picked up and taken to the ship. All smoothly done.





Ship The ship was beautiful, it was large by our standards, but most important to us it had a casual, informal feel. It had a total refurbishment at the beginning of the year and it looked great. We wondered where the 400+ passengers were during the week, it never felt big or crowded and we know the ship was close to capacity. We got settled and did all our "chores" made restaurant reservations, got our snorkle gear on the Sports Deck, turned in our passports (they keep them for the cruise). Life jackets are not kept in the cabin but held at your Muster Station which was clearly marked in our cabin.



Food Way to much, way to good, way to fancy, way to delicious, had to refrain from all the options in the different restaurants. Le Grill favorite with fresh fish. Breakfast on our balcony was a treat. Snacks when we returned from shore excursions. The best. This was luxury.



Activities





Raiatea On Sunday, not the whole town was open, walked around town. Did an afternoon excursion Raiatea Highlights Island Tour $95pp, visited several historic sights on the island , along with education on the ancient culture, and way of life on the island. Spectacular bays, craters, wateralls. There was a local family with school children on the ship who were adorable and entertaining the guests. It was a good easy first day to get acclimated. Taha'a - Beach BBQ day on your private motu. This was the best. You get off the ship and tender in and are met by the beautiful Les Gauguines who are singing and playing their instruments. We had a lovely lunch of grilled fresh fish, healthy veggies and fruits and local drinks served in coconuts. You can swim and snorkel right off the beach, it was picture perfect. There was a little bazaar set up to purchase black pearls, coconut oil, milk, soap etc etc. The Les Gauguines say that their coconut oil keeps off mosquitos. Their skin is flawless, so who knows. We didn't do any excursions here as doing nothing in paradise was the most beautiful option.





Bora Bora Two days. We have our own beach next to the locals. We had a bar on the beach for drinks and snacks. Snorkeling was good, different than Taha'a. Did I mention there is a whole group who leave us and scuba. Couple in the cabin next to ours stayed on land for the night at the Intercontinental Thalasso Spa as it was their anniversary. hear very lovely but pricey. We didn't look into it as we are so happy with the ship accommodations. We signed up for an off road $129pp jeep tour around the island. Was a kick, bumpy, muddy, rained some, untraveled roads. The island is more gorgeous if possible, it is more built up with expensive hotels, Four Season etc. Better to get away from the "city" and explore the rest of the island. Next day we did Stingray Ballet and Snorkel Safari $105pp. We were in a covered snorkle boat and explored all of the BoraBora Lagoon. I did this in the Caribbean once with the Stingrays. Could also do this by JetBoat.



Morrea Two days, we tendered in again-Different than other islands, full of rugged peaks, volcanic craters, great waking trails and forests of chestnut trees. It is a one hour ferry from Papetee but worlds away. Great snorkeling. Did an ATV excursion to get on the other side the island. We felt comfortable with the equipment provided along with helmet. We went all over, visiting a local flower grower, pineapple plantation and a local gift shop and other places. It was a real fun, we got quite down and dirty as it had rained earlier in the day.



To sum it up...an all in all five star experience. We were surprised at all the repeat passengers who talked about how much nicer the ship was than their prior cruise a few years ago, before the refurbishment.



Now to go through my 1500 photos.

Just returned from the South Pacific on Paul Gauguin. If ratings are 1-10, I rate this experience as a 14.



I enjoy small ships and was hesitant to go on a ship with 332 people. There are many times I wondered where all the people were. The ship is laid out and there are so many different things to do and activities off the ship that I many times wondered where everyone had gone. Never was there a feeling of 332 passengers.



I was a single and took the lowest category cabin that was available when I booked. # 763 in the front of the ship, 186 sq ft with balcony. It was lovely, well furnished, large and comfortable. The balcony was a joy.



If one thing stood out above all the rest on this ship it was the service. From the housekeeper maids to the waiters without exception everyone went out their way to offer excellent service.



The ship had just been renovated and I had been reading on line before sailing so I knew what to check out. Ship was lovely, spotless and still there was constant cleaning of the public rooms.



The food I found good, but less than excellent as I was expecting. The dinning room and the speciality restaurants were equal. Clearly not a negative but did not exceed my expectations which is what I was hoping for. However, I enjoyed each meal and I did not go hungry.



Flights from LAX and transfers were done perfectly. Excursions were well organized and varied. I did some off road stuff, the islands are small and I arranged with some vendors off the ship. To do it again, I wouldn't have done that, the ship excursions were equal and easier to work with. I never heard any complaints about any excursions during conversations with other passengers.



Lectures, naturalists, entertainment all were superb. Hard to find fault with any of the activities. But my overall favorite were the eight absolutely gorgeous Gauguines. I fell in love a dozen times on this trip. Being a single man the Gauguines seemed to go out of their way to chat and be wonderfully friendly. Their beauty, hospitality and island ways were so enjoyable. I wish I could have taken them home with me.



The trip came to an end way to quickly. Had to be out of the cabin at 9:00am. We waited around for a time before we were transferred to the hotel where we had a day room. Flight home does not go until evening. It would have been better to have arranged for some type of tour rather than hanging around the hotel all afternoon and evening waiting for the flight home.



I heard that Paul Gauguin has a second ship that sails in the Med and now purchased a third ship. Do not know where that will sail. Linda, thank you for all your help and e-mails. It was a great trip.

I will start off by telling you a few things about myself. I am 15 years old, live in Seattle, and I recently took a 10-day cruise on the Paul Gauguin with my mom, dad, and younger sister. My sister and I participated in the Ambassadors of the Environment(AOTE) Program, which is a program for kids ages 9-17. In short, we Loved it. This program was a great way to meet the other kids onboard and to take part in fun activities and shore excursions just for us. Both of the AOTE leaders were amazing and I had a fun time hanging out with them. By the end of the cruise all the kids’ parents enjoyed meeting each other as well and were hanging out together too. Now, I will tell you about the cruise as a whole.



My family and I flew to Papeete via LAX and we were so anxious to get there. When we arrived at FAAA International Airport, we were greeted with leis, heis, and humidity. The humidity wasn’t that bad though after a few minutes of adapting. The first experience on the ship was spectacular. We checked out our rooms and we were all stunned by how nice and spacious they were. The crewmates were all really friendly. The whole ship was beautiful.



Each day on the AOTE program, there were two activities on board and one excursion off the ship. Each day brought a new adventure and a new fear to conquer. At first I had convinced myself not to go swimming with stingrays or sharks but when the time came to get in the water with them, I couldn’t hold back. All the kids were nervous at first but by the end of the swim, they couldn’t get us out of the water! I think that was probably the scariest thing but once we got in the water, all the kids realized that was a once in a lifetime opportunity that we would remember forever. My favorite AOTE shore excursion was probably on the day of Raiatea. We took a zodiac to the island of Taha’a and heard the story of a pearl farmer. Then we went on an Indiana-Jones type truck ride to the top of the mountain. Along the way, we stopped for local fruits including bananas, star fruit, bread fruit and coconuts. We learned a lot about the local culture and lifestyles as well. In a sense, it gave us a great overview of French Polynesia in a nutshell.



The food on the ship was great. There was a wide selection each night so everyone had something for their own taste. There were four different places to eat. L’etoille was the main restaurant, Le Grill was the buffet at lunch and Polynesian food for dinner, La Veranda was a great place for breakfast and lunch but a French bistro at night and La Palette also had snacks throughout the day. I ate in all of them and each one had great choices. Room service was the fifth option and was available 24 hours a day. The room service menu was perfect for any time of day and we found ourselves ordering it almost every day.



If relaxation, intimacy, and opportunity to see a whole new world is what you are looking for, then Paul Gauguin is the company to cruise with. French Polynesia and all of its islands are incredibly beautiful and unique. I felt like I was in the middle of Paradise! You will want to go back again and again with your family!