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I
usually start my reviews by talking about the ship, and then sprinkle in
some information about the onboard service and the destination. This one
is going to be a little different, because a cruise on the Paul Gauguin is
all about food, service and destination. Don’t get me wrong - the ship is
perfect in every sense of the word - intimate, with great cabins and
suites, three restaurants, a few lounges, a pool, spa, fitness center,
boutique, etc - but there are many ships that offer those things and
more….
 A
seven-night cruise on the 314-passenger Paul Gauguin is a multisensual
experience! First, understand that the ship has the most neutral décor I
have seen on any vessel in the industry. No bright colors, no brass, no
glitz, no “themed” lounges. As a matter of fact, if you just did a walk
through, you may even be uninspired…….So, what made this past week the
absolute best cruise I have personally ever taken? Read on, and I promise
you will present this product to your next qualified client!
Unlike
the Caribbean, Alaskan or European cruises we have all experienced, the
French Polynesian cruise on the Gauguin is all about local culture and
flavor. For example, instead of having an American or European cruise
staff onboard, this ship employs several young Tahitian ladies they refer
to as “Les Gauguines”.
Basically, their job is to bring the culture of their homeland onto the
ship during the entire cruise. This includes serenading the passengers in
the various dining rooms each night in traditional dress, putting on
several performances featuring Polynesian songs, dances and customs,
engaging the passengers in local jewelry making, pareo tying, make-up
applying, storytelling sessions and Polynesian dance lessons. They are all
fluent in Tahitian, English and French - and truly enjoy talking with the
passengers. I spent many hours with them - and was even given a new
Tahitian name - “Mahana” - which means “sunshine.” They are the most
beautiful people (inside and out) I have ever had the fortune to meet.
Although I am sure it exists elsewhere, the only other place in the world
I have personally found this type of genuine hospitality, was
in
Bali.
In
addition to Les Gauguines, Radisson brings on local entertainment and
enrichment lectures from several of the islands. There were the adorable
children from the island of Raiatea, who came onboard one morning to sing
and dance in traditional costume around the pool. There were a few experts
who boarded on various days to dazzle us with stories about ancient
Polynesia, what really happened in “Mutiny on the Bounty”, and what a
dolphin encounter is like. On our final night, a Tahitian song and dance
troupe arrived to perform a phenomenal show called O Tahiti A. The way
they moved their bodies was truly mesmerizing. Of course there is some
traditional cruise ship entertainment - including one of the best cruise
directors at sea - Michael Shapiro. He personally greets each guest as
they embark the ship in Papeete, and spends the entire week mingling with
the passengers. In addition, he and the social hostess, Pamela Dayton -
put on a wonderful cabaret-style review one evening - and participate in
other evening variety shows during the week. No glitz, no sets, no
costumes - just enjoyable quality entertainment.
The
service on the Paul Gauguin is as close to perfect as you can possibly
get. The Filipino wait staff is AMAZING. I have never been so well taken
care of on any cruise ship. They address you by name almost immediately.
They not only knew that I like hot tea, but they knew exactly which kind
to bring me every morning. They knew which table I liked to sit at in the
dining room and would bring me there for each meal. One morning, I skipped
breakfast to go on a tour, and that afternoon, they asked me what
happened, and if I was feeling okay. Of course, if you go a little higher
up on the ladder and take the time to meet the maitre d’s and the hotel
manager of this ship, it is easy to see that the genuine hospitality comes
directly from the top. There is a “can-do” attitude at every level. No one
crew member on this ship passed me in the hallway without making direct
eye contact and saying “hello, how are you?” Needless to say, our cabin
stewardess was as wonderful as our wait staff. She responded to every
request with a big smile and the
same
phrase, “yes of course, right away!” I thought, after a few days of being
treated like royalty, something would have to give somewhere - but it
never did.
And I
did not even mention the food. First of all, the Paul Gauguin is the
finest “restaurant” in all of French Polynesia. With three dining rooms
and an open seating policy throughout the vessel, it is easy to enjoy
several different types of cuisines. The main dining room, “L’Etoile” is
only open for dinner - with extensive and very creative menus. In addition
to fine European cuisine, they do prepare several local specialties. The
Grill, located adjacent to the pool, offers a more casual buffet breakfast
and lunch - plus a sit down dinner. My personal favorite is the Veranda,
which offers a more extensive breakfast and lunch buffet - along with
table service. The main event here however, is the specialty dinner menus.
There are two of them that alternate, featuring mouthwatering French
cuisine in six courses. I had to try both of them, and they were both
incredible. And one important thing I left out…..dress onboard is “country
club casual” - which means that as long as you don’t wear jeans or shorts
in the dining rooms for dinner - just about anything is appropriate
onboard. Fine wines are included with lunch and dinner - as well as all
soft drinks onboard,
all
drinks on the private out islands (which I will get to in a minute) all of
the specialty drinks the bar staff passes around by the pool (which on
most other ships you would be handed in a souvenir glass and charged for),
and an initial bar set up in each stateroom. No one goes thirsty, or home
with a big bar bill.
The
itinerary is also something very unique to traditional cruising:
-
Papeete
-
Raiatea
-
Taha’a (plus private full service Motu Mahana)
-
Bora
Bora (plus bar only Motu)
-
Bora
Bora (plus bar only Motu)
-
Moorea
-
Moorea
-
Papeete
First
of all, on this cruise you never feel rushed. This is particularly evident
if you look at the schedule above. The ship spends two days in Bora Bora
and in Moorea. You need that time to truly enjoy these placed, or you will
feel as though you have missed something. It is important to do some shore
excursions on these islands to appreciate the local flavor. On most other
cruises, you have one day to try and fit in a shore excursion and then
race around trying to shop, swim, visit, etc. Not the case here at all.
You get full days to explore, and can even dine off the ship in both Bora
Bora and Moorea if you choose to. Although nothing beats the food onboard!
You
are probably wondering what a Motu is. Basically, it is like a Caribbean
out island - only much smaller. The Motu offered near Taha’a is completely
full service - with a full beach barbecue, restrooms, open bar, lots and
lots of beach umbrellas, beach chairs and some pretty snorkeling sites.
The scenery is gorgeous, and since Taha’a really only requires a half day
to visit the vanilla plantation and the pearl farm, you have all afternoon
to relax and enjoy the Motu. On the contrary, the Motu off Bora Bora is
very rustic with a tiki hut bar and little else. Again, you can do some
nice snorkeling, play volleyball and pretend you are on Gilligan’s
Island
for the afternoon. I should point out that the ship has a retractable
stern from which you can water-ski, kayak and windsurf - all free of
charge. There is enough snorkeling equipment onboard to accommodate all
passengers, and most people check out a set the first day and keep it for
the week.
I
could go on forever, but by now you get the idea that this cruise is like
no other. Here are a few more things you should know about booking a group
or charter on the Paul Gauguin To make a program on the Gauguin truly
successful, you also need to enlist the services of a few other supplies.
First, and foremost -
Air
Tahiti Nui - which has air schedules that suit this ship perfectly. The
non-stop outbound from Los Angeles departs at 1 pm on Friday and on
Saturday. The non-stop return flight departs Papeete on Friday and
Saturday night at 11:45 pm. So, you have the choice of bringing your
passengers in on Friday night, having them overnight at a hotel and get to
the ship on Saturday. They can then either fly out on Friday night after
dinner (shortening the cruise to 6 nights) or they can disembark on
Saturday, and spend the day/evening at a hotel and fly out later that
night. Either way, Air Tahiti Nui’s plane of approx 300 seats can
accommodate your group nicely. Both outbound and return flights were right
on time! There are a few other carriers: Air France, AOM and Air New
Zealand who service this route, however their schedules may not be as
conducive for connecting to the Paul Gauguin.
The
hotel we used for our fam was perfectly situated. Only 5 minutes from the
airport and 10 minutes from the ship terminal, the Beachcomber was just
the ticket. Gorgeous surroundings, beautiful sleeping rooms, delicious
food. No reason to look elsewhere.
And we
were grateful for the services of Tahiti Nui Travel, who incidentally
provide all of the ground services for the Paul Gauguin - ground
transfers, shore excursions, etc. I will list the contact information for
all of these providers at the bottom of the review. Please feel free to
contact our fabulous partners directly if you
would
like information on air, shore excursions, transfers, hotel
accommodations, etc. They will be delighted to hear from you.
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