Paul Gauguin Cruise Review
by Nancy Norris
Paul Gauguin
Introduction:
Up until now, my best cruise
experience was a cruise to Hawaii on the Crystal Harmony.
Although the Paul Gauguin is not as chic and stylish as the
Harmony, this 11 night cruise to the Society and Cook
Islands on the Paul Gauguin far surpassed any and all
expectations and totally rivaled my previous “best”
experience. Visiting Tahiti and the surrounding islands has
been on my bucket list since I was bitten by the travel bug.
Paul Gauguin in Tahiti
Living in Ohio, I chose to
acclimate myself to the 6 hour time difference in increments
by spending one night in Los Angeles, before boarding a
flight to Papeete. My traveling companion met me in Los
Angeles and we took the midnight flight on Air Tahiti Nui.
We arrived in Papeete at 5 AM and could not board the ship
until 3 PM. While this was not ideal, it seemed better than
the alternative of arriving on the next flight at 10 PM and
boarding the ship minutes before it departed at midnight.
Even though wandering around Papeete zombie-like for hours
was challenging, speaking to others onboard, it seems we
made the right choice. We were fortunate to have a beautiful
sunny day to wile away our time and there is a very nice
public park next to the port for lounging.
Papeete Public Park
There is no place to store
luggage at the port, and we certainly didn't want to tromp
around town with luggage in tow. So, after clearing customs
we checked our luggage at the day storage facility at the
airport (640 XPF per bag or approximately $7.75 US – BTW,
they do accept US currency). We then made our way downtown
by crossing the street and waiting for the local bus (130
XPF) which passes by the airport about every 20-30 minutes.
We returned to the airport later in the afternoon to
retrieve our luggage and took a taxi to the port ($25 US).
While this is an inexpensive way to spend those waiting
hours, another option would be to reserve a day room at one
of the hotels/resorts – particularly in the event of rain.
Airport/Bus Stop
Embarkation:
If the ease of embarkation was
any indication, we were in for one fantastic cruise! The
taxi pulled up to the port entrance and we were greeted by
one of Les Gauguines (Paul Gauguin's signature
entertainers/social hostesses). Our documents were checked
and the taxi drove up to the entrance of the ship. Cruise
staff took our luggage, the cruise director welcomed us
onboard, we were handed a glass of champagne and escorted to
the Le Grand Salon to surrender our passports, register a
credit card and given our cruise key card. We were in our
stateroom within 10 minutes and our luggage had already been
delivered. Yes, I was already impressed!
Port of Papeete
First Impression:
The 330 guest Paul Gauguin is
an an older ship that does not exude the flash and glamor of
bright shiny new vessels, but has a comfortable elegance and
exclusive private yacht ambiance. I was immediately drawn to
the intimate, small-ship aura. Built exclusively for
sailing the waters of French Polynesia and its environs
year-round, it is designed to negotiate the reefs in the
shallow waters. Already feeling totally in my element, I
couldn't wait for my South Pacific cruise adventure to
begin.
Papeete from the ship
My Stateroom:
We are assigned Cabin #706, a
Category C balcony stateroom on deck 7. The first thing one
notices upon entering the stateroom is the stone tiki
ensconced in its own little niche in the entrance hallway
just beyond the bathroom.
Stateroom Tiki
Around the corner (on the
outer wall of the bathroom) are two nice size closets with
space for hanging clothes as well as open shelves for
storage along with a mirrored desk/vanity between the two.
The vanity has two outlets (one 220 and the other a 110) and
there is a hair dryer in the drawer.
Stateroom Closets
The stateroom is attractively
appointed with red carpet, deep blue furnishings with beige
accessories and dark polished mahogany wood shelving and
cupboards. Lots of glass and mirrored accents provide a
sense of lightness and space. A full mirrored wall opposite
the queen size bed makes the room seem larger than its
actual size (202 sq. ft.). High quality linens and plush
bedding made for very comfortable sleeping. Luggage was
easily stored under the bed
Stateroom
There are only a few
staterooms that have beds that can be configured into twins,
but the loveseat does convert to a single bed. Opposite the
loveseat there is a built-in mahogany and glass shelving
unit with open shelving above two sets of twin cupboards and
a refrigerator unit between. The refrigerator is stocked
with water, soft drinks and beer which are replenished
daily. A flat screen television/ DVD combo sits on a shelf
above the refrigerator. Note, there is an additional dual
outlet located on the outside of the refrigerator unit. Two
ottomans and a glass top accent table round out the
furnishings.
Shelving Unit
The balcony is not large (37
sq. ft.), but sufficient size to accommodate the 2 chairs
and table that are perfect for enjoying a morning cup of
coffee while savoring the magnificent scenic views.
Balcony
Then, there is the bathroom.
Unusually large by cruise ship standards, there is even a
full size bathtub.
Bathtub
With two separate mirrored
medicine cabinets, there is plenty of storage space both
above and below the sink. Soft luxurious towels, L'occitane
shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and body lotions are
provided, and all staterooms come equipped with bathrobes
and slippers.
Bathroom
Public Space:
Staterooms are located on
Decks 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 ranging in size from a 588 sq. ft.
Owners Suite, to a 200 sq. ft. porthole stateroom. All
cabins are oceanview and 70% have private balconies.
Deck 3:
The Paul Gauguin is equipped
with a Marina Platform offering kayaking and windsurfing at
scheduled times during the cruise. This is also the location
of the Dive Desk and the place to pick up your personal
snorkel equipment that is yours for the duration of the
cruise. Access to the Marina Platform is actually via an aft
stairwell on Deck 4.
Marina Platform
Deck 4:
Reception, the shore excursion
desk and cruise concierge are located in the lobby on Deck
4.The rest of the deck is relegated to cabin space.
Travel Concierge
On shelves next to Reception,
a library of DVDs is available for guests use.
DVD Library
Deck 5:
Deck 5, forward is the
location of Le Grand Salon, the main lounge on the
Paul Gauguin. A small stage, dance floor and gradual
elevated seating make for an intimate and comfortable
environment for enjoying a variety of performances and
lectures.
Le Grand Salon
At the rear of Le Grand salon
is a nice size bar that is open during showtimes and offers
prime seating for viewing performances.
Le Grand Salon Bar
Exiting Le Grand Salon on the
starboard side, a long walkway leads to a very small casino
(2 tables)
Casino
with a separate slot machine
room behind (there are also a couple gaming tables in the
rear of this room). While I saw very little action at the
gaming tables, the slots were utilized more frequently by
some during the cruise.
Slot machine room
Just beyond the casino, is the
Piano Bar. A very nice size bar and a number of tables for 2
or 4 are scattered about, all within view and listening
pleasure of the talented onboard entertainers.
Piano Bar
Continuing aft along this
starboard walkway, leads to the Photo Gallery and Internet
Cafe.
Photo Gallery Desk
During the Photo Gallery
operating hours, pictures taken by the onboard photographers
are on display on the opposite wall, where one can easily
browse on the way to or from dinner at the main dining room.
Photos on display
In addition to a number of
terminals located at the Internet Cafe, wi-fi is available
throughout many locations of the ship (within midship Deck 5
and Deck 8 aft).
Internet Cafe
I was fortunate enough to have
complete access in my cabin and it was surprisingly fast for
a cruise ship connection. Packages were available (250
minutes for $62.50 or 100 minutes for $35) or pay $.55 per
minute.
Looking forward to Deck 5 walkway from outside Internet Cafe
The remainder of Deck 5 aft is
the location of L'Etoile, the main restaurant on PG. A very
large, impressive floral display greets guests as they enter
this attractive dining space.
L'Etoile Floral Display
Seating for 2 or 4 persons is
available along banquettes of the entrance annex.
L'Etoile Entrance Seating
The annex opens to an
expansive main dining area that has multiple tables
accommodating 210 guests in tables for 2 to 8 persons.
Guests dine amidst attractive cherry and mahogany
furnishings, and soft fluted shell lighting emit a refined
elegance.
L'Etoile Restaurant
As this is the main dining
room, reservations are not required. It is only open for
dinner, which is served open seating from 7-9:30 PM nightly.
L'Etoile offered an innovative menu featuring continental
cuisine with a Polynesian flavor. I will share more
specifics in the “Dining” section of this review.
Deck 6:
Directly above L'Etoile, Deck
6 aft is La Veranda. La Veranda, which seats 140, is another
attractive dining area. Featuring floor-to-ceiling windows
it offers both inside and al fresco dining. La Veranda
serves both a buffet and a la carte breakfast from 7:30
AM-9:30 AM and a themed buffet lunch is served from Noon-2
PM. While La Veranda is open to all for breakfast and lunch,
it is transformed into a French Bistro in the evening from
7-9 PM for dinner. The culinary masterpieces of
world-renowned Chef Jean Pierre Vigato's are featured. A set
menu remains the same each night, and as this was an 11
night cruise, the set menu was changed once mid-cruise.
Reservations are required.
La Veranda
Just outside the entrance of
La Veranda, is an area known as Fare Tahiti. This is Paul
Gauguin's onboard gallery of art, artifacts, culture and
history of Polynesia.
Fare Tahiti
Fare Tahiti Display
Continuing forward along the
starboard promenade, guests can stop to borrow a book from
the small library,
Ship's Library
or test their skill at adding
a piece to the ongoing jigsaw puzzle.
Deck 6 Promenade
The Deck 6 promenade features
La Boutique, PG's gift and sundry shop. They have a very
nice selection of Paul Gauguin designer clothes, pareos,
swimsuits, Tahitian pearl jewelry and a few souvenirs.
Beware, however, prices for convenience items such as
sunscreen are very high.
La Boutique
The promenade ends with an
entrance to the Deep Nature Spa, by Algotherm and Fitness
Center. From glittering body scrubs for $90 to traditional
Tahitian body massages for $199 and a variety of other
relaxation packages guests are offered multiple ways in
which they can pamper themselves at the spa. While my
traveling companion and I did not use this facility, the
women I spoke with that had spa treatments were very pleased
with the treatments. (Of course, a shipboard credit of up to
$1,000 was offered on this sailing and many guests chose to
use their onboard credit at the spa.)
Deep Nature Spa
The Fitness Center was open
from 5 AM – Midnight every day. While not large, it provided
sufficient equipment to keep those interested in working out
a venue to exercise. Which would come as no surprise to
those who know me, this was another area of the ship that
was not frequented by me.
Fitness Center
Deck 7:
Deck 7 was entirely devoted to
staterooms.
Deck 8:
As a self-professed “Sun
Bunny”, while onboard this was the area of the ship I spent
most of my time. Staterooms occupy the forward portion of
Deck 8. Midship, Deck 8 is the location of the small
saltwater pool. The water is drained nightly and refilled
each day with ocean water. Consequently, it was a bit cooler
than I would have preferred.
Pool
The pool is surrounded by
comfortable lounge chairs which were in high demand on our
cruise. There are also additional loungers on Deck 9, but it
was often too windy to take advantage of that space.
Pool Deck
The port side corner of the
pool deck, housed the Pool Bar. Open every morning at 9:30
AM until 7 PM nightly, it proved to be a very popular spot.
An awning cover and comfortable seating made for a nice
respite from the intense rays of the Polynesian sun.
Pool Bar
Aft of the pool area is the
entrance to Le Grill, the third, and most casual, dining
option on PG. Le Grill served an extensive breakfast buffet
from 7 – 9:30 AM and themed buffet lunches from Noon- 2 PM.
Le Grill Buffet
A made-to-order snack menu is
available here from 2:30 PM-4:00 PM. In the evening, Le
Grill is transformed into a casual Asian/Pacific fusion
specialty restaurant. Just as in La Veranda, as a specialty
restaurant, the menu remains the same each night and was
changed once mid-cruise. Reservations are required for
dinner.
Le Grill
Beyond Le Grill is La Palette
Lounge. This multi-use venue serves a continental breakfast
from 6:30 AM-11:00 AM, is the location for afternoon
tea-time and becomes the Disco at 11:00 PM.
La Palette Lounge
This versatile area offers
both indoor and outdoor seating on the fantail.
La Palette fantail Seating
It is a great spot for
watching amazing sunsets, stargazing or dancing the night
away under the stars.
Tahitian Sunset
Deck 9:
I mentioned this space earlier
as an optional lounging area. The Sun Deck was not utilized
much during our cruise (least of all on sea days). Not only
was it quite windy, but the Sun Deck Bar was not open during
our cruise. Its main purpose appeared to be the meeting
place for stargazing.
Bar du Soleil
Dining:
I have come to expect that as
cruise lines find ways to shave corners in order to increase
their bottom line, typically the quality of food has
suffered. Well, that was certainly not the case on Paul
Gauguin! In fact, the quality, creativity and variety of
menu selections far surpassed any of my cruise dining
experiences in recent past. Breakfast buffets included an
amazing array of fresh local fruit, dried fruits and
cereals, eggs cooked-to-order, eggs-benedict, breakfast
meats and potatoes, smoked salmon, shrimp cocktails and
breakfast pastries are just a sample of the items from which
to choose. Speaking of the local fruit, make sure to sample
the grapefruit and pineapple – unbelievably sweet and
delicious.
Breakfast Fruit
Lunches were served both
buffet and a la carte in La Veranda and Le Grill. A
different ethnic cuisine buffet was featured each day.
During our cruise French, Greek, Asian, American, German,
Italian, Scandinavian and Pacific were offered. If you are
like me and not an exceptionally adventurous diner, a la
carte burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken and french fries
were always available.
While all meals were
excellent, dinner is where the Paul Gauguin truly shines.
L'Etoile, the main restaurant for dinner, offered a varied
and extensive menu to please any palette. Marinated chicken
breast and New Zealand salmon with drawn butter or bernaise
sauce were staples offered every night. Main courses ranged
from such standard favorites as prime rib, chateaubriand,
beef wellington, grouper and lamb shanks to wahoo, Tahitian
wok, local moonfish and shrimp infused with coconut milk and
tamarind sauce. In addition to the main entrees, each night
the menu featured different appetizers, soups, salads,
pastas and desserts. There were also vegetarian, light and
healthy and no salt added menus. My favorite appetizers were
the crabmeat with avocado mousse and escargots, while my
roommate raved about the spanakopita and the seared beef
sashami.
Dinner Entree
I recommend that everyone dine
at Le Grill and La Veranda at least once during your cruise.
While reservations are required, they can be made at the
restaurants at breakfast and lunch. We had no difficulty
making reservations for either locale. At Le Grill, I would
suggest the suckling pig (my roommate would recommend the
poisson cru – a local delicacy of raw tuna marinated in lime
juice and coconut milk). We dined at La Veranda specifically
so my roommate could get the chicken livers and foie gras.
While the food is simply outstanding, it missed its mark as
a French bistro. At least for me, the menu did not reflect
typical French cuisine. However, that does not mean I didn't
enjoy my meal. Make sure to leave room for the Tahitian
vanilla crème brulee for dessert.
One night of the cruise is
designated as Polynesian Night. On that night, Le Grill is
closed and the same Tahitian menu is offered in both La
Veranda and L'Etoile. Reservations are not required at
either restaurant. The Tahitian dinner menu offers a set
soup and appetizer and the main course choices are beef
tenderloin, broiled lobster tail with Taha'a vanilla sauce,
mahi-mahi or Moorean vegetable stir fry. Wow! I had never
had lobster served with a vanilla sauce and it was divine!!!
A featured red and white wine
selected to compliment the evening's menu is offered each
night. However, if you prefer something else, just ask. As a
dedicated chardonnay drinker, I never had any difficulty
being served my preferred wine.
Finally, there is always room
service. Once again, PG hit another home run. Not only is
the room service menu extensive, but service is prompt and
efficient and the food is prepared as ordered. When ordering
breakfast from the breakfast menu hanger that is placed
outside your door before retiring, if you don't see it
listed – just write it in. At dinner, in addition to the
standard offerings on the room service menu, you can order
anything appearing on the L'Etoile menu.
Entertainment:
Entertainment onboard the Paul
Gauguin is not typical of most cruise ships. A major portion
of the onboard entertainment revolves around the
destination. Les Gauguines are PG's signature troupe of
Tahitian women that sing, dance and share Tahitian customs
and culture through story-telling and craft classes.
Les Gauguines
They are accompanied by a very
talented team of musicians, managed by the very personable
Cruise Director, Michael Shapiro. From the very versatile
house band, Siglo, to the accomplished piano player, Peter
Burt, there was no shortage of musical talent onboard.
Whether enjoying pre or post dinner cocktails at the Piano
Bar or dancing at La Palette music was an integral part of
life onboard Paul Gauguin.
Peter Burt
Evening entertainment included
one man shows performed with exuberance and energy by
Michael Shapiro and accompanied by Siglo, lively
performances featuring talented pianist/singer Peter Burt,
the singing and dancing of Les Guaguines and the best crew
show I have ever seen on a cruise ship, Krew Kapers. In
addition to the onboard entertainers, we were treated to
performances by local dance groups from Rarotonga, Moorea
and Tahiti.
Rarotonga Dance Group
Enrichment lectures are an
integral part of the Paul Gauguin experience. On our cruise
a series of lectures were presented by Bobbie Verdegaal, the
onboard naturalist; guest lecturer Mark Eddowes, resident
archaeologist and expert Polynesian anthropologist; and
historian Richard Grosser.
Staff and Service:
Personal service is a hallmark
of Paul Gauguin and I must concur that I found the staff and
service exemplary. By the end of the second day many of the
staff knew us by name and had already identified our
personal preferences. From Randy at the Pool Bar to Ernesto
and Jon Michel at the Piano Bar, the staff was charming,
friendly and quick to please. The staff on the whole was
professional, yet personable and never seemed to tire of
accommodating guests needs.
Randy at Pool Bar
I don't think I have ever had
more prompt and efficient room service and our cabin
stewardess Jo Ann did a thorough job of cleaning our room,
yet was never obtrusive. Michael, the cruise director, was
always ready with a quick smile and took time to listen and
engage with guests. The staff was able to maintain their
professionalism while still having fun and interacting with
the guests.
Ernesto and me on
Polynesian Night
Itinerary Overview:
We had 2 full days at sea as
we traveled to and from French Polynesia and the Cook
Islands. Otherwise, the ship departed a port in the evening
and we awoke each morning to find ourselves tendered in
another amazing location surrounded by unbelievably awesome
views. We were blessed with excellent weather for the entire
cruise and each day seemed to get better than the next.
Papeete:
Our ship departed Papeete at
midnight on Saturday and returned at 7:00 PM, 11 nights
later.
Park near port
I already spoke about spending
time in the park next to the port on our arrival, but if you
have time, a visit to the Public Market is worthwhile. Just
one block back from the main street that fronts the port, it
is best visited in the morning. It is a great place to go
shopping for gifts, food and flowers.
Le Marche
As our return flight to LAX
did not leave until 11:00 PM, Paul Gauguin arranged a day
pass for us at the Radisson. Guests can choose to take a bus
tour of Papeete or depart the cruise ship directly to the
resort. We chose to go directly to the hotel and were glad
we did. Although the hotel is an older property, the black
sand beach was beautiful, the pool and grounds were inviting
and our suites were huge. Many were lofts and included
in-suite jacuzzis.
Radisson Resort
Huahine:
It was exciting to glimpse
views of our first port from our balcony. However, we
arrived in Huahine on a Sunday, and unless you plan to book
an excursion, if you arrive on a Sunday you may just want to
stay onboard.
Huahine
There is absolutely nothing
open in Fare, the main village.
We found a small public beach
and enjoyed lounging on the sand, but visiting Maeva, an
important Polynesian archaeological site or a lagoon cruise
and snorkeling would probably have been better choices.
Fare
Aitutaki:
This was the first stop on the
Cook Islands portion of our adventure. Aitutaki is often
described as the “Bora Bora of the Cooks” due to its
topographical similarities. A triangular reef necklace
dotted with skinny flat islets encloses a beautiful crystal
clear lagoon ideal for swimming and snorkeling.
Aitutaki
We booked a private excursion
with Teking and visited five of the surrounding islands. We
were able to snorkel over shipwrecks, around giant clam
farms and through coral mazes. We visited beautiful islands
of white sandy beaches
White sandy beaches
and explored some of the
islands used on Survivor Cook Islands.
Survivor Cook Islands
Rarotonga:
The largest of the Cook
Islands, Rarotonga is laid back and my travel companion and
I immediately felt an affinity to the island. This was the
easiest island in the itinerary to get around on your own.
We walked to the main bus terminal at Cooks Corner in
Avarua, the main town to catch the local bus to Muri Lagoon.
Two buses travel around the island, one clockwise, one
counterclockwise. It takes one hour for each bus to
circumnavigate the island. For $7 NZD you can ride the bus
in either direction, with on and off privileges all day.
Cooks Corner bus terminal
We spent a pleasant few hours
at Muri Lagoon where one can rent kayaks, go snorkeling or
swim to the nearby motus. While there we enjoyed lunch and
cocktails, which were a tremendous bargain compared to
prices in French Polynesia.
Muri Lagoon
We then caught the bus and
continued in the same direction to enjoy an inexpensive
circle the island tour. We departed the bus at Cooks Corner
and wandered around town as we made our way back to the
tender port.
Rarotonga
Bora Bora:
While I was totally in awe of
the amazing scenery and beauty of the crystal clear waters
with their multiple hues of blues and greens that I had seen
thus far, nothing had prepared me for waking to the view
from our balcony of Bora Bora with Mount Otemanu in the
distance. To say I was blown away is an understatement!
Bora Bora from our
balcony
We were to spend two days on
the island and I couldn't wait to explore this spot of
paradise in depth. We had arranged a private tour with
Patrick on our first day and it was truly a highlight of the
trip. There were only 4 of us in our group and it was purely
magical. We began our tour via outrigger to snorkel with
sharks (yes, I said sharks), then on to swim with the
stingray and finally snorkel amidst the coral gardens.
Snorkel with sharks
But that was only the
beginning, after snorkeling we met with another group of 8
for a traditional Polynesian lunch at Patrick's private
motu.
Patrick's Motu
We were blessed with an added
treat as one couple in the party were on their honeymoon and
had arranged a Polynesian wedding ceremony while on the
motu.
Wedding ceremony on motu
After lunch our small group of
four was off on an off-road safari tour of the island. The
views of Bora Bora natural harbor, Matira Beach and Fa'anui
Bay were simply breathtaking.
Views of Bora Bora
Our second day in Bora Bora
proved just as enjoyable as our first. We began our day by
making a requisite trip to Bloody Mary's by taxi (even
though we did get ripped off by the taxi driver at the port)
where we chatted with the manager and met the resident cat.
Then, it was back to the ship to board the tender to the Bora Bora Motu. While there are no facilities or lounge
chairs on the motu, it was a perfect day for lounging on the
soft white sand, basking in the sun and cooling off in the
beautiful clear turquoise waters.
Bora Bora Motu
Taha'a:
The small island of Taha'a,
often called the “Vanilla Island”, is best known for the
string of gorgeous motus along its northern reef edge. It is
one of these magnificent motus, Motu Mahana, that Paul
Gauguin has claimed as its own private islet. This was
paradise on steroids!
Motu Mahana
Soft, white sand, a sumptuous
barbeque prepared by the PG crew, a floating bar, an
overwater beach massage tent and shopping opportunities by
local vendors – what more could one ask.
Private Island Paradise
Lounge chairs were plentiful,
there was good snorkeling just off-shore, kayaks were
available and a full bar served an unending supply of
tropical drinks in carved out coconuts.
Snorkeling off-shore
Les Guaguines entertained
while we ate and the food was as scrumptious as onboard
fare. We never wanted this day to end!
Les Gauguines
Moorea:
At the beginning of this
review I mentioned that each day seemed to get better than
the next. So, it should come as no surprise that I found the
natural beauty of Moorea's lush slopes to be even more
spectacular than Bora Bora.
Our balcony view of Moorea
However, Moorea proved to be
the most difficult island to do on your own. We had planned
to catch a shuttle to Tahia Collins shop and then walk to
Les Tipanniers for a day at the beach. Unfortunately, we
never found a shuttle and decided to go with plan B. We
shared a taxi with another couple of gals from the ship to
the public beach next to the Sofitel. (Once again we found
ourselves at the mercy of the taxi driver and way overpaid –
but we had no choice as it was the only game in town.) We
had no trouble accessing the beautiful Sofitel beach and
spent a very pleasant afternoon there.
Sofitel Moorea
Lesson for all:
We thought there was a public bus that we could catch back
to the port – so we decided to walk to the nearest bus stop.
Big mistake! The only public buses in Moorea are school
buses. Well, okay – we would just hail a taxi. So, we
continued to walk, and walk and walk. Even though this was
not in our plan, some of the views along our walk were well
worth the inconvenience.
Ia Ora Lookout
The few taxis we saw fly by us
were occupied. After walking for what seemed like hours, a
taxi driver finally stopped. It was then that we discovered
there are only 21 taxis on the whole island (no wonder they
could charge the exorbitant fares).
As we were spending two days
in Moorea, we decided to join 2 friends and rent a car to
tour the island on our own the next day. Avis car rentals
are available at the port and prices are very reasonable.
Lesson for all – Part 2: While there were plenty of cars
available on Day 1, they were completely sold out (as were
all other rental cars on the island) by the time we arrived
at the pier on Day 2. So, if you plan to rent a car on Day 2
– make a reservation as soon as you get onshore Day 1. Now,
Once again we were stuck at the port with no transportation
options. However, luck smiled upon us! We hooked up with a
driver that was transporting people to his “family's Pearl
store”. We negotiated with him to give the 4 of us a 3 ½
hour circle tour of the island for a reasonable price. It
was definitely money well spent. We hit all the highlights
of Moorea, including a trip to Belvedere Lookout. The
spectacular view from this lookout should be a “must do” on
everyone's visit to Moorea.
View from Belvedere
Lookout
Miscellaneous
Thoughts/Comments:
●Life onboard is casual and
evening attire is country club casual. Shorts and jeans are
frowned upon after 6:00 PM. in public areas.
●The
passenger load was very diverse. While the average age was
between 50 and 60, guests on our cruise ranged from 18-80+.
There were honeymooners, families with college age children,
couples celebrating anniversaries, a fair amount of singles
and a number of repeat passengers. Guests came from the
U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, U.K., Argentina,
Mexico and Europe.
●Jogging is not permitted on
the ship and power walkers could only use Decks 8 & 9 after
8:30 AM.
●Bridge and Galley tours were
available during the cruise and guests could sign-up at the
Reception Desk if interested.
●The Dive program was
extensive, and although I am not a diver, it was evident
that this is one of the best cruise ship programs afloat.
●While guests can purchase
special bottles of wine or order premium alcohol drinks for
a price, I found the standard complimentary selection of
top-shelf liquor and wines to be more than adequate to suit
most tastes.
●This was one of the nicest
disembarkations I have experienced. We did not have to
vacate our room until 9:30 AM. Breakfast and lunch were both
served as we did not have to leave the ship for our dayroom
until 1:00 PM. The pool bar was open and we spent the
morning on the pool deck soaking up some last minute rays.
●Guests who did not purchase
air through PG were required to depart the ship by 10 AM.
Conclusion:
I have been truly spoiled,
after spending 11 glorious nights on the Paul Gauguin. If I
had my druthers, I would always choose to cruise on a ship
that is all-inclusive. It was such a pleasure to not concern
myself with onboard charges, never having to sign bar tabs
or paying extra to dine in a specialty restaurant.
Gratuities were even included in the cruise fare, even
though the outstanding service was worthy of extra
compensation. While huge mega-ships have lots of bells and
whistles not found on smaller ships, I much preferred the
intimate and more personal ambiance of this 330 guest ship.
The onboard luxury only served to enhance this voyage to
paradise. The South Pacific and Paul Gauguin are a perfect
match for creating a trip that touches ones mind, body and
soul. I can hardly wait for a chance to do it again!
PG in Paradise
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