Review : Paul Gauguin - Papeete to Fiji - 8th May 2010

[MtnDriver]

Your review is outstanding. Please do not cut back on the detail. DH and I are considering taking a PG cruise and we would like as much detail as possible to know what PG is like. We've cruised one Crystal cruise and several NCL, so it is fun to hear the differences.

 

We have sailed on Crystal and on Regent managed PG (and soon on the PGCruiselines managed PG). You will find that the PG is of similar quality, but less formal than Crystal.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hal is a HOOT! I am so glad to hear that he is still on the PG!

 

What a great picture! Yes, he channels Elton very well, doesn't he? I would love to cruise with him again. I presume he'll perhaps still show up on some of the other Regent ships, since performers aren't stuck doing one thing or another.

[marelind]

We have sailed on Crystal and on Regent managed PG (and soon on the PGCruiselines managed PG). You will find that the PG is of similar quality, but less formal than Crystal.

 

Thanks for the comparison. Crystal was my parents' treat and choice. It was very, very nice, but we prefer a less formal atmosphere, hence we sail the suites on NCL. I was pleased to read that ties and jackets are not required for the men and dressy casual is fine for women on PG.

 

The detail in this review is excellent for getting a full picture of the service and amenities on PG.

[bandt]

I was pleased to read that ties and jackets are not required for the men and dressy casual is fine for women on PG.

 

Marelind, we were concerned about what to pack to be in keeping with the dress code on board and I submitted a post about it. "Were polo shirts OK for gentlemen ? etc."

 

The reality on the PG is casual elegance for everyone. At dinner, gentlemen wore slacks with open neck shirts (polynesian or regular) and polo shirts (I never saw anyone with a tie - it would have been oddly out of place). The ladies certainly knew how to dress ! It was all quiet elegance without ostentation and feeling comfortable in a tropical climate.

 

B & T

[marelind]

Excellent! and thank you.

[bandt]

One of the joys of cruising is to wake up to a new horizon each day. Nothing can compare with the beauty of Bora Bora. I’m afraid that our pictures cannot do it justice.

 

 

 

Breakfast in La Veranda is a real treat – a sumptuous buffet with everything from smoked salmon accompanied by cream cheese and capers to Viennese Pastries. Omelettes and scrambled eggs were prepared to perfection. I'm sorry, I cannot remember the name of the great guy who prepared them. There is also a short à la carte menu with lamb chops and other tasty offerings..... try the “to die for” Eggs Benedict!

 

When I discovered that smoked kippers and “Finnan Haddie” were on the menu it brought back memories of an Irish childhood ........ I requested them but they were never available..... however, I was probably the only person on board who would have ordered them!

The gracious breakfast service in La Veranda signals the start of another wonderful day on the Paul Gauguin.

 

As I mentioned earlier, due to the small number of passengers on board, several of the planned excursions were unavailable due to low participation levels.

 

I had already visited Bora Bora arriving by air (a great experience) – the air-strip is on a motu and a launch brings passengers and their baggage to port. We decided to take the tender to Vaitape and hire a car for a leisurely tour of the island. We had not made a reservation and were lucky to get the last car from Avis – price was around 10000 XPF (approx 100 US).

 

“Le Truck” was also available near the port for a minimal fee. A friendly local lady gave us information. However schedules are uncertain and are really geared to meeting arriving ferries and aircraft. You could envisage taking “Le Truck” all the way around the island without stopping. We preferred to take a more leisurely approach.

 

Vaitape is a lively little town with shops, ATM, Post Office etc. and we decided to explore when we got back from our excursion.

 

The trip around the island can really be completed in a couple of hours. We took our time, avoided the plush hotels with the over-water-bungalows and “Bloody Mary’s” (we prefer to mingle with the locals). We stopped at the breath-taking Matira beach..........

 

 

....... in a little family bar/restaurant overlooking the lagoon.

Grandma served us a Mai Tai (only had one since I was driving) and the menu was simple local fare. Mum and the rest of the family were laughing and chatting nearby. All this at really low prices. A time to remember. I decided to finish my postcards for my afternoon deadline and discovered that I had left my address book on the ship..... (I finished them when I got back on board and the Gauguines kindly posted them for us in Vaitape).

 

We continued our tour around the island admiring the landscape.

 

 

We returned our car and had a look around Vaitape. Tahia Collins (who has the pearl shop on board) has a large showroom there so you can compare what she has to offer. There is also a local market with souvenirs, sea-shell bracelets and necklaces etc. at excellent prices. (Not the covered market right at the pier – one a little further along the main street to the left looking from the sea.)

The lady who had given us the information about "Le Truck" earlier on was selling ice cold coconuts and we enjoyed one as she told us about local culture.

 

We took the tender back to the ship and prepared for an afternoon on the motu. We brought our snorkelling gear, sunscreen, towels etc and had a great time. The bar staff from the ship were there with rum punch and soft drinks. The watersports team were present with kayaks and volleyball equipment.

 

 

We were just a little disappointed in the snorkelling but maybe we did not find the best location. We took the last tender back to the ship after a wonderful afternoon.

 

This evening was the Captain’s Welcome Party in le Grand Salon. The ship’s photographer was there to record the event. (An aside – the photographer was great, always available for “that special photo” – never pushy, and no obligation to buy.) We were treated to sparkling wine and Captain Zupan introduced us to the Senior Officers. Captain Zupan is a wonderful person – so down-to-earth and accessible. He made everyone feel at ease. His son was on board and it was nice to see such a great family relationship.

 

Dinner at l’Etoile : Foie Gras Terrine followed by Chateaubriand, or would you prefer the freshly filleted Moonfish? How about the Vanilla Profiteroles? ..... and don’t forget that international Cheese Board!

Wines proposed were an excellent Chablis Premier Cru and a wonderful red Bordeaux “L’Enclos de Saint Jacques”.

 

No time to linger over coffee. The Grand Salon awaited us for “A New York Cabaret” with Michael Shapiro. A first class show! Michael delighted us with Broadway melodies. He is a great showman with a wonderful voice...... and you’ll be dazzled by that gold-sequined waistcoat.

 

A change of rhythm to finish the evening. Tahitian Songs performed by les Gauguines at La Palette.

 

 

A fitting farewell to the Society Islands and French Polynesia as we prepared for a day at sea en route to the Cook Islands.

 

(If you are interested in a CD of Tahitian music, may we recommend “Echo des Iles Tuamotu et de Bora Bora” by Marie Mariteragi. We're not sure it will cure “Polynesian flu” but it will certainly bring back fond memories of your stay in French Polynesia. It is available on the large online bookstore and the big download site neither of which needs advertising from me!) ;)

[mustangmonie]

Gentlemen, I really must thank you for your great postings and beautiful photographs. You have been very informative and I have decided to take the Dr. Poole dolphin excursion for certain based upon your review.

 

My husband and I are total foodies and it has tickled me to read about your dining experiences, especially since they have been so wonderful. Ahh, one more thing to look forward to... that and the next chapter of your journey, of course.

[bandt]

Thanks for the encouragement mustangmonie.

 

Don't forget to check out the wonderful review by DrmnOfMaui with great photos and also the review by nancy4elton that made it to the "front page" of Cruise Critic !

 

B & T

[AnglerGirl]

Brian and Tony, Thanks again for sharing your voyage with us. I love reading about your experience and your photos are lovely. Last year I did not see Hal on board. Perhaps he was on holiday? For the June 26th travelers, do we expect Hal on our sailing?

[Klapka]

I saw from you interesting account of the Bora Bora day that at the reception "sparkling wine" was served. As we will be on the PG later in the year and knowing my wife's love of French Champagne I wonder if you can tell me if champagne is available on the ship as part of the "package".

[sandandsea lovers]

Brian and Tony,

I cant wait to do our PG cruise in August after reading your glowing account of your trip.

I am also wondering if french champagne is available in the drinks package?

Are the dolphins around in August?

[bandt]

Hi Klapka and sandandsea lovers

 

Throughout the ship you will be offered "champagne" - this is in fact a good quality French sparkling wine "Crémant de Bourgogne". I think that the use of the word "champagne" is not intended to mislead but rather that it is used in North America to mean any sparkling wine. In Europe, the 'appellation contrôlée' champagne is only used for the produce of the Champagne region of France. (Sorry, I don't mean to sound pedantic :)) French champagne is available for a supplement. As I remember Veuve Clicquot is 69$ and Dom Pérignon is 199$. I'm sure they are available by the glass and that there are others on the wine-list.

 

The dolphins are there all year-round and in August you may also have the opportunity of seeing humpback whales (it's their mating season).

 

Enjoy !

 

B & T

[shemansl]

Hal is great--but my favorite is SIGLO. As I recall, the officers usually gather for a cocktail before dinner in the lounge and listen to them play.

[Friscorays]

Hal is great--but my favorite is SIGLO....

 

Same for us. They easily stand out as our favorite cruise line associated performers.

[bandt]

We love days at sea!

 

A time to relax, take advantage of all the ship’s amenities, chat about the places we visited, look forward to the next port of call and generally be spoiled by the Paul Gauguin crew.

 

I had wondered if, on a small ship, there would be enough activities to keep us occupied on our sea days (there were 4 during our cruise). There was a full programme of events for all tastes - enrichment lectures, a dance class with the Gauguines, Bridge, a Galley Tour etc.

 

The onboard daily “Ia Orana” is beautifully produced with stunning colour photographs and interesting articles.

 

The previous day there was an insert in “Ia Orana” telling us about the guest lecturers on board – We were privileged by the presence of Professor John E. Hay and his lovely wife Helen Henry. As a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), John was a recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize awarded jointly to the IPCC and Al Gore.

 

John was giving a lecture at the Grand Salon at 10.00 a.m. “Climate change in the Pacific : are the Island nations really at risk?”.

 

At first view, this was not really our idea of holiday fun – a controversial issue about which so much has already been said.

 

Nevertheless, we decided to attend and were so glad we did. John is a born speaker who welcomes debate and difference of opinion. He captivated his audience with an informative, interesting lecture and his easygoing manner.

 

John’s lecture was followed by a cookery demonstration by Grant Chilcott and his Sous Chef. Each had to prepare a dish from ingredients chosen by members of the audience – a lot of fun and we were able to sample the creations afterwards. This whetted our appetites for lunch at Le Grill. Le Grill is right beside the pool and is a nice casual alternative to La Veranda for lunch.

 

We spent a lazy afternoon by the pool – it is salt-water and really refreshing (not cold!!!) Jorge took care of us with cool refreshments!

 

 

 

The evening’s entertainment was a movie in the Grand Salon or a “Club Night” in La Palette with “the best band on the South Seas” – Siglo ! They are most talented musicians and performers. Thank you guys ! We enjoyed your music all through our cruise.

 

Oops! Nearly forgot to mention Dinner at l’Etoile (for all you ‘foodies’ out there :) ).

 

We opted for “Salmon Rillette” (Diced smoked and poached salmon with crème fraîche and chives) followed by delicious Venison Medallions, Sauce Grand Veneur (something we would generally have in France as a treat at Christmas or New Year).

 

The International Cheese Board this evening was Gruyère, American Blue, Pepper Boursin, Munster and Camembert.

 

For dessert, would you hesitate between the”Local Lime and Coconut Bavaroise”, the “Banana and Candied Pineapple Cake”, or a “Moka and praline parfait accompanied by Baileys sauce”? Maybe all three :)?

 

........ All conducive to sweet dreams before arrival in Aitutaki !

 

 

[mustangmonie]

Oh my, thank you for remembering to post the information regarding your dinner. If presented with a menu with the Salmon Rillette and the Venison Medallions, my husband and I would havle difficulty choosing. I think we'll need to order one of each and share them both so as not to miss anything. Which dessert was the winner? This does not sound like a ship with bad food nor wine for that matter.

 

How did the gym look? We'll have to be very, very, active during the day to offset this moving feast. It is so much easier to eat little or nothing when the food is bland and institutional. There is a difference to me in a lot of food and good food. Unfortunately, we didn't book our trip early enough to lose weight ahead of time and we will already be arriving more than pleasantly plump. Damage control is necessary, good thing there are so many great activity choices!

[mustangmonie]

:eek:That would be h-a-v-e. Darn it, I did read my reply before posting but the old brain overlooked the L. Sorry.

[MtnDriver]

Oh my, thank you for remembering to post the information regarding your dinner. If presented with a menu with the Salmon Rillette and the Venison Medallions, my husband and I would have difficulty choosing.

 

Why choose? Order both! We've even eaten in two restaurants on the same night!:D

 

As to damage control...we have one rule: No Elevators. Works like a charm!

[DrmnOfMaui]

Why choose? Order both! We've even eaten in two restaurants on the same night!:D

 

As to damage control...we have one rule: No Elevators. Works like a charm!

 

We completely agree on both accounts!! :D

 

The meal sizes were perfectly proportioned for me, however my husband and a few of the men were left a little wanting on some evenings and they did indeed order two entrees. The waiter never blinked an eye. I couldn't decide between two desserts one night and got both as well! Definitely a no elevator evening!!!

[bandt]

Aitutaki has been dubbed “The Bora Bora of the Cook Islands”.

 

Comparison on this scale of beauty is impossible.

 

Suffice to say that the lagoon of Aitutaki is expansive and shimmers with crystalline turquoise waters. We wanted to explore the lagoon and do some snorkelling so we opted for the “Lagoon Cruise and Beach Break” excursion.

 

The weather could have been better but the cloudy sun casted iridescent reflections on the water and we marvelled at the beauty of the lagoon.

 

We stopped at a motu for some easy snorkelling and waded ashore to what one would consider a “desert island”.

 

 

After a relaxing time on the beach our skipper sounded his conch horn which was our signal to come back to reality!

 

 

We then made our way to One Foot Island for a simple lunch of grilled fish, vegetables and fruit.

The Cook Islanders are people that uphold tradition and religion. Our skipper said grace on board for our lunch on the island. Before we were able to partake of the buffet, our hosts made sure that grace had already been said!

 

We had a very convivial meal with Ludovic and Rafaèle a lovely French couple that we had met on the ship.

 

Our excursion was drawing to a close and we made our way back to the boat to cross the lagoon to the Paul Gauguin.

 

Clouds had gathered in the tropical sky and the heavens opened mottling the turquoise lagoon with grey and dark blue. The Paul Gauguin seemed to be a haven in the distance.

 

Back on board and just time to get ready for Helen Henry’s lecture “Reflections on 40 years of living in the Cook Islands”.

 

Helen is a wonderful person and her talk was inspirational – her life as a young wife in Rarotonga, raising a family and becoming an integral part of the life of the islands, the devastation of the loss of her husband but recently the arrival of her “knight in shining armour” John E. Hay.

 

“Would I do it all again? , she asked as a rhetorical question at the end of her lecture.

Her answer ........ “In a heartbeat”.

 

We left the lecture with a rare sense of well-being and the desire to discover Rarotonga.

 

L’Etoile and La Veranda were open for Dinner. Michael Shapiro hosted a fun talk show “The Tonight Show” and afterwards the Gauguines serenaded us at the Palette.

 

Ready to savour the joys of Rarotonga (or maybe not) .....:(

[DrmnOfMaui]

OOhhhh!!! A cliff hanger!!! Can't wait for the next segment!

 

Beautiful pictures, love the blues. :)

[bandt]

Our arrival at Rarotonga was scheduled for 8.00 and after Helen’s talk we were really looking forward to our visit.

 

While we were having our breakfast the Captain made an announcement to tell us that due to strong swell and high winds we would not be able to disembark in Rarotonga.

 

Apparently this is not an uncommon occurrence – I believe that the return Fiji to Papeete sailing was also unable to land. One lady was really disappointed since this had already happened to her on a previous cruise.

 

We spent our morning admiring Rarotonga in the distance with our binoculars!

 

 

 

There were two passengers disembarking in Rarotonga and we were also waiting for some supplies. A rather hefty tug-boat took care of that.

 

The Captain announced that we would be sailing earlier for our two days at sea en route to Tonga.

The reactivity on board was impressive – a revised programme of entertainment was set up and copies printed for each guest. Our new schedule meant that we would be spending three days on board. We would be arriving in Vava’u on Sunday afternoon instead of Monday morning.

 

For the Tongans, Sunday is sacred and no administrative services are open. The Paul Gauguin would not be cleared for disembarkation till Monday morning!

 

All this, coupled with the crossing of the International Date Line had us thoroughly confused! Nothing that a couple of Mai Tais by the pool couldn’t cure. The weather was picture perfect so we did what one is supposed to do on holiday – relaxed and had a good time.

 

On the evening of our first day at sea we had the Polynesian Night – this was held in l’Etoile and preceded by a fantastic show of chants and dances from ancient Tahiti “Viva Polynesia”. The Gauguines are a really talented troupe.

 

 

 

For dinner, guests were encouraged to dress Polynesian style – Polynesian shirts for Gentlemen and Pareos for Ladies. There was a really festive ambience and the menu was excellent.

 

 

 

There was plenty going on to keep us occupied on our sea days – enrichment lectures, vegetable carving, story-telling by the Gauguines to name but a few.

 

These photos show you the artistry of the chefs :

 

 

 

 

All this leisure time gave us the opportunity to catch up on e-mails – send photos to friends etc. We found that the internet connection was remarkably quick for a ship. I was able to give my Mum a virtual tour of the ship via Skype – two Canadian ladies on board waved to her from the pool and told her that they lived just 20 minutes away from where she lives....... the joys of modern communication!

 

I was a little disappointed that wifi service is not available in all the cabins – just those on deck 8 and some forward on deck 7. Public wifi is available at the Internet Centre, La Palette and the Pool Bar. Towards the end of our cruise internet availability was a little erratic. The day before disembarkation (when most people are doing internet check-in for flights, printing boarding passes etc.) the system was down for most of the day.

Several connection plans are available for a reasonable fee.

 

We booked the Sightseeing & Cultural tour for our arrival in Tonga........

[Friscorays]

Nice to see the lobster tail with vanilla sauce is still on the menu notwithstanding rumors to the contrary.

[TomCruises]

Nice to see the lobster tail with vanilla sauce is still on the menu notwithstanding rumors to the contrary.

 

Ever had "spoon size" shredded wheat ?

That was the size of these lobsterettes!

Hardly a hearty authentic lobster tail!

I suppose some have to exaggerate reality because of disappointment aboard the PG and all that money spent.:rolleyes:

 

I think it is pretty clear that in May (for certain) the weather pretty much sucks from FIJI to FP! Rarotonga had not been visited since early April!PG should have had an alternate itinerary knowing the difficulties with this port but instead,conveniently left people at sea for a 3rd day!When your spending approximately $500.00 per day per person for this vacation,who wants to have "EXTRA" days at sea!:mad:

[Friscorays]

Originally Posted by TomCruises

"Food was just ok!Can you believe a 6 star cruise "NO LOBSTER"!What a joke!I receive lobster tail on every cruise I have been on except PG!"

I am just pointing out that lobster is served on the PG, contrary to what you posted. You might not have been happy with portion size and that is fine although one always has the option of requesting more.

By the way, what exactly was it about the cruise that left you so bitter? You keep promising to share and yet nothing......

Originally Posted by TomCruises

July 7: "I still haven't posted my experiences but will shortly!"

June 30th: "I have alot more to share in the future and must say my PG experience was not as wonderful as it should of been....for many reaasons I will tell.Thank goodness I didn't pay any more than I did!"

You say you prefer Crystal and Oceania. Why so? Why not add those cruises to your cruise list?