June 15 2013 Society and Cook Islands review

[ALB0711]

Just returned from our first incredible Paul Gaugin cruise - first a thanks to the regulars here for all of their advice tips and tricks. Made a wonderful experience that much better.

 

We are experienced cruisers, but this was our first time in French Polynesia and first time on an upscale ship like the Gaugin. We were celebrating our delayed honeymoon from our September 2012 wedding.

 

Getting to Tahiti is a challenge - the flight is long and tedious. Our flight from LAX to Tahiti was delayed by 4 hours due to strikes in Paris (where the plane originated). Instead of landing in Tahiti at 10PM, we didn't get there until almost 2AM. We did meet the first of many fellow cruisers while waiting for our flight in LA.

 

Took a taxi to the Intercontinental where we had booked a Motu bungalow. Had heard on cruise critic that the bungalows had all been closed due to storm damage. When we arrived they had upgraded us to one of the lagoon bungalows because the Motu bungalows were indeed still closed.

 

The IC greeted us with a glass of cool juice and one of the Tahitian bell hops drove us down to our bungalow. Walked out on the deck and saw the southern constellations for the first time. This was the moment for me when our honeymoon vacation had officially started.

 

Woke up and ordered room service for breakfast. DW wasn't hungry, so I ordered a single breakfast for myself and had enough food to feed a family of 4. Tip for future travelers - unless you are a really big breakfast eater - order one American breakfast and share it.

 

Swam from our bungalow and then walked around the hotel in the morning and did a little hammock time. Lagoon at the hotel was very nice.

 

In the afternoon we walked to the supermarket and had lunch at a French bistro in the mall next to the supermarket. Interesting to see the variety of food and non-food items in the market and what for us was very different pricing. A pair of cheap flip-flops was $30 but a pound of fresh tuna was $4.

 

Saw the IC's Polynesian show Friday night. Show was very good, but the food in the buffet wasn't up to our expectations. Glad we saw the show, but would skip the buffet if possible next time.

 

Woke up at to see sunrise from our bungalow on our second morning and after taking a swim we ordered breakfast again - who wants to leave a bungalow? We lost track of time and at Noon the hotel called us to ask us very nicely when we would be leaving. Packed up and checked out about 1 - that is when we saw the sign stating that checkout is at 11am.

 

Took a taxi to the ship - where we saw the Gaugin for the first time. Gave them our luggage and walked around Papette until 2:30 when we went back to the ship and waited for them to open the gates. At exactly 3PM we boarded.

 

To be continued.......

[Capri73]

I thought breakfast was included.

[ALB0711]

I thought breakfast was included.

 

We didn't use Paul Gaugin for flights or hotel stays. No breakfast plan with our bungalow.

[noodle]

Keep it coming. Love it.

[Keith1010]

Enjoying this and looking forward to more.

 

Keith

[Tiki_Man]

Allen

 

Thank you for the review, can't wait to read more. We do this itinerary on Aug 28th. Any hints are well appreciated.

 

Mark

[ALB0711]

Capri - thinking more on the breakfast - we may have had a free breakfast in the buffet and I just didn't know it. Bungalow room service was such a treat would have probably still done it even if we had a free buffet.

 

Anybody know if there is a FAQ somewhere for uploading photos to the thread? I'm having a heck of a time - get security token errors or failed upload messages.

[ALB0711]

I think I've got the photo upload figured out.

 

View from bungalow 507 in the lagoon - motu bungalows in the distance.

 

[ALB0711]

A few more pre-cruise details -

 

Because it was a special occasion, we splurged for a business class ticket. Booked it on our own well in advance for considerably less then Paul Gaugin wanted for the air upgrade. Our LAX friends purchased the upgrade day of flight for $900pp each way. Our advance business class booking cost about $1100pp each way over the cost of the coach ticket.

 

We were on the newly reconfigured planes both directions. The seats are almost lay flat - I'd guess you still have a 30 degree angle when fully reclined. There is a big difference between lay flat and almost lay flat. I kept waking up because my body would slide down the incline. I still managed to sleep a few hours each way. DW had no problem sleeping the entire way both directions. Entertainment system was funky. There was a motion detecting little square pad on the control in your seat that moved a giant finger across the screen where you could select films, tv, music or a flight map. On the outbound flight we had 20-30 films to choose from but the flight map didn't work. On the return we had only 10-15 films to choose from but the map worked. I'm guessing they are still getting the bugs our of their new system.

 

Food was very good in business, service was efficient but not as friendly as other businesses in Tahiti.

 

Not sure I'd spring again for the business class seats up front.

 

New business cabin -

 

[Emdee]

Lie flat is indeed a big difference from flat bed. Even Lufthansa and air france have this on most aircraft. Air canada, Singapore and emirates have the perfectly flat seats. That's why I have purchased the cheap upgrades at the airport but have never paid for the upgrade in advance.

[Familygoboston]

So excited to hear all about your trip and see your photos! Congratulations!:D

[ALB0711]

Boarding the Paul Gauguin was unlike any ship we've ever cruised on. We arrived about 2:45 and found a group of 15-20 other passengers waiting outside the dock gate to board. I presume those of us waiting all had our own transportation as the folks with the PG air and day rooms had not yet arrived. We filled out our health check surveys while waiting.

 

At exactly 3PM we were allowed through the gates and we were greeted at the gangway by the cruise director, the Gaugines and I believe the captain. I was surprised to be shaking the hand of the cruise director before I even got on the ship and was a little overwhelmed by all the people welcoming us onboard. Once onboard we were handed a glass of champagne and after taking a credit card imprint were given our room keys an we were escorted to our room by one of the cabin stewardesses.

 

We had booked a 6th floor balcony but wanted one of the 7th floor aft cabins that were already taken when we reserved. A few days before sailing my TA called to tell us an aft cabin had opened up and did we want to switch. Made the change to 767, the center cabin in the group of 5 aft cabins on deck 7. The cabin had the wonderful aft view we like and was larger then other deck 7 cabins. We loved it for the view, but on sea days with 10ft swells DW didn't handle the motion well. I would highly recommend this cabin to those of you with good sea legs. We've sailed in aft cabins many times before without issues, but on much larger ships.

 

We were treated to a bottle of champagne in our cabin when we arrived and later that night a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. Mmmmm!

 

 

After a quick room service steak sandwich lunch, we made our way out to the deck where I met cruise critic favorites Elmo and Effren. They and the rest of the bar staff knew my name and what I last ordered within a day or two of sailing. These guys are amazing!

 

 

Had our first delicious dinner in L'Etoile and went on deck for the sail away party. Ship left at exactly 10PM as we had no late passengers. Headed to our cabin to get a good nights sleep before our first port of Hunahine.

[ALB0711]

The staff will select a white and red wine that best match the dinner you'll have each night - and the selections are decent. I was half way through the cruise before I understood that in fact there are always a dozen or so wines you can have free of charge anywhere and anytime. If the red of the night is a Bordeaux and you feel like a Pinot Noir, just ask and you'll get it. One night in La Pallet we had a fois gras appetizer - asked for a sauterne and got it. Port was always available after dinner. The French influence serves us all well with wines.

 

The additional charge wines and spirits were great deals, if you could forget many free options were available. We didn't do a lot of premium choices, but when we did they were more then reasonable. I wanted a Calvados one night in La Pallet - waiter told me it was an additional charge, I'm thinking $10-$15, when he told me $4 I was embarrassed I asked.

 

There is an incredible premium wine list with some really rare and seemingly expensive options. I remember a Grange shiraz from Australia selling in the $800's. Not something I would buy, but asked the sommelier about it and he told me a group of Aussies from a prior cruise bought 5 bottles to take home with them. The ship buys fine wines in bulk and stores them. I'm guessing prices are set when the wine is bought and doesn't change. In addition to the Aussie shiraz there were several really nice Bordeaux's on the list and excellent Burgundies. I'm a Rhone fan and asked about Chateau-Nuef-du-Pape. None were on the list, but my new best friend Elmo told me a couple were in the cellar. Got both bottles for half of what I pay for them in a wine store here in Colorado. If you don't see something you like - ask.... you never know what is stashed in the "cellars" of the Gauguin!

 

Another wine tip - friends we made on the trip ordered room service dinner one night. They wanted a bottle of one of the standard wines served in the dining room. For some reason room service wanted to charge them $95 for the bottle - so they walked down to the bar and asked for a couple of nice glasses of the wine they wanted and enjoyed those glasses with their room service dinner.

 

Bon appetite!

[ALB0711]

Imagine a place so quiet you can hear a rooster from a half mile away – that’s Huahine. I was awake at sunrise as we passed through the coral channel, I’m not sure if we anchored or drifted in the protected lagoon. Of all the ports we visited, I did the least amount of research at Huahine. We decided to take the ships 4x4 trip which we thought would take us to very remote hard to drive to places on the island. As it turns out with the exception of maybe a half mile stretch of beach that could be navigated by any passenger car, all the roads were paved. Tour was fine and interesting, just not the 4x4 experience we were expecting. We stopped at several places along the road including the overlook where this picture of the ship was taken:

Tour went on to a pearl farm where we were put in a small motor boat for a trip out to a house built on the lagoon where they showed us how pearls were cultured. The demonstration was very well done. Pearls mounted and un-mounted could be purchased here. After returning to our “4x4” we were taken around the island to see the ancient fish traps, then a visit to a vanilla store, a short drive along a beach and finally a stop at a complex of maraes (Tahiti temples). The one and only decent rain shower we encountered on the entire cruise happed on the way back to the ship, just enough to cool us down and get a little damp.

Watched the sunset from our deck as we left tranquil Huahine.

We spent the rest of the afternoon on the ship, that night the casino hosted a blackjack tournament. The players in the tournament had so much fun, we decided to do it again the next night. Then the night after. The tournament ended up being a nightly ritual for several of us. We had dinner in L’Etoile, watched the Tahitian dance show. Seas were getting a little rougher as we started our sea day transit to Aitutaki.

[Emdee]

The buy wine on board tip is a valuable one.

 

We recently paid $190 for Opus 1 ( Forgot the year) when it sells for retail here in Toronto for over $300. Not only that it was a great way to use OBC. The sommelier on that cruise (not PG) line wrapped it in bubble wrap so it was well protected.

 

My only concern for the expensive wines on the PG is the storage and that they may be tossed a bit on the ocean.

[Emdee]

Glad you had a nice casino group. That is usually one of PG's weak points as the machines are archaic and the tables are often empty.

[ducklite]

The buy wine on board tip is a valuable one.

 

We recently paid $190 for Opus 1 ( Forgot the year) when it sells for retail here in Toronto for over $300. Not only that it was a great way to use OBC. The sommelier on that cruise (not PG) line wrapped it in bubble wrap so it was well protected.

 

My only concern for the expensive wines on the PG is the storage and that they may be tossed a bit on the ocean.

 

Emdee, this is true, although for finer wines they use a neat "hammock" device which keeps the bottle fairly stable even when the ship is rocking. Worst case, bring it home and park it in your wine cellar for a few months to let the sediment settle. Stand it up 48 hours prior to drinking so the same sediment moves to the bottle of the bottle, and decant through a strainer, leaving the last 1/2" or so in the bottle to avoid "sludge."

[ALB0711]

The ships casino is small and friendly and was never very busy on our cruise. We had one dealer and the casino manager who would also occasionally deal blackjack or roulette if the primary dealer was on break. Casino was open when the ship was at sea. I believe on sea days the table games didn’t open until the afternoon but the machines were open in the morning.

Blackjack had a $5 minimum bet and a $50 maximum bet. Games is dealt from an 8 deck shoe. Dealer doesn’t take her second card until all player hands are complete. You can only double down on a 9,10 or 11. Dealer stands on soft 17. You can only split aces once. Game rules were similar to what I’ve seen in Europe. The big “gotcha” for players used to an American game is that the dealer will win both your bet and your double if she gets a blackjack.

Roulette had a $5 minimum inside bet and $10 minimum outside bet.

Video poker machines could be played in denominations from .05 to .50 and $2000 is the largest jackpot for a royal flush with the maximum bet at the .50 denomination. While I didn’t look at the slots, I’m pretty sure they were also playable from .05 to .50 with the biggest jackpot being $2000.

Ship doesn’t go to any American ports, so if you are lucky enough to win the $2000 jackpot – not tax form will be filed.

A blackjack and roulette tournament were offered each night. As mentioned, we had an active blackjack tournament crowd. I don’t think on our cruise there was ever enough interest for a roulette tournament. Tournaments cost $50 to enter. Prizes are awarded to the top 1 or 2 players with a 10% rake from the buy ins by the casino.

[dexddd]

Thanks Allen for the nice review and pictures. Couple lame questions:

 

did you buy the laundry package ahead of time?

 

what did you end up using for bug spray and was it effective?

 

Thanks.

[ALB0711]

Hi dexdd -

 

Yes we did buy the laundry package - and used it a lot. Sometimes laundry was returned same day and other times next day. They did a good job with it.

 

We used a vanilla mosquito repellent recommended by tikinthaiti - I bought it on amazon, don't remember the name off hand and it is put away. Hopefully tikinthaiti will read this. Funny thing - we encountered almost no mosquitos. Only place we ran into them was at the waterfall on the island of Tahiti. I suspect our going there during the dry season and the incredible luck we the dry weather had something to do with it. We were prepared for the worst - but got the best.

 

No such thing as a lame question!

[Escriteur]

I also took Tiki's recommendation on the vanilla bug spray; here's the link to it: http://www.buggspray.com/

 

I didn't encounter many bugs (apart from our pre-day-room tour of Tahiti on disembarkation day), but the BuggSpray seemed to work well for me. It certainly smelled nice!

[ALB0711]

Awoke on our first sea day to what we were told were 9 foot swells. My GPS indicated the ship was going at its’ maximum speed of 15 knots. The motion in our aft cabin was enough to get both DW and I to wear patches which we continued to wear for the next 3 days.

Both of us had booked massages in the ship spa. Prices are typical of a resort or cruise ship with the base 50 minute massage for $130, we choose the oriental massage at $150. Before our massages the spa had reserved the steam and dry sauna for us. Steam room and sauna are really small and are shared by men and women. I believe they can be used only with an appointment, but also believe that you don’t have to have a spa service to use them. After our massage we signed the charges to our room, this was the only time I saw a line on the receipt to add a tip on the PG. We did tip as if we were having the massage on land, seemed like the right thing to do.

This evening we had our first dinner in La Veranda. In hindsight, I probably would have done this on a non-sea day as my appetite wasn’t what it normally is. Very much enjoyed the over the top and beautifully plated food in La Veranda. I’m glad we went early in the cruise because about day 6 La Veranda changed their menu. I was told later that on cruises longer than a week the menu is changed to give passengers a reason to come back.

Tuna 3 ways

Mushroom risotto

We finished our meal with the vanilla cream brulee everybody here talks about. It lived up to our expectations!

Watched a show with cruise director Michael Shapiro singing Broadway songs. One of the interesting things about small ship cruising is that the cruise staff all have several jobs. Michael was friendly, approachable and he really could sing!

Headed back to our cabin to rest up for our big day in Aitutaki

[Tikiintahiti]

Buggspray is the name. As we went to FP 13 times before cruising we were on land all the time so it was imperative to have some sort of bug spray. We do not use is near a much as we once did because we are on a cruise ship so no bugs.

 

Having it is still important as pre/post stays can have bug issues plus any tour that isn't on a lagoon. ;)

[ducklite]

ALB0711--this is great info!

[Tikiintahiti]

Are you sure that is a picture of crème brulee? Sure doesn't look like it and for sure doesn't look like the desert we were served several times on the PG.