Paul Gauguin

[Nigella]

Any feedback from Seabourn regulars?

[Capri73]

We were on the PG last summer. In our opinion we thought it was more a 3 star cruise definitely not 5 star.

The food and liquor were very poor.We spoke to the F&B manager and he explained that they cannot get decent wine and some staples because of regulations.

Some of the staff were very good. If you do not like smoke this is not the ship for you.Many smokers on our cruise.We experienced fighting at the pool over chair,people would hold all day and not come back. Very little shade.

Our suite was very worn , we had to ask to have a chair removed because it was so dirty.

All and all I cannot recommend this if you are a SB fan.

[Frank5]

That is a shame. It is a nice ship from which to experience the Society Islands. When Regent operated the ship, it was a genuine five star experience including the wine and food. The ship was also in perfect condition.

 

It was designed for the Society Islands with a somewhat shallow draft.

[sfvoyage]

I sailed on Paul Gauguin a year ago on their Society Islands & Marquesas itinerary. The scenery was gorgeous, and their excellent hosts & hostesses called "Les Gauguins et les Gauguines" were very talented and worked very hard to entertain, educate, and interact with the guests.

 

However, it is not a luxury line, contrary to their marketing hype - the food was bad (especially for vegetarians), the beverage selection was bad (for instance, they don't pour champagne, just a bad french sparkling wine), and the service was way below SB's standards. All the hardware - the rooms, public areas, the ship itself - looked old and outdated and required a thorough renovation and update.

 

Actually I wrote a review of that cruise on cruisecritic:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=266398

 

You will be disappointed if you go on PG with the expectation of a luxury experience that remotely resembles that of SB. However, PG does have a loyal following, because the scenery is so gorgeous. But the bottom line is that they do not deliver value for money and they fail to live up to the luxury experience that their marketing materials promise.

Edited October 16, 2015 by sfvoyage

[georg0]

We had a wonderful cruise on Paul Gauguin when it was a Regent Ship. We returned last year, and had another wonderful cruise. The staff was great, the stops are breathtaking, the Food was excellent and we enjoyed it very much. As a Regent, Seabourn, and other cruiser, I notice many comments which seem to be either eye of the beholder, or a bad experience, or a good time. We have no hesitation taking the Paul Gauguin again, and hope to experience the new sister ship. I guess I am a little surprised that this thread showed up on a Seabourn thread. We are currently on the Montreal- Fort Lauderdale Quest trip and having a great time (but in fairness miss the south pacific) .

[marazul]

Friends of ours just returned from a Windstar cruise to the Society and Marquesas islands and had a wonderful time. The ship seemed to be more upmarket than recent PG reviews tell. It might be worth looking into it.

[Frank5]

If you want to visit the Society Islands and cannot find an excellent luxury cruise, consider spending half your visit at a 5 star hotel on Moorea and the other half at a 5 star hotel on Bora Bora. We did this several years following our Regent Paul Gauguin cruise and enjoyed it more than our outstanding cruise.

[Capri73]

If you want to visit the Society Islands and cannot find an excellent luxury cruise, consider spending half your visit at a 5 star hotel on Moorea and the other half at a 5 star hotel on Bora Bora. We did this several years following our Regent Paul Gauguin cruise and enjoyed it more than our outstanding cruise.

I agree. PG just was not for us.

[Jim Avery]

We sailed PG this last January and have mixed feelings. First, the good. The ship was in great shape and our cabin was very nice. A basic Three Deck. Food, especially the locally sourced seafood, was very good. As others have noted, due to logistics and lack of choice, there can be some bloopers in the food department as compared to Seabourn in the Med. Service was very good but then we only had 198 passengers with 220 crew. Throw in another hundred plus passengers and we would probably have felt crowded. The beach picnic on the Motu was spectacular and well organized. We liked the entertainment (and lack of) on board.

The not so good or bad. Air was included on Air Tahiti Nui. NEVER AGAIN! Easily the most cramped flight ever and the don't give a da*n attitude of the air crew was also a new low after uncountable flights. We stayed at the Intercontinental and were not impressed. Room was less than clean and service very lackadaisical. As expected, everything was pricey due to where it is. For our money, the BVI is just as pretty if not prettier given the third world look of most of the islands we visited. Not as bad as Jamaica but getting there. So, would we do it again? No. Would go on Seabourn or SeaDream in the Caribbean.:D

[Frank5]

The Society Islands are not very developed - possibly like Hawaii may have been before WWII. For some travelers this lack of development has significant appeal. For other travelers, it is a disappointment. The second problem or appeal of the Society Islands is their remote location requiring a long flight. The third problem or appeal is that these islands do not have lush and extensive beaches because they are protected by coral reefs which in turn produce incredibly beautiful lagoons.

 

Because Moorea and Bora Bora are two of the most beautiful islands in the world, I believe staying at one of their five star hotels is a better way to experience the scenery and tranquility of the Society Islands than a cruise. However, you should be willing to endure a long flight and want a low key and quiet holiday to unwind primarily by taking in the spectacular views and by spending lazy days reading, eating and sleeping. You should also be prepared to spend a significant amount of money because everything is very expensive including food.

 

If you want a traditional beach holiday with beautiful scenery, the conveniences, shopping and restaurants that come with development and a short flight, you can't beat the BVI.

[georg0]

True, the Society Islands and the south pacific are different. The Paul Gauguin does an excellent job visiting them, and providing a great experience, with a degree of pampering. I agree Air Nui (steerage class) is miserable, but I disagree that better experiences than the paul Gauguin are found in hotels or one of the luxury lines. Probably similar to antarctica, the best visits are in small ships with many landing and the ability enjoy the raw quality of the locality. As my friends keep telling me, true luxury is found only in the best hotels. We prefer not to dilute the locale with the highest luxury or pampering. Our best cruising experience is still our first when my wife and two daughters were upgraded from an interior 4 bunk room to two first class cabins in the princess grill on he QE2 (Salvador Dali was in the Queens Grill). But our best travel experiences were the Trans siberian in a 4 bunk cabin before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Antarctica in the Grigori Mhekeev, an older russian research vessel on a Sierra Club trip, New Zealand in a Newman's camper, europe with two kids and a volkswagen van, and a small boat on the upper tributaries of the Amazon.. It is also true, we love pampering in the Connaught or the Four Seasons, but they aren't in antarctica, Russia, the south Pacific, or the Amazon tributaries. Lastly, why is this thread on Seabourn. We are currently enjoying a great Seabourn cruise visiting canada, but a much different experience than Moorea or Bora Bora.

[Frank5]

The Four Seasons has an excellent hotel on Bora Bora. I highly recommend it.

[Nigella]

The Four Seasons has an excellent hotel on Bora Bora. I highly recommend it.

 

I've had one of that hotel's gorgeous overwater bungalows on my bucket list for almost a decade.;)

 

Thank you everyone. Plenty to consider here.

[Capri73]

I've had one of that hotel's gorgeous overwater bungalows on my bucket list for almost a decade.;)

 

Thank you everyone. Plenty to consider here.

Please do not do it at the Intercontinental.That was our bucket list.We went for our 40th wedding anniversary.The rooms were damp musty and disgusting.We changed twice. Our friend the following year stayed at The Four Seasons said it was 5 star.PG uses the IC. I cannot stress enough not to do this.The IC is an in and out hotel not a vacation stop. PG also uses the Radisson we did not even check into our room.Cats roaming the balcony and the room was not clean. Please we have stayed at Days Inn, Budget hotels but we knew what we were getting. PG promotes themselves as a deluxe cruise. IT IS NOT.