Paul Gauguin vs Tahitian Princess???

[whammy]

Tough decision. Go on the PG in a room without a balcony at a cost of $5,000 more than the Tahitian Princess whose room has a balcony? Is the PG worth paying the extra 5 grand? We are both 41 and this will be our honeymoon trip. Neither of us have been on a cruise before so we don't know what to expect. Both ships have great ratings and nice reviews. No doubt the PG is a nicer ship but $5,000 nice? That can buy a lot of pearls! Please help us understand the intangibles that we can't see on an every day review. Trips under consideration: PG-14 day fiji to Tahiti on Nov. 18. TP-10 day FP - Marquesas on Nov. 20. We get married Nov. 10th and don't want to delay our honeymoon too long. We appreciate your opinions as we need to make the decision very soon. Thanks, Bill & Sue

[klauer]

You will probably get different opinions on this, but my husband and I were very happy with the Tahitian Princesss. It is a smaller ship (700 passengers?) than usual for Princess, and there were a number of honeymooners in their 30's and 40's. We have been on three Regent cruises, and in general prefer Regent to Princess, but I would not hesitate to cruise on TP again. With the money you save, you could fly business class, which I highly recommend for the long flight.

[jaguarprincess]

Hi Bill and Sue,

 

The jury is still out on this question, at least for me.

 

We went on the TP in 2003 and, for the most part, loved every minute of it. Our Owner's Suite, forward end of the ship, port side, spoiled us for any cabin we've experienced since (including other suites). There were a couple of crew members I felt could have used a remedial education in hospitality, but that's been true of every ship I've been on. The food in the main dining room was generally just OK (also true of every ship I've been on), the alternative restaurants very good.

 

Because of economic issues, we did not seriously consider the PG for that trip, but we never, at any time, felt we were somehow missing out on some better experience (that Owners Suite, with its outdoor teak dining table, sure did help to compensate). It was a milestone birthday for me, and I saw the Southern Cross, clear as diamonds, for the first time from my own balcony. Among all the other beauty, be prepared for night skies like you've probably never seen before. If you've never been to French Polynesia, and if you're not already disenchanted with cruising on "lesser lines", I'd strongly recommend you consider the TP and use the extra money (if there is any after you get the Owner's Suite) for a post-cruise stay in an overwater bungalow. The Sofitel Motu on Bora Bora is one possibility. The whole area is so fabulously beautiful, the water the clearest in the world, and you will be on your honeymoon. You may not need the extra amenities that come with the PG.

 

This time we've thrown economic issues to the wind, and we're going on the PG next month with friends we met on the first cruise! I'm expecting to be pampered and spoiled for any future cruise on an ordinary line. That's not necessarily an unmixed blessing, however. I'm looking forward to "the Regent experience", but I'm also just looking forward to snorkeling in French Polynesia again. As I said, the jury is still out regarding "is it worth it", but if you're still at sixes and sevens, e-mail me after September 6th, but, however grand the PG is, I predict my recommendation will remain: Unless funds are unlimited, invest in a post-cruise stay on one of the islands and/or the Owner's Suite on TP, if you can't swing it all and go on the PG. Enjoy Paradise and save the PG for an anniversary return trip.

 

All the best,

Mary Sue

[JMARINER]

Read the prior thread at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=455523

 

J

[chick geek]

We cruised the TP in 2006 and just came back from an 11 night Marquesas cruise on the PG. TP was good, PG amazing. Go for it if you can. Excursions (really good), lecturers (they were fantastic), all inclusiveness, service, food, private motus - just an over the top experience - we couldn't get over how much better it was as we thought the TP was good as it was a smaller ship with decent service, but then again we never cruised a luxury line. Really worth the extra $. We just booked another Regent cruise for June 2008 as we are really convinced that the extra costs are worth it.

 

Also, Regent's Air/Sea package was excellent and fairly priced (we left from NYC) - nice suite for a night at the Radisson a day before the shipped left port, transfers, breakfast, lunch and a nice room for the night and a full day before our flight.

[RachelG]

Part of the difference in price is that you are getting 4 extra days on the PG--clearly worth at least half of the $5000, if not more. The 7 day PG cruises are much less expensive, so if the price is a problem, I would just go with a 7 day on the PG instead of the 14 day. But that is just me--the extra per diem is worth it to me to have the all-inclusive with superior service and food and not hear my husband complain about ANYTHING. I guarantee I would have to listen to complaints if we were on the TP. Food and service are the main important things to him--doesn't care at all about a balcony. In fact, I don't think he went out on our balcony once during our Greek cruise. My best friend, on the other hand, would never cruise without a balcony because that is the most important thing to her--she practically lives there.

[Island Cruiser]

When you compare prices on the TP and PG, be sure you're not comparing apples to oranges. If you're buying more days on the PG, factor that in. What about cabin size? And remember the PG is all inclusive, the TP isn't. When we compare Regent prices to those of a line such as Oceania that isn't all inclusive we add $100/day per person to the latter estimate to account for tips and beverage purchases (we do enjoy our cocktails and wine service when cruising). You'll still pay more for a luxury cruise like the PG, but YOU WILL GET MORE. Open dining on the PG, more space per passenger (700 passengers on the TP vs. 320 max on the PG), more crew per passenger translating into better service, better food. We've cruised with Princess (not the TP) and had a wonderful time. We booked our first luxury cruise in 2003 (Regent, Voyager, Baltics) and were hooked. We believe the extra we pay is well worth it. (On my last Regent cruise, I was sitting in the theatre waiting for the crew show to start and a waiter I didn't recognize approached me and asked "Mr. Kennicott, will that be a manhattan up?") After all, it IS your honeymoon!

 

Patrick

[Island Cruiser]

Let me throw in just one more point. Most of us who cruise leave the ship wishing the cruise had been a few days longer. Most cruises just aren't long enough. For us, any cruise shorter than 10 days is too too short and 14 is far better. We sailed the standard PG 7-day itinerary in the summer of 2005. But we booked two 7-day trips back to back. We never regretted it. Booking b2b was the smartest decision we made that summer. If you can afford the longer PG cruise, go for it. The moment you board the ship you'll be congratulating yourselves for having the foresight to book the longer of the two itineraries. And at the end of your 14-day cruise you'll be thinking

it's a shame this cruise wasn't a few days longer.

 

Patrick

[alita]

This month's issue has a special section on choosing the right cruise for the 10 best itineraries worldwide. Surprisingly for French Polynesia they don't recommend Paul Gauguin because package tourists end up filling much of the ship. Their first choice is Cruise West's 'Spirit of Oceanus' followed by Tahitian Princess...

[mythologist]

I know the PG is more money, but I personally think it is so worth it. The food is the best of all the Regent's ships. Every morning I went up and had a big plate of fresh fruit, except one morning we went up to LeVeranda where I had the BEST banana pancakes I have ever had in my life. I didn't eat much seafood, but the others that did carried on about how wonderful it was. You can envision the same view from the pool deck as from your room, so don't worry abut not having a balcony. The PG is a luxury getaway that is truly a memorable experience. From the time you embark you will know that. This is your honeymoon. The start of your future. Do it right.

I wish you a wonderful cruise and a wonderful life together. Bon Voyage!

[catmommy]

Tough decision. Go on the PG in a room without a balcony at a cost of $5,000 more than the Tahitian Princess whose room has a balcony? Is the PG worth paying the extra 5 grand? We are both 41 and this will be our honeymoon trip. Neither of us have been on a cruise before so we don't know what to expect. Both ships have great ratings and nice reviews. No doubt the PG is a nicer ship but $5,000 nice? That can buy a lot of pearls! Please help us understand the intangibles that we can't see on an every day review. Trips under consideration: PG-14 day fiji to Tahiti on Nov. 18. TP-10 day FP - Marquesas on Nov. 20. We get married Nov. 10th and don't want to delay our honeymoon too long. We appreciate your opinions as we need to make the decision very soon. Thanks, Bill & Sue

 

Hi Bill and Sue,

 

Perhaps if you told us more about what kind of things you like we could tell you more which cruise might be better for you.

 

I have never been on the TP but I have to tell you that when I decided to cruise to FP I took the longer cruise on the PG. I hate the way flying is nowadays and I was not flying so much for just a week in FP.

 

We have cruised mainstream lines and the contrast to me was the lack of nickel and dime charges. When you wanted a drink you asked for one and got it without having to dig for a cruise card. Wine was included with lunch and dinner. My husband and I are not big drinkers but it was nice to drink anything without seeing someone's hand out. There were minimal announcements so you didn't feel constantly marketed to.

 

There were practically no lines. And any lines that there were, like for the tenders moved quickly.

 

The shore excursions were small groups and they were not excuses to get you to someone's shop.

 

The lectures were excellent and I felt that they increased my understanding of the area.

 

We did not have a balcony because that wasn't something that was important to us; we often went out on the deck to see us come into port.

 

They did have a very nice party for honeymooners and anniversaries; and since there were not a million of us it felt like a private party.

 

So is the PG worth $5000 extra? It really depends on what you like. What do you like in land vacations?

 

Also as someone said up thread make sure you are doing an equal comparison. On the PG you could easily not have a bill at the end of the cruise. No one pushes photos, or fou-fou drinks.

 

Good luck in making your choice.

 

Caroline

[Dolebludger]

Please read the prior thread in the post a few above on this thread, and also do a search on this board for this topic, as it has been discussed many times. In many ways, these two ships/cruises aren't similar enough to really compare. Like comparing a Ford automobile (the TP) with a Mercedes Benz (The PG). And yes, I own one each of these automobiles. While I do appreciate some of the aspects of the Ford, for a LONG drive, I pick the Mercedes every time. And it is a very LONG way to Polynesia. When I have gone (and when I go again), I'll pick the PG. Read the prior threads on this subject and you'll see why.

[Travelcat2]

This month's issue has a special section on choosing the right cruise for the 10 best itineraries worldwide. Surprisingly for French Polynesia they don't recommend Paul Gauguin because package tourists end up filling much of the ship. Their first choice is Cruise West's 'Spirit of Oceanus' followed by Tahitian Princess...

 

Just curious about your post regarding "package tourists" on the PG. Do you mean those that book through GCT (the owner of the PG?) Both Regent and GCT sell "packages" in terms of airfare, transfers and cruise being packaged together (although offered separately by Regent). Still, the PG only holds 1/2 the passengers of TP and usually runs full. Has your experience been that passengers not booking through Regent are different in some way?

 

This is in no way meant as a criticism -- it just may give an indication of what the PG will be like if/when Regent discontinues it's management in 2009.

[ridojar]

Congrats on being married on two (2) holidays- Veterans Day and the Marine Corps birthday- All things considered, the PG may be more of a memory for you. Either way you go, it's your honeymoon so enjoy

[tgh]

I always find these threads all at once entertaining and boring.

 

People say things like , the** was excellent .. the food was excellent .. but the wait staff were not so good...

These are really meaningless terms.

Someone from the plains of Nebraska ( my best guess as a dumb Aussie .. but you should get my drift ) .. who has only been to LA or NYC once , if at all , and who enjoys dinner at the local roadside diner ... .. will almost certainly have a different perception of excellence .. to a worldly traveller who habitually camps in six star hotels.

 

So , who are you , and what do you find comfortable .

 

We are shortly cruising pg ..but we have also cruised Princess .

We find the mass market experience perfectly utilitarian , in terms of food and accommodation and would be quite prepared to sail again if it suited..... but ... the following are some of the reasons we are trying the cruise lines a step higher .

 

I don't like the hassle of buying wine and signing for it at dinner . I don't like having to make a special order and having to pay for decent coffee , ( see I'm doing it too .. what does decent mean??) ..and I like even less the crowded melee that typifies the cafeteria's of these lines , with wet plates just out of the dishwasher , well worn plastic cups , quickly wiped wet trays and reconstituted juice out of a dispenser.

Many don't mind this , hence they might describe such an experience as excellent.

 

The cruise lines are just retail products targeted at different demographic models . As the customer , you must first decide who you are and what you consider acceptable .. before shopping

[Cruising Librarian]

I just grabbed the latest Conde Nast from the shelf and the entry on French Polynesia starts "The big name in South Pacific is Paul Gauguin, but package tourists end up filling much of the ship. Cruise West, on the other hand appeals to more independent-minded travelers. Its itinerary is one of the few to include islands on three different archipelagos, each of which has its own distinctive landscapes and cultures..."

 

Kind of odd since the Paul Gauguin usually makes their top 10 list of cruise ships, but it looks like this supplement focuses on itineraries. And like an earlier poster, I don't know what package tourists refers to. IMHO, it sounds like something they made up to disqualigy the PG:rolleyes:

 

BTW the Cruise West has only a single departure date listed.

[chick geek]

Regarding itinerary - we just came back from the PG Marquesas cruise and we did go to 3 different archipelagos (society, tuamotu and marquesas). It was actually one of the reasons we chose this trip. It was spectacular, far above Princess as I stated in my prior post. Not sure what the Conde Nast article is getting at.

[mp8shnt]

Was on the Paul Gauguin in March 2003 - (have been on many more Regent and Silversea cruises) - just about the same time the Tahitian Princess started cruising in the Tahiti area. Apples and Oranges? Not sure maybe Apples and peanuts. Regent's Paul Gauguin is a real class act - it's like traveling Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton at sea. It's knowing that every night when you go to dinner when you want and with whom you want you know you're eating at one of the best restaurants in Tahiti. Service is unbelievable. The Paul Gauguin does not have one inside stateroom - the Tahitian Princess, former Ren ship, has several. You can travel on the Tahitian Princess for more days for less money - it's just not the same. If you want a trip to remember - Regent Paul Gauguin.

[BethIRC]

We sailed the PG in 2002 and loved it. Our daughter requested Tahiti for their honeymoon in September. After researching TP and PG, I advised them to go with PG primarily on the itinerary alone, which I loved. The 2 full days at Bora Bora and Moorea are the best part of the itinerary. I look at any exotic destination, as a once in a lifetime experience. Therefore, I want to get my biggest bang while I am there. I believe it would be very difficult to experience the 2 most beautiful ports in one day each.

 

We also had friends staying for a week in an OWB on Bora Bora while we chose the crusie option. He is a fabulous French chef and they were totally disappointed in every aspect of the meals and service at their 5 star resort. They also did not get to see all of FP that we did with PG.

 

I, too, do not like "signing my life away" as you do on lesser cruise lines. If you are going for true value alone, I suppose TP would win. If you want a true experience and willing to pay the extra $ then PG is it! There were no surprises on PG. I am wishing we were going back with them in Sept!

[Dolebludger]

There have been reported problems by those who booked packages including the PG through GCT. Oh, there have been no problems with the onboard experience, but with things like alleged misrepresentation in pricing, land acomodations, and the like. Before booking anything with GCT, check with the BBB. Enough said.

 

There is no problem with the type of fellow guest who might have booked through GCT. They are fine people, just like the rest. But because of this additional booking source, the PG tends to sail fairly full these days. But she can handle it. When the PG is full, there is still more space per guest in rooms and public areas than on the TP when it is 2/3 full. And with the PG, there's enough service crew to go around too.

[Travelcat2]

There have been reported problems by those who booked packages including the PG through GCT. Oh, there have been no problems with the onboard experience, but with things like alleged misrepresentation in pricing, land acomodations, and the like. Before booking anything with GCT, check with the BBB. Enough said.

 

There is no problem with the type of fellow guest who might have booked through GCT. They are fine people, just like the rest. But because of this additional booking source, the PG tends to sail fairly full these days. But she can handle it. When the PG is full, there is still more space per guest in rooms and public areas than on the TP when it is 2/3 full. And with the PG, there's enough service crew to go around too.

 

 

Thanks for your input -- I pretty much thought this was the case (did check BBB) -- was just confused by the "package" term.:)

[Emdee]

I have to say that the mix of clientele has changed quite a bit since GCT took over. I had done it twice prior and once for after. I found the PG largely unchanged except now fully all inclusive otherwise. However, a lot more seniors - we have yet to reach the golden years but we met some lovely people on board. I found also a little more of the herding mentality on the last day and first day as well.

 

Miriam

[Travelcat2]

When GCT was booking trips prior to "9/11"., their customers had to be at least 50 years of age (or, one could be over 50 and one under -- don't recall). Basicallly, it was geared towards seniors. (They did have trips under the "OAT" name that I believe was for all ages). While I don't think they have that focus any more, it does not surprise me that the older population would be drawn to GCT.

 

We heard that younger couples travel during the summer, and when school isn't in session. Although I cannot think of a reason why a lot of seniors would be a problem (perhaps because I'm a "younger senior" -- if there is such a thing), your chances of less seniors but more children on board is best when school is out.

[kruzingtogether]

You'll have an unforgettable honeymoon either way -- French Polynesia is absolutely beautiful, and life doesn't get much more wonderful than beginning your marriage there :-)

 

We honeymooned on TP last year and absolutely loved the trip. We thought the food was pretty good (not on par with the nicest meals we have ever had, but we are spoiled!), and the service was very good on the whole. The ship itself was lovely, and the excursions we did through Princess were quite enjoyable. There were tons of honeymooners on board too. It was certainly the best vacation either of us ever had, and before we even left, we knew we would want to return soon!

 

And so the story goes ... within 9 months of being back, we booked our return trip. Next time we are going with the PG for a couple of reasons. First, we wanted to go during the Nothern Hemisphere summer, so we didn't have Princess as an option. Before Princess came out with the new itineraries, though, we had been leaning toward the 10-day PG because it is more port-intensive. When we were on the TP, we missed the stop in Rarotonga and had three [relatively miserable] days at sea. Not only were we upset about the missed stop (it really did look clear/calm enough to tender that day!), but we felt that Princess handled the situation poorly -- they did nothing to compensate for the missed port (on other cruises, we have had port fees refunded as onboard credit, free drinks for the day, etc.), they lied to us about the actual circumstances surrounding the missed port (they said it was 'weather', but one of the ship's engines was broken, which made the trip back to FP very slow -- they knew this on our way down to Rarotonga and also knew there was no way we would make it back to FP in time for the other stops if we didn't skip Raro), etc. All that said, these circumstances were probably more one-time things, rather than a systemic problem, but we didn't want to risk it for our return trip! The final factors that tipped the scales were the all-inclusive policy (think of tips alone -- at $10 p/p/d, add another $200 to TP right off the bat; then consider alcohol, the free motus on PG, etc.) and wanting a more luxury experience.

 

Good luck deciding -- but you will be in paradise no matter how you're sailing through it!

[wishIweretravelling]

Package could also refer to the groups that may turn up on the PG. On my recent PG cruise, we had two smallish corporate conference groups and a fairly good sized (given the size of the ship) "rewards" group--top sales people from a particular company that had been given the trip as a reward. The corporate groups mixed with the rest of us seamlessly. The rewards group pretty much stuck to themselves. But it wasn't a problem--in fact the division made the trip a bit more intimate for the rest of us. Not to mention that the rest of us got more officers' table invitations for dinner, which can be interesting.

 

The captain did indicate that having groups on the PG was pretty common, though most mixed better than this particular group did.