Questions about Paul Gauguin dining

[longduo]

I am more than a bit confused :confused: about the dining on PG.

 

 

All of the other cruise lines we have sailed on had a main dining room with either assigned times and tables or open seating depending on the line. They also had alternative restaurants where you needed a reservation and there was an additional charge(Celebrity, Princess, HAL) or no fee (Oceania). The set up on the Paul Gauguin is unclear to me. Any info and/or pointers would be greatly appreciated!:)

 

 

It sounds like La Veranda is the equivalent to the main dining room open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However dinner there is by reservation only???? Is that correct? I read that it is like a French bistro at night.

 

 

L'Etoile is open only for dinner, but I see no mention of reservations. Is that right? I've seen it described as international cuisine as well as Polynesian.

 

 

Le Grill is indoor/outdoor with buffet breakfast and lunch. Is dinner served by waiters there? Do you need a reservation? Is it mainly grilled foods? It sounds like the most casual. Seems it could be breezy eating outside at night if the ship is moving.

 

 

I understand we can make dinner reservations on the Regent website 28 days before departure. Is that necessary? Can you only make a certain number of res in advance? If we are traveling with another couple can I reserve for all 4 of us in advance? Once you are on the ship can you reserve as much as you want?

[Bearnaise]

La Veranda and Le Grill are the two options (besides room service) for breakfast and lunch, one being outside and the other inside, no reservations necessary. L'Etoile is closed for breakfast and lunch.

 

L'Etoile is the "main dining room" with open seating for dinner, no reservations. La Veranda becomes the Cordon Bleu French restaurant at night, reservations required. Le Grill becomes the Pacific Rim/Polynesian restaurant at night, reservations required. You may make one reservation for each of the reservation restaurants prior to your cruise. To reserve with another couple, I'd bet you can both reserve for the same time and they'll seat you together - but you might want to confirm the arrangement as soon as you board.

 

Sample dinner menus for each venue can be found on the RSSC website.

[NC&KY]

Le Grill may appear to be the most casual for dinner, but my wife and I found it much better than La Veranda. We thought the menu was more varied, including grilled and other entrees, and much better. Plus our experience with the service in La Veranda was not good. We felt very rushed, even though there were empty tables. The second we finished one course, the next was put in front of us.

 

You can only reserve one night at each before your cruise, booking additional nights once the cruise starts is easy. But note: the menu for both remains the same every night.

[Emdee]

There are usually empty tables at La Verandah because they have staggered dining there.

 

I had excellent service there last august. The chef was not as accomplished as the chef in L'Etoile but he made it up with personalized service. He made an effort to come by and find out how we enjoyed his food and even made a special something for me which I hadnt ordered. Ivan was the Maitre there at that time. I understand he was to leave the fleet.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Yes, I concur that there are supposed to be empty tables in La Veranda at dinner, since it's supposed to be an intimate French bistro.

 

Oh, if you're lucky enough to be on a 14-day itinerary, the menu in La Veranda changes the second week. Not sure about 10 and 11 day cruises.

[NC&KY]

We were on a 10 day cruise, and the menu did not change.

[longduo]

Thanks so much for those replies! Now it all makes sense to me. We are looking forward to trying all of the dining venues on the Paul Gauguin.

[zebra6797]

Just returned from the PG. Most info posted above is correct.

 

Here is just another heads up if you didn't know. The menu changes in L'Etoile every day. In the other two dining areas the menu changed little, if at all, for the week. (Exception: Lobster served in all three restaurants on Thursday night).

 

We preferred L'Etoile for dinner because it was different every day, and no reservations required. On the other hand, it was never a problem to get a reservation in the Grill or La Veranda.

 

Breakfast we ate every day in the Grill. We never went hungry :)

[Rally]

Just returned from the PG. Most info posted above is correct.

 

Here is just another heads up if you didn't know. The menu changes in L'Etoile every day. In the other two dining areas the menu changed little, if at all, for the week. (Exception: Lobster served in all three restaurants on Thursday night).

 

We preferred L'Etoile for dinner because it was different every day, and no reservations required. On the other hand, it was never a problem to get a reservation in the Grill or La Veranda.

 

Breakfast we ate every day in the Grill. We never went hungry :)

 

We were on the PG Brisbane to Papeete crossing Feb. 5. L'Etoile is open for breakfgast, lunch and dinner. La Veranda is open for lunch and dinner (by reservation.) The gril is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (by reservaiton only.) OPur preference was La Veranda (first) and L'Etoile (second) and The Grill (third.) Pick one, get to know the maitre 'd and a waiter, then stick with them.

[cruiseej]

Pick one, get to know the maitre 'd and a waiter, then stick with them.

 

For what it's worth, we've traveled very differently on the PG and enjoyed it just as much. We never felt the need to sit in the same area every day, get to the dining room at the same time every day, or stick to any pattern. I'm not disputing Rally's suggestions at all, just saying that there's not necessarily one single approach that works best for everyone.

 

-- Eric

[CarynCruiser]

I posted a lengthy review of my PG experience in December (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=944829&highlight=) prior to refurbishment. Without rehashing all the issues and to strictly comment on dining: I'd suggest dining at Le Grill on evenings when the ship is in smooth waters or docked. That way it is not windy. The food there, and the service, were excellent both times and it always has Polynesian-themed food on the menu. La Veranda (an odd name for a French bistro in French Polynesia) offers very little French anything, but the service and food is usually very good. Le Etoile (now why wouldn't they have named the French bistro that?) does have the more varied menus but service and food is rather undependable.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I believe it's La Veranda that serves breakfast and lunch. L'Etoile is only open for dinner, except on embarkation/debarkation days.

[janesm]

Perhaps I am in the minority but I have sailed ont he PG twice and Le Grill is my absolute favorite for dinner. Althought the menu is basically the same each night, there are specials each night and everything is great. The waitstaff is friendly and more approachable than that at L'Etoile. At L'Etoile I felt like I was at a wedding reception - no service with a smile and substitutions with a grudge. This was on both sailings. Le Grill staff was always more than amenable to substitutions and often brought us extra wonderful things we did not order.

We had room service on our balcony every morning and I can't think of a better way to start the day. If you don't see what you want on the door-hanger card, just write it in.

[NC&KY]

If you're in a minority, we're right there with you. Le Grill was great, La Veranda also. I will not go back to L'Etoile; overrated food and rushed service.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Although I have always enjoyed L'Etoile, Le Grill has been my sentimental favourite from the beginning. On our last trip, in December, the food and service in Le Grill were second to none.

[MtnDriver]

Although I have always enjoyed L'Etoile, Le Grill has been my sentimental favourite from the beginning. On our last trip, in December, the food and service in Le Grill were second to none.

 

Like usual, we agree with Wendy about most things having to do with the MS Paul Gauguin. We often ate in L'Etoile, loved Ivan's tour of duty in La Veranda, enjoyed a casual lunch or two in Le Grill, but our favorite of all was the special evenings in Le Grill.

 

Most of all, relax and enjoy yourself!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Our meals in La Veranda were great this time as well, really nice, and certainly not as rushed as L'Etoile.

 

I agree with MtnDriver (as usual!) The main thing is to relax and enjoy yourself!

[MtnDriver]

Oh, and definitely do lunch (heck, do the whole day!) on Motu Mahana!

[Aurite]

Oh, and definitely do lunch (heck, do the whole day!) on Motu Mahana!

Aloha, Definately agree! Were on the first tender going and the last tender comming back. We go both weeks on our B.T.B,s; as well. Were counting down the days.:)

 

Larry and Cindy

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We were on the last tender back this time, and there were people who were in the water literally until just before the boat pulled away! Boy, I wish they could bottle that place!

[Bearnaise]

We were on the last tender back this time, and there were people who were in the water literally until just before the boat pulled away! Boy, I wish they could bottle that place!

I'm about as excited as I can get about our upcoming PG cruise, especially since we've drastically curtailed our travel recently and I'm getting a major itch to go somewhere real soon. However, of all the great things I've heard about the ship and the FP experience, it sounds like the winner is the Motu Mahana day. If it only lives up to half its reputation, I'm sure they'll have to be dragging us onto the last tender. At least that will give them practice for our last day, when they'll likely have to drag us all the way off the ship and put us on the plane home at gunpoint.

 

To keep on topic, besides the minute steaks and fish filets I've heard they serve for the motu lunch, do they offer any other snacks throughout the motu day, hopefully sashimi or poisson cru? Eating raw fish on a (almost) deserted island is a Crusoe fantasy of mine.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Yes, they have poisson crue for lunch. I too love this, and look forward to it. There should also be a Polynesian themed lunch on board one day when they will have it as well.

 

Hot dogs, hamburgers, some kind of skewered meat, mahi mahi. A salad bar.

 

Coconuts full of rum and tropical mixes!

[Bearnaise]

Yes, they have poisson crue for lunch. I too love this, and look forward to it. There should also be a Polynesian themed lunch on board one day when they will have it as well.

 

Hot dogs, hamburgers, some kind of skewered meat, mahi mahi. A salad bar.

 

Coconuts full of rum and tropical mixes!

Ahhh!

 

Ahhh!

 

Ahhh!

 

You're making me hungry. I'm supposed to be on a diet for the next couple months so I can eat on the cruise.

 

I got addicted to poisson cru, can still taste it from my 2003 FP trip. I first tried it at the Moorea Intercontinental's seafood buffet where they had huge bowls of two styles, Tahitian and Chinese, plus piles of tuna sashimi plain and blackened, and a most amazing dessert selection. DW wasn't on that trip and I've probably raved about that particular seafood buffet to her a hundred times over the past five years until she's more than sick of hearing about it. Yesterday I was poking around the Intercontinental website and I found out that we'll be there for our precruise when they have their "Friday Soirée Merveilleuse" seafood buffet and show. Now she can experience it in person and I can finally stop raving!

 

But the motu really sounds like paradise. We booked the Taha'a 4WD tour, which I know everyone says to skip in favor of more motu time, but we're not able to do Regent's 4WD excursions on Bora Bora or Moorea due to conflicts with the dive excursions and the Taha'a one sounded interesting. We like vanilla at least as much as we like sitting on the beach and DW has never seen a living vanilla bean let alone an island full of them. Hopefully we'll be able to have our vanilla and eat our poisson cru too. Only problem with these cruises is you can't do it all and even 11 nights is way too short. I definitely see the logic of the back-to-backers.

[Aurite]

Ahhh!

 

Ahhh!

 

Ahhh!

 

You're making me hungry. I'm supposed to be on a diet for the next couple months so I can eat on the cruise.

 

I got addicted to poisson cru, can still taste it from my 2003 FP trip. I first tried it at the Moorea Intercontinental's seafood buffet where they had huge bowls of two styles, Tahitian and Chinese, plus piles of tuna sashimi plain and blackened, and a most amazing dessert selection. DW wasn't on that trip and I've probably raved about that particular seafood buffet to her a hundred times over the past five years until she's more than sick of hearing about it. Yesterday I was poking around the Intercontinental website and I found out that we'll be there for our precruise when they have their "Friday Soirée Merveilleuse" seafood buffet and show. Now she can experience it in person and I can finally stop raving!

 

But the motu really sounds like paradise. We booked the Taha'a 4WD tour, which I know everyone says to skip in favor of more motu time, but we're not able to do Regent's 4WD excursions on Bora Bora or Moorea due to conflicts with the dive excursions and the Taha'a one sounded interesting. We like vanilla at least as much as we like sitting on the beach and DW has never seen a living vanilla bean let alone an island full of them. Hopefully we'll be able to have our vanilla and eat our poisson cru too. Only problem with these cruises is you can't do it all and even 11 nights is way too short. I definitely see the logic of the back-to-backers.

Aloha again all,

Wendy was right on and don't forget the floating bar that will bring drinks right to ya at the waters edge. Life is great on the Motu. Bearnaise they also have Vanilla beans nicely wraped they bring to the beach from a local farm as well as other great shopping choices of local merchandise from pareos to pearls.

We will try to save ya some poisson cru, but no promises:D

We can almost taste it now!

Larry and Cindy

[MtnDriver]

Aloha again all,

Wendy was right on and don't forget the floating bar that will bring drinks right to ya at the waters edge. Life is great on the Motu. Bearnaise they also have Vanilla beans nicely wraped they bring to the beach from a local farm as well as other great shopping choices of local merchandise from pareos to pearls.

We will try to save ya some poisson cru, but no promises:D

We can almost taste it now!

Larry and Cindy

 

 

Oh boy! Now you have done it! I'm having flashbacks to that coconut (or two) full of 'beverage' brought to me seaside on the motu! I'll be thinking of you while we sail the Inside Passage this year!