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Editors Note:
This review was submitted by a well respected Australian Travel
Professional following a private vacation paid for at his own expense.
Neither The ship nor the operators had any knowledge of his industry
affiliation.
Cruising on
the Paul Gauguin.
With the change
in management very close (end of year) we were a little apprehensive
about what to expect. Was the ship a little rundown? Was the service
going to be up to standard? Our expectations were high as previous
reviews had been very positive. What we experienced was beyond our
expectations. It was marvellous. The ship, the food, the service was
of the highest standard.
In more detail:
1.
Arrival and check-in: We arrived
in a group of about 20 passengers. The greeting was professional and
our baggage was removed from the coach and taken directly to our cabin.
The check-in, in the lounge, took about 2 minutes, we were handed a
glass of champagne then escorted to our cabin. Our bags were on our bed
ready to be unpacked. The longest time of any of the check-in
procedures was the time it took us to drink the glass of champagne.
2.
Documentation:
Received prior to travel was well presented and thorough. It had all
the details of the ship, what to wear, communications on board, optional
touring, brochures on the trip, etc.
3.
Cabin:
We chose a balcony stateroom on level 7. It’s a large cabin, total 239
sq ft and very well designed with ample cupboard and hanging space. The
bathroom was large and well laid out it had all the amenities you would
require and plenty of cupboard space. The balcony was ample in size to
sit out and view the surrounding scenery. The bed was on the hard side
but very comfortable. All the towels and bed linen was of a very high
quality. The cabin was very soundproof. Our cabin was under the disco
and we heard nothing.
4.
Restaurants
and Food: There are
three main restaurants. The Grill on deck 8 was more casual and
outdoors but protected from the elements. It was open for breakfast,
lunch and dinner. For dinner you had to make reservations. La Veranda
was on deck 6 at the rear. It was more formal than the Grill and was
inside and air-conditioned, however it did have some undercover outdoor
seating. This area was magnificent for lunch especially when moored at
Bora Bora or Moorea. Again reservations were required for dinner.
The main restaurant, L’Etoile was on deck 6 at the rear. It was open
for dinner and no reservations are required. All food was of the
highest standard as was the service. All the menus were changed daily
and at lunch they had a main theme, it could be German, Mexican, etc,
however they still had other foods on the buffet as well as a menu
option. The included wines were a selection of two whites and two reds
at lunch and dinner. They varied from Australian, US, Chilean and
French. There was ample food of the highest quality. Nothing was
spared.
5.
Ports of Call:
On the 7 night program the ship sailed the Society Islands – One night
at Raiatea, Taha’a, Moorea ( in fact 2 days) and two nights at Bora
Bora. Highlights- The beach barbecue on the ships own Motu (island) at
Taha’a. Bora Bara, one of the worlds greatest locations, you have to
visit to experience the beauty of this Island, and Cook Bay in Moorea
where the ship moors, absolutely stunning.
6.
Ships
Presentation: We
couldn’t find any faults. The upkeep of the ship was constant and not
one part of the ship showed any rust stains. All carpets were in
excellent condition as was all furniture. Taking into account the age
of the Ship, you would have thought it had just been launched.
7.
Communications
on Board: Mobile
phone reception was available throughout the cruise. When moored your
connection was through the local French mobile provider and at sea,
between the islands, your connection was through the ships mobile
connection. The Ship had an area set aside for internet
communications. For a charge, either by the hour or a plan for the
total cruise you can access the internet through a number of computers
(over 6) in the special area. You would not be out of communication at
any time.
8.
Sports
Activities: The
ship supplies free of charge snorkelling equipment for all guests and
these are of very high standard. They have a great marine platform than
extends from the rear of the ship and is operational at all ports. It
has kayaks, sail boards and water skiing at no extra charge. They also
have a dive programs for beginners and fully qualified divers. They can
supply all the gear and it’s of high quality. They also have a full
dive team and dive master. There is a fully equipped Gym and Spa. All
in all a very comprehensive operation.
9.
Entertainment.
There are shows each night, a disco for the young and young at heart, a
piano bar and a resident band. The casino has two tables. They also
have guest speakers whose topics are about the local people or
environment. One of the speaker’s, who is a regular, is Prof Mark
Eddows who entertaining talks are about Tahiti before the arrival of
Europeans and the real Mutiny on the Bounty - not to be missed.
10.
Service and
Crew: Of a very
high standard. Most of the service crew have been on aboard for a
number of years and its shows through the service. The maître’D not
only knew your name after a day but your cabin number. The cabin staff
again excellent - they even changed uniforms from light grey in the day
to black in the evening.
11.
Health and
Cleanliness: Just a
few points. At each restaurant, public area, even on the docks and at
the beach barbeque they had dispensers that automatically dispensed
alcohol based hand washing liquid. When any food items arrive on the
ship they are removed from their containers and the containers are taken
off the ship before the food is moved into the kitchen and
freezer/fridge areas. All buffet food not consumed during the meal is
disposed of – not used again at another meal.
12.
For Groups:
The ship is ideally set up for groups. They have areas you can use for
special functions and I am sure the crew would be happy to oblige most
requests. Their check in and baggage handling are also very
professional and one of the quickest I have experienced.
13.
Optional
Tours: They have
many. They are, as is normal, quite expensive but you are assured that
the quality is very high. We experienced high quality guides and
equipment. Two of the tours you must take are the Jet-boat circle island
tour in Bora Bora and the Lagoon and Snorkelling trip on Moorea. They
give you a chance to swim with stingrays and sharks (in Moorea). This
is an experience of a lifetime.
14.
Age Groups.
On our cruise the range was from the newly wed to the nearly dead.
There were more people in the age group 40 to 70. The ship can and does
cater very well for all age groups. Old and disabled passengers were
very caringly catered for.
To sum up. The
ship was one of the best we have experienced. Very well designed, an
ideal size and of the highest quality. It could not be faulted. Would
we do it again! You bet!
Please note: We
paid for this trip ourselves and the crew didn’t know of this report.
It is completely independent. |
