Oceanview Paul Gauguin or Suite Tahitian Princess

My husband and I are trying to decide between an Oceanview cabin on the Paul Gaughin and a Suite (either mini or OS, not sure yet) on the Tahitian Princess. Our travel agent swears that it must be PG, and we understand that there is no comparison on service, but we’d really love a balcony, and would need to do the more affordable TP for that. Has anyone been on both ships? We could really use some help deciding on this one. Thanks!

I have pondered the same thing, but I come to the same conclusion.

The Owner's Suites on the TP are wonderful and the ship is very nice, but there is so much more to the experience than the cabin. The service, food, inclusiveness, less passengers, etc. all come down on the side of the PG. Remember: Princess makes sure its product is consistent regardless of the ship's size.

I guess if you plan on spending lots of time in your suite then the TP might be an OK option, but if you intend on being out there and enjoying all the other aspects of cruising, it is hard to find a reason to take the TP over the PG.

However, if you like the Princess product and don't think the higher level of service, food quality, etc. will do much for you, then it may be something to consider. Put another way, I would rather have a small, really well prepared meal and truly enjoy it, than an OK all you can eat buffet. I think that is a fair comparison.

Thanks, Iamboatman. The buffet comparison really does help. Have you been on either ship? Do they offer similar excursions? My husband plans on doing a lot of diving, so that's important to him, and being able to join a group I feel safe alone with is important to me.

From the diving perspective, there is not better way to do Tahiti than on the PG. PG is your private dive boat, but with 5 star accomdation & food. You get on the zodiac at the back of the ship (marina) and go directly to the dive site in less than 10 minutes. The dive masters on board are the best you can find. The cost of the dive are the same as outside vendor. Oh, at the end of the cruise, there is a diver party with slide shows. The dive masters have real underwater camera and they take pictures of you throughout the dive. Of course you can buy the slideshow at the end:)

I've been on the Tahitian Princess, but not the PG (have been on the Seven Seas Mariner twice). The TP is a really nice ship, only about 700 passengers, and really nice cabins. There was a nice mix of honeymooners to active seniors. We had no complaints at all on this cruise; I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Tahitian Princess, especially if there was a considerable price difference with Regent.

I have been on both ships, this year. Dollar for dollar the Tahitian Princess is far and away the better value. A balcony is a MUST on either ship; the south pacific is really an outdoor experience. Watching the sun set over Bora-Bora from your own balcony, sipping on a cocktail and enjoying hor-d’oeuvres; what can I say, it is not the same as looking out your stateroom window.

If you have not cruised with RSSC before, I would not waste my money on the PG. Do one of their other ships, they offer a fantastic level of service.

Between the two ship the PG does offer a little bit better service. The extras, better linens, wine with meal, smaller passenger load, their private island stop, lecturers, and the Gauguins (Hostess) are not match by Princess. But, neither is the price.

A lot of this really depends on who you are and what are your expectations. If you are a Crystal, Seabourn or RSSC kind cruiser and like that "experience" then you may like the PG (I didn’t). If you are looking for a great first time in Tahiti and her island, then take Princess.

Jay Mariner

(RSSC, 150 days+)

Traveller94, you are getting quite a variety of opinions so I'll add one more to the mix. I too have been on both ships and much preferred the PG to the TP (albeit I did have a balcony cabin on both). We are into water sports which ARE included on the PG but not on the TP. You will also have a motu day on the PG which is fabulous. Have you looked into doing a pre cruise stay on one of the islands like Moorea or Bora Bora? That is what we've done and glad we extended our vacation a few extra days.

Regent now includes liquor 24/7, plus the gratuities are included. Between this and the water sports these can really add up so the PG may actually be less money, depending on your lifestyle. They have specials which include air, hotel stay in Los Angeles depending upon where you're flying in from. There are a lot fewer passengers on the PG as well. I'd vote for the PG over the TP.

JMARINER and newyorkgolfer41, thanks so much for replying. It's great to find people that have done both.

Here's our background: we're from CA, have sailed on Princess, RCCL, Cunard, and years ago Carnival. We've enjoyed all our cruises. Cunard the least, but I think that was because a transatlantic crossing wasn't really for us.

My husband plans to do a lot of scuba diving, and I'll probably take island tours or beach stops, as I don't dive. He wants great diving, and I want to feel safe on the tours alone.

Given all this, any more thoughts?

JMARINER and newyorkgolfer41, thanks so much for replying. It's great to find people that have done both.

 

Cunard the least, but I think that was because a transatlantic crossing wasn't really for us.......

 

My husband plans to do a lot of scuba diving..........

 

Given all this, any more thoughts?

Scuba on PG. Well the ship is set up for this. They have 2-3 Full time dive masters on board and they know their stuff and were to dive. Prices for Dive tours are reasonable. However, if you take Princess you can pre-arranged with many dive shop in all the island ahead of time also. A lot depends on how experienced he is. The ship dives are regimented to the lowest experienced diver, the ship is VERY and in my opinion over worried about diver qualifications. To some this is a good thing, to others it is a limitation. The island diver shops tend to have customer who’s reason for being there is diving, not cruising.

Cunard vs Regent. I do not like Cunard either. Far to stuffy in any of the grills. The PG is much more casual. No formal night, ever. I never wore a tie. However, the Tahitian Princess is unlike any other larger Princess ship. Small passenger load about 700 but twice that of the PG, but it is also physically a much bigger ship. I like the ship’s interior design and layout. As you know this was originally built for Renaissance line and is much nicer than other Princess ships. Service is very good on the TP. Balcony cabins are nice sized. The mini suites are very large and comfortable.

Like I said before, if you want to have the Regent experience book one of the other ships, Navigator, Mariner or Voyager. I have been on them all and IMO the PG doesn’t come close. If you were happy with your prior Princess cruises, then you will love the TP.

newyorkgolfer41 said that the ship now has an “open bar” liquor policy. I do not think that is in effect yet. It is for the World cruise and will be fleet wide after the World cruise is over (April 07?), but not now. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Jmariner

Next cruise RSSC Mariner LAX-FLL 26Dec06

newyorkgolfer41 said that the ship now has an “open bar” liquor policy. I do not think that is in effect yet. It is for the World cruise and will be fleet wide after the World cruise is over (April 07?), but not now. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

Jmariner

Next cruise RSSC Mariner LAX-FLL 26Dec06

Sorry you are INCORRECT on this one. The open bar starts with the Holiday cruises this year. I'll be on the New Years cruise on Voyager and it's open bar.

From everything I've read (and I've looked at it forwards, backwards, and upside down because my SO and I want to do Tahiti next year), we'll be sticking with Regent for quite a few reasons. One being the ship is smaller. Another being it's all inclusive; that includes soft drinks, wines, liquor, beer, water, etc., the free water sports, open diningroom seating, NO TIPPING, more space ratio, the motu day, the onboard lecturers, and no nickel and diming.

Another is from RSSC.com :

The Paul Gauguin was designed specifically for sailing French Polynesia year-round. She offers a watersports marina, a choice of three single seating dining venues and an extensive spa are among her six-star attributes. her beloved troupe of Gauguines - part cruise staff, part entertainers, part storytellers, add the unique personality of French Polynesia to every cruise.

Watersports PlatformWatersports are a highlight of the Polynesian experience. The ship's small size allows it to navigate in shallow lagoons and narrow channels where larger ships may not sail. With the specially designed retractable watersports platform, guests may descend to sea level where they can conveniently hop aboard a windsurfer, launch a kayak, try a little waterskiing or set out for a SCUBA diving expedition. A scuba certification program is offered on board.

BTW: all of the above except the scuba is no extra charge.

The PG is 19,000 tons with 320 guests. The TP is 30,277 tons, and 670 guests.

Let's look at overall size:

Overall Length: 513 feet on the PG vs. 592 feet on the TP, a difference of only 79 feet.

Beam 71 feet on the PG vs. 83.5 feet on the TP, a difference of only 12.5 feet.

The space to guest ratio on the PG is 60, on the TP it's 44.

There are 211 crew for the 320 guests on the PG vs 373 crew for 670 guests.

Staterooms on the PG are 202 sq feet not including balcony. Balconies add another 37 sq feet. approx.

On TP a balcony room is Approximately 216 square feet, including balcony.

If scuba is your husband's main desire, I think the PG is a far better option. You want time, location and less crowds for those things and the PG is set up for it.

Also, I think you will find the shore excursions on the PG to be higher quality and less crowded. Granted both are smaller ships, but Regent usually does a much better job.

There is, however, no comparison in the accommodation area. The owner's suites on the TP are wonderful and far, far, superior to standard balcony cabins on the PG.

There is a BIG price difference between the two. If that is a major concern, I would check out the pricing for excursions, consider what you drink (even bottled water) and do the math.

As I have said before if you are a diver, PG will be a MUST for Tahiti. I also recommend doing the 10days itinerary instead of the 7. You will get to do Rangiroa where the Tiputa Pass current drift dive is the best for advanced divers.

All the dives are split up into groups. where the new will never go with the experience divers. The experience people go do “crazy” stuff.

If you are history buff, you must go on the Trail of the Ancients excursion with Mark Eddowes, he is the resident archaeologist who will also lecture on PG.

To JMARINER,

I am a novice diver and if you think the dive master on the ship is too regimented. You should meet my NAUI instructor. He gives matching orders and nobody will say “No sir!”:eek:

We didn’t get a balcony, not because we cannot afford it. It is just not necessary for us. We are always out and charging (either up the hills or down the water). We only go back to our room to change and sleep. The main draw for us to PG is the country club casual, open seat dinning and inclusiveness (tips, soft-drinks etc). Ask yourself & husband what in a vacation that you really wants and you can decide for yourself. Oh, we are in our early 30s from San Jose, CA, if that make any of our opinions relevant to your situation.

If you're an outdoor kind of person, the balcony will not be missed (or at least very little.) The PG has so many activities both on and off the ship, that you're not really in your cabin much. And if you like to swim and snorkel while your husband's off diving, you will have the full motu day (which is fabulous), and two afternoons on a motu off Bora Bora.

Oh, and I think somebody mentioned this, but it deserves emphasis--none of this silly formal night nonsense!

The enrichment lectures are excellent, the ship's excursions reasonably priced, the Gauguines wonderful.

Having returned last month from a terrific cruise aboard the Tahitian Princess, I have a question to the divers that have been on the P.G.....Do all the scuba excursions depart from the ship and do they have lockers to store your dive gear? This is one aspect of diving & cruises that is like a pebble in your shoe. I like to keep future options open & we plan on returning in '08.

Mike

http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

This may not be the place for this particular question (my first post on CC). We will be cruising on the PG this January of 07, on their 10 day of Tahiti. Any suggestions for port activities that "shouldn't be missed"? We don't SCUBA, but do enjoy the water (snorkel, sailing,...) and the beach. We're also interested in the history and the people of the islands. Thanks for any guidence you can offer.:)

PG (the marina) will keep the gear for you. I don't know if they have specific lockers for each person, but I saw they kept BCD & wetsuit for someone. Yes, 90% of the dive leave out from the marina (on deck 2, where you access through deck 4). The other 10% are either special request or the onboard dive is full so they have to use outside vendors.

I love the convenient. One minute after you peeled off the wetsuit, you will be running down the hall from the Marina back to the stateroom, call room service, jump into a hot shower. The next things you know, is a knock on the door with banana pancakes, lambchop and pizza :D .

On the side of the PG, there is the open bar, the motus, the casual dress, the open dining, better excursions and activities, better food, and the fact that the PG is a less crowded ship than the TP. On the side of the TP is only a lower price that would allow for a room upgrade.

Tahiti is a looooong trip from any point in the US. RSSC gets you there (if you book their air) as painlessly as possible on good airlines like Air Tahiti Nui, and (in many cases) even provides hotel near LAX to break the trip over into two days. RSSC also will provide a day room at a resort on Tahiti after you disembark and before your late night flight back home. I don't know if it is still the case, but "basic air" booked through Princess used to be a horrible charter flight with very cramped accomodations. You had to pay extra to get a "real airline."

Given the fact that it is a hassle to get from the US to Tahiti under the best of circumstances, we want everything first class and hassle free when we arrive. For us, that means the PG -- period. And remember, the PG's all casual dress code allows you to pack less, and lug less, on your way to the ship.

Thanks,

Richard

Thanks, Richard. You bring up some really good points. I'm not that fond of flying as it is, so the easier, the better.

One of our concerns with the PG was without a balcony, we didn't know where we'd keep all the dive gear. That stuff can take up a lot of space! However, from cwc's comment, it sounds like they dive staff will keep it for you. Anyone have more info on that?

Thanks again, everyone!

Confirmation on the gear storage for the entire cruise would be great! That alone would make up for some of the cost diff over convenience factor.

By the way, Princess now uses ATN also.....cost in Nov. for R/T from Austin was $1200 with the Domestic connections being on American.

The fact that on the 7 day PG itinerary you basically get 2 days on each island is a big plus.

Mike

http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Although I have not been on the TP, I have been on the PG and recently returned from my first Princess cruise. Regent wins hands down--food, cabin, service, excursions, everything!! If you want a really first class but casual (no formal nights) experience, you must book the PG. Although we had a balcony and I would highly recommend it, there are many uncrowded locations on the ship where you can spend outdoor time if you choose.

Greetings!

We just got off the Regent Seven Seas Mariner which sailed from Auckland New Zealand through the South Pacific to LA. All the suites on the Mariner have balconies, and we spent hours each evening on ours - it was pure delight.

We loved Tahiti so much that we booked the PG for December 1 next year. We really did not want to pay for a balcony on PG, and realized that because there will be free liquor in the bars, we will be spending much more time there than we did on the Marinier, where we still had to pay for it! (Regent is going all inclusive as of New Years Day on all their ships) We love water sports, and the watersports platform will be a wonderful experience:cool: .

Our personal theory is that cruiselines have a bottom line they have to meet. Regent charges upfront, and is all inclusive, while other lines nickle and dime you for everything from water to higher cost tours. That said, the World Ocean and Cruiseliner Society ranked Regent as Best in the 6 Star Plus market - Princess was ranked last in the mass market - if any of that matters...

I really don't feel there is any comparison between the two cruiselines RSSC is rated as a "luxury" cruise -- Princess is not. The differences between the two are numerous -- from dining to tipping.

It is important, in our opinion, to take advantage of PG while it is still under the management of Regent. Unless the current contract is extended, as of January, 2008, Grand Circle Travel (GCT)will take control of the PG. According to friends who cruised on the PG after it was purchased by GCT, the food and service were greatly inferior (note: GCT managed PG for a short time after it was purchased -- once Regent resumed management of the ship, it quickly regained its 5-6 star status).

The balcony on the PG was a plus because of the ideal weather and views (breakfast on the balcony was very special).

In our opinion, life is just to short to save a few dollars on a cruise line whose ratings are consistantly less than expected. The PG is a beautiful ship in every way -- we are sad that it will no longer be part of the Regent family.:o

We just returned from 7 days on the PG. My input may be irrelevent, (and probably does not belonging on cruise critic), but I would not take either cruise in French Polynesia / Tahiti.

For any other location in the world to cruise, I would select Regent over Princess.

If we were to do Tahiti all over again, we would just fly into PPT, ferry to Moorea and spend time, fly over to Bora Bora and spend time, and fly to some other islands, and do island tours and boat rentals and motu visits.

The PG felt, to us, like a large hotel out of place in the intimate lagoons of Tahitian waters.

We spent time before and after the cruise also, on land, and saw both ships cruising around the islands.

Onboard, the PG did not feel "small" to us at all. With 8 decks it felt really big! We are "accustomed" to the 5 star cruise experience and small ships.

In my opinion, you must have a balcony on the PG to get that intimate small feeling and the high end cruising experience.

I would guess that the PG was a great choice for divers (which we are not) - but all in all, it was not wonderful for our vacation needs.

In summation, if I were to choose all over again:

1. I would not cruise in French Polynesia at all. I would hop island to island on our own.

2. If I did chose to go on the PG cruise, I would definitely take a balcony.

3. I would consider the TP with a wonderful suite if I were not seeking a dive experience.

.....I think I just added more confusion to the mix.

If you make your decision by a by-the-numbers-only analysis, the TP looks to be by far the best value. Their prices would allow you to have a much larger cabin with a balcony and still have money left over.

However, my wife and I did a B2B in August 2005 on the PG and would sail the PG again in a heartbeat. We also used our time to get our SCUBA certification the first week and did an additional 3 dives the second week.

Here is a few things about our experience with the PG that I'd take in account. These are not comparisons, as we've never sailed Princess, but are some of the things that will keep us coming back to Regent:

o Passenger Density. Both weeks of our cruise was at compacity. However, with the exception of the main dining hall and tendering, we rarely shared any of the public spaces with more than a couple of folks. This lends the PG to accentuate the intimacy of French Polynesia.

o SCUBA. ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!! While we had nothing to compare the PG's Dive program to at the time, my wife and I have done several dive trips since and have realized that the PG's was the most professional that we have encountered so far. Yes, they will store your BCD/Reg/Wetsuit/etc for you. We did not do so, but I believe that you will turn your gear into the marina the second day when everyone is signing for their free snorkle gear. You may want to check with the dive staff the first night when you are signing up for your dives. They likely have another method of checking in your gear. Dominic, who was the main DM is a native Tahitian and is fantastic. Fred, who was our instructor, was phenomenal--although I'm not sure if he is still with the ship.

As for "crazy stuff" diving referenced in an earlier response, don't know what this might be. The deepest dives would be in Moorea at Ledges or the Shark Gallery, but those would only be to about 60 ft. Most of the other dives are only about 30-50 ft. By the way, the fish were so thick that Fred had to keep shooing them away so we could see his hand signals while doing drills. Off of Moorea, we had 10-12 black tip sharks circling within 6 feet of us and 2 lemon sharks lurking out further during each dive. We saw moray eels and turtles at every dive site. In Moorea, we came across a pod of whales on our zodiac trip out to the dive site. (No, the PG didn't charge us for the improptu whale watching excursion:) ) Did I mention that diving in Tahiti is wonderful?

o Dining. Listen, food is subjective. But ask Princess this: If you have the yerning for lamb chops, scrambled eggs, and freshly mixed salsa at 2am, will they have it to your room within the half-hour, even if lamb chops are not even on the room service menu? After the third day, we stopped even reading the menu and would order what we had the munchies for. The worst we were ever told was, "Sorry sir, we don't have -xx- on the ship. But if you want, we can have it on board within 24 hours." Cost? None. It's part of what you pay for. (One note, we found all the food absolutely devine...except the steaks. The PG doesn't do steaks & prime rib very well. Order something else and let them amaze you.)

o Service. Yes, the room steward's speed on the PG can be hit-or-miss. Our first week, the room service was lightning fast and efficient. The second week, it was a bit on the slow side. Why? The first week they room stewards starting on our end of the hall. The second week they started on the other end. Go figure.

However, by the second day, the staff were already begining to greet us as Mr. & Mrs Rxxxxxx. The head sommalier arranged a private wine tasting for us with over 7 wines and a wide assortment of cheeses. That night for dinner, he came over and paired each course with a specific wine. Why? Because we talked to him about our interst in learning more about wine and he wanted to serve. Cost? Not one red dime. You are paying for this type of service up front. Regent just delivers.

o Motu Mahanna & Bora Bora. Let's see. Second full day of the cruise you are tendered to a private beach, served any drinks you want (alcohol or non-alcohol) and have a pretty killer barbecue. Dominic and the dive staff are giving snorkling lessons. Waterskiing and kayacking out in the lagoon. Cost? You got it, zilch, nada, nothing. There is also similar motu experiences both days in Bora Bora, less the barbecue.

o Shallow Draft Ship. Something that may people don't realize is the PG has a shallow draft. This means that it doesn't have to go into cleared harbors like the larger ships. Instead, it anchors smack dab in the center of each island's lagoon. The benefits are two-fold, tender times of only about 5-10 minutes and when you are on the ship at "port" you are fully enveloped in the beauty of each island.

The question for you is does the intangibles we found on the PG make up for the difference in the price? For us, the answer is a resounding yes.

Whichever cruise you choose, enjoy. French Polynesia is a truly magical place.

v/r

Jan

I agree with Jan - the PG is fantastic! We were on it last year and are going again the end of January. We didn't feel the need for a balcony either time. It is never really crowded up on deck. We also love not packing sport coats, ties, evening wear, etc. CC casual is the way to go!