Is Paul Gauguin a good fit for us?

I have been following this board for a while. My husband's bucket list includes French Polynesia. His primary reason (and mine) for visiting would be to enjoy the beauty and culture, not so much the water activities. He snorkels when it's an option, I do not. We're in our mid-60s, very mobile and independent. Is the demographic much younger? Would we be better suited to Oceania? (I will post this on the Oceania boards as well) And would we be paying for activities in which we would not participate? We have previously cruised Azamara and Regent...we truly love the smaller ships, and aren't interested in onboard entertainment, so that's a non-issue. After itinerary, great food and good company are our hot buttons.

I have been following this board for a while. My husband's bucket list includes French Polynesia. His primary reason (and mine) for visiting would be to enjoy the beauty and culture, not so much the water activities. He snorkels when it's an option, I do not. We're in our mid-60s, very mobile and independent. Is the demographic much younger? Would we be better suited to Oceania? (I will post this on the Oceania boards as well) And would we be paying for activities in which we would not participate? We have previously cruised Azamara and Regent...we truly love the smaller ships, and aren't interested in onboard entertainment, so that's a non-issue. After itinerary, great food and good company are our hot buttons.

We are on our seventh sailing on the PG next summer and we do it for the beauty, culture, and most importantly the ship and her crew. We feel so much at home and with our busy schedules it is the one kind of vacation where we can REALLY relax.

We do some water activities, but not diving and I don't even snorkel in open water (my DW sometimes does). I guess after six sailings, we pretty much do what we feel like and don't bother with the rest. I would say that you would fit into the demographic just fine.

It is a relaxed country club style NOT STUFFY. You do what suits you but you are in the most beautiful place on earth and if you have read these boards you know only P&G can move their small ship through the reef area and dock. This is their specialty and they bring the culture on board for you to soak it up.

Yes country club casual fits to a tee. Unlike other cruise lines there are no 'formal' nights. :)

A cross cut of the passanger list would surprise you. Young, old & in between. Most are seasoned cruisers, many returnees to the best ship in the Southy Pacific. This ship has a very loyal base.

I get what you are saying. I can't do water activities but I'm very active walking 4 miles 7 days a week in 50 minutes. The only time I felt kind of bad is when we did Patricks tour in Bora Bora. Yet it turned out to be one of my favorite days. I felt bad because everyone goes into the water as they make different stops for snorkeling. People always want to know why and then don't really understand when I tell them I have a serious balance disorder. Anyway, I loved, loved that day and everyday on the ship. We stayed for 3 days in Moorea ahead of time - working our own accommodations. The ship is SO much better! We enjoyed the historical talks and the walks- on our own sometimes, sometimes with guides. Relaxing lovely and cheaper way to see the islands than staying on them. The day on their private island is a day when you can do water sports, walks, join in on activities like learning to tie a pareos or relax, read a book and drink from a coconut.

Thanks, everyone, for your enthusiastic replies. Now we must decide whether to go for the 7 day cruise or one of the longer ones!

Thanks, everyone, for your enthusiastic replies. Now we must decide whether to go for the 7 day cruise or one of the longer ones!

Longer

Actually the there is really nothing wrong with the 7 day itinerary, except that it is too short. One of these years, I think we will do two 7's back-to-back, although I think we would miss Rangiroa/Fakarava (or maybe even the Marquesas).

We have done mostly 10's, plus a 7 and a 14.

I had originally planned to have a couple of days prior to our cruise (because I always romanticized about the OWB), but accommodations in Papeete don't get great reviews. So, we could change that up and take the longer cruise instead. We are retired, so time is not the issue...will we be bored on a 10-11 day cruise if relaxation is not our primary goal?

I guess I should have asked: which is your favorite?

10 - 11 nights, the itinerary on both is really nice.

I'm so glad you asked! I would have thought PG was all about the water activities myself, and having not even returned from my first cruise with them (in LAX) and I was so pleasantly surprised by just how much cultural activities were offered. You could make a whole cruise of it and never stick a snorkel in your mouth and have an amazing time. Sadly, we missed some cultural stuff doing water excursions (reason #1 to return).

Demographics on our cruise were about a dozen or so honeymoon couples and mostly couples (straight and gay) 40s -60s...but here's the thing, we socialized, even at the same dinner table or excursions with 20s, and 60s and everyone seemed to be having a fabulous time!

Hope you get a chance to go!

We did our first PG cruise in July 2012, an 11 night that included the Cook Islands. We had the most amazing time. We are 44 and 46. We were so worried about the demographics on the ship, the smallness of the ship and whether we would be bored with that many days. We should not have worried at all. There is a friendliness on board that can't really be described. There must be something in the air, maybe it is the beauty of the area or just that everyone is just soooo happy to be there. When I try to tell my friends about it I equate it to the typical elevator ride...most places you travel no one really acknowledges each other in the elevator, Occasionally you'll get a nod or a smile. On the PG my experience was the complete opposite. Every one was talking to everyone else. There were no awkward elevator moments. At the end of the 11 days we weren't quite ready to leave. Had we been getting on a plane that day I would have been in tears. We added a 3 night stay in Moorea in an OWB (my lifelong dream). It was a perfect wind down from the cruise, not to mention a shock (even though we knew) to have to pay for our meals.

The PG is an indescribable experience, one I would recommend everyone do at least once in their lifetime! I want to go back, but there is a lot of places we need to see and I want some time to pass before I go back. I don't want anything to taint the memories and if we went back too fast there would be too much comparing. You can't recreate an exact trip of a lifetime. We met so many wonderful people. We've cruised several times before but have never felt like this afterward.

Giskard,

Sometimes I think its just me and I am over hyping the experience so I am glad that you had such a wonderful time.

Honestly I find it gets better in time because the love affair is not just with the place but with the staff as well and this develops as one goes along.

I can't imagine anyone sailing on the Paul Gauguin and not loving every minute of it. :) The demographics span all age groups, though there are very few children. We're in our early 40s, and enjoyed meeting fellow passengers that ranged from young newlyweds to retirees. We loved going to L'Etoile (the main dining room) and having the opportunity to be seated with different people every night; we met so many interesting folks and enjoyed some great conversations. (As for the food, the meals were superb - and I'm a "picky" vegetarian!) It's such a small ship that we got to know many of our fellow travelers and ship staff; they felt like long-time friends by the end of the cruise.

You won't be "paying for activities in which [you] would not participate"; there are a good variety of activities to choose from in each port, so you only have to pay for the ones that appeal to you. You can rent a car on Bora Bora or Moorea if you'd prefer to explore the islands on your own. The beach day on the PG's private island (Motu Mahana) off of Taha'a is great; you can relax in the lounge chairs, shop the vendor stands, and enjoy a BBQ buffet lunch and your husband can go snorkeling. There's no cost for the all-inclusive beach day there. In addition, PG has a private beach on a Bora Bora motu. Again, there's no cost; and there's some great snorkeling for your husband. But there are no beach chairs or vendors there - if you don't snorkel, your only other options are lying out on the sand or kayaking. The great thing is that PG loans snorkeling equipment and fins for free; so your husband can take advantage of the free snorkeling opportunities even if you're not interested in participating.

You mentioned that you're not interested in on-board entertainment, but one of the great things about the PG is that you get a taste of the local culture through the various dance troupes they bring on board, plus performances by the ship's hostesses/entertainers, Les Gauguines.

We did a pre-cruise stay in an overwater bungalow (OWB) at the InetrContinental Tahiti before the cruise, and it was a great way to break up our travels and relax before boarding the ship. We heard that the OWBs on Moorea and Bora Bora are much nicer than in Tahiti, but we chose Tahiti because it was cheaper and more convenient (no need for a ferry or flight - just a short shuttle ride from the airport to the hotel). We stayed in a motu bungalow, which was a real treat - though it was difficult to wade in the rocky waters off our lower deck because of all the spiny sea urchins...the lagoon bungalows are probably a better choice if you want to swim right from your deck. The motu bungalows are beginning to show their age, but it didn't diminish our enjoyment one bit. We also thought the grounds and pools were gorgeous.

We've only been on the 7-day cruise, so I can't comment on the longer cruises (though we're hoping to book the 10-day one in the future), and found it to be a nice starter cruise for French Polynesia - there are no sea days, so you have an opportunity to explore the islands every day. Whichever itinerary you choose, you can't go wrong!

Picky,

You may want to consider a 1 or 2 day pre-cruise stay either in Tahiti or LA just to get adjusted to the time difference and the plane ride. I recently took my first PG cruise (we loved it) and we spent 4 days pre-cruise in Tahiti. We stayed at the Meridian which was fine. I am glad we took some extra days to adjust. It's not just the time difference; the trip is just so long and uncomfortable (unless you're flying first class). In the future, I'll either spend 1 or 2 days in Tahiti, or I'll take the ferry to Moorea if I spend more than 2 days. Moorea was my favorite island.

Picky,

 

You may want to consider a 1 or 2 day pre-cruise stay either in Tahiti or LA just to get adjusted to the time difference and the plane ride. I recently took my first PG cruise (we loved it) and we spent 4 days pre-cruise in Tahiti. We stayed at the Meridian which was fine. I am glad we took some extra days to adjust. It's not just the time difference; the trip is just so long and uncomfortable (unless you're flying first class). In the future, I'll either spend 1 or 2 days in Tahiti, or I'll take the ferry to Moorea if I spend more than 2 days. Moorea was my favorite island.

This is very sound advice!

If you can only stay a day or two, stay in Papeete. If you can manage 2-5, stay in Moorea...just a short ferry ride there and back. At least one night to decompress is a must. I don't like post-cruise much as it is such a letdown after the PG (you actually have to PAY for food).

We did over water lagoon and we are doing it again this year, as you said it revives you so you are relaxed to enjoy the pleasures of P&G.

I found the show at the hotel especially in July for their special festival outstanding and when booked with P&G it included the huge buffet breakfast which took us till afternoon snack. Then in to town for the food truck (roulette) which offers variety of world food and fresh from the dock fish.

We did over water lagoon and we are doing it again this year, as you said it revives you so you are relaxed to enjoy the pleasures of P&G.

I found the show at the hotel especially in July for their special festival outstanding and when booked with P&G it included the huge buffet breakfast which took us till afternoon snack. Then in to town for the food truck (roulette) which offers variety of world food and fresh from the dock fish.

Don't remind me...I have over 250 days to wait!

You are right...Heiva is a grand time! I think this time we will book a couple of days at the IC and enjoy the festivities before the cruise. Thanks for the reminder!

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Picky - Trend is right, there is something to be said for a day or two in Papeete. I am not sure I would put in the the same league as Moorea for a vacation destination, but it can be big fun for a day or two pre-cruise.

Giskard,

Sometimes I think its just me and I am over hyping the experience so I am glad that you had such a wonderful time.

 

Honestly I find it gets better in time because the love affair is not just with the place but with the staff as well and this develops as one goes along.

Oh, MD! You have such a way with words! I cannot WAIT to visit the staff of the PG. You are right, they have become a BIG part of the experience!

Motu, we went to Heiva last year in Papeete on the last night. We got the IC concierge to book tickets. It was spectacular. There were over a 1000 dancers all in sync. The only problem was we had called a cab to bring us back at the time it was supposed to be over but it went on late so we missed quite a bit.

There were also shops with food and other stuff available. They had the wedding blanket for under $200. I was so sad that I hadnt taken enough of cash with me as I would have loved to get one.

We also went to Heiva in Bora Bora. This was on a smaller scale but PG had a tender there and back at night for it. We bought the tickets that morning in BB.

We were in your neck of the woods last weekend when we joined DH for a quick fix of California sunshine!

Emdee, can you tell me when the Heiva festivities are exactly? I know it is to celebrate Bastille Day in FP. Isn't it mid July? We are thinking of going next summer, and would LOVE to catch some of the singing/dancing at the ports of call. We would go early or stay later in Papeete if we knew when to book. What a treat you had! Many years ago on our first trip to FP we stayed in Moorea at the Club Bali Hai, and the villagers were practicing every night at the local school for the inter-island dance competition. What fun, and good memories!

Emdee, can you tell me when the Heiva festivities are exactly? I know it is to celebrate Bastille Day in FP. Isn't it mid July? We are thinking of going next summer, and would LOVE to catch some of the singing/dancing at the ports of call. We would go early or stay later in Papeete if we knew when to book. What a treat you had! Many years ago on our first trip to FP we stayed in Moorea at the Club Bali Hai, and the villagers were practicing every night at the local school for the inter-island dance competition. What fun, and good memories!

Bastille Day in France is July 14th. I assume it will also be celebrated on that date in French Polynesia. :)

Gerry

South Seas

Heiva last year was in early July- mid July. It is one to two weeks. From the internet it looks like it will be July 4th to July 20th in 2013.

They also had exhibitions and sales as well.

Motu is going around that time too.

I think you would love it - the dancing at the Papeete Heiva was spectacular. You sit around a stadium with the dancing on sand in the middle. The IC Concierge got us great seats - not right in front but a good location for viewing. Unfortunately they did not allow any pictures.

We also saw an outrigger race in Huahine and lots of practicing for the various events on other islands.

If you are plannning some time in Papeete you should take the day trip to Tetiaroa - it looks spectacular. Unfortunately,we cannot do this in January but will definitely do this at a later date.

Just wanted to come back here to thank all of you for your informative responses. We plan to be on board in 2014, and I'm sure I'll have many more questions as to when and where. Thanks again.

Picky I see you are an Azamara cruiser - and believe me the fit for you will be perfect.

The PG is my number one ship and after that is Azamara Quest and only then is Regent Mariner!