PG Itinerary For Newbie

A wonderful good day PG cruisers.

I am planning a PG trip for 2018.

I would appreciate your expertise regarding some key items as part of my planning...

1) When would PG take reservations for cruises in 2018?

2) What is the best time of year to cruise in French Poly?

3) We love scenery - not water sports nor urban areas - what itinerary would provide the best visual experience of the geology of this area?

4) Quiet cabin. I am very noise sensitive. Are there specific cabin locations that I should focus on?

5) Being Canadian, we will be using a US travel provider for reservations as Cdn travel agencies are not competitive. Are there on line agencies that know enough about luxury cruises to service us? I know that names can not be provided on the board.

Thank you all in advance for any information you could provide!

Best regards and happy and safe cruising

ABoatNerd

I can answer some of your questions I think. Answers in Red.

A wonderful good day PG cruisers.

 

I am planning a PG trip for 2018.

 

I would appreciate your expertise regarding some key items as part of my planning...

 

1) When would PG take reservations for cruises in 2018?

 

Probably late 2016 or early 2017.

 

2) What is the best time of year to cruise in French Poly?

Anytime really. December to April will be hotter, more humid and possibly more rainy, but still beautiful.

 

3) We love scenery - not water sports nor urban areas - what itinerary would provide the best visual experience of the geology of this area?

 

If you have the time, the 14-day Marquesas trip has amazing scenery. There are at least two seadays on this trip. Otherwise, I think the 7-day Societies trip, combined with a pre-cruise stay on an island like Moorea or Huahine (Bora Bora is too touristy, in my opinion) provide the most "bang for the buck". The 10/11-day Tuamotus trips are great, but they are "low" islands, i.e., not as scenic, and more popular with the "water set".

 

4) Quiet cabin. I am very noise sensitive. Are there specific cabin locations that I should focus on?

 

Can't help. I've never had a noisy cabin. I'm usually mid-ship on deck 4 (D class), but the B cabin we had on deck 8 was also quiet. I guess you can try to avoid cabins with a public deck above, where they might be moving chairs around in the morning. We don't bother with a balcony usually because we, as most, don't spend much time in our cabin.

 

5) Being Canadian, we will be using a US travel provider for reservations as Cdn travel agencies are not competitive. Are there on line agencies that know enough about luxury cruises to service us? I know that names can not be provided on the board.

 

I also use a US agent, and yes, there are luxury specialists who know lots about the PG specifically. Just do a search, then ask questions of an agent. Well worth the trouble. Some like mine give cash rebates. Depending on the CDN$ and timing of booking, they may offer incentive discounts to Canadians.

 

Thank you all in advance for any information you could provide!

 

Best regards and happy and safe cruising

 

ABoatNerd

Thank you so much Wendy The Wanderer!!

Your information is so helpful, it gives us the foundation to proceed.

We have never done PG, but French Poly is a key trip on our bucket list.

We saw a PG cruise on the Canadian Discovery Channel Mighty Cruise ships - we were hooked.

We travel for the physical geography so the coral reef configuration is something we have not experienced before.

We have done Celebrity for a long time but their rapidly declining standards and nickle and diming everywhere is not acceptable to us (and many others who are abandoning Celebrity). We have enjoyed Cunard.

Time to move to more focused cruises with people who appreciate travel and good quality standards.

Your coordinates are kismet; we live in Toronto and are moving to Ottawa soon.

We are so impressed with the folks who post on this board; the questions and analysis are amazing.

Again Wendy The Wanderer, many thanks

ABoatNerd

Greetings!

We plan to announce our 2018 itineraries much earlier than we have in the past, and we expect they will be available sometime in May 2016.

Paul Gauguin Cruises

If you are not considering the Marquesas then the 10 day Tuamotu is great for a first timer.

Best months IMO are July to October unfortunately it doesn't offer you a chance to escape winter but it's less humid than winter months.

That being said we have been in FP in most months except March April and May.

Do go on Vimeo and see the PG webinars they are helpful to newbies.

Greetings!

 

We plan to announce our 2018 itineraries much earlier than we have in the past, and we expect they will be available sometime in May 2016.

 

Paul Gauguin Cruises

Thank you. My wife and I would love to book our 20th wedding anniversary in 2018 with one of your cruises.

Thank you so much Wendy The Wanderer!!

 

Your information is so helpful, it gives us the foundation to proceed.

 

We have never done PG, but French Poly is a key trip on our bucket list.

 

We saw a PG cruise on the Canadian Discovery Channel Mighty Cruise ships - we were hooked.

 

We travel for the physical geography so the coral reef configuration is something we have not experienced before.

 

We have done Celebrity for a long time but their rapidly declining standards and nickle and diming everywhere is not acceptable to us (and many others who are abandoning Celebrity). We have enjoyed Cunard.

 

Time to move to more focused cruises with people who appreciate travel and good quality standards.

 

Your coordinates are kismet; we live in Toronto and are moving to Ottawa soon.

 

We are so impressed with the folks who post on this board; the questions and analysis are amazing.

 

Again Wendy The Wanderer, many thanks

 

ABoatNerd

Glad to be of service! I like Ottawa, although we don't go into town much from the cottage, but I love the Ottawa Valley. Completely different vibe from cottage country north of Toronto.

The "low islands", the atolls like the Tuamotus are interesting if you've never seen one, for sure. The Marquesas are spectacular and very dramatic, high islands, with no barrier reefs.

Thank you. My wife and I would love to book our 20th wedding anniversary in 2018 with one of your cruises.

Nice to hear the itineraries will be announced so early! We spent our 20th on the PG--it was our introduction to cruising, and spoiled us forever!

Thank you. My wife and I would love to book our 20th wedding anniversary in 2018 with one of your cruises.

The PG does a great job with the vow renewal as well. We had our thirtieth on board and loved it.

We did our 20th, 25th and 30th on the PG, and never did the private vow renewal. But we've done the group ceremony a couple of times, and the last one was quite lovely, even if we didn't buy the pic of us wrapped in the blanket. Huge number of anniversary couples on that trip, and a few honeymooners too.

We have been on board twice, both on deck 7. Wonderful cabins, however the pool deck is above, and they move chairs in the evening and early morning.I'm a light sleeper, so was awakened with the noise.

We love this line and have scheduled B2B cruises in 2017, but no longer on deck 7.

We have been on board twice, both on deck 7. Wonderful cabins, however the pool deck is above, and they move chairs in the evening and early morning.I'm a light sleeper, so was awakened with the noise.

We along with many others find that on the PG, as opposed to other cruises, we spend so little time in the cabin that anything beyond the ones on deck 4 is a waste of money. Regulars on this board have read this many times from me and others, but it is perhaps worth repeating one more time.

David,

IMO the exception is deck 8 if you can spring for it. Love that deck and the cabins.

However back to deck 4 for 2017!

David,

IMO the exception is deck 8 if you can spring for it. Love that deck and the cabins.

 

However back to deck 4 for 2017!

Granted, Miriam. We loved that deck 8 cabin, but got a heck of a deal the time we did that. Otherwise it's a huge splurge.

On that trip, 14 days to the Marquesas, I sat out on my balcony briefly a couple of times. The problem with the balconies is that if your side of the ship happens to be in the sun, it's just too darned hot out there.

Better than the balcony was easy access to the pool deck. With the chairs in the shade it was always comfortable.

Better than the balcony was easy access to the pool deck. With the chairs in the shade it was always comfortable.

If they were the same price, I'd go with deck 8 in a heartbeat. Emdee lists one of the advantages of deck 8. Another is better access to the "secret" observation deck. Whether the extra cost is worth it depends on the individual.

Being on deck 4, though, you can go down the hall and glance to see whether there is a line-up for the tender (which rarely happens).

One small additional fact that may help newcomers decide is that not all 200 sq. ft. cabins are created equal. On the PG, the architects have done a spectacular job, so the 200 sq. ft. of the PG cabins on deck 4 are all usable space. Wendy calls them the "tiny perfect cabins."

I was in a 200 ft cabin the last two weeks and it felt roomy compared to the PG. it did have an extra large balcony.

On the PG the extra space is in the bathroom. However the cabin is very well designed and we know exactly where everything goes.

In May 2009, my wife and I did a vow renewal for our 10th anniversary on the private island. It was an experience of a lifetime. Of course the ship was under contract to Regents Seven Seas at that time, so I'm not sure what may have changed under current ownership.

I don't think the renewals have changed much.

Ours was on the bridge as it has rained that day.

Hope we can have our 40 th on motu Mahana or the bora bora motu. Not for four years yet!

I don't think the renewals have changed much.

Ours was on the bridge as it has rained that day.

 

Hope we can have our 40 th on motu Mahana or the bora bora motu. Not for four years yet!

I thought I would tell Michael S that we are going to move our renewal to the ATN counter at LAX so he can officiate. :p

Michael was really great at our renewal. Didn't care for Steve woods performance much.

Will see the current CD'S performance next year as we have friends who will renew their vows.

I invited Michael on the repeaters. Hope he can make it.