New to Paul Gauguin

[jdvmd]

Hi everyone, booked a last-minute PG cruise and will leave Feb. 9. Never have been to Tahiti or on PG.

Any hints/tips for this newcomer?

Thanks! Linda

[sita]

Bring twice the sunscreen as you think you’ll need and half the clothes... water shoes a must...at least 2 swim suits. Eat the moon fish, talk with the Gauguines, don’t miss the Borabora motu!

[justmeindustland]

Sunscreen and more sunscreen.  Bring twice as much as you think you need.   You can’t bring to much.  I don’t know how many days you are doing but if you are on 14 days, get the laundry package.  You can invite a Gauguines to dine with you. It is a great way to learn about the real life in FP.  They will love you for it since the dinning room food is better than employees. Participate in the block party.  You are going to find yourself surrounded by really interesting people.  Take time to get to know them.  The actual island of Tahiti is probably the most boring island you will be on.  We usually go in at least the day before to get rested up for the cruise.  Other wise we found we were just whipped for the first day.  Remember that everything is done on island time so learn to chill.  There is candied ginger in the dining room.  Most people use it for sea sickness but I like it like candy.  Breakfast is not just the buffet but there is a menu you can also order off of.  I love the lamb chops.  

[DavidTheWonderer]

There are many people on this board who have the "Polynesian flu".  I am one of them.  This disease is incurable, but the symptoms can be held in check by repeatedly going back to Tahiti and the Paul Gauguin. Many of these folks have posted in this thread regularly.  Rather than mention specific threads, I recommend browsing through some of them.  If after doing that you have specific questions, many people will be most happy to try to help you find answers that work for you.

[Larro9]

Pack, fly, get on the ship  and let it happen .....just that easy ....I am a crazy pre-planner but not on the PG ...sometimes the impromptu works well ! 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

As well as the gallon of sunscreen, a hat of two!  If you're really sensitive to the sun, a loose cover-up with long sleeves works to protect your skin.  The sun is very powerful.  There might be mosquitoes, depending on what activities you're doing--not a problem onboard ship or on the beach.

 

And not packing much is good advice, but don't forget those water shoes.  I have usually taken a sturdy pair of sandals, flip flops for around the ship and the beach, water shoes, and a nice dressier pair of sandals or shoes for evening. Some would say add a pair of sneakers, especially if you're going to be hiking through the jungle.

[alwaysonaship]

Do get the laundry package. The same guy runs the laundry and my clothes come back looking perfect. It will be hard to go home. 

[justmeindustland]

What is best about the laundry package is going home with a suitcase of clean clothes.  No laundry day right away.

[Cruzinbabe06]

On 1/21/2019 at 1:55 PM, justmeindustland said:

What is best about the laundry package is going home with a suitcase of clean clothes.  No laundry day right away.

For me, I liked that it was unlimited.  I also didn't have to pack as much.

 

And, on this trip, you're going to have wet pieces of clothing all the time.

 

It was so nice to send these and other clothes out for washing. 

 

And yes, the majority of my clothes where clean coming home.  The last thing i wanted to do after that long flight is have laundry to tend to.

[dolls123]

On 1/19/2019 at 6:48 PM, justmeindustland said:

Sunscreen and more sunscreen.  Bring twice as much as you think you need.   You can’t bring to much.  I don’t know how many days you are doing but if you are on 14 days, get the laundry package.  You can invite a Gauguines to dine with you. It is a great way to learn about the real life in FP.  They will love you for it since the dinning room food is better than employees. Participate in the block party.  You are going to find yourself surrounded by really interesting people.  Take time to get to know them.  The actual island of Tahiti is probably the most boring island you will be on.  We usually go in at least the day before to get rested up for the cruise.  Other wise we found we were just whipped for the first day.  Remember that everything is done on island time so learn to chill.  There is candied ginger in the dining room.  Most people use it for sea sickness but I like it like candy.  Breakfast is not just the buffet but there is a menu you can also order off of.  I love the lamb chops.  

Thanks! Just booked my first PG cruise this morning

[dolls123]

Sorry if this is a stupid question (The cruise line and ports are all new to me). When the shop docks at Bora Bora is there a way to get to Hilton Moorea?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

The ship doesn't dock in Bora Bora, or anywhere else but Papeete.  It's anchored in the lagoon, and you take a little boat (tender) into the dock.  

 

And Moorea is another island, quite far away, so no, you can't get there except by plane.  You can, however, take various small ferries out to some of the hotels around Bora Bora.  

 

The islands may look close together but they aren't, not really.  You can get to Moorea quite easily, during the day, on a ferry from Papeete or by plane, but it's a very short plane ride. 

 

What's the plan for your night on Moorea  

Edited March 5, 2019 by Wendy The Wanderer

[dolls123]

58 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

The ship doesn't dock in Bora Bora, or anywhere else but Papeete.  It's anchored in the lagoon, and you take a little boat (tender) into the dock.  

 

And Moorea is another island, quite far away, so no, you can't get there except by plane.  You can, however, take various small ferries out to some of the hotels around Bora Bora.  

 

The islands may look close together but they aren't, not really.  You can get to Moorea quite easily, during the day, on a ferry from Papeete or by plane, but it's a very short plane ride. 

 

What's the plan for your night on Moorea  

I see overnights in Bora Bora, Society Islaad and Papeete. Don't see a overnight in Moorea. I'm doing the 7 night cruise. 

See, told you this is all new to me. Sorry for all the questions

[Wendy The Wanderer]

1 hour ago, dolls123 said:

I see overnights in Bora Bora, Society Islaad and Papeete. Don't see a overnight in Moorea. I'm doing the 7 night cruise. 

See, told you this is all new to me. Sorry for all the questions

 

Oh don't worry about it, we all love answering questions here.  I was just asking because you said you wanted to spend the night in an OWB in Moorea.

 

The 7-day itinerary usually overnights in Moorea, but perhaps it's not a normal itinerary.  When exactly do you sail?

 

The Society Islands encompasses a whole group of islands, including Tahiti itself (Papeete), Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, and a couple of others that the ship doesn't go to.

Edited March 5, 2019 by Wendy The Wanderer

[dolls123]

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

The ship doesn't dock in Bora Bora, or anywhere else but Papeete.  It's anchored in the lagoon, and you take a little boat (tender) into the dock.  

 

And Moorea is another island, quite far away, so no, you can't get there except by plane.  You can, however, take various small ferries out to some of the hotels around Bora Bora.  

 

The islands may look close together but they aren't, not really.  You can get to Moorea quite easily, during the day, on a ferry from Papeete or by plane, but it's a very short plane ride. 

 

What's the plan for your night on Moorea  

Ok, now I get it! I can take a ferry from Papeete to the Hilton on Moorea. Not from Bora Bora.

This is what happens when I read too much, too fast without my coffee. lol

 

Thanks for all the help. I do appreciate it! 

[dolls123]

2 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Oh don't worry about it, we all love answering questions here.  I was just asking because you said you wanted to spend the night in an OWB in Moorea.

 

The 7-day itinerary usually overnights in Moorea, but perhaps it's not a normal itinerary.  When exactly do you sail?

I sail 12/14/19 -12/22/19

[Wendy The Wanderer]

2 minutes ago, dolls123 said:

I sail 12/14/19 -12/22/19

 

Ah yes, I see, you're doing a slightly different, new itinerary, that includes "Tahiti Iti" (little Tahiti), and thus doesn't have an overnight in Moorea.  Nice.