By Chris Meyer

“Aaahh! Woo!” My wife’s exuberance while jet skiing through Bora Bora’s sparkling waters perfectly capsulized our South Pacific sojourn aboard the M.S. Paul Gauguin. Words and pictures (mine anyway) just don’t do it justice. Susan’s happy shout captures the pure delight of a superb experience from beginning to end. First, we immersed ourselves for 11 days in one of earth’s most pristine environments and beguiling cultures. Clear water tinted in vivid shades of blue. Unspoiled tropical islands with picture-perfect calm lagoons surrounded by colorful coral reefs. We floated through paradise – visiting seven islands – on a beautiful ship that made us feel privileged  – because we were. The crew was magnificent with the Polynesian contingent providing a warm and authentic dimension. The vessel felt roomy in accommodating 320 passengers. Parked for two days in Bora Bora’s famed lagoon, the Gauguin showed off one spectacular view after another – from sunrise over Bora’s fabled peaks from our balcony to multicolored sunset from our candlelit dinner table on deck.

Our Bora Bora lagoon guide was as colorful as the fish.

In between we snorkeled, jet skied (watch the video here: jet short) and otherwise explored Bora and the other islands. When aboard, the crew spoiled us with exceptional service and over-the-top delicious food. Fresh-caught ahi tuna was perfectly perfectly grilled. These chefs obviously are well practiced at giving fresh fish just the right amount of heat. They are versatile as well. For a change of pace from the wonderful fish, everything from steak to lamb to stir fry to Italian was as if prepared by one of the very best restaurants in town. The desserts were works of visual and gastronomic art – simply irresistible. Even the included wine was excellent. And the fresh juicer for mornings was just one of many special touches.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE?

Was this the most beautiful place we have visited? The best food we have eaten? The best cruise ship we have ever sailed? These islands are absolutely stunning – in the same league with Alaska, the Italian Riviera and western Ireland – each magical in its own way. If our taste buds had better memories, we might be able to proclaim that we had our best meals ever aboard the Gauguin. Suffice it to say they were among our best meals and definitely the best on a cruise ship. I think we’re spoiled for life. (On our next experience aboard a cruise ship, we found ourselves commenting on how the food fell far short of PG.)

The Gauguin lacks the bells and whistles of today’s megaships (it has one blackjack table, a tiny gym and no Las Vegas shows). That’s okay because it is small enough to get right in the middle of breathtaking lagoons, has a casual elegance and gives passengers a sense of privilege – albeit  unpretentious. Who needs waterslides when you can snorkel Bora Bora or climbing walls when you can hike to the top of Moorea’s Magic Mountain for a view that inspired its name? And no crowds! I’d rather walk a deck surrounded by paradise than labor on a treadmill inside a fancy gym.  Ah, nature’s bells and whistles!

Overwater bungalows are alluring but stationary.

The Paul Gauguin was the perfect venue for the ultimate exploration of Polynesia (that can be done in less than two weeks, that is). Sure, those overwater bungalows are alluring. But they also are stationary. When your floating 5-star hotel transports you from one gorgeous place to the next, you see more and explore more in a relaxing way, mostly eating, sleeping and being entertained en route. 

Remote One Foot Island is beautifully unspoiled.

Susan enjoying the fruits of Gauguin’s private motu party

Paul Gauguin’s private beach party day on a motu off the island of Taha’a was a fantastic way of experience the South Pacific beach life. (A motu is a small island, typically a part of a barrier reef that has broken above sea level). Giant pina colladas in coconut shells, warm Polynesian hospitality and music, a beautiful beach, warm water, sensational view, and typically great food (this time grilled on the motu). Not the greatest snorkeling here, but by this time we had already hit the jackpot. So it was great to simply enjoy a great Polynesian beach party. The lagoon excursion to Aitutaki’s One Foot Island, a motu in the orbit of one of the two Cook Islands we visited, had gotten us off to a good start as far as underwater activity is concerned. But Bora Bora – with fish, sharks and stingrays – was what we will measure all future snorkeling by.

Author James Michener did not exaggerate when using superlatives to describe this magnificent lagoon. On our Wave Runner circumnavigation we viewed its signature peaks from every angle while splashing through the most spectacular shades of blue water imaginable. For two days, we experienced this magical place from eye-opening sunrise to jaw-dropping sunset, culminating in a candlelight dinner on the Gauguin’s deck with creation’s magnificence in every direction. If Eden’s garden had a lagoon, this is how I would picture it.

THE VALUE OF PAUL GAUGUIN

You might blanch at the price of a Paul Gauguin cruise. This definitely is not a bargain basement kind of thing. But it is a relative bargain. Consider what’s included:

• Round-trip airfare from LAX. And it’s 8 1/2 hours non-stop, not a short hop but closer to California than Europe and closer than many people think.
• All food – and not just cruise food. From expertly prepared fresh fish to masterful desserts, it’s top-of-the-line cuisine at every meal.
• All drinks – from pina coladas in coconut shells to cappuccino and bottled water, there are no surcharges.
• Prepaid gratuities – although the service is so over the top that you may feel guilty and want to slip someone some extra cash. Don’t fret, though. The cruise director tells me that Paul Gauguin attracts a veteran crew that stays for long tenures because of great pay and working conditions.

Figure all that in and the Gauguin, while not a cheap cruise, offers a lot of bang for the buck. When you do the math, PG is significantly less expensive than the 5-star resorts.

Although the ship has just a few variations of the same itinerary, the experience leads to repeat customers – the ultimate measure of success. One travel industry colleague told me she and her husband loved it so much it’s on their re-bucket list.  Michael Shapiro, the cruise director, told me Gauguin gets a lot of repeats.

I met several onboard including a man from Nova Scotia, Canada, who was on his sixth Gauguin cruise. Why? Everything, especially the crew. He told a story that epitomizes absolute excellence for him. On the first dinner of his first visit, the maitre de, a perpetually smiling man who still holds the position, stopped by after the meal to ask how the table found it. He detected that my friend was less enthusiastic than the others. Upon further inquiry he learned that Mr. Nova Scotia liked his food spicier than it had been prepared. The maitre de then took it upon himself to make sure that subsequent meals had just the right amount of heat. Then, a couple of years later when the Nova Scotia couple returned for their second Paul Gauguin cruise, the maitre de pulled out a paper sack containing a bottle of home-made hot sauce from his wife back in Brazil.  The bottle was to take back to Nova Scotia. The chef had some more to be applied to this man’s meals while aboard. Wow!

THE ISLANDS: BEAUTIFUL AND REMOTE

Despite their renown, the southern stretches of Polynesia are on the quaint side. The Intercontinental Tahiti is a beautiful hotel, a kind of vintage Hawaii, which I  prefer to the high rises of Waikiki and Ka’anapali. But it is interesting how islands as beautiful as their counterparts to the north are so off the beaten path, uh, current. Hawaii attracts more visitors in a month than French Polynesia attracts in a year. I’m not complaining. My favorite Hawaiian island is Kauai because of its relative quaintness. Likewise, south Polynesia’s relative underdevelopment only feeds the mystique and allure. Like those Paul Gauguin repeaters, I once thought of this as a once-in-a-lifetime kinda trip. Now, although privileged to have been there,  I’m plotting to return.

Cook Island Rarotonga is far from just about everywhere.

Want to learn how you can acquire your own ticket to paradise? Call (800) 745-4015 or email cmeyer@cruiseshipcenters.com and ask about our Expedia discounts on Paul Gauguin cruises.