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Friday, November 19, 2010

Paul Gauguin - Tahiti!


Hi everyone,

It's been a while since the last post, but there are several new ones coming in the next few weeks. Let's start off with a review of the Paul Gauguin as experienced by superstar KVI agents Scott and Kim (Turcot) Leeming. They just returned from their honeymoon and submitted this fantastic review...

(Note - for more pictures from their trip and details on Scott & Kim, here is the link to the original review posted on their personal KVI website: http://www.selectsailingsandtours.com/paulgauguinreview.html)


Newlyweds Honeymooning in French Polynesia


It is Scott & Kim Turcot Leeming with the review of our recent 7 Night Honeymoon Cruise in the beautiful & breathtaking Society Islands of French Polynesia!

First of all, if all you have is 7 nights ~ then fine, but know that you will be dragging each other onto that flight home, knowing that you are about to leave the most incredible vacation paradise in the world! This vacation honeymoon in French Polynesia, is the best gift 'for us', we have ever experienced!



The itinerary is perfect! This South Pacific sailing spoiled us with its flawless itinerary which included, 2 days in Raiatea, 1 full glorious day on the Private Island of Taha'a Motu Mahana, 2 days in Bora Bora & 2 days in Moorea finishing off again in Papeete, Tahiti! We can honestly both testify that 7 days is not nearly long enough, but well worth the venture!!! Even getting there was far more pleasant & easier than we expected!


AIR TAHITI NUI & PRE-CRUISE Hotel:
We had a very enjoyable 8.5 hour evening flight on Air Tahiti Nui from LAX. There are two flights each day from LAX: (1:00 PM and 4:00PM)… The steward’s were very courteous, provided as many warm blankets & pillows as you wished, and a nice packet useable headsets, socks, sleep masks & ear plugs! The seats were actually very comfortable in comparison with other airlines we've used in the past. We enjoyed a surprisingly excellent hot meal after departing & a good range of complimentary beverages of all kinds before falling off to sleep. We awoke to an equally satisfying breakfast an hour or so prior to landing.

When we arrived in Papeete, we were welcomed with friendly Polynesian smiles & music… We booked a 1 night pre-cruise stay at the Le Meridien Hotel & Resort in Papeete, Tahiti – complete with a Hut over the water facing the neighbouring island of Moorea (Come on – we had to see what all the fuss was about... ) We also organized a transfer to the Le Meridien in advance & who were awaiting our arrival complete with delicious smelling flowered necklaces...The ocean breeze swirled botanical aromas around us as palms swayed gently against the silhouette of the rich tropical foliage before us...Sweet, gentle rhythmic Polynesian music, played by the locals, filled the air with warm Island sounds we could definitely get used to!

We booked the Le Meridien separately as it had better rates through the Starwood chain, lower than those of the Intercontinental Hotel & Resorts that Paul Gaugin offers with their pre-cruise package. After flying for most of a day with connections, together we sat on our balcony in awe & in celebration as newlyweds, sipping a drink as we toasted ourselves and the clear blue water glimmering under the stars of the South Pacific...It really felt like we were somehow forever removed from the realities of the world outside these crystalline waters & peaceful palm groves. Waking that next morning, we walked onto the deck & instantly fell in love with the sights, smells & sounds. It was our first glimpse at the multi-coloured blue & turquoise waters that the region is renowned for, the exotic foliage & inhabitants and sultry Pacific breezes…

That afternoon, excitement built as we transferred back towards the central part of Papeete where we first glanced at the handsome, white, 513 foot, 19,200 Gross tonne, 332 passengers, ‘all-inclusive’ ship that would treat us to the next 7 nights of ‘all-inclusive’ pleasure. Though the Paul Gaugin is a 6-star ~ Luxury sailing, the onboard climate is a constant mix of elegant leisure, fun, consistent style & service. The cabins are spacious & well appointed. The stewards ~ excellent! The dining & service in all three restaurants was superb! Kim loves her grilled tomatoes & seafood & no matter where or when, the staff & chef were ready to serve. I can’t believe that I traveled half way around the world to be treated to the best Beef Wellington on Earth ~ and on a ship in the middle of the Pacific! The grilled seafood was impeccable. All beverages onboard are complimentary & we were treated to delicious wines that complimented every bite!

PAUL GAUGIN – The Ship

"The m/s Paul Gauguin was designed specifically to sail the shallow seas of Tahiti, French Polynesia and the South Pacific, visiting small ports that larger ships can’t reach and effortlessly blending into the stunning natural beauty of the South Seas."

Embarkation was swift, seamless & impressive. Whilst our luggage disappeared into the ship, we were then graciously greeted by Cruise Director Michael Shapiro, along with several other smiling staff & crew members in addition to a welcome glass of champagne. We were directed to our balcony cabin 756 (Cat ‘C’) best deck & category!

Upon entering our stateroom, we were delighted to see a ‘welcome bottle of chilled champagne, canapés & fruit’, a congratulations letter from the Captain & flower arrangement ~ all part of the complimentary Honeymoon package they offer... Thank you again!

The Pacific Beachcomber Company purchased the ‘Paul Gaugin’ ship from Regent Seven seas a few years ago, underwent significant renovations but retained its’ near monopoly on this amazing itinerary. That monopoly is somewhat challenged by the 4.5 Star Princess Cruises ‘Royal Princess’. Princess, like Oceania & Azamara, had purchased these larger 670 passenger mid-sized ships from bankrupt Renaissance Cruise Lines and offers several similar 10 & 12 night Tahitian itineraries, sailing from this Fall to next April. Though the rates are slightly lower with Princess, one must account for the impeccable 6-star all-inclusive service, coupled with the intimacy of the smaller passenger load. The gratuities are complimentary & though we were happy to offer these for special services, you never felt like it was expected. Add the fact that water skiing, wind surfing & kayaking are all provided daily at no cost from the aft of the ship and it makes for an incredible package!

Both cruise lines offer comparable Airfare as they both use Air Tahiti Nui. Interline-fared bookings are combinable with both the Paul Gaugin & Princess R/T LAX Airfare... Paul Gaugin includes an ocean-side Radisson Hotel ‘Day Room’ on the last day of disembarkation and airport transfers! Considering that the flights depart at 11:30PM or 11:55 PM at night, this is a special perk! Conversely, if you book your airfare separately, that same day-room is an added $155/person.



ONBOARD THE PAUL GAUGUIN

All onboard gratuities included
Complimentary beverages including fine wines and premium spirits, soft drinks, bottled water, coffee and tea served throughout the ship
Butler service in categories B and above, including in-suite bar setup and SoundDock® for iPod®
In-suite mini-bar replenished daily with soft drinks, beer and bottled water
State-of-the-art retractable Watersports Marina
Onboard dive program
Onboard lecture program
Two elegant restaurants and one pool-side grill, all with open-seating dining
Well-being and vegetarian selections and special dietetic menus upon request
WiFi hotspots throughout the ship
Complimentary 24-hour room service
Complimentary in-room dining
Complimentary in-room movie channels and movies available
Crew to guest ratio of 1 to 1.5


We had way too much fun up on deck socializing with the other guests on the Paul Gauguin...It doesn't take long before you get to know quite a few people...It is an elegant, sophisticated, wealthy, but also down to Earth type of crowd... The Pina Coladas were always a welcome pre-dinner treat and there was always an abundance of amazing succulent fresh fruit & beautiful salads of different types, garnished by some tender seafood samples of our choosing... Did we mention that we had baked tomatoes for breakfast & dinner every day along with our meals?

We forced ourselves to go to the Gym and work out for 30 minutes at least 4 times throughout the cruise & it was well worth the effort as far as keeping extra weight off that could have otherwise been stored differently! Surprisingly, their gym was well equipped with modern equipment found in most gyms and hardly anyone was ever in it...

Typical of smaller luxury ship, the onboard entertainment & casinos are scaled down as compared to the Las Vegas-style atmosphere of the larger class vessels. Still, you are happy to off-set these dynamics with the overly apparent benefits of a luxury sailing.

PAUL GAUGUIN – The Staff & Crew

We found that our cruise experience was truly a 6-Star luxurious experience from beginning to end. Everyone from our room attendant (Rebelie Rosales) cleaned our room like new with a huge smile & genuinely greeted us each day.

Our Head Waiter (Raffy Pelegrino) always remembering my baked tomatoes which I can't live without, morning noon & night! ... Our other Waiter (Marlon Marco) also went above & beyond our expectations ...

The terrific & charming, assistant waiter (Michael Doria) brought us room service 24/7 & treated us like royalty... MichaeM

Eufemio Centino made several trips to our private balcony with fresh food or drinks for those quiet intimate meals together!

A special nod to ‘Guest Relations’ who patiently told us the time of day each time that we called (repeatedly) – having no clock in the room. After several calls, they courteously & with good humour, told us about the clock on the in-suite TV... Joking aside, the professionalism & courtesy we enjoyed made us feel welcome & comfortable at every stage of the sailing.

The Excursion staff specialist (Paulina) had the best advice for excursions & really took the time to know what we wanted... They made it easy & fun!



And of course our Cruise Director (Michael Shapiro), whom we had the pleasure & surprise to Dine with one evening, shared stories of theater & his personal recollections of past sailings & much more ...we are still smiling Michael – great job!!

Of course one cannot forget to mention the truly awesome Bartenders onboard ~ particularly (Ricardo Felix) who poured Gauguin Cruisers, endless cocktails made with efficient perfection! Also Jonathon B. Abogado, Pool Deck Waiter, who made our poolside experiences most memorable!

To top off all this amazing customer service onboard was the gift of hearing the beautiful music & singing of the very talented Gauguine Girls!

The PG staff literally pampered us all from dawn till dusk! We truly appreciate your efforts & hope to see you again soon!

ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS:

~TAHA'A MOTU MAHANA'S PRIVATE ISLET ~
Enclosed within the same barrier reef as Raiatea is the small Island of Taha'a Motu Mahana & was mutually our favourite stop by far! It was perfect. We felt as if we had our own piece of the south pacific to ourselves ~ almost. This was a tremendous surprise for us as we stepped foot on soft white sandy beaches of Taha'a...Crystal clear, bath like turquoise waters surround Taha'a as far as the eye can see. To make things even more amazing, walk out of the perfect water and be handed a hollowed out coconut filled with rum & something. But wait – there is more! Suddenly, your senses are filled with an incredible selection of food simmering, sending mouth watering aromas of Island cooking into the air. Because we had to, we lay amidst coconut tree-filled skies, gazing out at paradise on comfortable beach chairs, provided for us upon our arrival. Fresh fruit & salads complimented the sumptuous grill buffet with appetizing colours & combinations... Somebody pinch us!

We carried our lounge chairs to our own private spot, nestled between two palms & proceeded to swim, snorkel, sun bathe, sing, dance & cavort with all of the new friends we found, until the very last minute... By day’s end, we returned to the air-conditioned sanctuary of our newly dressed stateroom onboard.


~RAIATEA~ (2 DAYS)
Somewhat smaller than Tahiti, Raiatea is the second largest of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. The starting point for all the migration to the Hawaiian, New Zealand & Easter Islands - Raiatea lies within the same barrier reef as the island of Taha'a, a 20 minute boat ride away. The surrounding reefs and motu offer excellent diving & snorkeling opportunities. We gratefully took advantage of this by booking the Coral Garden Drift Snorkel excursion. This excursion was hosted by a fun & well educated local husband & wife team. They drove us by boat to the special snorkeling spot where we adventured through the coral gardens & tropical fish life under the sea...After we got our fill of snorkeling, we were presented a truly delicious fresh fruit & coconut lunch! They had the sweetest tasting grapefruits we have ever had!!!! Even without taking an excursion, while in Raiatea, all one has to do to enjoy themselves is just to simply be, whether on the ship enjoying the services, pool deck & panoramic blue views of the sea, or simply taking the Tender to shore, there is a gorgeous beach just a few miles down the road where you can swim and enjoy this Island jewel.


~BORA BORA~ (2 DAYS)
After spending our first day in Bora Bora (an eroded cone of an extinct and extensive volcano), it was said by many, over a succulent dinner plates, that every day was better than the last! How could things get any better after Taha'a secret surprise paradise? Well they did...Bora Bora, another little jewel of an Island set within a wide barrier reef was definitely another favourite stop for us, by far...As James Michener stated of Bora Bora, "Anyone who has ever been there wants to go back, It is love at first sight!"

We booked yet another awesome excursion that was worth every single penny! In fact, this excursion was the best excursion for money spent, that we have ever been on! We highly highly recommend the Full Day Tour...First we were taken on another beautiful boat ride to beyond the protective barrier reef...There, we swam with hundreds of black tip sharks & other tropical fish! It was an amazing experience!!!!! At first we were a tad leery, but quickly overcame our fear under the confident direction of our excursion guides. There we were jumping in with sharks everywhere. The guides fed the sharks with us in the water no less, but we anticipate that they were both over-fed and partially domesticated to some extent. Conquering that fear & realizing that we were safe was an exhilarating experience of a lifetime, not to mention that they are absolutely gorgeous to see them swimming under water! You never felt at risk and welcomed their passing only feet from you.

Next, we were taken to another swimmers paradise, located in shallow waters filled with affectionate Stingrays waiting to be fed little fish morsels by hand. Whether joining them in the water or simply viewing them from the boat was a fascinating and well worth it experience not to be missed! We felt like they were puppies competing to be pet... It just kept getting better with every passing minute. As we sailed across the clear coral swept waters, our guides played island songs on the Ukulele.

Finally, we were then taken to another snorkelers dream destination where we explored more gorgeous coral reef gardens and various colourful tropical fish species.

The fourth stop on the excursion was a welcomed & delightful experience we weren't expecting! Another private beach stop much like the paradise sanctuary we found Taha'a to be. There we were served an amazing sis kabob of large fresh juicy grilled prawns & vegetables, rice, barbecued chicken & more sweet 'just picked' Island fruit and coconut! We ate with glee, developing a healthy appetite while being in & out of the water at sea & it was absolutely sensual scrumptiousness!

We laid in the sun on more comfortable beach chairs and swam in our own little lagoon where we were visited by a solo Stingray looking for a hand fed treat! We were even shown how to locate the famous black pearls while snorkeling...


~MOOREA~ (2 DAYS)
Moorea Island (pronounced MOE-oh-ray-ah) is considered the heart of French Polynesia. Jagged peaks, cloaked by lush greenery and encircled by deep blue's of the ocean, left us both awestruck by its natural beauty.

Once again, we were spoiled by booking another perfect excursion called the 4 hour long Aito off road Safari. This was surprisingly another one of our best experiences. The Safari tour is like nothing either one of us were expecting and we were so impressed with the quality, fun care free air & professionalism of our tour guide! This was spectacular and cameras are a must!

While in Moorea, we also booked The Lagoon Discovery with snorkeling being the water babies that we are... Again, the scenery alone along this excursion was worth its weight in gold! Even with stormy clouds the weather finally brought in after 7 days of perfection was tantalizing amongst the tropical backdrop of tropical terrain, white sandy beaches & dark clouds kissing the turquoise calm before the storm! We saw more friendly sharks, stingrays, a dolphin to my surprise and another gorgeous coral reef snorkelers dream. We swam in a heavy rainstorm and though we prefer the warmth of the sun while being in the water, it still was enjoyable and unique experience!

That evening, onboard the Paul Gauguin, we were offered a complimentary Polynesian Honeymoon Ceremony amongst all of the other newlyweds & honeymooners. It wasn't intimate like we'd hoped as the ceremonies were performed in front of several other honeymooners & newlyweds, however, the gesture of it was welcomed & one of my favourite Gauguine girls performed a very pretty dance about LOVE to the song "The Road That Never Ends".


~ PAPEETE, TAHITI~
Sadly, this brings us to our last day in Paradise where our last stop took us back to the place it all began! The perfect cruise, perfect honeymoon & as we write this review, it pains our hearts to feel the missing of it all & we know this magic place will be one we will treasure in our hearts forever!

Paul Gauguin provided food & beverages until it was time to disembark. Since we booked Paul Gaugin airfare, we could look forward to the ‘day-room’ at the Radisson Hotel. HOWEVER– that room would not be ready until 2:30PM and it was only 10:00am... We were offered a city Motor Coach tour that included stops at several points of interest - or the option of being dropped-off at the Radisson & sitting at the pool for several hours...

We opted to take an optional Papeete Motor Coach tour & though the effort was appreciated on one hand, the tour dragged on through thick traffic. Our guide was lost for things to talk about & noted one such highlight being a new McDonalds’... so I would have to suggest that the pool at the Radisson is a better decision. Though I did appreciate the air-conditioned bus & some points of interest, I found that it went on far too long, that our bus tour guide was lacking (especially for this clientele) & a disappointing way to end a luxury cruise vacation

We finally arrived back at the Radisson by 3:00 PM & had our luggage unloaded off the bus & gathered in the parking lot. This would be re-loaded back onto the transfer bus later that night. Much to everyone’s surprise & disappointment, we were all directed to a hotel check-in procedure that included a credit card swiping for any charges on their property. We were also told about their restaurants & more... From our perspective, our Paul Gaugin booking was still underway & after being lavished in ‘all-inclusive’ service all week, this sudden shift was unexpected & somewhat abrasive.

Paul Gaugin needs to nail that last piece down. I would suggest a more formal gathering area for luggage & guests within the hotel complex, complete with a complimentary lunch & beverage service (similar to what we expected on the ship) either prior to or after checking into the day rooms. I would also suggest moving this to the Intercontinental Resort as it is far more beautiful location & would give PG a greater opportunity to promote this premium resort vs the Radisson. The beach was definitely not as pretty as the Intercontinental beach! I am sure this clientele would pay a small premium for that modification. Remember, this package would cost an additional $ 155/person if you booked your airfare without Paul Gaugin. I still contend that the effort to link the cruise disembarkation with the flights was appreciated, but it needs tweaking.

By 8:00PM we were transferred to the airport, gathered our luggage a proceeded to check-in to fly home. Though this took several hours as the small airport had to process two large outbound flights, departing at nearly the same time, it all was made perfect again with the care & courtesy offered by the Air Tahiti Nui crew. The flight home was equally enjoyable, though tears were shed knowing what we were leaving behind.

If you really want to have the experience of a lifetime...you've got to go on this cruise with that special person in your life! Though there are several 5 & 6-star Resorts throughout the islands offering romantic ‘huts over water’ experiences, offering breath-taking views & water access at premium rates, nothing compares to cruising as we were treated to several islands with many variations of ocean waters all in one vacation & in lavish style. We say, stay in these resorts as a pre or post experience around the cruise & that way you will have it all!

So there it is... that's all we have in us for now as we are still catching up... We promised to write a review on our website about Paul Gauguin & the wonderful Polynesian staff who took care of us along the way... If anyone cares to find out more, simply call or e-mail Scott or Kim & we will be happy to tell you more.


Thank you again Paul Gaugin for a perfect & romantic Honeymoon cruise experience in Paradise.

Kim & Scott

kim@kvi.travel - 1-877-838-2929
scott@kvi.travel - 1-877-326-8245