Awhile back I reserved two award tickets on Air Tahiti Nui via American Airlines. I figured Len and I could figure out what we'd do in French Poly once the airline tix were worked out.

So now, the date of the trip (last week of June, first week of July) is getting closer so I think we need to make some decisions.

Here are the options we're contemplating:
1. Nomade Yachting Bora Bora (a 6-night cruise on a very small ship)
2. Paul Gauguin
3. Use our Hilton points for a Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora land vacation

Pricewise, #3 is cheapest since we have plenty of Hilton points on hand. But, Len isn't so thrilled with a land vacation; he thinks he'll be bored. Plus, the food will be expensive.

The price for the PG is actually quite good for the week we're looking at, but Len is a bit reluctant. He liked the Mariner in terms of service and the ship itself but he wasn't bowled over by the food and wine. He's read reviews at Cruise Critic that say the PG is far below the standard of the other Regent ships so now he's gun shy.

Len's (and my) first choice is Nomade Yachting, but it is MUCH more expensive than the other options. The price definitely is making me think twice. (I'm also not sure how smooth the cruise would be on such a small yacht.)

So, those of you who are Paul Gauguin fans, can you offer your advice? How does the ship compare to the Mariner as far as upkeep of the ship, cleanliness, comfort of the staterooms, quality of the restaurants, etc. Does the ship ever feel crowded?

I'm assuming they'll be no formal nights, which will make Len happy!

I'd love to hear your words of wisdom so we can make a good decision. This will be my 40th birthday bash, so I want it to be special!

Thanks!

Andrea

We love the PG and cannot imagine a hotel experience being better. When you talk about expensive food. . . . when we were there in 2004, at one resort 2 hamburgers, fries and two soft drinks were around $70. You will easily spend $200/day on food (if you are not having cocktails).

We have also had a less than wonderful experience (food wise) on a couple of our Regent cruises. Still, the PG is the best experience in Tahiti (just my opinion).

Just curious. Has this become a no-brainer now with the big reductions on the PG for the end of June cruise? Or maybe you were already factoring in the big reductions? I just think the D balcony cabins are a steal.

Let me add that we've spent 24 nights on the PG. Sure the cabins are smaller than the Mariner. However, you really are in the cabin less, and you need far fewer clothes. The cabins still are quite nice. As for the food, I think it comes close to that on the Mariner. The first time we were on the PG in 2003, I think it surpassed our Mariner experience. We were last on in 2006, but I think you will not be disappointed. The service will far exceed most land experiences in French Polynesia.

I don't think you'll feel crowded, except maybe on tenders to the motu. It's all country club casual, so no need for even jackets unless you're concerned about being cool in the dining venues.

---------------

Eugene

Hello Andrea! We haven't been on Mariner to be able to compare the two, but have been on Navigator and Voyager. Yes, the cabins are smaller on PG, and the ship as a whole doesn't feel as "luxurious". However, once you are in that region of the world (which I define as pure paradise), and you have the magnificent PG staff waiting on you, the ship and any "shortcomings" it may have just go totally out the window. It's hard to describe until you have actually been there. I can be pretty "high-maintenance" when it comes to cabins (remember I wouldn't accept anything less than a large suite on the Hawaiian NCL cruise we took), but I would sail the PG over and over in a small balcony cabin and be happy as a clam.

And perhaps to satisfy your curiousity about staying at a hotel in the FPs, book a pre- or post-stay on one of the islands for a couple nights to add to your adventure.

Good luck and let us know what you decide! :)

Andrea:

We went on the PG last June for our 35th wedding anniversary. We had not been on any other Regent ship. We are now booked on the Navigator in October. We talked to many people who had been on the PG numerous times as well as all of the other Regent ships. The universal comment was that there is no comparison between the PG and any of the other Regent ships. The PG is different and wonderful in its own way. Your question should be, "Will I enjoy the PG?" and the answer is absolutely yes.

http://web.mac.com/lottodiving/iWeb/Tahiti%20Cruise/Tahiti%20Cruise.html

I've been on all the Regent ships. IMO the PG as a ship is simply not up the the standard of the other ships. It is plain Jane. The standard cabins are very nice but significantly smaller. The aft bar is too small for the ship if you have a bar crowd on board. The entertainment is poor with the exception of the Gauguines. And the food quality no better than the mass market lines. But I had a wonderful time on the PG for 14 days and consider it a marvelous way to experience FP. The crew is first rate and the itinerary spectacular. There are lots of PG cheerleaders and you read them here frequently. There are lots of folks who felt let down by the PG. Most remain silent for fear of getting flamed or because they just don't care. I have friends who won't even consider booking a Regent cruise because they were so disappointed by the PG. There are some really good PG bargains offered in May/June. I'd recommend you take advantage of one of them. If you don't take all the superlatives you read in the promotional material Regent publishes too seriously you won't be disappointed.

Pat, weren't you on the ship during the period that we all recognize was a troubled time because ownership had changed? While I recognize food is very subjective, when we were on ship in February 2006, the food was far better than the food on mass-market lines. I don 't think it was quite as good as when we were on in February 2003, but it was as good as the food we had on the Mariner in Alaska in 2004.

Also, I have rarely read anyone critical of the service on the PG except perhaps when you were on and treated badly because of some large group that was also on at the same time. I really don't consider myself a PG cheerleader, but FP is probably the most beautiful place I've ever visited, and I think the PG is a great way to experience it.

---------------

Eugene

Yes, Eugene, I was on at the PG low point. And it is my impression that the food quality has improved since then. And even then the food quality wasn't bad, it, IMO, just wasn't "six star." But Regent (then Radisson) was running the hotel department then. Not GCT. And I totally agree with you the PG is the best way to experience FP. And I think the prices Regent is offering this year are sensational.

Andrea, I'll disagree a bit with Island Cruiser's opinion. We've been on the PG twice. Yes, the PG cabins are smaller than the other Regent ships. But I wouldn't call it "plain Jane". Can you argue that the food is not "six star" (whatever that is supposed to be)? Sure. But we enjoyed the food on both trips. The aft bar too small? I'm not sure for what; we never had to wait long for a drink. And we still dream of our nights sitting outside the bar on the aft deck, music wafting out, twilight slowly fading as stars appear overhead -- it doesn't get much better than that in our opinion! I'm not a PG "cheerleader", but I can't imagine feeling "let down" by the PG. Our only let down was missing a port in the Marquesas due to rough seas, not exactly a fault of the ship. I'd never describe the PG experience as "far below" other Regent cruises.

Obviously, we all have different expectations, observations and opinions, and I mean no disrespect to Island Cruiser; I just wanted to offer a different point of view. (If we didn't have a cruise to Alaska booked for this summer, I'd be sorely tempted by Regent's prices to make a third trip on the PG.)

-- Eric

Just to add to this thread.

When Island Cruiser was on the PG it really was not as it had been before, it was a very disappointing trip. Grand Circle had just taken it over and a massive transition was taking place. Yes, Regent was still running the ship but I believe with a limited budget and not as they wanted to run it. I have been on the PG fifteen times so I speak with some experience of how the ship compared at this moment in time.

As a group we still had a good time but the food truly was nothing like we had experienced before. I actually stopped recommending the ship for about 6 months until everything got sorted out. Once someone from my office went and we knew it was "back" and then we started recommending it again. So I comprehend exactly where Island Cruiser is coming from with his feelings about the PG.

Now that transition time was over long ago. With changes that have been made the PG is as good as it ever was if not better. Susan in my office goes on the PG a lot as she dives and she said her last trip she felt the ship was better than it has ever been.

The PG is quite different from the other Regent ships and knowing Andrea and Len I think they will embrace the PG. It is a wonderful little ship, laid back and casual, in a beautiful area of the world and she suits her environment. She is the type of ship if you walk on her you are not impressed but you leave her with fond memories and want to return.

This is the thing with reviews. First we all see things differently. Then you have the weather which affects everything about a cruise. Timing is everything, you have that magic moment in time where things may be perfect or a time when things may be out of kilter for one reason or another.

Ngaire,

Perfectly said.

The PG was our first cruise on Regent (then Radisson). We were on a b2b that experienced an unusual amount of rain the first week, so we were fortunate in that it didn't overly "color" our experience because the second week was beautiful.

We obviously had a wonderful time because we not only went back on the PG (as many others have) but also went on three more Regent cruises and have two more on the books.

------------

Eugene

Ngaire, very well said. Those days in 2005 were definitely an aberration (I was on board too), and I was sure glad to see the old girl back in shape (service, dining, ambience) this last December.

Thank you so much for all your thoughts everyone! I always enjoy hearing the balanced opinions of LCTers since it really helps us figure out how we'd probably fit in on the cruise ship/itinerary.

Pat, you and I and Len share similar vacationing criteria so I always take your opinion to heart and Ngaire knows the types of things that are important to us. This definitely helps.

As of this morning, we crossed off the land-based trip from our list. Now it's just contemplating the PG or Ti'a Moana from Nomade. The price on the PG though is really appealing. I haven't seen prices that low in a very long time (and I've been watching!). In fact, we paid $1999 per person last year on Windstar's Wind Surf and that ship is definitely a few steps below the Paul Gauguin.

Now the snag in all this is that I found out that Air Tahiti is no longer flying from JFK to PPT this summer. Ugh! This will be our second itinerary change. I've got to call American and see if we can get seats on the LAX-PPT flight. I've got to do that this afternoon.

I'll keep you all posted. If only money was no object...then I'd just book a week on each cruise line!

Cheers!

Andrea

Good luck with American. We've gone two times to Tahiti from DC. The first time we stayed overnight in LA (at "Regent's" expense), the second time we flew straight through. I think we are in the minority because we prefer "biting the bullet" and recovering in Tahiti rather than wasting time at LAX. Regent often has very good deals at the Raddison (as Wendy knows) for a pre-cruise stay.

------------

Eugene

Yes Eugene. We also bit the bullet and flew straight through this time (in two stages), which was fine, but with a 4:30 flight from LAX, we ended up at our hotel at 3 a.m. Sure glad we had a second night there. I would try to arrange it differently next time.

My husband and I sailed on the PG for a 30th anniversary trip last September and since it was only our second cruise (the first was on Carnival-not our choice, it was a family wedding) we didn't have much to compare it to. However, we had a wonderful time and felt that the food and the service was outstanding. The cabin felt large enough for us.

We enjoyed it so much, we immediately booked another Regent cruise on the Navigator for next October.

If I had a choice to go again, I'd jump!

I will add my 2 cents here:
Having been on the PG twice, it should be noted that a Tahiti cruise on Radisson (sorry about being old school) is not about the ship (PG). It really is about FP and the people you meet both on the ship an on shore. There is simply no better way to enjoy a round trip of the Society Islands and avoid paying the extreme (for me anyway) price to stay on the water. Sure you can fly amongst the islands along with the outlying islands. Sure, if you are fortunate, you can fly from one island to another in a few days. But when you can do the same on PG, I wonder...Why? Perhaps the costs have risen, perhaps the food is not as good, perhaps the staff is not as friendly...I find that hard to believe. I have recommended that Tahiti is best viewed from the PG experience instead of a limited land tour.

To Island Cruiser I would wonder if you really understood the Polynesian culture that was presented or if you were simply acclimated to the Caribbean "islands be us" culture?. From the wonderful dancers on Sunday to the fantastic show on Friday night to the daily Gauguines, it is hard to believe you actually believe you really believe the review nonsense you provide.
On the other hand, we have not been on PG in 3 years...perhaps things have changed and that would be a pity. I would hardly characterize the majority of PG cruisers on this board as "cheerleaders" or flamers. In fact this board is rife with those that criticize as well as praise the PG. In our experience the PG has been one of the most wonderful cruises we have been on. I am confident that, with the possible exception of the most picky 5% of cruisers, they will find the same Tahitian experience we have.

Well hello Michael, long time since you posted, nice to hear from you.

There was a little window of about 3 months that the PG was not the PG we all know and love and that was when Island Cruiser was on board. I was with him and about 30 others in a group at that time. As many times as I have been on the PG I can attest to the difference of that particular trip. Reviews are all about each individual's experience. Whether it is good or bad that is all a reviewer can relate to as that was that person's experience.

Tahiti is all about the beauty of the islands and the people. We did have a good time but the problems on the ship did detract from the experience.

Fortunately that situation did not last long. Joy and happiness has been alive and well on the PG for many years since that time.

Yes, Mailman055, I actually believe the "review nonsense" I write. I actually believe the crew was "first rate" and the itinerary "sensational" and I believe the PG is a "marvelous way" to experience FP and that we had a "wonderful time" and that the entertainment "with the exception of the Gauguines" was poor. I should have added that the pianist on board, Hal Frazier, was also excellent. And I was sincere in encouraging Andrea to book the PG. Since I didn't write a word about the culture of FP, you have no knowledge of my grasp of that topic, so perhaps speculation on your part might be, well, nonsense. And, by the way, I made no mention of a "majority" of cheerleaders. Nor do I consider cheerleading he antithesis of flaming. I like cheerleaders and consider myself a Regent cheerleader. I just posted an opinion like you, Mailman055. And I actually believe it!

Have to stick in another opinion. It seems (I have no data on this) that PG passengers that have not cruised Regent in the past find the PG to be the best ship in the world (it is certainly sailing in the one of the most beautiful places on earth). The food, service, suites -- everything is absolutely perfect!

Repeat Regent passengers, however, have an expectation that may not be met on the PG. They may enjoy the experience very much, but, do not rate it as highly as Regent-owned ships.

The PG was our first Regent cruise -- we didn't think anything could top it. . . . . until we went on the Voyager. . . . . We choose not to repeat the experience as we prefer to keep the memories we have of the beautiful little ship.

We too like Voyager best, after starting with the Paul Gauguin. But we get around this problem by simply putting the PG and its destination into a separate category. And so for us, it's simply the best, and perhaps always will be.

VERY well said, Wendy, and like you and Jackie, the PG was our first Regent experience, followed by Navigator and Voyager. I couldn't have said it better!

My apologies Island Cruiser. It was a bit of overstatement to label your review as nonsense. It baffled me that the PG could have been as unfortunate as you describe but if Ngaire says so then it must be. As far as my comment about the culture. it is my belief the PG is less about the ship itself than the destination as opposed to the Caribbean. By that I mean the PG is no floating palace and to some folks that is a bummer.
Again, my apologies for stirring things up.

Actually, Michael, if my memory serves correctly, we dined at Le Grill at the same time (Monday night).

Michael, you might be interested in reading a few quotes from some LCT posts that were made after PIP in 2005:

"Thanks for the stories about the second week. I am sorry to hear about the sailaway dinner, as others have noted it was completely inexcusable. Had I been there I am sure the Maitre D and the Hotel Director would have had their hands full after I let them have it with both barrels. I applaud the way both of you have handled this issue with both respectful outrage, humor and level heads."

"Radisson has a duty to *all* guests to serve up the product that was payed for and not to cater to some at the expense of others."

"Other than the food issues I mentioned in another post (it was far from inedible, I simply prefer the restaraunts on the Mariner and Navigator)..."

You will forgive me if I perhaps have taken those quotes a bit out of context in some cases (but what is context for if not to be ignored??). However, you will also note that those quotes are taken from your own posts.

Surely, you will recall our PIP group dinner at The Grill, which was, by almost universal opinion, a disaster. That one was pretty much "inedible", unlike many other decent, and even excellent, dinners we had on the ship.

I sincerely (or at least as sincere as an old cynic like me can manage to be) echo Pat's statements that despite the fact that the PG is not at the same level as the other Regent ships, it is still a marvelous way to visit FP. We have strongly recommended it to many people, including friends who are onboard at this very moment en route from Brisbane to Tahiti (we are praying to the cylcone gods to spare them the rock & roll that the PG suffers in big water). In one case, other friends and their three daughters took our advice to sail on the PG and were so displeased that they have sworn off Regent altogether (a reaction that we consider a bit extreme and that also illustrated all too well to us that there are some people who are just so picky that we will refrain from cruising with them).

The dilemma here is that Regent insists on marketing the PG with the same silly "6-star luxury" superlatives as its other ships, when from a physical and food standpoint it is simply not remotely in the same category. It would be excellent if Regent would drop the "6-star" foolishness altogether, as it is a meaningless self-awarded degree of merit; but that is for another thread. And, of course, it would be extremely difficult for Regent Marketing (AKA, a thousand monkeys at typewriters hoping to write the Encyclopedia Brittanica or a decent passenger loyalty program) to market the PG in a different manner than the other Regent ships. After this year, that won't be an issue.

We have had the great pleasure to travel a bit with Andrea & Len (on ROAR2) and spend some wonderful hours with them discussing travel, dogs, food, dogs, ships, dogs, photography, and dogs. We did not hesitate to suggest that they consider the PG for FP (although our suggestion was made on the QT, in order to not offend the JD at our table who didn't really care for the PG - but what do those lawyers know anyway??). Yikes, all those initials gave me a headache...

By the way, "stirring things up" is not at all a bad thing. We cheerleaders for Regent sometimes need to be reminded to take a dispassionate (or even "dsypeptic", speaking of food) view of our Regent experiences.

Cheers, Fred

PS - Is there a version of that spinning avatar to reflect my having unloaded my BMW 10 years ago when it couldn't handle the smallest amount of snow on our long country driveway in favor of my Volvo which also can't handle snow?? (Fortunately, our trusty old Jeep - made in the USA, no less - is marvelous in snow & ice.) Lordie, talk about "Off Topic"...

Freddie, you can just "steal" it!



I didn't remember how bad the dinner at Le Grill was that night; we were having too much fun and I drank way too much wine.

What I remember from that meal was that Kathy's husband Frank never did receive his entree. BTW, sorry Michael, I don't remember you from that trip.

Fred, buy a Subaru!!

Hi Michael...nice to see you here.

Isn't there some kind of statistic like 99 out of 100 people agree to disagree?

My experience on the PG was all about the people - both the friends onboard as well as the cultural experience of (come to think of it) stray dogs, and chickens, handsome Porters (oh that was the hotel - an expereience I'd repeat in a heartbeat), good food and wine and not so good food, dancing to a ship that was rocking and rolling and if Michael remembers correctly, he paid me back for having to look one to many times down the front element of my camera. The excursions I took were not repeatble in the Caribbean or other tropical locale. But, all that said, we loved Tahiti (especially the pearls that I have as a souvenier) and would go back if there were a Voyager type experience. The ship was TOO small for our tastes and the experience one notch below the experience onboard we paid for. Service and food quality very uneven. Yes, Frank went hungry but those of you on this thread will remember a time on Mariner where lunch was never served either on MUSH after about an hour of waiting and receiving everything else on the menu but what was ordered.

Stuff happens and each of us has our own acceptable viewpoints of what is acceptable for our own experience. These are the things that are memorable and may or not be repeated. YMMV.

Fred.

"Yikes, all those initials gave me a headache...." I can always count on you to give me a VERY BIG LOL when I need it most; don't ever lose that quality, please!!

Hi everyone....Fred I do remember thinking the dinner at The Grill was not as good as I anticipated or have had on Radisson previously. However, if that was the worst of my measly 40 nights or so, then I can deal with that. I read alot of people saying they didn't like Latitudes at all (and I realize it has now been changed over to a Steakhouse). Food is pretty subjective for me and one mans Outback is anothers Ruths Chris.
BTW, my BMW 330xi handles our Colorado snow just fine and that is driving from Colorado Springs to Denver everyday for work. Maybe the all wheel drive was what you needed. Here is the best I could do for your jeep:



Hi Kathy...yes I remember your picture. It was pretty funny that you actually used it for awhile. Like you, I enjoy Tahiti for the islands themselves, just being on a ship, hanging out with friends and meeting new ones.
The PG itself is simply not my destination. It lacks a variety of public space, the rooms were small and lacked all balconies, not difficult to understand on a ship that is half the size of Voyager or Mariner. The PG staff treated us very well, for some reason that happens to us everywhere, although I confess they were nowhere near Mariner staff for our Alaska trip which would have been hard to beat in any case. The food was ok, not exactly standout but still far from mass market, of course in my opinion. Personally, I would eat a Signatures on Mariner everynight if I could.

As I mentioned prevously, I have been out of the loop with Radisson for the past 3+ years. My original comments are nearly 4 years old and may or may not be useful to others at this point. Ngaire clued me in that there were some issues on PG which certainly take away from Radisson's (I'll try to get with the Regent program...) advertised image. When people pay the price the do for these cruises they should expect truth in advertising and a consistent experience. I think in our two trips on PG we have.

OK, everybody, get ready for a really dumb question! When was the PG "down period" which everyone in the immediate nation seems to know about? We took our first PG cruise in November of '05. This followed having cruised on the Sof F, Diamond, Voyager, and Mariner. It was a 3 week B2B and we had absolutely no complaints!(except missing the tide change when diving the Tiputa Pass in Rangiroa!) Was it different from the other R ships? You bet! Why? Because it is a different ship in a different part of the world which establishes different expectations. All of ours were met. We will be taking another 3 weeek B2B on PG in October. On this trip, our expectations will be be formed, in part, by our last experience. Ergo the question - will our expectations be established from a peak or a crevasse?

Ted

It was right after Grand Circle bought the PG. In the April to July period of 2005. By November things were back to normal.

So expectations should be from a "normal" state not a peak or a crevasse.

Just a random comment relative to stateroom appointments and overall cruise experience - the nicest stateroom that we've ever stayed in on a cruise ship (so far) was #8516 on the Disney Magic (two-bedroom suite with verandah), and while Disney provides an excellent experience for their target market, for us it was in no way comparable to the vastly superior overall experience of sailing on the PG, despite an obviously much smaller and less elegant stateroom on the PG.

Is there a possible compromise solution for a cruise with either a front-end or back-end stay on one of the islands?

Cheers,
Ken

We are booked for our 4th PG cruise in 4 years and love the PG. Can anyone find a similiar experience on any other ship or itinerary? We loved the friendliness and service of the crew. Yes, the PG is not the Mariner(the only other Regent ship we have been on)but the Mariner experience was not what we like in cruising(good food and drink, casual dress and friendly crew). We tried a cruise on Royal Caribbean and Princess lines and will not repeat those experiences. Can anyone make a suggestion?

Cruisedreamer, my suggestion would probably be Sea Dream if you want to experience what you like so much on the PG. The only thing missing would be a balcony, which is a huge drawback for us!

Hey Carol, welcome home! Or are you still in Mexico?

I know how you feel, but I wonder how much of that is due to the destination. Not all, I know. As you know, we are also complete PG addicts, and would love to find another experience like that on a ship.

Voyager is our favourite ship, however. Not sure why, although none of the other ships have the happy conviviality of the PG. We're seriously looking at Navigator next year to Alaska, as you know. Smaller ship, and I would hope a fairly casual ambience because of the locale.

Then again, we've been on Navigator in the Caribbean and it was, while lovely, nothing like the Paul Gauguin. Perhaps nothing is!

Seadream sounds nice but I would be afraid of being trapped with the wrong set of people on such a small ship.

We are back from Mexico but plan on returning the 1st part of April. It will be difficult to find another PG experience at the price point that the Regent offers. Please say hello to your husband and Jim from us.

Let me offer a totally biased opinion. I have sailed 7 times on the Paul Gauguin since 1999. We had such a fabulous time in 1999 that we have since come back a number of times for our anniversary and were certified to dive on the Paul Gauguin. I agree it is not about the cabins or even the food -- admittedly there are much better. It is about the scenery, the "magic", the people, the experience. The majority of the staff could not be friendlier and more eager to please. The food is better than the mass market but not 5 star in my book. We like it because it is so beautiful, so relaxing and a true vacation away from the "rat race." We have stayed on land and while an overwater bungalow can be fun for a few days the cost of food on land, the service, and the quality is sorely lacking. We had a bowl of spaghetti no better than Chef Boyardee for $20. Also the opportunity to sail between the islands and enjoy different scenery cannot be duplicated by flying between the islands, which in my opinion is just a hassle. Much easier to just let the ship do all the moving, not me. Let me just sit on the balcony sipping a cosmo and soak in all the beauty French Polynesia has to offer.

Sounds pretty darn nice Susan - we need to take better look at PG - think we don't as live across from ocean in Fl, silly reason - I have been looking at SD but Regent has my heart - we could be on ship with 50 or many more and never worry about being "trapped" with wrong set of people -

Joanna,
If I lived in Florida I probably would not have sailed on the PG as often as I have. I am going to tour the SeaDream I in San Juan when I am there are on the Navigator on the 20th. While I won't have the pleasure of sailing at least I can get a feel for it and take some pictures. Will post my impressions afterwards.