When I say "old PG cruisers", I'm not talking about the person's age! I mean those who have cruised the PG in past years, and who have also been on her recently.

Basically, I have seen some posts on other cruise boards which very generally state that the PG quality is no longer what it was in the past. These posts are not refering to the deletion of free wine, beer, or cocktails at lunch, but really aren't specific. Just enough to worry me about a future PG cruise, before she is scheduled to leave the fleet.

So, if you have cruised the PG in the past years, and also have cruised her since the Grand Circle Travel involvment, I would appreciate any information you may have comparing now to then.

Thanks,
Richard

Well I guess we'll find out soon. Colonel Wes is going any day now.

But Wes has not previously been on the PG. I'm hoping that the weather clears up before Wes and Ida get there. (As I am sure they are.)

Yes, the weather has looked really bad this week. The forecast on one website said flash floods for Tahiti yesterday!

I guess I was mixing Wes up with someone else. Susan (Dive Diva) was there several months ago I think.

We both have a vested interest in the answer to this question!

When is Wes due to be in Tahiti? Has he already left and I missed his bon voyage party?

He doesn't go for a few days. At least according to his countdown clock!

March 5th per his clock

RSSC's website still talks about the "complementary wine at lunch and dinner" on the PG. Has anyone from the board cruised her since the supposed change in policy to know if it's well and truly gone at lunch?

I sailed on the PG first in 1999 and several times since, most recently in mid-November. Several representatives from Grand Circle were on the cruise with me in November, so I assume they were already in the driver's seat. I truly didn't notice any change in service. They had added some new shore excursions and I really love the new Saturday departure. They had bloody mary's complimentary up on deck and the brunch buffet was as good as one I loved several years ago on the PG. In November, they were serving wine with lunch if requested, however, it may have changed since. They had just recently purchased some quality wetsuits and snorkle gear so it appeared they were wanting to keep up the quality.

When we first entered our suite, it appeared smaller than I remembered because I had recently been on the Mariner and there is 50 sq. ft. difference in the size of the normal cabin. However, it is designed well and although we missed the walk-in closet it is a very comfortable suite. The PG is not the classiest ship but it does have a magic about it as does French Polynesia.

Hi All:

We leave this Thursday for our second cruise on the PG. Our first was in 2003. I also saw the post Richard is refering to. I'm going with an open mind and not expecting to be disappointed, but I will surely post when we return. We will be debarking as Col. Wes and Ida embark.

We are cruising with friends this time around who have not cruised since a "Big Red Boat" trip they took with their children years ago. THEY are expecting great things from this cruise after listening to me for the past 2 years. My @$$ is on the line with this one!!!! ha ha

Won't be able to compare the new Saturday debarkation with the old as we are leaving on Friday night. Will let you know how we think that option compares to flying home on Saturday night.

Back to packing for me. . . . .

Jacki

Jacki,

I know you are excited about your wonderful trip. I am sure your friends will not be disappointed. Hope you will report to us when you return. Have a great cruise!!

Betty

Someone from my office was on the PG a few weeks ago. It didn't sound like it was as nice as it once was. She said that others on the cruise had said that. We were on the PG in 1999. My husband had always raved about the food. The fresh fruit on the buffets was always perfect. I had told her about that and when she came back she said that a lot of it was now canned. It was our first cruise on Radisson so of course we have great memories.

Betty,
Thanks for the good wishes. We are all very excited and more than ready to leave our northern Michigan winter behind us.

Jacki

I'm eager to hear from those who have taken this cruise VERY recently. The post I saw that gave me some pause referred to physical items being missing from the ship, and the ship looking bare. I was on the PG with that poster three years ago. This poster had merely VISITED the PG briefly when her recent cruise on the Voyager was in the same port. And there are also other posts which report a rumor that wages for maintanence crew have been cut.

Under other circumstances, these posts wouldn't have gotten my attention. But the recent Grand Circle Travel involvement with this ship (the extent of which we in the public have not been informed) already had given me some concern. Of course, GCT has fully lived down to its role as a mass market packager by "mistakenly" under-advertising their fares by $700 pp, and then demanding the higher amount at time for final payment, and further wanting a $150 cancelation fee for any one wanting to cancel due to the unexpected increase. This is not of concern to me, as such things can be avoided by simply booking the PG with Radisson through a TA, as most of us have always done.

The concern has nothing to do with the fuel surcharge. And it has nothing to do with the announcements that alcoholic beverages are no longer included with lunch.(I never drank at luch, anyway, though I may have consumed mass quantities later in the day!) The concern is limited to whether the GCT involvement, and the limited time the PG has to sail, have reduced the quality of anything on this cruise.

Thanks,
Richard

Richard, good thread topic for which a number of us have a keen interest...as Jacki points out we leave next Thursday and will board when they have disembarked..I will attempt to share my "virgin PG views" but for clarity, Jacki's posts (based on 2003 sailing) will have more depth for comparison.

Suzanne, Mark Conroy wrote me that indeed the PG no longer offers wine w/lunch--he stated this was
done to maintain fleet consistency and due to $ pressure RSSC was feeling with the Euro exchange...but like Richard posted earlier, I would have preferred them to change the fleet
posture to wine free at lunch on all ships.

r/wes

Thanks Wes,

It looks like my Amex credit will go toward my lunchtime chardonnay! Not a problem...

the weather forecast for next five days is
clear & scattered clouds :)

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=tahiti

Jacki and Wes:

I look forward to both your comments when you return. I wish you all a great cruise, and am happy to see the weather cooperating.

The fact that I asked these questions in no way means that I know the answers. Indeed, I have a protective attitude about the PG. We've spent three weeks on her so far, and we feel that the PG experience has been head and shoulders above even other Radisson cruises! We are among those who say the PG has the best cruise in the world, at any price. Only those who do not like tropical itineraries seem to disagree. Even the fact that the standard suites are the smallest in the Radisson fleet isn't a bother, due to the outdoor activity oriented itinerary.

We sincerely hope that your reports upon your return will indicate that the cruise experience on the PG remains at it's high standards.

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)

Jacki & Wes:

I'm so excited for all of you. Your time is almost here!!!! Can't wait to hear from both perspectives - former PG'ers and newbie PG'ers. I can't imagine your cruise being anything but wonderful!!!! We'll keep hoping for the good weather reports.

Jacki & Wes, Something else for you to report back to us is, if they still have beer at lunch that is complimentary. My "honey" is dying to know. Also, complimentary cocktails at dinner. That is so important you know. Have a great time you guys.

Thanks everyone for the good wishes. Getting excited now! I'll tell my hubby that he needs to order beer with his lunch for my "research". I'm sure I'll have to twist his arm, but I'll do my best. haha Keep thinking good thoughts about our weather. It has been awfully wet in Tahiti the last two weeks, so I hope it is ending soon.

Jacki

I will be curious to hear the feedback also. I just spoke with someone yesterday that had been on February 5 and she said there had been some light rain showers, but nothing major and that they had the time of their life. They said the service was very attentive, and they had no negatives about the ship or food. However, they had never sailed on Radisson or the PG so they really had no comparison.

fyi...latest Seatrade Insider News had a cruise story that touches on Tahiti market:

Pimentel on SeaDream, luxury and Tahiti
18/2/2005
Larry Pimentel expects 2005 to be the strongest year yet for SeaDream Yacht Club, now entering its fourth year of operations. Talking to Seatrade Insider in an exclusive interview in London yesterday, SeaDream’s president and ceo reported a yield increase of 42% so far in 2005, compared to a 38% year on year increase in 2004.
‘I am very encouraged with advance bookings and particularly on charters. 49% of cruises are charters, generating about 73% of revenue onboard SeaDream I and II and our biggest growth in this area is with private individuals booking the entire ship for family and friends to celebrate weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and bar mitzvahs,’ said Pimentel. ‘Cruise retailers need to step up their approach to this business,’ he added, ‘as most of these are being booked through yacht brokers and there is no reason why agents couldn’t also be signing up charter voyages.’

The SeaDream chief was bullish about the cruise industry in general and specifically about the luxury sector – barring any terror problem. ‘There are 8,964 staterooms in the luxury sector. We have had no significant newbuilds for 2004 and 2005 and the sector is growing by just under 10%. The dollar drop against sterling and the euro is making dollar-based products very attractive to European passengers. ‘As of today we have generated more revenue from Europe for 2005 inventory than in the whole of 2004. However all could be for naught if there were to be a natural disaster or a terrorist incident,’ he added.

The UK is the SeaDream’s most significant market outside the US and top European source market. A quarter of guests are sourced from Europe, of which 35% hail from the UK. The largest growth market is Australians said Pimentel.

On the question of capacity, Pimentel predicted 'consolidation or evaporation of products and lines soon as it is just not cost effective to build new small ships.’ He believes more luxury tonnage will change hands. ‘If you omit those luxury operators and ships which are owned by large parents you are left with no more than ten or so vessels with capacity up to 150 passengers.’ He has obviously studied all of these in detail and draws a natural connection between the SeaDream yachts and the two 38-passenger ships owned by Bora Bora. ‘These are the most yacht-like out there and are new (built in 2003) but are restricted to operate in French Polynesia.’ Asked if SeaDream is interested in buying the ships Pimentel would not be drawn other than declaring, ‘we are not sitting in the hunt.’ He did however observe that whilst Tahiti and French Polynesia is a long way to travel to take a cruise, as Air Tahiti Nui continues to increase its direct service with cities worldwide it will boost the sale of Tahiti cruise products. Watch this space.

Jacki and Wes:

Are you back from your Paul Gauguin cruise? How was it?

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)

I think they leave in a couple of days, Richard.

Edit to add - Oops that would be Ida and Wes, sorry.

Richard, it was me who posted on the other board, sorry, I have had company for several days, I will try to reply as best as possible, I was also waiting to hear how borntocruz felt about things.
It's really hard to explain the feeling we had while we were onboard the PG. I don't know if it was the art, the worn carpet, but there were quit a few who had cruised her before who felt the same way. It might have even been, the fact that we had been onboard the Voyager for 3 weeks...Marcy went onboard her also, but I don't remember if she had sailed on the PG. Hopefully all is well with her, and borntocruz will have all good things to say. I know you have a cruise booked on her, and even if she's not quite up to par, Tahiti is, although they have more than enough over the water bunglows in Bora Bora....

Hi, Sandy!

As I recall, you were one of the "three sisters" on the PG cruise with us in early Feb., '02, right? Thanks for responding. Worn carpet does not sound like a good sign. Maybe some former PG cruisers who have cruised her VERY recently will respond.

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)

I have never been on PG and won't until Sept. but any chance the reason somethings are worn out is because the PG is leaving Tahiti so they don't want to put anymore money into it, until its next perminent port. If it is, pretty back exuse, but just guessing. Darec

Darec, there is a discussion on another thread from a couple of posters who are onboard now. It is the Suzie and Jackie thread, and Jackie has already posted from onboard. I'm not sure what the relationship is between Grand Circle and PG and Radisson. Funny, I even saw a website yesterday where they were trying to sell PG cabins for "living on the ship"! It was so absurd that I didn't even pass it along, as they gave a caveat that it "might" be sold.

We all have pre-conceived impressions and expectations when anticipating a cruise (especially if you have already been there, done that), and sometimes these expecations are not met if we expect perfection! You and Barbie are young, and you have worked hard to pay for this cruise. I don't think you have been to FP, but the scenery will blow you away even if you are on a "junk" ship, it is that beautiful! I am almost 99% sure you are going to love the PG! For me, I don't always notice worn carpet if it is clean. Gosh, the Brits pride themselves in a well-worn look in houses, faded Chintz and all that. Just go, knowing you are on the best ship in the area, and have a great time and don't try to find fault with the little things that you are looking for, or you will not enjoy your vacation as much. My cruise on the PG was fantastic, mostly because I took 2 of my 4 children and a girlfriend, all in their 20's. Those kids had the BEST time, and that made it worth it all to me. I am enjoying your posts to this board as a new member, and I just don't want you to get discouraged! The more we cruise, the more we notice litte things, I guess.

Darec,

Darec, I am sure that you will have a wonderful cruise, it's just when you've been on the same ship several times you do tend to notice things that maybe haven't been kept up. Yes, Richard I am one of the 3-sisters.....
I have also been on the ships that are there(Princess) formally r-3 ship. And beleive me you have picked the right cruise line....
You will fall in love with Tahiti, most people do, and the best way to see Tahiti is on the Paul Gaugain.....what are we going to do without her????

From the "Suzie and Jackie" thread on this board, it appears that the only deficienies on the PG now (as compared to a few years ago) are the deletion of included alcohol at lunch (which we all knew) and how busy the crew is on the present cruise. This latter situation could be due to a more full ship, now that GCT is marketing it. Will have to wait until these folks get home to get the full story.

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)