I had never sailed PG before so I can't compare it to the past. However, I can compare to the other RSSC ships.

I had been pre-warned that the PG was not like the other ships; and the warnings were right.

First the good. The ship is in wonderful shape. Once you figure out the rear stairs and rear elevator, you can get anywhere without going on the weather decks. Given all the time that we were walking in wet reef shoes spreading sand everywhere, I don't know how they kept it so clean and avoided mildew.

Top to bottom, I think we had the best dining room staff for all meals on PG. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner service were all excellent. Sommelliers were also great. No problem getting anything we wanted to drink at dinner.

Now the negative differences. No champagne in our cabin on checkin. Of course, they gave us a wonderful box of Godiva Chocolate truffles that I am sure cost more than the bottle of champagne. No filet (or any steak) on simplicity menu. On one night, where nothing sounded interesting, I asked for the filet. The waiter said there wasn't one on the menu but he would check. Laurent [sp], a headwaiter who had been on both Navigator and Mariner with us, came over and said he would find one for me. I think he got the steak from the Grill as it was same size as we had previous night. It sure would have been nice to have been able to get steak each night without it being a hassle.

From the Captain on down, the crew kept their distance. Besides Amy in reception, no one addressed me by name until Laurent did on last night. I think this is due to the fact that all passengers change over every seven days. The Captain didn't seem to have any interest in getting to know the passengers; neither did most of the crew. I am not saying they weren't professional, just distant.

The passengers are also different. I was surprised how few past RSSC passengers there were. Suzanne's 79 nights was the least number of days that I had ever seen anyone win the award for most nights. And the passengers thought of themselves as sailing the Paul Gauguin, not Radisson Seven Seas. Even the Captain at the farewell party, said that he looked forward to seeing us on a "future Paul Gauguin cruise" versus "future Radisson cruise" as has been said every time in past. I think this leads to more aloofness by passengers, too. Groups didn't mingle.

There is a problem with having only one lounge at night. After 2330, it becomes a disco. At least we convinced the DJ that rap music wasn't what we were looking for. As the cruise progressed, his choices were better. However, one thing I really like about the larger ships is having more than one option for dancing music late night.

Only other complaints were that it took a while to get our in room liquor (others have complained about this from time to time on all ships), the cabin was a little warm at times, and drink prices had risen.

All in all, I think PG certainly matches the standards of the rest of the Radisson ships. I just think the cruise experience is very different.

Marc,
I had a very different experience with the crew. I was called by name constantly. From our Room Stewardess (but not her assistant) The Captain went out of his way to engage me in conversation after our dinner. So did Claudia, the Social Hostess. Laurent who had sailed with us before as did the cute German Head Waitress (who's name I forgot!) called me by name every morning or evening. I never experienced that from the staff. The Dining room waiters during lunch and breakfast did not used names but were quite warm and friendly. As soon as the Bartender would see me in La Palette or the Le Connosuiers (sp) Club they knew who I was and my drink order.

Thanks Marc - Tony and I disagree on this cruise all the time - he is dying to do it - I have reservations - Joanna

As another PG first timer I think Marc's comments are spot on.

There were a lot of indiscrepancies. Sheri and I got the welcome champagne in our cabin, the box of Godiva truffles, AND every early evening we received a plate of hors d'oeuvres left discretely on the table. Was it Amex Plat? The fact that Sheri was a third timer on the PG? My number of nights? All or none of the above? Whatever it was it worked for us!

Like Marc I found the food in L'Etoile to be hit and miss at dinner, and lunches everywhere were a little disappointing. I greatly enjoyed our dinner in Apicius (Thanks to Ken for correcting me from saying Apicus, I somehow missed that other "i"). It was too bad though they couldn't block out the "buffet section" of the restaurant at night to further the Michelin star ambiance.

Another agreement about the seeming aloofness of the officers (I'm refering to the ones who actually "drive" the ship not those related to hospitality). I recall Captain Kingston on the Diamond used to enjoy a beer (or two!) every afternoon at the pool bar with some of the senior officers. Any and all guests were made to feel welcome to join in. It was great fun to chat with them when they didn't have to be "on". I also believe Ngaire mentioned to me that it was the first time no officers attended her party. You couldn't keep 'em away from the gift exchange the final night on MINT! Different strokes...

The wait staff whether at the pool bar or in the dining room were great. My morning cappuccino was brought to me without my having to ask, Gloria always remembered I prefered the NZ Sauvignon Blanc, and Bernard at the pool was a willing participant in my shenanigans and recognized my evil twin on sight.

The only comment I will make about the stateroom is that none of our bathroom ammenties were ever replenished. All the bottles were totally empty at the end. I pocketed (Shhh!) the bath gel early on and it was never replaced. I put it down to cutbacks, but I heard others were getting new bottles all the time. Go figure...

All in all it was a great experience, but it was the LCT group that made it so for me!

Gee, Suzanne,

I will trade you Body Wash for Godiva and Champagne. We got 5 replenished bottles out of 7 days. We were Amex Platnium and have 40+ RSSC days and we did not get Champagne and Godiva but we did get new bottles of soap every day. Wendy got the Godiva and had less days but thought it was because she was celebrating a birthday and anniversary and a b2b. Ngaire said she did not know why some got it and others did not.

It was still great fun!

It's too bad they can't figure out how to standarize their passenger perks. It sounds wonderful, but a bit off.

Glad everyone had fun, wish we had been there!

Heather and I received neither the champagne or chocolate, but our bathroom supplies were replaced. I thought it was just another Radisson change so I did not pursue it. I agree with Marc about the menu/food. I enjoyed the dinners I had and the food was prepared well enough...it was just there was not much of a choice that appealed to me each night and a simplicity steak would have helped. Having ate at Apicius twice, I don't think it compares to Signatures or even Portofino on Navigator, I much prefered the main dining room. The staff was great throughout, rarely signing chits...they seemed to know our cabin number after the first hour and our drink preferences, as if that would surprize anyone.
We had a great time meeting fellow LCT'ers and especially being surprized by our friends from Hawaii.

Thank you all for your impressions. It's good to know for future reference ... :)

Masaki

Did the room perks - Champagne, Godiva etc. - relate to level of suite, or was it purely random?

Our soaps were replenished each day as Arlene would hide the bottles (we brought home a life time supply).

We and Kathy were next door neighbors (Cat D); one with chocolate and one not. Suzanne & Sheri were Cat E.

A newbie perspective:

This was our first ever cruise, so take it for what it's worth.

Going into this cruise, we had high expectations based on all the excellent trip reports on this and other boards.

1st of all, we received no champaigne or chocolates; it even took us 3 days to receive our AMEX shipboard credit. I don't think this had anything to do w/ Radisson.

The meals were disappointing. We were expecting some really exciting seafood being that access to fresh fish in Tahiti would be limitless. Every seafood dish I ordered was bland and dry. Thankfully they were liberal w/ the bernaise sauce. After the first few attempts at a seafood main meal, I decided to just order the salmon from the simple menu as an appetizer. It was good, not great. On the other hand, I found the appetizers and desserts a good redeeming factor to the meals. Don't get me wrong, the meals were good; on par with a decent restaurant. They were just not up to the standards we've come to expect from higher end resort restaurants. We were assured from most of our table mates that the meals were not up to par to other Radisson ships.

That said, the dining EXPERIENCE was excellent. The wine was above expectations, and the wait staff made it all worthwhile. Our waiters and wine stewards were personable and knew our preferences by day 2. Of course, our table seemed to always be the life of the dining room. I think we closed down the restaurant every night!!

We were satisfied with our room. The amenities were refreshed daily if needed, and the room was always spotless. Even the fruit was kept fresh even though we never used it (except for a Suzette incident we won't get in to on this post!!)

Late night activities and entertainment were great. One suggestion would be to utilize Siglo more often in La Palette. They were excellent. The bartenders remembered our preferences early on and were always happy to oblige our requests. The Casino staff was great. The Casino rules were not very friendly. Don't go on this ship expecting any kind of good returns on your gambling money.

The scuba diving was excellent. Bora Bora was one of the best dives we have ever done.

Of course the real highlight for us on the cruise was being with all the LCT'ers. We fit in like a glove. I feel like we made lifelong friends on this cruise. I would take this cruise again or any other cruise with this group. This is really a special group here.

Thanks to all for sharing your thoughts.

Anthony

All, spot-on comments, thx, altho we did not have similar dining complaints in March; we loved the food & wine and service...we did get champagne and chocalates the first week, nothing week two...and our booze did not show up until Sunday afternoon...after a gentle reminder both weeks. PIP had that special quality our b2b did not, LCT...this comment maybe heresey, but we prefer a week in the Caribbean to FP (Distance, stifling heat in FP, different RSSC ship) and diving and water sports very similar...but the PG is definetly worth a first try...no FLU for us tho...r/wes

I loved reading these impressions. Other than touring the PG when we were docked next to it in Tahiti (we were on the Voyager and we did an "open house" where all the passengers could run back and forth between the 2 ships all evening) we've never cruised on the PG.

John, I so hope that we will have a chance to cruise with you and Tonya someday! You mention

"Of course, our table seemed to always be the life of the dining room. I think we closed down the restaurant every night!! "

....boy, this sounds just like most of our dinners!

Marcie,

Another reason you HAVE to go on MUSH! The "Junkies" have booked! You will have a chance to see Suzette's evil twin "Evil Tonya" (E.T.) in action every night! :pass:

Just a brief response to Marc's comment about how little Radisson experience the guests had, so that the guests with the most nights added up to only 79 nights. Undoubtedly so, but this is not a new thing. On our '03 b to b, WE had the most nights on Radisson of anybody onboard --- at that time only 49. I've always believed that the PG has served as the "introductory Radisson cruise" for many guests who later have become regulars, because the PG and its itinerary is so unique. And, for what little it may be worth, this is one reason I think Radisson is making a big mistake letting the PG go.

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)

I am a stickler for inconsistencies in service, I tend to overlook when I don't pay top dollar, I zero in on it if I am paying top dollar. It sounds to me the PG is inconsistent with the level of service and detail I have experienced on the Mariner. However, I do understand they have "lost control" of the PG, so this may the contributing factor.

These are great impressions from a wonderful group of travellers whom I respect a lot, thanks for sharing...bring on the MUSH!!

I think you get different opinions on all the ships & cruise lines. PG is our favorite with no complaints. We have sailed PG twice.

Mounds, I agree, and particularly for food, opinions are so subjective. When I was on the Silversea Shadow for the first time, I was such a loyal RSSC fan that I was looking for any negative I could find (the reason I remember this is because I just posted a link to that review on another thread). After two days, all that left me and I went on to having one of my best cruises ever because of the itinerary! One can always find a negative on any cruise, in any hotel or restaurant when you are looking for it. Especially when the weather is bad.

The more prolific posters here (I among them) are pretty picky. They like things to be just like their last wonderful impression of an RSSC cruise. So, for anyone reading this as a first time cruiser on the PG, I would say, board with an attitude that you are going to have a great time in (no arguments here) one of the most beautiful spots on earth, and you cannot help but have a great time!

Marc, Thanks for the review. Have been looking at this trip for awhile. No filet for dinner?? I am glad that you ran into Laurant!! We have been with him on the Marnier and Navigator also.
How long was the flight from FL?? Did you layover in LA for the night to get there?

Enjoying reading everyone's reviews on the trip. Love all the photos! Keep them coming.
Jan

Jan:

I still have family in LA. We took early flight from Orlando (five hours) on Wednesday; spent day visiting; and flew on AF leaving just after midnight. On return, we spent two nights in LA breaking up the trip, again.

If we had not deviated, we probably would have been put on the Saturday morning nonstop from Orlando and still had plenty of time to make the 1:00pm ATN flight; just would have been a very long day.

As an aside:

Please be aware that being the table that closes the dinning room is often seen as a badge of honor among us here at LTC.
Like Marcie (& w/ Marcie) we have done it often. (ie. every night!)

Doug

We, too, have closed the dining room with Marcie & Tom - I think on every cruise - Joanna

Yes the perks were very inconsistent - we were in a category C (seventh cruise with RSSC so 40+ nights - AMEX Platinum etc etc) - and got neither truffles nor champagne nor were our toileteries replenished. Cabin and ship overall were fine. Food was quite disappointing - seafood was mediocre, L'Etoile for dinner was ok but not really great and Apicius was a bit better, buffet lunches in La Veranda was quite bad (especially the mushy sashimi).

Peter: I would be very disappointed if I experienced your trip - it is alot of money for hits and misses - Joanna

Joanna - overall the trip was fine - but certainly not quite up to the standards that we've come to expect but food quality and choices have gone downhill the last 2-3 years.

Peter: I have not been on the PG - the cruise we are taking in October will be our 6th Radisson cruise - Please I am not saying the 6th to sound like a bragger - just that we keep booking Radisson because our crusies have been so outstanding - we all pay ALOT of money to cruise Radisson and to be disapponted is very sad - Joanna

We were on the PG 3 years ago and it seems a lot has changed. We had one major glitch on our cruise that I think was the problem of the hotel director. We booked a B room. The outlets were dead in our room. I made a stink and requested that they be fixed. I was told that they couldn't be fixed. I then requested a change to another B room. I was told there were none. We were upgraded to an A room. I asked if the A room was vacant for week 2 of my back to back and was told yes as I didn't want to move again. At the end of week one I was called and told we would have to pack up because they had sold the A room. I said I wouldn't move. They said we would have to pay the difference of an A to B room or move. The hotel director said he had sold the room to an official of the line. We said tough.We paid the difference and stayed and were angry...especially since we found out that our room had had malfunctioning outlets for FIVE months.The beauty of cruising was to not have to move. We really hated this hotel director.

Other than that, the cruise experience...service...food...EVERYTHING..was on par with the Mariner or Voyager experience. Just the breakfasts were not quite as good as the Mariner or Voyager ones. The dinners were exceptional. The waitstaff was wonderful. The stewards and stewardesses were the best. The Maitre D' was the best we have EVER had. The entertainment was superior.

Amen Joanna,...let's toast to many more closings! Hey, It's a tough job but ....someone has to carry the burden! :banana: Let's attribute one of those to Bill (NHcruiser) falling asleep in his soup and disappearing on MINT...weren't we just waiting for his return?)

Peter, I really enjoyed reading your recap...although I'm sure this isn't what you and Mark were anticipating!! It's always so good to read your postings....don't stay a stranger!

Hi Folks:

Fred and I got home at 2:00 a.m. this morning after two mostly wonderful weeks. Unlike Ngaire, we didn't spend the rest of the night unpacking our six bags!

As wonderful as the cruise was for us on week one, the highlight was being with you magnificent LCTers. What a great experience! We both plan to post much more on the cruise after we wind down and get some sleep.

I just wanted to ring in here to say I agree with the trend of the comments above. It was a week I would highly recommend. But I too perceived the officers as distant and was surprised by that. That changed a bit in week two for unusual (I hope) reasons. More on that later. The fish dishes were really below par. And I expected the ship to excell on fish. We didn't get the bottle of "welcome aboard" champagne. Guess they are now distributing that perk only to VIPs. I found the dining room service inconsistent during the first three days out and then it improved. Individual servers were wonderful, but sometimes they didn't seem to be working as a team. But to me, these are realtively minor matters. Week one was a wonderful experience. Wait till you hear how Radisson kicked off week two.

Pat

Pat and Fred.....

Common.... don't keep us waiting.... :mecry:

Just returned from our second PG cruise - 4th for Radisson. The staff were more aloof (when compared to 4 years ago) - except for the dining staff who were fabulous. We never met the pair that took care of our cabins, which was completely different from other Radisson cruises. The food was not quite as good as before. We also stumbled into a potential problem I'd warn everyone about; we had a grout of 120 who were there on a merit program. It COMPLETELY changes the feeling of the cruise (heavy drinkers, alot of noise in dining rooms, on the motu etc) and even my daughters picked up on it. i will never book another Radisson cruise without inquiring about the presence of a large group like that. The only good thing was I realized that after the 2nd day I realized they poster there itinary at a desk in the reception area so you could make strategic decisions - if they were in Apicius, we were in L'Etoile etc. The itinary is still FABULOUS and I would recommend it to anyone. Just maybe not with the enthusism I would have 4 years ago.
Robyn

Oops - I apologize for the typos above. We were delayed at LAX and am still trying to pack my kids up for camp tomorrow. Would like to hear from others who were on the PG until June 4th though...

rhb hasn't even begun to tell the story of Radisson's handling of the group on the ship. The group did what all groups do. The issue is what Radisson did! More when we get some sleep.

Pat

By the way, Arlene, you warmed my heart in many ways a week ago, but no more so than when you casually remarked that you had brought a box of biscuits for the orphan dogs. Bless you. Got to get some sleep now or I'll be posting dumber than usual comments.

Welcome back, Pat and Fred!!!

Masaki

Pat, thanks for taking the time to post while sleep deprived. Like the others, I'm waiting to hear more. We leave in 2 days for our June 11 PG embarkation. I've been awake for 2 1/2 hours already this morning revising my packing list etc.

I have to say that on the PG three years ago that the fish dishes were FABULOUS..better than ANY OTHER RSSC ship.

We had a large group on our ship and they absorbed Doug into their group...it made it fun for him. It's too bad that some changes seem to have changed the mix.

Hi, we're back. Will post soon.

BTW, I am thinking that the Veuve Cliquot and Godiva chocolates and nightly hors d'oeuvres were because we were third-time PG cruisers, based on the fact that Sheri got these perks too. But could have been the anniversary. In any case, they stopped the second week.

We had a fabulous second week, I'm sure Freddie has already shared some of the details.

Later...

Fred, Pat, Wendy & David - WELCOME HOME!!!! Can't wait to hear all the delicious details of your second week.