We had a wonderful cruise through the Society Islands on the Paul Gauguin. To be sure, Familygoboston has written an extraordinary review on this ship, and its itinerary. Her review can be read here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1729992. We found it exceptionally helpful and recommend reading it before you take this cruise. Also, the overview on Cruise Critic (http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=65), by Colleen McDaniel, is spot on.

This was our first “small” ship, and we found it to be very different than our experience on RCL, NCL, Celebrity, and Princess. The average passenger age appeared to be between 45 and 60. To be sure, this is a cruise for active people. There is very little to do on the ship. You will not find afternoon bingo, art auctions, trivia, and other larger ship staples. There are plenty of opportunities to spend time in the water, which is really a focus on any trip to Tahiti.

One of the biggest differences from this ship and others we have sailed is that there is absolutely no attempt to upsell you anything on the ship. There are no “drink packages” (drinks are included), very few spa deals, no art auctions, no prize drawings for this and that, and there were no attempts to get you to book a future cruise at a discount. Also, there are no “filler” activities with annoying fake fun exercises hosted by a cartoonish crew member. The focus on the ship is a commitment to ensure that the passengers have everything they could possibly want and feel like they are being waited on hand and foot in a luxury environment. With very-few exceptions, we found there to be no request that was not fulfilled. Read more