THE PAUL GAUGUIN - ANOTHER VIEW This was our eighth cruise. We have sailed on five other cruise lines including the Radisson Diamond and several Crystal Cruises and Holland America ships, so we are not without experience. And I am a retired naval officer. As a result of those trips and the high ratings trumpeted in Regent's promotions for this ship (and the high prices), we had high expectations. Those expectations were dashed. The reality was quite different and much more modest. But it didn't need to have been that way. Arrival Our initial experience with this ship started off poorly. We had traveled all day and arrived tired and hungry. After a long wait, we located our luggage outside the service elevator, took it to our cabin ourselves, unpacked it and went to the main dining room to eat. But instead of seating us, the maitre d' officiously told us he did not have a table available and we should wait at the bar. He did not offer us the opportunity of sitting at a larger table with other people - just to sit at the bar. While I enjoy a cocktail, I did not want one at 9:00PM and was not happy at that unfriendly reception.

Food: Food is always a critical element on a cruise. The food on the Gauguin was quite ordinary, with only a few exceptions. On several occasions, we found things to be overcooked, dried out and somewhat tasteless. One night it was the veal chop in La Veranda. The last night it was the veal cordon bleu which was a chef's recommendation and which turned out to be dry and overdone.

The service at seated meals was not consistent, either. Often there were long delays (up to an hour) between courses. My wife likes lots of coffee at breakfast, but it took repeated reminders to keep her cup full. We had the same experience with regard to keeping water glasses full. We concluded that either the kitchen was overwhelmed or the service staff was not well trained. Read more