I have always wanted to visit the Marquesas, and as I was in Papeete for a book signing of the French edition of "Tupaia, Captain Cook's Polynesian Navigator," it seemed an ideal time to fulfill that ambition ... and Paul Gauguin was offering a good deal.

The ship is small. I believe it holds something over 300 passengers, and was not full during this cruise. Everything is immaculate, from the brilliant white paint outside, to the meticulously cleaned public spaces. The crew is disproportionately large, so there are times when two or even three waiters vied to carry my tray or top up my glass of red wine. As is so common with cruise ships these days, the wait staff and cabin stewards are Filipino. Absolutely charming people, so friendly, efficient, and eager to please. I was surprised that there were so few Tahitians in the crew. Two beautiful girls on the travel desk, charming and helpful girls at reception, and a small entertainment troupe. The other surprise was a separation of the sexes -- the cabin stewards were all female, and the wait and bar staff were all men.

This was a discovery cruise, and so the star was the shipboard archaeologist, Mark Eddowes. Fluent in French, Marquesan and Tahitian as well as his native English, he was a superb communicator. Well attended lectures on Polynesian culture and history were followed by tours on shore. Thus we plowed our way through stunning scenery along bush tracks and up rubbled slopes to find dramatic ruins of marae, dance platforms, and temples, all eloquently explained. Read more