Paul Gauguin Review
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This was my 5th cruise on the PG and the PG never disappoints.....the minute I stepped onboard I was welcomed back by name. Not sure how they do it . . . do they circulate to the crew old photos of former passengers around and have some sort of quiz? Whatever method is used, it certainly adds to the welcoming mood having the crew smiling and greeting you. Embarkation a breeze, immediately walked to the cabin. We arrived later than usual and waited a bit for the luggage. Nothing excessive, but less than immediate delivery was unusual, but I can understand as we arrived as the boat was conducting the safety drill. Food was exceptionally good, actually better than I remembered. Highlights included the lobster tail with vanilla sauce, profiterole dessert and any soup (they were all excellent). Not much of a wine drinker, but any options offered were tasty. Never needed to select from the abundant 'other options' as the main offerings were excellent.
The islands were, as always, incredibly beautiful. Scheduled the ship excursion for Fakarava's Blue Lagoon. Do not miss it, great excursion, unbelievable area....I think it lovelier than Bora-Bora's lagoon. Extra perk was that the tour boat picked us up at the PG marina, saving us the time to hop a tender to the island. Nice touch. We did our own thing on the other islands - because we visited them before and toured, we were comfortable arranging our own excursions. However, we should have scheduled the Rangiroa Blue Lagoon with the PG. Cruisers who did so raved, provided enviable photos . . . If I ever return to Rangiroa, it's on my list to do.
The PG cabin was well appointed, clean and the cabin stewardess unbelievable. Seemed to me every time we left the cabin, she appeared and replaced/refreshed the towels. Absolutely no complaints with the cabin or the attendant. Love the nightly chocolates on the pillows - however, sometimes she left the side lamps on and they tended to melt the candy, so I needed to refrigerate them. Fridge was continually stocked with beverages and bottles of water.