Six Star Cruise

We had cabin 813 on the top deck. It came with a butler. The cabin was great,,a king size bed and all the closet space we needed. The veranda was large with sufficient room to have butler delivered breakfast served on it. The ship was immaculate, the employees very pleasant and helpful. Food was superb, as good as any I have had (and I have dined in many Michelin rated restaurants) so I rate the ship as six stars.

We took tours at each island and we were not disappointed with any. We had only 240 passengers on a ship that holds 350 so we never had any crowds during the ship. June is the start of the dry season so we never had rain on any of the days. There was entertainment on every night, as well as special shows on some afternoons (native dancers form a island, etc).

We were met at the airport by a Paul Gauguin representative and from then on everything was taken care of. On boarding the ship we were met by our butler and escorted to our room. In short order, our luggage arrived and the butler gave us advice on unpacking which we wanted to do ourselfs. There was fresh fruit on the table in the cabin and also small finger sandwiches. We had fresh fruit every day, renewed as necessary. At 4PM small treats were delivered by the butler. The bars served a special cocktail every day as well as anything you could want. The wines available were excellent with a wide selection available. A after dinner drink of fine cognac or port was great. All were included in the cost and we never paid for anything extra except the tours.

A cautionary note, the store on the ship has a great selection of gifts. If you purchase anything over $500 you have to get a tax stamp at the airport. The line at the airport to get this stamp was long and only one employee working at one window. It took over 45 minutes standing in line with only fans blowing to get the paperwork stamped. It was terrible. The airport itself was a nightmare, crowded, hot and you have to walk out to the plane and climb up the portable stairs to the claim. Disabled beware.

Again, the Paul Gauguin is a fantastic experience, The 11 day cruise to the Cook islands and the Society Islands was six stars.