Let me start by saying, I cannot wait to book another cruise aboard the MS Paul Gauguin. The boat, service, ports of call, and atmosphere were everything I hoped they would be and so much more. My group consisted of myself and husband (late twenties) my mother (early 50's) and a family friend (thirty something). We have all done many cruises across various cruise lines and prefer hotels such as Fairmont, Le Meridien, Intercontinental, etc.-- Just to give you an idea of who is writing this review.

Embarkation:

After going on many of the larger, mainstream, cruises, the embarkation process was such a pleasant experience. A first word of advice: do NOT arrive before 3pm to the pier in Papeete. You will NOT be getting on early and you will be standing out in the sun. However, once you board, the crew is waiting happily to take your hand luggage and replace it with a sparkling glass of cold champagne. Hindsight shows that this event would set the tone for the cruise to come. Read more