Actually, the title of this article may be a bit deceptive. I was invited on a educational trip aboard the Paul Gauguin as it sails on a seven night Tahiti and Society Islands cruise. Actually, if anyone would like to take the same cruise and meet me, we'll be departing PPT on 13DEC and returning 20DEC, and fares are as low as $3,995 per person.
I've never been on a cruise before, although I did enjoy a barge trip in Southern France aboard L'Impressioniste. I'm frankly not a cruise person, but I'm willing to give it a try. I will of course share my impressions, comparing my experience aboard the Paul Gauguin cruise to the luxury hotels I enjoy frequenting.
So why this cruise? In addition to an opportunity to take my wife back to Tahiti (she loves snorkeling in the warm waters of the atolls), I'm looking it as an opportunity to do some site inspections of hotels I didn't get to see back in 2007. Here's my original site inspection report, very much out of date as a new hotel has opened (Four Seasons Bora Bora), two hotels have closed (Hotel Bora Bora, Bora Bora Lagoon), Bora Bora Nui is now a Hilton, and St. Regis Bora Bora is now Virtuoso (it wasn't in 2007).
Le Taha'a Island Resort. A Virtuoso property close to Bora Bora, I've booked it but never seen it. We'll spend a couple of hours there the morning of December 15th.
Four Seasons Bora Bora. This resort was still under construction during my last visit (click here to see a picture I took from the water), but we'll be spending a day there on December 16th. FS is picking us up at the dock at 10 a.m. and returning us at 4 p.m. We'll get to see rooms, enjoy the beach, have lunch, and we've even booked spa treatments.
InterContinental Thalasso (on Bora Bora) is owned by the same company that owns Paul Gauguin cruises, and we'll be seeing it on December 17th.
InterContinental Moorea also has the same owner as the Paul Gauguin cruises. We'll be visiting this property the morning of December 18th, followed by an afternoon site inspection of…
Hilton Moorea. There are really two recommended properties on Moorea, and this will give me the opportunity to see both in a single day — quite helpful in helping clients consider their choices on Moorea.
What about cruising aboard the Paul Gauguin as a way to visit Tahiti? It's certainly economical, as all meals and beverages are included in the price of the cruise — and you only have to pack and unpack once while you enjoy visits to Huahine, Taha'a, Bora Bora, Moorea, and Papeete.
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