Paul Gauguin

Twenty-Five Years in the South Pacific

The ship named after the painter who abandoned Paris for Tahiti has spent more than 25 years sailing the waters he came to love. Paul Gauguin is a premium cruise ship of 332 guests, operated by Paul Gauguin Cruises, and her speciality is a narrow and specific one: the islands of French Polynesia and the broader South Pacific. She does this exceptionally well, for a simple reason, she has been doing it longer than any comparable vessel in the region.

She was purpose-built for the South Pacific. Her shallow draught gives her access to lagoons and anchorages that are unreachable for larger vessels. Her small size means that she does not overwhelm the places she visits. Her 25-year relationship with the region means that her crew, her itineraries, and her onboard cultural programme all reflect a genuine understanding of French Polynesia rather than a generic approximation of it.

All-Inclusive from the Start

Paul Gauguin Cruises operates on a straightforward all-inclusive model: all meals, all non-premium beverages, gratuities, and WiFi are included in the fare, along with 24-hour room service. There are no daily accounts to settle, no tipping obligations, and no surprises at disembarkation. Premium spirits and select wines are available at extra cost, but the standard of what is included is high enough that most guests never feel the need to go beyond it.

The water sports marina operates on the same basis: kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, snorkelling equipment, and glass-bottomed boats are available to guests without charge whenever the ship is at anchor. The PADI dive programme includes equipment use; individual dive excursions are charged separately.

Motu Mahana

Paul Gauguin Cruises has exclusive access to Motu Mahana, a private islet in the Leeward Islands that does not appear on standard tourist itineraries. When Paul Gauguin anchors off Motu Mahana, guests have a white-sand beach, a lagoon of unusual clarity, and a water sports setup operated by the ship’s crew entirely to themselves. It is the kind of experience that has become impossible to provide on ships carrying 2,000 passengers, and it remains one of the strongest arguments for sailing on Paul Gauguin rather than a larger vessel in the Pacific.

Les Gauguines and Les Tahitians

The cultural interpretation that Paul Gauguin offers is provided by local Polynesian crew members, Les Gauguines and Les Tahitians, who bring their own knowledge of the islands, their language, and their traditions to the onboard programme. Lectures, performances, and conversations with people who actually come from the places the ship visits create a connection to French Polynesia that no amount of narrated shore excursions can replicate.

Itineraries

Paul Gauguin sails year-round in the South Pacific, with the majority of her programme centred on Tahiti, Bora Bora, and the Society Islands. Longer itineraries extend to the Marquesas, the Cook Islands, and occasionally to Fiji and New Zealand. The ship homeports in Papeete, giving guests the option to extend their stay in Tahiti before or after the voyage. Paul Gauguin Cruises offers the deepest and most consistent programme in the region for guests who want to explore French Polynesia properly, with the comfort of a premium ship and the conviction that the Pacific deserves better than a one-port stop on a round-the-world itinerary.