My Paul Gauguin Experience and Tahiti

By Sarah

My trip to Tahiti was the best holiday I have ever been on. Radisson from start to finish as always exceeded my expectations. It all started on my Air Tahiti Nui flight which was fantastic. It was such a pleasure to see   friendly flight attendants . The flight was approx 7 hours from L.A,   (only 2 hours further than Hawaii)  between the movies and the   great  food the time certainly flew by. Upon arrival a t the airport in Tahiti, Radisson clients were taken off and went through customs much quicker than everyone else, and of course we were greeted by the Tahitians with lays made with the local flowers. The buses were waiting for us and we were at our hotel in no time.

We stayed at the hotel Intercontinental Beachcomber. The hotel was spotless and the rooms were spacious and luxurious. Breakfast buffet was included for Radisson Passengers as was lunch. On time, the transfer came to pick us up for the ship on Sat. We were greeted by the Hotel Director and Cruise Director (quite different) and escorted on board where we checked in, of course champagne was an option if you wanted it. Escorted to our room we opened the door to approx 200sq feet of living space, with a huge balcony, Full bath tub in all the rooms, lots of wardrobe space, and the bed was even a queen (not two doubles pushed together!!) We were able to pick two bottles of liqueur of choice and the fridge is fully stocked with soft drinks and beer ( all included of course). We were also asked by our stewardess if there was any special requests we would like for our bar, and for the matter anything else. We then proceeded to the Marina, where we were handed our own snorkel equipment for the week.

We then sailed through the French Polynesian for the next seven days. The islands that they visit are quite out of this world. I have attached a couple of pictures so you get the idea. I have to admit though that there own private beach Motu Mahana was my favourite spot of all. The way Radisson treats you on this beach day is like no other. Teak deckchairs, constantly pouring drinks for you and the food was a gourmet feast, and the use of all the water toys was a real treat (Kayaking etc.) Talking of food, this has to be the most impressive menu from start to finish I have ever experienced. It was always consistent and the quality of ingredients was very apparent. The Chief who is a young man from Brittany, excelled and made everyday diverse and exciting. They have 3 restaurants to choose from, all amazing with different menus. Two offer a breakfast and lunch buffet, with different menus in the evening and then there's the main dining room, with menu service only. Of course let's not forget the 24hr room service with whatever you want sent to your room! Radisson as I said before exceeded my expectations, there was always some kind of deck party going on where you could always get a bloody Mary or a Mai Tai (for free) or if you wanted to make bracelets with the local girls, sit and watch the Tahitians put on a show, or just relax with your book, whatever you wanted to do, Radisson made the perfect scenario for you. I was impressed with type of clientele on board, what I mean by that is that Travel agents must be doing their job as there were about 15 honeymoon couples on board and 10 anniversaries, this really is quite a lot younger that what I had thought, which makes it the perfect holiday for people all ages. The younger couples took advantage of all the water sports (especially from the water sports platform) and the older people also could partake in the sports, but if they wanted more to relax this was also an option. The flight home and the connections were also seamless, which ended our vacation perfectly. On the whole, the Paul Gauguin is a well kept, understated gem. She sits perfectly in the waters of Tahiti... This is certainly a memory I won't forget in a long time.   Remembering of course all the inclusions, so the holiday is a real bargain if you cost it all out.  I also have no worries recommending anyone to this Polynesian secret. Thank you, Sarah  Dave's comments:  I sailed on the Paul Gauguin 2 years ago, May 2000, and had an absolutely wonderful cruise experience.  It is good to see two years later that they (Radisson Cruises) are still doing a phenomenal job.  Top of my list for a recommended cruise vacation.

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