Paul Gauguin Cruise in Polynesia: Complete Guide & Review
Dreaming of discovering French Polynesia in comfort and elegance, with premium service? The Paul Gauguin cruise stands out as the ultimate luxury liner in South Pacific waters. This intimate-sized vessel navigates between the Society Islands, the Tuamotu atolls, the Cook Islands, and the mythical Marquesas, offering a refined experience that combines cultural discovery and five-star comfort.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain in detail how the Paul Gauguin operates, what itineraries are available (7-day Society, 10-day with Tuamotu or Cook, 15-day with Marquesas), who it’s designed for, and how to choose the format best suited to your desires and budget (from €4,000 to €11,000). We’ll also share our booking tips and pricing benchmarks, then show you how to create a combined cruise + land stay package to balance onboard luxury with local authenticity in family-run guesthouses.
At MyLittlePolynesia, we regularly travel throughout the archipelagos, test local gems (guesthouses, excursions, secret atolls), and continuously engage with the “Les Français en Polynésie” community. This on-the-ground proximity allows us to provide a clear and nuanced opinion on the Paul Gauguin: a premium cruise that offers the best of Polynesia in a luxurious setting, with impeccable service — and which can become the ideal foundation for building your dream journey to the fenua.
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Our Review of the Paul Gauguin Cruise in French Polynesia
Sailing aboard the Paul Gauguin means discovering French Polynesia at its most refined. This luxury liner, specially designed for the turquoise waters of the South Pacific, offers a unique experience that combines authentic exploration and five-star comfort. With a limited capacity of 330 passengers, the ship maintains an intimate atmosphere that contrasts pleasantly with the ocean giants typically encountered on cruises.
The onboard service is truly exceptional. The Polynesian crew, warm and attentive, learns your preferences after just a few days. The cabins, most of which feature a private balcony, are spacious and elegantly decorated. The ship also has a major advantage: its shallow draft allows it to access shallow lagoons and anchor closest to paradisiacal motus (islets), where large cruise ships cannot venture.
The restaurants offer French gourmet cuisine reimagined with Polynesian touches. The standout feature remains the authentic cultural activities: Tahitian dance shows, pandanus weaving demonstrations, and ukulele lessons. These moments create a precious connection with local culture, far beyond simple mass tourism.
Discover all our tips to organize an itinerary adapted for divers in Polynesia.
Paul Gauguin Cruise Prices: Budgets by Format
Let’s talk concretely about the budget you’ll need to embark on the Paul Gauguin. Prices vary considerably based on three main factors: cruise duration, travel period, and of course cabin category. Here’s an overview of the three formats offered to help you anticipate your investment.
Not sure when to come? Discover the Best Time to Visit French Polynesia
7-Day Format: The Society Islands
The one-week cruise explores the jewels of the Leeward Islands: Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a, and the unmissable Bora Bora. This is the classic itinerary, concentrating the essentials of French Polynesia in a reasonable timeframe.
Price range: €4,000 – €6,500 per person depending on cabin category and season
This week-long format is perfect for travelers discovering Polynesia for the first time or those with a tighter budget. It’s also ideal if you want to combine the cruise with a land stay on other islands. With about ten days of vacation total, you can easily add a few nights in Moorea or a small authentic atoll to complete the experience.
The advantage of this shorter format is also its practicality for families with children, who generally appreciate a reasonable cruise duration. You visit the must-see destinations without the fatigue that an overly long voyage might cause for younger travelers.
We’ve created a practical itinerary to properly organize a group trip for 3 weeks and not forget anything, what activities to do, how to optimize the loop, flights, boats and which islands to visit: Trip with Friends to Polynesia, our advice as residents.
10-Day Format: The Perfect Balance
The ten-day cruise represents, in our opinion, the best compromise between in-depth discovery and controlled budget. Two main itineraries are offered: either the combination of Society Islands and Tuamotu atolls (Rangiroa, Fakarava), or the extension to the Cook Islands with sublime Aitutaki.
Price range: €6,000 – €8,500 per person
This duration allows you to truly experience multiple facets of Polynesia. After the verdant volcanic reliefs of Bora Bora and Moorea, you discover the fascinating universe of atolls. These coral rings barely emerging from the ocean offer a completely different experience: lagoons of absolute clarity, abundant marine life, and the sensation of being at the world’s edge. For diving and snorkeling enthusiasts, it’s a true paradise.
This format is particularly suitable for honeymoon couples seeking absolute romance, passionate divers, and anyone wanting to immerse themselves more deeply in the Polynesian world without committing to a two-week cruise. The navigation days between archipelagos also allow you to fully enjoy the ship: spa, gourmet restaurants, activities, or simply lounging on deck with views of the infinite ocean.
For a concrete example of a loop combining mountains and atolls over 3 weeks, check out our article 3-Week Itinerary: Tuamotu and Society Islands with all the stages and durations per island.
14-15 Day Format: The Complete Odyssey with the Marquesas
The grand two-week cruise represents the ultimate journey in French Polynesia. It combines the three major archipelagos: Society Islands, Tuamotu atolls, and the mythical Marquesas. The latter, made famous by Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel, offer landscapes of raw and wild beauty unlike any other Polynesian island.
Price range: €9,000 – €11,000+ per person
Nuku Hiva and its vertiginous basaltic peaks, Hiva Oa and its cemetery where Gauguin rests, Fatu Hiva and its Bay of Virgins considered one of the most beautiful in the world, Ua Pou and its spectacular lava needles… Each stop in the Marquesas is an aesthetic shock. The archipelago is radically different from turquoise lagoons: it’s powerful nature, abrupt cliffs, lush vegetation, and preserved culture.
This long cruise is aimed at true Polynesia enthusiasts, those for whom this journey represents perhaps the adventure of a lifetime. However, you should be aware that navigation to the Marquesas involves two to three days at sea with few stops. If you don’t handle long crossings well, this format could be challenging. It’s also a substantial financial investment and time commitment: you need at least three weeks of vacation to include international flights and a few buffer days.
You can check out our article on the Marquesas islands, why this archipelago is a must-include during your trip to Polynesia.
🌴 Read the Full 10-Day Itinerary
How to Organize Your Cruise: Two Possible Approaches
You can check out our full article if you’re still hesitating between organizing everything on your own or going through a local agency. Both options have pros and cons, and we’ve shared our best advice in our guide.
Book Directly on the Paul Gauguin Website
You can make your reservation directly with Paul Gauguin Cruises via their website. This approach has certain advantages: you access early booking promotions firsthand, you communicate directly with the company without intermediaries, and you can precisely choose your cabin according to the ship’s layout.
This option is particularly suitable if you’re accustomed to organizing complex trips yourself, have the time to compare international flights, research the best hotels in Tahiti, arrange your transfers between airport and port, and manage all logistics separately.
If you’re wondering what to bring for your trip to Polynesia, check out our complete packing guide for Tahiti and Bora Bora with all the essentials you’ll need.
Entrust Organization to a Specialized Agency
The alternative, which we recommend in most cases, is to go through a travel agency specialized in French Polynesia. This approach completely transforms your trip preparation experience. A specialized agency creates a complete package for you that integrates your international flights from France or Europe, all necessary inter-island flights, your accommodations before and after the cruise in Tahiti or other islands, all transfers between airports, ports and hotels, the Paul Gauguin cruise itself, and any land extensions you wish to add.
The main advantage lies in the local expertise of these agencies. Their advisors know the destination intimately, have often traveled to Polynesia themselves, and know precisely how to optimize your itinerary according to your desires, budget and chosen period. They guide you toward the best family-run guesthouses if you’re seeking authenticity, recommend must-do activities according to the islands, and create harmonious combinations between luxury and authentic discovery.
These agencies also benefit from negotiated rates with airlines, hotels and even Paul Gauguin Cruises. The additional cost of their services is often minimal, or even non-existent, as it’s offset by these preferential rates. And above all, you benefit from French-speaking assistance throughout your journey. If a problem arises, a flight is canceled, a connection missed, the agency intervenes immediately to find a solution. The peace of mind offered by this formula is considerable. For such an important and expensive trip as French Polynesia, knowing that every detail is handled by professionals allows you to fully enjoy yourself without stress.
Opt for a cruise with Aranui: the cargo cruise that tours the Polynesian islands. Find our complete article on discovering Polynesia differently with Aranui.
Combined Package Examples
A typical discovery package might include three nights in Tahiti and Moorea in boutique hotels, followed by the seven-day Society Islands cruise, then three nights in Bora Bora in an overwater bungalow, all with international and inter-island flights included. Budget between €6,500 and €8,500 per person depending on the standard of accommodations chosen.
A luxury and atolls package would combine two nights in Tahiti, the ten-day Society and Tuamotu cruise, then four nights in an authentic guesthouse in Tikehau to discover local life after the luxury of the ship. Indicative budget ranges from €8,000 to €10,500 per person all-inclusive.
Finally, the complete odyssey would offer two nights in Tahiti, the grand fifteen-day cruise with the Marquesas, and three nights in Moorea to finish peacefully. With all excursions and flights included, plan between €10,500 and €13,500 per person.
Also read: Travel in French Polynesia – 10-Day Itinerary (Tips, Islands & Budget)
Our Final Verdict on the Paul Gauguin Cruise
After analyzing in detail the various aspects of the Paul Gauguin cruise, we can affirm without hesitation that it fully justifies its premium positioning. The service excellence, exceptional quality of port calls, preserved intimacy of the vessel, authenticity of Polynesian cultural activities, and the intelligent nearly all-inclusive formula create an experience that merits its investment.
Of course, with rates ranging from €4,000 to €11,000 depending on the chosen format, this isn’t a cruise accessible to all budgets. But for those who can afford it, it’s truly an investment in unforgettable memories. Many travelers consider their Paul Gauguin cruise as the trip of a lifetime, one that will remain forever etched in their memory.
French Polynesia is a dream destination that deserves to be discovered in the best conditions. The Paul Gauguin offers precisely that: exploring the most beautiful islands of the Pacific in absolute comfort, with attentive service and genuine connection to local culture. It’s much more than a simple cruise — it’s a refined immersion in the Polynesian fenua.
Our clear recommendation is to contact a travel agency specialized in French Polynesia. Whether you choose the seven-day format for a limited budget, the ten days representing the best compromise, or the grand fifteen-day odyssey with the Marquesas, these professionals will create the journey perfectly tailored to your desires. They’ll compose for you a complete package including international flights, land accommodations before and after the cruise, all desired extensions on other islands, and of course your Paul Gauguin cruise. All you’ll have to do is embark and let yourself be carried away by Polynesian magic.
If you are wondering how to get to Raiatea from Tahiti or Bora Bora, don’t miss our dedicated article on how to travel between the Polynesian islands.
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And if you’re still unsure, don’t worry, just reach out to us directly, and we’ll be happy to add extra explanations to this article if needed.
For a more complex multi-island trip in French Polynesia (for example, 4 islands or more), working with a local travel agency is often a real advantage. Agencies know the logistical constraints, the real flight schedules, and can optimize your itinerary to avoid wasted time or unnecessary nights in Tahiti.
❓FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Paul Gauguin Cruise
How long is the Paul Gauguin cruise in French Polynesia?
➡️ The Paul Gauguin offers three main durations. The 7-day cruise focuses on the Society Islands (Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a, Bora Bora). The 10-day cruise adds either the Tuamotu atolls (Rangiroa, Fakarava) or the Cook Islands with Aitutaki. The 14-15 day cruise is the complete experience, combining Society Islands, Tuamotu, and the remote Marquesas Islands (Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, Fatu Hiva, Ua Pou).
What is included in the Paul Gauguin cruise price?
The cruise operates on a nearly all-inclusive basis. Your fare includes all onboard meals in gourmet restaurants, complimentary beverages (select wines, champagne, spirits, soft drinks), gratuities for crew, water sports equipment (kayaks, paddleboards, snorkeling gear), and entertainment like Tahitian dance performances and cultural workshops. Shore excursions, spa treatments, and premium alcoholic beverages cost extra.
How many passengers does the Paul Gauguin accommodate?
➡️ The ship has a maximum capacity of 330 passengers, creating a boutique atmosphere with personalized service. This intimate size allows the vessel to access shallow lagoons and anchor near remote motus where larger cruise ships cannot reach. You’ll avoid crowds and enjoy a more exclusive experience.
What type of cabins are available on the Paul Gauguin?
➡️ Cabins range from interior rooms (most economical) to oceanview cabins with windows, balcony cabins (most popular), and spacious suites. The majority feature private balconies for enjoying sunrises and passing islands. All accommodations are elegantly designed with Polynesian touches, comfortable bedding, and well-appointed bathrooms.
When is the best time to take a Paul Gauguin cruise?
➡️ The dry season from May to October offers the most reliable weather with less rainfall and calmer seas. July and August are peak months with premium pricing. April, May, and November provide excellent value with good weather. The wet season (November-March) brings occasional showers but the best prices. Book early regardless of season, as the ship fills 6-12 months in advance.
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👉 Here, we share our best travel experiences, insider tips, favorite spots, and authentic advice to explore French Polynesia with passion 💙 (Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine, the Marquesas, Tuamotu…)
