| |
|
|
|
|
Cruising Where Life Imitates Art |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Those of us familiar with the works of French impressionist Paul Gauguin--especially his hauntingly beautiful images of Tahitian women and color-saturated tropical landscapes--will appreciate the exotic, romantic atmosphere aboard his namesake cruise ship, the m/s Paul Gauguin. This small luxury ship, hosting no more than 332 passengers, sails exclusively in French Polynesia and has become so closely associated with plying the languid turquoise waters of this region that a certain mystique envelops her. There's a sense of stepping back into Gauguin's world of the late 1800s, wakening each day to inspirational scenery, sampling the exotic tropical fruits often portrayed in his paintings, and reveling in the colorful culture of the warm Polynesian people.
Tahiti is a year-round destination of balmy weather, Bali Ha'i-like scenery, and crystal-clear lagoons teeming with tropical fish. The nicest and most predictable weather runs September through December--and you'll pay predictably higher prices then as well. Low season is January through April, and can be rainy, hot, and excessively humid. A better bet is shoulder season from May through August, when the humidity has dissipated some and pricing has moderated.
We asked two Hideaways members--both of whom, quite coincidentally, cruised with family members on the same Paul Gauguin itinerary this past holiday season--to fill us in on some of their voyage highlights.
A Family Affair
Sometimes you just want to get away for the holidays--really away! For Christy Eisman, her husband, Paul, and their 6-year-old son, Cooper, of Denver, Colorado, that meant a trip halfway around the world to Tahiti. "We wanted to go somewhere exotic that absolutely guaranteed warm weather," said Christy. "We chose the Paul Gauguin because it's a small ship, and it allowed us to visit places that would have been difficult to get to on our own."
Each day on board brought new discoveries for the three of them, according to Christy. "You can't believe how amazing the water is, with different shades of blue and green," she said. "My husband loved Bora Bora, seeing the contrast between the ocean and the rugged greens hills, and we all enjoyed sitting on deck each evening to watch the sunset."
The family especially enjoyed "Les Gauguines," the female Polynesian crewmembers--all beautiful to look at, according to Christy--who performed dances, sang traditional songs, gave talks about their culture, and even led arts and crafts classes. "Cooper and I did a couple of these classes," Christy said. "We made bracelets one day and placemats another. And we asked if we could do more bracelets and necklaces a third day so Cooper could give them as gifts to his grandmother and nanny back home.
"We also sat in on some cooking lectures on the local cuisine," Christy continued. "Cooper liked the Moonfish demonstration best. They brought this giant fish out to the pool deck and showed us how it was carved and prepared. He was fascinated."
Cooper and his parents frequently immersed themselves, quite literally, into the amazing snorkeling from the ship's water-sports platform. "We taught him in the ship's pool, and then it was straight to the lagoons," said Christy. "He loved it! There are tons of fish to see, so many colors and species--some smaller than a finger and others more than two feet long. And we saw lots of beautiful coral--Cooper's favorite was the brain coral. He could have spent hours each and every day just snorkeling."
For Christy and Paul, the best part of the cruise was the Paul Gauguin's exclusive access to private motus--glorious, uninhabited islets set up with incredible amenities: nice bathrooms and lounge chairs, waiters bringing frozen drinks, gourmet food, even a floating bar in the water. "While we were relaxing on one of the motus, they gave a demonstration on coconuts," said Christy. "It lasted more than an hour and believe me, it was very interesting. Another time we were treated to a presentation on the vanilla bean by one of the local plantation owners--fascinating!"
Same Voyage, Different Perspective
Along on the same cruise but traveling with a more "mature" group was 40-something Hideaways member Susan Maurais and her husband, Ghyslain, of Union City, Indiana, Susan's mother, Martha Mathias, and Martha's best friend, Carol Cline. "For some reason, maybe because he's French Canadian, my husband always wanted to visit French Polynesia," said Susan. "It was a dream of my mother's also. I was just the planner."
It didn't take long after arriving on deck for Susan to start sharing their enthusiasm. "The scenery from the ship is just incredible," she said. "Everywhere we went was beautiful, but we especially loved Moorea. It's a very small island, and as clean and tidy as you can imagine. Even though the people don't have much by our standards, they were well dressed and kept their homes absolutely immaculate. We'd go back to Moorea in a heartbeat!"
Since Ghyslain is a huge history buff, he and Susan sat in on all the on-board enrichment lectures offered prior to disembarking in various ports. "We thought the role women played in their culture was especially fascinating. And I think it was on Moorea that we saw one of the last temples that actually had human sacrifices, until something like 1840--not that long ago!"
Susan described the food on board as absolutely delicious, with some of the freshest seafood and fruit she's ever eaten. "I have never had such quality produce," she said. "We own two restaurants, and I had never tasted fruit like this before--papaya so sweet and juicy, you just can't believe it. And for New Year's Eve, they served a special dinner and really did up everything beautifully, with a dance band and champagne all evening."
One of the highlights of her cruise--besides the perfect mid-80s weather every day--was shopping for the region's famed Tahitian pearls. "One day, the pearl designer Tahia Collins came on board and educated us on the finer points of Tahitian pearls," Susan explained. "We were able to try on all these amazing necklaces and earrings, and the next day we visited her store on Moorea. I found a beautiful necklace that Ghyslain got me for our anniversary. I promised he could put it away and I'd forget about it--but I ended up wearing it the rest of the cruise! It's the perfect remembrance of our wonderful time in Tahiti."
Whoever you're traveling with, Hideaways Travel Services can help you plan your perfect Paul Gauguin voyage. Call us today at 800-843-4433.
HLMarch 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|