The ship
Yacht-scale Polynesia, lagoon access
Paul Gauguin is a small luxury ship built for French Polynesia (1997): about 19,000 GT, roughly 330 guests, shallow draft and yacht-like scale that reaches lagoons megaships cannot. The holiday is the islands — marina platform, local cuisine cues, and overnight or long calls — with the ship as a refined base.
Dining runs through the main restaurant, Le Grill and La Veranda. Yacht-scale dining — open seating and weather-led al fresco more than specialty circus spend.
Daytime is the watersports platform and lagoon snorkel mornings when the itinerary allows. Evenings stay small-ship: a show lounge sized for a few hundred seats, not a theatre district. She is here for French Polynesia — shallow draft, yacht-like scale, guests who booked the lagoons first.
Paul Gauguin is Polynesia-sized: lagoon mornings, a few hundred guests, no megaship skyline.
On board
Yacht scale, island days
- 01
Dining
Highlights include the main restaurant, Le Grill and La Veranda. Yacht-scale dining — open seating and weather-led al fresco more than specialty circus spend. Reserve popular rooms on embarkation or before you sail — sea days still fill. Pick deliberately rather than treating the deck plan as a checklist.
- 02
Evenings
The lounge is the centre of Paul Gauguin’s show nights. Evenings centre on yacht-scale music and local colour — not a Broadway transfer. Check your sailing — titles change by season. — the programme changes by season, so check your sailing before you plan the week around one title. Beyond the main house, notable entertainment rooms — among them piano bar, deck music and open-air evenings when weather allows — are the spaces guests actually plan around, not every bar on the deck plan. Book a centre seat on night one if the headline matters; wandering in rarely beats a reservation on sea days.
- 03
Water and spa
Marina platform for watersports and lagoon access is the signature outdoor kit — the reason shallow draft matters. Pool deck for swim time between shore days. Spa treatments book early on sea days. Pack reef-safe habits; the product is the water, and the platform is how you use it without a megaship tender scrum.
- 04
Public rooms
Panoramic lounge, bars and intimate social spaces you learn on day one. No casino megaship loop. Observation spots matter on scenic island approaches — claim a window before the crowd when the ship eases toward a motu.
- 05
Shore focus
Itineraries and long calls are the point — motus, markets, snorkel trips. Guests who stay aboard every port day miss the ship’s reason to exist. Choose excursions that match the shallow-draft access only this scale of ship can use, and leave slack for lagoon time that is not on a coach.
Main restaurant
Inclusive main dining room at yacht scale — open seating more than specialty circus. Best for most evenings in French Polynesia. Best for guests who want a classic plated evening without budgeting extras every night.
La Palette
Outdoor casual dining when weather allows. Inclusive al fresco habit. Perfect on lagoon evenings. Check opening hours on your sailing — they shift by sea day and port day.
Grill venues
Poolside and casual grill options. Inclusive easy plates between shore days. Not formal specialty theatre. Check opening hours on your sailing — they shift by sea day and port day.
Panoramic lounge
Views and evening music in a panoramic lounge. Soft yacht entertainment, not Broadway; programmes change by season. Arrive on time; the room is intimate. Drinks and fancy coffees usually sit outside the simple cruise — price what you will actually order.
Pool deck
Small-ship pool and loungers. Included deck time; finite space. Swim between marina and shore calls. Peak sea days mean queues and early lounger hunts — plan around that.
Marina platform
Watersports at anchor when conditions allow — the shallow-draft reason many book Gauguin. Included toys on typical operating days. The outdoor signature more than a pool afternoon.
Spa
Treatments extra. Compact spa between island days. Book if massage is your reset after snorkel mornings. A quieter daytime corner than the pool scramble.
Le Grill
Specialty or grill evenings as programmed — check the week’s schedule and any surcharge. Quieter occasion plates when offered. Confirm inclusions on your cruise.
Bars
Bar venues per cruise type — many pours inclusive on typical Gauguin prices; verify yours. Yacht social circuit. Conversation volume after dark. Drinks and fancy coffees usually sit outside the simple cruise — price what you will actually order.
Observation spots
Forward and aft views for island approaches. Included observation habits. Claim a rail at scenic hours. Check opening hours on your sailing — they shift by sea day and port day.
Fit
Who Paul Gauguin is for
- Travellers booking French Polynesia for lagoon access and yacht-scale luxury — shallow draft, marina platform, intimate dining, roughly 330 guests.
- Couples on honeymoon or milestone trips who want destination depth over megaship entertainment, with luxury-cruise budgets and reef days on the agenda.
- Not for guests seeking Broadway shows, casino nights, or a different specialty restaurant every evening on a 5,000-guest ship — book Oasis-class for that circus.
Where
Where Paul Gauguin tends to go
French Polynesia is the lifelong brief — Society Islands loops, Tuamotu and Marquesas extensions.
Treat this as the ship’s range, not a fixed timetable. When this guide is public, sailings with two or more UK agent prices will sit at the bottom.
Before you book
What the brochure skips
- prices are often more inclusive than mass-market lines, but verify what drinks, tours and flights packages actually cover.
- Compare UK agents on the same Paul Gauguin sailing, cruise-only, two sharing.
Next step
Find a sailing
Compare cruise prices for Paul Gauguin, or open the live map and see where she is now.