The South Pacific sailing Paul Gauguin is a cruise ship that is among the fleet of ships owned and managed by Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The mid sized ship was built with the intention of sailing Tahiti and French Polynesian itineraries, and is one of the highest rated in luxury among ships sailing this region. An elegant ship, with an eye for class and refinement, the experience on board is unparalleled with a feel reminiscent of a by gone era, and the upper echelon of cruise goers love the ship because of the eye to individual comfort, and attention to specific details. The ship has a comparatively small capacity, which aims at eradicating the impersonally large ambience most cruise ships nowadays have.
The cruise ship was named after the painter Paul Gauguin, who was a good friend of Vincent van Gogh. Paul Gauguin was constructed at the Chantiers de l’ Atlantique shipyards located in Saint Nazaire in France, more than $ 25 million dollars have been spent on the ship for refurbishments and enhancements since it was inaugurated in 1998. More than 500 cruises have been completed till now by the cruise ship and more than 140, 000 passengers have been served.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises was purchased by Apollo Management, an investment company in 2008 in exchange of a sum of one billion dollars from Carlson Hospitality Worldwide under Carlson Companies, Inc. The Apollo investment group has also acquired Oceania Cruises and a 50 % stake in Norwegian Cruise Line. The ships which are part of the Regent Seven Seas Cruise Line have a reputation for being classy, upscale and chic, without being stiff or uptight. The cruise line is a member of the Guild of English Butlers, and enjoys a position of repute because of the impeccable service provisions. The mid sized ships that have capacities of hundreds rather than thousands of passengers ensure that the impersonality that comes with large sized ships is removed.
Paul Gauguin sails the French Pacific with 7 day, 10 day, 11 day and 14 day itineraries from Papeete, and sail the French Polynesian Islands. Halts are made at Raiatea, Taha-Moto Mahana, Mooreea and Bora Bora Islands. Specifically custom built for the purpose of sailing the shallow waters that are near these islands, and many places which are not accessible for the bigger sized ships can be easily reached by Paul Gauguin. There is a multitude of shore options when sailing in Tahiti and other islands, with focus on several specialties like Natural Treasures, Off the Beaten path, Lagoon Discovery and Paul Gauguin’s Footsteps. In Paul Gauguin’s Footsteps, there are stops in places where Paul Gauguin himself swam. There are also several water oriented adventure options, and a special shark dive is organized at Mooreea for certified divers.
Paul Gauguin is one ship that embodies relaxed elegance, being classy without being stiff or uptight. The understated elegance of the ship belies the casual atmosphere within, in which ‘relaxed’ is the key word and dress codes remain casual. Ties are not required at dinner, and assigned seating is also done away with. The good sized dining rooms eradicate the need to rush into the dessert course to quickly make room for second seating. The ambience is chic, and has well designed interiors. The staff doubles as entertainers and relates stories related to folklore and Paul Gauguin.
Specifications and Ship Facts
Year at which launched :
1998
Port of Registry :
Wallis and Futuna
Gross Tonnage ( G R T ) :
19,200 G T
Maximum Cruising Speed :
22 knots
Capacity :
320 passengers
No of Passenger accessible decks :
7
Crew :
211
Nationality of officers :
International
Cruise Crew and Staff Nationality :
International
Sailing in :
French Polynesia