LUXURY CRUISING
“WE CAST OFF WITHOUT FANFARE and nudged slowly into a SUBLIME, PURPLE-TINTED TWILIGHT that fanned out across the DARKENING HORIZON”
sometimes handing out cool face towels as we returned to the ship, or at others simply strumming a guitar at some quiet moment on board. These lovely ladies go a huge way towards giving Paul Gauguin the warmth and verve she radiates at every
CABIN COMFORT
All cabins on board are outside, and many boast private balconies, including some added in a recent refit. My Deck 7 cabin was just below the lido, and beautifully outfitted in cherrywood panelling, with a decent sized bathroom. These are not the marble apartments you get on Silversea or Regent, but they come with wonderful L’Occitane bath products and nice bath robes. Sitting areas are a decent size, and getting into bed was like falling into a giant marshmallow, so soft were the sheets and duvet. A TV and DVD combo allowed
in-room entertainment, but the real marvels were just outside, where a small but comfortably furnished balcony would provide a series of stunning vistas by day and night. The television hardly got a look in all week.
turn. It meant our voyage of discovery was not solely limited to the wonders that awaited ashore. The ship is all inclusive and, because of
her itinerary and exclusivity, she is much beloved of honeymooners, serial romantics and lovers of Mother Nature. The ship has a small diving marina, and offers sail boat- ing, kayaks, and scuba gear. In the electric blue, translucent waters that lap at the fabled shores of Polynesia, many found a second wonderland of coral, grey sharks and swimming turtles arrayed
around them like some fantastic, interac- tive audio visual display.
fanned out across the darkening hori- zon. Out on the lofty expanse of the terrace, at La Palette, passengers met and mingled over bon voyage martinis at the start of one of the most beautiful and alluring adventures it is possible to undertake in a week.
W
e cast off without fanfare and nudged slowly into a sublime, purple-tinted twilight that
72 WORLD OF CRUISING I Spring 2011
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