These are your first hints that your cruise is not just about being on a luxury ship. As cultural representatives, Les Gauguines are the heart and soul of the Paul Gauguin Cruises experience. They are generous with their time and happy to answer questions, even about their personal lives and experiences.
Their talent is showcased in performances in Le Grand Salon. The troupe wears elaborate costumes to highlight expressive Tahitian dances. Through movements of hips and arms, and chants and songs, accompanied by such instruments as two-skin drums and the ukulele, you learn about local traditions and history.
The charming troupe members host complimentary get togethers throughout each cruise, where you can learn a few dance steps or the many ways to tie a pareo, a few words of Tahitian or how to make a rose out of bark or a necklace from delicate shells.
As you enjoy a day on the dreamy white sands and surf off Paul Gauguin Cruises’ private Motu Mahana, off the vanilla- growing island of Taha’a, Les Gauguines move the music and dancing ashore, adding such activities as coconut bowling and making crafts from shells.
Local cuisine on board
On The Gauguin, you can taste the flavors of Tahiti. In addition to two restaurants featuring fine French and international cuisine, you may sample poisson cru, the famous Tahitian dish of raw fish marinated in coconut milk and lime and other local dishes on the menu at Le Grill, the ship’s open-air restaurant, where Polynesian specialties are featured at dinner.
Paul Gauguin Cruises was an early leader in using sustainable local ingredients. Fresh fish, vegetables and fruit, and such products as prized Tahitian vanilla, are locally sourced and appear in dishes in all of the ship’s restaurants.
For anyone who filets fish at home, do not miss a poolside session where the ship’s executive chef shows how to dismantle a colorful giant Moonfish fresh from local waters.
Polynesian Night
Cultural immersion is at its highpoint shipboard during Polynesian Night, when everyone on board is encouraged to dress in colorful tropical garb.
Crew and guests are decked out in flower leis (necklaces) and heis (crowns) created by local artisans; the smell of gardenias
Paul Gauguin's Ta Matete (We Shall Not Go to the Market Today) Paul Gauguin Cruises |
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ART AND HISTORY
If you can pull yourself away from sea views in more shades of blue than you can imagine, a small museum on the ship helps guests learn about French Polynesian art and heritage and the life of post-impressionist artist Paul Gauguin.
Displayed on walls and in glass cases are original artifacts – such as a finely carved ceremonial paddle – along with original sketches and lithographs and historic photos.
A new digital museum, added during the ship’s 2021
refurbishment, allows a deeper dive as you pull up images on a large HD screen. You might scroll, for instance, through black and white photos by Roger Parry (French, 1905-1977), who photographed life in Tahiti in the early 1930s. Or peruse more than 150 works by Gauguin.
Continue your education with the collection of books in the ship’s library, just off the recently expanded Piano Bar, where tropical murals and original paintings by contemporary Tahitian artists decorate the walls.
Fare Tahiti, Onboard Museum
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