 |
 |
|
Name: William H. Parks
Email: theparkses@worldnet.att.net
Age: 76
Occupation: Retired Mental Health Admin.
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Radisson-PaulGauguin
SailingDate: May 2, 1998
Itinerary: French Polynesia
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 97
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 97
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 93
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 20
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 96
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess: 70
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities: 85
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 96
DiscoNightclubs: 75
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Jul 1998
Time: 20:48:54
Remote Name: 12.67.209.13
Remote User:
Comments
To begin: we are not seasoned travellers, this being our first
cruise; other vacations have been spent at island resorts.
Secondly: we are late in reporting,
having taken the May 2nd cruise. An advantage of this delay is
that we are able to compare our experiences with others who have
reported on the Paul
Gauguin.
The first pleasant memory is of our charter Air New Zealand
flight from LAX. Others have also noted that there is no need for
an upgrade on this flight. The
comfort level in tourist class rivels first class in most U.S.
airlines and the food and service are exemplary (free movies,
free wine). Contrary to the
experience of fellow passenger Robert C. Davis, Jr. we were met
by a Radisson guide and assisted through LAX with no problems.
Mr. Davis was on the
non-charter AOM which perhaps explains the difference.
Eight other passengers have offered their reviews and, for the
most part, I agree with their assessments but do differ in a few
respects. As noted by one
respondent, air schedules were made known at the last minute. We
were fortunate to be booked on Air New Zealand, others were not
so lucky. Our major
fault with Radisson was their change of departure time from
Papeete to LA. We had expected to have all day Saturday (after
the cruise) in Tahiti. This was
changed to a 6 a.m. flight to LA, depriving us of 19 hours in
Tahiti. We were compensated by a night's accomodation at a LAX
hotel but this was little
recompense for the lost time and was granted by Radisson only at
our travel agent's insistance.
3 a.m. arrivals in Tahiti seem to be the norm but transport to
the Sofitel Maeva Beach was efficient and the room was spacious
and comfortable. The
Radisson tour representative at the hotel was gracious enough but
seemed to present a hard sell for the Gauguin Museum tour and not
recommending
alternatives. Perhaps this was justified but we had no way of
knowing since our stay there was so short. Tours on all the
islands were similar and somewhat
overpriced (about $10 more than the going rate if scheduled on
shore rather than through Radisson).
Expectations of tourists are as varied as the tours themselves.
We chose the M/S Paul Gauguin for several reasons. It was a
relatively small ship without the
annoyance of being jostled by thousands of passengers. It sailed
the beautiful islands of Polynesia and offered a leisurely and
cultural travel experience
free of Carnival or Disney hoopla. The ambiance was informal:
open seating at meals, no dress code and no tipping. There were
diving and snorkelling for
the active travellers and leisurely activities for those who
wanted to learn more about the islands and their traditions. And
there was a small but uncrowded
pool where one could relax, free from exuberant children and
teens. The passengers were adults of all ages from early twenties
to the eighties, friendly and
well-behaved.
Reporter John Diddems was ample in his praise of the L'Etoile
Maitre D'. Perhaps there was a different one on his cruise, but
Enzo Mazzali, who served in
this capacity on ours, was far from competent. Our travel agent
had informed Radisson that we were celebrating our 50th
anniversary and she had
purchased a cake, through Radisson, for the occasion. We were
told to remind the M D', which we did. We later received a
written invitation to attend a
celebration in L'Etoile. We asked Mr. Mazzali if two friends,
whom we had met on the cruise, could be seated at our table and
were told they could not, as
arrangements had already been made. The 'special' event consisted
of being seated at the Purser's table with four other strangers.
There was no
recognition of our anniversary, no photos, and no cake. Other
passengers, celebrating such prosaic events as birthdays, were
accorded the full treatment
with singing waiters etc. When our friends later complained, they
were assured by the maitre d' that amends would be made, but no
further action was
taken. While this incident may seem superficial, we had taken
this tour as a once-in-a-lifetime celebration and were greatly
disappointed by the L'Etoile
staff's negligence and disregard.
The above episode should, in no way, suggest that the ship's
other personnel were anything but excellent. The waiters were,
for the most part, attentive
and efficient although a minority suffered from lack of
experience. The tour director must be singled out as most
helpful. How he kept his cool and sense of
humor throughout the myriad of questions, complaints and requests
for services is beyond comprehension. The fact that cyclones had
swept the islands the
previous week necessitated his completely changing the itinerary,
excluding the visit to Rangiroa and adding time to the other
ports of call. This was a great
disappointment to those who looked forward to scuba and glass
bottom boat experiences and certainly added to the tour
director's stress. Our cabin
steward was, if anything, oversolicitous and must have visited
our room four or five times a day with fresh linens and other
replacements. The staff who ran
the tender service (every half hour) couldn't have been more
polite or obliging, particularly in assisting older passengers.
Fortunately there were none with
obvious physical disabilities. There is one specially equipped
cabin but one wonders how a disabled person could descend the
steep stairs to the tender.
Perhaps Radisson has the answer, but it would pay to check before
booking if you need special assistance.
I contracted a rather severe cold on the cruise and had the
opportunity to visit the ship's medical facilities. The staff
consisted of a French doctor and a
clerical person who may also have been a nurse. They were both
accommodating and, although bilingual, had difficulty in
determining what medicines I was
taking. They were unfamiliar with brand names but understood me
when I used the generic terms. I have no way to judge the
competency of the service but
question the need for $66 worth of antibiotics when I felt a
simple antihistamine was in order. The professional fee of $25
was reasonable enough.
The shore excursions were well handled. On rainy days the staff
was waiting at the dock with umbrellas for all and bottled water
was always available. You
'took what you got' in the way of guides. Some were excellent and
informative while others were mainly drivers whose remarks could
not be heard by those
more than two seats away. We especially appreciated Susan who
escorted us on the Raiatea outrigger trip and the woman
(unfortunately we can't recall her
name) who was our guide on the Moorea jeep excursion. Both were
most pleasant. Many to whom we have spoken were disappointed with
Bora Bora;
perhaps it is better seen by a stay at one of its resorts than by
a superficial visit from a cruise ship anchored at a small
village with no attractions. Moorea is,
in our judgment, far superior in beauty and accomodations. Our
ship was anchored in idyllic Cook's Bay and our welcome was made
complete by musicians
at the dock.
For quiet relaxation aboard, go to the Connoisseur Club during
the day and sink into one of its leather chairs facing the
panoramic windows aft. It seems no
one else is ever there which is typical of the Paul Gauguin's
more-than-ample space for its 320 guests. We never had to wait
for an elevator or stand in a
line. Another relaxing place was the pool which was never crowded
and was adjacent to Le Grill, an informal dining area with
limited seating but an excellent
buffet and sandwiches. The top deck (Level 9) was nearly always
empty despite its cooling breezes, lounge chairs and panoramic
views. For other amenities
I would recommend the reviews by others on this site; we are in
agreement in almost all respects. In short, the cruise is highly
recommended for those who
want informal luxury without the noise, crowds and open palms.
Want to book your cruise at a great rate?
Click here.
Questions or comments? Mail to webmaster@cruiseopinion.com.
Copyright ©1996-2001 CruiseOpinion.com. Last modified: March 22, 2000.