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Back from the tere Moana

Tikiintahiti

By Tikiintahiti,
in Paul Gauguin Cruises

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Tikiintahiti

Tikiintahiti

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Shooting from the hip I would go on this little ship in a second to Costa Rica and/or Greece/Croatia plus some other possibilities. Without going into detail I'll simply say the service was 1st rate, the crew over the top and the food was divine .............. more later.

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Tikiintahiti

Tikiintahiti

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I went through a transformation during the week. I went on board thinking I was going to experience the Paul Gauguin but I didn't. At first I was having a tough time but as the week progressed I came to the conclusion the Tere Moana is a different experience.

 

The Tere Moana is a very small ship, things are much more intimate than the Paul Gauguin. By mid-week I had embraced the differences and enjoyed them. Though I have a very soft heart for the PG and the crew the TM captured my heart in a more personal intimate way. The staff is very good and they have come together to create a very cozy atmosphere.

 

Each crew member has several hats to wear. One moment the cabin stewardess is cleaning your room and the next time you see her she is the hidden gem in the lounge entertainment that evening.

 

The chef is very casual and personal. He loves to please and did a great job at the menu and presentation. BTW, the Le Veranda was open for dinner reservations most nights and served a good steak. The Rib Eye which I had twice was huge, cooked to perfection and marbled just right, made for a memorable experience ……… yummy

 

The kitchen was there to please, just ask and if possible they will take care of it. I had homemade salsa every morning for my omelet.

 

The kitchen did an outdoor BBQ on the pool deck one night with all sorts of wonderful things including great lobster which never ran out, I had 3 of the tasty critters : )

 

The BBQ at Prickly Pear was also very nice. Fresh Mahi Mahi on the wood BBQ was fantastic. The setting is very pretty with tress for shade, palm cover umbrellas and clean rest rooms. Nice swimming to enjoy.

 

Room service menu was better than I would have thought. No one ever stated it but when I asked for what was in the main dining room it was no problem.

 

As far as the bar the selection of good spirits was plentiful. The head bar tender did a great job at remembering ones favorite drink and service was quick.

 

On to the hotel manager, Nelson. It was a delight getting to know him during the week. Nelson is a very personable guy which I liked. Very open to suggestions and is a people pleaser. I found him to be more personal than his counterpart on the PG. Though they both do a good job I found Nelson to be more personal which I prefer. From observation it was easy to spot the great relationship the Captain had with Nelson, they work very well together like a well-oiled machine.

 

At times I have found the reception staff to be a bit sterile on the PG but I just need to say that Nelson and his staff all did a great job on the TM. The reception desk was always manned with a problem solver who was always ready to give their all to help ……….. And always with a big smile : )

 

The TM now has a nice tender, no more zodiac rides unless you want the thrill. The new tender can take about 25 people at a time, has a covered top, seating for all and if not fully loaded could probably give a great water ski pull. She’ll zip along at 30 knots if not fully loaded and has a drop down gate in the front for beach landings.

 

I will add more over the week but I wanted to start something. This is a wonder little ship but be aware it is intimate and personal, you will get to know most on board and the delightful crew. More later …

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Emdee

Emdee

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Good to hear all the positives for Tere Moana.

Nelson has a wonderful cando attitude that is really needed on a small ship where everyone has to pitch in.

 

Prickly pear is where Seabourn has their beach day and was one of my suggestions after we returned earlier in the year.

 

Who were the chef, maitre etc.

 

Glad to hear that the La Veranda alternative is available and you had some nice meals there as well as the barbeque.

 

How were the stabilizers? Were they fixed in the November dry dock? Great that they have a proper tender now.

Did you have a beach day at Jost Van Dyck as well? There is an area there that Capt Zupan showed me that is quite suitable for a beach day.

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Tikiintahiti

Tikiintahiti

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Who were the chef, maitre etc. - Chef Roy and Maitre was Allen, they worked well together. Both are very personal type of guys plus Allen sang a few nights ........ selections from musical theater

 

How were the stabilizers? - Stabilizers were repaired. We had some tough weather, captain made wise choices and the stabilizers did their best under 4 meter swells. Remember every where in the Caribbean & the USA had bad weather for the week and we got part of it.

 

Did you have a beach day at Jost Van Dyck as well? - No, we missed the island due to the weather. All ships for the most part were effected by the weather, didn't matter if you were big or small as the big ships can't tender is bad weather either. I trust the Captains decision making, he is a good experienced captain.

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Emdee

Emdee

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Thanks Tiki.

Of course, bad weather cannot be helped especially so early into season. With big swells even the big ships get effected and the area around St Maarten tends to be very rough.

 

I also enjoyed Chef Roy's cooking. He is passionate about his food and that is so important in a chef.

 

Thanks for the update. I have booked my Croatia trip on this ship.

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Tikiintahiti

Tikiintahiti

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Croatia is a great place for this small ship. With so many outer islands along the whole coast line I would think rough seas are usually not an issue.

 

This is also true in the BVI within the Sir Francis Drake channel.

 

The surprise of our trip was Tortola. We traveled around the island and the northwest part of the island was very pretty, small white sand beaches, very few people ........... off the beaten trek ........... loved it

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Emdee

Emdee

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I remember first visiting Tortola in 1995. We had rented a Taxi to take us around the island and to a couple of beaches. In the course of conversation I mentioned mangoes and coconut water. Before bringing us back to the ship the driver took us to his home. He had had his wife chill coconuts for us from his own tree after calling her when we were at the beach and he gave me a bag of half a dozen mangoes also from his tree. That is the essence of Caribbean hospitality. I always remember his kindness that came straight from the heart.

 

I also go to Tortola on my new years cruise on a big ship and we happen to be there the same day the PG is there. I had thought of visiting the PG but decided against it when I learnt it was a clothing optional cruise! We will likely just go to a calm beach and enjoy the warm waters and painkillers.

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ALB0711

ALB0711

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Hi TIki - DW's sea legs are a little on the weak side. She had problems on the PG when the water got a little rough crossing from Cook Islands back to Bora Bora. I'm worried that the smaller size of the Tera Moana will really be a problem for her. What was your experience with stability during rough weather on the Tera?

 

Thanks!

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Tikiintahiti

Tikiintahiti

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Stability is subjective. I had no problem but I'm not your DW. I think the itinerary is important. I probably would be thrilled going across a long stretch of open water but in protected areas is would be just fine. I would go on this ship again unless the area was subjected to harsh open water sailing.

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Familygoboston Great Review Rare

Familygoboston

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Tiki, thanks for your review, it's helpful to me to see that the "shakedown" cruise was an aberration and that things are top notch now. The weather issue is common this time of year, DH and I have traveled this time of year in the Caribbean for many years and the winds create some high seas.

 

We just returned from Tortola also, a first trip for us, and I really enjoyed it. Dominica was also amazing and seems like the perfect kind of place for TM. The smaller ships can tuck into some of the places larger ships are not welcome to visit. Glad to hear you and Mrs Tiki had a wonderful trip...hope you will get a chance to post a few photos;)

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Tikiintahiti

Tikiintahiti

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This picture was taken on the Tere Moana last week on the on-board BBQ. The girl works at PG Cruises and that is her BH. No that isn't the main course you see sitting in front of them, those are the appetizers, fresh shrimp as big as small lobsters. Chef Roy did an outstanding job, this was a fun night for all. Let the girl know about the picture. It came out well and I'd be more than happy to send her the high res file. — at Tortola on the Tere Moana.

 

 

1240024_10202856054266524_1587651255_n.jpg

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Emdee

Emdee

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We were thinking about doing this on board the PG (9 days from now :D ).

 

(we are also considering the 6/14/14 Fiji-Australia :D )

 

Nice! Double savings!!!

I dont think I can swing it next year - going to Bordeaux for amateur Grand Cru Festival in May.

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Familygoboston Great Review Rare

Familygoboston

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Looks beautiful Tiki! You can see why the pirates all hid out there; so many beautiful nooks and crannies. I love those private beach days- that seems to be a PG specialty and really makes the trip amazing- this is what we do on boats in Maine, so it's like having your own private yacht to enjoy!:D

Thanks for sharing the pics!

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Emdee

Emdee

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Looks beautiful Tiki! You can see why the pirates all hid out there; so many beautiful nooks and crannies. I love those private beach days- that seems to be a PG specialty and really makes the trip amazing- this is what we do on boats in Maine, so it's like having your own private yacht to enjoy!:D

Thanks for sharing the pics!

 

I think the private beach days are found on a few lines - Seadream, Seabourne among others and of course the private islands in the caribbean that the main stream lines own. Tere Moana has to offer these perks to compete in that market place.

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Tikiintahiti

Tikiintahiti

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While on the Tere Moana last week there was BBQ dinner on the pool deck while we were at Tortola. Lobster, steak, Mahi Mahi, shrimp ...... just to mention few. Along with the wonderful dinner Captain Zupan and Hotel Manager Nelson had some lovely local entertainment come on board for us to enjoy ......... fabulous : )

 

Video of entertainment

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