A Very Late Review - 10 Night Society Islands & Tuamotus

[sfvoyage]

Hi sfvoyage,

 

In answer to your questions:

 

1. I don't know if the PG had soy milk available as a regular item sorry. I don't remember seeing any on board but then again I wasn't really looking for it....

 

2. I am semi vegetarian and eat only fish and chicken (I picked all those little bits of sausage out of my rice in that pic :)) so I did eat some of the vegetarian meals on board and I thought they were very good. If I remember correctly they had vegetarian offerings available for each course (appetiser & main). I also did request on a couple of occasions for the meat to be removed and replaced with something else that was part of a different meal.

 

3. I'm 99% sure there were desserts available that didn't contain gelatin. If you search for Familygobostons review she included pictures of the menus so that might help you?

 

4. The brand of champagne we were given as our honeymoon gift was Francois Montand (which I think might be sparkling wine??)

 

I would email the PG in advance and let them know of your food requirements. If they have prior notice I'm sure they will be able to whip you up some delicious offerings. I would definitely let them know though so they can be prepared :)

 

I hope that helps!

 

Thanks for your info! I did call them and made my special requests, just in case. As to the champagne, Francois Montand retails for $10-12 a bottle and is a french sparkling wine, not real champagne, but hopefully it's not bad.

[sfvoyage]

I am going to say yes to the Soy milk. I could be wrong, but I seem to recall seeing some (along with either Rice milk or Almond Milk) in a bowl with ice at breakfast.

 

Explain to her at your earliest convenience your dietary needs. If they can come up with Diet Pepsi in lieu of Diet Coke and Diet Tonic your soy should be simple if they have enough time.

 

I have sat with others who have special dietary needs and the the chief was involved each day with them over the next day's menu. The milk is in cartons so I assume the soy would be too.

 

We love champagne but bypass their champagne (it is French but very average)-"life is too short to waste your calories on wine you don't like".

 

Thanks, I just called PG, and they took down my special requests, just in case. It seems they do stock soy milk, and so I requested unsweetened soy milk, as well as soy yogurt. In truth, I'll be happy to get regular soy milk but wanted to "stress test" them a little, just to see how much they aim to please! :)

 

The PG rep told me that they serve crémant de Bourgogne, which is just a general term for french sparkling wine from the Burgundy region. She couldn't tell me the actual brand, nor did she mention "François Montand" as the OP had stated above.

 

As a champagne lover, I am rather disappointed. I had thought PG is on par with Seabourn etc. (so far I've mainly just cruised with SB; this will be my first time on PG).

 

In any case, I look forward to a wonderful first cruise on PG, and some crémants (d'Alsace as well as de Bourgogne) are actually quite delightful.

[Emdee]

Thanks, I just called PG, and they took down my special requests, just in case. It seems they do stock soy milk, and so I requested unsweetened soy milk, as well as soy yogurt. In truth, I'll be happy to get regular soy milk but wanted to "stress test" them a little, just to see how much they aim to please! :)

 

The PG rep told me that they serve crémant de Bourgogne, which is just a general term for french sparkling wine from the Burgundy region. She couldn't tell me the actual brand, nor did she mention "François Montand" as the OP had stated above.

 

As a champagne lover, I am rather disappointed. I had thought PG is on par with Seabourn etc. (so far I've mainly just cruised with SB; this will be my first time on PG).

 

In any case, I look forward to a wonderful first cruise on PG, and some crémants (d'Alsace as well as de Bourgogne) are actually quite delightful.

 

The days of the real thing are long gone. even Regent serves a Cremant in the cabin. If you are in a suite you will get a bottle of Louis Roederer. They used to have a great price on Cristal but that hole has been plugged up.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Emdee

[sfvoyage]

The days of the real thing are long gone. even Regent serves a Cremant in the cabin. If you are in a suite you will get a bottle of Louis Roederer. They used to have a great price on Cristal but that hole has been plugged up.

 

Seabourn serves all the Nicholas Feuillatte one desires, and believe me, some guests drink it all day and all night... (that's a different and fascinating topic altogether for another day!).

 

I believe Silversea serves champagne. I'm surprised that Regent doesn't - are you sure? In any case, I won't go on Regent for their inflated pricing which is inclusive of most shore excursions.

 

I just searched on "champagne" on the Regent board and found a thread from Feb 2014 mentioning real champagne. Couldn't find any other threads more recent on the brand(s). Perhaps the downgrade was a recent change?

Edited August 6, 2014 by sfvoyage

[Emdee]

Seabourn serves all the Nicholas Feuillatte one desires, and believe me, some guests drink it all day and all night... (that's a different and fascinating topic altogether for another day!).

 

I believe Silversea serves champagne. I'm surprised that Regent doesn't - are you sure? In any case, I won't go on Regent for their inflated pricing which is inclusive of most shore excursions.

 

I just searched on "champagne" on the Regent board and found a thread from Feb 2014 mentioning real champagne. Couldn't find any other threads more recent on the brand(s). Perhaps the downgrade was a recent change?

 

 

I last went on Regent May 2013. They placed a bottle of the Cremant in the cabin. If you want Nicholas you have to ask them to take it away and get you a bottle. Its a kind of bait and switch IMO. However if you ask for Champagne they serve Nicolas mostly or some such similar one. The days of serving Veuve are over.

 

I think that Crystal served Montaudon or Nicolas as well. Cannot remember which.

 

I am not a big drinker but I do remember that the PG used to serve the real thing pre 2009.

[Espi]

WOW what a review! Thank you lovetotravel68 for taking so much time and effort. This is a treasure of info that my wife and I have been reading together. We will be taking our Honeymoon aboard the PG in 3 weeks.

 

Congrats to both of you. Your photos are amazing and you both look really happy together.

Edited August 8, 2014 by Espi

[pittsburgh.joe]

Thanks so much lovetotravel68 for taking the time to share your experiences. Your pictures and descriptions brought back many happy memories. Hope you guys have a wonderful and happy healthy life together.

 

My wife and I have enjoyed two 10 day cruises on the PG and are looking forward to another one next year. We had hoped to celebrate my 70th birthday on the Reunion cruise but will have to make due in 2015.

[lovetotravel68]

WOW what a review! Thank you lovetotravel68 for taking so much time and effort. This is a treasure of info that my wife and I have been reading together. We will be taking our Honeymoon aboard the PG in 3 weeks.

 

Congrats to both of you. Your photos are amazing and you both look really happy together.

 

Thanks Espi!

 

Congratulations on your wedding and I hope you have a wonderful honeymoon onboard the PG! I might be biased but I can't think of a better way to start married life! :)

[lovetotravel68]

Thanks so much lovetotravel68 for taking the time to share your experiences. Your pictures and descriptions brought back many happy memories. Hope you guys have a wonderful and happy healthy life together.

 

My wife and I have enjoyed two 10 day cruises on the PG and are looking forward to another one next year. We had hoped to celebrate my 70th birthday on the Reunion cruise but will have to make due in 2015.

 

Thank you! I am so happy to be able to share my experience with everyone here and I'm glad it is bringing back happy memories for you and your wife.

 

Enjoy your cruise next year and I hope you get to celebrate your 70th in an equally wonderful way! :)

[Espi]

Thanks Espi!

 

Congratulations on your wedding and I hope you have a wonderful honeymoon onboard the PG! I might be biased but I can't think of a better way to start married life! :)

 

Did you purchase the PG Honeymoon Package and if so was it worth it?

[Bucky3]

Quite by accident I came across your review rather late last night, but like a good book I could not stop reading it. Needless to say, morning came too soon after I finally retired!! Thank you for the hours of entertainment filled with love, adventure, and the reality of life!! We are so glad to know all is well now and hope your hubby will be able to enjoy a future visit to the places he missed.

 

I was totally amazed that the hospital could not/did not provide an interpreter for you. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for both of you during those final days in Papeete. What kind of travel insurance did you have? Was it through the cruiseline, TA, or ? It sounds like they came through for you in the end. Would you use the same company again?

 

We cruised RT from LA to Sydney in the fall of '09, made stops in New Zealand, and fell in love with your country. It was so beautiful there, and we loved our short time in each port. Your wedding pictures are gorgeous.

 

Wishing you a long and blissful married life!

[lovetotravel68]

Did you purchase the PG Honeymoon Package and if so was it worth it?

 

Hi Espi,

 

No we didn't purchase the PG Honeymoon Package, we just had our travel agent advise the PG that we would be celebrating our honeymoon.

 

We received a bottle of champagne in our room, an invitation to the blessing ceremony (where they serve cake and champagne), free photo and a congratulatory letter (I can't remember whether it was from the captain or not). Our friends who were celebrating their anniversary also received the same and they had not purchased a package.

 

Based on that I don't think it would be worth the cost to purchase it, as it looks like it's almost the same.

 

:)

[lovetotravel68]

Quite by accident I came across your review rather late last night, but like a good book I could not stop reading it. Needless to say, morning came too soon after I finally retired!! Thank you for the hours of entertainment filled with love, adventure, and the reality of life!! We are so glad to know all is well now and hope your hubby will be able to enjoy a future visit to the places he missed.

 

I was totally amazed that the hospital could not/did not provide an interpreter for you. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for both of you during those final days in Papeete. What kind of travel insurance did you have? Was it through the cruiseline, TA, or ? It sounds like they came through for you in the end. Would you use the same company again?

 

We cruised RT from LA to Sydney in the fall of '09, made stops in New Zealand, and fell in love with your country. It was so beautiful there, and we loved our short time in each port. Your wedding pictures are gorgeous.

 

Wishing you a long and blissful married life!

 

Hi Bucky3!

 

Thank you so much for your well wishes, I am happy to report that so far our honeymoon has been the most dramatic event of our marriage! We will be returning to the PG one day so hubby can visit Motu Mahana and we can relive our honeymoon (well the first part anyway) ;)

 

We have complimentary travel insurance through our credit card that is underwritten by one of the big insurance companies here in NZ. They did sort everything out in the end and we probably would use them again. I think if we had of had some idea of the process it wouldn't have been quite so challenging (plus the language barrier made things hard).

 

I'm so glad you enjoyed New Zealand and thank you again for your kind words! :)

[PathfinderEss]

Enjoyed your review.

[KBS1607]

Great travel log! We thought about PG for our 30th but we're doing the Panama Canal. After reading this and seeing your pictures, I really want to go to FP one day.

 

I also enjoyed your lovely wedding photos. I'm glad your husband is recovered. You have a knack for writing!

 

Kim

[lovetotravel68]

Enjoyed your review.

 

Thanks PathfinderEss!

 

 

Great travel log! We thought about PG for our 30th but we're doing the Panama Canal. After reading this and seeing your pictures, I really want to go to FP one day.

 

I also enjoyed your lovely wedding photos. I'm glad your husband is recovered. You have a knack for writing!

 

Kim

 

Hi Kim, thanks for your kind words! DH and I would both heartily recommend the PG and FP - it is expensive compared to other cruise vacations but oh so worth it! We would also love to do the Panama Canal one day - there are just so many amazing places to visit in this world aren't there?!

 

Enjoy your trip! :)

[Ahab10]

Great travel log! We thought about PG for our 30th but we're doing the Panama Canal. After reading this and seeing your pictures, I really want to go to FP one day.

 

I also enjoyed your lovely wedding photos. I'm glad your husband is recovered. You have a knack for writing!

 

Kim

 

We've done both. Really no comparison. We won't be going back to Panama anytime soon.;)

[Second seating]

My vote is for French Polynesia, we have been three times and will go back. The Panama Canal is impressive have been through it twice. I liked it better before it was enlarged.

 

Second seating

[harrodsfan]

I have a friend and her husband who got married on the Paul Gauguin last year. Fabulous wedding. Sadly they were recently on a land trip and he got an infection and decided to fly home. The trip home on the airplane was rough and he was very uncomfortable and yet when he got home he decided to go home and not to the hospital. The morning after he got home he finally went to the hospital and he died of sepsis that day. The moral..always get something like this checked like you did!!!!!! It made for drama on your honeymoon but you both got home and he is now fine.

[Poolside adventurer]

Love 2 Travel68

 

Thank you so much for the wonderful and enlightening account of your voyage, I was enthralled. I too am a novice at posting on C/C so at the outset I apologise for any errors.

 

Your diary of events on the PG in FP has restored my faith and intent to take this voyage! For many years I had a romantic notion that we would take this trip to celebrate our 30 years of marriage (not until 2016). With so much negativity expressed in recent member reviews regarding the PG cruise I was becoming quite disillusioned; you have convinced me ….. your wonderful photos and travel log has made me all the more determined to turn this dream into a reality. As we live in the cold and grey northern hemisphere travel to FP is a major undertaking not to mention at great expense.

 

I was most impressed by your account of the support and camaraderie of the other PG guests and crew, you may be on the best cruise in the world but the experience can be easily ruined by the conduct of fellow passengers and the service received, unfortunately we encountered this for the first time very recently whilst cruising this summer.

 

A couple of questions: you mentioned (and many others have also) the ‘Marc’ tour, is this a private tour or one arranged by PG?? On the Motu (where you purchased your lovely necklace) did you take Euros, local currency or $ …..or can you purchase with other currency e.g I would trade my husband for a few days if needs be!!! Only joking………. shopping is important at times for us girls is it not?

 

I am relieved that DH is fully recovered; I can empathise with your plight I too found myself in a hospital in Monaco recently whilst cruising in the Med, no English spoken and I was in too much pain to use my basic French. We did however manage to secure the services of a fantastic Port Agent for a few hours to translate; and like you it was touch and go whether I could re-board the vessel to sail later that evening. We also received all letters and diagnostics in French (and the bills just kept coming after we returned home) and similarly we had some difficulty with the insurance company, never claimed before and the whole episode was extremely stressful for us both. Luckily I avoided repatriation, so as you say the moral of the tale is to have good insurance cover, and I will also ensure I carry my French dictionary with me when voyaging in French Territories again!

 

I hope you make it back to FP some day….if you go in 2016 who knows we may meet up as I would like to share one of those delicious cocktails with you!

 

Thanks again.

[lovetotravel68]

I have a friend and her husband who got married on the Paul Gauguin last year. Fabulous wedding. Sadly they were recently on a land trip and he got an infection and decided to fly home. The trip home on the airplane was rough and he was very uncomfortable and yet when he got home he decided to go home and not to the hospital. The morning after he got home he finally went to the hospital and he died of sepsis that day. The moral..always get something like this checked like you did!!!!!! It made for drama on your honeymoon but you both got home and he is now fine.

 

Hi Harrodsfan,

 

I am so sorry to hear about your friend's husband. I am incredibly glad that I dragged DH off to the hospital when we got home as he wanted to go to bed and go in the morning. Makes me realise how lucky we were!

 

All the best

[lovetotravel68]

Love 2 Travel68

 

Thank you so much for the wonderful and enlightening account of your voyage, I was enthralled. I too am a novice at posting on C/C so at the outset I apologise for any errors.

 

Your diary of events on the PG in FP has restored my faith and intent to take this voyage! For many years I had a romantic notion that we would take this trip to celebrate our 30 years of marriage (not until 2016). With so much negativity expressed in recent member reviews regarding the PG cruise I was becoming quite disillusioned; you have convinced me ….. your wonderful photos and travel log has made me all the more determined to turn this dream into a reality. As we live in the cold and grey northern hemisphere travel to FP is a major undertaking not to mention at great expense.

 

I was most impressed by your account of the support and camaraderie of the other PG guests and crew, you may be on the best cruise in the world but the experience can be easily ruined by the conduct of fellow passengers and the service received, unfortunately we encountered this for the first time very recently whilst cruising this summer.

 

A couple of questions: you mentioned (and many others have also) the ‘Marc’ tour, is this a private tour or one arranged by PG?? On the Motu (where you purchased your lovely necklace) did you take Euros, local currency or $ …..or can you purchase with other currency e.g I would trade my husband for a few days if needs be!!! Only joking………. shopping is important at times for us girls is it not?

 

I am relieved that DH is fully recovered; I can empathise with your plight I too found myself in a hospital in Monaco recently whilst cruising in the Med, no English spoken and I was in too much pain to use my basic French. We did however manage to secure the services of a fantastic Port Agent for a few hours to translate; and like you it was touch and go whether I could re-board the vessel to sail later that evening. We also received all letters and diagnostics in French (and the bills just kept coming after we returned home) and similarly we had some difficulty with the insurance company, never claimed before and the whole episode was extremely stressful for us both. Luckily I avoided repatriation, so as you say the moral of the tale is to have good insurance cover, and I will also ensure I carry my French dictionary with me when voyaging in French Territories again!

 

I hope you make it back to FP some day….if you go in 2016 who knows we may meet up as I would like to share one of those delicious cocktails with you!

 

Thanks again.

 

Hi Poolside adventurer,

 

First of all, thank you so much for the compliments! I too hope to meet you onboard the PG one day with a cocktail in hand!

 

Secondly, I'm so glad you are reconsidering the PG for your anniversary, I'm sure you will absolutely love it! We had the best time (even with all the hospital drama) and we would absolutely go again in a heartbeat.

 

In answer to your questions, Marc's tour (on Huahine) is a private tour. You can find the details here http://www.huahine-nautique.com/. We didn't do this tour but spoke to others that did and they thoroughly enjoyed it. Once you know your sail date you can register on your roll call to meet others on the same cruise. You can then find others to join you on the excursion (I think Marc needs a minimum number to run the tour).

 

On Motu Mahana I used my credit card to buy the pearls and it was charged in USD. I do remember they had the price listed in both XPF and USD so they would take both.

 

If you have anymore questions I would be happy to do my best to answer them!

 

P.S - Sorry you ended up in hospital on your holiday and I hope you too managed to claim everything back through your insurance. It's a bit of a nightmare isn't it! But as you say, next time (hopefully there isn't one) the whole process won't be so daunting!

 

:)

Edited September 19, 2014 by lovetotravel68