Paul Gauguin/Ponant Schedule Changes

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

I believe we'll know something more definitive this week ... I'm aware of several possibilities but think it is best just to wait and see how this all shakes out.

 

Today the Paul Gauguin and the El Soleal are both sitting in Papeete but the PG is scheduled to set out on another 7 night Society Island itinerary this evening.

Edited September 19, 2020 by Tahitianbigkahuna

[susiesan]

How can they afford to sail a 350 passenger ship with so few people on board? They must be losing their shirts.

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

As this information has now released here are the details for the next few months for Paul Gauguin/Ponant.

The Paul Gauguin will be chartered for October and November.

The PG sailings of October 3rd, October 14 and October 24th have been cancelled.

 

Your options:

1. Go on the September 26th sailing
2. Go on the Soreal in October/November

A. October 19th 9 night itinerary on the Soleal itinerary.

B. October 31st on the Soleal but the 7 night PG itinerary.

C. November 11th on the Soleal but the 11 night PG itinerary.

D. November 21st on Soleal but the 14 night PG itinerary (not much room)

 

3. Receive a future cruise credit for the amount you paid, no refunds.

 

A disappointment for some I'm sure but an incredible opportunity and not to be passed up, the PG is sailing with only a handful of passengers. As a person that has been self-employed most of my life I totally get it. You can't go month after month with high expenditures and very little coming in. I commend PG/Ponant that found a away to continue cruising in French Polynesia but not hemorrhage near as much. This communicates to us that PG/Ponant will have a bright future ... they are thinking outside the box.

Edited September 22, 2020 by Tahitianbigkahuna

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Are they allowing the shifts for the same fares, though? And no refunds again--unconscionable.

[sita]

To think of all the care that goes into decisions of ship, itinerary, dates ... including supplemental plans for flights, pre/post stays compounded by requirements for testing.... That those passengers who have decided to move forward have the rug pulled out from under them at such a late date (and purely for the benefit of the line) is abhorrent. Basically they are saying ‘ here are your very different choices none of which remotely match up with you vacation dates let alone itinerary and ship. If you don’t like or can’t accommodate the cruise line then too bad’ No refunds? Ridiculous. Ponant doing their best to squander away Paul Gauguins 20 years of goodwill.

[FlightMedic555]

I agree with Sitka.  Tahitianbigkahuna I usually agree with your insightful posts but in this case I have to disagree.  Many will already have resort and air arranged.  To make these changes at the last minute is totally inappropriate.  This is not PG/Ponant supporting their brand and customers, this is PG/Ponant throwing their customers under the bus.

 

If they kept the same itineraries and dates that would be a reasonable alternative.  Making these changes with 5-6 weeks notice is a horrible business decision.  In no way, shape or form is this PG/Ponant thinking outside of the box.  As they continue to screw their existing customers they have a bleak future, not a bright future.

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

First of all I sell nothing on my 'F' page. I'm not a travel agent nor do I work for the cruise line.  The idea of putting together group cruises was not mine idea ... it came from a person living in FP and many people who loved my 'F' Page wanting to know when I was going next so they could go on the same cruise ... thus the idea of a group cruise came to be. 

 

FYI  .... I lost thousands on my last FP trip because of covid ... do I get a great deal?  Well sure but nothing is free  ...

 

With that said I will simply say this is my last post on CC for the immediate future. It's turned into a sewer and it does nothing to improve my day. Negativity is bad for our health and well being. 

 

If I was on a cancelled cruise I would still fly over and enjoy a land based vacation, take the FCC and look forward to another opportunity to enjoy paradise in the future. Life is to short to look at the cup as half empty  ... I look at everything in life as the cup being half full. When served a lemon  ... make lemonade 😉 

 

We can only control our own lives and responses  ... we can not control others and when we try we are in a continual state of negativity poisoning our every moment and thought. For this reason I will refrain from posting for the immediate future, when things are not so negative and are once again enjoyable I will participate. 

 

For you that have a civil question you can contact me via email, it is part of my 'signature' 

 

I will not respond to any criticism ... try and have a good day ... I will. 

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by Tahitianbigkahuna

[minabruuke]

This new information has sealed the deal for me. We will not be considering a Paul Gauguin cruise in the near future.  I think and hope that most people planning to travel in the coming months understand and accept the possibility of cancelled trips with very short notice due to pandemic related health concerns (such as a cluster of cases) but this is not that. 

 

I understand the need for PG & Ponant to turn a profit but cancelling these cruises with such short notice so that they could instead book a last minute charter is not ethical unless they do everything possible to make this right for the clients that were booked for those cancelled cruises. Not offering a refund to the clients that were booked on these cruises is equivalent to theft in my eyes. The offers that PG/Ponant made do not even come close to making this right. 

 

If I had been booked on one of the Oct. 31 or later trips that has the exact same itinerary/dates and just a different ship then I would probably be ok with PG/Ponant's offers. However, I would think that some sort of goodwill gesture would be appropriate (a slight stateroom upgrade or small on board credit). 

 

If I had been booked on the Oct. 3, 14, & 24 cruises - I would be furious!  In my opinion, a full refund and a future goodwill credit would be appropriate under these circumstances (those circumstances being the fact that the cruises were not cancelled due to health/safety reasons or travel restrictions but rather so that the company could sign a more profitable contract). I feel that Ponant should also be responsible for all change/cancellation fees but obviously that's unlikely to happen. 

[azdrydock]

Wow... I thought covid-19 was the worst thing to hit the cruise Industry.

 

We should not be directing our venom at anyone that supports Ponant's actions, he has a right to do so no matter his reasons. I will only comment on the suggestion that "If I was on a cancelled cruise I would still fly over and enjoy a land based vacation, take the FCC and look forward to another opportunity to enjoy paradise in the future".

5 weeks prior to a cruise many have booked non-refundable air and accommodations and made other commitments.

 

This is not directly a Covid issue, it is simply  a combination of greed and arrogance. Unfortunately actions like this reflect on the entire cruise industry and have been a thorn in CLIA's side trying to get support from congress. Most of the major cruise lines have recognized this and are starting to replace the words in their generic customer satisfaction statements with actions.

 

Since the beginning of the pandemic the TA's have been catching a lot of flack about the contract and refund policy changes. At least one major agency will no longer recommend Ponant and will only book at customers insistence. When the industry starts to recover, the low hanging fruit (most likely to book) will be the loyalists and my guess is the PG loyalists will be looking elsewhere.

 

 

 

 

BTW.... Class action law suit is tough to spell but an E-Mail to your congressmen in the next 5 weeks  is easier. Copy the CLIA and Ponant.

 

 

 

 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

33 minutes ago, azdrydock said:

BTW.... Class action law suit is tough to spell but an E-Mail to your congressmen in the next 5 weeks  is easier. Copy the CLIA and Ponant.

 

Typos aren't easy to correct here when the edit time expires so quickly, sorry.

 

I don't have a horse in this race, but if I did, I have no congressman, I'm Canadian.

 

I would never, ever book Ponant.  Again, bye bye Paul Gauguin, and to this thread, no doubt.

[Host Jazzbeau]

We normally don't explain Board Management decisions [and discussing them is a Guideline Violation], I have decided to post this message to try to stop the piling on.  Three different Hosts have already gotten involved in trying to manage this thread, so it is not a case of 'someone' [by implication Me] abusing authority to censor posts.  It is actually consensus application of the Cruise Critic Guidelines that everyone agreed to when we created our accounts here.

 

The initial deletions were because of the Guideline against discussing a certain CC competitor.  And of course every following post that quoted any of that material also had to be removed.  Then we got into charges of censorship and a piling on of that - inaccurate - accusation.

 

This is an important thread, so I don't want to lock it.  Stay on topic.

[Candlesmith]

Excellent on all points, Surfskier.  Here is the language you refer to from PG’s ‘Passenger Carriage Contract’: ”Upon cancellation of a cruise the “Company’s only liability will be to refund to the Passenger the amount it has received for the ticket/Contract.“

 

Both ideas, contacting one’s Representatives in Congress, and bringing a class action lawsuit, are valid options in response to the company’s withholding of refunds.  Not only should these actions be taken, but the six+ months interest that PG has earned demanded as well.  While it may be insignificant on a case by case basis, Paul Gauguin/Ponant is making a veritable fortune from their unethical/illegal practices.  Covid has, indeed brought out the very best, and the absolute worst of human behavior, uncovering what is at the very soul of each of us.
 

A third possibility is contacting CLIO regarding this ongoing situation.  While they are doubtless aware, a loud & vigorous outcry from multiple defrauded clients, and their travel advisors, might spur that body to exert some pressure on the miscreants.

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by Candlesmith
Deletion of content per Admin explanation.

[azdrydock]

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Typos aren't easy to correct here when the edit time expires so quickly, sorry.

 

I don't have a horse in this race, but if I did, I have no congressman, I'm Canadian.

 

I would never, ever book Ponant.  Again, bye bye Paul Gauguin, and to this thread, no doubt.

Wendy

Sorry if  I offended you, but I didn't consider it a typo or error, "Can anyone spell lawsuit" is a common phrase and I was just trying to be cute.

 

Would you like some congressmen?

 

We are no longer considering Ponant for next years summer cruise

 

 

[Heartfelttraveler]

I am confused.  Did PG cancel the rest of 2020 on the Paul Gauguin?

I still see these cruises listed to purchase.

 

[MrRandal]

What some may have missed is the fact that Ponant/Paul Gauguin cancelled all of Paul Gauguin's Oct/Nov sailings to accommodate a 48 day charter for a French TV show, the French version of Survivor called Koh-Lanta. The ship will be used basically as a Hotel for the show's staff, one island, one port. Passengers on the effected cruises were just notified days ago, including those booked for the Oct 3 PG cruise. Ponant/Paul Gauguin is only offering a cabin on their Sept 26 sailing, future cruise credit, or an opportunity to sail on Ponant's Le Soleal in late October. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 hours ago, Tahitianbigkahuna said:

... this is my last post on CC for the immediate future. It's turned into a sewer and it does nothing to improve my day. Negativity is bad for our health and well being...

 

I'm sorry you feel that way.  We will miss you, but I understand how the tenor on Cruise Critic lately makes this feel less like a community and more like a shooting gallery.

[Candlesmith]

Losing $20,000 and having folks say, “Oh well” and continue to sing the praises of the miscreant cruise line does make one feel like a target and inclined to fire back. Sorry to offend,  I believe I’ll take a break as well, likely a long one..

[Wendy The Wanderer]

2 hours ago, azdrydock said:

Sorry if  I offended you, but I didn't consider it a typo or error, "Can anyone spell lawsuit" is a common phrase and I was just trying to be cute.

 

Would you like some congressmen?

 

Don't worry, I wasn't offended.

 

Congressmen?  No thanks!  I'm listening to our politicians arguing right now over our Speech from the Throne today, don't need anybody else, thank you!

 

And frankly, since it's a French cruise line, have no idea how an U.S. cogressman could do a thing.

 

[azdrydock]

13 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Don't worry, I wasn't offended.

 

Congressmen?  No thanks!  I'm listening to our politicians arguing right now over our Speech from the Throne today, don't need anybody else, thank you!

 

And frankly, since it's a French cruise line, have no idea how an U.S. cogressman could do a thing.

 

Currently many of the cruise and travel associations are lobbying Congress to open the ports and provide more assistance to the affected industries. There has not been overwhelming support from the public due to constant stories of cruise lines lying about pollution and emissions, accidents, virus outbreaks etc.  When the pandemic broke out there there was a feeling that the cruise lines were not doing all they could to protect the passengers and their administration of cancellation and refund policies. Since then, the various associations pressured their members to clean up their acts. Most all of the cruise and airlines have softened their refund policies since March and are now willing to make the necessary adjustments to better protect passengers and crew.

 

Although Ponant is a French company with little US presence,  much of their bookings are through US and Canadian travel agents.  If their behavior is threatening  the associations efforts with Congress there can be pressure put on agencies not to book Ponant and resistance to Ponant from expanding into the US market.

 

All of the above are my view of things with out research or fact checking.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, azdrydock said:

Currently many of the cruise and travel associations are lobbying Congress to open the ports and provide more assistance to the affected industries. There has not been overwhelming support from the public due to constant stories of cruise lines lying about pollution and emissions, accidents, virus outbreaks etc.  When the pandemic broke out there there was a feeling that the cruise lines were not doing all they could to protect the passengers and their administration of cancellation and refund policies. Since then, the various associations pressured their members to clean up their acts. Most all of the cruise and airlines have softened their refund policies since March and are now willing to make the necessary adjustments to better protect passengers and crew.

 

Although Ponant is a French company with little US presence,  much of their bookings are through US and Canadian travel agents.  If their behavior is threatening  the associations efforts with Congress there can be pressure put on agencies not to book Ponant and resistance to Ponant from expanding into the US market.

 

All of the above are my view of things with out research or fact checking.

 

Ponant has very few cruises that call on US ports, and almost none that turnaround in the US.  Even their Caribbean cruises are based on French islands – not Miami or Puerto Rico.  Most of their bookings are French citizens.  Ponant is not a member of CLIA.  And Ponant has never had a case of Covid among any of its passengers or crew – even after resuming sailing in Europe.  A little research or fact checking could prevent a lot of embarrassment.

[sita]

Excepting the case on the PG resumption cruise?

[azdrydock]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

Ponant has very few cruises that call on US ports, and almost none that turnaround in the US.  Even their Caribbean cruises are based on French islands – not Miami or Puerto Rico.  Most of their bookings are French citizens.  Ponant is not a member of CLIA.  And Ponant has never had a case of Covid among any of its passengers or crew – even after resuming sailing in Europe.  A little research or fact checking could prevent a lot of embarrassment.

Never said they they had much of a presence in US, in fact the contrary  only said that it could hamper their expansion into the US.

 

Never said they were a member of the CLIA.

 

Never commented on Covid cases but I don't believe Viking, Azamara  (both of which we met you on) or dozens  of other lines  had a reported case of Covid. Most cruise ships were not aware of Covid until the Princess incident and it now seems that  Covid migrated to the Western Hemisphere as  early as December 2019 so you can't say with any certainty that any cruise line never had a Covid positive passenger. Historically, unless life threatening,  it would be diagnosed as a respiratory virus and left at.

 

We were  booked on Oceania for April 2020 and when cancelled we were given a choice of full refund or FCC + 25%..Oceania tightened up the their  policies a few weeks later to FCC only on canceled cruises but after an outcry similar to this, they did issue cash refunds in specific cases.

I have never sailed on PG or Ponat. PG was booked  for June  2020 and we rescheduled for 2021. Since we cancelled I have no issues with an FCC only.  Ponant was planned for summer of 2021.

 

No embarrassment on my part. Ponant perceived behavior reflects on the cruise industry at the time it needs all of the help it can get.

 

Edited September 24, 2020 by azdrydock
typo

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, sita said:

Excepting the case on the PG resumption cruise?

 

That's why I said "Ponant" ...

[Candlesmith]

8 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I understand how the tenor on Cruise Critic lately makes this feel less like a community and more like a shooting gallery.

Amen

[Pengawin3]

Ponant/PG has screwed up, royally! As a 50+ night PG customer, I'm not impressed with the  new owners handling of all of this. It's unacceptable and shortsighted. 

Not sure how they'll survive.