Itinerary Advice / Prioritization

[acadian_dad]

Hi - we have never really been to any part of the pacific / south pacific and clearly its a vast space to try to distill into a recommendation - but nevertheless I am looking for some advice from those who have been many times / know it well.

 

We cruise / travel mostly to experience cultures, food and get a sense of the history in the areas we visit.  While spending endless days at the beach or snorkeling is not our vibe we've done the occasional beach / snorkeling day and it seems that we would probably want to do at least some of that in this part of the world - just not our focus.  We've mostly been on mid-sized to larger ships (see my sig for list) but I think smaller ship cruising is more likely our thing and where we are headed.
 

Specifically in French Polynesia, I have been looking at the various PG itineraries - and given our preferences above, wondering whether we should prioritize visting the Cook Islands vs Marquesas vs Tuamotos in terms of choosing an itinerary ?   Are there enough interesting shore excursions in these various islands to get a good feel for the history, culture and food or is everything so focused on the beach / snorkeling / diving ?

 

Or perhaps we should look at another line where they transit from, say, French Polynesia to New Zealand or from Chile or Easter Island to FP or New Zealand to Bali / SE Asia with a few stops in Australia, etc. ?   These longer crossings intrigue me as they (likely) touch on a more varied range of history and culture but the # of days at sea is a bit of a downside from my perspective as we cruise for the destinations, not the ships per se.

 

Any suggestions gratefully appreciated as we do our planning.  Thanks !

[crilski]

I haven't cruised with this line - but it has intrigued me and I've done some research.  Aranui . . . .  I have spent time on various islands, and will be on Windstar Spirit in a few months.  Aranui may be next.

 

[acadian_dad]

17 minutes ago, crilski said:

I haven't cruised with this line - but it has intrigued me and I've done some research.  Aranui . . . .  I have spent time on various islands, and will be on Windstar Spirit in a few months.  Aranui may be next.

 

 

They are an interesting line / vessel but still begs the question of which islands might be a better fit for someone interested in the culture / history vs. the beach / snorkeling ...

[beachmimi]

The Paul Gauguin is a wonderful ship with an amazing crew of friendly wait staff. We've cruised with them twice and we highly recommend their line. Snorkeling is amazing in most of the ports. We especially loved the pure snorkeling tour in Bora Bora. There are others who cruise on the PG every year who can answer your question about itineraries. The PG only cruises in this area all year long so they have the most experience and best connections for excursions. 

 

We stayed at the Hilton in Papeete for a few days before our 8/27/22 sailing. It is a gorgeous hotel and much closer to the airport and the ship than where PG puts a lot of their guests (InterContinental Tahiti) which is crowded and old. Just my two cents.

 

Book it! You will love it!

[Leejnd4]

On 6/18/2023 at 9:44 AM, acadian_dad said:

Hi - we have never really been to any part of the pacific / south pacific and clearly its a vast space to try to distill into a recommendation - but nevertheless I am looking for some advice from those who have been many times / know it well.

 

We cruise / travel mostly to experience cultures, food and get a sense of the history in the areas we visit.  While spending endless days at the beach or snorkeling is not our vibe we've done the occasional beach / snorkeling day and it seems that we would probably want to do at least some of that in this part of the world - just not our focus.  We've mostly been on mid-sized to larger ships (see my sig for list) but I think smaller ship cruising is more likely our thing and where we are headed.
 

Specifically in French Polynesia, I have been looking at the various PG itineraries - and given our preferences above, wondering whether we should prioritize visting the Cook Islands vs Marquesas vs Tuamotos in terms of choosing an itinerary ?   Are there enough interesting shore excursions in these various islands to get a good feel for the history, culture and food or is everything so focused on the beach / snorkeling / diving ?

 

Or perhaps we should look at another line where they transit from, say, French Polynesia to New Zealand or from Chile or Easter Island to FP or New Zealand to Bali / SE Asia with a few stops in Australia, etc. ?   These longer crossings intrigue me as they (likely) touch on a more varied range of history and culture but the # of days at sea is a bit of a downside from my perspective as we cruise for the destinations, not the ships per se.

 

Any suggestions gratefully appreciated as we do our planning.  Thanks !

I'll take a stab at answering your question.

 

I've been to all of the places you've mentioned except for Chile or Easter Island. I've done Paul Gauguin Cruises to the Marquesas, Cook Islands, and Tuomotus. So I think I have a decent basis to offer an opinion. 🙂 

 

In FP, you cannot beat the PG for total cultural immersion. Although I've heard that Windstar is now offering a ship that specializes in FP as well...but I would still choose the PG over Windstar, just for the luxury factor (Windstar is a much more casual line). So if you are going to do FP, I would definitely choose the PG. They are FP experts.

 

As for where to go for culture vs beach/snorkeling, I would put the Tuomotus at the bottom. There's really not much there other than small sandy villages and beach resorts. The draw is definitely the sea -- the diving and snorkeling are spectacular! But that's not your focus. For culture, it's a toss-up between the Cook Islands and the Marquesas. I loved both! I'd suggest reading up on them to see which culture interests you more.

 

The Cook Islands have a strong Maori influence as well as Polynesian culture, with a rich heritage of music, dance and art. They have many festivals and celebrations, and very interesting villages to visit. You can take local buses around the islands to immerse yourself into their island life. We enjoyed doing that.

 

The Marquesas are steeped in Polynesian heritage, and are much more island-rustic, with thatch-roof houses and lush gardens. They are home to impressive archeological sites that feature massive stone platforms called paepae, tikis, and other ancient structures. They are also renowned for their unique tattoos.

 

As for NZ and Bali - COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! Bali is one of my favorite places on earth. It's part of Indonesia, but it's unique to itself, very different from Indonesia. My husband and I did a vow renewal a few years ago in Bali, which involved the full Balinese wedding ceremony presided by a Hindu holy man. One of the most amazing things I've ever done. The island is just...well, read up on it. SO much to see. And the FOOD! I've spent a total of six weeks on Bali, and been all around it and into the interior. And I still want to go back! But I would not do a cruise there. If you want to visit Bali, do a land-based trip. And avoid the big beach communities like Kuta and Seminyak, sticking to the less touristy places.

 

NZ is a large nation which, again, I would not want to do on a cruise. Too much to see. As a Lord of the Rings fan myself, the South Island calls my name with its eye-popping mountains and vistas. In the North Island you have the modern city of Aukland, as well as the volcanic loop including Roturua, where you can sit in volcanic hot springs and mud pools. And of course the incredible Maori culture.

 

I would just hate to do such a quick drive-by to either Bali or NZ. Those are places that deserve a full land-based trip to explore their many wonders. Whereas FP is great on a cruise, and a cruise is really the best way to get to multiple islands and see the most you can see in one vacation.

 

Anyway, there's a few thoughts. I know there are people in this forum who've visited these places more than I have, but that's my personal perspective. 🙂 Good luck!

Edited June 21, 2023 by Leejnd4

[acadian_dad]

17 minutes ago, Leejnd4 said:

I'll take a stab at answering your question.

 

I've been to all of the places you've mentioned except for Chile or Easter Island. I've done Paul Gauguin Cruises to the Marquesas, Cook Islands, and Tuomotus. So I think I have a decent basis to offer an opinion. 🙂 

 

...

 

Anyway, there's a few thoughts. I know there are people in this forum who've visited these places more than I have, but that's my personal perspective. 🙂 Good luck!

 

Thank you so much for that - this is exactly the sort of info I was looking for !!!

[FlightMedic555]

We have been to most of these places and we have been on the Paul Gauguin 7 times.  The only downside to the Cooks is that the ship stops outside of the lagoon and you lender in to Aitutaki and Rarotonga. At times the water is too rough for the tender and they cancel that port. We love the Tuamotu trip and agree that the focus is on the water in those two ports 

 

Larger ships are no longer allowed to stop on Bora Bora which would be a shame to miss 

[Leejnd4]

54 minutes ago, FlightMedic555 said:

Larger ships are no longer allowed to stop on Bora Bora which would be a shame to miss 

 

This is a very important point! Definitely don't even consider any big ships that visit FP. First of all, they cruise all over and don't specialize in FP. When you're on the ship, you could be anywhere in the world...whereas when you're on the PG, you are definitely in French Polynesia. But even worse is that visiting FP and skipping Bora Bora would be a crime!

[acadian_dad]

 

On PG, seems like the 14 night Marquesas, Tuamotus and Society itinerary might be a good choice ... it would be disappointing to have the days at sea to get to/from the Cooks, and then not be able to go ashore if poor conditions.  Since we'd be flying in from eastern North America, would appreciate the longer itinerary to make the flights "worth it".

 

Wondering how many days we should give ourself in Papeete before/after the cruise to see Tahiti itself adequately.

 

 

[Leejnd4]

I did that itinerary, and it was fabulous! Impossible to predict the weather, although I imagine your chances are good. We had no problems getting to the Cooks. 
 

I personally love days at sea. A nice break and chance to enjoy the luxury of the ship. 

[Jenallan18]

@arcadian_dad did you do this trip? We are booked on it for this Dec

[acadian_dad]

6 hours ago, Jenallan18 said:

@arcadian_dad did you do this trip? We are booked on it for this Dec

no - we haven’t booked anything yet - hope your trip is very nice