Paul Gauguin South Pacific cruise

Experience the South Pacific’s most enchanting destinations aboard the world’s best small cruise line. Paul Gauguin Cruises, once again crowned “Best Small Cruise” by Condé Nast Traveler in its 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards, offers an intimate exploration of paradise in Tahiti, French Polynesia, Fiji, and the South Pacific through its flagship vessel, the m/s Paul Gauguin.

Accommodating just 330 guests, this purpose-built ship navigates the crystal-clear lagoons of French Polynesia with unparalleled expertise. The vessel features butler-serviced suites and spacious staterooms, 70% of which boast private balconies—perfect for witnessing spectacular sunrises and star-filled nights over the Pacific. 

The cruise line’s itineraries encompass the region’s most celebrated destinations, including four of Condé Nast Traveler’s Best South Pacific Islands. In Bora Bora, known as the “Pearl of the South Pacific,” guests enjoy overnight stays amid turquoise waters and Mount Otemanu’s dramatic silhouette. Moorea beckons with emerald peaks and legendary beauty that inspired James Michener’s Bali Hai. Tahiti serves as both gateway and cultural heart of French Polynesia, while Fiji—the “Soft Coral Capital of the World”—offers vibrant marine encounters and warm island hospitality.

What sets Paul Gauguin Cruises apart is its deep connection to Polynesian culture. Les Gauguines, the ship’s resident Tahitian hosts, share their heritage through stories, songs, and dance, creating an authentic cultural immersion. The onboard experience seamlessly blends French sophistication with Polynesian flavors in its dining venues, while the retractable marina platform provides direct access to water sports, including paddleboarding, kayaking, and PADI-certified scuba diving.

For travelers seeking a luxurious yet authentic South Pacific adventure, the m/s Paul Gauguin offers more than just a cruise—it’s an intimate journey through paradise, where every moment is crafted to create lasting memories in one of the world’s most beautiful regions.

The Gauguin boasts a relaxed, easy elegance with indulgent suites and spacious staterooms – many with a private balcony – exceptional cuisine, authentic explorations ashore, a commitment to sustainability, and genuinely hospitable service.

Paul Gauguin Cruises superior service is distinguished by pure Polynesian hospitality and by one of the highest crew-to-guest ratios at sea ensuring the experience is nothing short of first class. The Gauguin also offers a watersports marina for kayaking, paddleboarding, and PADI SCUBA diving programs.

All-inclusive fare includes accommodations, all shipboard dining, gratuities, soft drinks, bottled water, beer, and select wine and spirits.

The Gauguin is one of the most highly awarded luxury cruise ships in the world. The line was voted as the “World’s Best Small-Ship Ocean Cruise Line” in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2022 and one of the “Top 2 Small Cruise Lines” in the Condé Nast Traveler 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards. The line was also recognized for the 4th time for having the “Best French Polynesia Cruises” in the AFAR Travelers’ Choice Awards.

This Overwater ‘Bungalow’ Sails!

With a passionate commitment to artfully authentic discovery and all-inclusive luxury, Paul Gauguin Cruises (PGC) is French Polynesia’s destination expert. Its award-winning ship, the m/s Paul Gauguin, was built specifically to navigate the lagoons of the South Pacific and has called Tahiti home for more than 25 years.

A Beloved, Intimate Ship

Affection runs deep for this casually elegant ship, from travel advisors and their clients to the local communities who regard The Gauguin as family. Hosting just 330 guests in spacious suites and staterooms—many with private balcony—your clients will enjoy French-inspired local cuisine, heartfelt service, and unmatched enrichment.

Destination Expertise

Paul Gauguin Cruises offers more year-round, unique voyages than any other luxury line in the region with itineraries of 7 to 14 nights exploring the Society and Cook Islands, Tuamotus, Marquesas, Tonga, and Fiji. A 2025 Boutique Crossing Collection features three extended journeys to Indonesia and Melanesia.

Cultural Experiences

Only on The Gauguin will your clients enjoy the hospitality of Les Gauguins and Les Gauguines, a troupe of local Tahitians who live aboard as hosts and entertainers, sharing the spirit of Polynesia from the retelling of ancestral legends through music and dance to hosting complimentary Polynesian blessing ceremonies.

Two Private Beaches

French Polynesia is revered for its white-sand beaches, and The Gauguin features access to our private beach in Bora Bora with the iconic Mount Otemanu as a stunning backdrop, and a day at Motu Mahana, our private islet complete with a swim-up bar, authentic barbecue, and shady sun-loungers.

Water Sports

The Gauguin’s aft marina offers complimentary kayaking and paddle boarding directly from a water sports platform—the perfect way to explore the enchanting lagoons here. Guests enjoy use of snorkel gear throughout their voyage, and optional SCUBA certification on board is available for beginner divers, too.

Paul Gauguin South Pacific cruises – Artfully Authentic Discovery

As Tahiti’s leading luxury line, Paul Gauguin Cruises enjoys long-standing relationships in the islands it has called home for nearly three decades, leading to exclusive initiatives such as our Moana Explorer Program for children offered in partnership with Te mana o te moana, a South Pacific marine conservation foundation.

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse, with additional content supplied by Paul Gauguin Cruises.