Paul Gauguin Cruises

m/s Paul Gauguin has spent her working life in French Polynesia, and the ship is shaped by it. Her shallow draught lets her anchor inside the lagoons of Bora Bora and Moorea, and a marina at the stern opens directly onto the water for kayaking, paddleboarding and diving.

A troupe of Polynesian hosts sails with the ship, teaching dance, weaving and ukulele and singing on deck at sunset. Two private shore days punctuate most voyages, one on a small motu off Taha'a and another on a beach at Bora Bora. The line belongs to PONANT, the French small-ship company, and the cooking has a French accent to match. Evenings are unhurried and informal, usually spent outdoors.