One ship, one lagoon after another, and the bar is already open.
The m/s Paul Gauguin was built for French Polynesia and has never left: 330 guests, a shallow draft that slips inside the lagoons of Bora Bora and Moorea, a watersports marina off the stern, a private motu for the day, and Les Gauguines, the Tahitian hosts who sing, dance and teach you to tie a pareo. It sails year-round from Papeete on 7-night Society Islands loops, 10 and 11 night trips to the Tuamotu atolls, 14 nights to the Marquesas, and seasonal runs to the Cook Islands and Fiji, with drinks and gratuities included, and it suits honeymooners, anniversary couples, divers and, in summer, families. SmartCruiser shows all 110 Paul Gauguin sailings with taxes and fees included, puts the SmartCruiser picks first and adds SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit per stateroom on sailings where the line allows it.
Three ways to sail with Paul Gauguin
Pick a length and the list below filters to it; every card still shows taxes and fees in the price.
7 nights: Tahiti and the Society Islands
- Papeete to Huahine, Taha’a, Bora Bora (two days) and Moorea, with the private motu day off Taha’a
- Overnights in Bora Bora and Moorea, so you get the sunset and the sunrise
- The sailing most honeymooners take, and the easiest to pair with an overwater bungalow
Best for: honeymoons, anniversaries, first visits, a week of flights plus a week at sea
10 to 11 nights: Society Islands and the Tuamotus
- Adds Rangiroa and Fakarava, the diving and snorkeling atolls with the famous passes
- Sharks, mantas and dolphins at Tiputa Pass; black pearls at Rangiroa
- Still the Bora Bora and Moorea days, just with more lagoon time
Best for: divers and snorkelers, second visits, anyone who wants the atolls
12 to 14 nights: Marquesas, Cook Islands and Fiji
- The Marquesas run reaches Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa and Fatu Hiva, where Gauguin himself is buried
- Cook Islands sailings add Aitutaki and Rarotonga; Fiji runs cross to Lautoka
- Sea days with Polynesian lectures, and the best value per night on the ship
Best for: repeat guests, culture and history, longer stays at sea
Paul Gauguin deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Paul Gauguin sailing, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting. Paul Gauguin fares already include drinks and gratuities, and the line’s air offers from Los Angeles are shown when they apply.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Paul Gauguin sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Where Paul Gauguin sails
Pick a region and the list above filters to it; every sailing starts and ends in Papeete, Tahiti.
Lines you may also like
If Tahiti on a small ship is the idea, these lines are the ones we compare with Paul Gauguin.
When to go
The Paul Gauguin sails every week of the year; the trade winds decide the best of it.
Paul Gauguin questions we answer every day
What is included in a Paul Gauguin fare?
All meals including the reservations-only La Veranda and Le Grill, wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks all day, gratuities, the watersports marina with kayaks, paddleboards and windsurfers, the private motu beach day off Taha’a, Wi-Fi, and most sailings come with the line’s round-trip air offer from Los Angeles. Shore excursions, scuba diving and spa treatments are extra.
How big is the ship and the staterooms?
The m/s Paul Gauguin carries 330 guests and about 215 crew, so the service ratio is close to the luxury lines. Staterooms run from 200 square feet with a window up to 530-square-foot suites; nearly 70 percent have a private balcony, and the top categories include butler service. There is one pool, one show lounge and a small casino.
Who does Paul Gauguin suit?
Couples first: honeymoons and anniversaries make up a large share of every sailing, and the ship is adult in feel. Divers come for Rangiroa and Fakarava, and in July and August the Moana Explorer program welcomes families. Dress is resort casual; there are no formal nights.
What is the weather like, and is there a hurricane season?
French Polynesia is warm all year, 75 to 88 degrees, with the drier, breezier season from May to October and warmer, showery months from November to April. Cyclones are rare in the Society Islands compared with the Caribbean, and the ship stays inside the lagoons most days, so seas are calm.
Do I need a passport or visa?
A US passport valid for at least three months beyond your return; no visa is needed for stays under 90 days in French Polynesia. Flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle to Papeete take about 8 hours, and the ship departs in the evening, so a same-day arrival works. We send the current rules with your confirmation.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses, and on Paul Gauguin the drinks and gratuities too. Flights (unless the line’s air offer applies), hotel nights in Tahiti, excursions and diving are extra.
Talk to a Paul Gauguin specialist
Tell us the month and the island you want to see most and we price every Paul Gauguin departure with the air offer, a Bora Bora or Moorea hotel stay and the SmartCruiser bonus on top. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.