Answer the Call of the South Pacific on Paul Gauguin

The best way to island-hop & honeymoon in French Polynesia, where love is blessed by the sea

From the welcome tiaré flower to the final “māuruuru” (thank you), Paul Gauguin Cruises immerses travelers in French Polynesia’s culture and awe-inspiring beauty. The cruise line has called the region home for over 25 years, visiting more than a dozen ports on year-round itineraries while working with locals in every destination.
Unlike traditional cruise ships, The Gauguin was purpose-built for the shallow lagoons of French Polynesia. Its small size allows access to islands and anchorages that larger ships simply cannot reach, including Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, and Taha’a, often with longer stays and overnight calls.

The South Pacific islands are naturally beautiful and easy to love, Paul Gauguin offers meaningful experiences for those celebrating their honeymoon or anniversaries with complimentary Polynesian blessings, and additional ceremonies available.

The best travel tip for island hopping or honeymooning? Start planning today!

Book with a travel advisor to receive exclusive perks like $100 onboard credit! Plus take an additional 10% savings on all 2026 voyages. Valid until January 5, 2026.

Solo travelers enjoy 0% Supplement on category C, CS, and E staterooms when you book any one of these select voyages aboard The Gauguin.

Paul Gauguin Cruises

Sailing year-round through Tahiti, the Society Islands, and the South Pacific, this small luxury cruise line offers far more than a way to see the islands. It offers a way to understand them, through culture, story, and a deep reverence for the sea.

The Gauguin’s Stylish Updates

One of the most magical aspects of The Gauguin is the private veranda
French Polynesia evokes a serious “settle in and soak up the beauty” air, but that doesn’t have to mean sticking to one resort and never leaving. Boarding The Gauguin is like checking into a floating five-star hotel: The ship boasts an impressive 1:1.5 crew-to-passenger ratio, including around-the-clock butler service (available in select rooms) that handles everything from spa reservations to laundry. Every stateroom has an ocean view, and most feature private balconies with a view that changes every morning, even though you’ve unpacked only once.

A boon for families: The Gauguin added eight new connecting staterooms – as big as 588 square feet – that make ideal accommodations for the line’s Moana Explorer Program, naturalist-led island and beach excursions for children and teens through a partnership with Te mana o te moana.

Other upgrades include a refreshed Le Grill (the ship’s casual poolside restaurant), a pool deck and pool bar makeover, and sustainable technology upgrades, including a new seawater treatment system that will help eliminate the need for single-use plastics.

Polynesian Blessings & Symbolic Ceremonies

Even though a legal wedding isn’t performed at sea, Paul Gauguin Cruises offers a variety of romantic, Polynesian-infused celebrations that are perfect for couples in love:

✨ Complimentary Onboard Polynesian Blessing
If you’re celebrating a honeymoon or anniversary, you’re invited to a special gathering hosted by Les Gauguines & Les Gauguins (the ship’s troupe of Tahitian entertainers). At sunset, couples are:

Wrapped in a tifaifai (traditional hand-woven quilt symbolizing love and acceptance)
Toasted with champagne
Honored with love songs and a heartfelt poem

🪷 Optional Wedding & Renewal Ritual Packages
For couples who want a more formal symbolic ceremony (which doesn’t create a legal marriage but feels extraordinarily meaningful), Paul Gauguin Cruises offers optional packages:

🏝️ Motu Mahana Ceremony
Held on Motu Mahana, the cruise line’s private islet off Taha’a, this package includes:

Private Polynesian blessing ceremony
Congratulatory letter from the captain
Invitation to dine with the captain or hotel director
In-stateroom champagne
Reception cake + chocolates
Heis (flower crowns) and deluxe floral arrangements
A professional portrait to commemorate the day
It’s a dreamy setting: white sands, gently lapping lagoons, and palms swaying like nature’s confetti.

Note: These ceremonies are symbolic and not legally binding, but they feel deeply soulful and embody the Pacific’s aloha spirit.

🌺 Bora Bora Chapel Ceremony

Another option is a symbolic ceremony at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa:

Arrive by traditional outrigger canoe
Tahitian blessing by a local priest, at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa’s air-conditioned chapel with glass floors showcasing the lagoon below, and splendid views of Mount Otemanu
Flower leis, a tapa certificate with your Polynesian name, and a love lock to attach in the “Secret Garden of Love”
A romantic lunch and access to resort facilities afterward

🍾 Honeymoon & Anniversary Touches
Even outside of dedicated wedding ceremonies, Paul Gauguin Cruises makes romance feel inevitable:

Complimentary honeymoon package includes a celebratory bottle of sparkling wine, Polynesian blessing, and a captain’s letter onboard.
Anniversary celebrations can include cakes and special shipboard recognition.
A gift registry lets friends and family contribute toward shore excursions, spa treatments, private dinners, and other honeymoon enhancements.

Paul Gauguin & the magic of the South Pacific

Fall in love all over again with special complimentary blessings and additional rituals & celebrations from Paul Gauguin Cruises.

French Polynesian Cultural Connections

Outside every stateroom and suite on The Gaugin, stone tiki statues keep a watchful eye over guests, just one of the many big and small details that signal the line’s deep connection to the region.

Les Gauguins and Les Gauguines – The Gaugin’s Polynesian culture ambassadors, dancers, and onboard hosts – mingle with passengers, lead craft workshops (kids love making woven leaf headdresses), and share ancestral stories. In the evenings, they perform traditional dances and songs at La Palette, the ship’s top-deck lounge. The ship also invites local performers on board throughout each sailing; one highlight is the dance troupe Mamas and Papas, who join passengers, bearing handcrafted leis for everyone.

Cultural touches extend to the ship’s dining rooms: The dinner tasting menu at upscale French restaurant La Veranda often ends with a crème brûlée imbued with rich Tahitian vanilla, while at the dinner-only L’Etoile fresh seafood pairs well with the sea breeze.