I ADORE reading cruise ship reviews before I go on vacation, and the more detailed the better. I eagerly hunt down old and new passenger reviews and devour them, as well as the array of cruise guides, while anticipating my upcoming trip. So, for those of you who are like me, I hope you find this useful...

First off, my expectations for this cruise were huge and I looked forward to it with great anticipation for many months. All my hopes and dreams were realized, and then some!

Embarkation: Arrived at 3:30 p.m. in Papeete from Moorea (we stayed at the Moorea Hilton for three days) on Aramiti ferry. As we sailed into the harbour, we saw the lovely Paul Gauguin, anchored in the downtown area. The public areas around the port seem to have been improved since our last visit ten years ago. The Aramiti ferry docked right next to the PG, but a transfer (van) met us and loaded up our luggage to drive the thirty seconds to where the ship was docked. Read more