The food aboard the MS Paul Gauguin certainly deserves its own post. I can't even begin to describe how overwhelmed I was with options! Okay, twist my arm. Here we go......
Breakfast: a meal I typically end up skipping during my routine at home, but on the cruise an opportunity to indulge in some of my favorite things. Made-to-order omelettes with every topping imaginable. Strong coffee - oh, how I love strong coffee! Bagels with lox and tomato and onion and capers. Fresh pastries. Fresh fruit. Fresh-squeezed juice. Did I mention fresh? The occasional mimosa (or every morning if you'd like - it's vacation!). What a way to start the day. Did I mention that you can order breakfast via room service? Just in case you wanted to sip coffee from your balcony...
My ideal breakfast (Jenna Fedyschyn)
Coffee & OJ room service? Sure! (Jenna Fedyschyn)
Breakfast strikes again! (Jenna Fedyschyn)
Lunches. Just when you thought you couldn't possibly be hungry again, it's another meal time! Each day brought a new theme for lunches - local Polynesian, American, Italian, Greek - each one somehow better than the day before. I'm telling you, there is something on this ship for every picky eater and dietary restriction.
Dinners. Just like breakfast & lunch, you can choose one of three restaurants on board for dinner. All three serve essentially the same thing for breakfast and lunch, but the menus vary for dinners. La Veranda and Le Grill, the smaller of the three, require reservations for dinner, but it's not difficult to find availability. I had the best steak of my life at Le Grill (sorry, no photo, must have scarfed that down quickly!). And I'll share some photos of our meals at La Veranda here (this is the most upscale of the three):
Our first dinner blew us away! (Jenna Fedyschyn) Our first dinner blew us away! (Jenna Fedyschyn) Our first dinner blew us away! (Jenna Fedyschyn) Our first dinner blew us away! (Jenna Fedyschyn)
The third dining option on board is called L'Etoile, the largest of the three and no reservations required. You can request a table for two if it's privacy you're looking for, or go for the larger shared tables to meet new friends. We had a blast meeting other guests on board and swapping stories of our days in paradise (our waiter Flo was quite the character!):
Our waiter Flo knows how to selfie right! (Jenna Fedyschyn) Dinner strikes again! (Jenna Fedyschyn)
Les Gauguines often surprised the dinner crowd with live music:
Surprise dinner performance from Les Gauguines (Jenna Fedyschyn)
And of course scattered throughout the day are tea times.....
This entire spread is just for afternoon tea! (Jenna Fedyschyn)
Adventure Life has been an extraordinary travel resource for us over the years and today was no exception. Our River Cruise booking was handled by Jess (who has been our personal trip planner for several years) the same day as our inquiry. Suggestions were given for cabin choice and pre-trip options (that were not shown on the cruise line's website) like airport transfers and prepaid gratuities. Trip insurance recommendations followed and we were assigned a travel co-ordinator till the end of the tour. All we have to do is show up! Great service from friendly folks.
APtravelwell
1 day ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
1 day ago
Although there was a lot of paper work, I received help and guidance when I needed it.
Donna Kirby
2 days ago
Our travel was flawless! The rider pickup (airport, hotel, ship) was seamless. Jane's recommendation for Emerald Cruise Sakara was everything I wanted but the experience was soooo much more. Adventure Life took care of each and every detail and this was the easiest of all my travels.
Anne Petty
3 days ago
Follow up was effective any questions were answered in a timely manner
