Award-winning, beloved vessel to undergo enhancements and sustainable upgrades during Feb-Mar 2025 drydock
NEW YORK, NY – December 4, 2024 – Paul Gauguin Cruises, French Polynesia’s destination expert and winner of Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2024 Best Small Cruise, today announced that the 330-guest m/s Paul Gauguin will undergo an extensive refurbishment during a seven-week drydock in Singapore, February-March 2025. The multi-million-dollar project will introduce sustainable technology upgrades, a contemporary new look for its popular Le Grill restaurant, a reimagined pool deck complete with shaded cabana areas, eight new connecting staterooms, and the updating of soft furnishes throughout the ship.
“Our vision for this refurbishment is deeply rooted in our ongoing commitment to delivering an authentic experience that reflects the beauty and culture of French Polynesia,” said Hervé Gastinel, CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer of PONANT EXPLORATIONS Group. “The ship is beloved by our guests and the local community, and we continue to invest in The Gauguin’s elegant design while integrating advanced, more sustainable technologies to minimize the environmental footprint—an area in which the Group continues to lead. With her year-round presence in the Islands of Tahiti, The Gauguin is more than a vessel; she is a key member of the Polynesian community, reflecting our profound connection to this region and its people.”
Leading the design is Stirling Design International, a globally recognized leader in transportation design, whose thoughtful approach perfectly aligns with Paul Gauguin Cruises’ vision of artful and authentic discovery. Since 1984, the studio has spearheaded the design of PONANT EXPLORATIONS Group’s new-build fleet. Their expertise shines through in the design for the ship’s reimagined interiors and open decks, where intricate latticework and canvas elements will harmonize with warm wood finishes, seamlessly blending with the natural light and stunning tropical surroundings.
Highlights of The Gauguin refurbishment include:
- Connecting Staterooms: Eight new connecting staterooms on Deck 7 will appeal to the growing multi-generational travel boom; a trend that Paul Gauguin Cruises anticipated when launching its highly successful Moana Explorer Program in 2020 in partnership with Te mana o te moana, a South Pacific marine education and conservancy foundation. The Gauguin remains the only cruise ship in French Polynesia year-round to offer a complimentary program for children ages six to 15 on select summer and holiday voyages.
- Le Grill: Offering floor-to-ceiling views of islands and sea, this inviting indoor/outdoor restaurant adjacent to the pool will get a top-to-bottom makeover featuring a sleek, contemporary look in white with wood screens, ceramic tiles, and trim framing culinary stations, and soft oak wood furnishings crowned by stylish bamboo light fixtures. This is where guests enjoy open-seating breakfast buffets, causal lunches dining on grilled favorites and salads, and dinners by reservation showcasing an authentic menu of Polynesian and international specialties.
- Pool Deck: A sweeping new white canopy will shade cabana-like seating on the port side of the newly refinished teak pool deck, while the façade of the pool itself will be wrapped by a new mosaic banner. Ample white chaise loungers will surround the space, ensuring blissful moments of sunshine and scenery.
- Pool Bar: Amplifying the chic new pool space, the Pool Bar will receive the same white wood-carved screens as Le Grill, as well as new lighting for a subtle evening glow.
- Soft Good Enhancements: Throughout the ship, both public spaces and staterooms will see reupholstered furnishings and new carpeting in a tropically chic color palette as well as woodwork restorations.
- Sustainable Technology Upgrades: The refurbishment will introduce cutting-edge sustainable technology to enhance efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Energy performance upgrades will include advanced heat recovery systems, efficient chillers, an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system generating electricity from heat, and optimized electric motors, significantly reducing energy consumption. A new seawater treatment system will produce fresh water onboard, while the Nordaq filtration system that produces drinking water from seawater helps eliminate plastic water bottles, minimizing single-use plastics. Waste management enhancements include a glass crusher and a cardboard compactor for efficient recycling.
As a tribute to its parent company, PONANT EXPLORATIONS Group, the ship’s stack will now feature the iconic PONANT three-sail logo, crafted in polished steel and illuminated with LED backing for a striking nighttime display. Additionally, Paul Gauguin Cruises’ signature scripted “P” logo will take a prominent position on Deck 8 forward, while the sleek white hull will receive modern gray accents. These design elements underscore the shared values of the two brands, reflecting their unwavering commitment to authenticity and the mariner’s spirit of adventure.
Emerging from drydock at the end of March, The Gauguin will offer two unique voyages as part of its 2025 Boutique Crossing Collection—the 14-night Immersive Indonesia: Singapore to Australia, departing April 1, 2025; and a 16-night Crossing Melanesia: Australia to Fiji, departing April 15, 2025 as the ship sails home to Tahiti. The Gauguin will then resume her award-winning roster of all-inclusive, luxury voyages offering 7- to 14-night journeys to the Society Islands, Tuamotus, Cook Islands, and Marquesas.
About Paul Gauguin Cruises
Paul Gauguin Cruises operates the 330-guest m/s Paul Gauguin, providing a luxury cruise experience tailored to the unparalleled wonders of French Polynesia and the South Pacific. In addition to being voted the Best Small Cruise in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards—an accolade that follows the line’s recognition as a Top 2 Small Cruise Line in the same publication in 2023, 2022, and 2021—Paul Gauguin Cruises also received Seatrade’s 2024 Sustainability Initiative of the Year award for its “Taote (doctor) Gauguin” healthcare partnership with the French Polynesian government. A perennial favorite in French Polynesia for more than 25 years, the line’s notable travel and lifestyle awards also include the World’s Best Small-Ship Ocean Cruise Line in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2022, and four Best French Polynesia Cruises awards in the AFAR Travelers’ Choice Awards. In September 2019, Paul Gauguin Cruises joined the PONANT family, a designer of inspiring voyages on board small exploration ships.
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