Should a French Polynesia Cruise Be On Your Travel Bucket List ? 4 Pros and 4 Cons Revealed !

I was on a Paul Gauguin cruise in 2017. It took four years to save for and it was a life changing experience. Best trip of my life. If you are here watching this video, the answer is yes you should take this trip as soon as you can.

As someone who just got back from a 14 day French Polynesia cruise on the Paul Gauguin, I would HIGHLY recommend for ANYONE! As a matter of fact, we're already planning our return adventure! The islands there are unlike any other place on earth! We actually picked the Paul Gauguin after watching some of your videos! Cheers from the middle of nowhere Alaska! Keep up the fun videos, my friend!

Paul Gaugin Cruise Line is a great cruise line. The crew is amazing. The second time I went was probably 3 years after the first time and some of the staff recognized me. They didn't remember my name but they recognized my face. French Polynesia is paradise. I also suggest booking a pre-cruise hotel through the cruise line. All the transfers are done for you...so you won't miss the cruise.

Important to add, although someone probably did already: in the northern winter months, the islands are in the grip of the wet season. It's only a few degrees hotter than June to August, but it's far more humid. Wring-water-out-of-the-air-with-your-hands humidity. Skies are grey and cloudy as often as not, and so the oceans are all shades of grey -- not the beautiful blues and greens of tourist brochures. I still had a fantastic time, but the humidity was a penance and no mistake. Ten night cruise on Princess hit the islands of Huahine, Rangiroa (a coral atoll), Raiatea, Bora Bora, and Moorea, beginning and ending in Tahiti. Before and after nights at the Intercontinental in Tahiti which is a gorgeous resort.

We did French Polynesia with Oceania last Spring. We're going back again next year, our first repeat cruise! Hardly any kids underfoot on that line cruise line, and while their food usually wins all the awards, Jacques Pépin's cuisine was better than ever when combined with the fresh fruit and seafood from the islands. I learned to snorkel (might be spoiled now), and we borrowed an outrigger canoe to have a little adventure that we both made it back from (having grown up paddling Canadian style canoes).

Having done this cruise itinerary, I agree with you 100%. Our ship (major cruise line) was only 600 pax so we fit thru some of the narrow reef inlets (Fakarava was incredible) We did a lot of snorkling and found, with comparison to others, that sometimes the fish population varied with the months visited. We went in May and the sites we visited were teaming with fish. Also note, that some Islands have excursions that visit sites where small reef sharks frequent. These were docile fish, but size would vary from auarim sized to 4 ft., but few in numbers So one should inquire if one is concerned. We found them fascinating. Having snorkled the Great Barrier Reef, and the Caribbean we found FP the best and would love to return to some day. It was the second best trip ever for us behind Antarctica.

This cruise has always been in my bucket list! I’m looking forward to your videos on this so I can live vicariously through them...

I will start again! Another option which may be cheaper is to take a cruise from Sydney Australia to New Caledonia and surrounding islands. Fiji and other islands are also very enjoyable to visit. A cruise around New Zealand for say two weeks with many very different ports is an excellent choice also. Just my two cents worth!

Eight of us flew out there in September last year, hired a yacht and crew for two weeks and sailed around Bora Bora, Raiatea, Taha’a and Huahine. Lots of sailing, diving, snorkelling, great food, friendly locals, beautiful scenery. One of the best holidays we have ever had. Huahine was probably the best islands for us because of the sea life and beauty, but they were all wonderful 💙

Great, informative video, like all your others. You’re definitely one of my top 2 cruise info subscriptions. Thanks for all you do for us.

I have taken over 20 cruises and my first cruise was to French Polynesia. The ship was small and not very exciting but the ports were stunning! It was actually the best trip I have ever taken. We cruised in July and we added on 5 days in Papeete and were able to visit Moorea for a second time as it is so close to Tahiti. We had a package deal that included air fare and it was very reasonably priced. Unfortunately, the cruise line is no longer in business. It should definitely be on your bucket list.

If Gary's videos are titled like "Should you do this this this cruise?" The answers to these rhetorical questions are always YES. Have no doubts. It invloves cruising = Yes. Jokes apart, as an avid cruiser, I enjoy the channels informative videos and watch every single one of them.

Thanks Gary, great video. We are booked on Princess 28 day round trip out of Los Angeles In February. It will hit 4 islands. Not sure about the weather in February, but we are going. We are going to have a lot of sea days but we embark and debark only an hour from and no airplanes. I think it’s going to be a great trip.

Another brilliantly informative video. Thank you

I moved from UK to New Zealand nearly 2 years ago, last May i went on a cruise from Auckland to New Caledonia & Vanuatu, I spend 10 nights of my life in awe (well, 6 nights on the islands). The scenery is spectacular, the sea is the clearest i've ever seen and the sand the whitest and softest i've ever experienced. This would definitely have been a bucket list holiday for me back in UK, now i'm a quick flight away from French Polynesia. I'll be booking my next cruise to Fiji soon for next year. This year i'm cruising to Brisbane (in 2 1/2 weeks in fact!

Another great video of an outstanding location and cruise line. Thanks so much for taking us with you!

Got off one two months ago. BoraBora is paradise on earth.. and the locals don't call it  French Polynesia. They call it Tahiti Nui. A great review by the way the weather was rubbish when we were at Moorea, so nice to see it with good weather. Only a 5.5 hour flight to Papeetee from NZ where I live, I'll be back.

Really useful video. A cruise to this region is definitely on our bucket list!

Just watched this again. Incredibly helpful! Particularly when to go. The cruise I was looking at was going in April which is possibly an ok time to go but not the best.

I love you video of the TOP TEN bucket list cruises...I took notes on all of them and leave it in the front of my vacation folder! It inspired my next Cruise to The Baltic Sea!