Azamara Cruises vs Paul Gauguin

The core difference

Azamara and Paul Gauguin both build their identity around destination immersion — the idea that the cruise exists to connect you with the place, not to isolate you from it. But they apply this philosophy on completely different scales.

Azamara is global. Four ships at 30,277 gross tonnes, approximately 700 guests each, visiting over 70 countries and 318 ports worldwide. The destination-immersion model manifests in overnight port stays (over half of all port time), boutique harbour access, and AzAmazing Evenings cultural events. Drinks, gratuities, and shuttles are included. The ships are home base for exploring the world — Mediterranean, Asia, Northern Europe, Australia, the Caribbean, and South America.

Paul Gauguin is hyper-local. One ship at 19,200 gross tonnes, 332 guests, purpose-built in 1998 specifically for the shallow waters and small harbours of French Polynesia. The ship operates year-round from Papeete, never leaving the South Pacific. It was designed with a shallow draught to navigate lagoons that conventional cruise ships cannot enter. Les Gauguines and Les Gauguins — Polynesian cultural hosts — sail on every voyage, performing traditional dance, teaching pareo tying, demonstrating flower crown making, and sharing Tahitian culture in a way that feels authentic rather than performative. The private island of Motu Mahana off Taha’a is available exclusively to Paul Gauguin guests. Watersports marina access includes kayaking, paddleboarding, and snorkelling in some of the clearest waters on earth.

Under Ponant Explorations Group ownership since 2019, Paul Gauguin maintains its distinct identity — the ship, the crew, and the cultural programme are uniquely Polynesian. This is not Ponant with a different name; it is a specialist product that Ponant wisely chose not to rebrand.

For Australian travellers, the choice is determined by destination. If Tahiti and French Polynesia is the cruise, Paul Gauguin is the definitive way to experience it. If you want a global cruise line with worldwide destination coverage and Sydney departures, Azamara serves that need.

What is actually included

Both lines are substantially inclusive, though the specifics differ.

Azamara includes: select standard spirits, beers, and wines by the glass throughout the day, gratuities, AzAmazing Evenings, shuttle buses, self-service laundry, speciality coffees, and room service. Speciality dining surcharges at Prime C and Aqualina (waived for suite guests). Wi-Fi available for purchase.

Paul Gauguin includes: all dining across every venue without surcharges, select wines, spirits, beer, and soft drinks throughout the voyage, watersports marina access (kayaks, paddleboards, snorkelling gear, Zodiac-served shore excursions), and complimentary Polynesian entertainment. Wi-Fi is available for purchase. Gratuities are voluntary but not included.

The comparison is close. Both include standard beverages and all dining. Azamara adds gratuities; Paul Gauguin adds watersports marina access. For Australian travellers, the net cost is comparable — Azamara’s included gratuities save roughly US$15 to $20 per person per day, while Paul Gauguin’s included watersports save the cost of independent kayak and snorkelling excursions.

Dining and culinary experience

Both lines serve quality cuisine to intimate passenger counts, but the culinary character differs.

Azamara offers six dining venues per ship. Discoveries Restaurant, Windows Cafe, The Patio, Mosaic Cafe, Prime C, and Aqualina. The cuisine is Mediterranean-inspired with international dishes and destination-relevant menus. The kitchen cooks for fewer than 700 guests.

Paul Gauguin offers three dining venues. L’Etoile is the main restaurant with open seating and a French-Polynesian-influenced menu. La Palette is the casual indoor-outdoor grill. Le Grill is the poolside casual dining venue. The cuisine reflects the ship’s French-Polynesian identity — French culinary technique applied to local Pacific ingredients, with Tahitian specialities alongside continental dishes. Fresh fish, tropical fruit, and French wines feature prominently. The kitchen cooks for just 332 guests, and the quality reflects the intimate scale.

Azamara wins on venue count and variety. Paul Gauguin wins on regional culinary authenticity — the French-Polynesian cuisine feels genuinely rooted in where you are sailing. Both deliver quality meals in intimate settings. If you want dining options every night, Azamara. If you want cuisine that tastes like Tahiti, Paul Gauguin.

Suites and accommodation

The accommodation reflects different ship designs and philosophies.

Azamara’s R-class ships offer cabins from Club Interior (158 square feet) through Club Veranda (175 square feet plus balcony) to Club World Owner’s Suite (793 to 836 square feet). Butler service from suite level upward.

Paul Gauguin offers staterooms from approximately 200 square feet for Porthole Staterooms, 249 square feet for Window and Balcony Staterooms, and suites up to approximately 588 square feet for the Grand Suite (two available, with private balcony, separate living area, and marble bathroom). Most categories feature ocean views or balconies. The ship was designed with a high percentage of outside cabins to maximise the Polynesian landscape views.

Paul Gauguin’s entry-level staterooms are slightly larger than Azamara’s, reflecting the ship’s more generous space-per-guest ratio (19,200 gross tonnes for 332 guests versus 30,277 for 700). Both lines offer comfortable rather than luxurious accommodation, with the focus on getting you off the ship and into the destination.

Pricing and value

The pricing comparison must account for the radically different destinations and inclusions.

Azamara’s directional pricing for a 7-night Mediterranean voyage runs approximately US$250 to $500 per person per night for a veranda cabin, including drinks and gratuities.

Paul Gauguin’s directional pricing for a 7-night Tahiti and Society Islands voyage runs approximately US$500 to $900 per person per night, including drinks, dining, and watersports. A 7-night voyage costs roughly AUD $5,500 to $10,000 per person before flights.

Paul Gauguin is more expensive per night — the premium reflects the specialist destination, the year-round Papeete operation, and the smaller passenger count spreading fixed costs across fewer guests. For Australian travellers, the total holiday cost comparison should include flights: direct Air Tahiti Nui flights from Sydney to Papeete cost roughly AUD $1,500 to $3,000 return, while Azamara’s Sydney departures require no flights for domestic sailings.

The value equation depends on whether you are choosing between these lines (unlikely — they serve different destinations) or choosing how to spend a cruise holiday. Paul Gauguin delivers exceptional value within the French Polynesia niche; Azamara delivers exceptional value for global ocean cruising.

Spa and wellness

Azamara’s Sanctum Spa features Elemis products, multiple treatment rooms, steam rooms, and the Sanctum Spa Terrace with thalassotherapy pool. Complimentary fitness classes.

Paul Gauguin’s Spa by Algotherm offers French marine-based treatments suited to the tropical environment — body wraps, facials, and massages using products designed for warm-climate skin care. The spa is compact but well-appointed for a 332-guest ship. The real wellness offering is the ocean itself — swimming, snorkelling, and kayaking in some of the warmest, clearest waters on earth.

Both lines offer adequate spa facilities. Paul Gauguin’s tropical setting adds an experiential dimension — a massage followed by swimming in a Bora Bora lagoon is wellness that no spa can replicate.

Entertainment and enrichment

Azamara’s enrichment features over 250 Destination Speakers, AzAmazing Evenings, Stories Under the Stars, and intimate performances. The programme spans global destinations.

Paul Gauguin’s enrichment is uniquely Polynesian. Les Gauguines and Les Gauguins — the ship’s Polynesian cultural hosts — perform traditional dance, teach cultural skills, and share stories. Local musicians and dancers come aboard in each port. Guest lecturers cover Polynesian history, marine biology, and South Pacific culture. The evening atmosphere features Polynesian music and dance under tropical skies. The enrichment feels authentic because the ship, the crew, and the cultural programme are all permanently immersed in the destination.

Paul Gauguin’s enrichment is the more distinctive and immersive experience within its regional context. Azamara’s enrichment covers broader ground but cannot match the depth of cultural connection that a year-round Polynesian crew provides.

Fleet and destination coverage

Azamara’s four ships visit over 70 countries. Global coverage with Sydney departures.

Paul Gauguin operates one ship in one region. Year-round French Polynesia from Papeete, covering the Society Islands, Tuamotu, Marquesas, Cook Islands, Fiji, and Tonga.

The fleet comparison is not meaningful. These lines serve non-overlapping geographies. Paul Gauguin’s single-ship, single-region model delivers unmatched depth in French Polynesia. Azamara’s four-ship global model delivers worldwide breadth.

Where each line excels

Azamara excels in:

• Global destination coverage. Seventy countries, 318 ports, six continents, with Sydney departures.
• Overnight port stays. Over 51 per cent of port time during late-night or overnight stays — unmatched in the premium segment.
• AzAmazing Evenings. Complimentary shoreside cultural events that make the destination the entertainment.
• All-inclusive transparency. Drinks, gratuities, and cultural events included in every fare.

Paul Gauguin excels in:

• French Polynesia expertise. Year-round from Papeete since 1998. Purpose-built shallow draught for lagoon navigation. No other cruise line matches this depth of regional knowledge.
• Polynesian cultural immersion. Les Gauguines and Les Gauguins aboard every voyage, local performers in every port, and a crew permanently embedded in Polynesian culture.
• Motu Mahana. A private island exclusively for Paul Gauguin guests — pristine beach, complimentary barbecue, watersports, and snorkelling.
• Watersports marina. Complimentary kayaking, paddleboarding, and snorkelling in the clearest lagoons on earth.
• Accessibility from Australia. Direct 8-hour Air Tahiti Nui flight from Sydney to Papeete — one of the shortest international connections to luxury cruising.

Standout itineraries for Australian travellers

Azamara

Melbourne to Auckland (16 nights, January departure). No international flight required. New Zealand’s intimate ports on a ship small enough to access them properly.

Sydney to Singapore (22 nights, February departure). Australian coastal ports plus Indonesia, finishing in Singapore for an easy fly-home.

Japan Cherry Blossom Season (spring sailing). Boutique Japanese ports during cherry blossom season.

Paul Gauguin

Tahiti and Society Islands (7 nights, year-round, roundtrip Papeete). The signature itinerary — Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a (with Motu Mahana), and Bora Bora. Direct Air Tahiti Nui flights from Sydney. The most accessible luxury South Pacific cruise for Australians.

Marquesas, Tuamotu, and Society Islands (14 nights, roundtrip Papeete). The extended voyage reaching the remote Marquesas — Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa, where Gauguin lived and painted. Dramatic volcanic landscapes, traditional Marquesan culture, and the most pristine dive sites in Polynesia. Requires more time but delivers experiences unavailable on the 7-night itinerary.

Cook Islands, Fiji, and Tonga (10 to 14 nights, select departures). Beyond French Polynesia to neighbouring island nations. Less frequent but offering a broader South Pacific perspective.

Ship-by-ship recommendations

Azamara

Azamara Onward — Most frequently deployed to Australian waters. The Atlas Bar is exclusive to this ship. Recommended for domestic departures.

Azamara Quest — First into the Azamara Forward refurbishment late 2026. New suites and Chef’s Table restaurant.

Paul Gauguin

Paul Gauguin (332 guests, 1998) — There is only one ship. Purpose-built for French Polynesia with shallow draught, Polynesian crew, and year-round Papeete deployment. The 7-night Society Islands itinerary is the recommended first sailing. For a deeper experience, choose the 14-night Marquesas voyage.

For Australian travellers specifically

Paul Gauguin is exceptionally accessible from Australia. Air Tahiti Nui’s direct Sydney-to-Papeete service in approximately 8 hours makes Tahiti closer than most European embarkation ports, closer than Caribbean ports, and comparable in flight time to many Asian destinations. A 7-night Paul Gauguin cruise plus flights can be completed in under two weeks with minimal jet lag — a genuinely practical luxury escape for time-constrained Australian travellers.

Azamara’s Australian deployment provides domestic departures that eliminate flights entirely for Australian-waters and New Zealand sailings. For Mediterranean, Caribbean, or Northern European itineraries, positioning flights from Australia run 20 to 24 hours.

The Ponant connection matters for loyalty-minded Australians. Paul Gauguin’s Ponant Yacht Club membership extends across Ponant Explorations and Aqua Expeditions — status earned on a Tahiti cruise carries to a Ponant Kimberley expedition or a Ponant Mediterranean voyage. Azamara Circle stands alone.

Currency considerations are comparable. Both lines price in USD through Australian booking channels, with the AUD-to-USD exchange rate affecting total cost equally. Paul Gauguin’s specialist positioning means fewer promotional offers than Azamara’s more competitive global market.

The onboard atmosphere

Azamara’s atmosphere is intimate, destination-focused, and adults-oriented. Fewer than 700 guests, resort casual dress code, no children’s facilities, and a passenger demographic of well-travelled couples. Evenings are quiet — cabaret, cocktails, and early nights before long port days.

Paul Gauguin’s atmosphere is tropical, relaxed, and culturally immersive. The 332-guest count creates genuine intimacy. The Polynesian crew bring warmth and authenticity. The dress code is resort casual with no formal nights. Evenings feature Polynesian music and dance, cocktails under the stars, and the gentle social atmosphere of a ship where everyone is in paradise. The passenger mix is international — North American, European, Australian, and Asian travellers drawn to the South Pacific. The atmosphere is romantic, unhurried, and deeply connected to the destination.

The bottom line

Azamara and Paul Gauguin share a commitment to destination immersion but serve entirely different travel purposes. Choosing between them is choosing your destination, not your cruise line.

Choose Azamara when you want a global cruise line with worldwide coverage, Sydney departures, and a destination-immersive model that includes drinks, gratuities, and cultural events. Choose it for overnight port stays in Mediterranean cities, boutique harbour access, and a fleet that sails six continents.

Choose Paul Gauguin when French Polynesia is the destination. Choose it for the only cruise ship purpose-built for Tahitian lagoons, for Polynesian cultural hosts on every voyage, for the private island of Motu Mahana, and for year-round departures from Papeete just 8 hours from Sydney. Accept that the ship is 27 years old, that the dining programme is compact, and that the product serves one region only.

For Australian travellers with the means and the time, the combination is irresistible — Azamara for global destination immersion, Paul Gauguin for the definitive South Pacific escape. Both lines deliver on their promises, and both reward travellers who cruise to engage with the world rather than to retreat from it.