Frequently Asked Questions

Paul Gauguin Cruises primarily uses Air Tahiti Nui for international flights out of Los Angeles to and from Tahiti on French Polynesia Cruises.

Paul Gauguin Cruises standard pricing includes air from Los Angeles on Air Tahiti Nui including transfers and hotel day rooms in Tahiti as required. We offer a variety of hotel programs pre-cruise and post-cruise for guests wishing to extend their vacation. Please visit the Extend Your Stay section of our website for further details.

Air transportation is based on Economy/Coach or similar class of service on scheduled or charter services of IATA, U.S. or international air carriers. Designated air departure or return cities are at the discretion of PGC and are subject to change without notice. PGC reserves the right to choose the air carrier, routing and scheduling to and from each city and the right to substitute charter flights for scheduled air and vice versa. Service is subject to availability.

Airline tickets issued by PGC are restricted by contract and may not be reissued or exchanged for another air carrier or routing In addition the airline tickets are nontransferable to another guest.

Cancellation or rebooking charges may be assessed by the airline for any changes which are the sole responsibility of the guest.

Advance seat selection is subject to the policy of the participating air carrier and may not be available. The service and responsibility of the air carrier used in conjunction with any PGC cruise program is subject to and limited by the “Contact of Carriage” as specified by the air carrier for each ticket issued.

Guests using an Air/Sea Program may upgrade to Business or First Class air service subject to space availability by the airline used in conjunction with the itinerary, and upon payment of the applicable airfare. PGC does not redeem airline accrued frequent flyer mileage for Air/Sea upgrades. The possibility of such redemption is at the sole discretion of the airlines and must be handled directly with the participating carrier.

If guests deviate from Paul Gauguin Cruises standard Air/Sea program, guests will need to secure their own transportation to the ship or hotel in Papeete, Tahiti.

If you have made your own arrangements for air transportation, ground transfers, and/or hotel accommodations, you are designated as a “cruise-only” guest of Paul Gauguin Cruises. You must make independent transfer arrangements to the hotel or ship if you haven’t pre-booked a transfer with Paul Gauguin Cruises.

The allowance per passenger depends on the policy of the airline. To avoid fees, Paul Gauguin Cruises recommends you check with your airline directly as baggage allowance varies depending on airline, route and class of service.

At time of final payment, 90 days prior to sailing, all air records must be finalized with: guest’s name as it appears on the passport, date of birth, and gender. Our air program requires that we issue airline tickets 75 days prior to travel date. If we do not have information for air records at the time of final payment (90 days out), guests could be liable for obtaining their own flight arrangements and subsequently be responsible for the cost of their air travel.

Paul Gauguin Cruises arranges airline flights for guests if requested. Air transportation is based on economy/coach or similar class of service on scheduled or charter services of IATA, U.S. or international air carriers. Paul Gauguin Cruises reserves the right to choose the air carrier, routing and scheduling to and from each city and the right to substitute charter flights for scheduled air and vice versa.

Advance seat selection is subject to the policy of the participating air carrier and may not be available. The service and responsibility of the air carrier used in conjunction with any Paul Gauguin Cruises’ program is subject to and limited by the “Contact of Carriage” as specified by the air carrier for each ticket issued.

Guests using an Air/Sea Program may upgrade to Business or First-Class air service subject to space availability by the airline used in conjunction with the itinerary, and upon payment of the applicable airfare. Paul Gauguin Cruises does not redeem airline accrued frequent flyer mileage for Air/Sea upgrades. The possibility of such redemption is at the sole discretion of the airlines and must be handled directly with the participating carrier.

For the m/s Paul Gauguin, it depends on what day of the week you embark your cruise. For a Saturday departure, you might have to fly late Friday evening, arriving early the next morning or fly in on Saturday for direct embarkation. You may embark the ship beginning at 3:00 p.m. Most Wednesday departures offer flights from Los Angeles that arrive in time for direct embarkation for m/s Paul Gauguin.

It depends on traffic, but typically is a 20-minute drive from the international airport in Tahiti to the pier in downtown Papeete where the m/s Paul Gauguin is docked.