I was five days into a seven-day voyage on the French Polynesia-based Paul Gauguin when the wild thoughts began.

Do I really have to go back? Couldn’t I just stay here forever?

Lounging by the pool on the 330-passenger Paul Gauguin Cruises vessel as it sailed between Bora Bora and Moorea, two of the most stunning islands you’ll ever see, I started doing the mental math. What if I sold my home back in North Carolina? What if I cashed out my IRA? Could I afford to stay on board cruising these islands in perpetuity?

It was that beautiful. That peaceful. That … je ne sais quoi, but I knew I just wanted to stay.

And, yes, I was starting to lace my sentences with French phrases, like they do on board Paul Gauguin and across the islands it visits. I had the bug. Just like the namesake of the 330-passenger ship, the celebrated post-impressionist painter Paul Gauguin, who famously fled Europe in the 1890s to seek a simpler life here. And Fletcher Christian, the English naval officer who led the mutiny on the British ship HMS Bounty in 1789 so he never had to leave.

In the end, I did get off the ship two days later and returned home. There was no mutiny on The Gauguin. But only reluctantly. And I’m already plotting my return.

On Huahine, for me at least, that meant snorkeling in the incredibly clear lagoon, where I was dazzled by the neon-bright clams atop coral clusters and all sorts of colorful fish. I also snuck a peek at the ancient Polynesian temples (marae) — Huahine is particularly known for its temples — and ogled the famed blue-eyed eels.

The next day, on Raiatea, it meant kayaking the only navigable river in French Polynesia, the Faaroa. If you want to kayak in French Polynesia, this is the place.

In Bora Bora, it meant swimming with sharks and stingrays. (Yes, you can swim with sharks and stingrays in Bora Bora.)

The backdrop for all this was the loveliest rainforest-covered volcanic mountains that you’ll ever see. The islands are also ringed with sandy beaches, turquoise water and little palm-lined islets — which is to say, they are stunning.

And I haven’t even mentioned the idyllic weather yet. It’s not perfectly-sunny-365-days-a-year weather, mind you. Lush rainforests aren’t created by all-day sun; clouds and downpours are regular occurrences. But the climate is unfailingly warm and tropical, with cooling breezes that sometimes carry the soothing scent of tiare and frangipani flowers or, if you’re on Tahaa, the sweet and intoxicating aroma of vanilla beans.

Related: Why your next dream vacation should be this luxury island cruise

Only one other cruise brand, Windstar Cruises, bases a small ship in the region that visits as many islands as Paul Gauguin (if you don’t count the company that operates Arunai 5, the odd-looking French Polynesian cargo ship with passenger cabins).

But Paul Gauguin is also interwoven into the local community like no other cruise vessel — and thus offers a special charm.

Built specifically to sail in French Polynesia and, for most of its 28-year history, owned by a local company (it was acquired by France-based Ponant Explorations in 2019), it is staffed with far more local residents than is typical for cruise ships, in roles ranging from the receptionist at the guest relations desk to the ship’s nurse.

Among the most charming aspects of the ship is the presence of the Gauguins and Gauguines — locals who live aboard the ship as hosts and entertainers with a mandate to bring the spirit of French Polynesia to life. I loved watching them interact with passengers, whether it was teaching dances, ukelele lessons or how to tie a pareo (French Polynesia’s version of a sarong).

On the once-a-sailing “Polynesian Night,” when passengers were encouraged to show up in their most Polynesian-inspired attire, the Gauguins and Gauguines were there to help apply temporary tattoos. On several nights, they performed traditional songs and dances in the vessel’s main theater.

As I saw on several of my outings, The Gauguin also has longstanding relationships with locals who operate many of the tours it offers during island stops. As a result, these tours often have the feel of a resident showing you around her or his home. I loved that my guide in Huahine, who toured us around in an open-air truck with room for eight people, stopped to show us the fish trap that his family personally used for catching dinner.

In addition, the food on board is often locally sourced, with the ship’s head chef leaving the vessel in the morning to pick up fresh fish for that night’s dinner — whatever the fishermen have just brought in. I experienced this firsthand several nights, feasting on lovely fresh-caught yellowfin tuna (served all sorts of ways, from sashimi and tartare to grilled), mahi-mahi and Ray’s bream (which the locals call papio) at the ship’s restaurants.

In short, a sailing on The Gauguin feels more like a stay at a locally-owned boutique hotel than a voyage on an international cruise ship.

Related: Paul Gauguin Society cruise loyalty program: Everything you need to know

What the ship lacks in newness, moreover, is canceled out at some level by some of its “they don’t make them like this anymore” features. I particularly loved the wide-open decks atop the ship — decks that were much more open than you’ll typically find on a newer ship this size. I regularly headed up to the spacious front area of the top deck at sailaway for the uncluttered, 270-degree view. On a more modern ship, this space surely would be busied up with “attractions” like putting greens or a pickleball court that would just take away from the expansiveness.

Access to a private islet

In addition to onboard activities, passengers on every Paul Gauguin sailing have the opportunity to spend a day lounging at the line’s very own private islet — or motu, as they’re called in the South Pacific.

Called Motu Mahana, this private islet is located just off the French Polynesian island of Tahaa, close to Bora Bora, and it’s yet one more standout feature that makes these trips so special.

Appearing on every Paul Gauguin itinerary (usually as a day stop just before the ship visits Bora Bora), Motu Mahana is home to a palm tree-lined beach and warm shallow waters for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking.

On the Motu Mahana day of each cruise, pretty much everyone heads off the ship, which anchors nearby, for a full day of beachy fun that includes a beach barbecue, volleyball games, traditional music and dancing by the Gauguins and Gauguines, and a range of hands-on activities.

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Paul Gauguin Cruises ship

The starting prices mentioned above are for entry-level cabins on sailings during the offseason. As is typical for cruises everywhere, pricing is higher for bigger cabins and for sailings during peak season periods, such as around the winter holidays.

Still, as is customary for cruise lines at the high end, Paul Gauguin includes a lot in its base price. In addition to a room on board and all meals, the fares include most drinks on board, shipboard Wi-Fi and gratuities.

If you’ve seen Netflix’s Poop Cruise documentary, you’ll know its never good news when a cruise ship loses its power.

Just this weekend, passengers on board a Celebrity Cruises vessel nearly saw their luxury holiday turn into a disaster due to a loss of power.

The ship, Constellation, was forced to drift for around three hours while sailing near the Italian coast on August 2, and was said to be without power or air conditioning for just under three hours.

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises’ parent company, confirmed the vessel had experienced a ‘technical issue’ that was resolved later that day.

But while this cruise managed to fix the issue onboard fairly swiftly, you might be left wondering what would happen if you found yourself on board a cruise with no power.

What happens during a power cut

While it depends what is the cause of the loss of power, the most immediate effect would usually be a loss of propulsion.

This means that, like the Celebrity Cruises ship, the vessel will likely stop moving and be left to drift while the cause of the power loss is resolved.

Again, like what happened on the Constellation, many of the interior lights will likely go out, especially in cabins and hallways, and air conditioning may be affected too.

Lifts will usually be out of action, primarily as a safety measure, to prevent them from stopping working while passengers are inside.

Meanwhile, the bridge could lose radar, GPS and communication tools, although it will likely be able to rely on backup systems during this time.

As Poop Cruise highlighted, toilet and fresh water systems could stop working as they rely on electrical pumps.

Emergency power systems

Fortunately, most cruise ships are equipped with emergency generators, which will prioritise the most important functions required while the main power sources are restored.

These generators will usually maintain power to critical systems, like emergency lighting and bridge controls, while allowing the captain to sustain contact with the coast guard and port authorities.

The emergency power will also support basic medical equipment and run essential navigation systems.

In the case of the Celebrity Cruises ship, Royal Caribbean has confirmed these emergency generators, which are located on the upper decks, will automatically kick in using an independent fuel source.

The infamous Poop Cruise blackout was caused by a fire in the engine room, which prompted the cruise line, Carnival Cruises, to invest more than $500 million on fleet upgrades, including backup generators and fire suppression tools.

In short, the cruise line has ensured no one will ever have to defecate into a red bag on one of its cruises ever again.

Hurtigruten’s Finnmarken is currently undergoing a refurbishment at a drydock in the Norderwerft shipyard in Hamburg, Germany.

According to an update shared by the company, the project included the installation of a new propeller.

The new 14-ton unit was added to the ship over a two-day timeframe, which included a two-hour operation to put it in position.

After getting its new thruster, the 2002-built vessel was refloated for a series of tests while at dock near Hamburg’s HafenCity region.

According to Hurtigruten, work is now taking place onboard to get the Finnmarken ready to welcome guests back soon.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, Hurtigruten had to cancel a sailing onboard the ship to allow for the drydock.

Sailing to the Norwegian coast, the 14-night cruise was scheduled to depart from the port of Hamburg on July 25, 2025.

As part of the company’s “North Cape Line,” the itinerary featured visits to Stavanger, Bergen, Træna, Senja, Nordkapp, Tromsø, Reine, Lofoten and Haugesund.

Affected guests were offered the choice of rebooking their reservation on an alternative departure or receiving a full refund of the cruise fare.

Hurtigruten also stated that it would cover any additional costs incurred as a result of the cruise cancellation.

The Finnmarken is now set to resume its regular cruise schedule on August 8, sailing from Hamburg for another voyage to Norway.

The drydock follows a major modernization project that was undertaken onboard the 500-guest vessel earlier this year.

At the time, the ship spent a month in drydock at the Frederikshavn shipyard in Denmark before resuming service under its original name.

Before the refit, the hybrid-powered vessel had been sailing as the Otto Sverdrup, a name it gained during another refit in 2021.