South Pacific cruise specialist Paul Gauguin Cruises solely operates one small ship, the 330-passenger Paul Gauguin, however it has a loyalty program worthy of a a lot greater cruise model.
The Paul Gauguin Society, because it’s known as, has a number of standing tiers that include such beneficial perks as vital reductions on cruises, onboard spending credit and free onboard laundry service.
What’s extra, the Paul Gauguin Society loyalty program is one the place you begin gaining access to a number of the finest perks proper after your first cruise — one thing that is not at all times the case with cruise line loyalty applications.
Plus, the Paul Gauguin Cruises program has probably the most enjoyable tier-level naming constructions within the cruise enterprise. Significantly, who can flip down the chance to formally be titled an “admiral” or a “commodore” when cruising?
Methods to earn factors
The Paul Gauguin Society points-earning system — in the event you may even name it that — is about as easy as could be. Each time you sail with the road, irrespective of how lengthy the voyage, you’ll get credit score for one crusing. Your standing degree in this system will rely fully in your complete variety of sailings and nothing else. In contrast to at some traces, your standing degree is not going to be influenced by what number of complete days you sail or the kind of cabins you e book.
That mentioned, there’s a not-so-obvious method to accumulate extra credit for sailings than you may suppose attainable, on condition that Paul Gauguin Cruises operates only one ship in a single area of the world. Hidden within the superb print of the Paul Gauguin Society program guidelines is the pronouncement you can get credit score for any sailings you’re taking with French cruise line Ponant. The 2 traces are associated, as Ponant has owned Paul Gauguin Cruises since 2019.
On condition that Ponant operates 13 ships around the globe, the partnership supplies much more potential sailings that may contribute to your Paul Gauguin Society standing.
Program tiers and advantages
There are 4 tiers to the Paul Gauguin Society loyalty program:
- Main (two to 4 sailings)
- Admiral (5 to seven sailings)
- Grand Admiral (eight to twenty sailings)
- Commodore (21 or extra sailings)
Each day E-newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day e-newsletter
Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists
You’re awarded standing in every tier degree as you full the crusing simply earlier than reaching the crusing depend wanted for that tier. For example, you develop into a Main in this system after finishing one crusing and might be a Main throughout your second, third and fourth cruises with the road. You then develop into an Admiral after finishing your fourth cruise and might be an Admiral in your fifth, sixth and seventh cruises.
Even on the lowest Main degree, the perks of the Paul Gauguin Society are pretty strong. As quickly as you’re taking your first cruise with Paul Gauguin Cruises, you’ll qualify for a 5% low cost on any future cruise you e book whereas on board a crusing. That is a fantastic perk, because it quantities to actual cash in your pocket.
Moreover, you’ll obtain:
- A $50 per individual shipboard credit score
- Complimentary onboard laundry service
- Entry to Ponant Yacht Membership Loyalty Cruises
The following tier of this system, the Admiral tier, brings a good greater low cost of seven.5% while you e book a future cruise. Additionally, the onboard credit score that you’ll obtain doubles to $100 per individual.
Associated: Why your subsequent dream trip must be this luxurious island cruise
Plus, as an Admiral, you may get a 20% low cost on onboard purchases (with some caveats talked about under).
Notice that the previous passenger reductions can’t be mixed with different promotions the road is working except in any other case said throughout these promotions. In different phrases, you may’t double dip on financial savings.
Moreover, the previous passenger reductions are solely accessible to the primary and second passengers in a cabin. In case you are reserving a cabin for 3 or 4 folks, the previous passenger low cost and facilities is not going to apply to the third or fourth individual within the cabin.
Different superb print on the perks on the Main and Admiral ranges:
- You may obtain a most of two shipboard credit per individual per reserving.
- The complimentary laundry service is restricted to 2 gadgets per day per individual.
- Sure restrictions apply to the low cost for onboard purchases; amongst purchases which can be excluded from the low cost are shore excursions, scuba diving outings, jewellery and artwork bought on board.
The elite degree that makes a distinction
We’re followers of each of the primary two tiers of the Paul Gauguin Cruises loyalty program because of the high quality of their perks. However the Grand Admiral tier of the Paul Gauguin Society is the place we predict your loyalty to the road actually begins paying off.
For starters, as a Grand Admiral, you get a ten% low cost in your cruise fare — a big quantity. On condition that the road’s cruises usually begin at round $500 per individual, per day, this may add as much as a whole lot of {dollars} of financial savings per cruise.
On the Grand Admiral degree, your onboard credit score will rise to $150 per individual, which is extra actual cash in your pocket. You should use it to cowl the prices of, say, pampering your self at Paul Gauguin’s stress-free Algotherm Spa.
However maybe essentially the most attractive perk on the Admiral tier is that you simply qualify for a cabin class improve while you sail, ought to a cabin for such an improve be accessible. There’s nothing like a free improve to make a cruiser be ok with their loyalty to a line.
Notice that the cabin class improve is topic to availability, and you will not obtain a cabin improve, ought to one be accessible, till you arrive on the ship.
Different perks on the Grand Admiral degree embody:
- A better 25% low cost on onboard purchases
- A complimentary bottle of Champagne
- An invite to a particular previous visitor cocktail occasion with the ship’s captain
- A waiver on change charges if you must change your cruise date inside 12 months of your authentic reserving
Notice that for the latter perk, the change have to be made 90 days or extra earlier than your authentic crusing date.
Finest elite perk
It is a powerful name on the perfect elite perk of the Paul Gauguin Society loyalty program. In contrast to some frequent cruiser applications, there is not one clear standout perk, such because the free cruise that Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society members get after reaching the highest Pinnacle Membership degree.
That mentioned, on the prime Commodore tier degree of the Paul Gauguin Society program, passengers get a good greater 12.5% cruise fare low cost. It is laborious to argue that is not an enormous deal.
Additionally, upon reaching the Commodore tier, you may get a extra hefty onboard spending credit score than at different tiers: $200 per individual.
As on the Grand Admiral degree, your low cost on onboard purchases on the Commodore degree might be 25%. You will additionally get a complimentary cabin class improve when reserving on the Commodore degree and a complimentary bottle of Champagne.
On the Commodore degree, as on the Grand Admiral degree, you may additionally be capable of alter your cruise dates with out charges when altering inside 12 months of your authentic reserving if the change is made 90 days or extra earlier than your authentic crusing date.
Benefit from the perpetually standing
Notice that, as is normally the case with cruise line loyalty applications, Paul Gauguin Cruises clients don’t have to requalify for standing every year. Standing within the Paul Gauguin Society program relies on the variety of sailings you’ve taken over your lifetime, and such “factors” by no means expire. That signifies that somebody who hits Commodore standing will stay at that top-tier degree perpetually (or till Paul Gauguin Cruises makes a change to this system).
Such “perpetually standing” is likely one of the nice allures of cruise line frequent cruiser applications. In contrast, many airline frequent flyer applications require loyalty members to requalify for standing every year.
Backside line
The Paul Gauguin Cruises loyalty program is extra strong than you may count on for a cruise model that solely operates a single ship. You will get plenty of worth from being a member, even after only one cruise. There are various quantities of reductions on cruises and onboard credit score accessible in any respect 4 ranges of this system.
Planning a cruise? Begin with these tales:
