Late November is a beautiful time to be in French Polynesia, and this year brings extra texture to the calendar. The line has named a trio of special guests for a 10-night Arts and Culture itinerary, aligning science, music, and living heritage with a route that lingers in the right places. If you love stories behind scenery, this one is built for you.
Paul Gauguin Departing 26 November 2025 from Tahiti, the 10-night “More Tuamotus and Society Islands” voyage adds special guests, an overnight in UNESCO-listed Fakarava, two days in Bora Bora, and calls at Raiatea and Rangiroa. A holiday menu and festive touches feature onboard. Travellers who book by 26 September receive a $1,000 shipboard credit (approx. A$1,550), with flexible programming across talks, culture, and live recitals.
What Makes This Thanksgiving Sailing Different
This is not a light dusting of lectures or a themed dinner tucked into a standard loop. The programming has been curated so that what you learn ashore is developed onboard, and what you hear onboard shapes how you see each island. It turns a classic route into a conversation that runs all week.
Deeper Learning With Dr Jacqueline Windh
Dr Jacqueline Windh blends scientist, author, and photographer, which is an ideal trio for a region where geology, reef life, and traditional navigation still frame daily experience. Expect accessible sessions that connect lagoon colour, reef structure, and atoll formation to what you will snorkel past that afternoon. Her knowledge of celestial navigation and wayfinding makes the night sky feel like a living map rather than a backdrop.
Music That Sets the Pace
After warm days ashore, music resets the mood. Violinist Kai Gleusteen and pianist Catherine Ordronneau have played more than a hundred recitals together, and they know how to build programmes that reward attention without demanding formality. In a small lounge, a sonata becomes a shared moment, a gentle anchor between dinner and a moonlit stroll on deck.
Living Culture With Tahiarii Pariente
Polynesian Cultural Adviser Tahiarii Pariente brings lived context, from guiding and artefact restoration to everyday etiquette. He bridges performance and presence, the difference between watching a dance and understanding why certain gestures carry meaning. Expect hands-on sessions that make marae visits more legible and conversations in villages more respectful and warm.
The Itinerary, Unpacked
The map earns its title by slowing down where it matters. Two nights in Fakarava mean you do not have to choose between water time and unhurried wandering. Two days in Bora Bora split priorities cleanly. Raiatea and Rangiroa add sacred stories and tactile craft, so the week feels balanced.
Fakarava Overnight, UNESCO in Real Time
UNESCO status is not a label to admire from the rail. With an overnight, you can see how tides, channels, and coral work together, and why the lagoon’s clarity is world-class. If you snorkel, pick one guided session and one unstructured swim to notice patterns. If you prefer to stay dry, the atoll sky and shoreline still deliver a study in colour, shape, and stillness that repays attention.
Two Days in Bora Bora
Bora Bora can feel rushed on single-day calls, so two days change the story. One can be about the water, a quiet snorkel, a gentle lagoon cruise, or a paddleboard drift. The other can be about land, a village wander, a scenic viewpoint, and a café when the heat eases. Because time is on your side, meals stay unhurried and evenings feel like a reward rather than a scramble.
Raiatea’s Sacred Heart and Rangiroa’s Craft
Raiatea is often described as the spiritual centre of the region for good reason. Ancient temples and alignments map belief onto the landscape in ways that even first-timers can read with a little guidance. Rangiroa flips the lens to skill, from a black pearl farm to the country’s only winery, where craft, patience, and environment intersect in a very Polynesian way.
A Holiday Week That Feels Like Home
Thanksgiving at sea gathers meaning around the people and rituals you carry with you. Decorations concentrate around the reception, the holiday menu appears when it should, and the day’s shape is set by conversations you have been having all week. It is festive without feeling staged.
Festive Dining With a Polynesian Accent
Whole roasted turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie will headline the day, yet tropical ingredients still sing across the week. You might lean bright and light at lunch, then come back to tradition at dinner. Service teams manage the flow so you can stay present, and the holiday becomes less about oven timers and more about who is at your table.
Small-Ship Spaces and Stateroom Flow
On a ship of this scale, your stateroom functions as a true base rather than a corridor. Mornings can start with quiet balcony light, afternoons allow a reset before a recital or a talk, and storage suits island pacing where swimsuits dry quickly and light layers rotate. The scale keeps movement simple, which matters on days when a snorkel, a lecture, and a concert all fit neatly.
Sea Days With Purpose
Sea days are not filler here. Talks, recitals, and cultural sessions add structure without crowding the diary. If you prefer a softer rhythm, you can choose one anchor event, then leave space for a shaded deck chair and a notebook. Over ten nights, that balance keeps curiosity high and energy steady.
Booking Window, Value, and Prep
There is real value in the fine print, and a few simple choices will help you capture it. Think in terms of what you want the week to feel like, then assign credit, time, and energy to support that feeling.
Shipboard Credit and How to Use It
Book by 26 September to receive a $1,000 shipboard credit (approx. A$1,550) per booking. Assign it early, perhaps to a guided snorkel in Bora Bora, a deeper cultural tour on Raiatea, or a spa hour timed between talks. Planning the spend prevents decision fatigue and keeps treats aligned with your priorities instead of impulse.
Who This Voyage Suits
If you enjoy learning as part of leisure, you will thrive. Couples can split water time and evening music, families with older teens can trade snorkel stories for lecture notes, and solo travellers will find that shared sessions create easy points of connection. Returning visitors get to see familiar islands through a new lens, helped by voices that keep context grounded and practical.
Flights, Overnights, and Packing
Aim to arrive in Tahiti a day early so the long flight does not steal your first evening onboard. Pack a simple island system, reef-safe sunscreen, breathable layers, a light dry bag for tenders, and water shoes if you like to explore shallows. Keep a notes app handy during talks and tours, because the details you capture will shape how you remember the week later.
Before you lock dates, it helps to compare this Arts and Culture sailing with similar French Polynesian routes, especially if you are coordinating across time zones. Our Cruise Finder lays out ships, dates, and port orders side by side, making it easier to choose based on pacing rather than guesswork. You can start here and refine quickly as preferences become clear.
Whether you are joining from Australia, North America, or Europe, the tool keeps plans tidy. Save a shortlist, share it with family or friends, and note the sessions that matter most, perhaps Dr Windh’s wayfinding talk or the duo’s evening recital. With that context, we can shape a week that feels like you from first lei to final sail-away.
Plan Your Arts and Culture Week With S.W. Black Travel
If the idea of a thoughtful, holiday-week sail through lagoons and living history speaks to you, we can turn it into a relaxed plan. Our advisers will align flights and pre-cruise nights, secure the cabins that match your routine, and map onboard sessions to shore time so the days flow. When you are ready, message our cruise specialist, and we will secure the sailing while your preferred categories and dining times are available.
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