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

South Pacific cruise specialist Paul Gauguin Cruises only operates one small ship, the 330-passenger Paul Gauguin, but it has a loyalty program worthy of a much bigger cruise brand.

The Paul Gauguin Society, as it's called, has multiple status tiers that come with such valuable perks as significant discounts on cruises, onboard spending credits and free onboard laundry service.

What's more, the Paul Gauguin Society loyalty program is one where you start getting access to some of the best perks right after your first cruise — something that isn't always the case with cruise line loyalty programs.

Plus, the Paul Gauguin Cruises program has one of the most fun tier-level naming structures in the cruise business. Seriously, who can turn down the opportunity to officially be titled an "admiral" or a "commodore" when cruising?

Ways to earn points

The Paul Gauguin Society points-earning system — if you can even call it that — is about as straightforward as can be. Every time you sail with the line, no matter how long the voyage, you will get credit for one sailing. Your status level in the program will depend entirely on your total number of sailings and nothing else. Unlike at some lines, your status level will not be influenced by how many total days you sail or the type of cabins you book.

That said, there is a not-so-obvious way to accumulate more credits for sailings than you might think possible, given that Paul Gauguin Cruises operates just one ship in one region of the world. Hidden in the fine print of the Paul Gauguin Society program rules is the pronouncement that you can get credit for any sailings you take with French cruise line Ponant. The two lines are related, as Ponant has owned Paul Gauguin Cruises since 2019.

Given that Ponant operates 13 ships around the world, the partnership provides a lot more potential sailings that will contribute to your Paul Gauguin Society status.

Program tiers and benefits

There are four tiers to the Paul Gauguin Society loyalty program:

• Major (two to four sailings)
• Admiral (five to seven sailings)
• Grand Admiral (eight to 20 sailings)
• Commodore (21 or more sailings)

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You are awarded status in each tier level as you complete the sailing just before reaching the sailing count needed for that tier. For instance, you become a Major in the program after completing one sailing and will be a Major during your second, third and fourth cruises with the line. You then become an Admiral after completing your fourth cruise and will be an Admiral for your fifth, sixth and seventh cruises.

Even at the lowest Major level, the perks of the Paul Gauguin Society are fairly robust. As soon as you take your first cruise with Paul Gauguin Cruises, you will qualify for a 5% discount on any future cruise you book while on board a sailing. That's a great perk, as it amounts to real money in your pocket.

Additionally, you will receive:

• A $50 per person shipboard credit
• Complimentary onboard laundry service
• Access to Ponant Yacht Club Loyalty Cruises

The next tier of the program, the Admiral tier, brings an even bigger discount of 7.5% when you book a future cruise. Also, the onboard credit that you will receive doubles to $100 per person.

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

Plus, as an Admiral, you'll get a 20% discount on onboard purchases (with some caveats mentioned below).

Note that the past passenger discounts cannot be combined with other promotions the line is running unless otherwise stated during those promotions. In other words, you can't double dip on savings.

Additionally, the past passenger discounts are only available to the first and second passengers in a cabin. If you are booking a cabin for three or four people, the past passenger discount and amenities will not apply to the third or fourth person in the cabin.

Other fine print on the perks at the Major and Admiral levels:

• You can receive a maximum of two shipboard credits per person per booking.
• The complimentary laundry service is limited to two items per day per person.
• Certain restrictions apply to the discount for onboard purchases; among purchases that are excluded from the discount are shore excursions, scuba diving outings, jewelry and art sold on board.

The elite level that makes a difference

We're fans of both of the first two tiers of the Paul Gauguin Cruises loyalty program due to the quality of their perks. But the Grand Admiral tier of the Paul Gauguin Society is where we think your loyalty to the line really starts paying off.

For starters, as a Grand Admiral, you get a 10% discount on your cruise fare — a significant amount. Given that the line's cruises often start at around $500 per person, per day, this can add up to hundreds of dollars of savings per cruise.

At the Grand Admiral level, your onboard credit will rise to $150 per person, which is more real money in your pocket. You can use it to cover the costs of, say, pampering yourself at Paul Gauguin's relaxing Algotherm Spa.

But perhaps the most enticing perk at the Admiral tier is that you qualify for a cabin category upgrade when you sail, should a cabin for such an upgrade be available. There's nothing like a free upgrade to make a cruiser feel good about their loyalty to a line.

Note that the cabin category upgrade is subject to availability, and you won't receive a cabin upgrade, should one be available, until you arrive at the ship.

Other perks at the Grand Admiral level include:

• A higher 25% discount on onboard purchases
• A complimentary bottle of Champagne
• An invitation to a special past guest cocktail party with the ship's captain
• A waiver on change fees if you need to switch your cruise date within 12 months of your original booking

Note that for the latter perk, the change must be made 90 days or more before your original sailing date.

Best elite perk

It's a tough call on the best elite perk of the Paul Gauguin Society loyalty program. Unlike some frequent cruiser programs, there isn't one clear standout perk, such as the free cruise that Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society members get after reaching the top Pinnacle Club level.

That said, at the top Commodore tier level of the Paul Gauguin Society program, passengers get an even bigger 12.5% cruise fare discount. It's hard to argue that isn't a big deal.

Also, upon reaching the Commodore tier, you'll get a more hefty onboard spending credit than at other tiers: $200 per person.

As at the Grand Admiral level, your discount on onboard purchases at the Commodore level will be 25%. You'll also get a complimentary cabin category upgrade when booking at the Commodore level and a complimentary bottle of Champagne.

At the Commodore level, as at the Grand Admiral level, you'll also be able to alter your cruise dates without fees when changing within 12 months of your original booking if the change is made 90 days or more before your original sailing date.

Enjoy the forever status

Note that, as is usually the case with cruise line loyalty programs, Paul Gauguin Cruises customers do not have to requalify for status each year. Status in the Paul Gauguin Society program is based on the number of sailings you have taken over your lifetime, and such "points" never expire. That means that someone who hits Commodore status will remain at that top-tier level forever (or until Paul Gauguin Cruises makes a change to the program).

Such "forever status" is one of the great allures of cruise line frequent cruiser programs. By contrast, many airline frequent flyer programs require loyalty members to requalify for status each year.

Bottom line

The Paul Gauguin Cruises loyalty program is more robust than you might expect for a cruise brand that only operates a single ship. You can get a lot of value from being a member, even after just one cruise. There are varying amounts of discounts on cruises and onboard credit available at all four levels of the program.

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