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MS Paul Gauguin is a cruise ship that was completed in 1997. It primarily operates in the South Pacific. Paul Gauguin Cruises is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.
 Paul Gauguin at Bora Bora
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 The Bahamas | |
| Name | Le Paul Gauguin |
| Owner | Paul Gauguin Shipping Limited |
| Operator | Ponant Cruises |
| Port of registry |  France |
| Builder | Chantiers de l'Atlantique |
| Launched | 25 April 1997 |
| Completed | 1997 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 19,200 GT |
| Length | 504 ft (154 m) |
| Beam | 71 ft (22 m) |
| Draft | 16.9 ft (5.2 m) |
| Decks | 7 passenger decks |
| Speed | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Capacity | 332 |
| Crew | 215 |
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ship did not sail for some time but resumed operations on 18 July 2020 for local residents and on 29 July for international guests, with reduced occupancy.[1]
A news report on 3 August 2020 stated that COVID-19 virus had been detected on the ship while it was in Papeete, Tahiti; passengers were required to stay in their cabins. As of that date, the ship was operated by the Ponant Company under the branding Paul Gauguin Cruises,[2] The capacity was stated to be 318 guests plus a crew of 216. The ship had been modified to use a "cleaner" fuel — low-sulphur marine gas oil (LS-MGO) — and the company planned "to offset 150 percent of its carbon emissions". The company's web site discussed renovations that had been completed.[3]
Description edit
Paul Gauguin is 504 feet (154 m) long with a beam of 72 feet (22 m) and a draft of 17.1 feet (5.2 m). The cruise ship has a gross tonnage (GT) 19,200 and is powered by a diesel-electric system giving the vessel a maximum speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). The ship has seven passenger decks and capacity for 318 guests. Paul Gauguin has a crew of 216. In 2019, it was announced that the vessel would be renovated to use low-sulphur marine gas oil instead of heavy marine fuel.[3]
Career edit
The vessel was constructed by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France. The cruise ship was launched on 25 April 1997 and completed and delivered on 1 December 1997 to Services et Transports Tahiti of Mata-Utu, French Polynesia.[4] The ship was christened at Port Everglades, Florida on 18 December and sailed for the Pacific the following day.[5]
Originally registered in France, the ship's registry was changed to [[[the Bahamas]] until July 2020, when new owner Ponant re-registered the ship in Wallis & Futuna thus returning the ship to sail under the flag of France.[6]
edit
On 1 August 2020, Polynésie la 1ère reported that a case of SARS-CoV-2 had been found aboard Paul Gauguin.[7] The passengers were told about the case that same day, and the ship immediately turned around, skipping its next port of call in Rangiroa, and headed back toward Papeete.[7][8] All the passengers were requested to stay in their cabins while food was brought to them.[8]
The ship had left Tahiti on 30 July, and had made a stopover in Bora Bora before Compagnie du Ponant was aware of the presence of an asymptomatic case of the virus in a 22-year-old female passenger.[a][11][2] During the stopover, both the passengers and the crew had been able to disembark and interact with the locals of Bora Bora for two days.[8]
Once Paul Gauguin arrived back in Papeete on the morning of 2 August, all 148 passengers and 192 crew members were placed in confinement.[11][9]
Notes edit
- ^ The Guardian reported that the case was found in a crew member, but many other sources reported that it was found in a female passenger.[2][8][9][10] Seatrade Cruise News reported that the passenger was tested aboard the ship, following the rule that tourists must be tested within four days after arrival in French Polynesia.[9]
References edit
- ^ "COVID-19 case on Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia". Sea Trade. 2 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ^ a b c "Two cruise ships hit by coronavirus weeks after industry restarts". The Guardian. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ^ a b "m/s Paul Gauguin Renovations". Paul Gauguin Cruises. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ "Paul Gauguin (9111319)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ "M/S Paul Gauguin". faktaomfartyg.se. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ "Le Paul Gauguin passe sous pavillon français". Tahiti Infos (in French). 15 July 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Un cas positif de Covid a été détecté sur le paquebot de croisière le Paul Gauguin". Polynésie la 1ère (in French). 1 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d "300 people confined on cruise ship in Polynesia after Covid-19 case confirmed". rfi.fr. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ a b c "Paul Gauguin cruise cut short by COVID-19 case, wider test results awaited". Seatrade Cruise News. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ "Coronavirus en Polynésie : 340 personnes confinées à bord d'un bateau de croisière après la détection d'un cas positif". 20minutes.fr (in French). 3 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Polynésie française : un cas de coronavirus détecté sur un bateau de croisière, 340 personnes confinées à bord". Sud Ouest (in French). 3 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
Bibliography edit
- Plowman, Peter (2007). Australian Cruise Ships. Dural, NSW: Rosenberg Publishing. ISBN 9781877058509.
- Saunders, Aaron (2013). Giants of the Seas: The Ships that Transformed Modern Cruising. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781848321724.
- Smith, Peter C. (2014). Cruise Ships - The Small Scale Fleet: A Visual Showcase. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN 9781781592816.
External links edit
