Aranui 5, the passenger-cargo ship fondly known as the “Freighter to Paradise”, has long been associated with transporting passengers to the remote and enchanting Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia in the South Pacific.
In 2021, however, she is expanding her reach and supplementing her regular schedule of 13-night cruises to the Marquesas Islands with the addition of two new itineraries, as well as continuing her annual call at Pitcairn.
One new option sails west from Tahiti to reach the Cook Islands and south to the unspoilt beauty of the Austral islands, while a second option takes a more detailed exploration of the Society Island archipelago and the Tuamotu islands to the east of Tahiti, including time on the usually hard to reach island of Makatea.
Soak up the paradise islands from the comfort of your Aranui 5 junior suite
Cook Islands, Tuamotu island, Austral Islands – 4-16 September
Due to their relatively close proximity, the Southern group of the Cook Islands and the Austral Islands have a long-shared past of culture, language and trading ties with settlement on Rarotonga in the Southern Cook Islands by the people of Tubuai, in the Austral Islands dating back around 1,200 years.
On this 13-day cruise Aranui 5 will pay visits to Rarotonga, the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands where many important archaeological sites can be found, such as the sacred marae of Arai Te Tonga, and the Ara Metua, a 1,000-year-old interior island road, paved with basalt or coral slabs that once encircled the island. There is time to snorkel in the crystal-clear lagoon waters on Aitutaki, and spot humpback whales.
Society and Tuamotu islands – 8-19 May
Combining the high peaks of Moorea and Bora Bora with low lying Rangiroa and Fakarava, this new 12-day itinerary visits some of the best-known islands and atolls in French Polynesia. In the western Tuamotu Islands, a highlight will be a call at Makatea, where fewer than 100 inhabitants now live, with spectacular cliffs rising 260ft above sea level.
Whilst on Raiatea, in the Society Islands archipelago, visitors will see the cradle of Polynesian civilisation as it was from here that all the seafaring people who travelled to New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island departed. The 1,000-year-old marae temple complex of Taputapuatea is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and regarded as the religious and spiritual centre of all Eastern Polynesia.
In search of Eastern Polynesia – Pitcairn with the Tuamotu Islands & Gambier – 9-21 January
The third departure from her regular schedule will see Aranui 5 make her annual 13-day cruise to the far-flung British outpost of Pitcairn, calling in at the Tuamotu islands, to the east to Tahiti, and the Gambier Archipelago.
A highlight of Pitcairn island will see visitors immersing themselves in the living history and culture of the island, meeting some of the 50 remaining islanders, descendants of the first Europeans, the HMS Bounty mutineers, who, with their accompanying band of Polynesians settled there in January 1790.
The Marquesas Islands Cruise – 13 days
Aranui 5 will make 18 scheduled cruises to the unique culture and landscape of the Marquesas in 2021, including one dedicated to the Marquesas Art Festival on Fatu Hiva, which travels over Christmas (16-28 December 2021).
Aranui 5 dancers perform in the rarely visited Marquesas island of Ua Pou
On each voyage, Aranui 5 visits all six inhabited islands in the Marquesas – Nuku Hiva, Ua Huka, Ua Pou, Hiva Oa, Fatu Hiva and Tahuata with inclusive excursions in every port.
Few visitors ever make it to these islands and Aranui 5’s arrival is a celebrated occasion in the islands’ small ports and remote communities, meaning travellers can expect the warmest of welcomes.
Aranui 5 accommodates 230 guests in 103 comfortable suites, staterooms and dormitory-style rooms, some with balconies.
An onboard programme of insightful talks about life in the Marquesas takes place in the two spacious lounges, and there are also four bars – including the panoramic Skybar for relaxation.
Meals are served in the dining room, where after the three-course dinners, the Aranui band performs. There is also an outdoor swimming pool, fitness room and boutique.
In 2021 a 13-day voyage on board Aranui 5 costs from €4,581pp and includes accommodation in a standard cabin, based on two sharing, all meals with wine and scheduled excursions.