AnnZ8

The cruise on the Aranui 5 was definitely a trip of a lifetime. I had been expecting things not to be smooth -- after all -- it is a brand new ship! However, if there were any glitches -- I never experienced any.

First of all -- passengers have to remember 2 things -- the first is that you are visiting a country where their first language is French -- and most try their best to speak English. The majority of the passengers are French -- so don't be alarmed when their customs and language are different.

The second thing is that this is a Freighter -- which means that freight is important and that there will be times that the on loading and off loading of freight supersedes the wants of the passengers. I never minded this at all -- as I loved watching the freight move from ship to shore and back again.

The food was great -- fresh and tasty. A lot of fish -- some that I had never heard of! A couple of times they served lamb (not a favourite of mine) -- so when they knew that -- out they came with another entree (usually a fish dish) and I was happy.

Each port has its own personality and each welcomed the Aranui and its passengers very warmly.

There have been several videos posted on You Tube about the trip that I was on -- we were lucky enough to have a fellow passenger that did all of the video. Take a look under Mimi Murray on You Tube and you will see several short videos of the Marquesas.

Bon Voyage ... you are going to absolutely have a marvellous time .... please let me know how much you enjoyed it!

Every Island had a different type of tour -- for some there were 4 wheel drive trucks (like Toyota Tundra's etc) The driver was a local islander and this was his/her truck -- some spoke english fairly well so we got a true glimpse of island life. They took us to various spots where we were met by the guides. We saw Tikis, local dances, waterfalls, botanical gardens ..... some island you went on foot into the small towns -- but the guides were always there. Aranui has a marvellous Facebook page and they give you pictures of each day so you get a flavour of what all is involved. I have travelled a far amount but for some reason this trip has really gotten to me.... there is so much to see that I missed -- I know that I will be going back. I noticed that you are from Sydney -- there were a large number of Australian passengers onboard ..... complete with their amazing witty sense of humour!

The cruise had 4 days that the ship stopped for swimming/snorkelling. You have to remember -- this really is a freighter first and foremost. There were other opportunities to snorkel when we stopped at the ports -- but nothing formal setup to snorkel.

You truly are not going to believe my answers........

I went through a travel agent -- and every transfer was included. However, if you fly into Papeete, Tahiti -- the airport is only a short taxi ride to the boat. A lot of people just stayed at a hotel downtown Papeete and went to the boat on Saturday morning. Either Air Tahiti Nui or Air France seems to be the way to this island.

Now -- here is the good part. No tipping is expected! (What????). However, there is a box on your way off the ship the last day that you can put something in. I did -- as the service and all the people were spectacular -- but there is no extra amount tacked onto your bill every day for gratuities. The only thing that appeared on my invoice was for a few drinks I had and some postcards etc. that I bought at the store that was on the boat.

The next 'good' part is that there are very few 'extras' that you need to pay for -- like a few scuba diving expeditions, fishing trips, and in Bora Bora there are some extras that you can do. However, all of the tours and meals are included. When you are on the boat you eat there -- if you are on an Island there is a local lunch served by the local people. I loved the food. There is not a selection like on Cruise Lines ... however, if you just like good healthy food -- you will like the fare that they offer.

Oh yes -- there are a lot of places that you are able to snorkel -- you need to supply your own snorkelling gear -- and no where to buy any ... so take your own. No cost to snorkel .... the boat stops at a few places ... and the snorkelling is out of this world!

Now -- ready for the best part? There are 3 days setup for laundry for whatever floor you are on. Everyone is supplied a bag made of netting and on your laundry date you just put your clothing into the bag and leave it outside your room. Everything but your underwear is laundered by them. For your underwear you have two choices -- you can wash them in the laundry located on the 2nd deck (soap and the code for the washer can be purchased from the store in the boat), or -- you can wash them in your room and there is a clothes line in your shower that you can hang them on.

If I would have known about the laundry -- it would have cut down on the amount of clothes I took.

There are no 'dress' evenings -- however, there is a Polynesian dinner served on the Pool Deck -- which is really a lot of fun! (rum punch is supplied .... free) some people dressed up Island Style.... but this is not a necessity.

There is a bottle of wine for every 4 people served at both lunch and dinner -- and, if you need a top up ... they will pour you an extra glass.

All of the local wares that are for sale on the islands only take cash -- either the Polynesian currency or American. No type of credit card is used on the islands..... yet, only credit cards are used on the boat.

I tried posting some pictures here ... but it just didn't seem to work! The Aranui Facebook page does have some great pictures -- and they have started to posted things from each day on the cruise.

There -- hope that I've answered a few things for you .... but, if you have anything else.... let me know.

After 13 days on the Aranui 5 -- It was hard to come back to 'real life' You really need to visit the "most remote inhabited islands of the world" to truly appreciate them. The meetings that were held each evening to prepare us for the day ahead were invaluable. Each island offered a different / unique experience.

I was impressed with the amenities aboard the ship -- my room was decadent - complete with a 55" TV. I did watch CNN in the morning -- and there was one channel the did offer english movies -- but I was never in my room much to take advantage of it!

The food was excellent. I don't eat lamb and when it was offered I was given fish (delicious!).

The tours of the islands and the lunches that were offered on them gave us a real feel for the local food and a chance to meet the people that lived there.

Every morning I spent on the bridge watching the sun rise and the boat dock (when we were coming into another island). Then the fun would start -- watching the unloading of the freight -- with the local people watching and waiting patiently for their wares ..... also waiting with their local produce to be purchased and then loaded onto the ship.

If anyone happens to have anything that the would like to know -- please put a message here and I would be more than happy to answer. You have to remember that this is not a typical cruise -- more of a taste of another way of life!

What ship were you on .... I'm thinking it was the Aranui 5! What was your experience?

I would like to hear about this trip. I am booked in March for a 2 week cruise and think that hearing about those that have now experienced some time on board would be interesting. What were the highs ..... and the lows (hopefully not too many of these!)

Ann

Calgary, AB

Thanks for the information -- I have just booked on the Aranui 5 -- March 19th sailing. Even though I'm a solo traveller -- I had to book a Premium Suite as that was all that they had left. This seems to be a very popular way to see this part of the world. I look forward to seeing your pictures when you are in Papeete.