The name of the book is Manuiota'a and was written by Robert C. Suggs and Burgl Lichtenstein. The book was published in 2001 and documents a 1999 cruise on the Aranui 2. Manuiota'a is a fabulous book and provides both a well written account of the Aranui experience along with asides on the the natural and cultural history of the Marquesas and Tuamotus. My wife and I sailed on the Aranui 2 in 1998 and the account in the book closely follows our experience. That is to say, the trip was truly magical in its quality. We have never had such an experience aboard any cruise ship. The islands and the experience was just awesome. While it is possible to get to these islands by air and stay in private pensions or a couple of very small (20 room) 5 star hotels, this couldn't possible replace the experience of traveling by freighter to all of these islands (there is no practical way to do this other than the Aranui), watching freight operations (ever seen a horse lifed a hundred feet in the air and swung on board deck or watched a brand new 4wd truck set on a couple of whale boats in heavy seas and brought in to shore on the surf?). Keep in mind that all the excursions are included in the fare (feasting on native foods in local restuarants, 4wd trips over mountain ranges, tours of archaeological sites, native dancers, museums, expert lecturers, etc.). Imagine landing at the dock on one of these remote islands and having all the native people come out to greet you (not just to stare but really welcome you)!
The Aranui experience is not like a regular cruise ship because the Aranuis is a freighter. If you were expecting something like a Princess cruise, you will be disappointed. There are no captain's nites or casinos or Las Vegas style entertainment venues. Instead, you will find adventure that is reminiscent of an earlier time where journeys were made on a tramp steamer in the South Pacific (albeit one that has been upgraded to include AC!). As for competition between the various nationalites, there is some (particularly between the French and the Americans). Yet again, we made some friends on the Aranui 2 that we still get together with today. We've gone back to French Polynesia with some and a big group of us went to the Caribbean together. There are real bonds that form between the passengers.
South Pacific Aranui 3-new reviews?
in Freighter and Other Non-Traditional Cruise Travel
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The name of the book is Manuiota'a and was written by Robert C. Suggs and Burgl Lichtenstein. The book was published in 2001 and documents a 1999 cruise on the Aranui 2. Manuiota'a is a fabulous book and provides both a well written account of the Aranui experience along with asides on the the natural and cultural history of the Marquesas and Tuamotus. My wife and I sailed on the Aranui 2 in 1998 and the account in the book closely follows our experience. That is to say, the trip was truly magical in its quality. We have never had such an experience aboard any cruise ship. The islands and the experience was just awesome. While it is possible to get to these islands by air and stay in private pensions or a couple of very small (20 room) 5 star hotels, this couldn't possible replace the experience of traveling by freighter to all of these islands (there is no practical way to do this other than the Aranui), watching freight operations (ever seen a horse lifed a hundred feet in the air and swung on board deck or watched a brand new 4wd truck set on a couple of whale boats in heavy seas and brought in to shore on the surf?). Keep in mind that all the excursions are included in the fare (feasting on native foods in local restuarants, 4wd trips over mountain ranges, tours of archaeological sites, native dancers, museums, expert lecturers, etc.). Imagine landing at the dock on one of these remote islands and having all the native people come out to greet you (not just to stare but really welcome you)!
The Aranui experience is not like a regular cruise ship because the Aranuis is a freighter. If you were expecting something like a Princess cruise, you will be disappointed. There are no captain's nites or casinos or Las Vegas style entertainment venues. Instead, you will find adventure that is reminiscent of an earlier time where journeys were made on a tramp steamer in the South Pacific (albeit one that has been upgraded to include AC!). As for competition between the various nationalites, there is some (particularly between the French and the Americans). Yet again, we made some friends on the Aranui 2 that we still get together with today. We've gone back to French Polynesia with some and a big group of us went to the Caribbean together. There are real bonds that form between the passengers.