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Tahiti - Aranui 3


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Diane.in.NY or?? I would love to travel aboard the ARANUI. QUESTION: Has anyone 'Posted' elsewhere who has recently 'Cruise-shipped' the So.Pacific lately AND also sailed on the latest ARANUI?? I'm so-ooo curious what the differences would be. I truly enjoyed 30/days aboard the ROTTERDAM...putting ashore everywhere from Fanning Island, Tahiti to Rangiroa and Nuku Hiva. Our days ashore were fabulous...and the open ocean sailing was divine. Someone who's sailed in both manners would be a wonderful 'Guide'. Your thoughts? Locomotiveman TOM

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This has been an amazing read. I never heard of cruises like this and after reading your posts and reading your blog.

 

It's on my bucket list. This would be an amazing adventure.

 

The one thing I never noticed, on your site or theirs, was a rough idea of cost.

 

Not sure it matters. I need to do this. :)

 

Thank you.

 

So glad you enjoyed reading this. Comments like yours is what keeps me writing. :)

 

As for the cost ... not easy to find. The standard cabins run about $4500 pp. A couple of times a year they have a senior special and discount it by 10%, which is what we got. Our cabin was on the Main deck and I think it is the best location.

 

There is some add'l cost for extra adventures like the deep sea fishing and horse back riding.

 

I would not recommend the horse back riding. The riders simply rode along the road we drove along. No back country riding.

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Diane.in.ny, Hi. So...do you think it is reasonable to Budget $7000/pp to account for everything including day trips, Airfare from California and return etc. etc. for a trip such as you had on the Aranui3 ?? Or is that not realistic?? Thanks for your GREAT info thus far. Locomotiveman TOM

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As with everything financial, it all depends.

 

Such as what your airfare is, what hotels you stay at either pre or post (some pax stayed at overwater bungalos on Moorea - very expensive), what souveniers you buy, etc.

 

Knowing what we paid for air, hotel, rental car, etc, yes, you could easily do it for $7,000 pp.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Diane, thanks for pricing. Have asked before, see why no answer, too pricey for a basic experience. 21 nights? One can do 28/30N on Princess or HAL from CA rt, no air necessary for under 3K.

 

True, but as you said, that is for a basic experience. I wanted to experience something different and that was why I was willing to pay the extra $.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi!

We will be on the August 30 cruise and are trying to figure out the amount of spending money we will need if we pick up some souvenirs, etc. Is it correct that there are no ATM in the islands and credit cards not accepted?

Are US dollars accepted or do we need to have French Polynesian currency for everything.

 

Really excited about the trip. Not really "cruise" people since the only other one was on the Nile River in Egypt! Grew up with lots of ferry boats!

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I used local currency. Just a thing of mine to use the currency of the country I am in.

 

I just went back through my bank records and see that I withdrew money at the airport, in Papeete and on Hiva Oa and Ua Pou.

 

In Papeete, everything is very expensive. We had b'fast in a restaurant on arrival and I paid cash, which was a mistake. Ate up a good portion of what I had already withdrawn. Should have put it on a credit card.

 

Adding up what I withdrew at the four ATMs, it comes to about $450 US. None of the open air markets take a credit card. All the shops do.

 

Don't forget that if you have too many francs at the end, you can use them as part of your ship tip money.

 

Hope this helps

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Another discussion on the Aranui 3 can be found here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2020454

 

I loved this cruise, but don't expect it to be a pampering Oceania ship. It's a working freighter after all.

 

The OP posted a link to a blog written by someone who had been on the Aranui 3. I was amazed that this lady described a 20 minute walk as strenuous! She also did not bring water sandals. Go before arthritis hits you. ;-)

 

We went in July with the older and rustic Aranui 2 many years ago and again with the Aranui 3 in August. Calm seas, no rain, not muggy.

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The blog you reference is mine.

 

It was not a 20 minute walk. It was twenty minutes uphill on a muddy trail, with heat and humidity ... tough on a 67 year old who is not used to it.

 

And I did have water sandals ... what we didn't have were water shoes. Two very different things when trying to navigate underwater rocks.

 

So please try and be kind to us seniors who are still trying to explore the world before the arthritis sets in :)

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

June 2014 not much has changed.

But the food was really bad and the crew was unfriendly and rude. The words flexibility and hospitality are unknown.

The itinerary was changed in disfavour of the guests and the ship seemed to be unsafe. Only 1 drill for the crew and too many locals sleeping at the aftdeck and a cargo-room. Better take a ship where you are welcome. Not only your money.

Freighet to Paradise, as they call it? Forget it!

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We were glad to leave this ship in June 2014 after a vacation with wrong information, bad food, stinking and badly tasting drinking water, one of the most interesting itenararies skipped for financial reasons and an unfriendly rude crew.

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Maybe the ship was unsafe, because many locals also joined the ship and they had to sleep at the aft deck (open) and a storage place. Would we fit in the (never tested) lifeboats?

Bread at breakfast was horrible, even after toasting. Juice was never fresh. Meat and fish most of the time much overcooked. Most wines not good enough to make a salad with.

The ship was never in time.

The words hospitality and service are unknown.

The ship was rather clean when the travel started, but not after 13 days!

Being at the aft deck, several times our clothes got black spots, caused by the funnel.

Should I really continue?

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Wow, things must have changed since I was on the ship. We had good food and French baguettes, pretty and friendly waitresses. We also had good French country wine and French bottled water.

 

There is one thing though that I noticed. If someone is critical of Marquesians, they do not respond well. These are proud islanders on a working freighter, not the super friendly Philippinos who smile all the time and are used to the demanding passengers on cruise ships.

 

Which itinerary was skipped? They usually skip ports that did not order merchandise.

 

Diane, I am senior citizen myself. I know I have to do all the travel I can before my knees give out - like my neighbors'.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A Disaster Cruise with the Aranui 3.

 

Our Dutch travel agency All Over Tours recommended this ship. But why?

Food was bad most of the time. Bread at breakfast was unedible, even when toasted. Even the water stinks and tasted like that. Rice cooked in this water? brrrrrr.................

 

Most people from the big group French passengers don't understand English. The result is two groups of passengers who live apart and don't like eachother to say the least....

All explanations in three languages which results in much waiting.

 

A very unfriendly crew, not flexible at all and to many of them are rude. They don't know the word "service" and are not interested if the passengers like their vacation.

Lectures in hard to understand English , German and French.

The English speaking guide often forgets important issues. The following day you hear them (too late) from German or French passengers..

 

The itinerary was systematically changed. One of the two ideal snorkel opportunities was skipped, because it toook a little more fuel to keep this Island in the schedule. It's all about the money!

The ship almost never was in time. For that reason no opportunity two have a private snorkel tour at the second snorkel Island. Disgusting!

 

The ship stinks (engine). At the aft deck your clothes get black spots from the funnel (soot). Nowhere inside the ship fresh air. It stinks everywhere.

 

Many locals on board, sleeping at the aftdeck and in rooms that should be used for cargo. Would we all fit in the (never tested) lifeboats?

 

Apart from the beautiful destinations a vacation to forget as soon as possible.

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Joe,

Sorry you had such a miserable time. Obviously, you did not realize that you were on a freighter not a cruise ship. Your travel agent did not do a good job with information. We had such a marvelous time on the old Aranui2 that we booked again on the Aranui3. In 2015, it will be replaced by the Aranui5. We met great fellow passengers on both ships, the type who likes to travel.

 

Your complaining reminds me of one of our 8 co-participants on our recent China trip. He found fault with everything, especially Chinese food, many sites, the temperature, you name it. His constant whining was too much. I wished he had booked one of the many 2 week China trips geared towards Western tourists instead of our 4 week in-depth tour.

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