South Pacific Aranui 3-new reviews?

[1quilter]

anyone going on the Aranui departing Papeete 27 Aug 2011?

[Jiminkcmo]

1quilter:

 

I hope you find others who will also be traveling with you on your Aranui cruise.

 

It doesn't seem like many adventurous people post on here.

 

I guess most cruisers want the fru-fru stuff of the mass-market cruise experience and to be pampered instead of learning about places and people.

 

Had enough of that stuff in the past and wish I could find more of the Aranui-type of cruise.

 

Less than 3 weeks and I'll be on board.:)

 

Jim

[captainmcd]

Hi from the Marquesas. We are about to sail from Ua Poa, the port of Hakahau. The 3 day sail up from Tahiti was rougher than I expected, the trade winds had intensified to 20 to 30 knots, and the 4 to 6 foot seas slowed the ship down, so we arrived about five hours late. It is more a freighter than a cruise liner, and I was happy to feel the sea under my feet, but some were not to happy about that. All is now forgiven, since we arrived. I am writing a diary and will post it on the internet later, but our internet does not work very well, either aboard or ashore. If you want great modern communication, this is not the cruise for you, but it is indeed a unique experience, and it is well organized. More later.

[Jiminkcmo]

Good to hear from you, John.

 

It sounds like the cruise is an adventure, which is why I booked it.

 

If people want to be pampered on a smooth as glass liner, they're on the wrong ship.

 

Where are you going to post your diary? On your web site?

 

For me, I'll be on the way to PPT 2 weeks from today.

 

Getting anxious to start traveling.

 

Jim

[LocoLoco1]

CAPTAINMCD

John, Allrightie then!! What's ARANUI like topside in 6foot swells and 25kt winds?? Wet?? A 'Quartering Sea' or were you 'Nose Into The Wind'?? Enjoy. Landlubber Locomotiveman

[captainmcd]

Although we are about as far as you can get from the rest of the world, my cell phone beeped last night after dinner, a cell phone I had taken for emergencies only. It was a text message from my brother-in-law in Buenos Aires saying that my mother-in-law had passed away. She was doing well last Saturday when we called her before sailing from Papeete. It was a shock for my poor wife, Ines. We were at sea between the islands, but CPTM was helpful, and found her a seat on a tri-weekly flight today on a twin otter that goes to Papeete. They are working on connections from there to LAX and Buenos Aires. Their help has been above and beyond the call of duty, and speaks well of them. Someone will meet Ines at Papeete and help her with connections.

 

The trip, as all have reported previously, has been spectacular. Aside from a rougher than normal passage up from Tahiti things have been wonderful. I have the greatest respect for the captain and crew for their seamanship, taking the ship into tiny ports that I would never dream of taking a ship of this size. I would not be worthy of packing their drinking water. They have no shoreside help from tugs, pilots, linehandlers, stevedores, agents, etc. and they do it all professionally. The excursions ashore were well plalnned, and I was skeptical about how an island with a population of 2000 could handle jeep tours and lunches for 170 passengers. It has all been done well. Fellow passengers are mostly French and Tahitian this trip, but about 30 percent english speaking Aussies, and even a dozen or so Americans. All of them I have spoken with are friendly and interesting. I will continue writing a log of the trip, and attach photos as appropriate, and when I get a good internet connection I will post it on my website (captainmcd.com) and post a link to my page here.

[Jiminkcmo]

John:

 

So very sorry to hear about your mother-in-law and my condolences also to your wife.

 

That certainly puts a damper on your Anniversary trip.

 

It sounds like you are in most capable hands on the Aranui and the adventure is what you had hoped it would be.

 

I'll be tuning in for the next week and a half for any further updates from you before I leave here to retrace your experience on the 8/6 sailing.

 

Enjoy!

 

Jim

[captainmcd]

Jim, thanks for your sympathy. Inspite of the circumstances I had a good trip and we just docked back in Papeete. We were lucky that my wife was able to make it to Buenos Aires for her mothers's funeral. Hiva Oa is not the easiest place in the world to leave, but she made it back in time. The trip was truly a wonderful experience, and hopefully we will have a chance to do it again someday. THe thing that impressed me the most was that although the populaton of the whole Marquesas is only 10.000 and few villages have more than a few hundred people, we passengers were greeted with friendship, and not like tourists. I was afraid that they might react like we were treating them like animals in a zoo.

Our trip was preadominantly French passengers, and I wish I had rememberead more of my French, but English was well understood. The food I thought was very good, 3 course meals for lunch and dinner, usually one meat and one fish meal per day, as well as a self service breakfast, where you could ask for eggs to order.

My observations of things not mentioned here before:

1) Take cash, there are few working ATM's available, none on the ship. On the islands there are few places that accept credit cards.

2) the internet service is just about non=existent. THere were two times I was able to use the internet on the ship, but it is very slow, and no photos or streaming would be possible. I was lucky to be able to get out a few emails and a few posts.

3) If you need good communication, get a cell phone voice and data pack. It ie expensive but in my case it helped a lot that I could talk to people when my wife left. Of course there is no cell phone service when out of sight of the islands.

4) The ship is relaxing, with many activities for the passengers, but it is not a cruise ship. It ie easy to make friends. Bone up on the French language in order to increase your enjoyment.

 

I will post a detailed day by day account after I get back home and am able to edit and upload the photos.

[Jiminkcmo]

Hi John:

 

Thanks for your comments and glad the trip was salvageable for you.

 

I really wish I had paid more attention to foreign languages when younger but never thought I would have any use for it.

 

Never thought about traveling but I get along pretty much anywhere in the world.

 

The "connections to the world" you mentioned are not a consideration for me.

 

I don't have a cell phone or a laptop.

 

When I travel I leave the real world behind and don't take it with me. <G>

 

It sounds like the kind of ship I will like.

 

Friendly people on the islands, no smoky casino, no stage shows, no art and jewelry sales, a good bar on the ship and decent food.

 

Did you eat at any of the roulettes?

 

How was the Hotel Tahiti Nui?

 

Did you just wonder around downtown Papeete as that's what I'm planning to do?

 

I enjoy people watching and meeting the local folks and learning about how they live and what they do.

 

I leave KC on Wed. and will be retracing your steps by this time next week.

 

Jim

[captainmcd]

Jim, I think that this will be just the trip for you. I think your cabin is on the "sun" deck, and close to the Tiki bar, where YoYo is the bar tender for many years. It can be noisy for those in the cabins just in front, but the suites are away from the bar, which I heard from someone who was next to it that it could get roudy some nights. I heard nothing. One more thing that surprised me was the genuine interaction between passengers and crew. At the end of the voyage they did mention a tip jar by reception, where you could leave something if you wished, not at all like a cruise ship!

 

The dormitories were pretty full, too. You have a cubby hole for your suitcase, and an individual lock box for your valuables. They were not segregated. There is an outter door which is locked that leads onto the deck. It is the only way in and out of the dormitories. I did take a photo through the glass door, but I could not enter. The people who stayed there were happy with the accommodation, and the price, which was cheaper than living in similar accommodation ashore in Tahiti.

 

The Tahiti Nui is a nice hotel, and I can recommend it. I booked a junior suite in the quiet areas of the hotel. I think only the front rooms on the harbor side have a noise problem which is caused by the shell station and convenience store below, but it is nice to have a place there that sells snacks, and even has an ATM machine. If you want to use the phone, elevators, or shower fixtures you need to study up on it, they are all modern and all European. My first room before sailing had no instruction letter in it, but this room has one. I wound up spraying water all around the modern bathroom.

 

Jim, I hope you have a good flight, I know you will have a great trip.

[Jiminkcmo]

Hi John:

 

Many thanks for the update.

 

Yes, the cabin I have (G) is on the Sun Deck right under E where you were.

 

I'm sure I will be able to find YoYo and some cold Hinano.

 

Did the cabin have a safe for locking up wallet, passport, etc?

 

As to the hotel, I've got a double above the pool which I'm told is away from the front and should be quieter and that's nice to know that the convenience store has snacks and an ATM.

 

I know where I'll be getting my cash.

 

I got breakfast at the hotel included and wonder if you gave that a try.

 

I plan to do a lot of walking around Papeete and just being a tourist, an occupation which I seem to be perfecting.

 

I'm going to be doing a lot of researching for other trips like this one and hope I can find some more of them.

 

This kind of trip sounds to be right down my alley.

 

Unusual and not mass marketed and "regular" people to enjoy it with.

 

I'm sure you will be heading back for Houston soon and back to the heat.

 

Have a good flight back and I hope you have some buffer time before being back to work on the Ohio.

 

Jim

[captainmcd]

I will be flying home soon, and Tahiti Nui would not let me keep an empty seat next to me just because my wife went home on a separate ticket. There is a lock box in each stateroom on the ship, and the pool area of the Hotel Tahiti Nui is quiet. I stayed in two different rooms and slept in total silence.

On the ship I really enjoyed the balcony and was glad we had it. Some people who had problems with motion preferred the cabins on A and B deck, but the motion was not a problem for us. Most of the way back to Tahiti the trade winds were light, and the ship had a very easy roll. The last 8 hours into Tahiti the wind picked up again and the ship pitched some. One of the crew told me that this trip, voyage 10 was the first rough trip this year, all the previous trips were fairly smooth. I think it is caused by what we call "intensified trades" that happen in the winter months sometimes.

The owner did visit us for a few days during the voyage. The ship does receive a subsidy from the French Polynesian government. All the passengers fares only pay for the fuel cost. The owner is Chinese and lives in San Mateo, CA. The captain is not a cruise ship captain. He does not dress up and attend functions. He is a good ship handler and wears a T shirt, shorts, and flip-flops and does not spend time interacting with the passengers. The seamen are top notch, I wish I had some of them on my ship.

I suppose that there were some of the passengers who would have liked to promote a division between French and English speaking passengers, but most of us, and all of the crew kept those people in check. Each trip has a different mix, but this trip was during the school holidays in Polynesia, and we had a lot of local Frenchmen and a lot of kids, including children of the crew. For the most part they were well behaved, and did not cause a problem for me, I liked having them around.

The Marquesas are really beautiful, and the people are equally beautiful. A new ship is planned for delivery in a few more years. It will be about the same size, but will have a few more decks to increase passenger capacity to around 250. That may be pushing the capacity for the Marquesans to adapt to the influx of tourists. I am glad we went now. I would love to return someday.

[JunPOA]

Dear CaptMcD,

First and foremost our deepest condolences and sympathies to your wife and her family at the loss of her Mother.

 

Thank you for your well thought comments and feedabck on your Aranui voyage, you've offered some terrific tips and perspectives.We so look forward to your full report and any foto images . Did you take in any snorkeling and if so what island was best for that?

Jim- we are excited for you as you prepare for your upcoming voyage as well.

 

Being the caffeine addicited coffee officienado that I am I cannot help but ask this question, how was the quality & accessability of coffee on the ship? Typically, I dare not face another human being in the morning (outside my cabin) if I have not yet had my caffeinne fix of good strong coffee in fear I may frighten someone :D no weak dishwater coffee for me LOL.:o I pretty much assume that even if brought a water heater & brewed my own in our suite using a french press that it won't work unless I have the proper converter. Next - did the dining room ever offer crepes onboard?

 

Look forward to this ongoing thread.

With warmest regards

Leah & The Doc

[captainmcd]

Leah, Thanks for your sympathy. I just bought some pearl jewelry for my wife so that she has some happier memories of our trip, so I can get her back again. The Marquesas were not really great for Snorkeling, since there is no barrier reef around the islands, but there was a small reef on one of the Marquesas, I forget which one. You can use the snorkeling gear that is supplied aboard. It is not the best, but it works. The snorkeling on the Tuamotus is very good, you can also go diving, even if you are a beginner, but that costs extra. Every port has excursions planned, and a meeting the night befoe that explains the options available on each port.

 

The coffee aboard is strong. There is a warm pot in the lounge available 24-7, but it is not always fresh. There is coffee at each meal in the dining room. It is european style strong coffee, and there is warm and cold milk and sugar and equal available. I mixed the coffee and milk half and half. My wife did not like the milk, it is the steralized, long life milk that all ships use. It used to be nasty, but it is a lot better now. At breakfast there are croissants, french and american sliced bread, lunch meat, cheeses, pancakes but not crepes, and always watermellon, pineapple, mangos, and banannas. There are eggs to order that usually come with bacon, but they often get the egg orders mixed up, at least when fried. I did not try poached or scrambled or hard boiled, but they were available.

[captainmcd]

I now have my report of our voyage on the Aranui 3 posted on my web page http://captainmcd.com/id38.html

 

I am still working on the problem of getting the correct photos in the right place. It looks good in MS Word, but it is hard getting it to look good in html.

[Jiminkcmo]

WOW, John.

 

That is one detailed report.

 

Thanks from all of us for providing that as our guide.

 

Hope you and your wife are back together after having to split up in mid-voyage.

 

I'm wrapping up details here in KC so that I can start my same trip tomorrow.

 

Am doing the same flight you took, Wed. night at 11:30 PM out of LAX to PPT.

 

My Southwest flight gets to LAX at 2:30 so I'm going to get the Westin shuttle to their hotel, have a few cold beers, some dinner, and take the shuttle back to TBIT at about 7:00 for the ATN flight.

 

I'll be sure to say hi to YoYo for you.

 

Jim

[JunPOA]

Ditto & kudos captainmcd on your detailed review.

Question about currency when you have time, you mentioned the use of both Euros and Fr. Poynesian francs, does that mean that the locals accept both currencies?

Is it the best choice in terms of convenience and best exchange rates do do the exchange form US dollars to euros v. fr. poynesian francs at the Papeete airport?

In advance, many thanks again for your review on your blogsite!

jiminkcmo - we're excited for you as ready your voyage!

 

leah & the doc

[captainmcd]

Hi Leah, On the islands it is best to have Pacific Francs. On the ship at reception you can change euros or dollars to francs between 6 and 7 p.m. daily. There is no ATM machine on the ship, but there are ATM machines on some of the islands that issue only francs. The only thing I saw on the trip that accepted euros were the washers and driers in the coin operated laundry aboard the Aranui. The machines were imported from europe. The polynesian coins are so large and heavy they don't work well in coin operated machines. I did not see much of a difference in exchange rates from bank to bank during our trip. When I withdrew from an ATM I just put in my card, entered the pin, and it asked me how many francs I wanted, nothing about exchange rates or fees, and no possibility to chose any currency other than Pacific Francs. ATM's are pleantiful in Papeete, but no so common or as reliable in the Marquesas, and few places accepted credit cards, so keeping a load of francs on hand is advisable on the islands. Credit cards are commonly used in Tahiti and you can pay all your ship accounts with credit cards. Jim, Bon Voyage!

[Logger1]

Here is my email johnkpaterson@aol.com. My wife and I are taking our first cruise ever with Princess. It really is not I want to do. I have dreamed of travelling around the South Pacific to Islands that most people never ever get to. (I have flowen to Cook Islands twice). I am new at cruising and recently retired, only 60 years old and think I am 40. Please send me info to help me profill my next and best adventure. All info and web leads and info appreciated. My email is above. Thanks all.

[LocoLoco1]

LOGGER 1

Hi, OK then...you're not alone. But you might be pleasantly surprised with your 'Cruise'.

I too don't 'act my age' but I rent a Jeep 4WD at each port of call..fish, snoop, snorkle etc..run into some real genuine characters on cruise ships...hit the local dives...and always have generally had a good time on Princess/Holland Amer. even though I 'rumble in the jungle' more than the rest of the pass. Amp Up your shore excursions on your own and you'll find enough to get your heart going. Locomotiveman

[Jiminkcmo]

Back home for a week now after my adventure on the Aranui.

 

The trip is as good as anyone has said it was.

 

The people on the islands really look forward to the ship arriving and treat the passengers like royalty.

 

The only thing I had a problem with is the total lack of news of any kind from the outside world.

 

I didn't know until I got back home if Obama was still our President.

 

I strongly encourage anyone with a sense of adventure to take this trip.

 

Jim

[captainmcd]

Hi Jim, Thanks for your update, I had been thinking about you, where you were on a particular day, etc. I hope you can give a detailed report soon. In one sense, being isolated from the outside world can be a plus. In my years of sailing, I found it made my life less stressful. I remember recording some music in 1968 on a tape recorder, and playing it back about ten years later. On the music track came the news broadcast, and it talked about fighting between Israel and Palistenians in Gaza. It was not until news of the Democratic convention in Chicago came on that I realized that it was not a live broadcast! We spend time worrying about problems we can do nothing about, and that is not good for us.

[DoctorSmudge]

Here is a link to our video, QuickTime is required:

 

http://gallery.mac.com/nateg#100336/aranui-20movie&bgcolor=black

[JunPOA]

Hi All & a Warm welcome back to Jim!:)

 

Can't beleive how time is creeping up on us - just 9 weeks to go until our Aranui 3 Voyage! Jim - you made me laugh about the discomfort of lack of access to news updates during your trip - I can identify with that - I am a news junkie. Guess your answer to who is still our president was answered.:rolleyes: NOvemerber 2012 will tell...

 

Anyway - so Jim, have you posted a detailed review anywhere yet, photos ?

 

So question to those who have already experienced Aranui:

1. Would you do it again ?
   
2. Did anyone do the add on package for trolling fishing while on board and if so how'd that go?
   

 

I ask because we did Galapagos a few years ago in the month of December and I'd do Galapagos again to discover the differences in the wild life and fauna that different seasons bring.

 

PS Shall I check Cabin "G" for left over Scotch ? :D

Thank you!

 

Stay in touch!

Leah & the Doc

[captainmcd]

DoctorSmudge, Thanks for a wonderful video. It is so much better than my writing. It does take a long time for me to download, and I am watching pieces at one time. It is nice that my wife can see what she missed. I think we will get back there again sometime. It looks like our trip insurance policy may come through for some of the money we lost, but we can never get the time back. Jim in KCmo, I hope you are getting rested after your trip and can let us know the details. Leah and the Doc, I wish we could be there with you, even if we had to stay in the dormitories! I am back on the Ohio River again, but tomorrow I expect to hear that my job is abolished, but that will be no big loss for me.