7th June 2025, Travel Weekly (UK) published an article about our tattoo artist working on the Aranui 5, by Nori Jemil

March 24, 2025, AFAR (USA) It doesn’t get more authentic than sailing on an upscale cruise ship doubling as a freight vessel that delivers critical supplies and transportation services to remote island communities throughout this Polynesian archipelago.

February 2025, The Epoch Times (US) published an article about the Aranui and the Marquesas islands, by David and Maria Coulson.

Cast off for the trip of a lifetime! Come aboard Aranui 5, the legendary cargo cruise ship, and experience a South Seas cruise full of adventure through the untouched islands of Polynesia - from the Marquesas to the Tuamotus to the almost undiscovered Austral Islands. Every Aranui cruise is a unique and authentic experience.  

Set in ancient Polynesia, Moana and Moana 2 draw from Polynesian mythology to tell the story of Moana, a chief’s daughter chosen by the ocean to restore a relic to Te Fiti. Facing a blight on her island, she sails to find Maui, a demigod, to save her people.

January 2025, Adventure.com (UK) Gaydio published an article about the Aranui and the Marquesas islands, by Nori Jemil.

The Austral Islands, nestled in the southern part of French Polynesia, offer an exceptional setting for all nature lovers, marine wildlife enthusiasts, and especially whale watchers.

8 November 2024, The Team Wanderlust picked 20 new expedition cruises that put the adventure back into the high seas.

September 2024, Journalist Jamie Ditaranto of World of Cruising, allows us to feel the "mana" - mystical energy that vibrates throughout French Polynesia.

Mythical and mystical. A land that has magically attracted explorers and writers, painters and artists. A rugged and breathtaking landscape of mountain peaks, valleys, plateaus and cliffs. A people of once proud and feared warriors with their own culture and language. People you can win over with a single smile. The Marquesas Islands are a world of their own. And are now, and rightly so, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

October 1, 2024, The Conde Nast Traveler (USA) The journalist published the Readers' Choice Award winners for best cruise lines and Aranui Cruises is amongst the winners.

26th August 2024, Journalist Arnie Weissmann, of Travel Weekly, shares with us his unique cruise aboard the Aranui 5, a boat like no other.

Aranui Cruises, recently gained attention on KTLA, showcasing the promise of adventure that awaits on every voyage.

To mark its 40th anniversary, Aranui Cruises unveils a magnificent video telling the story of the company and the Marquesas Islands.

In August 2024, Wanderlust Magazine (UK) published an article by Emma Thomson exploring the unique culture and wild landscapes of the Marquesas Islands, a remote and little-known archipelago of French Polynesia.

The Matador's Guide published an article about the best cruises in the World. The Aranui is listed alongside other brilliant cruises to the Poles, in Iceland, in the Galapagos etc.

Journalist Scott Laird, of the Conde Nast Traveler, describes his experience of travelling aboard the Aranui as "Offering a laid back, thoroughly Polynesian voyage where passengers and crew freely mingle throughout the experience".

April 7, 2023, Passion for fresh ideas (UK) Passion for fresh ideas published an article about Tip, the rat detecting dog in Ua Huka, by Chantal Cooke.

April 2023, Gaydio (UK) Gaydio published an article about the Aranui and the Marquesas islands, by Chantal Cooke.

April 1, 2023, Irish Times (UK) The journalist Gemma Tipton is talking about her cruise experience in the Marquesas Islands on board the Aranui 5.

March 5, 2023, The Epoch Times (US) The journalist Tim Johnson joined us on the Pitcairn cruise aboard Aranui 5 in February 2023. You can read all about his fascinating voyage, in the footsteps of the Bounty mutineers.

February 4, 2023, The I Newspaper (UK) Lonely Planet founder, Tony Wheeler, joined us on a cruise about Aranui 5 in December 2022. You can read all about his adventures, including his search for ancient tikis.

August 23, 2022, Los Angeles Daily News (USA) Los Angeles Daily News published an article about Aranui's cruise to the Marquesas, by Norma Meyer

July 24, 2022, Travel+Leisure (USA) Travel + Leisure published an article about the Aranui, "a ship that has a sense of homecoming", by Maggie Shipstead

May 1, 2022, Travel Pulse (USA) The journalist Scott Laird is talking about his cruise experience in the Austral Islands on board the Aranui 5.

February 4, 2022, AFAR (USA) Readers will come to understand these 12 islands largely off-the-traveler-radar, what to expect, do, how to get to the Marquesas and more.

In Polynesian culture, there are very ancient rituals associated with wedding ceremonies, which were once a way to forge alliances between tribes. Read this article to learn more.

January 21, 2020, Wander Woman (Canada) The journalist published an article about the cruise experience on board the Aranui 5 in the South Pacific.

November 1, 2021, The Conde Nast Traveler (USA) The journalist published an article about ports banning mega cruise ships mentionning the Aranui 5 as an exception, as it embarks fewer than 350 passengers.

many islands in the Pacific, navigation is set up as art - in particular via its "going" a ”with a characteristic profile and intended for different uses (travel, fishing or sport)…

r side of the world, French Polynesia opens its arms to you: in total, 118 islands sheltered from mass tourism, nearly 4,000 km away from the first land ... And to allow you to discover them under the best conditions, embark on the Aranui, a mixed cargo ship that supplies the locals, while ensuring optimal comfort for an exceptional cruise in French Polynesia.

Among the 5 archipelagoes, the one of the Austral Islands is located 600 km south of the Polynesian capital, Tahiti. Why not explore them on a cruise to the Austral Islands in 2022 with Aranui?

August 16, 2021, The Knot (USA) The journalist suggests a complete guide to a Tahiti honeymoon, recommending newlyweds to visit the Marquesas islands and check out the Aranui 5.

Aboard the Aranui, in the heart of a cruise in French Polynesia, relive the adventures of the Bounty rebels, by approaching the mythical Pitcairn Island. This islet, one and a half miles long and one mile wide, is steeped in history and is still home to the descendants of the sailors of the famous ship, an object of fascination for decades...

January 30, 2017, Los Angeles Times (USA) The journalist describes the itinerary of the Aranui which offers a daydreamer’s voyage to the dazzling shores of paradise.

March 23, 2017, National Geographic (USA) The journalist describes the Aranui cruise in the Marquesas islands as one of the Best Cruises in the World.

July 2018, Choice (UK) The journalist describes the itinerary and life on board the Aranui 5, and how he enjoyed stunning sunrises, welcoming smiles, traditional dancers.

A cruise in French Polynesia is an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of James Cook, the greatest navigator in Europe. During his three major expeditions, commissioned by the Admiralty, he made a major contribution to the knowledge of the Pacific.

Polynesian mythology speaks of black pearls as the first shards of light given by the Creator to Tāne, a deity who presided over the ten levels of the sacred heavens. Tāne made them into stars before sending them to Ruahatu, the god of the oceans, to illuminate his universe.

June 09, 2021, Trip Savvy (USA). The Aranui has been featured in an article by Trip Savvy, written by Suzie Dundas. The journalist talks about her experience on board the Aranui and how she enjoyed scuba diving in French Polynesia, which she definitely considers as some of the best she’s ever done.

June 22, 2021, Matador Network (USA). The Aranui has been featured in an article by Matador Network, written by the journalist Suzie Dundas. Taking the Aranui to discover the Marquesas, the most remote archipelago in the country is on the journalist's top 8 dreamy experiences in French Polynesia.

January 6, 2021, Smithsonian Magazine (USA). The journalist Flora Mendez presents Eddy Tata, who provides passengers on the Aranui with Polynesian-style tattoos based on their life stories.

An essential element of a cruise in French Polynesia, the Society Islands owe their name to the Royal Society of London, which financed the first voyage of Captain Cook in 1769. There are two of them, the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands, which can be visited on a dedicated 7-day cruise with Aranui.

Among the ancestral traditions to discover during your Tahiti cruise, the art of Polynesian weaving is materialized today through magnificent hats, baskets, ornaments, and other various objects, such as the pē'ue, a carpet of different sizes, made by Polynesian women...

For two centuries the Marquesas have served as a refuge for writers, artists, explorers and adventurers. Beyond the fine sand of the beaches of Bora-Bora, a cruise to the Marquesas Islands offers a cultural immersion into the lives of Jacques Brel and Paul Gauguin.

Hop aboard Aranui 5 and sail 1,500 km northeast of Tahiti, for a cruise to the Marquesas Islands: composed of 12 islands, of which only 6 are inhabited, you will discover a land of stories and legends, as incredible as they are inspiring.

Beyond a simple ornament, the Polynesian tattoo is one of the most beautiful riches of Polynesian culture. Today recognised all over the world, it fascinates and arouses curiosity. Step on board Aranui 5 for a cruise in French Polynesia, and discover an ancestral art, with an indelible memory that is considered among the most beautiful of its kind.

Mana is a "higher force prevalent in nature, inhabiting certain beings and certain things, to which it confers the power to dominate others by their great physical power, their almost supernatural gifts, both sacred and magical and which can be transmitted to another member of the clan". A concept strongly present on our ship Aranui 5, during cruises in the Marquesas Islands.

During a cruise to the Marquesas Islands aboard Aranui 5, dive in to the heart of Polynesian traditions and take an intimate and authentic journey to explore the richness of the ancestral culture, in its still preserved spaces. Discover the songs and dances, enhanced and organised every year by the "Marquesas Arts Festival"!

Your cruise in the Marquesas Islands will have an exceptional flavour aboard this passenger/cargo ship, custom-built for your comfort. The Aranui experience is unique and is offered by Polynesians eager to show you their islands, marked by ancient traditions and authenticity.