As we sat on one of the back decks of Aranui 5, enjoying a nightcap after a festive night of Polynesian food and entertainment, a fellow guest rushed up to our table. “Come down below. You’ve got to see this.”
We followed her down to a crew area where you could see giant manta rays and small sharks swimming—drawn by the lights of our ship that was anchored off the island of Nuku Hiva—putting on their own show as they skimmed the surface of the plankton-rich South Pacific waters of the Marquesas.
Some of the crew and local entertainers hanging out after their performances were unfazed by the spectacular display of sea life, which apparently is anything but unusual for this remote archipelago.
“If you see one dolphin in Bora Bora, you’ll see 20 in the Marquesas,” our onboard lecturer, environmentalist and Marquesa native Pascal Erhel, had told us a few days earlier, explaining that the abundance of marine life is due in part to the Humboldt Current that brings a rich plankton flow from Antarctica.
That is one of many things that my husband and I would learn make this little-known group of islands in French Polynesia so unique. Though a few better-known cruise lines, including Paul Gauguin and Windstar, make occasional Marquesas calls on sailings from Tahiti, Aranui Cruises, the company that operates the combination cargo ship and cruise liner Aranui 5, offers the most unique—and authentic—way to explore this corner of the South Pacific.
Sailing the southern islands
“Where’s that?” was the most common response I got when I told people my husband and I were sailing to the Marquesas in February.
Indeed, while French Polynesia is hardly unknown, this archipelago within French Polynesia—believed to be among the first settled by Polynesians more than 2,000 years ago—is one of the most remote groups of islands in the world. It’s situated some 3,000 miles southwest of Mexico, the closest continental land mass.
Given that six of the 12 islands are inhabited by a total of just under 10,000 people, with two of those islands accessible only by sea, it’s not surprising that many people have never heard of the Marquesas. Even after spending much of my childhood in (relatively) nearby American Samoa, I have to admit I really only knew of the islands from a one-line reference in an old Crosby, Stills & Nash song, “Southern Cross,” about setting sail to the “southern islands.”
The Marquesas Islands are a lesser-visited corner of French Polynesia.
Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock
That song has always been one of my favorites, so when I first heard of Aranui, I knew I had to set sail on my own adventure aboard this one-of-a-kind ship to my favorite part of the world. And it did not disappoint. In fact, it ranks among the best vacations my husband and I have ever had.
We hiked, biked, swam, and wandered far off the traditional tourist trail. We saw everything from sacred sites where tribal enemies were once sacrificed to the Grand Canyon of Nuku Hiva. Other excursion options included snorkeling and scuba diving, horseback riding on the beach, and visiting the artist Paul Gauguin’s grave on the island of Hiva Oa.
While all the islands are volcanic, each is a bit different, with landscapes ranging from traditional tropical rainforest to the more arid Ua Huka. The one constant: the people and their ancient culture, which is still broadly celebrated through traditional dance, songs, tattoos, wood carvings, and traditional Polynesian cuisine.
The ship
With its half cargo ship, half cruise ship, Aranui Cruises is one of the original adventure cruise lines. For 40 years, Aranui Cruises has sailed several generations of its dual-purpose ship that takes about 200 passengers from Tahiti, through the Tuamotus, and on to the six inhabited islands of the Marquesas. While the crew delivers crucial supplies ranging from groceries to generator parts, the guests explore.
The Aranui (as it’s commonly called) is truly a lifeline for these islands, some of which have no commercial air service. In addition to bringing tourism, the ship offers locals bunks on the crew deck for trips between the islands that would otherwise require hours-long trips on a bumpy speedboat.
Aranui 5 is all business in the front, which serves as a cargo ship bringing critical deliveries to isolated island communities.
Photo by Jeri Clausing
While the front of the ship looks like a traditional cargo ship, the back has nine decks that offer most of the services and amenities you would find on any small upscale cruise ship, including a multitiered pool deck, rooms for onboard lectures and activities like cooking classes and Polynesian dance lessons, a spa, a tattoo parlor, an indoor and outdoor bar, a gift shop, and a small library.
There’s also a wide variety of cabins, from suites and cabins with balconies to hostel-style shared bunks. The range of accommodations draws a varied cast of mostly nontraditional cruising characters from all over the world, which, from my point of view, only enhanced the experience.
What the Aranui doesn’t have are fancy coffee bars, casinos, Broadway-style shows, or multiple dining rooms. There is a pool grill with limited hours and a small menu of burgers, wings, french fries, and charcuterie plates. But otherwise the only meal options are in the main dining room, where you eat whatever they happen to be serving.
Fortunately, Aranui has had many years to master the art of feeding 200 people across just two dinner seatings (at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.), and they do it quite well. Breakfast is a traditional buffet, while lunch and dinner involve a lot of fresh fish, with occasional pasta dishes, chicken, and even a tender slab of beef cooked to a perfect medium.
There was also plenty of local fare, both on and off the ship. During days on the islands, we feasted on goat, pork, raw fish, and staples like breadfruit, mango, and taro dishes.
Polynesia at its finest
What I loved most about sailing the Aranui is everything that it wasn’t. While I admit I love a good luxury small ship, I find that no matter where you sail on a more traditional cruise line, the onboard experience is similar, making you feels as if you could be anywhere in the world.
On the Aranui, you never lose your sense of place. I liken it to returning to a comfortable Polynesian guest house in a welcoming village. All the crew is local, and they appear to love their jobs. Many have worked with the company for decades, including the kitchen manager, who started as a dishwasher 20 years ago, and one of our guides, a former teacher in Papeete who, at the urging of his brother, planned to work for just one sailing. That was 10 years ago.
Polynesian culture seamlessly integrates hospitality, and both the crew and the islanders were happy to share their beliefs and traditions. Whether it was the crew picking up ukeleles and singing their hearts out during happy hour, performing traditional dances, or simply telling their stories, the warmth and magic of Polynesia shines through in everything they do.
To explore the Marquesas is to get a look into the complex, dynamic culture and history of this remote Polynesian archipelago.
Nancy Pauwels/Shutterstock
Getting there
The Aranui sails 10-day itineraries between Papeete and the Marquesas every two weeks from the end of February through the end of December, with occasional itineraries to the Austral Islands. Rates range from slightly more than $3,000 per person for dormitory bunks to just under $10,000 per person for the Presidential Suite, based on double occupancy.
There are daily flights between Los Angeles and Papeete on several airlines, including Delta, Air France, and Air Tahiti Nui.
It’s always a good idea to arrive a day or two early for any cruise, in case there are any hiccups. We arrived two nights early, spending those first days at the Maitai Express, a new city hotel in Papeete across the street from the main port and in the heart of nightlife and shopping areas. There are a variety of more traditional beach resorts on the island of Tahiti. On the way home, we spent a night at Te Moana, which has large suites with kitchenettes and fabulous beach and sunset views.