Aranui Targets U.s. Market With Abbreviated 11-Day Voyage Through Marquesas Islands Of French Polynesia
Aranui Cruises is now offering a shortened 11-day itinerary to accommodate North American travelers who prefer to spend fewer days away, yet will still be able to take in one of the world’s most remote natural paradises.
Rates for the 11-day cruise start at $3,910 per person, based on double occupancy accommodations in a standard cabin. Onboard meals including wine and regular planned excursions are included. Rates do not include port tax, cruise tax and tourism tax, which may range from $276 to $338 depending on stateroom category.
Instead of the typical departure from Tahiti, passengers can join the journey in Nuka Hiva, the island where a 23-year old Herman Melville jumped a whaling ship in 1842 and found inspiration for some of his greatest literary works. Flights from Papeete to Nuka Hiva (not included in cruise rates) are available on smaller aircraft, and guests can overnight at the Keikahanui Pearl Lodge (not included in cruise fare) in Nuka Hiva prior to boarding the well-appointed vessel.
From Nuka Hiva, the cruise continues on to Ua Pou, where cloud-covered mountain spires hover over what Treasure Island-author Robert Louis Stevenson described as “volcanic needles like the pinnacles of some ornate church.”
Subsequent ports of call include Tahuata, a leaf-shaped island where Spanish explorers first landed in 1595; the island of Hiva Oa, known by art enthusiasts as Paul Gauguin’s old stomping grounds; Fatu Hiva, the most lush and remote island in the Marquesas archipelago; and Ua Huka, where wild horses vastly outnumber the island’s 500 residents.
On the return voyage, the cruise will stop in the Tuamotu Archipelago to allow passengers the opportunity to explore Rangiroa – the second largest atoll in the world – followed by a visit to the legendary Bora Bora in the Society Islands.
The itinerary concludes with disembarkation in Papeete, where guests can extend their stay or depart for their international flights back home. Optionally, vacationers can also choose to disembark in Bora Bora with special rates available on two-night post-cruise stays at the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa.
(Compagnie Polynesienne de Transport Maritime – Aranui)
