Aranui Cruises (Compagnie Polynesienne de Transport Maritime (CPTM)) revealed details of a new 280-pax cruise ship to Tahitian media recently.
She will be the company’s first dedicated leisure cruise vessel and will join the pax/cargo vessel ‘Aranui 5’ in the South Pacific from mid-2022, local reports said.
The vessel was thought to have already been ordered in China.
CPTM will name the new vessel ‘AraMana’ rather than ‘Aranui 6’, as she will not be a dual pax/freight vessel like her predecessors, Aranui Cruises regional representative Laurent Wong explained in a video, posted on the website.
On board features will include a observation lounge, dance floor, piano bar, spa, two restaurants, an amphitheatre, swimming pool and 11 cabin categories including a Grand Suite.
“There are some similarities to ‘Aranui 5’ in terms of the layout of the ship but ‘AraMana’ is our first foray into leisure cruising so the new ship will be all about comfort and relaxation,” Wong said.
He claimed that Aranui aimed to deliver an authentic Polynesian experience with the new vessel, as ‘AraMana’ means ‘path of the Polynesian spirit’. She will have a Polynesian crew and an on board tattoo room.
“Just as ‘Aranui 5’ has become a beacon for holidaymakers wanting to see the beautiful islands of Tahiti in a different and authentic way, AraMana will continue this legacy with a uniquely Polynesian offering,” Wong said.
‘AraMana’ will cruise to French Polynesia’s southernmost island group, the Australs, and will also make regular calls to Raivavae, Rurutu and Rapa in the Cook Islands. She will also visit Pitcairn via the Tuamotos and the Gambiers. A Society Islands cruise will also call at Bora Bora, Huahine, Moorea and Rangiroa, as well as lesser known islands, such as Makatea, Wong said.
‘Aranui 5’ will continue to sail on her regular 13-day itinerary delivering cargo to the remote Marquesas Islands.
