MV ''Aranui 5'' is a dual passenger/cargo vessel that entered service on 12 December 2015 between

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...

and the

Marquesas Islands The Marquesas Islands ( ; or ' or ' ; Marquesan language, Marquesan: ' (North Marquesan language, North Marquesan) and ' (South Marquesan language, South Marquesan), both meaning "the land of men") are a group of volcano, volcanic islands in ...

. With a homeport of

Papeete Papeete (Tahitian language, Tahitian: ''Papeʻetē'', pronounced ; old name: ''Vaiʻetē''Personal communication with Michael Koch in ) is the capital city of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of the France, French Republic in the Pacific ...

French Polynesia French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...

, the ''Aranui 5'' replaced the

Aranui 3 MV ''Aranui 3'' was a dual passenger-cargo ship that operated between Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands. With a homeport of Papeete, French Polynesia, ''Aranui 3'' was registered as a passenger ship under the International Convention for the Safe ...

which entered service in 2003. No ''Aranui 4'' ever went into service, because the number four is regarded as unlucky in China, from which Wing Wong, founder of (CPTM), the family business that operates the ''Aranui'' voyages, emigrated to Tahiti in the 1930s. ''Aranui 5'', like its predecessor, is registered as a passenger ship under the

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime treaty which sets out minimum safety standards in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships. The International Maritime Organiza ...

(SOLAS), for international operation. As well as carrying cargo to and from the six ports in the Marquesas Islands, ''Aranui 5'' operates a passenger service and tourist cruise as part of its monthly 12-day itinerary; the ship also stops at the

Rangiroa Rangiroa ( Tuamotuan for 'vast sky') or Te Kokōta (Cook Islands Māori Cook Islands Māori is an Eastern Polynesian language that is the official language of the Cook Islands. Cook Islands Māori is closely related to, but distinct from ...

and

Tuamotu The Tuamotu Archipelago or the Tuamotu Islands (, officially ) are a French Polynesian chain of just under 80 islands and atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean. They constitute the largest chain of atolls in the world, extending (from northwest to ...

atolls before returning to Tahiti. Additional ''Aranui 5'' trips operate to other islands in French Polynesia and beyond, including

Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 10,898 of a total population of 15,040. The Parliament of the Cook Islands, Coo ...

and the

Cook Islands The Cook Islands is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands whose total land area is approximately . The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers of ocean. Avarua is its ...

and once a year to

Pitcairn Island Pitcairn Island is the only inhabited island of the Pitcairn Islands, in the southern Pacific Ocean, of which many inhabitants are descendants of mutineers of HMS ''Bounty''. Geography The island is of volcanic origin, with a rugged cliff ...

. The ship was used to house

surfers Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

at the

2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

, making it the first floating

Olympic village An Olympic Village is a residential complex built or reassigned for the Olympic Games in or nearby the List of Olympic Games host cities, host city for the purpose of accommodating all of the delegations. Olympic Villages are usually located clos ...

References

second ship from 2027 onwardshttps://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2025/04/aranui-to-expand-with-second-ship/

External links

Aranui
The Official Site Expedition cruising 2015 ships Cruise ships Ships of French Polynesia Marquesas Islands Bora Bora Tahiti Venues of the 2024 Summer Olympics {{cruise-ship-stub