South Pacific Voyage to Paradise on the Aranui 3 Cruise Freighter

The Aranui 3 Polynesian cruise freighter has some common areas of the ship that resemble a cruise ship and others that resemble a freighter. All of the passengers really enjoyed the almost free rein we had to roam the ship, with access to the bridge and other areas not always allowed on a traditional cruise ship. The Aranui 3 has one dining room, with tables set up for groups of four to eight. The ship has a nice lounge on the deck above the dining room, which was used for reading, lectures, and passenger meetings. The lounge has a bar with coffee and tea available most of the time and a small library adjacent to the lounge. The library has a mixture of a wide variety of paperback books, most of which have been left by past passengers. I saw books in English, French and German, so anyone wishing to do some foreign language reading has some fiction from which to choose. The reception desk also keeps an excellent selection of books related to French Polynesia, or by authors such as Herman Melville and Robert Louis Stevenson who have ties to the South Pacific. The ship has a small gift shop that sells everything from snacks and ice cream to laundry detergent and mosquito spray to pareos and t-shirts. The Aranui has a bar located near the pool. It was often busy in the late afternoon before dinner when everyone gathered to watch the daily attraction of a magnificent sunset. The freshwater pool is small, but popular with the passengers. The deck area around the pool has plenty of lounge chairs for those who love to soak up the Tahitian sun.

The freight is carried forward on the deck of the ship and in cargo holds under the decks. Most of the time, passengers are free to explore up to the bow or to the rear decks where the winches that are used to pull the ship into dock are anchored. One of the engineers gave us a fascinating tour of the engine room one day while we were in port, and many passengers visited the bridge to check our location or see how the controls worked. Watching the Marquesan sailors unload the freight was one of our favorite activities. Since the Aranui is the primary supply link to the Marquesas, the ship carries a wide variety of cargo, including at least half a dozen automobiles per voyage. I asked one of the cargo chiefs what had been the most unusual and expensive cargo, and he immediately said it was a helicopter! The ship also had refrigerated containers full of food, and we were constantly amazed by the items that seemed to come out of the bottomless cargo hold.

Dining on the Aranui 3
We thoroughly enjoyed the food and the companionship at meals on the Aranui. Sophie Wong, one of the ship's owners, serves as a gracious hostess at meals and other times on board. Breakfast was our favorite meal, with a wonderful buffet filled with fresh fruits, French bread, luncheon meat, and cheese. Passengers could also get bacon and eggs to order. I especially enjoyed the mangoes and pomelos, a grapefruit-like fruit. The Aranui had an excellent pastry chef, and he made some wonderful raisin or chocolate chip pastries or buttery croissants each morning. Lunch and dinner were family-style, with the wait staff bringing out a large serving plate with each course or serving passengers individually. Both meals started with a salad, soup, or appetizer, followed by the main course and then dessert. Both red and white French table wines were served at lunch and dinner. The food was varied, with chicken, pork, beef, fish, and lamb served at different meals. Vegetarians could request a special meal. Unlike a mainstream cruise ship, we did not have food or snacks available all the time. European cuisine dominated the menus on board with interesting sauces and delicious desserts such as pear pie, apricot tarts, and congealed nougat made with heavy cream and dried fruit.

Let's leave the Aranui and go ashore.

Page 5 > > Going Ashore from the Ananui 3 > >

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