If you’re one of those who has dreamed of a glitz-free cruise to out-of-the-way ports, or imagined following Paul Gauguin’s quest for the South Seas, or always meant to book a cabin on a tramp steamer—well none of that is exactly on offer here, but bits of all those dreams are now for sale.
Aranui, a Tahitian company that operates what it calls ‘cargo cruises’ on specially-built ships that mix the two modes, is adding new itineraries for next year and beyond, and has added its newets ship, the Aranui 5 to some of the itineraries.
Among the offerings: a 13-day Cook Islands cruise from Papeete, Tahiti returning via a long string of exotic island ports; an itinerary that includes Pitcairn Island of Bounty fame along with almost unpopulated islands known for their birds, and more.