A closer look
Luxury cruising is dead; long live the hybrid freighter. The Aranui 5 is a working supply ship that serves as the only vital lifeline to the Marquesas, an archipelago so remote in French Polynesia that it demands its own time zone. While crew members frantically unload cement, sugar, and pickup trucks via massive industrial cranes, a handful of adventurous passengers disembark to explore volcanic peaks and ancient tiki statues. It is the ultimate anti-cruise, blending raw logistical commerce with unparalleled access to an isolated island culture.
