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Aranui Cruises’ new passenger ship delayed by pandemicAranui Cruises’ new passenger ship delayed by pandemic

Construction of Aranui Cruises’ 280-passenger AraMana at Huanghai Shipbuilding in China has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ship will not set sail in 2022.

Helen Hutcheon, Australasia correspondent

November 16, 2021

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

A spokeswoman said the company does not have a confirmed timeframe for the launch, but will shortly release a 2023 programme.

AraMana, which means ‘path of the Polynesian spirit,’ will not be a dual freight and passenger ship like Aranui 5.

Solely for cruising

Instead, she has been ‘designed solely with cruising in mind,’ according to Laurent Wong, regional representative for Australia and New Zealand and a member of the Papeete family that owns the company. 

Wong said the A$100m ship is the company’s first foray into leisure cruising.

She will feature a vahine (Polynesian woman) on her funnel, as well as a traditional tattoo design on her hull.

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Aranui Cruises

About the Author

Helen Hutcheon

Australasia correspondent

Helen Hutcheon did her cadetship on a shipping magazine and worked in P&O’s Sydney office for seven years as a public relations journalist.

For 19 years she was deputy editor of Travel Week, which was Australia’s leading trade newspaper that covered major local and international industry events.

In 2008 the late legendary Rama Rebbapragada presented her with an award from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd ‘in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the cruising industry.’

In 2010 she won the Neil Frazer Award for ‘outstanding contribution to the cruise industry,’ elevating her to CLIA Australasia’s hall of fame.

She has been the Australasia correspondent for Seatrade Cruise Review since 1997 and for Seatrade Insider (now Seatrade Cruise News) since its launch in 2000.

 

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