Because Tahitian lagoons are like no others... All inclusive cruises are a great way to discover our islands!
If you prefer to discover the islands of French Polynesia on a cruise, we offer a wide range of sailing holiday experiences for all abilities and budgets. We're specialized on small capacity boats (catamarans or small cruise ships) only, offering intimicy, freedom and personalized service.
Catamarans are the perfect option to discover the beauty of French Polynesia's lagoons giving you freedom to choose your destinations and the sites you want to discover.
Often seen as aspirational, our holidays actually make catamaran sailing available to all (families, couples, friends...). You don't need any previous experience to start and the cost is comparable to a villa holiday.
We can propose to you different catamaran cruises: chartered or by the cabin, with or without crew... to discover all the islands of French Polynesia.
And there's one ship, called the "ARANUI", offering an unforgettable adventure discovering the intoxicating beauty of the lush, untouched islands of Marquesas, that we're recommanding.
Combine Cruise + Hotel stay = Get 10% off your Cruise!
We can propose to you itineraries combining perfectly hotel stays and a cruise, offering the best of these 2 ways to travel.
Board your catamaran cruise from your hotel pontoon on Huahine island, sail for 3 days in the Leeward islands and disembark at your hotel pontoon on Bora Bora island where you'll experience a stay in an overwater bungalow...
Discover a sample of our cruises below, and don't hesitate to contact our travel consultants to get advices and quotes as these sailing vacations are not available for an online booking.
Private Catamaran Cruises in French Polynesia with Tahiti Yacht Charter
There's no better way than sailing in your private catamaran to discover the beauty of French Polynesia's islands.
Come aboard for your very own cruise, completely free to explore our islands at your own pace and fancy. Sail along as and where you wish, come ashore on the deserted beach of a little island (we call them motu), dive into the turquoise waters of our lagoons.
There's no better way than sailing in your private catamaran to discover the beauty of French Polynesia's islands.
Come aboard for your very own cruise, completely free to explore our islands at your own pace and fancy. Sail along as and where you wish, come ashore on the deserted beach of a little island (we call them motu), dive into the turquoise waters of our lagoons.
All the catamarans have 4 double cabins and 2 or 4 bathrooms, depending on the model. They can accommodate up to 10/12 guests.
The “Classic” types are much appreciated by families and groups of friends and represent an excellent value-for-money.
The “Grande Croisière” models, equipped with generator, air conditioning and water maker, are ideal for sailing in the Tuamotu, where there are water shortages.
Sheets and towels are provided, boats are equipped with a galley-kitchen with refrigerator, cooker, gas stove, barbecue etc.
Converter for charging your batteries are available on board. Floating hammocks are there so you can sunbathe as you relax on the gentle lagoon waters.
For fun activities, you’ll find sea kayaks, snorkel equipment.
The only other persons on board will be your crew and they know how to make themselves unobtrusive whenever it is appropriate.
We can offer you cruises to the distant islands of the Tuamotu and the Marquesas just as well around the Society Islands.
- THE TAHITI TWOSOME (PRIVATE CRUISE) :
7 days / 6 nights – 4 Islands visited : Raiatea - Huahine - Taha'a - Bora-Bora
(sample itinerary – can be modified according to your wishes and weather conditions)
Ideal for couples on a honeymoon, wedding anniversary or romantic vacation. You are the only passengers on board.
You choose your day of departure.
Including english speaking skipper/guide/cook (one crew member) on a 36/38 ft/ 11-12 m sailing catamaran.
All meals on board (breakfast, lunch and dinners - beverages not included except water & fruit juices ) except two dinners to allow you to enjoy local restaurants ashore.
Activities included: visit of a pearl farm, coral garden excursion, visit of a vanila farm.
We can add a private scuba diving or surf/SUP/kite surf option, with instructor and all equipment on board.
This cruise can be adapted for a group of friends/family. The whole boat is chartered.
Contact our Travel Consultants for custom itineraries & expert advices on Catamaran Cruises
ARANUI : Discover Marquesas islands, an unforgetable experience
Travel through time and space and allow yourself the opportunity to be transported back in time, becoming apart of a culture, people and beauty that is unparalleled.
The Aranui takes you on a 16-day adventure cruise to the untouched marvel of the Marquesas Islands. The journey begins from the docks of Papeete (Tahiti) and heads out into the horizon, anchoring at Fakarava, Ua Pou, Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, Fatu Hiva, Tahuata, Ua Huka, Rangiroa.
The Aranui is a working freight, crewed by Tahitians and Marquesans, that offers you a relaxing portal through paradise filled with cultural immersion, entertainment, special guests, amazing food and days packed full of activities, tours and adventure.
The custom-built Aranui 5 is specially designed with added space and the passengers’ comfort in mind. But still have retained the remarkably friendly atmosphere and experienced crew.
The state-of-the art ship offers tasteful, spacious suites. All have windows. On the sweeping decks, read, relax or take in the views of pristine lagoons and soaring mountain spires. Take a dip in their sparkling outdoor swimming pool or use their on-board facilities for fishing, swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving.
In their expanded dining room, savor fine French and Polynesian cuisine with fellow adventurers from around the world. Socialize in the lounge or learn about the rich Marquesan culture and history from their onboard experts.
Their dedicated crew are descendants of the greatest navigators of all time -- the ancient Polynesians.
Join them for the only and the most unforgettable way to explore the Marquesas Islands.
You’ll board the Aranui 5 in Tahiti (possibility to board the cruise in Nuku Hiva island instead) and sail almost 800 miles to the most spectacular and remote islands in French Polynesia.
The first stop on this 16 day voyage starts with the Tuamotu islands, where you’ll see pearl farmers harvest rare black pearls from giant oysters.
The Marquesas’ six inhabited islands are so remote that the Aranui 5 is their lifeline to the outside world, bringing supplies and picking up copra, dried coconut and noni fruit. You'll make 15 stops, so we have plenty of time to explore. Little has changed in these untouched islands, which have few roads or cars. Visitors are very rare and very welcome.
The first view of the Marquesas are the mountain spires of Ua Pou, "volcanic needles like the pinnacles of some ornate church," as Robert Louis Stevenson wrote in 1880. Whenever the Aranui III docks, villagers gather on the pier to greet you. As the muscular crew unloads supplies -- from cement to sugar -- and loads sacks of copra (dried coconut meat), their well-trained, multi-lingual guides bring you to meet traditional artists and take you on breathtaking hikes to hidden jungle ruins.
You'll never forget sailing into Nuku Hiva’s spectacular bay, a giant volcanic amphitheater dominated by towering cliffs streaked with majestic waterfalls. There are dramatic dive sites or heartstopping views by helicopter. A decade before he wrote Moby Dick, 23- year-old Herman Melville jumped his whaling ship here in 1842. You’ll retrace his escape route on a spectacular Jeep safari over the mountains to mysterious jungle river valley, still much the same as Melville described it in his autobiographical first novel -- Typee. Hidden amidst the bamboo and vanilla vines, you’ll see stone tiki gods, sacred ritual sites and enigmatic petroglyphs of birds, fish and sacred turtles and fish carved on boulders.
Hiva Oa is where Paul Gauguin’s search for an unspoiled island ended. This artist with a lust for life painted his final masterpieces here. In the hill top cemetery where Gauguin is buried is the gravestone of another European who also was seduced by these islands -- singer-composer Jacques Brel. The Aranui's guides will show you mysterious jungle ruins -- the largest tikis outside the Easter Islands. Once used for religious rites, these humanlike stone sculptures are reminders of that a great civilization flourished here before the Europeans invaded.
Even though Fatu Hiva is a center of Marquesian culture, Aranui passengers usually are the only visitors to this remote, verdant island. You’ll see artists painting ancient designs on tapa cloth, making pareos (sarongs) and monoi, coconut oil scented with tiare blossoms. You’ll see woodworkers carving intricate bowls and spears. After hiking past towering cliffs with dizzying views of majestic waterfalls, cool off with a plunge in a secluded river pool.
On Ua Huka, the wild horses outnumber the 300 residents. Explore by horse or by jeep -- either way, you'll have magnificent views. Along the way, you’ll enjoy bounteous Marquesan buffets: barbecued rock lobster, poisson cru (raw fish marinated in lime juice and soaked in coconut milk), curried goat, breadfruit, taro and sweet red bananas.
Contact our Travel Consultants for custom itineraries & expert advices on the Aranui Cruises