Huanghai Shipbuilding Delivers Aranoa to Aranui Cruises for the South Pacific
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Huanghai Shipbuilding delivered the passenger and cargo vessel Aranoa to Aranui Cruises on September 28, 2026. The ship, certified for 197 passengers and 103 crew members, has a cargo capacity of 48 TEU and was designed by SDARI, the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute, a unit of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
Operations in French Polynesia
The Aranoa will be deployed in the South Pacific out of Papeete, Tahiti, offering combined passenger and cargo voyages to the remote islands of French Polynesia. Commercial service is expected to begin in 2027. This is the second passenger-cargo cruise vessel Huanghai has built for CPTM, following the Aranui 5, delivered in 2015.
Technical Specifications
According to OSM Thome, the company that provided newbuilding supervision for the project, the Aranoa is fitted with a diesel-electric propulsion plant comprising four diesel generators, two SCHOTTEL azimuth thrusters and a bow thruster, as well as dynamic positioning, fin stabilizers and an anti-heeling system. The vessel is classed by Bureau Veritas for unrestricted navigation as a passenger ship and features high-pressure water mist fire protection, ballast water and sewage treatment systems, and advanced HVAC systems.
Onboard Comfort and Shipyard Growth
Balcony cabins account for nearly 80 percent of the Aranoa's accommodations, with a crew-to-passenger ratio of approximately 1:2. Huanghai noted that the project expands its work in small and medium-sized luxury passenger-cargo vessels, while SDARI stated that its design responds to demand for small expedition cruise ships in remote tropical markets.
