The French Polynesia-based Aranui 5 has recently sailed to Chile to enter a drydock at the port of Valparaíso.

After departing from Papeete in late December, the 2015-built vessel spent two weeks at sea before arriving at the South American port in mid-January.

The Aranui 5 is now at Sociber’s floating drydock Valparaiso III for routine maintenance, technical overhaul and class work.

According to the shipyard, the 7,500-ton vessel is also scheduled to undergo repair work before resuming service in late February.

After returning to the South Pacific with no guests onboard, the ship is set to embark on its first 2025 sailing in Papeete on Feb. 22, 2025.

Built as a dual-purpose ship that transports both passengers and freight, the Aranui 5 is set to embark on its “Discover the Marquesas” itinerary.

The 11-night cruise sails to nine destinations in French Polynesia, including ports of call in three different archipelagos: Marquesas, Society and Tuamotu.

According to Aranui Cruises, the itinerary takes guests to “breathtaking landscapes,” visiting UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, administrative capitals, small villages and more.

The Aranui 5 is set to offer a total of 22 cruises in 2025, including a special Arts Festival sailing in December.

The schedule also includes three departures to the Austral Islands, an archipelago described by the company as an “untouched and mysterious, off-the-beaten-path land.”

As part of the itinerary, the vessel is scheduled to visit five destinations in the group of islands, which is located 600 kilometers south of Tahiti.

Designed as a replacement for the Aranui 3, the Aranui 5 was built at the Huanghai Shipbuilding Yard in Shandong, China.

In 2024, the 254-guest ship also served as a floating hotel, hosting surfers and other team members during the Paris Summer Olympics.