Aranui Cruises director of marketing, communication, and operations Romina Wong gathered together a group of female crew members aboard the Aranui 5 in recognition of their contributions to the company.

The commemorative event comes ahead of International Women’s Day on 8th March.

Affectionately known as the freighter to paradise, Aranui 5 is based in Papeete, Tahiti, and is staffed by an all-Polynesian crew of which 51 are women.

There are, at present, a total of 76 women working in the company. 

Where women are held in honour

The Wong family, which owns and operates Aranui Cruises, has long believed in equality in the workplace, with women holding the same place within the organisation and participating in decision-making as well as men and have held key positions in the company for many years.

Women play other key roles, particularly in hospitality management, though there are those employed in roles that have traditionally been held by men. 

Wong said: “I think we are starting to see more gender equality in the workplace and the female contribution is being recognised more, bringing with it greater creativity, energy, and compassion as well as an understanding of human relationships, which are often key factors in customer facing roles. We believe that women can manage a ship or a team just as effectively as men, particularly when it comes to machinery. These women, who are just as capable as men, have had to demonstrate character and perseverance in this male-dominated environment to advance to these positions. Aranui considers the person’s maritime function and skills to be more important than their gender.”

She added that Aranui Cruises is fortunate to have employees who have stayed with them for as long as four decades in some cases, and that low turnover of staff is a further reward for the company as a whole.