Amongst cruise strains that concentrate on upscale journeys, Ponant has one of many less complicated fleets.
All however three of the road’s 13 vessels fall into certainly one of simply two teams: The Sisterships and the Ponant Explorer ships.
Each of those teams are made up of vessels constructed across the identical time to the identical fundamental design. If you understand one member of the group, you understand all of them.
Moreover, Ponant operates two small crusing ships that collectively make up a 3rd set of vessels, in addition to a luxurious icebreaker that’s in a category all its personal — the latter particularly constructed for probably the most adventurous journeys to the world’s polar areas.
Right here, we clarify the distinctive options of those 4 forms of Ponant ships so you may plan the Ponant cruise that is best for you.
An introduction to Ponant ships
Ponant operates one of many largest fleets of small ships within the cruise world, with 13 vessels that largely are designed to hold 184 to 264 passengers. But it surely wasn’t all the time so huge.
The corporate, which was based in France in 1988, spent most of its first decade working with only one tiny vessel, the 32-passenger crusing ship Le Ponant. For one more decade after that, it solely added a handful of extra small vessels. However beginning in 2010, Ponant started a fast growth that noticed it add 4 bigger, practically similar vessels generally known as the Sisterships in 5 years.
Beginning simply three years later, Ponant started rolling out a second huge class of six ships, Ponant Explorers, over a three-year interval.
This fast growth lately has turned Ponant into one of many greatest manufacturers on the planet centered on upscale, small-ship sailings, together with expedition-style cruises to a number of the most distant and hard-to-reach locations.
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Like different manufacturers centered on upscale cruises, Ponant operates ships which might be far smaller and extra intimate than the large floating megaresorts operated by the likes of Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line. At 10,944 gross tons, even its greatest ships are greater than 20 occasions smaller than the most important Royal Caribbean ships, as an example.
Nonetheless, whereas the ships are smaller than what you will discover at a mass-market line, they are not cramped. Certainly, the road’s latest vessels are notably spacious when measured by their space-per-passenger ratio, which is considerably larger than what you will discover on many mass-market ships. In addition they function at the next ratio of workers to passengers than mass-market ships.
Each space-per-passenger ratios and staff-to-passenger ratios are measurements used as shorthand for the posh stage of a vessel.
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Basically, Ponant ships are elegant and refined, typically with French touches that replicate the road’s French roots. The corporate stays primarily based in France and operates bilingual sailings the place each French and English are spoken on board.
Polar Exploration Class
Ships at school: Le Commandant Charcot (2021)
Le Commandant Charcot is, fairly merely, the hardest passenger ship ever constructed for expedition cruising — the kind of cruising that entails touring to probably the most distant and hard-to-reach locations on the planet.
A full-blown icebreaker of the kind that till not too long ago solely governments operated, it is a 245-passenger expedition vessel able to doing issues that no different expedition ship at the moment afloat can or will ever be capable of do.
What’s extra, that’ll most likely be the case for years to come back. No different firm will possible spend the big sum of money it took to construct Le Commandant Charcot — reportedly $430 million for a ship with simply 123 rooms.
Constructed particularly to chop by the thick multiyear ice that’s discovered throughout elements of the polar ice cap, Le Commandant Charcot was notably designed with never-before-seen-in-a-passenger-ship redundancies in working methods, emergency tools, meals storage and gas storage that will enable it to outlive lengthy intervals away from resupply and rescue.
Because of this, Le Commandant Charcot can function a number of the most formidable and adventurous expedition cruises on the planet, together with the one voyages to the North Pole and epic sailings to distant elements of Antarctica that different ships cannot attain.
But it surely’s not only a robust ship. Ponant additionally wished Le Commandant Charcot to supply passengers a stage of consolation hardly ever seen within the expedition cruise house.
The cabins and suites on Le Commandant Charcot are among the many most trendy and spacious in expedition cruising, with a smooth, up to date really feel. Amongst luxurious touches, each cabin comes with a balcony — a rarity for expedition ships.
Amongst different standout options on Le Commandant Charcot is the primary restaurant (Nuna), which includes a menu designed by Alain Ducasse, the famed French chef. As I personally skilled throughout a crusing to the North Pole, it is probably the greatest eateries at sea. Meals at Nuna are included within the cruise fare, and you’ll dine there as many nights as you want.
The ship’s spa and wellness space additionally presents high-end class. It contains an indoor saltwater pool with plush lounge chairs going through the ocean by floor-to-ceiling home windows, in addition to a sauna, a snow room and a salon. An onboard health room presents cardio machines going through the ocean. An excellent-heated out of doors wading pool beckons behind the vessel.
Moreover, service on board Le Commandant Charcot is high-level. On many polar sailings, there would be the identical variety of crew members on the vessel as passengers — an unusually excessive ratio that may translate into very attentive service.
At 31,757 gross tons, Le Commandant Charcot can be unusually massive for an expedition ship that usually sails in polar areas with simply 200 or so passengers, leading to an infinite space-to-passenger ratio.
The Ponant Explorers Class
Ships at school: Le Jacques-Cartier (2020), Le Bellot (2020), Le Dumont-d’Urville (2019), Le Bougainville (2019), Le Champlain (2018) and Le Laperouse (2018)
These six yachtlike ships have been particularly designed to journey to tropical and subtropical locations, from the Maldives to Papua New Guinea.
Loaded with out of doors house, they every function an revolutionary hydraulic marina on the again, permitting for watery playtime in heat locales (kayaks and paddleboards can be found), and some of the uncommon lounges ever discovered at sea. Dubbed Blue Eye, the latter attraction is a curvy house beneath the waterline with two outsized viewing portals that allow you to gaze into the deep blue sea. It is a totally immersive expertise, with hull-mounted hydrophones bringing within the sound of the encompassing ocean.
Named after French explorers, the Ponant Explorers have been designed each for adventurous expedition cruising in distant areas and extra conventional cruising. When expedition cruising, they sail with an expedition staff made up of specialists within the locations they’re visiting and provide landings by Zodiac boats for exploring. Extra conventional cruises deliver a selection of shore excursions, some included and others for a further value.
As is typical for small vessels, the ships have only a handful of lounges and eating places the place passengers spend most of their time when on board.
Indoor lounges discovered on every of the ships embrace an ethereal house subsequent to the pool deck with a grand piano, a dance flooring and a bar, and a smaller panoramic lounge on the entrance of the vessel with a library and a bar.
For eating, passengers cut up their time between the primary Le Nautilus restaurant, which serves French and European delicacies, and the extra informal Le Nemo, a poolside eatery. Each provide informal eating by day and a extra formal atmosphere at night time.
The cabins on the ships — and there are solely 92 per vessel — provide an elegant, Scandinavian-style design. Every of the rooms, which begin at 205 sq. toes and might go a lot greater, has its personal balcony.
Different onboard facilities embrace a small infinity pool with a counter-current system, a solarium, a spa with a salon and a sauna, and a health heart. For leisure, you will typically discover stay music in the primary lounge or dance exhibits within the ship’s theater. The latter venue additionally hosts lectures by native specialists and movie screenings.
At 9,900 gross tons apiece, the Ponant Explorers are notably smaller than Le Commandant Charcot and a tad smaller than the road’s 4 Sisterships (extra particulars on these beneath). However with a most of simply 184 passengers on board on any crusing, they really feel spacious inside.
The Sisterships Class
Ships at school: Le Lyrial (2015), Le Soleal (2012), L’Austral (2011) and Le Boreal (2010)
Launched between 2010 and 2015, these 4 versatile sister ships have been on the core of the Ponant fleet till the arrival of the Ponant Explorers, and so they stay the vessels that Ponant makes use of for a few of its most formidable itineraries.
Constructed additional robust to sail into the world’s polar areas, they’re the ships you will possible be on in the event you choose a Ponant voyage to Antarctica or the Arctic (until your crusing entails a visit on Le Commandant Charcot, the road’s even hardier icebreaker). However whereas they typically spend massive parts of the 12 months crusing in polar areas, they will generally be present in hotter waters, too.
One of many vessels, Le Soleal, has lately been spending a substantial period of time crusing alongside the distant Kimberley coast of Australia, as an example, and the ships pop up in every single place from Northern Europe to jap Canada.
At practically 11,000 gross tons, these vessels are bigger than the Ponant Explorers, although not by sufficient to be actually noticeable. They nonetheless are many occasions smaller than the ships operated by mass-market manufacturers akin to Royal Caribbean. They maintain 264 passengers at most occupancy, fewer than is typical at different upscale strains.
As famous above, they’re constructed to be robust, with extra-strong hulls and different upgrades that enable them to bump by ice in polar areas (all of them boast a 1C ice class ranking from Lloyd’s Register). However in addition they are elegant vessels, with trendy, up to date interiors and comfy rooms. Consider them as upscale boutique accommodations that float.
Cabins on the ships have a soothing minimalist really feel, with furnishings and materials in taupe and cream and such luxurious touches as silk cushions and leather-fronted white drawers. They vary in measurement from about 200 sq. toes to 484 sq. toes (for the Proprietor’s Suite, which has separate dwelling and eating areas along with a bed room). Most, however not all, have balconies.
As with the Ponant Explorers, there are two fundamental eating venues: a chic fundamental eating room that may seat each passenger on the ship directly, if want be, and a extra informal buffet eatery that gives each indoor and out of doors seating across the pool.
Lounging and leisure venues embrace a fundamental lounge behind the ship that usually options stay piano music and a singer and a clubby statement lounge with stay piano music overlooking the bow. A small theater sometimes hosts exhibits and lectures.
Different public areas embrace a small spa with remedy rooms, a hair salon and a health space.
Word that the Sisterships are generally chartered in full or partly by high-end, U.S.-based tour corporations akin to Tauck and Abercrombie & Kent, which use them for all types of itineraries, together with journeys to the polar areas. When you ebook an ocean cruise with certainly one of these manufacturers, it could be that you’re going to be on certainly one of these vessels.
The Crusing Ships Class
Ships at school: Spirit of Ponant (2024) and Le Ponant (1991)
Le Ponant and Spirit of Ponant are the Ponant ships you ebook whenever you’re in search of a crusing journey.
A lot smaller than the opposite vessels within the Ponant fleet, with room for 32 passengers and 12 passengers, respectively, they’re each crusing ships that may allow you to discover basic crusing locations from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean.
Le Ponant, relationship again to 1991, is the model’s unique vessel. It presents the identical form of intimate crusing adventures that initially put the model on the cruise world map.
Fully revamped in 2021, the three-masted, 16-cabin vessel has the texture of a big non-public yacht, with expansive frequent areas on its prime deck that provide views to the horizon.
Down beneath, unfold throughout three decks, the 16 cabins and suites on Le Ponant are spacious and splendid, with both huge image home windows or portholes. Eating takes place within the trendy Le Diamant restaurant, which presents tremendous delicacies made with native merchandise served with Veuve Clicquot Champagne and wines from artisanal producers within the areas the vessel visits.
Public areas embrace an inside lounge and bar, an exterior bar and sundeck, a small wellness space and a retractable marina for swimming and different watery enjoyable. Associated to the latter, Le Ponant sails with all types of toys for passenger use, from kayaks and stand-up paddleboards to scuba diving tools and even fishing poles.
Le Ponant additionally sails with one crew member per passenger — a very excessive crew-to-passenger ratio that leads to top-notch service.
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With simply six cabins, the just-unveiled Spirit of Ponant (which debuted in 2024) is an much more intimate providing. Solely out there for reserving as a personal constitution, the double-hulled catamaran presents bespoke sailings that Ponant will customized design to your tastes.
Backside line
Ponant presents a big fleet of small vessels constructed for journey all over the world. Most of its ships are a part of two massive collection of ships which might be related of their elegant, upscale really feel however differ within the form of locations that they go to.
The road’s 4 Sisterships are the vessels you will possible be aboard in the event you’re touring to a polar area, whereas its six extra not too long ago constructed Polar Explorers Class vessels typically focus extra on tropical and subtropical itineraries. Along with these ships, Ponant operates three distinctive vessels — two small crusing vessels and the one luxurious icebreaker on the planet — which might be highlights of the model’s fleet.
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