PONANT unveils Spirit of Ponant: a luxury maxi-catamaran cruise ship
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Congratulations to all the professionals who made this a unique and unforgettable cruise. During the day and especially on shore excursions, casual, comfortable clothing is the norm. Depending on your itinerary, specific clothing might be recommended (waterproof, wind-resistant pieces, hiking boots, etc.). In the evening, attire is at passengers' discretion, though jeans, T-shirts and flip-flops are not permitted in Le Celeste main dining room. On Gala Nights, cruisers are encouraged to dress up in their finest, but it's not required.
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There are king-sized beds, dressing tables, plush bathrobes and French bath products to enjoy. Most staterooms and suites are equipped with balconies.The public spaces are beautiful and designed to encourage passengers to enjoy social time together. The open-air pool deck has plenty of seating, and afternoon tea is served in one of the lounges. At night, passengers gather in the Main Lounge for cocktails and dancing, or enjoy live music in the ship’s view lounge.
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The ship Le Soleil has great viewing decks and lounges, the cabins are nice, the food fantastic and all the staff - both on board and the booking agents on shore - were just the best. We have cruised with other cruise lines - Seabourn and Silversea amongst them - but Ponant is now one of our favourites. Hey Ben,My husband and I took our first ever cruise with PONANT for all the reasons you have outlined - adventurous yet refined...
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Actually, all ships in Ponant’s fleet have made great efforts to be friendly to the environment. I’d love to hear from more experienced cruisers if PONANT is actually as good as it looks, or if I’m just getting a little obsessed with the itineraries, and am ignoring something else. I’m increasingly itching to take a cruise to an adventure destination like Antarctica or Greenland, and as I look at options, PONANT seems like the cruise line I’m most likely to go with. Several OMAAT readers shared positive experiences, and as I’ve spent time browsing PONANT’s website, I’m intrigued by the huge variety of unique itineraries.
Mediterranean passengers reviews
Ponant Le Boreal Cruise: Expert Review (2023) - CruiseCritic.co.uk
Ponant Le Boreal Cruise: Expert Review ( .
Posted: Wed, 12 Jul 2023 19:20:32 GMT [source]
The ship has a small dedicated area for children, which has video games, books and board games, but there's no special programming for the younger set. Children are a rarity on the ship's expedition cruises to Antarctica and the Arctic. Super cruise line, certainly the best experience we have had. First a trip from Panama thru the canal and on to Lima. Next a quick backwards S from Aukland down the Easter edge of North Island, thru the strait, and the western fiords around to end in Dunedin. Our third trip was an exploratory trip into the New Zealand fiords and south with 13 naturalists around the sun-Antarctic Islands.
In fairness, quite a few of the smaller cruise lines offer Antarctica journeys. I haven’t taken a cruise in over 20 years, though lately I’ve had an itch to change that. As I do some research, I think PONANT might just be the cruise line that’s most up my alley.
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This addition enriches PONANT's portfolio with exclusive, intimate settings, underscoring the company's dedication to more sustainable tourism and its enduring affinity for sailing. Crafted in France, the Spirit of Ponant assures an immersive journey, charting courses to some of the world's most enchanting islands. Scheduled for launch in June 2024, the yacht will grace the shores of Corsica, France, for the summer season before embarking on a winter voyage to the Seychelles in 2025. Now, if you’re French, you may know about the Ponant cruise line, which is a French cruise line. It’s the world’s only French cruise line, with a fleet of small cruise ships all flying under the French flag.
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Founded in 1988 by officers of the French Merchant Navy, Ponant has long offered exciting global itineraries that fully immerse guests in the high seas. Robb Report’s marine editor Michael Verdon voyaged to the North Pole on Ponant’s luxury icebreaker last year, in fact. The Ponant fleet has expanded over the past three decades and now includes 13 ships that range from the 492-foot ice-class Le Commandant Charcot to the 288-foot Le Ponant.
Traditional power yachts
Le Boreal is a ship with a close-knit feel - it’s easy to make friends with other guests. The captain was omnipresent and developed a close relationship with travellers. I’d also like to acknowledge the great work of the entertainment team, whose presence was noticeable yet discreet. We went on a “music-themed” cruise and the standard of the concerts was exceptionally high. The entire crew was attentive, friendly and always available. And of course, when talking about PONANT, who could forget the French gastronomy aboard, with exquisitely varied meals?
Love the quality of experience, live-aboard life, and the details the line and especially the expert crew and officers. Food, conversation, programs, and safety remains second to none thru all three voyages. Love the practical quality and style, in attitude and service. Furthermore, the itineraries are completely customizable, too. The inaugural seven-night roundtrip voyages from Bonifacio can be tweaked to the traveler’s interests, with the captain offering recommendations. After a stint in Corsica, Spirit of Ponant will cruise around Mahé, a.k.a. the largest island in the Seychelles archipelago, for the winter season.
We’d been invited (along with other travel writers and agents) to tour L’Austral and enjoy lunch aboard the ship while it was in port in Vancouver for the day. Ponant is a French line and the service, food and entertainment onboard are French. Anyway, it’s just generally refreshing to see a cruise line where I can scroll through the itineraries and find almost each one of them interesting. PONANT has all kinds of cruises to Antarctica, which look amazing.
The smaller ships tend to venture off the beaten track, as well. There’s Le Ponant, a three-masted ship that accommodates 64 lucky passengers. It sails some of the cruise line’s most exotic itineraries. Clientele varies dramatically according to the season, with younger families traveling during European school holidays and older couples attracted to the longer cruises to more remote locations. A typical cruise might draw about 55 percent of the passengers from France, with the rest hailing from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Germany and countries as far afield as Japan and Brazil.
I will definitely travel again very happily with Ponant. Fantastically organized, great food and accommodation, friendly staff and great excursions from the ship. A smaller vessel with a maximum of about 280 passengers is certainly the way to go.
During school holidays, younger families with children may be on board (Ponant doesn’t have any special programs for children, but makes them welcome). The rest of the year and on longer cruises, most passengers will be 50-plus. In general, Ponant guests are well-traveled, social and interested in exploring the destinations.Ship announcements are made in French and English, and many crew members speak English, too. If you like, you can ask the maître d’ to seat you at an English-speaking table in the restaurants.
Exceptional viewing points and houses along the waterfront make this an unforgettable trip. Sprawling, iconic, the city of Los Angeles is no less impressive from above.The Griffith Observatory is the ideal viewing point to place the City of Angels at your feet! From here, the view is spectacular, especially at sunset when the sky is tinted with a thousand shades of orange. You only have to turn your head to see the famous Hollywood sign a little higher up. Exploring urban or natural environments, megacities or abundant forests, giant lakes or a sea full of fish... From the western coast of the US and Mexico to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in Canada, the best way to discover the diversity of North America is through a cruise.
Luxury travel journalists and SATW, NATJA and TMAC “Best Travel Blog” award winners, Janice and George Mucalov are the publishers of Sand In My Suitcase. Between them, they’ve traveled to all 7 continents. But comfort, soft-touch service and luxury are emphasized. And you kinda envy all those people who get to lounge around in their bathrobes, waking up slowly as they sip their morning café au lait on their balcony, breathing in the fresh sea air. If you’re one of those inside cabin passengers, you tell yourself you’re a happy camper because you saved a pile of dough by snagging the cheapest berth.
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