Superb journeys with French aptitude.
That may very well be the tagline for Ponant, the small-ship cruise specialist recognized for upscale voyages to a few of the world’s most off-the-beaten-path locations.
Based by a bunch of French service provider mariners in 1988 with a single small crusing vessel, Ponant has grown into one of many world leaders in what is named expedition cruising — cruising to distant, hard-to-reach locations on hardy “expedition ships” that carry their very own touchdown craft. Nevertheless it has performed it in its personal distinctive Ponant means.
Based mostly in France since its begin and lengthy widespread amongst French-speaking passengers, Ponant has notably all the time supplied voyages with a uniquely French atmosphere.
From the elegantly offered French delicacies you will encounter on board to the predominance of Francophone officers in key roles, you will know you are on a French vessel when crusing with Ponant.
Ponant ships now function as dual-lingual vessels — all the pieces from bulletins to off-the-ship excursions are carried out each in French and English — and also you’re as more likely to be greeted with a “bonjour” on the eating room within the morning as a “good morning” from workers members who’re as more likely to come from France as anyplace else.
Your fellow passengers are as more likely to be talking French as English, too.
Briefly, touring on certainly one of Ponant’s upscale ships is one thing akin to staying at a luxurious boutique resort in France — only one that occurs to drift. You are getting a bit style of France if you’re on a Ponant crusing along with a style of no matter vacation spot you’re visiting.
The time period “boutique resort,” in the meantime, is admittedly the best way to take a look at what you are getting if you ebook a Ponant ship. Ponant’s unique vessel, Le Ponant, carried simply 32 passengers, an extremely small quantity for a cruise vessel, and the road — greater than virtually every other — has been steadfast in not going huge with its ships. Many of the 13 vessels at the moment in its fleet have simply 100 or so cabins.
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As Ponant executives are fond of claiming, they’re “ships on a human scale” — providing a yachtlike intimacy for the restricted variety of passengers on any given crusing and being able to dock in really particular locations that greater ships cannot entry.
Together with such expedition cruising pioneers as Lindblad Expeditions, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Hurtigruten Expeditions, Ponant has been on the forefront of opening up a few of the most distant components of the Arctic and Antarctica to tourism, together with little-visited components of hotter locations similar to essentially the most distant islands of the South Pacific and Western Australia’s Kimberley area.
However lately, it has gone even additional with the debut of the world’s first luxurious icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot — the primary luxurious cruise vessel able to touring all the best way to the North Pole. This is what else you could learn about Ponant and its ships.
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3 issues TPG loves about Ponant
- Its array of uncommon itineraries, together with voyages to the North Pole
- The French aptitude of its ships
- The modern and fashionable design of its vessels
What we might do with out
- The excessive price of some add-on excursions
The Ponant fleet
Amongst cruise traces that target upscale journeys, Ponant has one of many easier fleets.
All however three of the road’s 13 vessels fall into certainly one of simply two teams: The Sisterships and the Explorer-class ships.
Each of those teams are made up of small, upscale vessels constructed across the similar time to the identical fundamental design. If you realize one member of the group, you realize all of them.
As well as, 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 essentially the most adventurous journeys to the world’s polar areas.
Like different manufacturers centered on upscale cruises, Ponant operates ships which are far smaller and extra intimate than the enormous floating megaresorts operated by the likes of Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line. At 10,944 gross tons, even the most important Ponant ships are greater than 20 instances smaller than the most important Royal Caribbean ships, for example.
Excluding the road’s two crusing vessels (Le Ponant and Spirit of Ponant), the road’s ships are designed to hold simply 184 to 264 passengers apiece. The crusing ships are much more intimate, carrying simply 32 passengers and 12 passengers, respectively.
Nonetheless, whereas the ships are smaller than what you will discover at a mass-market line, they are not cramped. Certainly, the road’s new Explorer-class vessels, specifically, are notably spacious when measured by their space-per-passenger ratio. It is considerably greater than what you will discover on many mass-market ships. These vessels additionally function with the next ratio of workers members to passengers than mass-market ships.
Each the space-per-passenger ratio and the staff-to-passenger ratio are measurements used as shorthand for the luxurious stage of a vessel.
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On the whole, Ponant ships are elegant and refined, usually with French touches that mirror the road’s French roots.
The road’s icebreaker, the 245-passenger Le Commandant Charcot, is especially luxurious, with a restaurant designed by the famed French chef Alain Ducasse, a sublime spa, and high-end cabins and suites.
Le Commandant Charcot is also, fairly merely, the hardest passenger ship ever constructed for expedition cruising — the kind of cruising that includes touring to essentially the most distant and hard-to-reach locations on this planet.
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A full-blown icebreaker of the kind that till lately solely governments operated, it was constructed particularly to chop by means of the thick multiyear ice that’s discovered throughout components of the polar ice cap, permitting it to journey all the best way to the North Pole
Locations and itineraries
Seeking to get off the crushed path in your subsequent cruise trip? Ponant may very well be your line.
The expedition cruise specialist gives one of the vital various arrays of itineraries within the cruise enterprise. Its 13 small vessels function in each nook of the world together with a few of the most distant and hard-to-reach locations.
With a few of the world’s hardest polar-rated expedition ships, together with the one cruise vessel able to reaching the North Pole, Ponant is a pacesetter in voyages to Antarctica and the Arctic — arguably the world’s two most difficult-to-access locations.
Nevertheless it’s additionally recognized for one of the vital various arrays of unique voyages throughout distant components of Oceania and the Pacific Islands and round little-visited components of Africa, the Center East and archipelagos within the Indian Ocean.
It additionally gives journeys to extra conventional cruise locations such because the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, albeit usually with a deal with the quieter corners of such locations.
It’s a mixture of polar, tropical and subtropical voyages, all on comparatively upscale expedition vessels or small yachts, that’s uncommon within the cruise world.
Who sails Ponant
Ponant usually attracts massive numbers of French-speaking passengers — little doubt on account of its standing as the one main France-based cruise line working ocean cruises. Its friends usually embrace passengers from France, Belgium, Switzerland and different French-speaking international locations. In recent times, nonetheless, the road has been drawing rising numbers of English-speaking passengers, too, and its sailings can have a notably worldwide taste with regards to the combination of clientele.
On a current Ponant crusing that I used to be on in Canada, for example, the practically 100 passengers on board got here from 14 completely different international locations, together with France, america, Canada, the UK, Germany, Mexico and China. French-speaking passengers had been within the majority, however solely by a tad. I’ve additionally sailed on Ponant ships that had been virtually solely full of French-speaking passengers and others the place French-speaking passengers had been within the minority. It usually is determined by the itinerary.
What passengers on Ponant ships have in widespread is that they typically are well-heeled — these aren’t cheap vessels — and on the older aspect. The corporate’s core market is the 50-plus crowd, as that is the demographic that has the time and cash for the model’s high-end sailings which are usually on the lengthy aspect. However Ponant additionally attracts some youthful vacationers, too.
On the whole, you will discover numerous {couples} on Ponant ships and a few solo vacationers. You will additionally discover the occasional multigenerational group — a retired couple touring with their working-age grownup youngsters, for example. What you will not discover is a large variety of youngsters.
Cabins and suites
What are the cabins on Ponant ships like? In a phrase, elegant.
Amongst manufacturers recognized for expedition-style voyages, Ponant gives a few of the most trendy and comfy cabins you will discover.
On the whole, Ponant cabins are modern and modern, with a beneficiant quantity of house. In distinction to what you will discover on many cruise ships, additionally they all have home windows looking over the ocean. In contrast to on the vessels operated by some cruise manufacturers, there are not any windowless “inside” cabins on Ponant ships.
Almost each cabin and suite on each Ponant ship additionally comes with a balcony. This is not all the time the case with small cruise ships and expedition ships. The road’s seven latest ships are all-balcony vessels.
Briefly, Ponant vessels are a sensible choice should you’re searching for a ship that may take you to essentially the most distant components of the world in type.
Ponant’s total fleet of 13 vessels has been designed to really feel intimate and complicated, with even the most important of its ships housing simply 132 cabins. Six of the road’s latest ships, the Explorer-class vessels, have simply 92 cabins apiece.
That is far fewer cabins than you will discover on most upscale ships. Many of the ships operated by luxurious line Seabourn, for example, have 226 to 302 cabins.
From an experiential viewpoint, that is fantastic information, in fact — who does not love a extra intimate trip expertise away from the crowds? Nevertheless it additionally signifies that there’s restricted cabin stock for any specific crusing.
So should you discover a Ponant crusing you want, you should not wait too lengthy to ebook a cabin on it.
Eating places and eating
As is typical for small ships, Ponant vessels usually have simply two foremost eateries: a proper restaurant with desk service in an inside space and a extra informal buffet eatery across the pool space.
On every of the road’s six new Explorer-class ships, for example, 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 venue.
Every of the road’s 4 Sisterships additionally has two foremost retailers for eating: a sublime foremost eating room that may seat each passenger on the vessel without delay, if want be, and a extra informal buffet that provides each indoor and outside seating across the pool.
Ponant’s most luxurious vessel, the icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot, additionally gives a selection of two foremost eating places, with one being a really high-end foremost eating room (Nuna) with a menu designed by Alain Ducasse, the famed French chef.
As I’ve personally skilled throughout Le Commandant Charcot sailings to the North Pole and ice-bound components of Canada, Nuna is hands-down certainly one of the very best eating places at sea. Meals at Nuna are included within the cruise fare, and you’ll dine there as many nights as you want — a serious perk of reserving this vessel, given the sky-high price of eating at Ducasse eating places on land.
Typically, the informal buffet eateries have each indoor and outside seating areas, they usually usually supply a extra elevated eating expertise within the evenings.
Amongst different eating choices, you will additionally normally discover a small continental breakfast (assume pastries, fruit and yogurt) laid out for early and late risers in one of many lounges on every of those ships. These lounges will maintain a day tea with cookies and finger sandwiches on most days, too.
As well as, room service is accessible across the clock on most Ponant ships.
The above applies to Ponant’s 11 largest vessels. For the 2 small crusing ships, the eating choices are rather more restricted, although nonetheless upscale.
Eating on Le Ponant, the ship’s foremost crusing vessel, takes place within the trendy Le Diamant restaurant, which gives superb delicacies made with native merchandise served with Veuve Clicquot Champagne and wines from artisanal producers within the areas the vessel visits.
Leisure and actions
In contrast to the large ships operated by mass-market cruise traces, Ponant vessels aren’t serving up a nonstop stream of leisure and actions through the day to maintain you busy — that is not what these journeys are all about.
On the road’s sailings to conventional locations such because the Mediterranean, most passengers are off the ship touring through the day, and it is comparatively quiet on board. On the road’s expedition-style voyages to such locations as Antarctica, daytime brings landings by Zodiac for exploring, sprinkled with the occasional onboard lecture concerning the vacation spot.
That principally leaves the evenings for extra conventional leisure, which on Ponant ships would possibly imply a musical duo performing within the background in a lounge or, sometimes, a extra formal musical efficiency within the ship’s theater.
Theaters, lounges and reveals
Every of the road’s greater ships (all however the two crusing vessels) has a small theater that’s residence to musical performances, lectures, film screenings and, throughout expedition cruises, recaps of the day’s adventures.
All of those vessels even have a foremost lounge and bar the place you will discover reside music at evening — a singer, perhaps, or a musical duo. Additionally they have secondary, usually less-visited, lounges at their tops overlooking the bow that supply reside music at evening.
In the course of the day, the primary lounges are residence to occasional actions that vary from dance classes to trivia contests.
As well as, Ponant’s six Explorer-class ships supply what are certainly essentially the most uncommon lounges ever discovered at sea. Dubbed Blue Eye, they’re curvy areas under the waterline with outsized viewing portals that allow you to gaze into the deep blue sea. In every case, they’re totally immersive experiences, with hull-mounted hydrophones pumping within the sound of the encompassing ocean.
The pool deck and different venues
The road’s six new Explorer-class ships, which had been particularly designed to journey to tropical and subtropical locations, have essentially the most outside lounge areas, together with pool areas and progressive hydraulic marinas on the again that enable for watery playtime (kayaks and paddleboards can be found). There are additionally outside swimming pools and lounge house on the 4 Sisterships.
Le Commandant Charcot, the road’s icebreaker, has a spectacular curving “blue lagoon” pool at its again that is heated as excessive as 100 levels Fahrenheit when the ship is in cold-weather areas (which is more often than not). Simply be sure you carry your gown for the freezing sprint again inside.
As well as, Le Commandant Charcot has a serene indoor pool space with floor-to-ceiling home windows overlooking the ocean and a bar serving up made-to-order smoothies and contemporary juices. The pool right here is full of seawater pumped in from the ocean and heated with the ship’s energy-conserving heating system.
Different inside areas which are a part of the ships embrace small spas with remedy rooms, saunas and different therapeutic options. On Le Commandant Charcot, this features a snow room designed to pair with the adjoining sauna for hot-and-cold remedy. The sauna even has a glass wall overlooking the ocean.
You will additionally discover health rooms on every of the 11 largest ships, and on most days, health and wellness lessons together with yoga held someplace on board (listed every day within the each day program).
The road’s two crusing vessels supply fewer leisure and exercise choices, as you would possibly anticipate given their small measurement. On Le Ponant, the road’s foremost crusing vessel, 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 aquatic enjoyable. Associated to the latter, Le Ponant sails with all kinds of toys for passenger use, from kayaks and stand-up paddleboards to scuba diving gear and even fishing poles.
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Kids’s program
Ponant ships usually do not draw many youngsters, however youngsters are welcome, with just a few age-related caveats. Kids below the age of 1 usually are not allowed on Ponant vessels, and the variety of youngsters between the ages of 1 and 6 allowed on traditional sailings (those who do not contain expedition-style landings) is proscribed to 5 per voyage.
For expedition cruises, the age cut-off is stricter, with youngsters below the age of 6 not allowed (for Le Commandant Charcot, the cut-off age is 8). Kids who do come on such sailings should have the ability to embark and disembark the vessel by way of inflatable Zodiac boats, be sufficiently tall to take a seat on the inflatable sides of such boats, and perceive orders given by the individuals accountable for such boats.
On choose sailings annually, the road gives a children membership program with actions which are open to youngsters over the age of 4.
What to know earlier than you go
Required paperwork
Ponant operates worldwide itineraries the place a passport is required. Passports should be legitimate for a minimum of six months past the date of the voyage’s finish. Word that it is crucial that the identify in your reservation be precisely as it’s said in your passport or different official proof of nationality.
Gratuities
In contrast to many cruise traces, Ponant doesn’t add an automated service gratuity to closing payments. Tipping is left to the discretion of passengers.
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Wi-Fi
Ponant gives free Wi-Fi service to passengers on all its ships, with the caveat that every passenger solely can have a single machine lively on the web at any given time. If you wish to entry the web from each a telephone and a pc whereas on board, for example, you will need to log out from one of many units earlier than logging on with the opposite. Supplied by means of the Starlink community since 2023, the web service is comparatively quick.
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Carry-on drinks coverage
In contrast to many traces, Ponant permits you to carry your personal wine, Champagne, beer and liquor onto ships at embarkation with no limits. The road additionally does not cost a corkage price.
Smoking coverage
On practically all Ponant ships, smoking (together with the smoking of digital cigarettes) is barely allowed in designated outside areas. It is forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies.
The one exception to this “outside solely” rule is on Le Commandant Charcot, the road’s icebreaker, which has an indoor cigar lounge the place passengers can smoke cigars solely (the smoking of cigarettes will not be allowed).
Laundry
In contrast to some traces, Ponant doesn’t have self-service launderettes on its ships. Vessels supply extra-charge laundry and urgent companies. Word that dry-cleaning companies usually are not accessible on Ponant ships.
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Electrical retailers
All the line’s vessels have each normal North American-style, 110-volt retailers in addition to European-style, 200-volt retailers in rooms. On the road’s foremost crusing ship, Le Ponant, the one North American-style outlet in every cabin is within the cabin lavatory.
Foreign money
The foreign money used on Ponant ships is the euro.
Consuming age
You should be 21 to devour alcohol on Ponant ships.
Gown code
Ponant does not have a proper costume code per se, nevertheless it recommends that passengers put on elegant informal clothes through the day into the night, and plenty of passengers do costume fairly elegantly.
On a handful of nights on each cruise which are designated as gala evenings, the road encourages passengers to decorate much more elegantly. For these evenings, the road recommends cocktail attire for girls and a shirt and tie for males. Generally these gala evenings are designated as Officers’ nights, for which black-and-white outfits are the norm.
One hard-and-fast rule: Shorts usually are not permitted in the primary eating places on Ponant ships on any night.
The above costume suggestions apply even to the road’s most rugged expedition voyages to cold-weather locations similar to Antarctica and the North Pole. In contrast to some upscale cruise manufacturers that function extra informal sailings on polar journeys, Ponant nonetheless holds gala evenings on ships crusing on such expedition-style itineraries. This implies that you could be end up packing fairly a little bit of clothes for such journeys — each layers of outside expedition gear and extra formal put on for onboard time within the evenings.
One factor you will not need to pack on polar sailings is a polar parka, as Ponant provides one out to every passenger on such journeys (passengers then can hold it on the finish of the voyage at no further cost). The road additionally has heavy-duty waterproof boots for Zodiac landings on board ships which are accessible for passenger use.
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Ponant cruise loyalty program
Ponant could also be a comparatively small line, nevertheless it gives an enormous loyalty program that may carry you all kinds of nice perks.
The Ponant Yacht Membership, because it’s known as, has a number of standing tiers that include such worthwhile advantages as vital reductions on cruises, onboard spending credit and free onboard laundry service.
What’s extra, the Ponant Yacht Membership loyalty program is one the place you begin having access to a few of the finest perks proper after your first cruise — one thing that is not all the time the case with cruise line loyalty applications.
Plus, the Ponant Yacht Membership program has one of the vital enjoyable tier-level naming buildings within the cruise enterprise. Severely, who can flip down the chance to formally be titled an “admiral” or a “commodore” when cruising?
Incomes Ponant factors
The Ponant Yacht Membership points-earning system is about as easy as will be. Each time you sail on one of many line’s 13 vessels, regardless of how lengthy the voyage, you’ll get credit score for one crusing. Your standing stage in this system thus will rely solely in your whole variety of sailings and nothing else. In contrast to at some traces, your standing stage is not going to be influenced by what number of whole days you sail or the kind of cabins you ebook.
That mentioned, there’s a not-so-obvious strategy to accumulate extra credit for sailings than you would possibly assume attainable. Hidden within the superb print of the Ponant Yacht Membership program guidelines is the pronouncement you could get credit score for sailings you’re taking with South Pacific cruise specialist Paul Gauguin Cruises.
That is as a result of the 2 traces are associated, as Ponant has owned Paul Gauguin Cruises since 2019.
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As for these perks, you will discover that even on the lowest, “Main,” stage of this system, which you earn after you affirm your second cruise, there are some strong choices, together with a 5% low cost on any future cruise you ebook. That is an incredible perk, because it quantities to actual cash in your pocket.
The following tier of this system, the “Admiral” rung after you affirm your fourth cruise, brings a fair greater low cost of seven.5% if you ebook a future cruise in addition to a cabin class improve if you sail, ought to a cabin for such an improve be accessible. There’s nothing like a free improve to make a cruiser be ok with their loyalty to a line.
Each tiers, in addition to greater ranges, additionally include shipboard credit that rise as you rise by means of the echelons, together with different advantages which are worthwhile.
Word that, as is normally the case with cruise line loyalty applications, Ponant Yacht Membership clients shouldn’t have to requalify for standing annually. Standing within the Ponant Yacht Membership program relies on the variety of sailings you could have taken over your lifetime, and such “factors” by no means expire. That signifies that somebody who hits the top-tier Commodore standing will stay at that top-tier stage eternally (or till Ponant makes a change to this system).
Such “eternally standing” is likely one of the nice allures of cruise line frequent cruiser applications. Many airline frequent flyer applications, in contrast, require loyalty members to requalify for standing annually.
How a lot does a Ponant cruise price?
Ponant sailings aren’t cheap, alas. Seven-night sailings within the Mediterranean begin at $4,590 per individual. That works out to roughly $1,300 per day for a pair sharing a room. A number of the line’s extra off-the-beaten-path sailings, similar to its expedition journeys to Antarctica, price way more. Ten-night Antarctica journeys begin at $13,410 per individual — practically $2,700 per day for a pair.
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Much more expensive are the one-of-a-kind polar voyages the road gives on Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s solely luxurious icebreaker — together with the handful of epic voyages it operates every summer time to the North Pole. The latter sailings begin at a mind-boggling $41,920 per individual for a 15-night expertise. That works out to just about $6,000 per couple per day.
Nonetheless, as is typical for cruise traces on the excessive finish, Ponant features a lot in its base worth. Along with a room on board and all meals, the fares embrace most drinks on board, shipboard Wi-Fi, and (maybe most notably) expedition guide-led shore experiences throughout expedition-style cruises to such locations as Antarctica and the Arctic.
Word that Ponant typically costs excessive charges for further companies similar to transfers to the ship and constitution flights wanted to achieve a ship in a distant space, or for add-on excursions that are not included as a part of the bottom package deal.
How one can ebook
When you’re positive you realize what kind of cabin you need, on which ship, on which itinerary — and a couple of dozen different issues — you may head over to ponant.com and ebook immediately.
That mentioned, given the complexity of reserving a cruise — there are numerous selections to make through the reserving course of, belief us — we all the time suggest that you simply use a seasoned journey agent who makes a speciality of cruises.
A great journey agent will quiz you about your specific pursuits, journey type and preferences, and steer you to the proper cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. An agent may also enable you to if one thing goes mistaken earlier than, throughout or after your voyage.
When you’re positive that Ponant is your line, search for a journey agent who makes a speciality of journeys with the model. You need somebody who is aware of all the line’s many itineraries intimately and, ideally, has sailed on or a minimum of inspected a few of the line’s vessels, too, to know the assorted cabin sorts and onboard facilities.
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Whether or not you employ a journey agent or not, make certain to maximize your bank card spending when paying for the cruise by utilizing a bank card that gives further factors for journey purchases. This may very well be the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges), which gives 3 Final Rewards factors per greenback spent on journey and eating (excluding the annual $300 journey credit score). There’s additionally the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and charges), which gives 2 Final Rewards factors per greenback spent on journey (and three Final Rewards factors per greenback spent on eating).
Backside line
Ponant is a pacesetter in small-ship sailings to a few of the world’s most distant locations, similar to Antarctica, in addition to extra conventional locations, such because the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, and it is recognized for a sublime, upscale expertise. Among the many array of voyages that it usually gives are a few of the most uncommon routings supplied by any cruise firm huge or small, together with what are at the moment the one sailings to the North Pole accessible and distinctive routes throughout the Pacific and round Africa.
For a few of these very uncommon itineraries, such because the journeys to the North Pole, it’s just about the one possibility.
Based mostly in France and widespread with French vacationers, Ponant can be uncommon amongst upscale cruise manufacturers in that it operates its vessels as dual-lingual ships, with all actions on board carried out in each French and English. When you ebook a Ponant ship, you are signing up for an expertise that can have a notably French really feel, like a keep at a boutique resort in France. For a lot of Ponant followers, that is one of many model’s best allures.
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