PONANT EXPLORATIONS

PONANT is a French cruise line founded in 1988 by officers of the French Merchant Navy. Every ship in the fleet sails under the French flag, and none carries more than 264 guests.

The fleet divides into a few distinct types. Six Explorer-class yachts, each named after a French explorer and carrying 184 guests, were built between 2018 and 2020 for expedition sailing in remote waters. Four slightly larger sister ships, Le Boréal, L’Austral, Le Soléal and Le Lyrial, carry up to 264 guests on longer itineraries. Le Ponant, the original three-masted sailing ship, still sails with just 32 guests on board. And Le Commandant Charcot, launched in 2021, is the only passenger icebreaker in the world, hybrid-powered and built to reach places no other cruise ship can go.

French influence runs through the experience. The menus on Le Commandant Charcot were designed by Alain Ducasse. The Explorer-class ships carry the Blue Eye, a lounge below the waterline with windows into the sea.

PONANT sails Antarctica and the Arctic, the Kimberley coast, the Mediterranean and the South Pacific, with expedition staff, Zodiacs and shore landings included in the fare. It suits travellers who want genuine expedition access without giving up good food, space and a well-run ship.