Amazing trips with French flair.
That could be the tagline for Ponant, the small-ship cruise specialist known for upscale voyages to some of the world’s most off-the-beaten-path places.
Founded by a group of French merchant mariners in 1988 with a single small sailing vessel, Ponant has grown into one of the world leaders in what is known as expedition cruising — cruising to remote, hard-to-reach destinations on hardy “expedition ships” that carry their own landing craft. But it has done it in its own distinctive Ponant way.
Based in France since its start and long popular among French-speaking passengers, Ponant has notably always offered voyages with a uniquely French ambience.
From the elegantly presented French cuisine you’ll encounter on board to the predominance of Francophone officers in key roles, you’ll know you’re on a French vessel when sailing with Ponant.
Ponant ships now operate as dual-lingual vessels — everything from announcements to off-the-ship tours are conducted both in French and English — and you’re as likely to be greeted with a “bonjour” at the dining room in the morning as a “good morning” from staff members who are as likely to come from France as anywhere else.
Your fellow passengers are as likely to be speaking French as English, too.
In short, traveling on one of Ponant’s upscale ships is something akin to staying at a luxury boutique hotel in France — just one that happens to float. You’re getting a little taste of France when you’re on a Ponant sailing in addition to a taste of whatever destination you are visiting.
The term “boutique hotel,” meanwhile, is really the way to look at what you’re getting when you book a Ponant ship. Ponant’s original vessel, Le Ponant, carried just 32 passengers, an incredibly small number for a cruise vessel, and the line — more than almost any other — has been steadfast in not going big with its ships. Most of the 13 vessels currently in its fleet have just 100 or so cabins.
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As Ponant executives are fond of saying, they are “ships on a human scale” — offering a yachtlike intimacy for the limited number of passengers on any given sailing and having the ability to dock in truly special places that bigger ships can’t access.
Along with such expedition cruising pioneers as Lindblad Expeditions, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Hurtigruten Expeditions, Ponant has been at the forefront of opening up some of the most remote parts of the Arctic and Antarctica to tourism, along with little-visited parts of warmer destinations such as the most remote islands of the South Pacific and Western Australia’s Kimberley region.
But in recent years, it has gone even further with the debut of the world’s first luxury icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot — the first luxury cruise vessel capable of traveling all the way to the North Pole. Here’s what else you need to know about Ponant and its ships.
Related: A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
3 things TPG loves about Ponant
- Its array of rare itineraries, including voyages to the North Pole
- The French flair of its ships
- The sleek and modern design of its vessels
What we could do without
- The high cost of some add-on tours
The Ponant fleet
Among cruise lines that focus on upscale trips, Ponant has one of the simpler fleets.
All but three of the line’s 13 vessels fall into one of just two groups: The Sisterships and the Explorer-class ships.
Both of these groups are made up of small, upscale vessels constructed around the same time to the same basic design. If you know one member of the group, you know them all.
In addition, Ponant operates two small sailing ships that together make up a third set of vessels as well as a luxury icebreaker that is in a class all its own — the latter specifically built for the most adventurous trips to the world’s polar regions.
Like other brands focused on upscale cruises, Ponant operates ships that are far smaller and more intimate than the giant floating megaresorts operated by the likes of Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line. At 10,944 gross tons, even the biggest Ponant ships are more than 20 times smaller than the biggest Royal Caribbean ships, for instance.
With the exception of the line’s two sailing vessels (Le Ponant and Spirit of Ponant), the line’s ships are designed to carry just 184 to 264 passengers apiece. The sailing ships are even more intimate, carrying just 32 passengers and 12 passengers, respectively.
Still, while the ships are smaller than what you’ll find at a mass-market line, they’re not cramped. Indeed, the line’s new Explorer-class vessels, in particular, are notably spacious when measured by their space-per-passenger ratio. It’s significantly higher than what you’ll find on many mass-market ships. These vessels also operate with a higher ratio of staff members to passengers than mass-market ships.
Both the space-per-passenger ratio and the staff-to-passenger ratio are measurements used as shorthand for the luxury level of a vessel.
Related: The best luxury cruise lines for elegance and exclusivity
In general, Ponant ships are elegant and refined, often with French touches that reflect the line’s French roots.
The line’s icebreaker, the 245-passenger Le Commandant Charcot, is particularly luxurious, with a restaurant designed by the famed French chef Alain Ducasse, an elegant spa, and high-end cabins and suites.
Le Commandant Charcot also is, quite simply, the toughest passenger ship ever built for expedition cruising — the type of cruising that involves traveling to the most remote and hard-to-reach places in the world.
Related: TPG’s ultimate guide to expedition cruising
A full-blown icebreaker of the sort that until recently only governments operated, it was built specifically to cut through the thick multiyear ice that is found across parts of the polar ice cap, allowing it to travel all the way to the North Pole
Destinations and itineraries
Looking to get off the beaten path on your next cruise vacation? Ponant could be your line.
The expedition cruise specialist offers one of the most diverse arrays of itineraries in the cruise business. Its 13 small vessels operate in every corner of the world including some of the most remote and hard-to-reach places.
With some of the world’s toughest polar-rated expedition ships, including the only cruise vessel capable of reaching the North Pole, Ponant is a leader in voyages to Antarctica and the Arctic — arguably the world’s two most difficult-to-access destinations.
But it’s also known for one of the most diverse arrays of exotic voyages across remote parts of Oceania and the Pacific Islands and around little-visited parts of Africa, the Middle East and archipelagos in the Indian Ocean.
It also offers trips to more traditional cruise destinations such as the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, albeit typically with a focus on the quieter corners of such places.
It is a mix of polar, tropical and subtropical voyages, all on relatively upscale expedition vessels or small yachts, that is rare in the cruise world.
Who sails Ponant
Ponant often draws large numbers of French-speaking passengers — no doubt due to its status as the only major France-based cruise line operating ocean cruises. Its guests typically include passengers from France, Belgium, Switzerland and other French-speaking countries. In recent years, however, the line has been drawing growing numbers of English-speaking passengers, too, and its sailings can have a notably international flavor when it comes to the mix of clientele.
On a recent Ponant sailing that I was on in Canada, for instance, the nearly 100 passengers on board came from 14 different countries, including France, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico and China. French-speaking passengers were in the majority, but only by a tad. I’ve also sailed on Ponant ships that were almost entirely filled with French-speaking passengers and others where French-speaking passengers were in the minority. It often depends on the itinerary.
What passengers on Ponant ships have in common is that they generally are well-heeled — these aren’t inexpensive vessels — and on the older side. The company’s core market is the 50-plus crowd, as that’s the demographic that has the money and time for the brand’s high-end sailings that are often on the long side. But Ponant also draws some younger travelers, too.
In general, you’ll find a lot of couples on Ponant ships and some solo travelers. You’ll also find the occasional multigenerational group — a retired couple traveling with their working-age adult children, for instance. What you won’t find is a huge number of children.
Cabins and suites
What are the cabins on Ponant ships like? In a word, elegant.
Among brands known for expedition-style voyages, Ponant offers some of the most stylish and comfortable cabins you’ll find.
In general, Ponant cabins are sleek and contemporary, with a generous amount of space. In contrast to what you’ll find on many cruise ships, they also all have windows looking out over the ocean. Unlike on the vessels operated by some cruise brands, there are no windowless “inside” cabins on Ponant ships.
Nearly every cabin and suite on every Ponant ship also comes with a balcony. This isn’t always the case with small cruise ships and expedition ships. The line’s seven newest ships are all-balcony vessels.
In short, Ponant vessels are a good choice if you’re looking for a ship that can take you to the most remote parts of the world in style.
Ponant’s entire fleet of 13 vessels has been designed to feel intimate and sophisticated, with even the biggest of its ships housing just 132 cabins. Six of the line’s newest ships, the Explorer-class vessels, have just 92 cabins apiece.
That’s far fewer cabins than you’ll find on most upscale ships. Most of the ships operated by luxury line Seabourn, for instance, have 226 to 302 cabins.
From an experiential point of view, this is wonderful news, of course — who doesn’t love a more intimate vacation experience away from the crowds? But it also means that there’s limited cabin inventory for any particular sailing.
So if you find a Ponant sailing you like, you shouldn’t wait too long to book a cabin on it.
Restaurants and dining
As is typical for small ships, Ponant vessels generally have just two main eateries: a formal restaurant with table service in an interior area and a more casual buffet eatery around the pool area.
On each of the line’s six new Explorer-class ships, for instance, passengers split their time between the main Le Nautilus restaurant, which serves French and European cuisine, and the more casual Le Nemo, a poolside venue.
Each of the line’s four Sisterships also has two main outlets for dining: an elegant main dining room that can seat every passenger on the vessel at once, if need be, and a more casual buffet that offers both indoor and outdoor seating around the pool.
Ponant’s most luxurious vessel, the icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot, also offers a choice of two main restaurants, with one being a very high-end main dining room (Nuna) with a menu designed by Alain Ducasse, the famed French chef.
As I’ve personally experienced during Le Commandant Charcot sailings to the North Pole and ice-bound parts of Canada, Nuna is hands-down one of the best restaurants at sea. Meals at Nuna are included in the cruise fare, and you can dine there as many nights as you like — a major perk of booking this vessel, given the sky-high cost of dining at Ducasse restaurants on land.
In most cases, the casual buffet eateries have both indoor and outdoor seating areas, and they often offer a more elevated dining experience in the evenings.
Among other dining options, you’ll also usually find a small continental breakfast (think pastries, fruit and yogurt) laid out for early and late risers in one of the lounges on each of these ships. These lounges will hold an afternoon tea with cookies and finger sandwiches on most days, too.
In addition, room service is available around the clock on most Ponant ships.
The above applies to Ponant’s 11 biggest vessels. For the two small sailing ships, the dining options are much more limited, though still upscale.
Dining on Le Ponant, the ship’s main sailing vessel, takes place in the stylish Le Diamant restaurant, which offers fine cuisine made with local products served with Veuve Clicquot Champagne and wines from artisanal producers in the regions the vessel visits.
Entertainment and activities
Unlike the big ships operated by mass-market cruise lines, Ponant vessels aren’t serving up a nonstop stream of entertainment and activities during the day to keep you busy — that’s not what these trips are all about.
On the line’s sailings to traditional destinations such as the Mediterranean, most passengers are off the ship touring during the day, and it’s relatively quiet on board. On the line’s expedition-style voyages to such places as Antarctica, daytime brings landings by Zodiac for exploring, sprinkled with the occasional onboard lecture about the destination.
That mostly leaves the evenings for more traditional entertainment, which on Ponant ships might mean a musical duo performing in the background in a lounge or, occasionally, a more formal musical performance in the ship’s theater.
Theaters, lounges and shows
Each of the line’s bigger ships (all but the two sailing vessels) has a small theater that is home to musical performances, lectures, movie screenings and, during expedition cruises, recaps of the day’s adventures.
All of these vessels also have a main lounge and bar where you’ll find live music at night — a singer, maybe, or a musical duo. They also have secondary, often less-visited, lounges at their tops overlooking the bow that offer live music at night.
During the day, the main lounges are home to occasional activities that range from dance lessons to trivia contests.
In addition, Ponant’s six Explorer-class ships offer what are surely the most unusual lounges ever found at sea. Dubbed Blue Eye, they are curvy spaces below the waterline with oversized viewing portals that let you gaze into the deep blue sea. In each case, they are fully immersive experiences, with hull-mounted hydrophones pumping in the sound of the surrounding ocean.
The pool deck and other venues
The line’s six new Explorer-class ships, which were specifically designed to travel to tropical and subtropical destinations, have the most outdoor lounge spaces, including pool areas and innovative hydraulic marinas at the back that allow for watery playtime (kayaks and paddleboards are available). There are also outdoor pools and lounge space on the four Sisterships.
Le Commandant Charcot, the line’s icebreaker, has a spectacular curving “blue lagoon” pool at its back that’s heated as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit when the ship is in cold-weather areas (which is most of the time). Just be sure to bring your robe for the freezing dash back inside.
In addition, Le Commandant Charcot has a serene indoor pool area with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sea and a bar serving up made-to-order smoothies and fresh juices. The pool here is filled with seawater pumped in from the sea and heated with the ship’s energy-conserving heating system.
Other interior spaces that are part of the ships include small spas with treatment rooms, saunas and other therapeutic features. On Le Commandant Charcot, this includes a snow room designed to pair with the adjacent sauna for hot-and-cold therapy. The sauna even has a glass wall overlooking the ocean.
You’ll also find fitness rooms on each of the 11 biggest ships, and on most days, fitness and wellness classes including yoga held somewhere on board (listed each day in the daily program).
The line’s two sailing vessels offer fewer entertainment and activity options, as you might expect given their small size. On Le Ponant, the line’s main sailing vessel, public areas include an interior lounge and bar, an exterior bar and sundeck, a small wellness area, and a retractable marina for swimming and other aquatic fun. Related to the latter, Le Ponant sails with all sorts of toys for passenger use, from kayaks and stand-up paddleboards to scuba diving equipment and even fishing poles.
Related: The cruise ships with the most spectacular attractions at sea
Children’s program
Ponant ships generally don’t draw many children, but children are welcome, with a few age-related caveats. Children under the age of 1 are not allowed on Ponant vessels, and the number of children between the ages of 1 and 6 allowed on classic sailings (those that don’t involve expedition-style landings) is limited to five per voyage.
For expedition cruises, the age cut-off is stricter, with children under the age of 6 not allowed (for Le Commandant Charcot, the cut-off age is 8). Children who do come on such sailings must be able to embark and disembark the vessel via inflatable Zodiac boats, be sufficiently tall to sit on the inflatable sides of such boats, and understand orders given by the people in charge of such boats.
On select sailings each year, the line offers a kids club program with activities that are open to children over the age of 4.
What to know before you go
Required documents
Ponant operates international itineraries where a passport is required. Passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of the voyage’s end. Note that it is important that the name on your reservation be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality.
Gratuities
Unlike many cruise lines, Ponant does not add an automatic service gratuity to final bills. Tipping is left to the discretion of passengers.
Related: Everything you need to know about tipping on a cruise ship
Wi-Fi
Ponant offers free Wi-Fi service to passengers on all its ships, with the caveat that each passenger only can have a single device active on the internet at any given time. If you want to access the internet from both a phone and a computer while on board, for instance, you’ll have to log off from one of the devices before logging on with the other. Offered through the Starlink network since 2023, the internet service is relatively fast.
Related: Wi-Fi on cruise ships: Things to know about internet use on board
Carry-on drinks policy
Unlike many lines, Ponant allows you to bring your own wine, Champagne, beer and liquor onto ships at embarkation with no limits. The line also doesn’t charge a corkage fee.
Smoking policy
On nearly all Ponant ships, smoking (including the smoking of electronic cigarettes) is only allowed in designated outdoor areas. It’s forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies.
The only exception to this “outdoor only” rule is on Le Commandant Charcot, the line’s icebreaker, which has an indoor cigar lounge where passengers can smoke cigars only (the smoking of cigarettes is not allowed).
Laundry
Unlike some lines, Ponant does not have self-service launderettes on its ships. Vessels offer extra-charge laundry and pressing services. Note that dry-cleaning services are not available on Ponant ships.
Related: Everything you need to know about cruise ship laundry services
Electrical outlets
All of the line’s vessels have both standard North American-style, 110-volt outlets as well as European-style, 200-volt outlets in rooms. On the line’s main sailing ship, Le Ponant, the only North American-style outlet in each cabin is in the cabin bathroom.
Currency
The currency used on Ponant ships is the euro.
Drinking age
You must be 21 to consume alcohol on Ponant ships.
Dress code
Ponant doesn’t have a formal dress code per se, but it recommends that passengers wear elegant casual clothing during the day into the evening, and many passengers do dress quite elegantly.
On a handful of nights on every cruise that are designated as gala evenings, the line encourages passengers to dress even more elegantly. For these evenings, the line recommends cocktail dresses for women and a shirt and tie for men. Sometimes these gala evenings are designated as Officers’ nights, for which black-and-white outfits are the norm.
One hard-and-fast rule: Shorts are not permitted in the main restaurants on Ponant ships on any evening.
The above dress recommendations apply even to the line’s most rugged expedition voyages to cold-weather places such as Antarctica and the North Pole. Unlike some upscale cruise brands that operate more casual sailings on polar trips, Ponant still holds gala evenings on ships sailing on such expedition-style itineraries. This means that you may find yourself packing quite a bit of clothing for such trips — both layers of outdoor expedition gear and more formal wear for onboard time in the evenings.
One thing you won’t have to pack on polar sailings is a polar parka, as Ponant gives one out to each passenger on such trips (passengers then can keep it at the end of the voyage at no extra charge). The line also has heavy-duty waterproof boots for Zodiac landings on board ships that are available for passenger use.
Related: Cruise packing list: The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
Ponant cruise loyalty program
Ponant may be a relatively small line, but it offers a big loyalty program that can bring you all sorts of great perks.
The Ponant Yacht Club, as it’s called, has multiple status tiers that come with such valuable benefits as significant discounts on cruises, onboard spending credits and free onboard laundry service.
What’s more, the Ponant Yacht Club loyalty program is one where you start getting access to some of the best perks right after your first cruise — something that isn’t always the case with cruise line loyalty programs.
Plus, the Ponant Yacht Club program has one of the most fun tier-level naming structures in the cruise business. Seriously, who can turn down the opportunity to officially be titled an “admiral” or a “commodore” when cruising?
Earning Ponant points
The Ponant Yacht Club points-earning system is about as straightforward as can be. Every time you sail on one of the line’s 13 vessels, no matter how long the voyage, you will get credit for one sailing. Your status level in the program thus will depend entirely on your total number of sailings and nothing else. Unlike at some lines, your status level will not be influenced by how many total days you sail or the type of cabins you book.
That said, there is a not-so-obvious way to accumulate more credits for sailings than you might think possible. Hidden in the fine print of the Ponant Yacht Club program rules is the pronouncement that you can get credit for sailings you take with South Pacific cruise specialist Paul Gauguin Cruises.
That’s because the two lines are related, as Ponant has owned Paul Gauguin Cruises since 2019.
Related: Why your next dream vacation should be a Paul Gauguin cruise
As for those perks, you’ll find that even at the lowest, “Major,” level of the program, which you earn after you confirm your second cruise, there are some solid offerings, including a 5% discount on any future cruise you book. That’s a great perk, as it amounts to real money in your pocket.
The next tier of the program, the “Admiral” rung after you confirm your fourth cruise, brings an even bigger discount of 7.5% when you book a future cruise as well as a cabin category upgrade when you sail, should a cabin for such an upgrade be available. There’s nothing like a free upgrade to make a cruiser feel good about their loyalty to a line.
Both tiers, as well as higher levels, also come with shipboard credits that rise as you rise through the echelons, along with other benefits that are valuable.
Note that, as is usually the case with cruise line loyalty programs, Ponant Yacht Club customers do not have to requalify for status each year. Status in the Ponant Yacht Club program is based on the number of sailings you have taken over your lifetime, and such “points” never expire. That means that someone who hits the top-tier Commodore status will remain at that top-tier level forever (or until Ponant makes a change to the program).
Such “forever status” is one of the great allures of cruise line frequent cruiser programs. Many airline frequent flyer programs, by contrast, require loyalty members to requalify for status each year.
How much does a Ponant cruise cost?
Ponant sailings aren’t inexpensive, alas. Seven-night sailings in the Mediterranean start at $4,590 per person. That works out to roughly $1,300 per day for a couple sharing a room. Some of the line’s more off-the-beaten-path sailings, such as its expedition trips to Antarctica, cost far more. Ten-night Antarctica trips start at $13,410 per person — nearly $2,700 per day for a couple.
Related: Ways to travel to Antarctica in luxury and style
Even more pricey are the one-of-a-kind polar voyages the line offers on Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s only luxury icebreaker — including the handful of epic voyages it operates each summer to the North Pole. The latter sailings start at a mind-boggling $41,920 per person for a 15-night experience. That works out to nearly $6,000 per couple per day.
Still, as is typical for cruise lines at the high end, Ponant includes a lot in its base price. In addition to a room on board and all meals, the fares include most drinks on board, shipboard Wi-Fi, and (perhaps most notably) expedition guide-led shore experiences during expedition-style cruises to such destinations as Antarctica and the Arctic.
Note that Ponant sometimes charges high fees for extra services such as transfers to the ship and charter flights needed to reach a ship in a remote area, or for add-on tours that aren’t included as part of the base package.
How to book
If you’re sure you know what sort of cabin you want, on which ship, on which itinerary — and about a dozen other things — you can head over to ponant.com and book directly.
That said, given the complexity of booking a cruise — there are a lot of decisions to make during the booking process, trust us — we always recommend that you use a seasoned travel agent who specializes in cruises.
A good travel agent will quiz you about your particular interests, travel style and preferences, and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. An agent can also help you if something goes wrong before, during or after your voyage.
If you’re sure that Ponant is your line, look for a travel agent who specializes in trips with the brand. You want someone who knows all of the line’s many itineraries in detail and, preferably, has sailed on or at least inspected some of the line’s vessels, too, to understand the various cabin types and onboard amenities.
Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles
Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your credit card spending when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases. This could be the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees), which offers 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel and dining (excluding the annual $300 travel credit). There’s also the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), which offers 2 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel (and 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on dining).
Bottom line
Ponant is a leader in small-ship sailings to some of the world’s most remote places, such as Antarctica, as well as more traditional destinations, such as the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, and it’s known for an elegant, upscale experience. Among the array of voyages that it regularly offers are some of the most unusual routings offered by any cruise company big or small, including what are currently the only sailings to the North Pole available and unique routes across the Pacific and around Africa.
For some of these very rare itineraries, such as the trips to the North Pole, it is pretty much the only option.
Based in France and popular with French travelers, Ponant is also unusual among upscale cruise brands in that it operates its vessels as dual-lingual ships, with all activities on board conducted in both French and English. If you book a Ponant ship, you’re signing up for an experience that will have a notably French feel, like a stay at a boutique hotel in France. For many Ponant fans, that’s one of the brand’s greatest allures.
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