About Ponant
“Discover the treasures of the land by sea on board luxurious yachts that are built on an intimate, human scale. French crew, expertise, attentive service, gastronomy: set sail in a five-star environment and enjoy a travel experience that is simultaneously authentic and sophisticated. From five-star Culture and Relaxation cruises to Expedition cruises, PONANT creates exclusive itineraries that take you to new horizons. Its fleet offer you the opportunity to explore every continent: a nature break in Northern Europe, a journey of discovery in South America, an idyllic cruise in the Caribbean or an amazing adventure among the Antarctic ice floes. Accommodating a maximum of 264 passengers, Ponant ships let you maintain your privacy; you feel as if you are sailing on your own private yacht. A yacht serving the legendary ports of call and secret harbours that are only accessible to small ships.” — Ponant
Ponant brings something no other cruise line can: French savoir-faire applied to the ends of the earth. For more than 35 years the Ponant Explorations Group has pursued what it calls purposeful exploration and more responsible tourism, building a reputation as a world leader in luxury expeditions aboard small ships that never carry more than 500 guests. Every vessel in the fleet flies the French flag, and every one is fitted with the latest environmental technologies.
The fleet reads like a yachtsman's wish list. The line's namesake, the three-masted sailing yacht Le Ponant, is a member of Relais & Chateaux, joined by the sailing catamaran Spirit of Ponant. Four elegant sisterships, Le Boreal, L'Austral, Le Soleal, and Le Lyrial, slip into small ports reserved for intimate vessels, while the six PONANT EXPLORERS, each with just 92 staterooms, feature the Blue Eye, a one-of-a-kind multi-sensory underwater lounge. Crowning the fleet is Le Commandant Charcot, the world's only luxury icebreaker, built to follow in the wake of the great polar explorers.
Itineraries circle the globe, from both polar regions to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Africa and the Indian Ocean, Asia, and the Pacific islands. For sophisticated travelers who want expedition-grade access wrapped in French elegance, fine design, and small-ship intimacy, Ponant occupies a niche entirely its own.
Save on Ponant with Pavlus Travel
Pavlus Travel has been helping travelers save on the world's best cruise lines since 1994. Book Ponant through Pavlus and our exclusive discounts stack on top of the line's own current promotions — then our Lowest Price Guarantee keeps it that way. You never pay a service or planning fee, and you work one-on-one with a dedicated advisor who knows Ponant inside and out, from first quote to final port.
- Exclusive Pavlus savings on every Ponant sailing
- Lowest Price Guarantee — matched or beaten
- Never any service or planning fees
- A dedicated personal travel advisor, not a call center
- 30+ years of negotiated cruise-line relationships
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Call 1-800-528-9300 Browse Sailings & Get a QuoteThe Ponant Experience
French-flagged fleet
Thirteen small ships sail under the French flag, pairing yacht-like intimacy with French style, service, and seamanship on every voyage.
Le Commandant Charcot
The world's only luxury icebreaker follows the routes of the great polar explorers, reaching ice-bound destinations no conventional cruise ship can touch.
The Blue Eye lounge
Each of the six PONANT EXPLORERS features the Blue Eye, a multi-sensory underwater lounge for watching and listening to the sea below the waterline.
Sailing-yacht heritage
The three-masted Le Ponant, a Relais & Chateaux member, and the catamaran Spirit of Ponant keep the line's original sailing spirit alive.
Small ships, rare access
With fewer than 500 guests aboard every vessel, the fleet reaches remote anchorages and boutique ports reserved for small ships.
Committed to responsible travel
The group has pursued more responsible tourism for over 35 years, outfitting its ships with the latest environmental technologies.
What's Included with Ponant
Inclusions vary by itinerary and stateroom category — your Pavlus travel advisor will walk you through exactly what your fare covers before you book.
The Ponant Fleet (12 ships sailing bookable itineraries)
L'Austral
Innovative design, sleek shape and profile, refined interior decoration, friendly, intimate atmosphere: French designers and decorators have managed to give this ship a unique style and veritable signature of its own. Combinations of fine materials, colors and tones harmoniously livened up with touches of bright color, elegant lines, discreet and subtle refinement… everything has been designed to create a unique atmosphere onboard, a veritable personality: the chic style and naturally relaxing ambiance of a veritable private yacht.
See L'Austral sailings →
Le Bellot
Like the other ships in the PONANT EXPLORERS series, Le Bellot has been designed to provide absolute comfort for its passengers, even at the heart of the world's most remote and isolated regions. Racy lines, state-of-the-art equipment, a refined design, a softly muted and at the same time convivial ambiance together with a deliberately restricted number of cabins all contribute to the modernity of Le Bellot, a unique ship in the world of cruising.
See Le Bellot sailings →
Le Boreal
Le Boréal, like its Sister ships L’Austral, Le Soléal and Le Lyrial, epitomizes the unique feel and atmosphere of the ships of the PONANT fleet. Subtly combining luxury, intimacy and serene well-being, the ship has been designed to offer passengers both moments of conviviality and spaces conducive to peaceful tranquility and a sense of escape and getting away from it all. Its exterior and interior lines testify to the ingeniousness and refinement with which the Sister ships have been designed.
See Le Boreal sailings →
Le Bougainville
Welcoming and spacious common areas, refined open-to-the-sea design, sleek exterior lines, a marina to make access to the ship's Zodiac® inflatables easier, hi-tech equipment, an outdoor pool, a multisensorial underwater lounge. Le Bougainville represents the new generation of ships designed to combine discovery and exploration with luxury, even in the planet's most remote and isolated regions.
See Le Bougainville sailings →
Le Champlain
Like the rest of the PONANT EXPLORERS series, Le Champlain successfully manages to subtly combine the desire to explore the remotest regions of the planet with the comfort and privacy of a cozily intimate ship. To the innovative and environmentally friendly equipment are added elegant design and a unique atmosphere in keeping with the whole PONANT universe. Your dream of a cruise onboard a cozily intimate ship is thus made possible through the combination of an authentically genuine voyage experience together with discreet luxury.
See Le Champlain sailings →
Le Commandant Charcot
PONANT’s latest addition to the fleet, Le Commandant Charcot - the very first luxury hybrid electric polar exploration ship powered by liquified natural gas, is the epitome of a more responsible and sustainable sailing. Safe and low impact polar navigation is her area of expertise, taking advantage of the latest innovations and even developing new, market-leading technologies and solutions to make Le Commandant Charcot one of the most advanced polar vessels at sea today.
See Le Commandant Charcot sailings →
Le Dumont D'urville
Le Dumont-d’Urville belongs to a new generation of ships fitted with innovative equipment and designed to be environmentally friendly, and which come equipped with lounges that are largely open to the exterior, an outdoor swimming pool and a Blue Eye, a multisensorial underwater lounge. Everything is in place for an extraordinary cruise experience. It's now possible to depart for adventure to the most remote places on the planet onboard a ship offering luxury services.
See Le Dumont D'urville sailings →
Le Jacques Cartier
In keeping with the philosophy of PONANT and the PONANT EXPLORERS, Le Jacques-Cartier combines the desire for adventure with five-star travel. A modern ship with slender, tapered lines, it is environmentally friendly and equipped with innovative technology. Tastefully decorated, Le Jacques-Cartier reflects the universe so dear to PONANT, with its light tones and open-to-the-sea design providing soft light and luminosity at every instant of the day. Its ethnic chic ambiance pays homage to the destinations visit. Located below the waterline, the Blue Eye, the first ever multisensorial lounge, offers a unique experience: the opportunity to enjoy undersea views and the sounds of the marine world whilst sharing a glass together.
See Le Jacques Cartier sailings →
Le Laperouse
Environmentally friendly, fitted with innovative equipment and complete with lounges designed to be largely open to the exterior, this new and intimately sized yacht offers a unique type of cruise experience. Onboard this ship sailing under the French flag, you'll experience the incomparable pleasure of a cozily intimate cruise offering the possibility of exploring an ever-increasing range of destinations in an ethnic chic ambiance and with five-star service.
See Le Laperouse sailings →
Le Lyrial
Le Lyrial, the fourth ship in the Sisterships series, epitomizes a new generation of intimately sized cruise ships. Its sleek exterior and refined interior design exude understated elegance, making it a truly unique and innovative yacht.For the interior decoration, inspiration was drawn from the tones and colors of the destinations, featuring a palette of blues—from the soft, luminous grey-like hues of polar ice to the vibrant shades and turquoises of Mediterranean inlets and coves.
See Le Lyrial sailings →
Le Ponant
This legendary yacht offers a uniquely exclusive voyage experience. An invitation to sail, revitalise oneself, share, contemplate and respect the world around us. An ode to freedom and the treasures of nature.With its common areas open extensively to the horizon, you will have never felt such communion with the elements. With one crew member per passenger and just thirty-two guests on board, you will have never enjoyed so much attention. With navigation under sail the moment conditions allow, you will have never savoured each second that passes to such an extent.
See Le Ponant sailings →
Le Soleal
Like Le Boréal and L’Austral, the two sister ships that preceded it, Le Soléal further reaffirms PONANT's signature approach: to take passengers to the farthest reaches of the planet onboard five-star ships offering top-of-the-range services. An elegant appearance and refined interior design combine with cutting-edge technology to offer a new type of cruising: adventure in a luxury setting.
See Le Soleal sailings →Good to Know Before You Book
Gratuities & tipping
Cancellation policy
Cancellation By Guest
Cruise cancellation requests will be subject to the following charges, regardless of stateroom or suite resale:
| Cancellation Period | Per Person Cancellation Fee |
|---|---|
| From 15 days after the booking is confirmed to 181 days before the start of the cruise | $250 per passenger and per cruise for the cruise service only |
| From 180 – 91 Days Prior to Departure Date | 25% of total amount of the Services |
| Under 91 Days Prior to Departure Date | 100% of Full Fare total amount of the Services |
For all PONANT & PAUL GAUGUIN Cruises:
Cruise cancellation requests will be subject to the following charges, regardless of stateroom or suite resale:
• From 15 days after the booking is confirmed to 365 days before the start of the cruise: AUD250 per guest and per cruise for the cruise service only;
• From 364 to 211 days before the start of the Cruise: 10% of the total amount of the Services;
• From 210 to 91 days before the start of the Cruise: 25% of the total amount of the Services;
• Under 91 days before the start of the Cruise: 100% of the total amount of the Services.
(Last updated: Mar 31, 2023 Click here or here to view the latest policy provided by the cruise line.)
Smoking on board
Le Commandant Charcot has an onboard cigar lounge on Deck 5, where you can enjoy the delights of a refined selection of cigars (cigarettes are not allowed) and fine spirits.
Traveling with minors
Pregnancy policy
Policies are provided by Ponant and can change; your Pavlus advisor will confirm current terms for your specific sailing before you book.