Ponant Luxury Cruises FAQs
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Reservations & Rates
What is included in the all-inclusive offer?
At PONANT, the “all-inclusive” includes:
- accommodation in stateroom,
- the full meal plan,
- the Open Bar: beginning with boarding, and during the duration of the cruise, a wide selection of drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, wine, beer, Henri Abelé BRUT champagne, spirits, coffee, tea) is served on request and at any time of the day. Certain premium alcoholic beverages on the menu are not included in the Open Bar,
- free Wi-Fi internet access 24 hours a day*,
- access to all the common areas:
- on board our sister ships and Ponant Explorers: fitness room, steam room, hair salon, swimming pool (sea water, heated), solarium, lounges, theater, boutique & leisure area.
- on board of our three-masted Le Ponant: Solarium of 400 m², marina, lounge, Boutique & leisure area.
Is airfare included in the price of the cruise?
For all our cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic, we charter aircraft and transfers in order to facilitate the arrival and the departure of our passengers. Thus we offer air packages having the following benefits: direct flights, baggage transported on a single flight to ensure its delivery at the arrival point, ship’s departure delayed in the event of a flight delay & personalized service on board. For cruises outside of Arctic and Antarctic, some flights are included in the rate shown. These cruises are identifiable by the notation “round-trip flights included”, “domestic flight for arrival included”, or “”return domestic flight included”. For more information, our Information & Booking Service is at your disposal.
Are port taxes included in the price of the cruise?
You will not have to worry about port taxes, they are included in your cruise fare.
Are excursions included in the price of the cruise?
Excursions offered are not included in the price of the cruise. Some cruises, however offer excursions.
Are all meals included in the price of the cruise?
The breakfasts, lunches and dinners served on board are included in the price of the cruise. Beginning with boarding and during the entire duration of the cruise, beverages are served on request and at any time of the day. The Open Bar offers a wide selection of drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, wine, beer, Henri Abelé BRUT Champagne, spirits, coffee, tea). Certain premium alcoholic beverages on the menu are not included in the Open Bar.
Are Spa services included in the price of the cruise?
Access to the steam room and the fitness room is free, except on Le Ponant which does not have them.
What champagne is included in the price of the cruise?
Henry Abelé Brut champagne is included in the Open bar.
Are the rates displayed per person or per stateroom?
The rates displayed on our site are per person, on the basis of a double occupancy. A single supplement applies automatically for people wishing to travel alone. This supplement is offered on some cruises.
What is the PONANT Bonus?
“The Ponant Bonus allows you to benefit from the most economical fares as soon as possible. This promotional rate, up to 30% discount, increases as a function of the availability of the cruise.
Are the rates displayed on the site calculated based on the Ponant Bonus?
The rates displayed on the site are updated in real time according to the evolution of the Ponant Bonus.
I have seen a different rate for the same cruise on other sites, how can this be explained?
PONANT is committed to offering exactly the same rates with travel agencies as with its direct customers, including Internet sales and on foreign markets. If you find different rates for the same PONANT cruise, please report this to the following email address: Contact@ponant.com
How is the on-line payment of my cruise done?
During the course of the booking a PONANT cruise on our Internet site, you can make your payment by bank card: Visa, Mastercard, Carte Bleue, E-Carte Bleue or American Express. You can also choose between the payment of a deposit, or the payment of the totality of the balance of your account. Online payments are obviously fully secured since we use the SSL protocol encryption system that protects your information at the time of the transaction.
Where can I find the summary of my orders/cruises?
You can find the summary of your orders and your cruises on your account, in the “My PONANT” tab.
How can I find my PONANT Yacht Club membership number?
Your PONANT Yacht Club membership number is on the card that was sent to you.
What is a waiting list and how do I register?
If the cruise that you want to book is complete, you have the opportunity to register on a waiting list. This list allows you to be informed as soon as the cruise is again available for sale. To register on a waiting list, simply go on the cruise sheet of your choice and click on the button “complete cruise”. A link you will take you to the form to complete.
Boarding and Disembarking
Where does my vessel depart from?
On the boarding day of your cruise, your vessel leaves the port mentioned on the first day of the itinerary. A few weeks before your departure, you receive your travel book with all the information necessary for the proper conduct of your cruise, including a reminder of your itinerary and the name of the port of embarkation.
How do I get to the departure location of my cruise?
It is possible for you to come to the place of departure for your cruise by your own means, or to call our services. Your round trip flights, your transfers between the airport and the port of embarkation and disembarking or your programs before and after cruise: PONANT accompanies you through the complete planning of your trip.
What time can I embark on the first day of my cruise?
The embarkation schedule is indicated on the first day of your cruise itinerary. A few weeks before your departure, you receive your travel book with all the information necessary for the proper conduct of your cruise, including the embarkation schedule.
Stateroom
What equipment is available in my stateroom?
Beginning with you arrival in your staterooms, PONANT offers a bathrobe, slippers, towels & HERMES toiletries.
Do all staterooms offer a view of the sea?
With the exception of Le Ponant, all staterooms on our ships have a private balcony offering a view of the sea. On Le Ponant, only the Marie-Galante staterooms have a porthole..
Are there any interconnecting staterooms? What is the difference between a prestige stateroom and a prestige suite?
Onboard our sister ships (Le Boréal, L’Austral, Le Soléal and Le Lyrial) as well as the PONANT Explorers, there is a door between some prestige staterooms to transform them into prestige suites. On the layouts of our ships (available at the end of the brochure as well as on our Internet site on the tab “Our ships”), all prestige staterooms with an arrow across them can be transformed into prestige suites.
For security reasons when at sea, the door is locked in the opened or closed position and cannot be opened by guests. If two prestige staterooms have been purchased as a suite, the door between them is unlocked and cannot be closed.
Can I get stateroom service?
On each of our ships, you can enjoy room service at any hour of the day and night (except at night on Le Ponant). A butler service is also available to passengers:
- on the sister ships: for passengers staying in one of the staterooms on deck 6,
- on the PONANT Explorers: for passengers staying in one of the two large suites located to the rear of deck 5.
Leisure and Activities
Can I practice a sport activity on board?
In order to maintain your fitness, and following the program of stopovers in your itinerary, mild fitness sessions will be offered to you during your cruise. If navigation and weather permit, guests can take a dip in the swimming pool of our sister ships and our PONANT explorers, or directly in the clear waters traversed by your vessel. Some stopovers will allow you to practice fee-based activities such as tennis, golf and SCUBA diving (remember to bring your licenses, handicap cards or dive logs). Finally, all our ships have a fitness room, with the exception of Le Ponant.
What are the relaxation areas on board?
For your greater comfort, PONANT offers various relaxation areas on board:
on Le Ponant, you can enjoy a solarium, deck chairs, bars, lounges, leisure spaces and a boutique.
on our other ships, you can enjoy lounges, a spa with massage staterooms and a steam room, a hair salon, a fitness room, a swimming pool, a theater and a boutique.
Can I make an appointment at the spa before my departure?
We advise all our passengers to book their benefits at the spa after they are settled on board. It is not possible to make a reservation before your departure.
Is the swimming pool heated?
Our ships Le Boreal, Le Soléal, L’Austral, Le Lyrial offer an outdoor swimming pool. The water is heated sea water.
Ships
Where can I find a layout of the vessel?
All the layouts of our ships are available on our Internet site, in the sub-tab “”The Decks”” under the heading “”Our ships””.
Restaurants
What menu is offered on board?
Our chefs and their brigade interpret and share with our passengers their passion for the French culinary heritage, enriched with the products and traditions of the countries visited. Our menus are constantly renewed according to the destination and the route chosen. On our mega yachts, two restaurants welcome you according to your wishes, the gourmet restaurant and the grill restaurant.
Health & Accessibility
Do I need a medical certificate to take a cruise?
A medical file is requested for Antarctic cruises, in the sub-Antarctic regions, traversing the Northwest Passage and for all trips at sea.
Is there a doctor on board?
There is a doctor on board available to the passengers on all our ships:
- The schedules of consultation are listed each day in the log book (emergency consultation 24/7).
- The sister ships and PONANT Explorers also have a hospital for any small surgery.
- During the excursions, the passengers are accompanied by a doctor or a nurse.
- There is a fee for consultations on board . The price may vary according to the time and place of the consultation (hospital orst aterooms). You must also pay for medications.
- The doctor on board is not authorized to distribute sick leaves and prescriptions. Only accounts and invoices are provided which may be used by the passenger to obtain a refund from his/her health insurance if his/her contract allows.
On board
Are power adapters provided?
Adapters are provided on board, they are available at the reception office of our ships.
Are electrical outlets available in the common areas?
Electrical outlets are available to our passengers in the common areas.
On board our vessels you can enjoy the following services:
- Reception desk 24/7 on our sister ships & PONANT Explorers, and 7:00AM to 11:00PM on Le Ponant,
- Customer Service Office,
- Excursions Office,
- Breakfast in your stateroom,
- Butler service reserved to our passengers traveling in the suites of Deck 6 of the sister ships and the two large rear suites on Deck 5 on the PONANT Explorers,
- Stateroom service (Free & available 24/7),
- Wake-up service,
- Laundry,
- Fitness room (aboard the sister ships only),
- Photography/video service,
- Bar,
- Postal service,
May I bring one or more children on board?
Children under three years of age shall not be authorised to embark on the ships. Children under six years of age shall not be authorised to embark on the ships for Polar Expedition cruises. In the case of all the Expedition Cruises, children must be fully independent during all the outside activities organised and during disembarkation in rubber boats, be sufficiently tall to sit on the inflatable sides of the boats, and old enough to understand, and immediately respond to the orders given by the persons in charge. As a result, children’s participation in any activity in an inflatable boat shall be subject to the agreement of the Captain and of the Expedition Head, depending on the sea conditions, and the difficulty of disembarking at each location visited. The ships do not carry Parka’s in children’s sizes. Parents must arrange to bring a suitable Parka for children.
Offers & Benefits
Is an insurance offered?
PONANT offers insurance to all passengers on its ships.
What is the back-to-back offer?
A back-to-back offer lets you benefit from special rates when you book several cruises with successive dates. The more you “chain” the cruises, the greater the reductions you get. The reduction is applicable on the cruise fare in port/port (excluding port taxes), not applicable to sea travel, and subject to availability at the time of booking.
Communications with the outside world
Can I send letters during my cruise?
You may leave letters and postcards at Reception and they will be posted for you. Please note your cabin number where you would normally place the stamp. The postage fee will be added to your account.
Is a telephone service available on board?
A satellite telephone system is at your disposal for contacting anyone, anywhere in the world. The cost of the call is added to the cabin account (€6/minute).
Calls that you receive can be transferred directly to your cabin or to any other communal area on the ship. To receive or send faxes, please see Reception.
Is internet access available on board?
Free Wi-Fi internet access is available on all of our ships, in both the cabins and the communal areas. One or several computers are at your disposal in the recreation centres.
Please note that the Wi-Fi connection may be slower or even interrupted in certain geographic regions or due to circumstances outside of our control.
Communications with Ponant
I no longer wish to receive email from PONANT, how do I request that?
If you no longer want to receive electronic communication from PONANT, please click on the unsubscribe link located at the bottom of one of the emails that has been sent to you.
How can I change the language of the site?
The site is accessible in English, French and German. If you want to change the language, you simply select FR, EN, or DE by clicking on the button located at the top right of your screen and placed to the side of the button to request enrollment in our newsletter.
