Cruise Frog guide
Ponant
Ponant is a French cruise line that sails small, French-flagged ships on luxury voyages and polar expeditions, from the Mediterranean and the Caribbean to the Arctic, Antarctica, Asia and the South Pacific. Its 12 ships carry between 32 and 264 guests, and the line now trades as Ponant Explorations within a group that also owns Paul Gauguin Cruises and Aqua Expeditions.
Style
Luxury
small ships, a high crew-to-guest ratio, most extras included
Best for
- Couples
- Adventure seekers
- History and culture
- Food lovers
Fleet rating
No ships rated yet.
About Ponant
Philippe Videau and Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée founded the company in 1988 with fellow French merchant navy officers, and its first ship, the three-masted Le Ponant, began sailing in 1991. The container shipping group CMA CGM bought Ponant in 2006 and moved its head office from Nantes to Marseille; the investment firm Bridgepoint took over in 2012, and Artémis, the Pinault family's holding company, in 2015. Four Fincantieri-built Sisterships arrived between 2010 and 2015, six smaller Ponant Explorers between 2018 and 2020, and the LNG-powered icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot in 2021.
A Ponant voyage is built around small numbers and a French sensibility: cuisine is a centerpiece, the ships have spas and pools, and evenings bring talks by guest experts and naturalists, concerts and small-scale shows. Expedition itineraries add Zodiac landings, and the Explorers have an underwater lounge below the waterline. Many departures are themed around music, gastronomy or partners such as Smithsonian Journeys, The Explorers Club and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
What Ponant is known for
Ponant is best known for expedition cruising in comfort: its small ships reach the polar regions, remote islands and harbors that bigger vessels cannot, and Le Commandant Charcot takes guests to the geographic North Pole and deep into the Antarctic ice. Reviewers often praise the French cooking and wine, the design of the ships, and the range of themed voyages and partner programs. The drawbacks most often raised are cost, with polar fares commonly well into five figures per person, and the usual expedition caveat that weather and ice decide what a given voyage actually sees. In 2020 the company was criticized for declining to give refunds on cruises cancelled because of COVID-19.
Who it's for
Ponant suits travelers who want unusual or remote itineraries without giving up comfort: couples and solo travelers who care more about wildlife, lectures and good food than nightlife, and anyone drawn to the Arctic or Antarctica. Its yacht-style Mediterranean and Caribbean cruises appeal to guests who like a European atmosphere and small ports. Families with young children, travelers on a tight budget and anyone looking for big-ship entertainment, casinos or a long list of restaurants should look elsewhere, as should those who dislike Zodiac landings or schedules that change with the weather.
- Couples
- romantic dining, quiet spaces, balcony cabins
- Adventure seekers
- active excursions, remote places
- History and culture
- port-intensive itineraries, lectures, included excursions
- Food lovers
- dining is a reason to sail
How it rates
None of Ponant's ships has been rated yet. A line's rating is the average of its ships' scores.
Where Ponant sails
Ships
L'Austral2011 · 10,944 GT · 264 guests · Antarctica · MediterraneanL'Austral is the second of Ponant's four Sisterships, built by Fincantieri at Ancona and put into service in April 2011. Like her sisters she is 142 metres long and takes up to…
Le Bellot2020 · 9,976 GT · 184 guests · Panama Canal · Mexican RivieraLe Bellot is the fifth Ponant Explorer and takes her name from Joseph René Bellot, the French naval officer who explored the Arctic. Ponant ordered her in March 2018 together…
Le Boréal2010 · 10,944 GT · 264 guests · Mediterranean · AntarcticaLe Boréal is the first of Ponant's four near-identical Sisterships, completed by Fincantieri at Ancona in 2010. She measures 142 metres and about 10,900 gross tons and carries up…
Le Bougainville2019 · 9,976 GT · 184 guests · Mediterranean · CaribbeanLe Bougainville, the third Ponant Explorer, takes her name from the admiral and navigator Louis-Antoine de Bougainville. Her hull was built in Romania and she was completed at…
Le Champlain2018 · 9,976 GT · 184 guests · Northern Europe · Norwegian FjordsLe Champlain is the second of the six Ponant Explorers and is named after Samuel de Champlain, remembered as the father of New France. Her keel was laid at Vard's Tulcea yard in…
Le Commandant Charcot2021 · 31,283 GT · 245 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeLe Commandant Charcot is Ponant's flagship and its only icebreaker, built to Polar Class 2 so that she can reach the geographic North Pole and the ice of the Weddell Sea. Vard…
Le Dumont-d'Urville2019 · 9,976 GT · 184 guests · Mediterranean · Canary IslandsLe Dumont-d'Urville is the fourth of the six Ponant Explorers. She was ordered as Le Kerguelen but renamed before delivery after Jules Dumont d'Urville, the 19th-century naval…
Le Jacques Cartier2020 · 9,976 GT · 184 guests · South Pacific · AsiaLe Jacques Cartier is the sixth and last of the Ponant Explorers. Ordered as Le Surville, she was renamed after the Breton navigator Jacques Cartier before Vard delivered her in…
Le Lapérouse2018 · 9,976 GT · 184 guests · Mediterranean · Northern EuropeLe Lapérouse is the lead ship of the Ponant Explorers, a class of six 131-metre yachts named after French explorers; hers is the naval officer Jean-François de La Pérouse. Vard…
Le Lyrial2015 · 10,944 GT · 244 guests · Antarctica · Northern EuropeLe Lyrial is the youngest of Ponant's four Sisterships, delivered by Fincantieri's Ancona yard in April 2015 and named after the constellation Lyra. She shares the 142-metre…
Le Ponant1991 · 1,489 GT · 32 guests · Mediterranean · CaribbeanLe Ponant is a three-masted sailing yacht and the ship that started the company: she was built in France by the SFCN yard and went into service in 1991. At 88 metres she is the…
Le Soléal2013 · 10,944 GT · 264 guests · Asia · Australia and New ZealandLe Soléal, the third of Ponant's Sisterships, was delivered by Fincantieri in June 2013 and made her first voyage that July. In August and September of the same year she became…Quick answers
What is Ponant known for?
Ponant is best known for expedition cruising in comfort: its small ships reach the polar regions, remote islands and harbors that bigger vessels cannot, and Le Commandant Charcot takes guests to the geographic North Pole and deep into the Antarctic ice. Reviewers often praise the French cooking and wine, the design of the ships, and the range of themed voyages and partner programs. The drawbacks most often raised are cost, with polar fares commonly well into five figures per person, and the usual expedition caveat that weather and ice decide what a given voyage actually sees. In 2020 the company was criticized for declining to give refunds on cruises cancelled because of COVID-19.
Who is Ponant best for?
Ponant suits travelers who want unusual or remote itineraries without giving up comfort: couples and solo travelers who care more about wildlife, lectures and good food than nightlife, and anyone drawn to the Arctic or Antarctica. Its yacht-style Mediterranean and Caribbean cruises appeal to guests who like a European atmosphere and small ports. Families with young children, travelers on a tight budget and anyone looking for big-ship entertainment, casinos or a long list of restaurants should look elsewhere, as should those who dislike Zodiac landings or schedules that change with the weather.
Where does Ponant sail?
Ponant's ships in service sail Mediterranean (7 ships), Northern Europe (6 ships), Antarctica (5 ships), Caribbean (4 ships), Canada and New England (4 ships), Panama Canal (3 ships), Canary Islands (3 ships), South America (3 ships), Norwegian Fjords (2 ships), Asia (2 ships), Australia and New Zealand (2 ships), South Pacific (2 ships), Mexican Riviera (1 ship) and Transatlantic (1 ship).
How many ships does Ponant have?
Ponant has 12 ships in service on Cruise Frog: L'Austral, Le Bellot, Le Boréal, Le Bougainville, Le Champlain, Le Commandant Charcot, Le Dumont-d'Urville and Le Jacques Cartier, and 4 more.
Who owns Ponant?
Ponant is part of Ponant Explorations Group (Artémis).
Where is Ponant based?
Ponant is headquartered in Marseille, France. It has operated since 1988.
What is Ponant's loyalty program called?
Ponant's past-guest loyalty program is Ponant Yacht Club.
What is the largest Ponant ship?
Le Commandant Charcot is Ponant's largest ship at 31,283 gross tons, carrying 245 guests.
Cruising with children
Ponant offers family-themed departures, but a polar expedition and a cultural voyage need different checks. Choose the itinerary only after confirming your child’s eligibility.
Read the Ponant family guide →