Question 1

What type of cruising does PONANT offer?

Accepted Answer

PONANT is a French-flag expedition and luxury cruise company with over 35 years of experience. They offer exploration-focused cruises with an intimate scale of 6 to 165 staterooms per ship. Their itineraries are designed around four themes: Planet, Culture, Lifestyle, and Geopolitics, with support from passionate expedition teams and renowned partners including Smithsonian Journeys, the Opera national de Paris, and Relais & Chateaux.

Question 2

What cultural and educational partnerships does PONANT offer on its winter cruises?

Accepted Answer

PONANT features cultural partnerships including Radio Classique providing music under the artistic direction of Alain Duault with exceptional musicians, Le Cercle Polaire's Women at the Poles programme with renowned female explorers, Relais & Chateaux with Michelin-starred chefs offering gourmet dinners, and conferences and debates with journalists and guest authors covering cultural, historical and geopolitical issues.

Question 3

How does PONANT categorize its cruise offerings?

Accepted Answer

PONANT designs trips as part of three collections: Timeless, Discovery, or Expedition. Each collection has a distinct, tailor-made approach. Trips are also inspired by four themes: Culture, Art of Living, Society and the Planet, and Alliances. PONANT has explored the world for more than 35 years.

Question 4

What safety and environmental certifications does PONANT hold?

Accepted Answer

PONANT sails under the French flag, representing the highest level of safety, with strict crew training and health and safety protocols. The company is a member of IAATO and AECO for responsible polar tourism, and its entire fleet has been awarded Cleanship certification by Bureau Veritas. PONANT also operates hybrid propulsion ships, eliminates single-use plastics, and has waste and water treatment systems.

Question 5

What destinations does PONANT cover in its Summer 2026 season?

Accepted Answer

PONANT's Summer 2026 season covers The Arctic and North America, The Caribbean, The Atlantic and Northern Europe, The Mediterranean, Asia and The Indian Ocean, and Oceania and Polynesia. Destinations span from Greenland and Iceland to the Mediterranean, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, and French Polynesia, plus Grand Voyages.

Question 6

What destinations does PONANT cover in Winter 2025-2026?

Accepted Answer

PONANT's Winter 2025-2026 season covers The Antarctic (including the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, and Falkland Islands), North America and Scandinavia, Atlantic Islands and the Mediterranean, The Caribbean and Central America, Asia (including Indonesia, Japan), and Oceania and Polynesia, plus Grand Voyages and Ocean Voyages.

Question 7

What regions does PONANT explore in its Summer 2026 cruise selection?

Accepted Answer

PONANT's Summer 2026 cruise selection covers the Arctic and North America, including Iceland, Greenland's Disko Bay, Spitsbergen, the Northwest Passage, Nunavut, Newfoundland and Labrador, the St Lawrence River, Nova Scotia, and the US East Coast cities such as New York, Boston, and Montreal.

Question 8

What destinations are covered in the PONANT Fiji to Micronesia itinerary?

Accepted Answer

The Fiji to Micronesia itinerary sails from Lautoka (Viti Levu Island) to Guam over 17 days/16 nights aboard Le Soleal. Stops include the Solomon Islands, Bougainville, Rabaul, Micronesian atolls such as Chuuk, Pulap Island, Lamotrek Atoll, and Ifalik Atoll, immersing guests in ancestral cultures and crystal-clear lagoons.

Question 9

What Japanese ports and islands does PONANT visit on its Japan 2026 cruises?

Accepted Answer

PONANT's Japan cruises visit Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Busan (South Korea), Miyajima, Beppu, Miyazaki, Yakushima, and the subtropical Okinawan islands including Naha, Motobu, Iheyajima, Kumejima, Miyakojima, Ishigaki, Taketomijima, Yonagunijima, and Iriomotejima, as well as Hong Kong.

Question 10

What Antarctic and sub-Antarctic options does PONANT offer for solo travelers?

Accepted Answer

PONANT offers solo travelers an expedition to New Zealand's Subantarctic Islands from Dunedin (15 days/14 nights from GBP 12,080 aboard Le Soleal departing 29th December 2025), and a Journey to Austral Lands from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia covering the Valdes Peninsula, Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Antarctica (19 days/18 nights from GBP 13,380 aboard L'Austral).

Question 11

What destinations does PONANT cover in its Winter 2025-2026 season?

Accepted Answer

PONANT's Winter 2025-2026 season covers the Caribbean (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Grenadines, Saint Lucia), Central America (Panama, Belize, Honduras, Colombia), Atlantic Islands (Cape Verde, Canary Islands), and West Africa (Senegal, Guinea-Bissau's Bijagos Islands). Destinations include Fort-de-France, Cartagena de Indias, San Blas Islands, and Belize's Barrier Reef.

Question 12

What regions does PONANT cover in its Winter 2026-2027 cruise program?

Accepted Answer

PONANT's Winter 2026-2027 program covers seven major regions: the Caribbean, Central and South America; the Antarctic; the Far North (aboard Le Commandant Charcot); Europe and the Atlantic Islands; Africa and the Indian Ocean; Asia and the Pacific Islands; and Oceania. New itineraries include the shores of Brazil, Polynesia, Baja California (Mexico) for grey whale watching, and the icy St Lawrence.

Question 13

What is Le Commandant Charcot and what makes it unique?

Accepted Answer

Le Commandant Charcot is described as the only cruise ship to offer the quest for the Geographic North Pole. It features Nuna, the only Alain Ducasse gastronomic restaurant at sea with a Michelin-starred chef's menu. The ship has laboratories available to science teams on board, contributing to international scientific research.

Question 14

What onboard amenities and services does PONANT provide?

Accepted Answer

PONANT ships feature spas with expert treatments from brands like Clarins, Biologique Recherche, Sothys, and Algotherm, plus hairdressing salons and fitness rooms. Dining is created with Ducasse Conseil, featuring delicious breakfasts, a la carte dishes, homemade pastries, bread baked on board, afternoon teas, and luxury product tastings (pata negra, caviar, gravlax salmon). All ships except Le Ponant and Spirit of Ponant have outdoor swimming pools.

Question 15

What are PONANT's commitments to responsible tourism?

Accepted Answer

PONANT sails under the French flag representing the highest safety level. They are members of IAATO and AECO for responsible polar tourism. Their environmental commitments include hybrid propulsion, recycling and waste/water treatment, elimination of single-use plastics, and participation in the UN programme to ban single-use plastics. The entire fleet holds Cleanship certification from Bureau Veritas, and they support science through the PONANT Foundation and PONANT Science programmes.

Question 16

What wellness facilities are available on Le Commandant Charcot?

Accepted Answer

Le Commandant Charcot features the Blue Lagoon (inspired by Icelandic baths), a Snow Cabin for Nordic rituals, and an indoor swimming pool offering unique relaxation in polar environments. Additionally, it offers spa treatments from recognised brands, hairdressing salons, and wellness areas. The ship's intimate scale and focus on expedition make it suited for polar exploration.

Question 17

What dining experience does PONANT offer on board its ships?

Accepted Answer

PONANT offers refined cuisine developed in collaboration with Ducasse Conseil, featuring delicious breakfasts, a la carte dishes, diverse buffets, home-made pastries, bread baked on board, afternoon teas, and luxury product tastings. On Le Commandant Charcot, guests can dine at Nuna, the only Alain Ducasse gastronomic restaurant at sea, with a menu created by the Michelin-starred chef.

Question 18

Which PONANT ships operate the Echoes of the Pacific itineraries?

Accepted Answer

The Echoes of the Pacific itineraries operate aboard Le Jacques Cartier (for the Cairns roundtrip and Cairns-Darwin routes) and Le Soleal (for the Lautoka-Guam route covering Fiji to Micronesia).

Question 19

Which PONANT ships sail the Japan 2026 itineraries?

Accepted Answer

The Japan 2026 cruises operate aboard Le Soleal and Le Jacques Cartier. The February departure for the Authentic Japan subtropical islands itinerary uses Le Jacques Cartier, while Le Soleal operates the March and May departures for The Best of Japan and other itineraries.

Question 20

What makes Le Commandant Charcot unique among passenger ships?

Accepted Answer

Le Commandant Charcot is the world's only passenger ship equipped with a Polar Class 2 (PC2) hull, enabling it to sail in multi-year ice inaccessible to other ships. It features all staterooms and suites with balconies or terraces, the Nuna gastronomic restaurant by Alain Ducasse, two research laboratories for international scientists, and uses electric propulsion combined with liquefied natural gas to reduce its environmental footprint. It is Green Globe certified.

Ponant

Ponant

About

Brochures

Fleet (13)

L'Austral

Le Bellot

Le Boréal

Le Bougainville

Le Champlain

Le Commandant Charcot

Le Dumont-d'Urville

Le Jacques Cartier

Le Lapérouse

Le Lyrial

Le Paul Gauguin

Le Ponant

Le Soléal

Ready to Set Sail?

Upcoming Voyages

Epicurean Delights: The Food & Wine of Sicily

Celtic Secrets & Landscapes Glasgow

Volcanic islands and historic cities of the North Atlantic

Gastronomy, Vineyards & Grands Crus

Atlantic Odyssey from the Canary Islands to the Iberian Peninsula

Ocean Voyage: Ishigaki - Bali

Wonders of the Celtic shores Dublin

Secrets of the Iberian Peninsula

Celtic Secrets & Landscapes Dublin

Volcanic islands and historic cities of the North Atlantic

Iberian Peninsula & Sicily

Landscapes and islands of the North Atlantic

Ocean Voyage: Brest-Reykjavik

Voyage to Indonesia: Dragons, Reefs, and the Spice Islands – with Smithsonian Journeys

Inuit spring of Ammassalik

Ancient shores of the Mediterranean

Epicurean Delights: The Food & Wine of Sicily

British archipelagos and Celtic shores

Heavenly Islands & Iberian shores

Celtic Voyage: The Hebrides and the Irish Sea – with Smithsonian Journeys

Authentic Japan

The French Riviera under Le Ponant’s sails

The Iberian Peninsula and Fortified cities of the Atlantic

Australia's Iconic Kimberley

Ready to Set Sail?

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of cruising does PONANT offer?

What cultural and educational partnerships does PONANT offer on its winter cruises?

How does PONANT categorize its cruise offerings?

What safety and environmental certifications does PONANT hold?

What destinations does PONANT cover in its Summer 2026 season?

What destinations does PONANT cover in Winter 2025-2026?

What regions does PONANT explore in its Summer 2026 cruise selection?

What destinations are covered in the PONANT Fiji to Micronesia itinerary?

What Japanese ports and islands does PONANT visit on its Japan 2026 cruises?

What Antarctic and sub-Antarctic options does PONANT offer for solo travelers?

What destinations does PONANT cover in its Winter 2025-2026 season?

What regions does PONANT cover in its Winter 2026-2027 cruise program?

What is Le Commandant Charcot and what makes it unique?

What onboard amenities and services does PONANT provide?

What are PONANT's commitments to responsible tourism?

What wellness facilities are available on Le Commandant Charcot?

What dining experience does PONANT offer on board its ships?

Which PONANT ships operate the Echoes of the Pacific itineraries?

Which PONANT ships sail the Japan 2026 itineraries?

What makes Le Commandant Charcot unique among passenger ships?

Ponant

Ponant

About

Brochures

Fleet (13)

L'Austral

Le Bellot

Le Boréal

Le Bougainville

Le Champlain

Le Commandant Charcot

Le Dumont-d'Urville

Le Jacques Cartier

Le Lapérouse