Ponant Cruises was founded in the year 1988 by French veterans of the shipping industry. The founders of this cruise company had been officers in the French Merchant Navy. This company has a very luxurious vibe in it. You will be amazed to experience the French hospitality on board the ships of Ponant Cruises. Their experience in the cruise industry is very vast and they have launched many different cruises over the time. They offer two classes of cruise ships. Each class of ships has different specifications and all the ships with in that specific class are of same specifications. Their cruises offer a 5+ star luxury service for their guests. The cuisine offered on the ships of Ponant is also very delicious and you can have a taste of French cuisine at its best while taking a trip with Ponant cruises. With cruise line volume buys plus our low everyday prices you can save up to 80% versus the brochure price! Book your Ponant cruise today with AffordableTours.com, your discounted cruise headquarters.
Ponant is a very unique cruise ship company and it was founded by officers of French Merchant Navy about three decades ago as a cruise tour operator.
This company has seen really good success in a short period of time and the company which started with only one ship, Le Ponant, now has eleven ships in its fleet. Le Ponant, which started cruising under Ponant in 1991, is still a part of its fleet. They bought their second ship around 8 years later in 1999 and they haven't looked back since then.
Ponant is a cruise company that takes a lot of pride in its French heritage. Their headquarters are based in Marseille, France and all of its ships carry a French flag on them. This company was owned by the famous container and shipping company of France called CMA CGM but later on sold it to Bridgepoint Capital. The cruise company was acquired from Bridgepoint Capital and was sold to Groupe Artemis.
Ponant also owns another cruise company called Paul Gauguin Cruises. They are a very famous luxury cruise liner that takes specific trips to only the South Pacific Ocean regions and the islands around it. Being the owner of another successful cruise company Ponant has a lot of talented staff that has experience of working in the two sister cruising companies. And in the way Ponant also has a chance to grab the market share of travelers who only take trips to that specific region.
The Le Ponant cruise ship of Ponant Cruises was once seized by the Somali Pirates in the year 2008 when it was passing through the Gulf of Aden. Luckily it wasn't carrying any guests at that time but all of the thirty crew members were taken hostage. Ponant Cruises paid ransom to the pirates and the ship was releases but after some time the French commandoes tracked the pirates and captured them, who are facing a trial in France.
Ponant has scheduled delivery of one of the finest ice breaking ships in the World for the year 2021. This cruise ship will be capable of taking tourists to North Poles. With the help of this huge vessel, travelers can go cruising into one of the toughest regions of the world and the advent of this cruise ship will open many avenues of different new destinations in the cruising industry.
This cruise company has two different classes of ships in its fleet. One of the classes is called Boreal Class which has four identical ships with a gross tonnage of around 11,000 tons and a capacity of around 264 passengers and 140 crew members. The other class of ships is called the Explorer class and has six identical ships with gross tonnage of around 10,000 tons and capacity of around 184 passengers. The eleventh ship in Ponant's fleet is the first ship acquired by this company, Le Ponant.
You have an option to cancel your booking at any time up to 30 days before your cruise begins. You neither have to pay any fee for cancellation and nor you have to state any reason for your cancellation. This is a stress free way to book your cruise in advance and you have an option to just cancel it if you are not interested any more or cannot go due to any other reason.
Ponant has won many awards since its inception and most of these awards are for Best Boutique Cruises. This is because they are a very premium cruise option for someone who would like to travel in a luxurious cruise.
Ponant Cruises Travel Tips
Ponant offers a 5+ star cruises for its passengers so that you can enjoy and relax on your trip and that you are in a peaceful state of mind during your trip. This state of mind is what you pay for; a stress free atmosphere where you are not really worried about anything about the outside world.
They have given a lot of importance to the ambiance on the ship and they claim to make no compromises on the comfort of their guests. Their cafes, restaurants and bars, all have a vibe that is unmatchable and you will love to spend time there even if you are not having anything from their menu.
They offer some of the best cuisines provided on any of the cruise ship out there. French cuisine is of course the specialty on this ship and they have some of the most authentic French dishes on the menu. But that is not it if you are not really into the French food that much and would like to have something different then there are other dining options as well.
Their explorer class of ships goes to places that most ships don't even dare to go close to because of how remote these places are. The explorer class of cruises is specifically designed for such type of travels and you can go on some really long tours on these ships without feeling any different than traveling to some quiet and easily accessible city of Europe.
Ponant has some of the latest ships in its fleet and most of these ships were constructed in the 21st century so they have the best technology out there. These ships are equipped with very advance technology and have a very flawless design. The benefit of traveling with a modern ship is that you get a feeling that you are safe and the ship must have met all the international safety standards.
Most of the customers have only got good things to say about Ponant cruises and the customer reviews that are this good mean that the customers have put their trust on the brand and as we all know word of mouth spreads faster than anything so you need be assured that their claims about a very luxurious trip are authentic and they must be satisfied with the service over there are Ponant which is why may be they choose travel with them.
The ships in the fleet of Ponant are midsized and can accommodate a number of people which means that just like its sister company, Paul Gauguin, they also offer a very exclusive way of travel for their passengers so that each one of them can enjoy their own special moment at the ship. This compact size of ship also allows it to dock at those very small ports as well so that you can visit each and every place easily and no place is left out due to the lack of mobility.
Their itineraries include a lot of destinations around the world. These destinations include, Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East, Australia, America, Caribbean, The Arctic, Antarctica, Mediterranean and Pacific Islands along with many other destinations that are very much secluded.
They offer themed cruises for those who are interested in traveling with a single focal point which will be the theme of your cruises. The themes that they offer may include Golf, Music, Art, Literature and History. This is a great way for regular travelers who may be bored by the same atmosphere of cruise every time and wanted a little change.
Ponant Cruises Things To Do
Mostly the travelers who have an inclination towards French culture and heritage choose to travel with Ponant. Since it is the only all French Cruise company of such a scale, it has totally incorporated the French style of living into its ships' cabins, lounges and restaurants. A lot of people enjoy their time while taking a trip with Ponant cruises because they like that European vibe on the ship and because this vibe also makes ships by Ponant Cruises to stand out from almost all of its competitors.
There is also a group of travelers that is into taking adventurous expeditions to farfetched corners of the world and they also enjoy traveling with Ponant. Such passengers like to cruise with this company because it offers many destinations on its itinerary that are mostly not a regular choice for any tourist other than those who have a heart to go to such places. These destinations are usually around the North Pole, Antarctica and Alaska.
Ponant Cruises Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of trips can I take with you?
There are a lot of different trips that these cruises take you on and they provide you with a variety of options to choose from. There are trips that visit conventional destinations for about a week or ten days but then they also offer trips that are much longer and visit a bit more distant places than usual. There are also themed trips that are carried out by this cruise company in which your cruise has a specific theme like music or literature and you can feel that theme on board as soon as you step on the ship.
How much would a tour cost?
Like most other cruises prices of Ponant Cruises are also not definite and they have too many different standards and packages that determine the price that you will be paying for your cruise. They have divided their staterooms with extent of luxury that each of these staterooms provide and the prices are mostly dependent on what type of stateroom you have chosen for your trip and it's not just the luxury in the interior of staterooms but also the services that are provided in each category of stateroom that make a lot of impact on the price of the package. The starting prices for an 8 day cruise by Ponant Cruises are in between $5000 and $8000 for each person.
Can I take my family with the guide and not be stuck with other people?
Taking a tour guide with your family is possible only if your land excursion has private tours included in it otherwise if your family size is less than an average group size for a trip then you might have to bear with other tourists sharing the same tour guide with you.
Can I tell the agent what I want out of the trip?
Telling an agent about your expectations for the trip is a good way to start planning your trip. By doing this you will have an assurance that this is what you want to do. The travel agents have a lot of knowledge about the subject of cruising and they might even be able to clear any of your questions or fears about the cruise before you can go ahead and book one for yourself.
Do they have support that can help me regardless of what time?
Yes, they do offer a very nice customer support by providing their customers with a phone number that they can call at any time of the day. This number is available on their website and they also have a contact form on their website that allows their customers to connect to a Cruise Consultant from Ponant online.
What do the guides do for you?
On shore expeditions by Ponant take you to a lot of different places around the world and there is a high probability that you might not be familiar with culture, language or even the maps of those port cities where you may be staying for a couple of days. You will definitely need a tour guide if you want to fully participate in that excursion. Travel guides will tell you each and everything that you need to know about your destination.
Do they have specialists that are working in each place?
Yes, they have specialists working at each place. You can easily verify this by looking at the past records of the company and there hasn't been any such incident in the history of this company that a non competent was hired by the Ponant that has cause any hindrance in a great customer experience for their guest.
What type of way can you travel when you are traveling through Ponant Cruises?
There is an extensive list of ways in which you can travel with Ponant cruise. The two basic ways of traveling with them are going on a conventional cruise and going on an exploration tour into a lot of almost inaccessible places on earth. You can also travel Ponant cruises on different personalized itineraries. They also offer their guests to travel by air on their flight credits.
Who customizes the itinerary or things you are going to do ahead of time?
Their itineraries are very well customized and have been tested many times. You don't need to worry whether these itineraries are viable or not because they were created after extensive research by field experts and there are very few times when these itineraries had to be cancelled but usually they are very accurate and can predict with a very less probability of failure.
Where do you stay while you are at the destinations?
The hotels at your destinations are pretty decent and you will have a very comfortable stay at all of your destinations. The Ponant cruise company will only choose the best available option for you so you can relax and have the same sense of luxury on the land as you will have on the sea.
Is there a single supplement that can be used for travelers who are solo?
The Ponant Cruise Company does offer zero single supplement offers for solo travelers so that they can take the cruise easily without having to pay too much money as extra money for booking a double occupancy room. This company has ships in its fleet that have staterooms for single travelers and they can easily choose cruises on such selected ships without paying extra money.
On average, what is the group size like?
The group size on these ships varies with each different land excursion. Some of the excursion that you book in advance can have very small groups as only a few people might go for that excursion but the usual group size may be much larger than that.
I just knew this Antarctica Expedition Cruise With Ponant was going to be the trip of a lifetime filled with surprises and wonders, and boy was I right!
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